"Ah! Yucheng, I'm so sorry! I didn't know the medicinal herbs in this ice cellar were ones you and Qiqi had gathered. I'm really sorry, so sorry! Don't worry, I'll definitely compensate you."
Seeing Ganyu flustered and utterly ashamed, Yucheng could hardly blame her. He could only take a deep breath and say, "It's fine, Senior Ganyu. It was just some Qingxin. We can gather more. We were partly at fault, too. We thought hardly anyone ever came here, so we let our guard down and left the medicinal herbs lying to one side."
"No, no, no, this was my fault. I'll make up for it." With that, Ganyu began feeling around on her person, as though searching for something she could use as compensation.
Yucheng thought she intended to compensate him with Mora and grew curious. "Do you have any Mora, then?"
"Huh? Mora? I don't have any of that."
"It's one thing for gods and adepti not to have Mora, but aren't you the secretary at Yuehai Pavilion? Don't you get paid?"
"Paid? We of the Qilin Clan drink only sweet dew and eat only fine grain. That is the code I follow. As for other things like fame, money, and mansions, they're of no use to me."
"So, Senior Ganyu, you've worked for Liyue Harbor for over three thousand years without pay! And without holidays, working 007 all along. The people at the Liyue Ministry of Civil Affairs are working you like a beast of burden! No, even beasts of burden get to rest. This is worse than that!"
"It... it's not that extreme, is it? Also, what does 007 mean?"
"It means starting work at midnight and finishing at midnight the next day, seven days a week."
"Uh, it's not quite that bad. I can still get an hour of sleep every day."
Yucheng was speechless. The people of Liyue really had squeezed Ganyu dry, and the worst part was that she did it willingly. "No wonder you always look sleepy, Senior Ganyu. You're far too tired."
"It's not so bad. I'm half-human and half-adeptus, so even going several days without rest is fine..."
"No!" Yucheng's voice suddenly grew forceful, startling Ganyu and leaving her looking timid.
"Senior Ganyu, after the Archon War ended, many adepti and adeptal beasts chose to withdraw into the mountains and forests to cultivate in seclusion. Why did you choose to remain in Liyue Harbor? Was it only because of your contract with Rex Lapis?"
"I... I have half-adeptus blood. The human side of my bloodline makes me linger among the dazzling lights of the markets, but my adeptal nature also makes me miss the peaceful days in the adeptal mountains and abodes. I've always been conflicted. I want to fit into Liyue, but I always feel I can't. People always keep their distance because of who I am and the horns on my head."
"Senior Ganyu, have you ever considered that you've been going about it the wrong way all along?"
"The wrong way? How could that be? This is the contract Rex Lapis made with me! How could his words be wrong?"
"No, no, no, you misunderstood me. There's nothing wrong with Rex Lapis's contract, but perhaps your understanding of it is mistaken? Does his contract require you to work without stopping like this every day? Does it say you can't have holidays? Does it tell you to devote yourself to every resident of Liyue without asking for anything in return?"
Ganyu silently shook her head at those words. How could the wise and mighty Rex Lapis ever impose such a harsh contract?
"See? It doesn't. The reason you've always felt unable to fit into the city of Liyue is that you're too busy. You're always working. You should know that even the most hardworking human doesn't work one ten-thousandth as hard as you do. The way you work has already gone beyond the bounds of humanity.
"To fit into Liyue, a city of humans, you need to become like a normal person. Simply taking human form isn't enough. People's lives aren't all work. There's also good food, gatherings, outings, enjoying music, and so on. That's what makes a complete life.
"Think about it. Has something like this happened before? A colleague invited you to a gathering, and you turned them down because of work. A friend invited you on an outing, and you turned them down because of work. Someone invited you to go shopping, and again, you turned them down because of work. Eventually, no one invited you anymore."
At those words, several memories immediately surfaced in Ganyu's mind. It was just as Yucheng had said. Those people had gradually stopped inviting her.
"Then... what should I do?"
"It's simple. Keep work and private life separate. Just start and finish work like a normal employee of the Liyue Ministry of Civil Affairs. During working hours, carry on as usual. But once work is over, you can put down what you're doing and attend to your own affairs. That could mean shopping, enjoying good food, or even just pulling the covers over your head and sleeping.
"And when you have time off, didn't you say you longed for your days in the adeptal mountains and abodes? You can use that time to return to those places. You can also visit your master for a chat, then return to your post when your leave ends.
"Simply put, follow a 955 schedule. Start at nine in the morning, finish at five in the afternoon, and work five days a week. Oh, and make sure you get paid. After all, you can't truly fit into Liyue without Mora. You might not need it, but you can't go without it."
The future Yucheng described filled Ganyu with longing, and anticipation appeared on her face. However, it lasted only a moment before she asked, "But what about the work I haven't finished?"
"You can never finish all the work. Liyue is so big that countless things happen every day, creating endless work. But everything has its own degree of importance and urgency. Besides, the Liyue Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Liyue Qixing, and the eight trades all have plenty of staff in every department to handle specialized matters. You don't need to do everything yourself."
"But my contract with Rex Lapis..."
"Does a single thing I've asked you to do violate your contract with Rex Lapis? And have you noticed something?"
"What?"
"When Rex Lapis first founded Liyue, he was just like you, handling everything himself. He established all sorts of frameworks for Liyue and kept it running in perfect order. Liyue Harbor flourished as a result. Later, he gradually began delegating authority, slowly letting humans manage things themselves. It was precisely because of this that the Liyue Qixing began formally taking their place on the stage of history.
"And now, Rex Lapis only appears once a year, at the Rite of Descension held by the Liyue Qixing. He works just one day a year. Do you think that, during the rest of the year, the old gentleman might also take the form of an ordinary person and listen to stories over tea in some teahouse?"
"How could that be? How could Rex Lapis..."
"You can't say for certain, can you?"
Ganyu fell silent. To be honest, she very much wanted to deny Yucheng's claims, but she had no idea where to begin refuting them. Besides, the future he described really was the life she wanted, and most importantly, it did not violate her contract with Rex Lapis.
Ganyu's tightly furrowed brows gradually relaxed, and a smile slowly appeared on her cool face.
Seeing that Ganyu seemed to have completely worked things out, Yucheng laughed in satisfaction. He had finally talked this silly girl around. Still, that was a good thing. As for why, naturally, it was because he had been a workhorse in his previous life, only to encounter an even bigger workhorse in another world. It was simply sympathy between fellow sufferers.
Before you continue