FirstWinterLight: The rumor mill is churning, even when the truth is the polar opposite~ Maybe Yanfei can uncover what's really going on- if she can ever get over her embarrassment! Your prediction may or may not be dead-on too!
ASM769476: Thank you very much~

Quick story: I've split this chapter into two parts, because I was pushing 8k words and still had a chunk to write. That and I wanted to reassure folks this story is still happening. Enjoy the set-up to our second smut- part two coming soon!

As impressive of an icon as it appeared, going inside the Jade Chamber gave everyone the same feeling at first; pretty much the exact opposite of what was expected. Rather than the interior featuring stairs going upwards, the way to have an audience with the highest authority figures in the region was to take a flight down, orbiting the central area, almost like the upper floors only existed for mere window dressing.

If pressed on someone knowledgeable, they'd say the design was intentional, bullshiting about how 'the Tianquan's work represents the foundation for Liyue, why wouldn't they be the closest to the citizenry?' and then laugh in a pretty smarmy, pretty-punchable way. ,..This person would also be full of shit themselves, as the truth is much more violent. As Osial can attest, getting slammed with a massive center column gives a hellish migraine like no other~

All this to say, the design had its use, but ultimately was pretty uncommonl. Not that Keqing minded; it reminded her that the woman she was about to speak to was not, as most believed, her boss. With heels clicking, first against stairs as she stepped down, then against the perfectly buffed floor of a vast area, she couldn't help but weigh the potential outcomes of what was about to happen.

If she was successful in convincing Ninggaung, Ganyu would soon join her home on a temporary basis. He would be pleased as well and spend more time with her, the ideal outcome….

On the other hand, if she couldn't meet the expectation placed, everything up to now would be a failure. Her house would remain without Ganyu, and she doesn' know how in Teyvat she'd manage to face him…

Now, this is the part where a normal mind, even one that's love-stricken, might begin to realize that intentionally failing here would honestly be a tempting option- almost too tempting of one to pass up. After all, having someone else in the house would guarantee that any attention directed by your lover would be split now. Happily though, that is a thought that occurs nowhere near the Yuheng's newly-corrupted brain space, confidently striding over one chosen path, to an office at the end. There can be no room for error; her boyfriend wants something, and she will provide.

Knock*

"Ninggaung? I would like to speak with you, as requested."

A pause. Then-

"Come in."a

One would never think this is the Tianquan's office. thinks Keqing, emerging into familiar territory- today was by no means the first time she spoke to Ninggaung during work hours. On each occurrence though, it was obvious just how much she and Ganyu were surpassed in organizational skills- no overflowing storms of paperwork or trinkets thrown about haphazardly to be seen here, just a neat and tidy workplace, everything already in its' precise spot. Jade scroll on the back wall, several stacked bookshelves, and off to the side- a pin-up board, detailing everything about Liyue one could wish to know. Crime rates, weather patterns, Abyss activity levels, balance sheets to predict future profit and loss, citizen feedback survey results, past Ministry of Civil Affairs announcements- and many, many other documents. All recorded for Ningguang to learn from.

And speaking of whom, the Geo-user herself sat behind the throne as she often did- calmly assessing the sheet of paper that laid on her desk. An elegant, white-haired woman with a red streak, her calm figure stood in cooperation with her spotless white-and-gold outfit, combining taste and flash in a way befitting one of Liyue's icons. Years of hardship leading to her current position of Tianquan, she did everything within her power to ensure Liyue's prosperity for future generations- a term that had already been a great success in Keqing's eyes. Unfortunately she was now acting as an obstacle, albeit without meaning, and it was time for the Yuheng to get involved.

"I trust you're doing well."

"I am. Thank you for clearing your schedule for this."

A thoughtful 'Of course' was Keqing's answer, followed by Ningguang looking up right at her, red eyes focusing like she was now the center of the universe. It was a natural talent all leaders seemed to possess; she was no different.

"I'll cut to the chase then. There is a change to our work environment I would like to make as soon as possible. Although permission for this is not required, as this change is quite drastic, I would like to hear your thoughts."

"I see. What do you have in mind?

Keqing lets out a small, barely perceptible breath. "I believe we should transfer Ganyu's workplace from the Jade Chamber to my quarters in the Yuehai Pavilion. As soon as possible at that." She finishes the bold declaration- only to get underwhelmed by the recipient's reaction, as Ningguang's eyes widen just a bit but nothing else. Perhaps to be expected, she didn't drop a resignation or similar, but the following quick response was welcomed.

"…Interesting…" Just the one word told Keqing the worst-case scenario was avoided, no immediate denial. Though clearly not an acceptance either, Ninggaung seems to play with the request in her mind before continuing. "A location change before Lantern Rite? I assume there is a suitable explanation for this sudden desire."

