"Lord Ganyu, the guest has arrived!"
After the guard announced Feng Yi's presence outside the study, he turned and left.
"Please come in!"
A gentle voice, tinged with a slight weariness, emanated from within the study.
Given permission, Feng Yi pushed open the door and saw Ganyu, buried amidst a towering stack of documents.
Hearing Feng Yi's footsteps, Ganyu looked up, nodded to welcome him, and then returned to her endless task of dealing with paperwork.
Ganyu was the orchestrator of Liyue Harbor's intricate intelligence network, the foundation of Liyue's administrative efficiency.
The daily influx of complex meeting minutes, convoluted reports, and mountains of documents flowed like a river.
All of it was meticulously compiled by her into clear and concise text, assisting every decision and negotiation of the Seven Stars, and directing the flow of operations for various government bodies.
Ganyu's workload alone was equivalent to that of ten secretaries in Liyue.
Yet, even with such a demanding schedule, she still rose to welcome Feng Yi.
This was a testament to her gentle and elegant disposition!
Feng Yi: "Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to humor me!"
"Lord Ganyu, I may have caused some offense a few days ago, and I've come today to apologize!"
Of course, this was merely an excuse. Even if Feng Yi hadn't encountered Ganyu that day, he would have found an opportunity to approach her.
The connection to Ganyu was too crucial! He absolutely could not let it go.
"Mr. Feng Yi, there's no need to worry. I've received your well wishes, but please take your gift back!"
Ganyu glanced up at the gift in Feng Yi's hand, smiled, and shook her head.
After parting ways with Feng Yi that day, she had quietly investigated him.
Referring to the testimony of Baizhu, the owner of Bubu Pharmacy, Ganyu had ultimately discovered that Feng Yi's mistaken identity as a spy was indeed a misunderstanding.
In fact, she ought to apologize for the Millelith's misjudgment of Feng Yi's identity.
She hadn't expected Feng Yi to visit so soon to offer an apology. Although Ganyu was somewhat surprised, she held Feng Yi's character in high regard.
However, as a public servant, she was not permitted to accept gifts from individuals. This was a matter of principle!
"Don't be so quick to refuse. It's not too late to decide after you've seen it!"
Feng Yi placed the gift box on the desk before Ganyu and then lifted the lid.
A familiar, fragrant aroma wafted through the air. More than that, Ganyu sensed a hint of coolness mingled with the scent.
It was the fragrance of Qingxin flower petals!
Ganyu, who had been engrossed in her work,'s eyes lit up. She was all too familiar with this scent!
Her favorite food was Qingxin flower petals, and how did Feng Yi know?
Ganyu stopped writing and looked up, her gaze fixed on the exquisite little gift box before her.
The Qingxin flower petals in the box were arranged artfully, clearly showing considerable effort.
Ganyu blinked her dewy eyes, wondering why there was a hint of coolness mixed with the fragrance.
"Lord Ganyu, these Qingxin flower petals were picked by me this morning from Mt. Aocang. To preserve their freshness, I specifically lined the bottom of the gift box with crushed ice."
"This not only keeps the Qingxin flower petals tender and fresh but also adds a refreshing coolness. Lord Ganyu, you can try tasting them!"
Seeing that Ganyu's attention was captured by his gift, Feng Yi seized the opportunity and explained his meticulously designed offering.
"Mr. Feng Yi, you are very thoughtful!"
Ganyu smiled gently. She could feel Feng Yi's sincerity, but as she had said before, as a public servant, she could not accept gifts from guests.
Ganyu felt her mouth watering uncontrollably. After swallowing, she immediately shifted her gaze, trying not to look at the gift box.
Ganyu: "Are you testing me with this?!"
She feared that if she looked any longer, she would be unable to resist the temptation!
"Lord Ganyu, if you don't eat them quickly, even with the refrigeration from the crushed ice, these Qingxin flower petals will wither soon, which would be such a shame!"
Feng Yi said with a hint of regret, which sounded like a devil's whisper in Ganyu's ears.
Wither! Wither! Wither!
Ganyu felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She couldn't bear to see such delicious petals go to waste, but...
"Mr. Feng Yi, I'm very sorry, but the law clearly stipulates that as a public servant of Liyue, I cannot privately accept gifts from guests."
Ganyu took a deep breath and said with regret. Although she hated to see such delicious food go to waste, rules were rules!
"I see!"
Feng Yi finally identified the crux of the problem. The law prohibited Ganyu from accepting gifts from guests, but what about gifts from friends?
Feng Yi smiled like a sly fox and looked at Ganyu.
"Lord Ganyu, let's be friends! If these flower petals are a gift from a friend, then there's no problem, right?"
"Huh?! That's true, but..."
Ganyu was taken aback. Such a tactic? How had she not thought of that?
"There's no 'but.' Do you want to watch the flower petals wither, or do you think we're not suited to be friends?"
"Mr. Feng Yi, that's not what I meant! From today onwards, we are friends!"
Ganyu had never encountered such a situation and was somewhat flustered, but on second thought, having another friend wasn't a bad thing.
Most importantly, these flower petals wouldn't be wasted!
Feng Yi: "I don't know why, but I feel like I'm not as important as these Qingxin flower petals!"
"Since we're friends, please don't call me Mr. Feng Yi. Just call me Feng Yi!"
"Then you don't need to call me Lord Ganyu either. Just call me Ganyu!"
"Quick, quick! These flower petals have been picked for a while. Hurry and eat them while they're hot... uh, cold!"
"I've been waiting for you to say that!"
Ganyu chuckled with a hint of playfulness, put down her brush and paper, picked up a petal, and gently placed it in her mouth, savoring its taste.
"Wow! This taste is amazing! The icy cool sensation is simply divine!"
Ganyu's eyes sparkled. She was stunned by the taste. How had she never thought of this combination before?
One after another, Ganyu became a Qingxin petal terminator. Her eating speed was fast, yet her movements remained elegant!
A fairy, as beautiful as a painting!
Feng Yi propped his chin on his hand, mesmerized.
He had chosen to refrigerate them with crushed ice for another reason: considering Ganyu's Cryo element, she should prefer an icy, refreshing taste.
In just a few minutes, only one petal remained in the gift box. Ganyu then came to her senses, realizing how voraciously she had been eating.
Ganyu picked up the last Qingxin petal. Her peripheral vision caught Feng Yi staring at her motionlessly.
It was then she realized she had neglected her newly made friend, completely engrossed in enjoying the food. How rude of her!
"Feng Yi, you should try the exquisite taste of Qingxin flower petals too!"
To make up for her rudeness, Ganyu said this.
"Don't worry about me. This was specially prepared for you!"
Feng Yi: "I don't eat grass!"