Genshin Impact: I, the Winter's Executor, am forced to work.

It's not that I don't think highly of you, young master, but rather that we've known each other for so long that we don't really care about those boring rules anymore.

That's it.

"If Brother Qin returns, please let me know."

"Don't worry, I will definitely inform you both when Brother Qin Ye returns."

Zhongli nodded silently, put his hands behind his back and went upstairs without making a sound.

The young master was also very self-aware; he understood that now was not the time to show his face, since his companions would notify him well in advance if needed.

Tatiana first gave Paimon a knowing look, signaling her not to say anything out of line. Then she straightened her clothes, loosened her apron, threw Zhongli and the young master's shoes into the mirror door, and finally opened the door to welcome the guests.

The combination of people arriving at the villa was quite intriguing.

Standing in the very center is a mature woman wearing sunglasses, a short-sleeved crop top, leather pants, and high-heeled sandals.

"It's been a long time, Qin Ye's second-in-command." Ye Lan casually took off her sunglasses and smiled brightly. "Hearing that Qin Ye had returned to Liyue, I took advantage of my free time at work to bring Hall Master Hu and Mr. Yun to visit him."

"Excuse me." Yun Jin was as elegant and kind as ever. Today, she was dressed in casual clothes that she rarely wore. She wore a black short-sleeved shirt and a white short skirt embroidered with blue clouds. Her purple stockings and boots gave her a different kind of intellectual beauty.

"Hi~" Hu Tao snapped out of her admiring the plants in the villa's outer yard, waved to greet them, walked up to Tatiana, compared their heights with her hands, and sighed helplessly.

"As always, it makes people admit defeat."

In every sense.

“It’s been a long time, everyone…” Tatiana wiped the sweat from her face with the back of her hand, her expression full of apology: “I’m sorry, Brother Qin Ye just returned to Liyue and was summoned by Lord Tianquan to discuss official business. He hasn’t returned home yet, and I’m currently tidying up the house. I apologize for neglecting you all.”

"Oh, it's nothing, it's nothing." Master Hu waved his hand generously, looked at the neatly trimmed flowers and plants in the yard, and couldn't help but exclaim in admiration: "You really can do everything."

"Haha, you're too kind." The girl stepped aside to make room for the three of them to come and go as they pleased: "These abilities are essential when you're with Brother Qin Ye, they're nothing to brag about."

"..."

Ye Lan's smile was somewhat awkward.

Sometimes, excessive modesty can make people think you're showing off.

Although the girl in front of me didn't actually have any romantic intentions, her outstanding performance was truly admirable.

It's a pity, if only we could have pulled her away from the Fool to be Seven Stars' secretary.

"Then this hall master will not stand on ceremony!"

Hu Tao's behavior remained unchanged, as if the passing of the Rock King Emperor had no effect on her whatsoever.

"Oh? Are there other guests here?"

She looked at the two white boots on the shoe rack with a curious tone.

"Yes, she's a traveler that Qin Ye and I met in Mondstadt. She's currently traveling between the seven kingdoms, so we're going the same way."

"Oh, I see."

Hu Tao consciously took off her shoes, after all, she didn't want to cause trouble for Tatiana who was doing a thorough cleaning.

"Tatiana, the buttons on your apron are about to come undone. Let me fasten them for you."

Yun Jin was very thoughtful. The moment she entered the room, she noticed the other person's inconvenience and skillfully tied the ribbon for them.

"..."

Only Ye Lan noticed something was wrong and scanned the room thoroughly.

Years of experience in reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance gave her an extraordinary sixth sense. Although she couldn't explain why, she knew that there were definitely more than three people moving around in the house in a short period of time.

As for any traces... they seem to have been perfectly concealed.

Was it done while it was being concealed at the doorway?

She frowned.

"Miss Yelan, is there anything you are dissatisfied with?" Tatiana asked politely.

"No, not at all." Ye Lan smiled and patted the other person's shoulder. "I'm just a little envious. The environment of this villa is even better than my tea room. I was mesmerized for a moment."

"That's good... If you have any complaints, please let me know as soon as possible, after all, you and Brother Qin Ye are good friends."

"must."

The two smiled at each other, gazed at each other, and slowly nodded.

Chapter 196 Brother Qin is here

"So, one of you rushed to meet the work deadline, and the other helped rush the work deadline, but what about the initial task of getting Qin Ye to talk about you..."

Ningguang rested her chin on her hands, her face showing unusual displeasure.

Ke Qing and Gan Yu turned their faces away, one to the left and one to the right, not daring to look directly into Ning Guang's eyes.

