While Tartaglia was introducing Rosalyne to the wondrous advancements in Liyue, Ryen and Hu Tao were found by Lumine and the others.
The date was interrupted, but neither Ryen nor Hu Tao seemed to mind.
They had arrived at the beach around noon, and by the time Lumine found them, it was already dusk.
In that span of time, Ryen and Hu Tao had already done everything they planned to do.
He taught Hu Tao the techniques of kissing, guiding her from novice to expert.
He helped her lay the foundation to raise children—from barren... to still barren.
Hmm...
Some things can't be achieved in just one day.
They require perseverance and long-term commitment.
Hu Tao didn't know if it was because the massage really worked or if it just felt good.
Either way, she had promised to come find Ryen tomorrow to discuss the art of massage in more detail.
The only thing they hadn't done yet was actually make the child.
When Nahida saw Ryen and Hu Tao clinging intimately to each other, she looked like she had just been struck by lightning.
She was one step too late after all...
Fuming with frustration, Nahida instantly decided that from now on, she would never leave Ryen's side—not even for a step.
"Ryen!"
Nahida called out, and as Ryen turned his head, she dashed into his arms.
The strong scent of Hu Tao made Nahida feel like she couldn't breathe.
There were even marks Hu Tao had left on Ryen's neck.
Nahida's heart grew even more bitter.
"Why didn't you call me when you went out...?"
She looked up at Ryen with big, teary eyes.
Ryen chuckled and pinched her cheek gently.
"Because you and Lumine were having so much fun. It was just a short stroll—didn't want to disturb you."
"Hmm…"
Nahida lowered her head and nuzzled into Ryen's chest.
"From now on, no matter where you go, you have to take me with you..."
Ryen just saw it as a child acting clingy and naturally agreed with a smile.
"Ryen, just now when we came looking for you, we ran into that Fatui guy—Tartaglia,"
Paimon, now comfortably perched on Ryen's shoulder, waved her tiny fists and exclaimed:
"That guy had the nerve to say he wanted to spar with Lumine the moment he saw her!"
"Hmph! If Lumine hadn't stopped me, I would've given him a few good bumps on the head!"
Ryen laughed and looked at Lumine.
"Challenging people right after meeting them… sounds just like him. Did he say anything else?"
Lumine thought for a moment and shook her head.
"Not really. He just seemed to want to see me."
"Oh, but he did mention you and Master Hu were at the beach."
Ryen's eyes lit up, and he exchanged a glance with Hu Tao.
They both shared a knowing smile.
"So, that guy's already noticed me…"
As for why Tartaglia didn't follow them—most likely, it was because the Adepti had already warned him.
"Is there something wrong, Ryen?"
Lumine looked at him with a bit of concern, but Ryen shook his head.
"Don't worry. Compared to the other Harbingers, Tartaglia is actually much more straightforward."
"You don't need to keep a special eye on him. Just treat him like an ordinary Fatui."
Ryen naturally didn't mention that Lumine should pay attention to Tartaglia.
Zhongli's upcoming plan would require both Lumine and Tartaglia to participate.
Ryen didn't want to meddle with Zhongli's final test before retirement.
Otherwise, how could Ganyu finally put down her burdens and cling to him all day?
Just as Ryen was about to take Lumine and the others to eat, Baiwen rushed over in a hurry.
"Lord Ryen, Lady Ningguang invites you to dine at the Jade Chamber. Lady Ganyu is already waiting for you there."
Ryen raised a brow curiously.
"She's finished with her work? She actually has time to invite me to dinner today?"
Baiwen looked a bit awkward but still led the way.
"Well… Lady Ningguang is just squeezing in the time. There's still a lot of preparation work left."
"It's just that Acting Grand Master Jean of the Knights of Favonius has returned."
Hearing that, Lumine instantly perked up.
"Captain Jean is finally back?"
Baiwen nodded.
Ryen, though, was more curious about the people Jean brought with her.
"Besides Jean and the others, who else came?"
Baiwen thought for a moment and said softly:
"Mr. Diluc seems to have stayed behind in Mondstadt. He's supposed to come later with the Mondstadt garrison."
"As for the others—everyone from last time is here. Oh, and also an alchemist named Albedo… and a little girl named Klee."
At the mention of Klee, Ryen instantly lit up.
His beloved daughter was finally arriving—he couldn't help but quicken his pace.
"Klee, huh... Little Klee is finally here?"
Paimon closed her eyes in delight.
"Come to think of it, it's been a long time since we last saw Klee, hasn't it? I wonder if she's grown any taller."
Hearing this, Lumine gave Paimon a side glance and muttered:
"It's not even been a month. How could she possibly have grown?"
"Besides, Klee's a little elf—her growth rate is really slow."
Ryen grew happier the more he listened.
A slower growth cycle was great.
That way, he could keep raising his daughter forever.
Before long, the group boarded the floating stones that had already been prepared and arrived at the Jade Chamber.
By then, the banquet had already been set. Ningguang and the others were chatting and laughing.
Venti was nowhere to be seen, but Ryen wasn't too worried—Zhongli was missing too.
Most likely, Venti had done something again and got captured by Zhongli for another round of moral instruction.
Just a few days ago, every time Zhongli mentioned Venti, he had a stormy look on his face.
Looked like this time, Venti was in for a rough one.
As Ryen and the others arrived, Ningguang was about to greet them—
But Ganyu's figure suddenly darted forward and dove straight into Ryen's arms.
