He changed Tiwat

As for Keqing investigating who leaked her secret to Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun after she recovered, Han Fulai would never admit it, no matter what.

Chapter Fifteen: Hairpin for Survival in Desperate Circumstances

"Hey, even Yuheng Star..." Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun was quite puzzled. Just now everyone was gathered together in a lively atmosphere, how come they all ran away after only a few words?

Han Fulai could only be thankful that he had no dark history in the hands of Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun, so he didn't have to worry that this old crane in his empty nest would suddenly kill him if he had a good time chatting.

"However, I can understand. Being a secretary is not easy. Many of the affairs, big and small, in Liyue Harbor pass through Gan Yu's hands. As one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, and also a mortal, Yu Hengxing probably has an even heavier burden. They are working so hard... They should take more time to rest."

Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun found the reason on her own. She looked at Han Fulai and earnestly instructed him on the task: "Gan Yu is diligent and easily forgets to eat and sleep when she is working. You should supervise her eating and sleeping more often."

Han Fulai wholeheartedly agreed. The more diligent Gan Yu and Ke Qing were, the longer he would have to work overtime. Even if it was just for his own sake, he should urge them to get more rest. Gan Yu was an immortal, and Ke Qing was the holder of the Eye of God; their physiques were far superior to his. He couldn't keep up with their relentless grinding.

"Certainly. I have always been well taken care of by Lord Gan Yu. Her health is not only related to herself, but also to the operation of the entire Yuehaiting Office. I will take good care of her," Han Fulai replied.

"Hehe, Han boy, then I'll leave it to you. With you by her side, I can rest assured." Before the Battle of Aosai, Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun was entrusted by Han Fulai to modify Gui Zhongji, and he also witnessed Han Fulai give the credit for defeating Aosai to Gan Yu. He had a very good impression of him.

"And these snacks..." Liu Yun Jie Feng Zhenjun looked at Ke Qing's handmade snacks, "They look really good... Hmm."

She spread her wings again and said to Han Fulai, "I have accepted all the gifts. Just leave them on this stone table. Shen He will accompany me to carry them into my residence later. I will hand them over when Xiaoyue Zhuyang and Lishui Dieshan return."

Her gaze lingered on the firework tube once more. As an immortal skilled in the art of mechanisms, she was now filled with excitement and could no longer suppress her researcher's instincts.

"The structure of this firework tube is truly ingenious; I must study it carefully. Han boy, you still need to accompany Yuheng Star to see the Demon-Subduing Great Sage, right? I won't keep you any longer. Shen He, come with me."

Han Fulai bid farewell to Liuyun Jiefeng Zhenjun and Shen He, then turned and descended the mountain.

The faint voice of the Cloud-Borrowing True Lord could be heard on the wind: "Shen He, I did tell you to bring the gifts into the mansion, but don't bring the stone table in with you..."

Han Fulai reached the foot of the mountain, where only Keqing was waiting for him by the carriage. Moonsea Pavilion was busy with affairs, and Gan Yu had already visited her master and returned to Liyue Harbor ahead of time.

Seeing him return, Ke Qing seemed to want to cover up her earlier lapse in composure and stepped into the carriage first. "Mr. Han, we still need to go to Wangshu Inn to find the Demon-Slaying Great Sage. Please get in the carriage."

Han Fulai got into the carriage as instructed, but instead of telling the driver to hurry on his way as Ke Qing had suggested, he bowed and apologized to the driver from Ke Qing's household: "Master, you must be tired from your journey. It's inconvenient to travel at night. I think... we should find a safe place to rest for the night and set off for Dihua Island tomorrow morning."

The driver's eyes were full of gratitude, and he nodded quickly in agreement.

Ke Qing wanted to say something, but ultimately remained silent.

The driver found a sheltered spot at the foot of the mountain, lit a campfire, and set up a simple tent using the tools he carried in the vehicle.

Han Fulai and Ke Qing sat around the campfire, enjoying their dinner together—grilled fish.

These fish were caught by Ke Qing from a nearby stream. Han Fulai accompanied Ke Qing to the stream, where Ke Qing removed a hairpin from her hair, condensed a surge of lightning elemental power on it, and threw it into the water. Moments later, several unfortunate fish were stunned by the electric shock and floated to the surface.

