Reading poems from Teyvat

"I haven't reached that level yet."

Besides, this was just a complaint about her condescending to come here for dinner.

"But it's interesting to come to a place like this that's full of market atmosphere," Ningguang said, looking at the boy's nonchalant expression, "Master Shen, you don't think that I've always lived in the Jade Pavilion and don't know the sufferings of the world, do you?"

Shen Zhigui had heard of the story of this legendary woman who started from scratch. Even the storyteller next door compiled her deeds into a book and provided it as a topic of conversation during meals to attract customers. However, there were too many vague details and taboos in the story, so Shen Zhigui could only barely make out a general outline: she was not from a famous family like Keqing, but was originally a small trader. She expanded her business step by step, and finally ascended to the position of Seven Stars. After becoming a legend in the eyes of the world, she had been building the Qun Yu Pavilion, and since then she has always used the Qun Yu Pavilion as her office and rarely came down from there.

Didn’t you see that everyone around you was about to drop their eyeballs to the ground?

Of course, Shen Zhigui didn’t think that coming out to drink tea would help him understand the sufferings of the world.

Not to mention she hadn't even drunk the tea yet.

Seeing the expression on the face of the young man sitting opposite her, Ningguang said, "It seems that Mr. Shen has always had some kind of prejudice against me."

"Well..."

There is nothing much to say about the fact that people never tire of fine food and delicious meat.

But if you don't want to drink tea in the first place, why make such a gesture?

This thought just flashed through Shen Zhigui's mind, but he didn't say it out loud.

He just took a look at this elegant and noble woman whose age could not be judged from her appearance, and then said:

"Actually, my attitude is irrelevant to you, Master Ningguang, right?"

"But according to what you said before, there is a peerless sword that can destroy the rules I have woven at any time wandering in Liyue Harbor and I cannot control it, which is always unsettling."

Shen Zhigui thought to himself, that's because you don't know that Grandma Ping lives in seclusion in Liyue Harbor every day. In terms of sharpness, she may be even sharper than me, but she usually doesn't show her ability, so you can't detect any trace of her, and therefore you don't feel uneasy.

Shen Zhigui even thought about whether he should mention the existence of Grandma Ping to divert her attention at this time, but he finally gave up the idea:

"So, Lady Ningguang wants me to leave Liyue as soon as possible?"

Chapter 16: Leaning against the railings on the north side of the Chenxiang Pavilion (Part 2)

"Why would Mr. Shen think so?"

When Ningguang heard Shen Zhigui say that, she immediately looked at him deeply and asked.

"Isn't it obvious?"

"So, in Mr. Shen's opinion, you don't want to be controlled by others no matter what, so once you encounter this situation, you just want to leave?"

Of course Shen Zhigui could only nod.

"But I want to control the sharpness of your peerless sword only for the benefit of the people of Liyue. I believe that you are not a heartless person who doesn't care about the lives of others. Since our goals are similar, why can't we temporarily put aside our prejudices and work towards a common goal?"

When Shen Zhigui heard her repeating such clichés even though they were already at a place like Wanmin Hall, he immediately lost the mood to continue talking. Coincidentally, at this moment, the errand boy of Wanmin Hall tremblingly brought Shen Zhigui the juice developed by Xiangling, which tasted a bit like cola. He took a sip and then said:

"I have said before, 'A real man lives between heaven and earth, how can he be depressed and inferior to others for long'..."

Ningguang did not refute like she did before. She just smiled, nodded, and said, "So? If Master Shen really wants to be in control, it's not that I can't give it to you. However, according to the current situation, you are still an outsider who cannot be trusted for the time being for Liyue. Even if Keqing and I admit that you are qualified to rewrite the situation, the people of Liyue may not admit it, so..."

"So this is your confidence?"

Ningguang just shook her head. Then, under Shen Zhigui's surprised gaze, she reached out and took the cup that the boy had put down. She shook the liquid in the cup carefully for a moment, stared at the flowing colors in it, and said, "Mr. Shen, you misunderstood."

Then she actually put the cup to her mouth and took a sip.

Shen Zhigui was really a little surprised at once.

Ningguang put the cup back to its original position, wiped her already juicy lips, and asked, "So this is the flavor that Master Shen likes?"

Shen Zhigui shifted his gaze back and forth between the cup and the face of this queen without saying a word.

Ningguang didn't take it seriously and just said, "Master Shen, you said that my confidence comes from the fact that you are just an outsider in Liyue and cannot integrate into Liyue's power system. I don't think that's the case, because I know very well that you are not someone who will be bound by common sense. So, rather than saying that my confidence comes from the 'rules' that I have woven, which, in Master Shen's words, are not worth a sword and are like spider webs attached to the foundation established by the Emperor as decorations, it is better to say that my confidence comes from the fact that I have always sincerely hoped that everyone living in this country can get the happiness they want. This is what I really think."

Shen Zhigui thought to himself, is this the beginning of playing the emotional card?

Of course, he also knew that Ningguang probably really hoped so.

