**Chapter 18: The Endearingly Naive Ganyu—Her Favorability Soars**
Currently,
Fang Xun held the baby in one arm while Ganyu clung tightly to his other.
To avoid waking the two beauties, he remained perfectly still in this seated position throughout.
Holding Ningguang was easy enough. The little girl hadn't yet developed, so she felt light and airy, making it effortless to carry her without strain or fatigue.
Ganyu, however, was proving more challenging.
After all, the black slime was *exceptionally* well-endowed.
Her "Mount Tai Press" move was putting Fang Xun under immense pressure...
Fang Xun couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
*Is this what they mean by "pain and pleasure"?*
If he had to endure this "pain," his answer would be: *Bring it on!*
***
Time passed unnoticed. Fang Xun heard footsteps and the clinking of armor.
He looked up and saw a squad of Millelith soldiers approaching.
"Lady Ganyu, we've discovered something while clearing the scene. We request your..."
The Millelith soldiers were reporting their findings when they noticed Ganyu sleeping soundly. Their voices trailed off abruptly.
Ganyu's habit of taking afternoon naps was well-known among the Millelith. As Liyue's First Secretary, she was constantly busy. During her naptime, everyone tacitly agreed not to disturb her.
Realizing they had interrupted her rest, the soldiers immediately wore apologetic expressions.
But beyond their apologies, their faces also showed astonishment.
The Millelith knew that Ganyu always curled up into a ball when she napped, a habit she hadn't changed in years. Yet today, she was leaning against Fang Xun's shoulder, fast asleep.
Moreover, Ganyu seemed remarkably comfortable and affectionate toward Fang Xun.
Even in her sleep, Ganyu clung tightly to Fang Xun's arm, refusing to let go.
The Millelith soldiers who witnessed this scene felt as if a tempest were raging in their hearts.
*Is Lady Ganyu dating Fang Xun?!*
They could understand it, though. As Liyue's First Secretary, Ganyu had devoted herself tirelessly to maintaining order in the nation for years. She couldn't possibly remain solely focused on her career forever; finding a partner was only natural.
In fact, the Millelith sincerely rejoiced for her and offered their blessings.
Concerned about intruding on Fang Xun and Ganyu's privacy, the soldiers quickly finished their business to avoid disturbing them.
"Mr. Fang Xun, when Lady Ganyu wakes up, would you please hand her this torn piece of paper?"
"We suspect it may be related to the Fatui, but the Millelith cannot decipher its meaning. We're asking Lady Ganyu to investigate."
"That's all. We won't disturb you any further."
The Millelith soldier handed the letter to Fang Xun and hurried away, clearly not wanting to intrude on their privacy.
As the squad leader turned to his team, he warned, "No one is to breathe a word about what we just saw. Understood?"
"That's Lady Ganyu's personal business. We can't go spreading rumors."
The team members nodded vigorously, swearing solemnly, "Don't worry, boss. You know how we are—we're as tight-lipped as they come!"
"Exactly, boss! What do you take us for? We'd never gossip about something like that!"
Before long, however, the rumor mill in Liyue was churning at full speed.
"Have you heard? Lady Ganyu might be in love! The Millelith saw her with someone today—a handsome young man from out of town, they say?"
"What? Your information's way behind! I heard Lady Ganyu's been secretly married for years! Her kid's old enough to run errands!"
***
Meanwhile, Fang Xun, with nothing better to do, decided to pass the time by examining the letters the Millelith had recovered.
The letters were charred and tattered, most of the writing blurred or missing, leaving only a few words in the lower right corner.
Though few, these words contained an astonishing amount of information.
The first phrase Fang Xun noticed was "Release Osel's seal!".
Fang Xun remembered Osel well. In the original timeline, Osel was the Vortex Demon God, suppressed beneath the sea by the Rock Archon during the Archon War. Later, Childe of the Fatui had released him.
The demon god's power was terrifying; even the combined forces of the Adepti and the Liyue Qixing couldn't contain him. Ultimately, Ningguang had destroyed the Jade Chamber at great cost to finally defeat Osel.
According to the timeline, Osel's revival was still far in the future. Yet now, the event had been advanced by twenty years?!
Why?
Had something interfered with the timeline, altering the course of events?
Fang Xun couldn't fathom the reason, but he was certain it was somehow connected to him.
The immediate priority was to find a way to stop the Fatui.
If Osel were truly released from the depths,
all of Liyue would likely be plunged into endless darkness!
Just then,
Fang Xun suddenly felt his arm lighten considerably.
He instinctively looked up and saw Ganyu, her face flushed crimson and her expression flustered.
"N-no, I'm so sorry! I was just so tired that I couldn't help but fall asleep. I've caused you so much trouble."
Ganyu clutched the hem of her skirt with both hands, her beautiful eyes brimming with embarrassment. She wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.
Normally, she would curl up into a ball for her afternoon naps.
How had she ended up sleeping with her head on Fang Xun's shoulder today?!
And when she woke up, she realized she had been tightly hugging his arm.
*Ugh...*
*How mortifying...*
Aside from when she was a child and used to cling to her master, Cloud Retainer, in her sleep, Ganyu had never acted so inappropriately.
*This is so rude...*
*I must have caused Mr. Fang Xun a great deal of trouble.*
Overwhelmed with shame, Ganyu repeatedly apologized to Fang Xun.
Seeing her reaction, Fang Xun found Ganyu even more endearing.
Despite being over two thousand years old, her personality remained that of a shy young girl.
Her blushing face made one instinctively want to pinch her cheek, but Fang Xun knew that doing so would only make Ganyu even more embarrassed. Instead, he waved his hand dismissively and said casually, "Miss Ganyu, you really don't need to blame yourself so much. I know it was unintentional."
"Everyone dozes off sometimes—Ningguang does, I do too. It's perfectly normal and understandable."
Fang Xun paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Besides, Miss Ganyu is so light that even when you leaned on my shoulder to sleep, I didn't feel tired at all."
"So, there's no need to feel guilty."
Hearing Fang Xun's comforting words, Ganyu felt a wave of warmth wash over her.
She had always been the type to worry about causing trouble for others, so she always prioritized others' feelings in everything she did. Fang Xun's reassurance finally eased her troubled heart.
"Thank you, Mr. Fang Xun."
Just then, the System's voice chimed in Fang Xun's mind:
Ding! Detected an increase in Ganyu's favorability towards the host.
"Ganyu's favorability has increased from 0 to Level 1. Congratulations, Host, for obtaining one Intertwined Fate. You have also received an additional reward: a five-star artifact, the Gladiator's Finale's Deathfeather."
....................
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(End of Chapter)