"Xiangling, you really are my best friend. At a time like this, you're the only one willing to help me. Hu Tao and Zhongli, you two are the worst!" Tabibito felt a warmth in her chest when she heard Xiangling speak up for her, and she shot the others a glare.
"H-Hey... you're trying to steal a married man. How exactly are we supposed to help with that? It's not like we can help you make Ryou divorce Keqing," Hu Tao said, scratching at her hat.
Then she added, "But my consultant is incredibly knowledgeable. He'll definitely be able to help you! And he works at the Ministry of Civil Affairs too. Consultant, this is your moment.
Seeing everyone looking at him, Zhongli had no choice but to speak.
"Tabibito, there's clearly a misunderstanding between you and Keqing. Some things only need to be talked through."
"There's no need to take it this far. Keqing only said that because she was worried."
"No, she absolutely did not say it just because she was worried," Tabibito snapped. "Last time, the way she stared at me in her own house was already over the line. Tell me this—what exactly do I owe Keqing?"
"She keeps targeting me, so I'm going to make her pay for it. It just so happens that I kind of like Ryou anyway, so I'm making him my husband. Let's see if that doesn't piss her off to death!" Tabibito clenched her fists, the anger in her heart refusing to die down.
"Tabibito, then what about your brother?" Zhongli asked from the side.
"To hell with that. I found him, and he refused to come with me, so my brother can wait." Tabibito slapped the table. "Right now, the priority is stealing a man!"
Then she turned to Zhongli and said, "Zhongli, just tell me already. What kind of sweet talk actually works on him?"
"That's right. Zhongli-sensei, you've spent a lot of time around Ryou. You've got a sharp eye, so tell us what you know," Xiangling asked from the side.
Privately, Xiangling was thinking that maybe if Tabibito and Keqing fought each other to the bitter end, she might get a chance to steal Ryou for herself.
So for now, letting Zhongli come up with the strategy could only help. Maybe later, she'd be able to use that advice too.
"Xiangling, why are you getting involved too?" Hu Tao pulled at her sleeve.
"That's not how you should look at it. Tabibito and I have always gotten along well. At a time like this, we should stand together!" Xiangling said righteously.
"Xiangling, you really are my best friend!" Tabibito was deeply moved.
Out of everyone she knew in Liyue, she had known Xiangling the longest. They had met back in Mondstadt, and they had always gotten along well. Now that Xiangling was standing on her side, Tabibito was genuinely touched.
Zhongli gave Xiangling an odd look, but with all three girls staring at him, he could only continue.
"Ryou dotes on Keqing, and their relationship is very good. Trying to break them apart won't be easy."
"Easy or not, it still has to be done. Zhongli, you definitely have some idea. If you don't tell me, I'll tell Hu Tao about those things!" Tabibito stared at him like a drawn dagger.
Zhongli's face darkened.
"What things? Come on, tell me!" Hu Tao immediately grabbed Tabibito's arm.
"Zhongli..." Tabibito dragged out his name and looked straight at him.
Zhongli gave in with a sigh.
"Fine, fine. I'll talk."
"The truth is, Ryou's personality and character are both excellent. Separating them will be very, very difficult."
He coughed lightly before continuing.
"But Keqing is clearly a Vision holder, and people like that tend to have greater demands in that area... So whether you dare make use of that opening depends on you."
"Ah!" The moment Tabibito understood what he meant, her whole face turned blazing hot.
"Huh? What are you talking about? Why don't I understand any of this?" Hu Tao grabbed Tabibito's arm tighter. "Consultant, what does that even mean? Explain it to your Director properly!"
"Exactly, exactly." Xiangling moved closer too and turned toward Zhongli. "Zhongli-sensei, hurry up and explain, so we can help Tabibito come up with a plan."
Zhongli coughed awkwardly and darted a glance at Tabibito.
"I've already told Tabibito the method. As for whether she uses it, that depends on her. I need to head back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs."
He set down his teacup and left at once.
"Hey, Consultant! You still didn't explain anything clearly!" Hu Tao shouted after him.
Once Zhongli had gone far enough, Hu Tao turned back to Tabibito and asked, "Alright, tell me what he meant."
"N-Nothing. I've got something to do, I need to go." Seeing Hu Tao and Xiangling both staring at her and pressing her about something that embarrassing, Tabibito immediately got flustered, stood up in a panic, and hurried outside.
"Tabibito, wait for Paimon!" Paimon hurried after her.
Only after leaving Wangsheng Funeral Parlor did Tabibito finally start feeling a little better. She rubbed her face, which was still burning hot and sensitive.
"Z-Zhongli actually gave me a suggestion like that... How am I supposed to do something so shameless?"
Then she thought about it again.
"But if I do that, Ryou will have to take responsibility."
She clenched her fist again.
"I don't believe I can't win him over. Besides, I've still got one card in my hand. Tonight... yes, tonight I'll find a way to lure him out."
"Mmph! I've heard that kind of thing hurts!"