"Several in fact. The first is-" Even with risk of a third party overhearing low, Keqing takes several steps forward to close the distance before lowering her voice some. "Let's be blunt for a moment. Ganyu does her work excellently, but we know she has an… issue with overworking herself. I know this, you know this, but she refuses to change her ways. However by shifting locations so no other individuals are present aside from us, the received work would have to be something Ganyu or I could handle."

"Could we not implement better workflow here?"

The Yuheng frowns. "I don't believe that would work, Ganyu habitually hones in other departments and takes on their work. As much as I'm loathe to force situations on another, we need to remove the choice from her- we've needed to do this for a while now actually.

"That much is true, but moving her to your quarters? Would that not increase the risk to your reputation Keqing?"

"What are you talking about?"

Ninggaung blinks. "Are you not aware of the rumors?"

"Rumors…? We all have more important things to worry about than mere gossip, wouldn't you say?" Such as making sure Ganyu is more free to use…

After a long moment of what feels like scrutinization- "…No, I suppose you're right. Forgive the unrelated mention."

"It's fine, but actually that nicely leads me to my next point." Keqing continues. "I may not be aware of these rumors you describe, but in recent days, several Millelith soldiers have been abuzz with a peculiar topic in mind. Something that you've no doubt heard, as it involves a familiar face to us."

There's a slow nod as both women think of the same person. "One would have to be hard of eyesight to not see the excitement on young soldiers. Especially the males~" A rare point of humor from Ninggaung gives Keqing the idea to be a bit less formal for now, speak from her heart.

"Uggggh…." So she does with a groan and a disapproving shake of her head. "Don't remind me. It feels like every time I see a group of guards talk, they just go on and on about this 'white-haired beauty, attractive as any god, voluptuous in ALL the right places'. …This is the Jade Chamber! Not a brothel or bathhouse….! You know there's currently a waitlist- for guard duty! In all my time here, that's never happened!"

"Until now, that is." Ningguang corrects. "In any case, it has been an effective boost to morale."

"Yes….yes, that's undeniable…" Keqing half-pouts, selfishly thinking of who she's doing this all for. Couldn't he be the one to obsess over her for once? Why can't the shoe be on the other foot? "…We managed to confirm that Shenhe is indeed residing north of the outskirts now, thanks to a guard who… ah, …swings the opposite way…" The embarrassment she's feeling is apparent, but the Tianquan mercifully moves things along.

"Do we know what her intentions are?"

"Yes. Upon learning about this, I went to Xianyun's place of residence to see if I could get the answer- and possibly inform her about Shenhe's movements. No need for the latter, she was already aware, but for the former… A truncated version of what I heard was 'Shenhe is here for Lantern Rite, like countless others." A very truncated version, thank you very much,.

"And as for your take on this?"

"While certainly unconventional for her, I believe that Shenhe's intentions are pure- and out of an abundance of caution, she is not directly engaging with anyone. Personally, I would hope this trepidation vanishes by next month, but all we can do now is respect her wishes." Keqing takes a reassuring breath- it's time to bring up her ace. "So with that as the current situation, back to Ganyu for a moment- I fear that leaving her in the Jade Chamber would run the risk of the two 'sisters' missing each other during the holiday. While it should ultimately be Ganyu's prerogative to request this- or time off, in a perfect world- I again feel like this opportunity has become too rare to leave to simple encouragement."

Ningguang slowly nods again, choosing her words carefully. "…You care about Ganyu's wellbeing a great deal, do you not?"

"She made me… a better person than I was. I appreciate her and want to let her know that."

"Am I correct in assuming that you haven't told her about this?"

"You are. I felt like having the Tianquan's approval would inspire better than anything else- it's an interesting feeling, having the one you're doing everything for be the last hurdle." She chuckles at this, considering she's right as ever, but without telling the full story- Ganyu's agreement is entirely unneeded, mention 'her Master's' wishes and she'll obey no matter what. But it's good that she'll comply anyway~

"Very well~ Assuming that you can get her consent and fill out all the corresponding paperwork, I think we're done here."

"…Are you saying-?" Keqing asks, not willing to act premature. "Well I had more points I wanted to communicate-"

"As I said, there is no need. This is a straightforward matter, and her responsibilities will not change regardless of location. And what is Lantern Rite if not a time to be with the ones we hold dear." With a small smile, Ningguang finishes this topic- a thrilled Yuheng holding herself back.

…..She did it. Rex Lapis may not have helped, but this accomplishment is so monumental, she'll thank him anyway! But first she has to give Ninggaung an actual 'Thank you for hearing this out, I'm glad you understand.' and then-

"One moment Keqing. I'd like to ask you about some recent events."

