He changed Tiwat

How could someone with a heart of stone let him into this house?

After being separated for over a month, how could I not miss you?

Isn't that exactly what she wants to hear?

Ningguang's body instantly went even softer.

Han Fulai wrapped his arms around Ningguang's soft waist, rested his chin on Ningguang's shoulder, and whispered his parting words in her ear.

He said that when he was out and about, he always wore the clothes she gave him, as if she were always by his side...

He said that when he walked alone in the night of the festival, he would wonder why she wasn't by his side...

He said the Knights' banquet hall was not as large as the restaurant in the Jade Pavilion, and no dish at the state banquet could compare to the one she cooked herself...

He said he had specially brought back fine wine, hoping to share it with her tonight…

Gradually, his lips moved from Ningguang's cheek to her earlobe, and his warm breath made Ningguang slowly close her eyes.

His words were so gentle and sincere, his movements so smooth and natural, that Master Tianyi, who had been observing the entire process through Ningguang's "Eye of God," couldn't help but exclaim in amazement.

"Why are you so skilled at this?"

As the saying goes, "a single word can awaken a dreamer." Ningguang, who was gradually indulging in sweet words, suddenly woke up, reached out, and pinched the soft flesh of Han Fulai's waist with two fingers, twisting it hard.

Han Fulai gasped, too pained to speak.

Ningguang broke free from his embrace, forcing a cold expression as she glared at him: "Hypocritical, these are all excuses you've already prepared, aren't they?"

Han Fulai was on the verge of tears... Heavens, these were his true feelings, spoken naturally, without any acting involved.

As for why he was so skilled at coaxing Ningguang... it can only be said that it was a potential talent that was awakened in a crisis.

If there's anything else... it's probably because I recently gained some experience points from Yura.

Although Ningguang managed to break free of his grasp, her own hand was still gripping his waist, and he remained speechless...

At that moment, a tiny girl with long sleeves popped out from the Eye of God at Ningguang's waist, holding a stone slab completely disproportionate to her size—a golden, seemingly very precious...washboard?

Master Tianyi, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, didn't greet Han Fulai, this "sinner," and instead placed the golden washboard in front of him.

This AI girl, who inherited her knowledge from the God of Dust and had a shelf life of at least three thousand years, coldly pointed to the "instrument of torture" at Han Fulai.

“Well, according to the rules passed down from the Guiliji era, you can say whatever you want to say here.”

Han Fulai cast a pleading look at Ningguang, but Ningguang revealed a charming smile: "Someone just told me that he'll accept being beaten or scolded. Is that true?"

...Han Fulai resigned himself to his fate.

Following a proper legal process, Lord Tianquan, the presiding judge of Liyue's laws, rendered the following judgment:

"The proceeds from the crime will be recovered in one book of Ningguang Chamber of Commerce promissory notes, and the large sums of money signed in Mondstadt will be deducted from the prisoner's wages at double the rate."

"Receive a bottle of dandelion wine as compensation."

“The prisoner shall be punished with a washboard for one day, during which time he shall not be entitled to food or rest.”

So Han Fulai began to be "tortured" in Ningguang's office.

The only saving grace was that the usually bustling Tianquan office was unusually quiet today, and no one except Ningguang would witness this embarrassing scene.

In fact, Ningguang's willingness to punish him meant that she was prepared to forgive him, just like how prisoners can regain their freedom after serving their sentences. Therefore, Han Fulai could only obediently accept the punishment to show his sincerity in repenting.

However, Master Tianyi, who was in charge of supervision, was so bored that he started chatting with the inmates:

There's a saying that the opposite of love isn't hate, but indifference. Xiao Guangguang's anger shows that she cares a lot. Whether she's worried that someone will get tired of her or resentful that someone will use her feelings to please another woman, in short, she still loves someone.

"Ultimately, she's just waiting for someone to coax her, and she's willing to believe even if it's all lies..."

