Ganyu has had a hard time since that night at the Yuheng's office.
It was like she couldn't keep her mind on anything that wasn't Lady Keqing's apparent interest in the Funeral Parlor's consultant.
Mr. Zhongli was an individual that she found herself inexplicably drawn to ever since she first laid eyes on him. He was knowledgeable, kind and, if the rumors were to be believed, quite strong as well—but none of those things mattered to her.
She couldn't put it into words, but it was as if his presence alone was enough to put her mind at ease even during the most stressful of days. His voice was soothing and gentle, yet carried a strong presence that made him nearly impossible to ignore. Every word the man said, no matter how trivial it may seem, carried a powerful sense of wisdom as if it was being imparted from experience.
There was a familiar aura that surrounded him. It was a warm and comforting presence, as if it was telling her that everything would be fine as long as he was there.
More than once she found her gaze wandering around, yearning for any sign of him whenever she walks around Feiyun Slope. She has been so intrigued by the mysterious consultant that she has gone so far as to follow him around the market area more than once.
She had yet to formally introduce herself to him—she was far too shy to approach him in such a direct manner. And it was that insecurity which has allowed Lady Keqing's interest to reach the very man she has been so infatuated with for months.
It was a rude awakening for sure, but one that she understood was necessary in order to get what she wanted.
She will not allow herself be left behind, which is the reason why she insisted to accompany Lady Keqing in her visit to the Funeral Parlor. She wanted-no… she needed to know where exactly did their relationship stood, and whether or not she still had a chance at all.
After all, Lady Keqing was the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, while she was merely an assistant under her employment.
"Lady Yuheng! I sure am glad that you could join us in time!" Hu Tao welcomed the pair with a cheerful smile.
Zhongli stood by the young director's side, hands clasped behind him. His eyes met Keqing's, and he send a silent nod her way.
She of course acknowledged the gesture, but never once did she dropped formalities while her attention remained on Hu Tao.
"Good evening, Director Hu," Keqing greeted the young girl. Standing behind her, Ganyu did a small bow. "I trust that my presence here is not an inconvenience to the Funeral Parlor's activities."
"Not at all! If anything, you coming here is a great publicity stunt! I'm sure it will help us bring even more potential customers into our doorstep!" Hu Tao then turned to the consultant. "Isn't that right, Zhongli?"
"Yes," he responded, not really feeling like arguing with her.
Not sure I would want to phrase it that way, Keqing mumbled under her breath before sighing. "So, going for what Mr. Zhongli told me, this seems like a pretty big project. Any special reason for the suddenly interest in Wuwang Hill?"
"Hmm, not really," Hu Tao responded with a shrug. "I merely wish to honor the souls of the departed by improving their resting grounds. It isn't much, but the area that we need to be cover is preeeety big and also very expensive, thus the trouble in keeping the cost for the restoration in check."
It was an idea that came to mind not long ago during one of her mid-night strolls through the woods while she was looking for inspiration. After seeing how old and wore down the burial grounds looked, she brought her idea back to Zhongli, to which much to her own surprise and joy, he saw it as a, and she quotes, 'a splendid idea!'
"I see." Keqing adopted a thoughtful look before speaking, "Let me see the numbers for the cost and how much is the current budget. I'm sure that I can create an effective strategy that can help reduce the general cost without having to resort to cheaper materials."
"As expected of the Yuheng! Your expertise is unparalleled by anyone!" Hu Tao clapped her hands together in celebration. "Come, I'll show you everything you need!" she said, grabbing the hand of a surprised Keqing, leading her into her office before the other had any chance to protest. "Lady Keqing and I are gonna have a quick chat, Zhongli! Watch the fort while we're gone!"
If anyone spoke any objections, they all fell on deaf ears as Hu Tao was long gone along with Keqing as they retreated into the hallway, leaving Zhongli and Ganyu all by themselves.
Zhongli suppressed a sigh. He felt sorry for Keqing, knowing that she will have to deal with the young director's full attention all directed to herself. Not even the patience of a god could help him, so what hope did she have?
On the other hand, he was impressed by the Yuheng's quick thinking and wits. She only just arrived, and yet she was already planning ahead on how to deal with the Funeral Parlor's financial issues.
She was truly deserving of her position as one of the Liyue Qixing.
"Ohm… Mr. Zhongli?"
Broken out of his thoughts, the consultant turned to the only other person left in the hall—Ganyu.
The secretary of the Qixing kept quiet however, keeping her gaze downward.
He raised a brow at the odd behavior. She clearly intended to talk to him, yet she purposely avoided meeting his eyes.
Such actions could only suggest apprehension. He has heard a great deal about Ganyu from Cloud Retainer and has seen the young Adeptus a couple of times in the past, but never got close enough as to be able to judge if this was her usual character.
