“Oh?”
The Doctor turned toward the source of the voice, his lips curling into a faint smirk.
“Brough Ria. What’s this? Are you here to save them?”
“Save? Not quite. Let’s just say I have some… collaborations with them,” Luo Qing replied as he stepped slowly out of the shadows.
He glanced briefly at Lumine and her companions, who were surrounded by the controlled citizens, before turning his gaze to the Doctor.
“If your goal was simply to meet them, then you’ve already achieved it.”
“Luo Qing…”
Lumine’s voice was low, and she was taken aback to see a rare seriousness etched onto his face.
“Are you asking me to leave? And what if… I refuse?”
Luo Qing’s lips curved into a faint smile. “Then feel free to try.”
“Hmph…”
The Doctor remained silent for a few seconds before chuckling softly. Without another word, he turned and began walking back toward the Akademiya.
“In that case, I’ll leave you to it. Until next time, Traveler,” he said, his tone light and dismissive.
As Luo Qing had pointed out, his only purpose here was to meet the Traveler and gauge her reaction. He had no intention of escalating matters unnecessarily.
After all, a conflict with Luo Qing would be counterproductive. The Doctor had a vested interest in Luo Qing’s abilities and foresaw many opportunities for collaboration in the future. Why not leave on a friendly note?
Lumine and her companions watched the Doctor disappear into the distance, their tension easing slightly. They turned toward Luo Qing, questions forming in their minds, but before they could speak, Luo Qing raised a finger to his lips, signaling for silence.
His eyes swept over the crowd of controlled Sumeru citizens.
A moment later, the Void Terminals they were wearing returned to their normal faint green glow, as though the earlier control had never occurred. One by one, the citizens dispersed, each going about their business as if nothing had happened.
When the square was finally empty, Luo Qing turned back to the group and smiled.
“Alright. You can talk now.”
“…”
Lumine hesitated for a moment before speaking in a low voice.
“Luo Qing… You can control them too?”
“Of course,” Luo Qing replied with a small nod. “Though my method is a bit more refined.”
“…”
“Thank you, Luo Qing,” Lumine said, her voice tinged with gratitude.
“No need for thanks. After all, I have business with you, too.” Luo Qing waved a hand dismissively before shifting his gaze to Katheryne—who was, of course, being controlled by Nahida.
His tone softened, carrying an almost paternal warmth.
“So, how does it feel to finally get some fresh air?”
If it had been the real Nahida instead of the puppet, he would’ve indulged in giving her a head pat.
“…It’s… nice,” Nahida murmured, lowering her head slightly in shyness. She resembled a young girl caught playing hooky by her father.
“If only you could come out yourself next time,” Luo Qing mused with a quiet chuckle. “That would be even better.”
“Um…” Nahida looked up briefly but said nothing more.
“Anyway, Nahida,” Luo Qing continued, “I need to borrow these two for a bit. Mind if I have a private word with them?”
“Huh?”
Lumine and Paimon exchanged confused glances. It was rare for Luo Qing to request anything from them.
“…Alright,” Nahida finally said, nodding softly. She turned to Lumine and Paimon with a gentle smile.
“Lumine, Paimon, I’ll see you both later, then.”
With that, Nahida guided Katheryne’s puppet away from the square.
Lumine and Paimon watched her go, waiting until she was completely out of sight before Paimon crossed her arms and turned to Luo Qing.
“Okay, hold on! Since when did you and Nahida become so chummy?! It’s like you’re best friends or something!”
“Why does that matter?” Luo Qing replied, entirely unconcerned. “Have you seen any Archon I don’t get along with?”
“…”
“…Fair point.”
The two recalled how Luo Qing had befriended Zhongli in Liyue, dragging him on endless fishing trips.
And in Inazuma, he had gone even further, charming the Raiden Shogun herself—right in front of her people, no less—and even receiving a kiss from her.
Now, in Sumeru…
Why does this feel like a father-daughter dynamic?!
“Alright, what do you need from us?” Lumine asked quietly. “You and the Doctor are both Harbingers, aren’t you? Why are you helping us?”
“Why?” Luo Qing interrupted her. “You think the Fatui are some tight-knit team? Please. Everyone’s got their own agenda. Sure, we say it’s for the Tsaritsa, but who isn’t satisfying their personal desires behind the scenes?”
“So…” Lumine’s tone turned serious. “You have your own desires too?”
“Something like that.” Luo Qing nodded. “But let’s discuss it somewhere else.”
—
At Luo Qing’s Home
From morning till night, Luo Qing’s six housemates hadn’t seen him once.
Normally, his presence during meals helped ease the tension, creating an atmosphere where they could at least engage in casual conversation. Even Makoto, who had taken it upon herself to oversee the “harmony” of the household, often felt that managing this “harem” wasn’t as difficult as she’d imagined.
But with Luo Qing absent, cracks began to show.
Lunch had been a silent affair.
Ganyu barely ate anything, claiming she needed to watch her figure. Shenhe had excused herself after only a few bites, returning to her room to meditate. Ayaka had gone to the Grand Bazaar to practice dancing with Nilou and hadn’t returned for dinner either.
Meanwhile, Ei and Theresa had holed up in a room together, apparently bonding over their shared love of light novels.
When Luo Qing was around, meals often ended with lighthearted games to strengthen their bonds. But without him, everyone simply went back to their rooms, avoiding one another entirely.
The once lively dining room was now eerily quiet, occupied only by Makoto and La Signora.
Makoto sighed softly, setting aside her knitting needles.
“As I thought… It’s not easy to truly bring them together as a family.”
La Signora, standing respectfully nearby, replied calmly, “You’ve done your best, Lady Makoto. Please don’t burden yourself with such thoughts.”
For reasons unknown, despite not being bound by the same servant contract as Luo Qing’s other companions, La Signora treated Makoto with the same level of reverence.
“Go call them down,” Makoto finally said after some thought. “Tell them… tell them Luo Qing will be pleased to see everyone together when he gets back.”
“As you wish,” La Signora replied with a slight bow before heading upstairs.
Soon, Theresa was the first to rush down, clutching a light novel and practically throwing herself onto Makoto’s lap.
“Thank you for the heads-up, Lady Makoto!” she chirped.
Next came Ganyu, her cheeks slightly flushed as she greeted Makoto and Theresa before settling on the sofa beside them.
A little later, Shenhe descended as well, her face similarly tinged with pink, and quietly took a seat next to her senior disciple.
Ayaka, however, was still at the Grand Bazaar with Nilou and hadn’t returned yet.
And Ei…
“Where’s Ei?” Makoto asked La Signora.
“She…” La Signora hesitated briefly. “She said she was reading light novels and didn’t want to come down.”
“…”
That silly girl. Does she want to end up like me?!
Makoto shook her head in exasperation, but she didn’t press the matter. Instead, she continued knitting, occasionally engaging the others in conversation to keep the atmosphere from growing too cold.
After a while, the sound of the front door opening broke the silence, accompanied by the low murmur of voices.
“Luo Qing, are you sure it’s not too late for a visit?”
“Not at all. We could talk all night if we need to—huh?”
“Everyone’s here?!”
—
This is a fan translation of 原神：这个见习执行官太屑了 by 何一乐. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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