It was like she hadn't seen him in ages—she rubbed against him relentlessly.
To be fair, they hadn't seen each other all day, which was absolute torture for Ganyu in her current infatuated state.
What's more…
She hadn't had a chance to cuddle Ryen for the past four or five days. She was absolutely starving for it.
"You missed me that much, Ganyu?"
Ryen gently rubbed Ganyu's horns, and she nodded eagerly.
"Very, very much! Once I finish this work, I'm going to stay by your side forever!"
Ryen smiled, just about to say something—when Hu Tao came over with a mischievous grin.
"Actually... Ganyu, you could stay busy for a few more days, y'know."
"Huh?"
Ganyu's alarm bells immediately went off—especially when she saw Hu Tao casually cling to Ryen's arm.
Without a shred of shame, Hu Tao tiptoed up and kissed Ryen on the cheek before boldly declaring:
"I'm sorry, but Ryen is also my man now."
"Don't worry, Ganyu. You can focus on your work—this Hall Master will make sure Ryen doesn't get lonely!"
Hu Tao didn't mean any harm—she was just expressing her feelings and new "status."
But Ganyu froze.
Then, after a moment, stared at Hu Tao in complete shock.
"Whaaaaat!!!"
—
After a long and chaotic commotion, Ganyu finally sat down beside Ryen in frustration.
On his other side sat Hu Tao.
Though Ganyu had mentally prepared herself for the fact that Ryen wouldn't belong to her alone—especially given how obvious Ningguang's intentions were—she still wanted to have Ryen to herself a little longer.
With Ningguang being so busy recently, Ganyu had thought she wouldn't have time to make a move on Ryen, and thus let her guard down just a bit.
She didn't expect that while Ningguang indeed hadn't taken any action, it was Hu Tao who struck like thunder, accomplishing in one swift move what Ningguang had been planning for over two months.
Watching the delighted expression on Hu Tao's face, Ganyu felt even more dejected.
Thankfully, as one of Ryen's more senior women, Ganyu could still tell that Hu Tao was still just a girl.
If things had gotten too ambiguous and Hu Tao had truly taken Ryen for herself, Ganyu might have fallen into a deep depression today.
Not far away, Ningguang's gaze was dark as she stared at Hu Tao.
Although Ganyu was upset, at least she had been mentally prepared—it was just that the abruptness of it made it harder to accept.
Nahida, on the other hand, felt like her home had been "raided," but ultimately Ryen only treated her like a little sister.
The one who was suffering the most... was definitely Ningguang.
She had only just managed to get past Ganyu's iron defense and grown significantly closer to Ryen.
She had been so close to making progress—only to be blindsided because she got busy for a few days?
And of all people, it had to be Hu Tao who swooped in and stole the march?
In her heart, Ningguang felt like tearing down the entire Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
But thinking carefully, all of this had signs.
Hu Tao had always loved sticking close to Ryen. And while their conversations were usually about deep topics like life and death, and Hu Tao had always been bubbly and cheerful, Ningguang had chalked their connection up to just kindred spirits.
Only now did she realize—
No matter how lively and spirited Hu Tao was with others, she'd always maintained clear boundaries between men and women.
Only when she was with Ryen did she allow herself to be so physically affectionate, playful, and clingy.
It had all been a setup!
Ningguang regretted it deeply. She sighed to herself—this round, she had to admit defeat.
What's done is done. No use crying over it.
What mattered now was her turn to climb the ranks.
From this moment on, Ningguang would keep a close eye on every woman around Ryen.
Even Jean and Lumine, who hadn't shown any romantic interest, were now on her radar.
As the proud Tianquan of Liyue, she could not afford to lose three times in a row!
Clenching her fists gently, Ningguang spoke softly:
"You've already met Jean and the others. As for Mr. Albedo, I assume you're still not fully briefed—this is Ryen, the one who governs the other world."
"From now on, all your collaborations and research must revolve around Ryen and his world."
Upon hearing this, Albedo turned his gaze to Ryen.
At first glance, Ryen seemed like nothing more than a handsome man. But the surging power inside him... Albedo could sense it.
It was too pure.
As if he were the very embodiment of the laws of power themselves.
But Albedo quickly collected himself. He nodded slightly and said calmly:
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Ryen. I'm Albedo, Chief Alchemist of the Knights of Favonius."
Ryen smiled and nodded.
"I know. Your reputation precedes you—'The Kreideprinz,' the great Alchemist."
"Jean must've already told you a little about that world and why we asked for your help."
"Soon, we'll be supplying you with all kinds of materials from there, as well as explaining some of that world's unique traits."
"If possible, I hope you can improve the existing alchemical potions, or perhaps create new alchemical artifacts using those materials."
Albedo let out a wry chuckle.
"Those treasures, crafted by the laws of nature themselves, are not so easily improved. But I'll do my best."
Albedo understood Ryen's meaning well enough: use the otherworldly materials as a foundation and apply his own alchemical techniques to craft new items.
Challenging, yes—but Albedo was eager for this kind of research.
Just as he was about to ask Ryen about the types of potions he wanted to develop—
Suddenly, he saw Klee quietly walk up to Ryen's side.
She tugged gently at his clothes and looked up at him with big sparkling eyes, blinking curiously:
"Big brother, are you the one who said Klee can throw bombs whenever she wants?"
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