Now that he was living his life as a citizen of Liyue however, perhaps this was an opportunity to get to know her better.
"Ms. Ganyu, I apologize for my lack of a proper greeting," he told the Adeptus' secretary with a polite tone.
Ganyu flinched at the sudden mention of her name, but her surprise was obstructed by the fact that he seemed to know about her.
"You… You know my name?"
"It would be strange if I didn't. After all, you're quite popular around the townsfolk," he said as he cast a smile. "We also already met before, though I wouldn't say that it was exactly a formal meeting. I was with the Traveler at the time, just outside Wanmin Restaurant."
A blush spread across her face. "O-oh, right. I kind of forgot about that. I'm… I'm sorry…"
Zhongli also opted not to mention the times he spotted her following him and Childe the other day, if only for the sake of keeping the conversation from going astray. If the Qixing suspected that his reunions with the Harbinger was part of some Fatui plot, then his peaceful life might be at risk, so he may as well let them carry on their investigations peacefully.
"Please, do not fret," Zhongli reassured her as he let out a small chuckle. "You were there on an official business for the Qixing. It is only natural that would keep your mind focused on the task at hand, so there's nothing to apologize for."
"Oh, I… Th-thank you, you're very kind." A timid smile reached her lips.
Seeing the gentle smile adorning her face, the former Geo Archon couldn't avoid returning the gesture with a smile of his own. It filled him with joy every time he saw one of his Adepti in such high spirits.
It was a blessing that even after spending more than a millennia working to maintain Liyue's prosperity, Ganyu still possessed such a warm, untainted soul.
"I have to say, I find it curious that Lady Keqing decided to bring you alongside her for such a small affair," Zhongli said with intrigue. "This was little more than a personal request between her and the Funeral Parlor, so there's no reason for the rest of Qixing to get involved."
A deep blush began to assault her cheeks. "O-oh, that's because I volunteered to accompany her, so I'm not here under any official business."
"Is that so? Was there any particular reason why you choose to volunteer?"
"I… I simply wanted to be of assistance to her." Ganyu's eyes flickered away. "Th-that's all..."
It was clear that she wasn't telling the whole true, but even if he was aware of this, he did not pushed for an answer. It wasn't his place to pry into such matters, so if she wanted to keep it all to herself, then he will respect her wishes.
"I can imagine how hard it must be." At her puzzled look, Zhongli clarified, "Being a devote follower of Rex Lapis, I mean. Working for a sceptic such as Lady Keqing has to be difficult, especially when considering your status as an Adeptus."
He of course did not had that difficulty whatsoever, even though he understood why someone would find interacting with the young Yuheng difficult. Zhongli on the other hand enjoyed partaking in those sorts of discussions with her, going as far as to seek her company every once in a while.
Ganyu's eyes widened as she understood what the consultant meant. "O-oh, no, not at all! I mean, it's true that she wasn't the easiest to get along at first, but once you see past her harsh words and blunt manner of speaking, you'll see that she means well," Ganyu said. "In fact, she may not say it, but she holds a lot of respect for Rex Lapis."
Zhongli reflected. "Hmm. Perhaps I may have misjudged her character," he said after a small pause. "Let us discuss this more comfortably. Can I offer you a cup of tea while we wait for their business to finish?"
Ganyu's smile brightened at the offer and eagerly accepted. "I would love to."
While they waited outside, Hu Tao and Keqing were engrossed in what was essentially a one-sided conversation.
While the Yuheng reviewed the documented records and numbers in regards to the Funeral Parlor's budget, Hu Tao tried and failed miserably to keep up.
Aiya, what am I even doing? Hu Tao forced a smile while nodding to Keqing's every word. I've never been any good when it comes to numbers, so what was I thinking by bringing the Yuheng here without Zhongli to help me out! I'm sure he would have easily understood all of this stuff, just like he always does!
Keqing was completely oblivious to this, as most of her attention was focused on the documents on the desk to pay any real attention to the young director.
It was no less than amazing how she handled such a complex job without looking tired. The level of efficiency in which she handled her task was simply inhuman, and it was starting to worry Hu Tao a little bit. Seeing how competent Keqing was, she couldn't but be a tiny but envious of her.
Lady Keqing was without a doubt an outstanding individual. It was no wonder how she got to where she is—and as much as it pains her to admit it, she was better than her in every possible way.
She could understand why Zhongli would want to spend so much of his time with her.
N-no. I need to stop thinking like that. Hu Tao slapped her cheeks and took a deep breath. Maybe a break would be nice.
"Would you be interested in some tea, Lady Keqing?"
Taking her attention away from her task, she regarded Hu Tao with a curious look before she nodded in acceptance. "Sure," she responded. "I could really use something sweet right now."
"Right away!" Hu Tao said with a blooming smile. Taking the pot off the stove, she poured the boiling water into the teapot, letting the brew steep. Hu Tao excitedly clattered a serving tray on the surface of the table.
