"What am I supposed to do if I'm getting addicted to being held like this?" Keqing wondered to herself.
Ye Xi could certainly understand why Keqing was so startled. They were currently surrounded by treasure chests overflowing with Mora, piled up like miniature golden hills. Such a sight would leave anyone wide-eyed with shock.
However, a different question quickly began to bother him. Where exactly were they? He remembered entering the Serenitea Pot while they were on a small mountain path. How was it that they had emerged in a completely different location?
He looked around. It seemed they were inside a small warehouse. High up on one of the walls was a square window, far too small for a person to crawl through, but large enough to let in beams of sunlight that illuminated the room's contents.
Huge crates sat on the floor, filled with the glittering gold of Mora. Beside them stood rows of shelves lined with various treasures, rare ores, and antiques. His Serenitea Pot had been sitting right among them.
The space they occupied was so cramped that Keqing had no choice but to press herself firmly against his chest. Ye Xi, truth be told, was enjoying every second of it. Her body was supple and soft, and having such a warm, fragrant beauty in his arms was nothing short of a delight.
"Sorry about this. The space is a bit tight," he whispered to Keqing.
He soon realized, however, that she wasn't even paying attention to their proximity anymore. All her focus was drawn to a set of antique vases nearby.
"Ye Xi, look at that vase. It looks exactly like the one reported stolen from Liyue Harbor recently!"
As she spoke, Keqing tried to reach for it. Because of the narrow space, she found it difficult to move her arms and ended up shifting even deeper into Ye Xi's embrace. Seeing her struggle, Ye Xi reached out and grabbed the vase for her.
"Thank you."
Keqing took the vase, using the sunlight to carefully inspect the patterns on its surface. Her gaze turned sharp and professional, the working persona of the Yuheng taking over.
After a few minutes, she frowned and declared with certainty, "This is definitely stolen property! About ten days ago, a wealthy merchant filed a report with the Ministry of Civil Affairs, stating his warehouse had been ransacked by Treasure Hoarders."
"So, this is a Treasure Hoarder warehouse for stolen goods?" Ye Xi surmised.
Keqing pointed to another item on the shelf. Ye Xi understood her silent request and strained his arm to retrieve a jade box.
He had to admit, holding Keqing was incredibly comfortable. A faint, intoxicating scent wafted from her clothes every time he moved to reach for something. It was the kind of scent that was easy to get addicted to.
Keqing's face flushed a soft pink. She was incredibly shy, yet being tucked into Ye Xi's arms made her feel safe. She liked the feeling of being pressed against him. If she could, she wanted to bury her face in his chest and act a little spoiled, but she desperately suppressed her embarrassment to keep her face from turning bright red.
Taking the jade box, she checked its engravings and confirmed, "This jade box belongs to the Feilong Commerce Guild. They reported it missing about a week ago."
Watching her serious expression, Ye Xi couldn't help but feel a wave of admiration.
[As expected of the Yuheng. Even though she's technically in charge of land management and construction, she takes a theft case this seriously.]
[And she can stay so calm and analytical in a situation like this.]
[Though... doesn't she get tired of being held like this?]
Hearing Ye Xi's inner thoughts, Keqing felt another surge of shame. In truth, she wanted to tell him that she wanted him to keep holding her, but she was too embarrassed to say it out loud. She felt as if her strength was being drained by her own shyness.
"This... this must be a Treasure Hoarder storehouse. Most of these things match the descriptions of recent thefts," Keqing concluded.
Ye Xi nodded. "It makes sense. I left the Serenitea Pot by a pond. Those Treasure Hoarders probably thought they'd found a valuable treasure and brought it back to their camp."
Keqing agreed with his deduction. "We should leave and bring the Millelith here to surround them."
"Wait." Ye Xi had a better idea. Lowering his voice, he suggested, "Let's move everything in this warehouse into the Serenitea Pot first. That way, even if they try to run, they can't take the stolen goods with them!"
Keqing's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh! We could do that! Ye Xi, you're brilliant!"
[If you said that to me at night, it would sound even better,] Ye Xi thought playfully.
Keqing immediately ducked her head, her face burning.
Ye Xi chuckled. "Let's get moving then. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realize all the treasure they worked so hard to steal has vanished into thin air!"
"You're so wicked..." Keqing murmured softly.
