[System]
Ding! Keqing's stamina increased by 5%! (Total increase: 15%)
Ryou frowned at the notification.
Last time it had jumped by ten percent—so why was it only five this time?
Maybe Keqing wasn't in the right condition. He decided he'd test it again once she'd fully recovered. She'd been in much better shape before. Today, though… after getting tempted half to death up at Yujing Terrace, he'd come home a little too impatient.
Keqing was clinging to him tightly, so Ryou slowed down and focused on "treatment" instead of messing around. Level 4 medical skill actually did a lot—soothing soreness, easing bruising, and when his fingers brushed over the swollen redness, his chest tightened with guilt.
She was his wife. He couldn't keep bullying her like this forever. He needed to figure out a real way to improve her constitution.
"Mmh… no more," Keqing whispered, biting her lip as she hugged him even tighter. "Y-you can't bully me again…"
She did feel better—his hands really were easing the discomfort—but that only made her more wary, like she couldn't trust what he'd do next.
Ryou lowered his voice. "I'm not bullying you. Can't you tell you're already feeling better?"
"I do feel better," Keqing said, shooting him a look, "but you're still touching me… Even if it helps, it feels… weird."
She watched his eyes carefully. The heat was there—bright and unmistakable—but he wasn't actually pushing her further. That eased her a little.
Still… this guy is shameless. He's really just using "treatment" as an excuse to touch me.
And worse, she hadn't helped him at all.
If it was just a day or two, she could grit her teeth and endure. But they'd been married for a while now. If she let him keep suffering, that made her a useless wife.
She needed to speed things up with Ganyu. At this point, her mother-in-law's idea might actually be the best option.
Ryou could be brilliant most of the time, but when it came to certain things, he was a complete blockhead. The opportunity was practically in his mouth and he still let it go.
And after getting tempted all day at Yujing Terrace, he came home and took it out on her instead?
So unfair.
If nobody helped share the load, she honestly didn't know how long she could hold out.
"What's going on in that head of yours?" Ryou asked, stroking her back.
"Nothing," Keqing blurted, instantly changing the subject. She looped her arms around his neck. "Let's eat. I'm hungry."
"Alright, alright." Ryou's mood lifted at once. "I'll help you get dressed. After dinner, we're going shopping."
His gaze sharpened, glowing with anticipation. Keqing had promised she'd buy something tonight—and wear it for him.
Keqing felt the danger in that look and reflexively shrank her neck. "You already bullied me, and now you still want to buy me clothes?"
"What do you mean 'still'?" Ryou pinched her cheek. "Buying my wife clothes is me loving you. No refusing. Come on—lift your leg. I'll dress you."
"N-no… I can do it myself." Keqing's face went hot. A man putting her clothes on for her—this was the first time in her life.
And if Ryou did it, he'd definitely start touching wherever he pleased. She could already see it: "dressing her" for half an hour… and then straight into something worse.
She tried to protest, but Ryou didn't budge. In the end, he dressed her himself.
To his credit, he didn't grope or push his luck. Even so, Keqing felt like she was overheating from head to toe.
They stepped out of the pocket realm, and Keqing froze.
It was already properly dark outside.
When they'd gone in, it had still been afternoon.
After they ate, Ryou wrapped an arm around her and took her out. Thanks to his "treatment" twice over, Keqing had recovered a lot. She still had some lingering soreness, but she was clearly much better than before.
Ryou, meanwhile, was thinking ahead. Treatment alone probably wouldn't be enough anymore. If he wanted real results, he'd need something rare—an adeptal herb or another high-grade medicinal ingredient to pair with it.
For a moment, he considered sending [Hand] and [Eyes] out again to steal something.
Then he remembered Cloud Retainer was in Liyue Harbor.
He hesitated, thought it through, and decided not to gamble. If she noticed anything, he'd be in real trouble.
It was late—past the liveliest rush—but Liyue was still buzzing. The streets were packed, and shops on both sides had customers spilling out front. The whole city looked prosperous and bright.
Ryou's eyes caught on a newly opened storefront, tucked near the junction below Liuli Pavilion—about twenty-five metres to the left.
"There's a new shop," he said. "Let's take a look."
"Mm." Keqing nodded and followed him inside.
The moment she entered, her eyes lit up.
The clothes were genuinely beautiful. Three dresses were displayed on stands, each one striking. They weren't everyday outfits at all—more like evening gowns, embroidered with fine patterns. The colour leaned toward a soft sky-blue, elegant and refined, the kind of dress that looked expensive even from a distance.
The shop owner smiled as she approached. "Would you like to try one? I think they'd suit you perfectly."