The grilled fish that Han Fulai and Ke Qing are holding now were all made by Ke Qing herself. Before tasting Ke Qing's cooking, Han Fulai never imagined that this high-ranking young lady from a prestigious family, Lady Yuhengxing, would have cooking skills that were no less than those of a restaurant's head chef!

These fish weren't actually grilled over a campfire; in fact, the fire was merely used to keep them warm. Keqing's grilled fish was made by skillfully frying the fish from the inside out using lightning.

She even carried salt and pepper with her to carefully season the grilled fish, as if she had been preparing to have a barbecue in the wild for a long time.

Even if she were to sleep in the wilderness, Keqing could survive using these skills. Appearances can be deceiving.

Han Fulai now felt that even if Keqing pulled out a camping tent and sleeping bag from her God's Eye, he wouldn't be surprised—Keqing looked like a seasoned camper, the kind who could be the female lead in "Laid-Back Camp".

Taking the grilled fish from Ke Qing, Han Fulai took a small bite, savoring the lingering fragrance. The slightly charred skin encased the crispy fish meat, a perfect balance that made his mouth water. Han Fulai was absolutely certain that if Ke Qing went to eat at Huyan Grilled Fish, she could definitely bankrupt Kuai Dao Chen's grilled fish restaurant.

After dinner, Keqing carefully wiped her hairpin over the campfire.

Han Fulai noticed that the hairpin was made of brass and shaped like a small arrow, perfectly matching Ke Qing's decisive and efficient temperament. However, a small white peach blossom was inlaid at the top of the hairpin, seemingly proclaiming that the hairpin's owner was essentially just an innocent young girl. However, despite Ke Qing's careful handling of the hairpin, it could not hide the fact that it was quite old.

"I never expected that Lady Keqing, one of the Seven Stars of Liyue, would use such simple accessories," Han Fulai said.

Ke Qing paused for a moment while wiping her hairpin.

"What? Mr. Han, are you saying that this hairpin is too old and in poor condition, and does not match my status?" Ke Qing asked calmly.

Han Fulai shook his head. "No, I'm guessing that this hairpin must have had many stories with Lady Keqing. The fact that Lady Keqing, who is so focused on innovation, uses an old hairpin shows that it has irreplaceable value."

Upon hearing this, Ke Qing smiled slightly and puffed out her chest: "I have honed my knowledge and willpower through countless perilous experiences. Only this hairpin and my sword have been inseparable from me. When I sleep outdoors, I stand the hairpin upright on the ground before going to sleep, which serves as an extremely sensitive alarm device. As long as there is any unusual movement around me, it can wake me up immediately."

"Its weathered appearance is its most charming feature."

Han Fulai nodded and smiled, "Its history is what makes it most precious. Even an ordinary hairpin can become a legend because of its own experiences."

Chapter Sixteen: Those who execute the plan are people.

Ke Qing tilted her head and glanced at Han Fulai, saying, "Mr. Han seems to have something in mind. You might as well speak frankly."

Han Fulai smiled, but then brought up a seemingly unrelated matter: "That coachman, I'm afraid he hasn't spent much time with Lady Keqing, has he?"

“Indeed, this coachman has only been my personal coachman for less than a month… but how did Mr. Han know that?” Ke Qing asked with interest.

"Because driving a carriage is a very boring job. As far as I know, drivers usually like to chat with their passengers to pass the time. When my brother Xingqiu and I went to Qingce Village for research, the driver we hired would often talk to us about our travel experiences."

“But Lord Keqing’s coachman didn’t speak to us at all along the way, and he didn’t dine with us at dinner just now. So I think, on the one hand, he’s different from Lord Keqing in status, so he’s not too comfortable getting close to her, and on the other hand, it’s because he’s not very familiar with Lord Keqing,” Han Fulai said.

"Hmm...is there a problem?" Ke Qing asked.

“Yes.” Han Fulai’s expression turned serious. “This shows that Lady Keqing has not established a relationship of trust with her subordinates, whether it is that coachman… or me.”

"This..." Ke Qing was about to refute, but she was speechless for a moment, because what Han Fulai said was true.

