Although he felt utterly drained—especially after realizing he was treated like someone picked up from the trash—Gu Sanqiu reluctantly forced himself to move.
For the sake of his reputation, or rather, the Gu family’s credibility in business, he decided to head out and settle the outstanding bills.
Existential crisis intensifies again.JPG.
The total this time was smaller than before, but returning home to cold, unfeeling invoices instead of warm greetings or a hot meal was enough to dampen anyone’s spirits.
“Young Gu, it’s been a while since you came here to eat,” came a hearty voice.
“Good afternoon, Master Mao. I’ve been busy with some errands recently. By the way, has Xiangling returned yet?”
“Sigh, that girl is always running off, claiming to improve her cooking. Who knows if she’ll encounter any trouble out there?”
Gu Sanqiu smirked. Trouble?
Heh, anyone who messes with Xiangling is asking for trouble.
“But—hmm?” Master Mao squinted at him. “Did you say you’ve been out running errands?”
“Uh, yeah. Why?”
“Well, well!” The older man let out a hearty laugh. “Didn’t expect that from someone as laid-back as you. Turns out you’ve got some initiative after all!”
With a wave of his hand, Master Mao added, “Alright, I’ll throw in a free side dish for you today.”
“Thanks,” Gu Sanqiu said, his mood lifting slightly. A small gesture, but one that warmed his heart.
As he savored Wanmin Restaurant’s signature spicy boiled fish—this time with ten extra portions of fish fillet—his thoughts wandered to mischievous plans. His grandfather didn’t eat seafood, which explained the absence of any seafood-related charges on the bills from Liuli Pavilion.
Now, what if he could sneak seafood into his grandfather’s meals without him realizing it?
Wait… this idea doesn’t seem safe for my lifespan!
Snapping out of his reckless musings, Gu Sanqiu shuddered. Knowing how their ancestors’ antics ended, he doubted such a stunt would lead to anything good.
Worst-case scenario? He’d end up being the sole person tasked with suppressing Osial as “light punishment.”
“Gu Xiangjun.”
“Gu Sanqiu.”
Master Mao and Gu Sanqiu turned toward the voices, spotting a Millelith soldier and a masked Snezhnayan.
“The Lord Harbinger invites you for tea at the teahouse.”
“Gu Xiangjun, your presence is requested at Yuehai Pavilion.”
The Fatui operative glanced at the Millelith soldier but wisely refrained from saying anything about who arrived first. Instead, they stepped aside, yielding precedence to the Millelith.
The soldier, gripping their weapon, bowed slightly in thanks. “Xiāngjun, if you haven’t finished your meal, I can wait.”
“Forget it. With you standing there, how am I supposed to enjoy my food?”
Shaking his head, Gu Sanqiu packed the rest of his meal into a takeout box and turned to the Fatui operative.
“Tell your master to wait for me at Northland Bank. I’ll head there after I’m done.”
“As you wish.” The operative gave a respectful bow and departed.
The Millelith soldier’s expression was one of admiration. “Xiāngjun, you’re truly remarkable. Those Snezhnayans act so high and mighty, even ignoring most wealthy merchants. But in front of you, they’re so well-behaved.”
“Wealthy merchants, huh? Heh.”
Gu Sanqiu chuckled ambiguously. The so-called “wealthy merchants” were little more than plump ants to the Fatui, ants with a few small spikes at most.
Teyvat’s current state of diplomacy required more than just scribes in foreign delegations. Individuals like Childe and advance troops were necessities.
Given Snezhnaya’s harsh environment, their disdain for pampered businessmen who’d grown rich in peaceful lands without a shred of survival instinct was unsurprising.
As for himself? His battle with Tartaglia, which had left the Fatui planting trees as penance, had firmly established his combat prowess among their ranks.
The Fatui might be arrogant, but they weren’t stupid. Anyone daring to challenge someone more powerful and influential than themselves either had a death wish—or had been cursed.
—
At Yuehai Pavilion, Gu Sanqiu strode into the office without hesitation, unconcerned about whether anyone else might be present.
This was Keqing’s office, after all—not a conference hall.
“Seriously? Just you? Where’s my sister?” he asked bluntly.
“Ningguang is handling other matters. Unlike you, some of us actually have work to do,” Keqing replied, arms crossed as she rested her chin on her fingers.
“You know what you’ve done, don’t you?”
“Oh, you mean helping the Qixing take down the Sanxuan Society? No need to thank me. I don’t need a reward, either. But I’ll take half of their confiscated assets.”
Keqing almost broke her composed demeanor. Taking a deep breath, she replied, “The Sanxuan Society accumulated too much illicit wealth in Liyue. We need their assets to cover gaps in policy funding.”
“You’re not exactly short on cash yourselves. If I take my share, you can still use the remainder to help the common folk.”
“What you say makes sense, but I still can’t accept it.”
Keqing lowered her hands. “Capturing the remaining members of the Sanxuan Society required a significant deployment of resources and wasn’t without risk.”
“If Millelith soldiers lack the resolve to face such risks, perhaps they shouldn’t be in the Millelith,” Gu Sanqiu said coolly. “No more debate—I’m claiming half. Or, at the very least, half of what’s left after your budget adjustments.”
“You!”
Keqing’s composure snapped as she slammed her hands on the desk and stood, her sword at the ready. She looked seconds away from slashing him in half.
“Tell me—what do you even plan to do with this money?”
“Asking the important questions, huh?” Gu Sanqiu mused, stroking his chin thoughtfully. “Alright, here’s the plan: I’m going to build a massive vault outside the city. Then I’ll fill it with Mora and gems, like a reservoir, and install diving boards, slides, and other amusements. It’ll be my very own Mora Paradise.”
He grinned. “That’s all I’ve got for now. Got any better ideas?”
“You should just die already!” Keqing snapped.
With a flash of lightning, she lunged at him, sword raised.
“Ahem!”
Gu Sanqiu coughed as his protective shield materialized just in time to block the blow.
“Hey, hey! Let’s be civil here. We’re all cultured individuals—no need for violence.”
“I can’t be civil with someone like you!”
Keqing’s lightning flared, coalescing into a bright purple phantom.
“Take this!”
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