"..."

One of you is a Seven Star, the same rank as me, and the other is a Seven Star Secretary, a Half-Immortal. In terms of seniority, you are far above me. What do you mean by being passive and uncooperative at this crucial moment?

According to my seniority and rank, it wasn't my turn to reprimand you, but when you came back, you two acted like you had done something wrong.

And you, Yuhengxing, with that dead pig-like expression, are you just giving up and not even going to act anymore?

"Qin Ye... there's nothing strange about him, and he always seems fearless and confident, not like he's done anything wrong."

Gan Yu tried her best to weave a lie, even though she knew that two powerful figures were definitely involved, but...

She dared not say anything; if she disrupted the plan, wouldn't she become a sinner for all time?

Keqing's thoughts were relatively simple. She didn't have as many complicated ideas as Ningguang. Ningguang had to consider all possibilities in detail, while she was different.

She glanced at Gan Yu beside her out of the corner of her eye.

As a senior figure, Gan Yu is a demigod and has the ability to sense people's good and evil. She clearly trusts Qin Ye, so Ke Qing, who is a Seven Star, would be better off doing her job well.

She didn't have much respect for the Geo Archon to begin with, so now that Liyue is in danger, she should be at the forefront, setting an example for everyone who has lost their goals and motivation, and restoring vitality to the entire Liyue Harbor.

This is more practical and convincing than simply issuing a notice telling everyone not to panic.

"Sigh...please have a seat, both of you." Ningguang pinched her brow, looking at the ever-piling work in front of her, feeling utterly helpless.

The problems of the people of Liyue may account for less than 20% of the issue. More important are how she can restore the morale of the people of Liyue, whether the forging of Mora can proceed on schedule, and whether the countless foreigners who trade with Liyue Harbor will take advantage of her misfortune at this critical moment.

"However, Qin Ye did ask us to pass on a message to you." Ke Qing seemed to sense the other party's worry.

"what?"

"He said that we don't need to worry about Zhi Dong's unusual behavior in the short term, as he still has some influence over there."

"..."

Although Ningguang was very reluctant to believe that Zhidong, who prioritized profit above all else, would give up the opportunity to rip people off at this time, even Inazuma dared to act arrogantly in front of her, and Zhidong still maintained the good relationship with her as before.

All I can say is... now you have to believe it whether you want to or not.

At the same time, she became even more certain that the unexpected incident during the summoning ceremony must have been due to a power struggle among people of higher status.

Unfortunately, even her status prevented her from participating in it.

Moreover, even if she had something to do, she was willing but unable to do it.

"Senior Gan Yu..."

She used a form of address she hadn't used in a long time, a rare occurrence: "Are you sure he..."

Ningguang looked up and met a determined gaze.

"understood."

Now all that's left is to wait for news from Yelan...

Only after confirming multiple times could I completely suppress my worries.

She took a deep breath, picked up the brush again, and began writing on the document.

No matter the cost, I will protect Liyue.

-

In the villa

Qin Ye returned to the property he hadn't seen in a long time, feeling quite nostalgic.

After all, those days of spending money like water are unforgettable for anyone.

He took out his house key and inserted it into the lock.

As soon as the door opened, he sensed an unusual atmosphere.

"Is it Brother Qin Ye who's back?"

Tatiana came out of the living room immediately, which eased the tense atmosphere.

"Yes, I just had a friendly tea party with Tianquanxing and Yuhengxing and we chatted. I'm all done now."

Looking at the spotless floor, Qin Ye didn't dare to step into the house: "You've worked hard cleaning. Let me change my shoes first."

"It's alright, I'll clean it again if you get it dirty. Just do whatever makes you comfortable, Brother Qin Ye."

The man shook his head helplessly, but still meticulously straightened his clothes.

"Oh, do we have guests?"

Although they had a rough idea of ​​who the visitor was, Ningguang would definitely not come in person, so she would most likely send Yelan, whom she trusted and whose identity was not sensitive.

Ye Lan's visit here seems too purposeful; she might bring one or two of my acquaintances with her.

"Master, Mr. Yun, it's been a long time."

Qin Ye greeted the two politely, and then made a point of shaking hands with Ye Lan.

It wasn't that he was treating her differently; after all, the hall master and Mr. Yun had genuinely come to visit her.

But some people's intentions are not quite right.

Ningguang has Ganyu whispering in her ear and on her pillow; as long as Ye Tianhou is dealt with, there won't be any problems.

"Brother Qin Ye, please take a rest for a while. I was just having a great chat with Miss Ye Lan. Let's continue our conversation."

"..."