Han Fulai quickly protested, "Master Tianyi, you can't say that! Everything I said to Ningguang just now came from the bottom of my heart!"

The girl with the large coat sleeves floating in the air stood on her tiptoes, looking disdainful: "Hmm, the engagement was fake, spending money was an accident, kissing was an accident... Then explain, what kind of uncontrollable force could make you end up on someone else's bed?"

Han Fulai remained silent, unable to explain this matter no matter how eloquent he was.

Ningguang was a very intelligent woman, so she didn't ask.

But Tianyi isn't a woman, she's an AI...

"It's a misunderstanding. You two are just friends, nothing more. You never thought about those things. It was just the atmosphere...right?" The incredibly wise girl in the overcoat squinted, her face saying, "I'll tell you everything. Let's see what else you have to say..."

Han Fulai had nothing to say... because that's really how it happened.

It may sound like a sophistry, but it's the truth!

Seeing Han Fulai's hesitant expression, Tianyi snorted. This time, she was completely on her disciple's side.

"If you go out for a month, you can get another engagement... If we let you go out for a few more months, I wonder how many more 'good sisters' Xiao Guangguang will have?"

Han Fulai quickly protested, "I'm not that kind of person!"

Master Tianyi, who had seen through everything, snorted and replied with an ancient Liyue proverb: "A man's mouth is a liar's mouth."

Han Fulai did not actually kneel for a full day.

Ningguang is, after all, a Tianquan star. If she's not handling official business in the office, she has to do it somewhere else. And when the Eye of God needs to see people, it can't be separated from her. So the "prison guard" quickly left his post.

Of course, Han Fulai, with the sincerity that Ningguang's presence or absence made no difference, was still punished and stayed up all night.

Until he discovered that Ningguang's bedroom was always lit up.

If you can see the light, it means the door isn't closed.

The door wasn't closed, which means she left it open for someone.

Well, speaking of which, his place of imprisonment wasn't Ningguang's office, but this washboard—so as long as he had this washboard with him, theoretically it wouldn't matter where he was, right?

So Han Fulai picked up the washboard and went into Ningguang's bedroom.

Then, very obediently, he placed the washboard on Ningguang's large bed and knelt down on it solemnly under Ningguang's surprised gaze.

The next morning, Han Fulai, who not only had leg pain but also backache, deeply understood what "absence makes the heart grow fonder" meant.

Chapter Four: A Series of Missed Attempts

Even the strictest tax officials are gentle with major taxpayers. After Han Fulai paid his taxes, Ningguang generously reduced his sentence.

In reality, his trip to Mondstadt was a "vacation." Since he had already reported back to Moonsea Pavilion, his vacation was naturally over. Ningguang couldn't possibly keep the Deputy Chief of Moonsea Pavilion, who was supposed to be working, locked up in the Jade Pavilion.

Moreover, Han Fulai did indeed have important business to attend to at Qunyu Pavilion.

After listening to Han Fu explain the cooperation plan with the Knights of Favonius in detail, Ningguang also got into work mode. She quickly arranged her schedule and sent someone to deliver a letter to Commander Qin to arrange a diplomatic meeting.

She will represent the Liyue Septate in formal trade and economic cooperation negotiations with the Knights of Favonius in Mondstadt.

As for why she went instead of the Knights sending someone—mainly because the "Fair Lord" wasn't in charge of diplomatic affairs, and the Knights couldn't send her as a delegation…

A week later, a private "Beverage Showdown" was held at "Angel's Gift".

As the richest woman on the continent of Teyvat, Ningguang was incredibly generous, booking out the entire bar that night. The person she invited that night was none other than the newly promoted "Family of the Wind God," Yura.

The fearless "Wave Knight" responded to the opponent's challenge with dignity and honor.

Then they were defeated.

Even with the "Cold Heart" technique, Yura was still unable to stay conscious in the latter half of the night.

The white-haired beauty in front of her clearly started to blush after a few drinks, seemingly unable to hold her liquor, but she never got drunk.

