MM Racing Chapter 1038 No Regrets
Chapter 1038 No Regrets
Ningguang watched Keqing storm away, a puzzled look on her face as she muttered softly, "What a puzzle..."
She was stunned for a moment, then she thought about it and suddenly realized that maybe she had overstepped her bounds and stolen Keqing's limelight.
It makes sense to think about it this way. After all, it was Keqing who first proposed this temple fair, but she is here to make decisions and plan profit distribution, which is indeed likely to annoy people.
"I didn't expect Keqing to have such a bad temper..." Ningguang chuckled helplessly, then said, "Never mind, I won't bother with her. I'll just send some people to help her privately."
In order to secretly escort Keqing in organizing the temple fair while taking care of her face, Ningguang knew that her three personal secretaries were definitely not suitable, as it would be too easy for people to associate them with her if they showed up.
The only people under his command who could be considered "unrelated persons" and capable of helping were Ye Lan and Bei Dou.
Ye Lan, ostensibly working for the General Affairs Department, is secretly Ningguang's intelligence officer...but her relationship with Ningguang is one of "cooperation."
(The analogy is similar to Trelawney and the Van der Linde gang...)
Beidou, the leader of the armed fleet "Southern Cross", a civilian hero!
These two people don’t have much connection with me on the surface, so they are suitable to assist Keqing!
When Ningguang thought of asking Ye Lan and Bei Dou to assist Keqing, she ordered the maid to remove the dinner from the table first.
Then send someone to inform Ye Lan first.
After the maid came and took away the dishes, she stood up and walked to the desk where she worked daily, sat down, and waited for Ye Lan to arrive.
Not long after, Ye Lan received a summons from Ningguang and quickly rushed to the Qun Yu Pavilion.
Looking at Ningguang, who was sitting calmly behind her desk, Ye Lan was the first to ask, "Master Ningguang, what brings you here?"
Ningguang looked up at her and gave her a direct order in a straightforward and direct tone, "I have a task for you. Keqing is organizing a temple fair. Go and help her out."
As soon as she finished speaking, she added a sentence out of consideration for Keqing's face.
"By the way, don't say I arranged for you to go. Just think of it as you happened to be free and took the initiative to help."
After hearing this, Ye Lan felt confused. This was just a simple assistance mission, but Ningguang actually called her over to give instructions. It was really strange.
She raised an eyebrow and asked, "Is it that simple?"
Ningguang raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why? Don't you want to? Or do you have any objections?"
Ye Lan certainly had no objection. After all, she was employed by Ningguang, so she just had to do the tasks assigned by the other party.
She immediately responded, "Nothing. I'll pick a time to contact Keqing. You don't have to worry about the details."
After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave.
"Wait." Ningguang quickly stopped her and added, "Please help me get Captain Beidou over here. I heard her fleet is on vacation recently, so she must be free and could be a great help."
Ye Lan shrugged and agreed readily, "Okay, no problem."
It's just a matter of saying one more thing, so it's not a big deal.
……
About half an hour after Ye Lan left, Beidou, who was planning to eat meat and drink wine in Wanmin Hall, came to Qun Yu Pavilion with a scent of sea breeze.
Seeing Ningguang sitting behind the desk, Beidou laughed out loud, "Hey, Ningguang, is the sun rising from the west today? Why did you have time to ask me to come to your Jade Pavilion?"
As she spoke, she touched her belly, rolled her eyes, and guessed, "Could it be that he has a change of heart and wants to treat me to a good meal?"
Ningguang looked up at the carefree and generous Beidou and couldn't help but chuckle, "I didn't ask Captain Beidou to come here to treat me to a meal. I have good things in mind for you."
"Good news?" Beidou's eyes lit up, and he took a few steps to the desk. Without caring about any rules, he sat down on the cold mahogany desk with a "thump". He casually stepped his right leg on the desk, and the fine sand on the soles of his boots fell on the files.