Invisible to the one who asks, a tongue clicks. It was never going to be that easy, was it? Wheeling around to face Ninggaung again reveals that the Geo woman has now set down a different paper before her.

"Your report concerning Qingce Village preparations." Oh no- she instantly gets an ugly feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"…Were there any mistakes…?" Maybe, just maybe she can get lucky-

"Mistakes? No. However, in the years of reading your work, I like to believe I could identify any paper you write.." …Nope, she's not lucky. "To be blunt, this report doesn't read like your work Keqing. Your descriptions of the village's preparations are somewhat vague, lacking in the details I have come to expect."

"I…see." Argh, you stupid, sexy- this is why I wanted to go there!

"Forgive me for asking, but you did visit the village, correct?"

"Of course."

"I thought so. While this may not be what I expected, we can- …Keqing? Is everything ok? I'm still over here."

….His command! She realizes with horror… instead of engaging Ninggaung with strong eye-contact- like a freaking normal person - her view rests on the office door. Completely unaware of the trouble she's placed in, the muscles in her legs relax. Full control is restored, one spectacular blunder too late.

"A-AHEM!" She can't spin around at full speed… much too awkward… so Keqing just guiltily slowly turns- she WILL have words about this specific order. "I… apologize… may we resume?"

Ninggaung agrees, mercifully not prying into what just transpired. And with the threat of another lie leading to more suspicion, Keqing is forced on the defensive, as the next few minutes is full of the Tianquan prodding for more details about Qingce- details that she can only guess at, confidently as she tries to answer. Although it's not like she's never been either, a saving grace necessary to maintain her web of misleading statements.

"Relatedly, it's actually not just Qingce Village that has had this period of strange peace, but most of the region. I'm sure you're aware?"

"Right, our sentries have been restless in their reporting of lack of action. And while this is exactly what we've hoped for, it does feel strange."

"Quite. Do you know why this has happened?"

Keqing bites her lip. A denial here would only result in her showing off her butt… and a whopping heap of suspicion being thrown. Time for some quick thinking~

"This is just my speculation, but with the return of a certain 'Traveler' in the region, I'd like to believe the decrease in hillichurl activity is at least partly due to their presence. With the Conquerer of Demons at their side now especially."

"You believe those two are fighting hillichurls?"

"Maybe they weren't intending to do so, but Lumine's list of achievements is matched only by the number of incidents she gets dragged into, intentionally or otherwise- well, that, and Paimon's tab from restaurants nationwide." Keqing is relieved to see Ningguang show a chuckle at the image of a familiar fairy scarfing, waffling, inhaling all of Liyue's meals down. "It's either this or some madman gathering hillichurls en masse, an experiment that would be both idiotic and ineffective. Nevertheless, I will reinforce patrol routes from the Chasm and Wangshu if we need to."

"Thank you Keqing." Ningguang responds, satisfied. "I appreciate the consideration. And about this report-"

"Y-Yes, I apologize for that…It will not happen again."

"Very good. If that's everything then…?"

A pause between the two Liyue leaders, Keqing perfectly masking her desire and true intentions- or at least she hopes. The spin around wouldn't matter right? There's no way Ninggaung, for all of her brilliance, would even THINK there's anything more to it- the truth lies in a completely different universe!

"There is not." "Then I wish you a good day Keqing."

With that the Yuheng leaves, no longer completely satisfied with how things went. Returning to work, nothing in her mind echoes as strongly as hopeful reassurances.

She didn't screw up, she didn't screw up, she didn't screw up….. please…

"Keqing, are you ok?"

She's suddenly face-to-face with her horned co-worker. Ah Ganyu… so caring, so nice, so helpful~

"…Ganyu, your 'Master' wants you to move to my house for work effective immediately. I have already got the go-ahead from Ninggaung too- do you have any objections?"

"M-Master...! O-oh, o-ok! Thank you Keqing!"

So…

So Archon-damned clueless! He does everything for your sake, you know! You should making your Master's life easier, not the opposite! Do you even realize any of this, you-

….Siiigh….

What has happened to me?!

If I were to describe the past few days in a sentence, it'd be "perfect in its' simplicity"

…..Not exactly the work of a poet I know, but it has certainly felt nice to slow down some while I hopefully let some work happen behind the scenes… an admittedly new feeling honestly, I'm so used to getting everything done all by myself~ And not only that, If it was anybody besides Keqing assisting me, I still would feel I had to! But the Yuheng's frequent visitations to Wanmin - meaning she appears totally inconspicuous to the everyman - and the free access to her house means I can check in daily to make sure it's all progressing smoothly. That, and to give me ideas for the inevitable sex. And to that point, I went out and bought some tools!