Little did she know that Ningguang was someone who could drink with Beidou.

Freshwater is highly susceptible to spoilage at sea, and sailors are prone to scurvy due to vitamin deficiencies. Spirits, on the other hand, can quench thirst when drinking water is scarce and also help prevent illness, making them very popular among sailors.

If Ningguang can hold her own against Beidou, who drinks alcohol like water, then Ningguang's alcohol tolerance is far beyond Yura's.

That night, Ningguang used her portable camera to capture Yura's "defeat CG".

—Han Fulai couldn’t understand why Yura, who was always competitive, was so afraid of Ningguang.

After leaving Qunyu Pavilion, Han Fulai went to the "Hall of Rebirth" again.

His trip to Mondstadt was on Zhongli's orders, so he naturally had to report the mission's progress to Zhongli. He also had many things he wanted to confirm with Zhongli. Furthermore, considering Wendy's suggestion, he would probably have to go to Inazuma soon to search for traces of "Time Rule," and he wanted to hear Zhongli's advice on that as well.

But Zhongli once again demonstrated his elusive nature, appearing only briefly and disappearing without a trace, and Han Fulai's trip to the "Hall of Rebirth" ended in disappointment.

Master Hu said that the guest had asked for leave from the hall two days ago. As for where he went, Zhongli never said, and Master Hu was too lazy to ask... Han Fulai had no choice but to ask Hu Tao to give Zhongli the dandelion wine he brought back from Mondstadt and ask her to leave a message for Zhongli, so that they could meet when it was convenient.

Besides Zhongli, the other people he needed to see were Shen He and Ke Qing.

According to Gan Yu, Shen He is currently in seclusion and should not be disturbed. Therefore, Han Fulai asked Gan Yu to deliver a letter to Shen He using her "Piaojin Mechanism" before heading to Guili Plain.

Han Fulai is still nominally Ke Qing's personal secretary on loan from Yuheng Star. After reporting back to Yuehaiting, he should go to Guili Plain to assist Ke Qing, as the construction work of "Guili New District" is waiting for him.

But he missed his target again.

He saw Garcia and Patrick still working diligently in the command center of Guiliyuan, but he did not see Keqing.

According to Galcha and his group, Lord Yuheng received a report from the hydrological monitoring personnel upstream of the Biyue River a few days ago—it wasn't about rising water levels, after all, there had just been a major flood, and the Biyue River needed to calm down for a while.

This incident has nothing to do with water, but it is related to mountains...

It is said that a miasma called "Yunqi" has appeared in the Qiaoyingzhuang and Chenyugu mountainous areas upstream of the Bishui River and is spreading.

Floods are often followed by plagues. Although Qiaoying Village was not affected by the flood, it could not escape the epidemic.

Moreover... this plague does not infect humans, but rather the magical beasts in the mountains, and the very foundation upon which Qiaoying Manor depends for its survival—tea.

It's July now, the summer tea-picking season, which should be the harvest time for Qiaoyingzhuang. However, due to the presence of "misty air," the quality of this season's new tea is far inferior to previous years, and the yield has also been affected.

For the tea farmers of Qiaoyingzhuang, epidemics are second only to floods in terms of natural disasters.

Of course, if it were just a tea disease, it wouldn't be necessary for Yuheng Star to personally intervene. Keqing doesn't know how to treat tea diseases either. It's probably better to consult the doctor Baishu at "Bubu Lu" or Ganyu on Yujing Terrace.

The key to Keqing's deployment lies in the magical beasts in the mountains.

Some local residents claimed to have seen the "mysterious beast" in Qiaoying Village.

This beast resembles a tiger or leopard, with dark patterns all over its body that look like talismans. Ancient people once saw the figure of this strange beast walking in the moonlight and wrote a poem to record it, saying, "The jade soul flows with white light, the mysterious patterns illuminate the shadows." Hence, it was named "Mysterious Patterns".