She tilted her head to look at Ningguang and asked briskly, "What good news is it? I want to hear what kind of pie in the sky could fall on my head."
Looking at Beidou's bold and unrestrained attitude, who didn't consider himself an outsider at all, Ningguang felt a sense of familiarity in her heart.
After all, Beidou never asked about her scheming political affairs, nor did he know about the troubles she hid under her calmness, so he didn't have to think too hard when talking to her.
She tapped the table lightly with her fingertips, avoiding Beidou's boots on it, and asked casually, "By the way, how is your fleet's business with Inazuma going lately?"
When Beidou heard Ningguang asking about the fleet business, his eyes widened, he deliberately shrank his shoulders, and waved his hands in front of him, pretending to be panicked.
"Hey, hey, hey! I paid you exactly what I owed you. The account book is clear and distinct. You can't cause trouble for me for no reason!"
Ningguang observed her deliberately distant demeanor and chided her, "Captain Beidou, when did you learn to act like a spoilsport? I was just casually asking about your recent situation, why are you so nervous?"
"Hahaha!" Seeing that Ningguang had really "taken the bait", Beidou slammed his right leg that was stepping on the desk, and his shoulders were shaking with laughter.
"It was just a joke. Look how anxious you are! I've known you for so long, and I still don't know you?"
"It's been calm lately, and Inazuma's goods are moving smoothly. But the guys at the docks are always complaining about having nowhere to go and being bored."
Ningguang looked at her cheerful smile and shook her head helplessly.
In the whole of Liyue, Beidou was probably the only one who dared to joke with her so casually. This kind of familiarity without any calculation made her feel unusually relaxed.
She put away her smile and returned to the point. "I asked you to come because I have something good to tell you. Keqing is planning to hold a temple fair in Liyue. It's going to be quite large, and I was wondering if you'd like to get involved?"
"Temple fair?" Beidou was stunned for a moment and scratched the back of his head subconsciously.
"What does this temple fair have to do with my fleet? You can't let me drive my Death Star from the water into the street, right?"
(What kind of “dry land boating” behavior is this!)
Ningguang tilted her head, her fingertips gently tracing the edge of her desk as she explained, "A temple fair is a grand event. Besides commemorating the immortals and offering sacrifices, commercial transactions are naturally indispensable."
"Similar to the Lantern Festival, this temple fair is a lively one, with people from all walks of life in Liyue Harbor joining in the fun.
"Maybe there'll be a water show. Your fleet will pull into the harbor, thousands of sails lined up, their shadows blotting out the sun. Then, let the sailors make a show. It'll both liven up the atmosphere and fulfill the auspicious promise of 'merchants gathering, boats filling the house.' How wonderful!"
After hearing this, Beidou was stunned at first, then he covered his forehead with his hands, not knowing whether to laugh or cry, and pointed at Ningguang with the finger of his other hand.
"You, you actually used my armed merchant fleet as a theatrical troupe? How dare you think of that!"
Ningguang chuckled and leaned back in her chair.
"Don't worry, just ask for the commission, you'll get it. The main purpose is to liven up Liyue Harbor."
"Commission?" Beidou's ears twitched, and he waved his hand generously, and all the teasing in his tone disappeared.
Who would complain about having too much money?
Besides, working in Liyue Harbor means that the brothers under him don't have to lead the fleet to the open sea. They can also take a break and spend more time with their families. It is indeed a cost-effective thing.
"So, what kind of show do you want me to put on? Should we have the fleet sail around the harbor, or let the sailors show off their skills?"
Ningguang repeated what she had said to Ye Lan: "You should discuss the details with Keqing. She is the person in charge of the temple fair."
Then, she warned, "By the way, don't mention me to her. Just use your carefree nature and pretend that you are bored and take the initiative to help her."
Beidou waved his hand nonchalantly: "I know, I know. Can't you handle such a small matter?"
Next, Beidou began to explore the complicated relationship between Ningguang and Keqing.
