Chapter 226: Ningguang — What's Gotten Into You, Captain? Why So Sweet-Tongued Today?
Kaeya wore a resolute expression.
The last thing his father had entrusted to him was to return to Khaenri'ah!
How could he be content as an ordinary man?
Seeing Kaeya so persistent, Ye Xi recounted for him the affairs of Khaenri'ah from five hundred years ago.
However, he kept a bit of caution, refraining from revealing his own identity, and not telling Kaeya some of the things that came afterward.
He always felt that this kid had far too many tricks up his sleeve; if he spilled everything in one breath, there was no telling what shenanigans might come of it.
For the time being, he didn't want to court too much trouble.
So he simply passed himself off as a descendant of Khaenri'ah.
For now, Kaeya knew only about the events of five hundred years ago, and that he had been the first to create the Abyss Order.
Beyond that, he knew nothing at all.
"Master Ye Xi, are there still many citizens of Khaenri'ah left these days?"
Hearing this, Ye Xi shook his head. "I'm not too clear on that. I no longer care about such matters—I only want to live a peaceful life."
"So, I'd advise you to just honestly live out your own days."
As he finished speaking, Venti and Diluc happened to walk out of the wine cellar.
Venti had evidently picked out a few decent vintages; his mood was excellent, as though bathed in a spring breeze.
Although Diluc was the master of the Dawn Winery, he himself wasn't particularly fond of drinking.
The reason he kept such a vast treasured collection was, in truth, simply to earn a bit more Mora.
Now that Ye Xi was willing to pay, he naturally had no reason to hold onto them.
Kaeya had wanted to ask more, but Ye Xi gave him no opportunity; after exchanging a few words with Diluc, he took his leave.
"Master Ye Xi, I'll have my butler drive a carriage to take you back to the city."
Seeing that it had grown late, the sun already sinking behind the western hills, Diluc knew the road back would be full of inconvenience.
But Ye Xi waved a hand. "No need. I have a means of getting back."
Compared to this carriage, his car was faster—and far more comfortable.
He certainly didn't want to be jolted around the whole way again.
So he transferred a black vehicle straight out of his spatial backpack.
The moment the car appeared, everyone present wore a look of astonishment.
"Th-this... what kind of carriage is this?!"
The butler and maids couldn't help but look it over from every angle, clucking their tongues in wonder.
There was no horse in front of it, but instead four wheels. For a moment, none of them could make heads or tails of the thing, unable to fathom how it was supposed to move.
Venti's eyes lit up. "Mm~ Now this is a truly marvelous thing. May I ride in it?"
"Can I? Can I?"
He knew that Ye Xi was a Descender, a figure who did not belong to this world.
Whatever he took out now was surely something from another world.
That made him deeply curious, and he very much wanted to give it a try.
Ye Xi nodded and casually opened the car door for him.
Venti climbed in and studied the interior with curious eyes.
After bidding farewell to Diluc and the others, Ye Xi started the car and drove off into the distance.
Diluc folded his arms, secretly wishing he too had a car like that.
It was fast, and it looked remarkably smooth—simply a hundred times better than his carriage.
On the road, Venti savored the car's speed, praising it again and again.
He couldn't wait to take out the fine wine he'd just bought and began to sample it.
"Mm~ Good wine, good scenery!"
"So much more pleasant than drinking at the tavern!"
"Master Ye Xi, you really do know how to enjoy life!"
At this, Ye Xi couldn't help but quip, "Don't you still have Dvalin? Wouldn't drinking while riding a dragon be even more enjoyable?"
"Tsk, tsk, tsk—not so, not so!"
Venti raised a single finger and wagged it, then spread his hands. "Dvalin flies so fast, and the wind up in the sky is so strong—there's simply no way to drink at all."
The remark left Ye Xi rather speechless.
The dignified Anemo Archon, troubled by such a trifling matter?
Before long, Ye Xi had returned to Mondstadt City.
It was already somewhat late, and the sky had turned completely dark.
Unable to find Eula and the others, he wondered whether they might have already returned to the Serenitea Pot.
And so, he used Time Stop and slipped back home through the wardrobe in Amber and Eula's room.
By now, the girls who had gone out had all come back.
Just as he'd guessed, Amber and Eula were in the courtyard, chatting with the other girls.
From the kitchen wafted an enticing aroma, with quite a few of the girls busy at work.
Some were learning to cook from Xiangling, while others were lending a hand as helpers.
Seeing Ye Xi return, Dehya called out flatteringly toward the house, "The great hero of Sumeru is back~"
That very morning, he had defeated the Dendro Dragonlord, Apep, transforming the desert into an oasis.
Evidently, Dehya and the others had already spread word of the feat far and wide.
At Dehya's cry, all the girls turned adoring gazes his way.
Faced with the girls all but throwing themselves into his arms, Ye Xi couldn't have been more pleased inside.
A life like this really was the best!
Off to the side, Ningguang—who had presided over Liyue for a thousand years—also offered her praise. "Not only did he defeat Azhdaha, he also dealt with the ancient Dragon King of Sumeru. Truly the man I set my sights on."
"The way you tell it, it sounds like you're the impressive one, not Master Ye Xi."
Across from her, Beidou chuckled, her eyes brimming with amusement.
Under her stare, Ningguang blushed faintly and gave a light cough. "Ye Xi is very impressive—which only goes to show that my eye for people is quite good, doesn't it?"
"When you put it that way, I suppose you're right."
Beidou nodded. "I was thinking about it earlier—Liyue's Lady Tianquan Star, so young and beautiful, and possessed of both wealth and power."
"Just what sort of sweetheart would you choose—one who could make you willingly marry into his household?"
"At one point I wondered whether there was anyone in all of Liyue Harbor worthy of you at all."
"But now it seems your luck really is quite good—to think you actually ran into Master Ye Xi."
A hint of a smile crept across Ningguang's brow. "What's gotten into you, Captain? Why so sweet-tongued today?"
Before she'd even finished, Beidou burst into laughter. "Oh, nothing—I just figure you've also picked out a fine man for me, one who suits me perfectly!"
"It'd be far too rude not to say a few kind words, wouldn't it?"
In an instant, the smile on Ningguang's face vanished.
To her ears, the words made it sound as though she had found a good man for Beidou.
And thinking it over carefully—that was exactly what had happened.
She had gone through such trouble to come across Ye Xi, only for Beidou to snatch him away within two days of returning.
It gave her the feeling of being some lowly gold-panner sifting through the sand, only to hand the gold over to Beidou for free the moment she finally struck it.
Watching Beidou roar with laughter, Ningguang couldn't resist giving her a kick under the table.
"Hey, is Lady Ningguang angry? It was just a joke!"
Grinning cheekily, Beidou glanced at the game on the board. "No good, no good—I've lost again. This match is yours too. I concede."
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Ye Xi was telling everyone about how Grand Master Jean would be coming over tonight.
He wanted Grand Master Jean to come here and learn to enjoy life, rather than being busy every waking moment.
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