Although sometimes she would use public power to build that huge castle in the air in order to satisfy her own selfish desires, she, like Keqing, is not a purely political creature. She is not the kind of person who would abandon her personal feelings and goals in order to continuously expand her political power and become completely alienated with power as the basis. Otherwise, she would not have thrown away all her hard work at such a critical moment and directly smashed the entire Qun Yu Pavilion on Osel.

So maybe she really meant what she said?

Although Shen Zhigui didn't understand why she said such words to him.

"Because I think Mr. Shen is also such a person."

Ningguang smiled and said.

"Well..."

Shen Zhigui hesitated for a moment: he actually didn’t have such a strong sense of belonging to Liyue.

For him, it was purely because some of the traditions of this country were similar to the place where he used to live that he looked up to Liyue among the seven countries of Teyvat. But if you want to say whether he really regarded Liyue as the place where he was born, raised, and most likely to die, he was a little unsure. After all, the essence of man is the sum of all social relations. Because he had always found it difficult to give up certain people, things, and objects in that country, he felt that the good side of that place far outweighed the bad side. After he came to this world, he had always been obsessed with martial arts. Of course, he could not deny that some people in Liyue were too kind to him, but he had never been to other countries, let alone take the initiative to open his heart...

So when faced with Ningguang's sincere smile, Shen Zhigui was a little at a loss as to what to do, and he couldn't help but fall silent.

At this time, he had already understood Ningguang's intention:

Maybe she felt that normal means were no longer effective against him, so she just faced him with the most sincere attitude?

But in the end, is he really a sincere person? Can he really be sincere to Ningguang?

So Shen Zhigui subconsciously chose to avoid it. He didn't look at Ningguang's eyes and wanted to change the subject, but he caught a glimpse of a tall figure in the afterglow of his eye.

Shen He was also stunned for a moment when she saw him, and then her dead eyes, as calm as an ancient well, became faintly excited. But when she saw the elegant figure of Ningguang sitting opposite him, she hesitated for a moment, and then strode forward, stood silently aside, and looked directly at Tianquanxing.

Ningguang immediately looked at Shen He curiously, and then said, "Nice to meet you, is this Miss Shen He?"

Shen He just looked at Shen Zhigui.

So Shen Zhigui introduced her, "This is Ningguang, the Tianquan Star among the Seven Stars of Liyue."

Shen He nodded slightly, then sat down without asking Shen Zhigui.

Ningguang was also clear about the relationship between the two, although they had never said it explicitly, and Shen Zhigui had always called Shen He by his name, but Shen He had always called him "Junior Brother Shen", so it was certain that Shen Zhigui had indeed gone to the cave of True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng to learn certain immortal techniques, so the two were probably really in a master-sister relationship, although it was estimated that Shen Zhigui was not recognized by True Lord Liuyun Jiefeng, or because of Shen Zhigui's weird personality, she was unwilling to admit that she was her disciple, so the relationship between the two suddenly became this strange.

Although in Ningguang's opinion, Shen He's current appearance is definitely not what a normal person should look like. This is not even the difference between normal senior and junior sisters. Rather, the reason for the abnormal relationship between the two is probably Shen He himself, not Shen Zhigui's own weird personality.

Or can we also say that those who are entangled with this young man are basically not normal people?

Chapter 17: Leaning against the railings of the north side of the Chenxiang Pavilion (Part 2)

Of course, if Shen Zhigui knew Ningguang's thoughts, he could actually say that most of the holders of the Eye of God were not normal humans. After all, in his opinion, the holders of the Eye of God often had more freedom than normal people to be unaffected by the will of others, or in other words, their self-boundaries were clearer and clearer. Sometimes, it was even their overly prominent personalities that made the world respond to their wishes, and ultimately made the Eye of God appear in their hands.

Although for Shen He, the situation seems to be the opposite.

Because of her evil spirit and fate, the immortal locked up her evil spirit with a red rope, and at the same time, her original human emotions were suppressed. Although compared to normal people, she could indeed be said to have an outstanding personality, but this kind of personality was the opposite of those other holders of the Eye of God.

Because her ego is extremely weak.

Although her self seems to be gradually being reshaped.

But Shen Zhigui couldn't really tell whether this kind of self-reshaping under his influence was a good thing or a bad thing.

"Or maybe you just don't want to take responsibility for it?"

Shen Zhigui said in his heart.

After all, the proposition of being responsible for a person's life is a bit too heavy for him at this stage.

And doesn't that statement really mean that the two of them are supposed to spend their lives together?

However, when he saw Shen He sitting down, he casually asked her about her recent experiences. After all, she had some emotional tendencies, so her attitude towards others was not as indifferent as before, so she was not as self-willed as before and caused trouble -

Although there will still be some to some extent.

Moreover, if she really had to say something, it was probably because she wanted to remember Shen Zhigui's words and didn't want to disappoint him.

This was the only thing that always made Shen Zhigui feel that Shen He had a tendency to become yandere, so he always asked her to expand her interpersonal relationships as much as possible without him.

However, Grandma Ping did not openly tell Xiangling about her identity as an immortal. Of course, even if Shen He knew that she was also an immortal disciple, he would probably still be indifferent. Therefore, in Liyue Harbor, she could not find, or was unwilling to find, someone who could make friends with her.

