Layla had enough problems with her academics—now she was getting invoices for her student loans. Sitting at the desk, she poured over those dreadful notes and felt close to tears. Her parents gave up so much to send her to the Academiya, how would they begin to afford this?
Stressing over this gave her a horrible headache.
She needed a break. Leaving her desk, she ventured to the Teapot. As she wandered up the stoop, she soaked in that fresh air. It helped her for a second. Then she got worried all over again.
"Ah, just the person I wanted to see," came a voice from behind her. Layla turned, finding the slender, tall figure of the Tianquan standing by the awning. Layla bowed.
"Hello, Miss Ningguang. How can I help you?"
"I'd like to discuss something with you. Would you humor me?"
"Oh, of course!"
She followed Ningguang into the mansion. As they went upstairs, Layla studied Ningguang. They'd known each other a while now—technically they orgied together—but she couldn't believe they had become friends. A woman like Ningguang deigning to socialize with a lowly student seemed so ludicrous.
Secretly, she admired Ningguang. She ran a whole nation and didn't utter a single complaint. To an overworked student, this woman was everything Layla wished she could be.
Ningguang sat in the living room and gestured for Layla to take the chair opposite her. As she did, Ningguang spoke.
"How have you been, Layla? Are your studies going well?"
"Fine, thanks. A bit stressful, but I manage."
"Good." Ningguang took on a professional tone, steepling her hands together. "Do you have any post-graduation plans?"
"Post-graduation? What do you mean?"
"Have you lined up any jobs or considered what you'll do next?"
Layla sagged miserably. Ningguang got a calculating glint in her eyes.
"Then, I hope it would not be presumptuous of me," she said, "Would you consider working for me?"
"H-huh?! Me? I'm not a business lady!"
Ningguang chuckled. "If I wanted one of those, I could search Liyue. No. The project I have in mind requires an Akademiya lady—one knowledgeable in astrology."
"Oh. Um…what would you have me do?"
Ningguang slid a folded envelope across the table. "The full details are in here. I'm interested in manufacturing astrology equipment. There's a niche in the market that looks promising. I'd like you and Mona to help my experts perfect the equipment. Are you interested?"
Layla couldn't speak. She opened the envelope, speed-read the letter, and came to her proposed salary. Her jaw dropped—literally dropped like a stone plummeting into the ocean and sinking to the depths. So many zeroes… She swallowed.
With this much Mora, she'd pay off her all her student loans within a year! Not only that, she'd have enough to send back to her village and still live comfortably. Layla daydreamed about buying her parents a nice house with a big fence out front. She'd get her mom that garden she always wanted and her dad could finally retire.
"This is…" she paused. "This is too much. I don't deserve it."
Ningguang chuckled. "Humility hardly suits you, dear. You're one of the most accomplished women of your age."
"But…you don't have to do this for me… really."
Ningguang clicked her tongue.
"Please don't misunderstand," she said. "I'm not offering you this job because we're friends or out of some obligation to Aether. This is all business. I have an eye for promising investments, and you, my dear, are an especially promising investment."
It just didn't seem real: The richest woman in the world thought she was a promising investment? Her eyes welled up.
Ningguang took her silence for reluctance.
"You don't have to answer now. Please, take time and think about it. I can—."
"I'll do it," she said. "When do we get started?"
Ningguang grinned. "Are you open for a summer job?"
They spent the rest of the day speaking contract. Once they settled on the terms, the Tianquan stretched out her hand. Layla took it and shook. The lowly, insomniac student became an apprentice to the most influential figure on Teyvat.
Little did Ningguang realize, how pivotal this decision would be for her nation. Under her guidance, Layla would blossom into a foremost figure of astronomy who would change Teyvat as a whole. Of course, it hardly surprised her when Layla succeeded beyond her expectations. After all, she had an eye for promising individuals.