"Tabibito, what hurts?" Paimon flew up beside her and asked.
"N-Nothing. Paimon, let's go eat first. Tonight, we're going to Ryou's house."
"T-To Ryou's house? You were practically about to fight Keqing today, and you still want to go to her house?" Paimon was dumbstruck.
"Hmph. Tonight, we're going to steal a man!" Tabibito said, clenching her fists again.
As night fell, the lights of Liyue Harbor gradually came on. Lanterns spread across the streets, bathing the whole harbor in a warm glow.
At that same moment, the Ministry of Civil Affairs had reached the end of the workday.
And yet not a single person had left.
All the files were neatly stacked away, and everyone remained at their desks, whispering among themselves in low voices, as if afraid of disturbing the two people inside the office.
After some time, Ryou finally opened his eyes.
That nap had helped a lot. His mental energy had recovered by more than half, and he found that he was still lying in Keqing's lap.
He lifted a hand and gently stroked her face.
"Keqing, thank you. You've worked hard."
Ryou quickly sat up, but the moment he did, Keqing cried out and nearly toppled over. He reacted fast and caught her at once.
Keqing leaned quietly into his arms.
"When I saw you lying there unconscious, I got really scared. It felt just like back during the battle with the gods, when you suddenly vanished from Liyue Harbor."
"But once I saw you open your eyes and wake up slowly, I finally felt relieved."
After resting in Ryou's arms for quite a while, Keqing's condition gradually improved, yet she still had no intention of getting up.
By then, the temperature outside had already dropped because night had fallen. Even so, the Ministry still retained a faint lingering coolness.
Ryou lifted a hand and withdrew all the qi.
Keeping five streams active for too long took too much out of him. Even with his mental energy doubled, he still could not sustain that kind of drain forever.
After learning that lesson, Ryou was much more cautious about it.
Once he withdrew the qi, he felt a lot better. Then he picked Keqing up, kissed her on the lips, and said, "Let's go home."
"Mmm... carry me on your back," Keqing said, reaching out her arms.
"Alright, alright." Ryou smiled and hoisted her onto his back, then headed for the door.
But the moment he pushed it open, he saw that all the staff from the Ministry of Civil Affairs were still waiting outside.
Not one of them had gone home.
"What are you all doing here?" Ryou asked.
"Ryou-sama, are you alright? W-We were really worried about you!" Huixin stepped forward and asked.
"I'm fine." Ryou looked over the Ministry staff and more or less guessed what had happened. His heart softened a little. "Sorry for making all of you worry. Go home and get some rest."
Only after seeing that Ryou was truly alright did the staff finally begin leaving the Ministry one after another. The whole group poured out in such numbers that even some nearby Millelith looked over.
"Keqing, stop being shy. No one's going to laugh at you—ow..." Ryou suddenly flinched and shut up.
"Keep talking, then!" Keqing pinched him from behind. How was she supposed to know that the entire Ministry staff would still be here? Being stared at by dozens of people like that was unbearably embarrassing.
As he walked, Ryou noticed Zhongli beside him and turned his head.
"What is it?"
"Ahem... well..." Zhongli looked a little embarrassed when he brought it up. "Do you still have any watermelon?"
"Watermelon?" Keqing poked her head out from behind Ryou and looked surprised. "Zhongli-sensei, so it was you who took it? I thought Tabibito had taken it."
"Ahem..." Zhongli didn't know how to continue that conversation.
Ryou laughed.
"It's fine. You've done a lot for the Ministry of Civil Affairs, so a little reward is only natural."
"Come home with us. I'll give you some of the new fruit, and stay for dinner while you're there."
"This..." Zhongli had originally wanted to refuse, because he knew Tabibito would probably go to Ryou's house that night, and that sounded like the kind of thing that could easily turn into a disaster.
But the moment he heard there were several kinds of fruit, he changed his mind.
"Alright, then."
"Haha." Ryou laughed when he saw Zhongli give in so quickly.
"You!" Keqing lightly smacked Ryou when she saw him laughing like that.
Maybe in the past she wouldn't have thought much of it, but Zhongli was still Rex Lapis, even if he had become much more grounded lately. That status did not just disappear.
"What is it?" Ryou tilted his head to look at her.
"Hmph!" Keqing snorted and turned her face away.
Watching how close Ryou and Keqing were, Zhongli felt a flicker of envy.
But then he thought about all the women who kept hounding Ryou and immediately felt his scalp go numb, so he quickly buried that thought and followed them toward home.
"Consultant! Ryou! Keqing!"
Hu Tao came running over from the side of the road.
"Hehe, looks like we got here at just the right time." Xiangling arrived too, with Guoba beside her and a few pieces of fruit in hand.
Zhongli felt another headache coming on the moment he saw Hu Tao and Xiangling.
So the two of you really did come.
And once he remembered that Tabibito was planning something tonight too, he had a very bad feeling this might turn into a full-blown fight.
[End of chapter]
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