Han Fulai continued, "It's about half a day's journey from here to Dihua Island. It's difficult to see at night, and traveling is dangerous, especially on mountain roads. But if Lord Keqing hadn't been persuaded by me, he probably would have insisted on traveling to Dihua Island overnight."

“I know you’re worried about safety on the road at night, which is why you said you wanted to rest here, and I agreed to your proposal.” Ke Qing’s voice turned somewhat cold. “But Mr. Han, you seem to have forgotten that I have my own considerations.”

“I know what Lord Keqing is considering,” Han Fulai said. “Firstly, since Lord Keqing is willing to recruit this coachman, his driving skills must be excellent in Lord Keqing’s eyes. I see that he is very proficient in starting a fire and setting up camp in the wild, which obviously shows that he has experience in wilderness survival. Even when traveling at night, he did not object, which also shows that he is capable of completing the mission.”

"Secondly, I've also heard that the Great Sage Who Subdues Demons usually hides during the day and goes out at night to subdue demons in order not to disturb the people. Lady Keqing's choice to rush to Wangshu Inn at night is probably because she is afraid that she will not be able to see the Great Sage Who Subdues Demons during the day."

Ke Qing frowned slightly, "Since you know all this, then why..."

“Because that’s precisely the problem.” Han Fulai emphasized, “Lord Keqing is thoughtful and considers the abilities of her subordinates when making plans, which shows that you are not completely unaware of your subordinates—but your subordinates do not understand you.”

"So I guess that your plans, Lady Keqing, usually encounter various problems. And in order to make up for these unexpected situations, you often need to work twice as hard, which is one of the reasons why you have to do everything yourself—because plans don't succeed automatically; it is people who execute them!"

The campfire crackled softly. Ke Qing's profile appeared flickering in the firelight.

“I remember when you asked that subordinate named Pengyi to revise the budget, you told him to his face, ‘If you think the current budget is not enough to do this well, then submit an application to the General Affairs Department for recalculation and approval.’”

"Actually, when we subordinates encounter budget changes, our first reaction isn't to submit a report and recalculate, but rather to try our best to split a single Mora in half to avoid angering our superiors. It's rare to find a superior like Lady Keqing who is willing to modify and increase the budget. As a subordinate, it's usually a pleasure to have such a generous... I mean, such an understanding and reasonable superior."

"But Pengyi doesn't dare to mention increasing the budget to you, which means that in his eyes you are a boss who won't allow budget changes. Does this mean that Pengyi doesn't understand you either?"

Ke Qing nodded thoughtfully.

"When I asked the driver to change the plan to travel at night, I could tell that he was more in favor of my suggestion to rest for the night. We had been traveling since early morning and were already exhausted. Even the most experienced driver couldn't guarantee that continuing to travel at night wouldn't cause any problems."

“What if the Seven Stars of Liyue get into an accident because of him? How will he take responsibility? His mental stress is much greater than you, Keqing, can imagine. But even so, he doesn’t dare to ask you to change the itinerary. Although I believe that if you replaced me with him to suggest resting where we are, you would accept it after consideration. Doesn’t this mean that this coachman doesn’t understand you either?”

Ke Qing remained silent for a moment, then nodded honestly.

"And me. Although I am a temporary secretary you borrowed from Lord Gan Yu, I am nominally your personal secretary. However, you decide your own travel plans and never communicate with me, your personal secretary, beforehand. For example, you did not discuss the matter of traveling overnight with me beforehand."

"Furthermore, you only asked me if there was anything that needed to be added after you had prepared the gift list—I don't deny that your gift list was actually quite perfect. However, preparing gifts should also be my job as your secretary. But you had no intention of relying on me for this matter, or rather, you were unwilling to rely on others for anything that you could do yourself."

"Admittedly, you are not an overbearing boss, but a flexible person—but this is something I discovered in my interactions with you, through your attitude towards Lord Liuyun Jiefeng just now, and your help in saving Lord Ganyu from trouble."

“If my observation skills were slightly worse, I might also think that you are a very difficult boss to get along with and unwilling to accept opinions—because you are unwilling to let go of many things that can be delegated to subordinates,” Han Fulai said.

Ke Qing remained silent.

“I remember when you found me at Qingce Village, you told me that you hoped I could help you improve the efficiency of the preparations for the Lantern Festival. Although you mainly hoped that I could help you communicate with the immortals, I also know that you valued improving work efficiency just as much.”