Treasure Hoarder Headquarters.
This place had originally been a Hilichurl camp, but a few Treasure Hoarder: Crushers had cleared it out and turned it into their own base.
Inside the main tent, a meeting was underway.
"Boss Huang, I've returned with quite the haul today!"
The Crusher who had found the Serenitea Pot, a man known as Old Eight, was currently boasting to his leader. He had a smug grin on his face and shot a gloating look at the other Crushers standing around.
The Treasure Hoarders were a massive organization with a strict hierarchy. Pockmarked Huang was the leader of the Mt. Tianheng branch. Under him were seven or eight Crushers, each leading a group of Treasure Hoarder: Scouts and Treasure Hoarder: Handymen.
The Crushers were constantly competing with one another for performance and rewards. Seeing Old Eight act so smug made the others quite irritated.
Sitting in his chair, Pockmarked Huang gave him an approving look. "I was wondering why you were back so early today! How many jobs did you pull? What did you find?"
Old Eight hurriedly recounted his "miraculous" discovery. As Pockmarked Huang listened, his mood improved visibly.
"Is that so? I've got to see this pot for myself! If it's as good as you say, we can finally move on. I'm sick of staying in this godforsaken place!"
Pockmarked Huang stood up and led his group of lieutenants out of the tent, with several Treasure Hoarder: Potioneers following closely behind.
As they walked, Old Eight continued to rave about how exquisite the Serenitea Pot was. Pockmarked Huang clapped him on the shoulder enthusiastically. "Good work! I bet that pot is worth a fortune! We've been hanging around Mt. Tianheng for a long time and accumulated quite a bit of wealth. If that pot is really that valuable, we'll take our treasures and leave Mt. Tianheng tonight!"
The other Crushers looked at one another with excitement.
"Great! The Millelith have been sniffing around here lately. They nearly found us a few times. It's better to leave sooner rather than later!"
"It's been too long since we went to live it up in Liyue Harbor! Once we turn these treasures into cash, we can buy a massive mansion there!"
"Damn right. I've been going stir-crazy out here!"
The Treasure Hoarders were in high spirits, talking animatedly about their plans for Liyue Harbor. They left the camp and headed toward a dilapidated wooden shack hidden at the foot of the mountain. From the outside, it looked like a worthless ruin, but it was actually their secret treasury.
"You, open the door!" Old Eight commanded a lackey.
When the door swung open, the Treasure Hoarders were frozen in place, their mouths agape.
The floor should have been covered in glittering Mora, but now, the entire warehouse was empty. Not a single coin remained.
"What... what happened!?"
Pockmarked Huang rushed forward, screaming at the top of his lungs. "Where is my Mora!? Where did my mountain of Mora go!?"
They had just been discussing their grand retirement plans, and in an instant, their dreams had been shattered. It was more than they could bear.
Old Eight was equally stunned. "Boss Huang, maybe we opened it the wrong way!"
He scrambled forward, slammed the door shut, and then yanked it open again. It was still empty. Everyone was in a state of total shock.
"How is this possible!? What the hell happened!?"
"Gather every last one of the boys! There must be a traitor among us! Someone stole it!"
"Damn it! Sticking it to your own brothers, are you!? I'm going to kill that little rat!"
While the Treasure Hoarders were exploding in rage, Ye Xi was hiding behind a stone pillar nearby, stifling a laugh.
"Look at them. They look like they just swallowed flies."
Keqing, hiding behind him, also covered her mouth to hide her giggles. She gave Ye Xi a light tap. "You're so bad. Be serious now. We should head back to the Ministry of Civil Affairs and call for reinforcements."
"Call for help? Is that really necessary?" Ye Xi looked at her, thinking for a moment before smiling. "They're about to gather everyone to hunt for a traitor. This is the perfect time. If we leave now, they might be gone by the time the Millelith arrive. Why don't the two of us just take them down together?"
Keqing was taken aback. "Huh!?"
Her exclamation was a bit too loud. The Treasure Hoarders in the distance seemed to sense something and turned to look in their direction.
Ye Xi quickly reached out, hooked his arm around Keqing's slender waist, and pulled her close into his embrace. The Treasure Hoarders saw nothing and turned back.
Ye Xi breathed a sigh of relief.