"Thanks." Keqing took a drink from the hot cup and savored the flavor before putting it back on the desk. "Anyway, I believe I'm almost done."
"Oh, is that so?" Hu Tao said with a tone of surprise.
"Yes," Keqing said with a small nod. "Here, have a look. With this you should be able to make your land-use planning process much smoother," she explained, tracing her finger across the document while she spoke. "Beyond that, you really need to think about proportional allocation of resources, but as long as you don't rush things, everything should go accordingly with the plan." Keqing turned her gaze on her again. "You got that, Director Hu?"
"Heheh, honestly, this sounds way too complicated for me to get in one go." She smiled innocently while rubbing the back of her head. "But I'm sure Zhongli will help me out once I show it to him."
It was unusual for Hu Tao to struggle with words, but she always had a hard time when talking with the Yuheng. She was so uptight and hard to get close that she couldn't speak like she normally does with everyone else.
Keqing let out an exhausted sigh—something which Hu Tao was pretty much used to see whenever she spoke with the townsfolk. "Why is Mr. Zhongli not here then?"
"Well~" There was a small pause before Hu Tao remembered why she brought Keqing to her office. "Oh, that's right! There's something I'd like to ask you if you don't mind."
Keqing raised a brow. "Is that so? Well, don't keep me waiting, ask away."
Hu Tao's question was simple; she wanted to know where exactly did her relation with her consultant stood. However, she couldn't say that out loud, so instead she asked…
"Sooo, how long have you known Zhongli, Lady Keqing?
Not expecting to be asked that—especially not by Hu Tao of all people—Keqing gave her a look. "I don't know, a couple of months maybe," she responded with narrowed eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason, I was simply curious," Hu Tao trailed off. "I mean, I am his boss, so it's only natural that I'll be interested in who his friends are. You two are friends, right?"
"I… I guess we are," Keqing responded, still not sure where she was going with this. "Has he said anything about me?"
"Not really." Hu Tao let out a sigh. "That man likes to talk about nearly everything, but hardly ever says anything about himself."
Keqing stifled a laugh. "I know what you mean. He can be exasperating at times, even if he doesn't realize it."
"Right, right!" Hu Tao nodded eagerly. "He likes to act all mature and clever, but he can never get a hint! Like… how clueless can a guy be?!"
The young Yuheng rolled her eyes. "Tell me about it," she said. "I have tried so many times to get him to open up, but he's like an open book that you just can't read."
"More like a walking encyclopedia, if you ask me." Hu Tao laughed, and she was soon joined in by Keqing.
It seems like her day wasn't so bad after all. Thanks to lady Keqing's directions, the funding for the Wuwang Hill project will be able to move on without delay, and as a plus she was able to gain more insight into her consultant's ongoing relationship with the Yuheng—and thankfully, things didn't seem to have gone too far.
Hu Tao smiled gleefully. It wasn't over yet. There was still a chance for her, however small it might be.
Whatever happens, she will not allow herself to be beaten!
"It was a pleasure to have you here with us today, Lady Keqing!"
"Likewise, Director Hu," Keqing replied with a small smile adorning her face. Ganyu stood next to her, offering a respectful bow to the pair.
As she was about to head out, Keqing eyed Zhongli for a moment and scowled in disapproval.
Marching up the consultant, both Hu Tao and Ganyu wore a strange look when Keqing stood in front of him. Before anyone had a chance to ask, she already reached for his neck and fixed his collar after seeing that it was badly adjusted.
"Hm, stay still and let me fix this."
Hu Tao was stupefied by the Yuheng's actions while Ganyu brought a hand to her mouth in shock.
Zhongli on the other hand didn't say a word. There was no reaction from his part as he remained silent, watching Keqing do as she pleased.
"There you go," Keqing said, satisfied with her handy work. She closed her eyes and smiled with a gentle tilt of her head. "All done now."
"Thank you, Lady Keqing, but there was no need for you to do that," he stated as a matter of fact. "You could have simply told me that my shirt collar was out of place."
Keqing giggled. "C'mon, now where is the fun in that?"
Watching the entire scene unfold, Ganyu didn't realized that she was clenching her hands into tight fist until she felt her nails dig into her palm. Taking a deep breath, she was quick to compose herself before anyone could take notice.
Hu Tao's ever cheerful smile too seemed to crack for a brief second. This wasn't something she expected to see—especially not right in front of them. If things were already like this, that she will need to step up her game!
Something doesn't feel right, Zhongli thought, feeling a strange tension fill the room. He didn't know what it was, but he couldn't help but feel that it was somehow his fault.
"Anyway, we should be on our way now," Keqing announced. "I'll see you in our next meeting, Mr. Zhongli."
"Of course," he responded with a solid nod. "I bid you both farewell."