What makes it most special is that the Xuanwen Beast has a pair of beautiful, fish-fin-like wings on its back.

These wings do not enable long-distance flight, but they still allow the Xuanwen Beast to be faster when chasing prey.

According to the local folklore of Chenyu Valley, in the distant past, these ferocious beasts were once the attendants of a certain immortal, subduing demons and protecting the region. After the immortal passed away, they degenerated into ferocious wild beasts. Therefore, some local elders revere these beasts as "mountain lords."

The legends are long lost to history, and the identities of the immortals are subject to much debate. The only certainty is that, for safety reasons, it is best not to approach these "mountain lords" in the forest, and let these legendary beasts remain just that—legends. However, now, under the influence of the "misty aura," these wild beasts have begun to invade human space.

Ordinary plant diseases are one thing, but if the "aura" affects the magical beasts in the mountains and harms the people of Liyue, then we cannot stand idly by. According to reports from the local Thousand Rock Army, those "Mystic Beasts" seem to be quite intelligent, avoiding provokes on organized Thousand Rock Army units, but instead targeting lone tea farmers and herbalists—although no one has been harmed yet, this constant fear is unbearable.

According to Ke Qing's analysis, the appearance of this "aura" was probably due to human intervention. After all, the influence of this "aura" seemed to be directed at Qiaoying Manor—the theft of fireworks during the Lantern Festival and the loss of control of the pure water spirits in Qingce Manor were both related to the conspiracy of certain people. These experiences made Ke Qing more cautious.

Ke Qing's water conservancy project in Guili Plain was also intended to rebuild the ancient "Bishui Trade Route." Qiaoying Village and Qingce Village in the Bishui River Basin are important nodes on the trade route, so they cannot be ignored.

So she took her guards and went to Qiaoying Manor to investigate.

Judging from her itinerary, Ke Qing is probably already at Qiaoying Village.

Chapter Five: The Cantonese-Speaking Bodyguard

Upon hearing the news, Han Fulai decided to set off for Qiaoying Manor immediately.

As the personal secretary of Yuheng Star, it is only natural for him to follow his superior. Moreover, this "aura" can pollute the environment and make magical beasts ferocious, which sounds very similar to the "black mud" he saw at the bottom of the Layered Rock Abyss.

Regardless of the cause of this "aura," it is most likely related to abnormal earth veins.

Han Fulai still carries the "lumen stone" that Sister Jinwu from the original rock exploration team gave him. Perhaps this thing can also help dispel the "cloudy energy".

—In addition, he was also quite worried about Ah Qing.

Although Keqing is highly skilled and decisive, she still lacks composure in her personality... If there really is some conspiracy behind this, given Keqing's stubborn nature, she might just walk headlong into someone else's trap. But with him by her side, she can at least have some protection.

In addition, the Qiaoying Manor area is famous for its beautiful scenery and is a popular tourist destination in Liyue. Even if there is no conspiracy behind that "aura" and it is just an ordinary epidemic, it would be nice to treat it as a free trip.

Personally, he also wanted to see Ah Qing as soon as possible.

So he immediately ordered someone to prepare a carriage and head to Wangshu Inn—he planned to ask Xiao for help with another "Yaksha Logistics" trip, otherwise, given the several-day difference in travel time with Keqing, they might miss each other upon arrival.

Of course, it wasn't urgent enough to summon Xiao on the spot using a contract. Xiao isn't a Didi driver like Dvalin... If you want someone to do something, you should at least offer them a meal of "almond tofu" first, right?

When Han Fu arrived at Wangshu Inn, it was already dinnertime. He asked Chef Yanxiao to prepare almond tofu, which he then brought to the top floor of the inn.

However, when he carried the fragrant almond tofu to the top floor, he did not see Xiao.

Logically, Xiao should have already known he was coming, right?

Somewhat puzzled, Han Fulai raised his voice and called out, "Immortal Xiao."

Xiao, who is always available when called upon, did not appear this time.