“Then I can tell you how to improve work efficiency now.” Han Fulai looked directly into Ke Qing’s purplish-red eyes and said seriously, “Trusting your subordinates is the way to improve work efficiency—not simply trusting their abilities, but trusting them as people.”

Chapter Seventeen: Han Fulai Satires Keqing on Accepting Advice

“It’s not simply about trusting your subordinates’ abilities, but about trusting them as people…” Ke Qing murmured, repeating Han Fulai’s words. Although Han Fulai’s words were tactful, Ke Qing understood the deeper meaning behind them.

In a sense, Han Fulai's words were a severe accusation against Keqing—it was practically a direct statement that she didn't know how to manage people at all. How could someone who didn't understand the art of personnel management be a good member of the Liyue Seven Stars?

If someone else had spoken to Keqing like that, they would probably have been met with Keqing's merciless mockery and rebuke—Do you understand the Liyue Seven Stars or do I understand the Liyue Seven Stars? Are you the Jade Balance Star or am I the Jade Balance Star?

But Han Fulai is special. In terms of background, he is Gan Yu's personal secretary, a member of the Liyue Immortal faction, and even acts as if he is directly under the command of the Geo Archon. Even Ningguang is trying to win him over. In terms of achievements, he has only been in Moonhall for a month, yet he has already commanded the battle against the Demon God Ocel and is an important figure in leading the reform of Moonhall.

Therefore, although Han Fulai's position was not high, his influence was not small; otherwise, Ke Qing would not have specifically asked Han Fulai to help her introduce the immortal.

This is why Ke Qing agreed to Han Fulai's suggestion to change the itinerary. Given Han Fulai's background and achievements, Ke Qing would never truly treat him as her subordinate's secretary. Under the circumstances, Ke Qing would actually respect Han Fulai's opinion.

But respecting his opinion does not mean that Keqing completely agrees with him.

Keqing wanted to retort, saying that since you are not in the position of the Seven Stars of Liyue, how could you understand my predicament? But at this moment, Keqing suddenly realized that this was what Han Fulai had wanted to tell her before—she had not established a relationship of trust with her subordinates, and her subordinates did not understand her, including Han Fulai, who was nominally her subordinate.

Ke Qing pursed her lips and asked, "In your opinion, what should I do to show that I trust my subordinates?"

"The first step is to let your subordinates know your thoughts, instead of making them guess," Han Fulai said with a smile.

"For example, if you want to travel to Dihua Island overnight, you can explain the reason to me and the driver in advance. If I didn't know the usual routine of the Great Sage Who Subdues Demons, I might misunderstand you as a heartless boss who doesn't care about his subordinates and forces them to work overtime."

Ke Qing nodded and asked, "And what's the second step?"

"The second step is to ask your subordinates for their reasons for doing something before making a judgment."

Han Fulai pointed to himself. "I clearly changed your itinerary without your consent, and you didn't even ask me a question."

“…This is because I understand Mr. Han’s good intentions,” Ke Qing said.

Han Fulai smiled. "Does Lady Keqing really understand my intentions? What if I said that I changed Lady Keqing's itinerary without her consent, not because of safety concerns?"

"Huh? If it's not for safety reasons, why did Mr. Han change his itinerary?" Ke Qing asked, puzzled.

Han Fulai did not answer immediately, but simply smiled.

In the glow of the campfire, Han Fulai's smile appeared mysterious and unpredictable.

Ke Qing was taken aback. She suddenly realized that she didn't really understand this Deputy Minister Yue Haiting who had been temporarily transferred, so how could she possibly guess his intentions?

Upon reflection, although he was her personal secretary on loan, he was still nominally her subordinate, and it was taboo for him to arbitrarily change his superior's decisions. Based on Gan Yu's assessment and what she had witnessed firsthand, this Mr. Han was by no means the kind of person who would disregard his superiors and act arbitrarily.

Even though he had doubts about the reason for his temporary transfer when they were at Qingce Manor, he agreed without asking any questions; even though he had bypassed his personal secretary to decide on the gifts and itinerary for his visit to the immortals, he packed his bags without complaint and accompanied him; even though he had left him to clean up the mess when Miss Ganyu was embarrassed because she hadn't brought a gift on Mount Aozang...

