"Creak—"
The doors of Yuehai Pavilion slowly swung open as Jiang Yan stepped inside.
It was already nighttime, and the staff from the Eight Divisions had all gone home to rest.
Only the lights on the second floor were still on.
There was only one person who would still be working this late — his dear little Ganyu.
He sighed with a half-smile. So, the moment I'm gone, she starts overworking again, huh?
Well, tonight, this little coconut goat definitely wouldn't be doing any more overtime... though she probably wouldn't be getting much sleep either. (Dog-head emoji)
Jiang Yan moved quietly up to the second floor.
There, behind a desk piled with documents, a blue-haired girl sat diligently processing paperwork.
Watching her slender back, a faint ache stirred in Jiang Yan's chest.
Didn't I tell her to stop dieting? Why does she look even thinner...
Has she really been pushing herself this much?
Unaware of his presence, Ganyu's focus was completely absorbed in her work — the "130 Efficiency Boost" from her new ability was helping her handle administrative tasks faster than ever.
Suddenly, a warm body wrapped around her from behind.
Startled, Ganyu's instincts kicked in — a bow and arrow materialized in her hands, ready to deliver a punishing strike to the intruder!
"Missed me?"
That familiar voice whispered by her ear, freezing her in place.
She turned sharply, and there he was — the man she had thought about day and night, smiling at her with gentle warmth.
Her eyes widened in disbelief. She rubbed them hard, turned back, and checked again.
Only then did she finally believe it wasn't an illusion.
Her adorable reaction made Jiang Yan laugh out loud.
"What's wrong? Still don't believe I'm back?"
He reached out and gently pinched her soft cheeks.
The warmth of his touch made Ganyu's eyes turn misty as she threw herself into his arms.
To be fair, it was his fault.
Ever since Liyue Harbor was established, he hadn't had much time to properly accompany her.
After founding the nation, he immediately marched north to conquer Chenyu Vale, and while everyone else eventually returned, Jiang Yan did not.
If Morax hadn't personally reassured her of Jiang Yan's safety, Ganyu probably would've gone searching for him herself.
When he finally came back, she thought she could use work to keep him close — but before long, he was gone again.
And this time, it had been more than a month.
"How long will you stay this time?"
Ganyu murmured softly, her voice muffled against his chest.
"I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay and help you govern Liyue properly."
Jiang Yan chuckled, running his fingers through her long blue hair.
"If I take off again, that old man Morax might actually blow his lid."
At that, Ganyu let out a small giggle from his embrace.
"True, those first two days after you left, the Emperor was cursing you every chance he got."
"Haha, yeah, but that's just him grumbling."
Jiang Yan grinned mischievously, and without realizing it, his hand wandered up to gently touch Ganyu's horns.
"Hey—! Don't! They're sensitive!"
Ganyu's face turned bright red as she swatted his firm chest in embarrassment.
But seeing her so bashful and radiant only fueled Jiang Yan's impulse.
With a sudden movement, he scooped her up in a princess carry and kissed her deeply, tasting the sweetness of his beloved "coconut goat."
"Mmm~ s-stop! The Emperor is still on the third floor!"
Ganyu's cheeks were crimson; it was one thing to flirt at home, but this was Yuehai Pavilion, an official government office!
And Morax was literally upstairs!
If they got caught... she'd die of embarrassment!
Down the stairwell, Morax, who had been coming downstairs, froze mid-step.
He tilted his head slightly, listening.
"Heh... that brat."
Shaking his head, Morax turned and silently went back upstairs.
Jiang Yan, of course, had sensed the Emperor's brief descent and retreat.
He didn't call him out — just smiled and said softly,
"Come on, let's go home."
After a long, lingering kiss, he gazed into the panting girl's eyes and spoke with warmth.
"But... my work..."
Ganyu mumbled weakly.
Seeing that she was still trying to cling to her duties, Jiang Yan leaned in as if to kiss her again.
"W-wait! I'll go! I'll go home!"
Startled, Ganyu hurriedly agreed.
"J-just... put me down. I'll walk."
Her voice was so soft he almost didn't catch it.
"No way! I've waited too long already!"
With a playful grin, Jiang Yan tightened his hold, tapped his foot lightly on the ground — and shot into the sky, speeding toward home.
One night passed without words.
The next morning, Jiang Yan arrived at the third floor of Yuehai Pavilion.
Morax looked up as he entered, amusement twinkling in his eyes.
"Quite... energetic, aren't you?"
Jiang Yan just scratched his head and laughed, taking a seat.
"Looks like you've had your hands full these days."
He smiled at the mountain of documents in front of Morax.
"Hmph. If you know that, shouldn't you be returning to your own post already?"
Morax gave him a side glance.
"Or are you planning another trip somewhere else?"
Jiang Yan shook his head. This time, he wasn't leaving.
"I'll stay in Liyue Harbor for a while. Ever since I became Tianquan, I've hardly done my job properly."
He poured himself a cup of tea and took a light sip.
Morax sighed. "At least you're aware you're an unqualified Tianquan."
Though as the Geo Archon, he didn't truly mind managing affairs himself, he couldn't help but tease.
"Hey, don't put it like that! My trips weren't for fun — they were to strengthen Liyue's foundations."
Jiang Yan reached into his robes and pulled out six or seven mechanical orbs, each sealed under layers of runic energy, and handed them over.
"Store these somewhere safe."
Morax accepted them with a nod, but then his eyes narrowed slightly.
For some reason, Jiang Yan's presence gave him a faint sense of unease — a heart-deep tremor.
Could it be... this kid got stronger again?
"What's wrong?" Jiang Yan asked, noticing his expression.
"Nothing."
Morax dismissed the thought — probably just his imagination.
"Good. Then it's settled."
Jiang Yan smiled. "You can take a break now. Leave the rest to me."
With that, their duties officially changed hands.
Morax stood, still holding the sealed orbs. He planned to store them alongside the two earlier ones.
Once he left, Jiang Yan sat down at his desk, staring at the towering stack of documents before him.
He sighed.
Alright... time to actually do some real work.
As he started flipping through the papers, one particular document caught his eye.
Application to Establish the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor
Applicant: Hu Ming (The name of the first Hall Master of Wangsheng Hall was never recorded — so this one's made up.)
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor... so it's finally being founded, huh?"
"Hu... that surname... Hu Tao's ancestor?"
A memory surfaced — of that middle-aged man surnamed Hu he had once saved together with Morax and Guizhong when he first came to this world.
If he guessed right, this Hu Ming was likely a descendant of that very man, Hu Xing.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to patreon:
patreon.com/ToastWizard