Perhaps Yun Jin would be interested in her past which was rumored to have spread.

But she is not the type of person who would go to listen to opera performances like old man Zhongli.

Not to mention that even if she walked in front of Yun Jin, as long as Shen He didn't say it herself, Yun Jin probably wouldn't know that she was the prototype of the "goddess".

So without Shen Zhigui's company, she probably just found a secluded high place and quietly looked down at this bustling port city.

Ningguang, who was sitting on the side listening to their conversation, felt more and more that the relationship between the two was really weird. It was simply the opposite of the two. It was as if Shen Zhigui was Shen He's earnest senior brother, and Shen He, who had a cold and mature face and looked four or five years older than Shen Zhigui, was the naive junior sister. She didn't know if it was because of this that Shen Zhigui always called Shen He by her name instead of calling her senior sister.

But even if she didn't talk to Shen He directly, she could sense that this immortal disciple was indeed the kind of person who was out of touch with worldly matters.

Although Shen Zhigui also has that kind of intention, it is better to say that Shen Zhigui is free and easy rather than detached from the world. Because in Ningguang's perspective, Shen Zhigui doesn't really hate the bustling downtown and the quiet and cold mountains and valleys. He can blend in freely on both sides, but he will also look like he is about to drift away with the wind. But Shen He obviously prefers quietness to noise, and she is originally a disciple of an immortal. If Shen Zhigui has always been concerned about her like this and eventually becomes worried, he will most likely choose to live in seclusion in the mountains with her like those immortals, right?

But can such a gentle place really dull the sharp edge of this young man like a peerless sword?

Ningguang wasn't so sure.

Or in other words, do you want to see his peerless edge being eroded?

While Shen Zhigui and Shen He were talking and Ningguang was watching and thinking silently, a soft and gentle voice sounded in the gradually quiet restaurant: "Zhigui, Shen He, and Master Ningguang?"

The three of them looked up and saw Ganyu standing nearby.

"This is what you are doing?"

asked the half-human, half-fairy hybrid unicorn.

After all, it was understandable that Shen Zhigui and Shen He sat together, because they were both disciples of Master Liuyunjiefeng;

It was not unacceptable for Shen Zhigui to sit with Ningguang. After all, Ganyu had heard that Shen Zhigui had written a poem for Ningguang that would definitely be passed down through the ages.

But can these three people really sit together?

Shen He and Ning Guang don't look like they can talk.

Ganyu couldn't help but feel confused.

Shen Zhigui had no choice but to say, "It just happened to happen."

Seeing Ningguang nod, Ganyu could only think that this young man was the one who was in charge of the connection. However, thinking of his weird theories, and that Ganyu was the ideal ruler in his theory, and that Tianquan, the most powerful of the seven stars in Liyue, was sitting here, Ganyu couldn't help but feel a little strange facing these two people at the same time. But seeing that Shenhe was also sitting there calmly, and had a good relationship with the young man and seemed to be able to talk about anything, Ganyu thought about it and sat down as well.

The people around him immediately showed envy and jealousy towards the only male at the table.

Shen Zhigui was not feeling comfortable sitting there either.

Because after talking with Shen He, he really couldn't think of anything to say.

So he looked around, but couldn't think of anything to say. Finally, he couldn't help but take a sip of the drink, and then he realized that he seemed to have kissed Ningguang indirectly?

So he became even more restless.

Ningguang saw the reason why he was so restless, and immediately said, "I didn't expect that Master Shen is still so innocent?"

"What does pure love mean?"

Ganyu asked.

"What I mean is," Ningguang reached out and took the cup from the young man, took another sip naturally, and then said softly, "I find it strange that Master Shen would panic over such a thing."

Shen Zhigui immediately forced himself to remain calm: "I'm not that panicked. Even if I am, it's not because of the reason you mentioned."

So Ningguang handed the quilt to him again: "Then please."

The two people next to him immediately focused their gazes on the cup, and their eyes gradually became sharper.

Chapter 18: Today I Know Who I Am (Part 1)

Shen Zhigui seemed to feel the burning temperature of the gazes from both sides, but he still reached out to take the cup from Ningguang's hand, but he couldn't help but feel suspicious:

What's going on with these two people?

Based on Shen He's common sense, did she really think that this kind of thing was worth making a fuss about? It was just an exchange of drinks and saliva. For someone like her who had lived in the mountains and forests since childhood - or since she had any cognition - could she really understand the intimate meaning given to this behavior?

And Ganyu...

Why does she care about this?

Shen Zhigui was not so self-indulgent as to think that she was jealous of him.

So she only cares about the choice of Ningguang's future husband?

After all, choosing a husband from Tianquan Star is a very important matter for Liyue, not to mention that the candidate is a traveler from a foreign land.

But even so, no matter how you look at it, the possibility of him and Keqing becoming true is greater than that of Ningguang, right? Right now, Tianquanxing's behavior is just teasing an innocent little boy, right? Although Shen Zhigui is a little uncomfortable to be treated as an innocent little boy, it is also a fact that he has been single since birth, so he was just being tough. However, Ningguang's behavior is probably mostly meant to be a joke. Does Ganyu need to think in that direction?