Han Fulai’s previous actions all showed that he was not only loyal to his duties, but also very responsible, especially considerate of his superiors. He was simply a model secretary.

How could someone like that arbitrarily change their own itinerary? Why would they do such a thing?

The reason she concluded that Han Fulai changed his itinerary due to safety concerns was because...

Han Fulai seemed to have read Keqing's mind before, and spoke up at that moment: "Because Lady Keqing has encountered similar situations before, such as having urgent matters that required traveling overnight, but her subordinates refused on the grounds of safety considerations. So when you encountered this situation tonight, you subconsciously judged my intentions based on your past experience."

Although Ke Qing didn't speak, Han Fulai knew he had guessed correctly from her reaction.

"The reason I changed my itinerary is actually so that you, Lady Keqing, can successfully meet the Great Sage Equaling Demons. Based on my understanding of the Great Sage Equaling Demons, whether you go to him at night or during the day, you probably won't be able to see him. Because he simply doesn't want to see humans."

Han Fulai was telling the truth. As a Genshin Impact player, he knew Xiao, the Asmodian, to some extent about his personality. Xiao always avoided humans, saying he hated crowded places, but actually it was because he was afraid that his "karma" would harm humans.

Since he and Keqing weren't very familiar with Xiao, and they were both human, there was a high probability that Xiao wouldn't want to get close to them.

"Even if we travel all night and go to see the Great Sage Subduing Demons in the middle of the night with gifts, we will only come up empty-handed," Han Fulai said. "However, if we change the time, I have a way to see the Great Sage Subduing Demons."

"Instead of risking our lives to travel at night only to be turned away, why don't we conserve our energy and visit this immortal at a more opportune time? That's why I changed my plans. I wonder if Lady Keqing would believe my intentions?"

Ke Qing pondered for a moment, then nodded. Han Fulai already had a background with the immortals, so it was natural for him to be familiar with them. Ke Qing valued this aspect of him, which was why she asked him to introduce her to the immortals.

Han Fulai knew he had to strike while the iron was hot; it was time to reveal his true intentions.

"The first and second steps are foundational, involving exchanging ideas with subordinates. Only after thorough communication can we move on to the third step: trusting subordinates—or more accurately, making them feel trusted."

"...Make subordinates feel trusted?" Ke Qing felt that there was a deeper meaning in Han Fulai's words, and she vaguely grasped something.

“Yes. Does Lady Keqing know when her subordinates feel trusted? The answer is, when you entrust them with important responsibilities,” Han Fulai said.

"But it's not that I didn't delegate tasks to my subordinates, is it? In fact, many of the tasks in organizing this Lantern Festival were handled by my subordinates. For example, Pengyi was in charge of the development and arrangement of fireworks..."

Han Fulai shook his head. "They were not entrusted with important responsibilities by you. Because responsibility is always commensurate with power."

Chapter 18 You're just cosplaying the Rock King.

Ke Qing was taken aback.

In her past work, it wasn't that no subordinates had given her advice. Some said she was too impatient, some said her standards were too strict, and some said she was cold-hearted... But Han Fulai was the first to say that she didn't entrust her subordinates with important tasks.

But she clearly felt she was already giving her subordinates a lot of credit. Even if her standards were sometimes a little higher, it was because she trusted their abilities and therefore strived for excellence. She would take over tasks that her subordinates couldn't complete, and even do them better.

Even if something would normally take half a month to resolve, she would find ways to shorten the timeline and finish it in a day or two. By "finish," Ke Qing meant not just completing the task, but perfecting every detail related to it. Those who had reservations about her usually fell silent after seeing the results she produced.

To outsiders, she is always efficient and perfect.

Is there anything wrong with that?

She did give her subordinates opportunities to perform, but they failed to meet her expectations, which led to her having to take on most of the work on her own.

—Was this her fault?

A subtle sense of grievance arose in Keqing's heart. It was as if, when she obtained the Eye of God, many people said that she was able to be the efficient and perfect Lady Keqing because she was the holder of the Eye of God.

But all her achievements are clearly the result of her hard work! Who understands the hardships she endured to become the Keqing she is today? Those people can only see the eyes of God!