"Alright. Back to work," Keqing said. "Ryou will be joining the Ministry of Civil Affairs starting today. I hope everyone will help him settle in."
Once Ryou had handed out most of the wedding candies, Keqing took him back to her office. Some things just weren't appropriate to discuss out in the open.
When they reached the stairwell, a sharp ache flared through Keqing's body. She faltered.
Ryou reacted fast and caught her.
Keqing's face went red. She shot him a glare.
"I'm helping you up. Why are you glaring at me?" Ryou muttered.
"You still have the nerve to say that?" Keqing's ears burned as last night flashed through her mind. "You seriously don't know what you did yesterday?"
It was already over, and she'd wanted to get some rest. She had important work today.
Who knew Ryou would keep… bullying her for so long?
Otherwise, would she really be in this state?
Before this, Ryou had always seemed refined—capable, well-mannered, with an impeccable background. Keqing never expected him to be that intense in that department.
The more she thought about it, the hotter her face got. She tried to grit her teeth and push on by herself, but in the end she lowered her voice.
"Hold me up."
"Okay."
Ryou saw her expression and immediately understood what was going on.
Kidney, that darkened effect is really something.
Do it again.
[Ding! Kidney entering Darkened mode!]
[Ding! Darkened mode ongoing. Endurance strengthened again—300% effect!]
Ryou froze for a second.
Wait… I was kidding—why did it actually activate?
That was another 100% on top of yesterday.
Almost on instinct, he glanced at Keqing.
Two hundred percent had already left her miserable. If it got even stronger…
Keqing might end up trembling in fear.
Then again.
Wasn't that a good thing?
Ryou grinned.
Keqing caught that grin and shivered. There was no way this man was thinking about anything decent.
But it wasn't the time to argue—once they got back to the office, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.
And… last night was probably just him overperforming, right?
If it was like that every day, how was she supposed to go out and work?
She couldn't just stay in the Ministry of Civil Affairs all the time.
…
A lot of employees saw Ryou supporting Keqing upstairs, and every one of them looked like they were about to cry.
"Are you kidding me? That bastard is going too far!"
"Keqing-san's legs gave out—damn… He looks all refined and proper, so how is he that ruthless?"
"You think Keqing-san got completely worn out last night?"
"Ahhh! I'm gonna fight that bastard!"
…
The staff were furious.
Keqing treated people well, and she was beloved all across Liyue. Then Ryou showed up out of nowhere and married her.
How were they supposed to take that well?
Ryou, of course, didn't hear any of it. He kept supporting Keqing and brought her back to the office.
But the moment they got inside, his body started to struggle.
It made sense. He came from a wealthy family—nobody in his circle put much emphasis on physical training. They cared more about business and social maneuvering.
Looks like I need to start working out when I get the chance.
If this kept going long-term, it wouldn't be good.
[Ding! Heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidney entering Darkened mode!]
[Ding! Darkened mode active. All attributes increased by 100%!]
As the system prompt sounded, Ryou's body loosened up. Strength, stamina, even his energy came rushing back. The fatigue from a moment ago vanished.
His mood lifted instantly.
He pulled Keqing close and kissed her hard.
"Y-you… what are you doing?" Keqing was caught completely off guard.
But this was her office, so she didn't dare make a scene. After she sat down, she looked at Ryou.
"Since you've officially joined the Ministry of Civil Affairs, you'll start with small cases. They're mostly miscellaneous issues. With your ability, you should be able to handle them."
"Mm." Ryou nodded.
Then he seemed to think of something. He looked at Keqing.
"Keqing, if you're not feeling well today, don't go out to deal with things. Let your subordinates handle the arrangements."
Keqing's face turned even redder. With her current condition, she had no choice but to agree.
"Fine. But… this is all your fault. Now get out there and do your work!"
"Heh." Ryou smiled at her, opened the door, and walked out.
[End of chapter]
[[email protected]/BellAshelia]