A pair of Kameras, actually! Told ya it's been a simple week~

There are many things Fontaine and Fontainians are known for- diving skill, legendary desserts, an extremely beautiful and accessible city, the origin of rock-n-roll, etc. We are also very stylish individuals, including yours truly when I perform on stage~ And with everyone wanting to be fashionable, it stands to reason the photography world is just as prominent- wanting to remember outfits and the like. Point is I know my way around a Kamera, so when I saw a pair of red-and-blue models selling on the cheap, I knew I had to pick them up~ And if I was happy, Xiangling was ecstatic, demanding I take a bunch of photos the instant she saw it.

A photo of her inside Wanmin.

A selfie of me.

Both of us outside the restaurant.

The father-daughter Mao combo. (I thought about denying this)

One of Gouba. (I REALLY thought of denying this)

All four of us in one.

And finally, various photos of Liyue. Docks, Bubu Pharmacy, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, etc upon etc. Some featured a locale like that, some didn't. Some we found a passerby to allow Xiangling to join in, some just featuring myself. In fact, every single one the chef insisted I had to be in the frame.

"Haven't you ever used a Kamera before?" I remember asking as she was fiddling with the device.

"Of course I have! None of my pictures have you though!"

And that was that. Oh, I should mention, all of these photos were taken on the red Kamera, which is now safety kept in the hotel room next to the powerful 'flash'light. Still waiting for an opportunity to use that… anyway, with how much the Pyro-user was pulling me every which way, it felt appropriate. The blue Kamera will have a different purpose to fulfill~ Speaking of-

"Hey-ya~ Keqing, good evening~!"

"Xiangling~ Table for one?"

I hear it all while I'm taking out Tomatos, Potatoes, and Jueyun Chili. A welcome stroke of luck this night one could say, though honestly just saving me a bit of legwork. With the restaurant bustling now, no one notices as I go over to the newly-occupied table a few minutes later with bated breath-

"You have an update for me I take it?" "Y-yes, and I believe you'll like what you hear."

..,Oh my gods… Fuck yes~! I don't ask for a follow-up- too busy resisting the urge to do a little dance- but there's only one thing it could be, am I right?! The mission has been achieved! Ganyu is coming home! Of course, this means I've got to reward Keqing now~

"Ahem…! Then we meet tonight, your house. I'm looking immensely forward to it~" "Understood."

Man, that blush is gonna be so much fun to see up close!

"….Oh of course! Say, Keqing, separate topic, I wanted to ask-"

"Heeeeere ya go~ One order of Shrimp Balls, just for- wait, what are you-?" Aw crap, I forgot how fast Xiangling can work, suddenly on us, steaming plate of crispy golden orbs perfectly balanced on her hand. Huh, my brain is nagging at me for some reason…right, this was the first real meeting between me and Keqing, (not counting the sudden appearance of 'Ms. Purple' when I talked with Ganyu) and Xiangling was the set-up for that! Well, sorry friend, but there'll be no follow-up act to the 'awkward magician forced to improvise!' I came prepared~

"I was just about to ask Keqing about how should I request a favor from you, actually. So I guess this works out~"

"….A favor?" Xiangling repeats, placing Keqing's dinner down. "H-hey, wait, doesn't that mean you were planning to keep another secret from me?"

"Oh come on! You'll like this one, swear it!"

…She does not look convinced, a-ahaha…

"S-see I was doing some research about the Lantern Rite traditions, and well….X-Xiangling, do you think- no, c-can we set off a Xiao Lantern together?"

A bit shaky, but the friendly giggle I hear alleviates my fears.

"Mm-hm! Of course we can~!"

That was easy! "A-alright. It might be difficult to do it on the first night, you know, magic show and all that. But what I read makes it seem like a fun experience, so we should definitely do it when we can!" "Agreed! I'll take care of everything this time too- was planning on sending a couple out anyway!" No doubt with her friends and family- but this is good, it'll serve as a final apology for the 'lying' thing, with Keqing as our witness. Though speaking of-

"Um, Xiangling, don't you think we're interrupting the Yuheng's dinner?" Again, oddly familiar.

"O-oh y-yeah hehehe….sorry Keqing!" She bows deeply- but the Electro-user just raises her hand in an obvious sign of unconcern. After that the conversation fizzles out and we all go our separate ways, my 'job' is done at Wanmin a few minutes later, the final preparations can finally begin! Which tonight means grabbing the blue Kamera for its' first use…

Let's get our revenge.

Author's Note: If you're worried about the wool being completely pulled over Ningguang, don't be.