"Keqing, try it," Ryou said, running his fingers lightly over the fabric. His eyes brightened. "It's gorgeous. It'll look perfect on you."
Keqing hesitated—then her gaze softened with temptation. "Then… help me."
Ryou nodded and guided her toward the changing room.
The shop owner stared, stunned.
Wait. Both of you are going in?
Isn't the man supposed to wait outside?
She flushed and hurried after them. "S-sir—changing is fine, but this is a proper clothing shop. Please behave. Don't… do anything inappropriate in here."
Keqing's face went completely red. "W-what are you saying?! Forget it—I don't want it!"
She put the dress down and tried to bolt.
"Keqing, she just misunderstood," Ryou said, clearing his throat. He picked up the blue gown again and turned back to the owner. "You've got the wrong idea. My wife isn't feeling well—I'm just helping support her."
He added calmly, "And even if we were that kind of couple, we're not doing anything like that in your shop."
The owner went even redder. "I'm sorry—really. Last time, someone actually did something like that in here… and they got caught, so I've been on edge."
She bowed quickly. "Please, just… give me a chance. Try it on."
Ryou led Keqing into the changing room and helped her change. It took a little while, but they finally stepped back out.
The owner looked up—and froze like she'd been struck.
The pen in her hand slipped and left a long line across the page.
"H-how…" she stammered, eyes wide. "She's… unbelievably beautiful. Like a noble princess."
Keqing ignored the owner completely and looked straight at Ryou. "Is it… good?"
For her, nobody else's opinion mattered. If her husband thought it looked good, that was enough.
"It's beautiful," Ryou said, his voice softening as he took her in. "You look stunning in anything, but this… This makes you look so elegant. You really do look like a princess."
And the thought crept in again, uninvited and dangerous.
Tonight… if she wore this while he bullied her—
Keqing's heart warmed at his praise. "If you like it, that's all I need. I like it too. Let's buy it."
Ryou nodded. "Alright."
He turned to the owner. "How much?"
The owner straightened, relieved they truly liked it, and explained, "Sir, these designs come from a master designer in Fontaine. I'm her apprentice, so I made these based on her work."
She spoke carefully. "They take a lot of time and effort, so they're expensive. As evening gowns, they're five hundred thousand Mora each."
Keqing's brows knit instantly. "Five hundred thousand…?"
That wasn't a small number. She wasn't picky about clothes, but half a million for one dress still felt excessive.
She was about to set it aside when Ryou said, "I'll take all three. Wrap them up."
"All… all three?" The owner blinked. She'd been watching Keqing's face and thought the sale was about to fall through.
Keqing grabbed Ryou's arm. "What are you doing? One is enough."
She lowered her voice urgently. "Five hundred thousand for one dress is already expensive. Three is just waste."
"Keqing, if you like it, it's not a waste," Ryou said, shaking his head. "It's fine."
He did have money—plus his uncle ran the Feiyun Commerce Guild. Still, he could feel his Mora reserves shrinking fast lately. He'd need to think about that.
Keqing shook her head harder. "No. One. Anything more will just sit there."
Ryou sighed, then leaned in and compromised. "Then two. If one gets dirty, you'll have another to change into."
"Change into…?" Keqing's eyes widened, then narrowed into a glare. "You liar. Don't think I don't know what you're planning."
Her face went bright red. "You want me to wear an evening gown and let you bully me. No. Absolutely not!!!"
The owner stood nearby, listening, her expression turning strange.
At first she was only worried about how many they'd buy. One was already a good profit.
But the longer she listened, the weirder it got.
When Keqing said "absolutely not," the owner finally understood what was really being discussed—and her own face heated up.
These gowns are for formal events… not for that.
Still, she couldn't help glancing at Ryou again.
With a man like that… maybe it wouldn't be so impossible.
She coughed and looked away, flustered.
Ryou cleared his throat. "Two, then. Pack two for me."
In the end, he wore Keqing down, paid the Mora, and took the gowns.
By the time they stepped out of the shop, Keqing's face was still burning.
She knew exactly what was coming tonight.
He'd already used her promise from this morning to corner her, and now she was trapped by her own words. The more she thought about it, the more she regretted everything.
He hadn't done anything with Ganyu, yet he'd come home and bullied her anyway—and now he wanted her to wear an evening gown while he bullied her again.
In her mind, those "weird outfits" were pure buff stacking for him.
And the worst part was, the gown really was beautiful.
Which meant tonight, she'd be wearing something that made her feel like a princess…
Right before that shameless man tore it apart.
[End of chapter]
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