Ningguang: I’ve hinted at him so much, Feng Yi should understand my intentions, right?!
From the moment Feng Yi arrived in Liyue, Ningguang felt he was shrouded in mystery, his origins impossible to ascertain even with her extensive intelligence network. He seemed to have dropped from the heavens, a person from another world. After numerous probes confirmed Feng Yi harbored no ill will towards Liyue, Ningguang found herself irresistibly drawn to unraveling the enigma that was him. (Even the adepti approved of Feng Yi's character, so Ningguang naturally wouldn't doubt their judgment. Besides, if Feng Yi were ever to betray Liyue, the adepti would be the first to eliminate him.)
Ningguang had seen all sorts of people throughout her life. Yet, everyone who approached her invariably harbored some hidden ulterior motive, hoping to gain something from her. This deeply annoyed her; she longed for a pure connection, one unburdened by their respective statuses. Regrettably, for so long, in the eyes of others, Liyue's Qixing’s Tianquan star always preceded the name Ningguang. Until she met Feng Yi and witnessed his unadulterated friendship with Ganyu. Ningguang was envious, but she kept it to herself.
During their interactions, Feng Yi maintained a certain distance, never trying to ingratiate himself with her for personal gain, unlike others. This sparked Ningguang’s interest. This young man was truly intriguing! Ningguang wanted to befriend him, starting as just friends. Thus, Ningguang invited Feng Yi to a mixed-gender hot spring. But Feng Yi didn't seem to have received her kindness, why was he glaring at her in exasperation?
'Did I do something wrong?' Ningguang reviewed her recent actions and lost herself in thought, her waist towel accidentally slipping off and drifting towards Feng Yi with the water current. By the time Ningguang reacted, Feng Yi had already picked up the towel and was shaking it at her with a confused expression.
"The towel might have had a mind of its own; I accidentally let it slip away..." Ningguang said with a wry smile, hugging her upper body, which had emerged from the water.
'Is she hinting at me?!' Feng Yi looked at the towel in his hand, which carried a faint scent, and a bold thought emerged in his mind. What did Ningguang see in him? He was merely a handsome, dashing, extraordinarily gifted, honest, trustworthy, helpful, selfless, upright, noble-hearted, and diligent gentleman who also happened to be a part-time River God! He truly couldn't fathom what Ningguang found appealing about him. However, a boy alone out there needs to know how to protect himself! Besides, what was so great about Ningguang? She was just:
Fair skin, a beautiful face, and long legs,
White hair, porcelain skin, and cherry lips,
Holding immense power in Liyue, feared by all,
With mora so abundant, nowhere to stack it all.
Thinking about it this way, Ningguang actually seemed quite good! But Feng Yi still remembered Ningguang making him pay for damages yesterday. Today, her attitude had drastically changed, and she was suddenly showing him favor. Could there be a trick? Feng Yi felt it was better to be cautious, lest he lose everything in one misstep, ending up with nothing left and having to work for Ningguang as her secretary.
"Lady Ningguang, are your words from yesterday still valid?" Feng Yi pondered Ningguang's new scheme, but with too few clues, he had to abandon it. Currently, all he owed Ningguang was the repair cost for the damaged hot spring room wall. If she planned a trap, it could only originate from this. The most likely scenario was that she would go back on her word, and the explosives barrels couldn't cover the debt. Therefore, Feng Yi carefully tested the waters.
"Hmm? Feng Yi, what exactly are you referring to?" Ningguang asked, unsure which of her many words from yesterday he meant, and hesitant to answer rashly.
"Of course, I'm referring to the matter of using the explosives barrels to cover the debt. It's not like I'm talking about selling myself as a personal secretary, is it?" Feng Yi rolled his eyes. They had only exchanged a few words yesterday, easily countable on one's fingers.
"Of course, they are valid! However… if you wish to be my personal secretary, I would be very welcoming! The price for your services… one billion Mora, how does that sound?" Ningguang smiled faintly. She thought he was asking about something else. So, it was about the explosives barrels. In truth, whether Feng Yi could repay the debt didn't matter to her; it was merely an excuse she had devised to gauge Feng Yi's attitude! Did Ningguang lack a few million Mora?! More than the debt, Ningguang cared whether Feng Yi would agree to become her personal secretary. If Feng Yi became her personal secretary, she would have ample time to unravel the mysteries surrounding him.
"One… one billion Mora?!" Feng Yi exclaimed, holding back his left hand, which was already leaning towards "betrayal." He had never dared to dream of such an amount. But Feng Yi quickly regained his composure. It wasn't that he wasn't tempted; he was very tempted. But as he said before, he was a man who yearned for freedom and didn't want to be tied down, not even by Mora. Feng Yi admitted that Ningguang was wonderful, but becoming a personal secretary would mean losing his freedom of movement. Even if Ningguang granted him leave, he wouldn't be as unconstrained as he was now. He wanted to travel anywhere, just pack his bag and go. Feng Yi still wanted to visit Mondstadt, see Inazuma, and then Natlan, Fontaine, Snezhnaya… Teyvat was vast, and he wanted to see it all.
"I'm sorry, although one billion Mora is tempting, I must decline..." Feng Yi said after taking a deep breath.
"Ah, what a shame! However, this contract is permanently valid. Whenever you decide you don't want to work anymore, you can come and find me..." A flicker of disappointment crossed Ningguang's eyes, but she quickly composed herself. If Feng Yi had actually agreed, she would have been truly disappointed! Such a gentleman, unmoved by Mora, was precisely the kind worth her constant pursuit!
Feng Yi: Stop tempting me, I'm afraid I might not be able to resist!
After their hot spring session, considering Ningguang lacked a towel, Feng Yi left first, waiting outside for Ningguang to finish. Ningguang then led Feng Yi to the storeroom and took out all the explosives barrels from the Serenitea Pot. In total, there were one hundred and sixty-nine barrels of explosives, valued at approximately 1.69 million Mora. Ningguang didn't make things difficult for Feng Yi. Apart from deducting one hundred barrels to cover the debt, the remaining sixty-nine barrels were immediately exchanged for Mora and handed over to Feng Yi. Such straightforwardness significantly changed Feng Yi's perception of Ningguang. At the very least, she was impeccable in keeping her word.
With the matter settled, Feng Yi left the Jade Chamber, preparing to visit Cloud Retainer in Jueyun Karst. However, before that, he needed to stop by Wanmin Restaurant to pack some desserts. Feng Yi was confident that given Cloud Retainer’s penchant for gluttony, she would be delighted. If their conversation went well, asking her about formation problems would naturally follow. But on the peak of Jueyun Karst, a silver-haired girl holding a spear, clad in a black form-fitting outfit, blocked his path.