Keqing, meanwhile, was pressed tightly against him, her head tucked down in embarrassment. This was the first time Ye Xi had ever initiated a hug! For a second there, her feet had actually left the groundshe was still practically dangling in the air!
The arm around her waist was incredibly strong, pinning her firmly against him. The sensation of his strength made her heart pound wildly.
Is this what it feels like to be with a boy? It's so... comforting.
If I could be held like this every night when I sleep, I'd probably sleep so soundly...
Keqing's mind began to wander again.
"That was close. Careful now, Ke-shifu," Ye Xi whispered.
Looking down at the beautiful girl huddled in his arms, Ye Xi felt a strange stir in his heart.
[She really is as cute as a kitten.]
[I've gotten so used to holding her. I think I'd feel empty if I couldn't hold her anymore.]
Keqing felt like she was going to die of embarrassment. She kicked her little legs in the air. "Let me down! I can't breathe!"
Ye Xi finally set her back on her feet.
"Ahem!" Keqing cleared her throat, her cheeks a brilliant pink, but her tone became serious. "Tell me more about your plan. Can the two of us really take on that many Treasure Hoarders?"
"Be careful of their Potioneersthey can use elemental attacks!" Keqing warned.
She was genuinely worried. It was impossible to tell what elements the Potioneers possessed just by looking. Besides them, there were many Treasure Hoarder: Marksmen as well. A single well-placed bolt could take someone out of the fight instantly.
To Keqing, the odds seemed stacked against them.
Ye Xi leaned down, pressing his lips close to Keqing's ear. "Listen to me. Here's what we're going to do..."
Keqing jumped slightly, thinking for a split second that he was going to kiss her. His deep, low whisper made her heart race so fast she almost couldn't process the plan he was explaining.
Ye Xi could see exactly how flustered she was. Having lived a full life before this, he would have to be blind not to read the reactions of a girl her age. After finishing his explanation, he playfully blew a puff of air against her delicate ear.
Keqing shuddered, her legs nearly giving way beneath her.
"Got it, Ke-shifu?"
Blushing furiously, Keqing gave a quick nod.
"Then let's begin!"
After a final glance at each other, Keqing leaped out into the open. Though she was a little nervous at first, she stepped into the role perfectly.
"Treasure Hoarders! Get on the ground and surrender! The Millelith are here!" Her voice started off a bit soft, but it quickly regained the commanding dignity of the Yuheng.
At that moment, Pockmarked Huang's men had all gathered, ready to begin their purge of the suspected traitor. The sudden appearance of someone shouting about the Millelith sent the group into a panic.
A few Handymen tried to bolt, only to have their path blocked by the Crushers.
"It's just one little girl! What are you all so afraid of!?"
Hearing this, the lackeys finally relaxed. They had been so terrified of the Millelith that they were jumping at shadows.
Pockmarked Huang looked at Keqing standing there alone and burst into laughter. "Little girl, are you looking for a death wish?"
Beside him, Old Eight let out a crude snicker. "Heh heh, she's a pretty one, isn't she? And look at those clothes!"
His comment drew murmurs of agreement from the others.
"I've never seen a style like that. That little skirt... tsk tsk."
"Look at that skin... she looks like a high-born lady."
"Brothers, why don't we... have a little fun first?"
A chorus of laughter erupted. Many of them were staring at Keqing with lecherous, filthy eyes.
Suddenly, one of the Crushers seemed to realize something. He pointed at Keqing, his voice trembling with shock. "Wait... she... she's the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing!"
The crowd went dead silent for a heartbeat before erupting into an uproar. Everyone had heard of the Liyue Qixing, and the Yuheng in particular was known to be a powerful Vision wielder!
"The Yuheng!?"
"What do we do, Boss!?"
"Boss, if we lay a finger on the Yuheng, the Tianquan will hunt us to the ends of the earth!"
The lackeys were panicking, but Pockmarked Huang showed no sign of fear.
"What's there to be afraid of? So what if she's the Yuheng? Perfect! I've heard the Liyue Qixing are very capable workers. Now I'll see how 'capable' she is in other areas!"
"Get her!"
"Marksmen, fire! But don't hit her face!"
"Potioneers, use your elemental attacks!"
The atmosphere turned instantly lethal as the standoff finally shattered!
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