She inquired casually, "By the way, why did your relationship with Yuhengxing suddenly become strained? I heard the boatman at the dock a while ago saying that Keqing always seemed to be giving you trouble. What's going on?"
Ningguang heard this and a faint smile appeared on her lips. She nonchalantly said, "That's just a child throwing a tantrum and playing around."
"I know her little temper, don't I? Why would I bother to argue with her?"
Beidou was confused and scratched his head, thinking that the twists and turns of these two people were probably beyond his ability to understand.
But he could tell their conflict wasn't a big deal, so he waved his hand and stopped asking: "Alright, I'm too lazy to get involved in your Seven Stars' affairs as a sailor."
Then, like a magic trick, she produced a gift from her hand and waved it in front of Ningguang.
It was an exquisite hairpin, with a silver body wrapped with vine-like patterns, a pigeon-blood-red gem on the top, and a few tiny lapis lazuli pieces embedded on the edge, exuding a strong Sumeru exotic style.
"How about this thing? Do you like it?" Beidou raised his chin, with a hint of pride in his tone.
Ningguang looked at the cool silver surface and the warm gemstone of the hairpin and asked curiously, "What is this?"
"A hairpin." Beidou stuffed the hairpin into Ningguang's hand and explained casually:
"A few days ago, I was sending Shao Yun and his family to Xumi. At the port, I met a merchant named Duoli. She had a lot of treasures. This hairpin looked exquisite, so I brought one for you."
She paused, then suddenly stiffened her neck and said with a bit of unconvinced confidence, "Don't refuse! You're allowed to give gifts to Shao Yun's family and curry favor with them on a daily basis, but why can't I also curry favor with you, the master of Qun Yu Pavilion?"
Ningguang pinched the hairpin and looked at Beidou's serious expression, which said "I didn't lose", and couldn't help laughing out loud, with a rare softness in her eyes.
"You..."
Then, Ningguang ran her fingertips across the facets of the gem and shook her head slightly.
"Always so impetuous."
Beidou couldn't stand her slow pace, so he immediately moved his butt off the desk and walked towards the door without looking back.
"Stop being so fussy! I'll send the bill to Qun Yu Pavilion after the temple fair is over, so don't refuse to pay!"
……
Silence returned to the Qun Yu Pavilion.
Ningguang placed the hairpin on the desk. The gem reflected tiny rays of light under the setting sun, just like the frankness in Beidou's eyes that was never concealed.
"In all of Liyue, you're the only one who can treat me like this, Beidou..."
In the fairy-ruled Liyue, everyone who sees her either respects her power or fears her tactics. Only Beidou never cares whether she is the master of the Qun Yu Pavilion or one of the Seven Stars of Liyue. He jokes when he should, gives gifts when he should, and even comes to collect debts with a clear conscience.
This warmth without any calculation became a rare pure thought in her eyes.
Time passed, and it was the time when Liyue was ruled by humans. At that time, the foundation of Liyue was not stable, the immortals still had doubts about "human rule", and the merchants also had their own thoughts.
She took advantage of Shao Yun's reputation in Liyue, and used his name to intimidate the villains openly and secretly, so that those immortals (Xianyun) who were dissatisfied would temporarily avoid the limelight.
Relying on this "momentum", she quickly stabilized the situation.
But desire, once it grows, is hard to stop.
Later, in order to completely control Liyue and cover the seven countries with her business empire, she boldly crossed the bottom line to seduce Shao Yun, and ended up being neither human nor ghost.
"Oh..." A light sigh dissipated in the air, and she raised her hand to stroke the hairpin, her tone filled with an almost stubborn determination.
"You will reap the fruits of your own actions. Ningguang, never regret anything."
Never regret a move; this has been the creed ingrained in her since the day she stepped into the arena of power.
No matter how many thorns there are ahead, she will finish the path she has chosen even if she has to crawl on her knees.