Keqing woke up. After she fixed her hair, she got out of the bed and went to the kitchen area. Immediately, she noticed that Aether was cooking some food.
"Good morning, Keqing!" Aether said, greeting her. "I prepared some food for breakfast, so you can have some if you want." "Ok, I'll go try some. Good morning!"
Keqing sat down at the table and started eating. Immediately, she noticed that the food was very flavorful, and tasted really good. "How's the food?" Aether asked. "It's amazing. This is probably one of the best breakfasts I've ever had." "Thanks for the compliment!" Paimon, who had just appeared, added that "Aether went from having no experience with cooking, to being extremely good!"
Keqing then told Aether "While it is an amazing breakfast… I think mine would be better." "So, you want a cooking competition?" Keqing nodded. "Alright, bring it on!" "Tomorrow, Aether, I'll make a meal so good you won't forget it."
After that, they left the Serenitea Pot, but as soon as they stepped outside, they saw what appeared to be Yaoyao falling and papers flying all over. Aether and Keqing immediately saved the papers and helped Yaoyao get up. "Thank you, Aether and Keqing!" the girl said. "Do you need help with anything else?" Keqing asked the girl. "I'm helping Ganyu run some errands right now, so it would be nice if you accompanied me. You don't have to, though!" They decided to accompany Yaoyao, and they started with what they had to do.
First, they watered some plants at Yujing Terrace, then they went to Bubu Pharmacy. When they arrived, Qiqi greeted them.
"Hello, welcome to Bubu Pharmacy. If you need medicine, please show me your prescription."
"Actually, we're only here to buy herbs for Ganyu." Yaoyao said.
"Okay. Also, you're cute. Like a nice little finch. What's your name again?" "I'm Yaoyao."
After they got the herbs from Qiqi, Yaoyao gave them some papers and a pen. "These are contracts which we have to give to Bolai and Dongsheng. They have to sign these and promise to not commit tax evasion." "Oh, I remember this case!" Aether exclaimed. "Huh?" Keqing asked. "Recently, I helped Ganyu and Huixin find evidence that those two were committing tax evasion." "Oh, ok. Let's go then."
After they got Bolai and Dongsheng to sign the papers, Yaoyao checked the list she was holding. She then said "For the last errand, we have to go to a restaurant to order a vegetarian meal for Ganyu." "Ok. While we're there, let's have lunch." Aether said.
When they got there, they ordered the food, and Yaoyao requested for Ganyu's meal to be placed in a takeout box. After their meal, they decided to bring Yaoyao somewhere. But, before they decided on where to go, they heard someone say "Come play Find The Outsiders!" Curious, they all walked towards the game booth.
"Hello, would you like to play a game?" Daiyu, the person in charge of the area, asked. "Sure, what are the rules?" Keqing asked. "This game takes two rounds to play. At first, there will be two roles: Citizens and Outsiders. The citizens will be given a list of tasks to do to "help the city", while the mysterious outsiders will sabotage the citizens by either preventing them from doing their tasks or tagging them, which forces them to go back to the game booth. The citizens also have to catch the outsiders to help the city, and the first person who correctly identifies an outsider will become the Head Guard, who can catch the last outsider without reporting back to me. Finally, the last rule is that you need at least six players to play, so if you want to join, recruit more people first."
As they were about to recruit people for the game, Paimon spotted a pair of familiar faces among the crowd. "Albedo! Sucrose!" "Hey there!" Aether said, and the pair of alchemists walked towards the trio. "So, what brings you here? And who's observing the lab?" Albedo replied, "We went to Liyue to get some samples from Geovishaps and a few local ores, but when we heard from the innkeeper that there was a big festival at the harbor, we entrusted the said samples to Timaeus and came here." Sucrose then added "From what I heard, Timaeus was able to get back to the lab with no issues whatsoever." Once that was done, Keqing introduced herself, then said "Well, you're just in time. The Zhongqiu Yishi, also known as the "Firework and Lantern Ceremony", is starting tonight so don't miss it or you'll end up missing the highlight of the Moonchase festival." The two breathed sighs of relief, and after a few short conversations, the alchemists agreed to join the game.
After they met the two alchemists, they were able to recruit Xiangling and a Millelith guard named Tiangcheng. Then, the game started. As the rest of the crew left to perform the duties in their list, Daiyu called Paimon and Tiangcheng to the table and said that they were the Outsiders. Immediately, they went to pretend that they were doing the things on their list and started looking for opportunities to tag the Citizens. As he was walking, Tiangcheng spotted Xiangling at the Jade Mystery doing the "Buy 2 pieces of Noctilucous Jade" task and, thinking the coast was clear, tagged Xiangling. However, Albedo saw this, and rushed to the game booth to call a Group Discussion. Once everyone was at the table, he immediately went on the offensive, calling out the Millelith officer by saying "I saw that, it was Tiangcheng! The audacity! He literally tagged Xiangling in broad daylight!" After they heard the guard try to defend himself, they discussed the situation with each other and decided to vote out Tiangcheng. Once the quick discussion finished, Daiyu declared that Albedo was correct. Because of this, he would be promoted to the Head Guard. The Kreideprinz, now with his signature smug look on his face, said "That's right, welcome to hell, Tiangcheng." Tiangcheng said in response "Haha, thanks for the welcome. Good game!" "Good game, Tiangcheng!" Before they started the next round, Aether was shocked. After all, he had never expected the (usually) reserved Chief Alchemist to have such a competitive spirit.
The next round finally started, and the players all went to where they needed to go as Albedo grabbed his plastic sword. Aether and Keqing finished their tasks, but Albedo later heard that someone tagged Sucrose. Wandering around the permitted area to find the "outsider", he, together with Aether, walked together and saw an oblivious Paimon walking away from Sucrose as she went back to the game booth. While they thought that this was nothing at first, Paimon panicked and exclaimed "Ahh! Paimon's toast! Please don't get me!
A dead giveaway.
Albedo proceeded to "catch" Paimon by swinging the plastic sword in the air, and the three of them went back to the game booth. Daiyu congratulated them for the win by saying "And the Citizens win! Wow, that was quite a quick game for all of you, and this is the first time your group's played! Anyway, here are some charms that we hand out for free as memorabilia. You can line up again for another game, but until then, see you soon! After the group said their goodbyes, Yaoyao thanked Keqing and Aether for accompanying her, and explained that she had to report back to Ganyu. The others then all went away, leaving only Aether, Keqing, and Paimon in the area.
Before they looked for a place to have lunch, Aether concluded that the tokens were probably the things he needed to give to Paimon to earn certain rewards. He asked Paimon if she could convert these tokens into something else, and after the flying companion looked at the tokens, she gave Aether a few silver and gold books about Liyue. With his theory confirmed, the traveler decided that he would try to play a few more games during the festival's last day to earn every possible reward. Keqing then asked Aether and Paimon about how they got those books out of the blue. Aether responded and said "Oh, it's something we discovered during the Lantern Rite earlier this year. There was a minigame called Theater Mechanicus that also handed out tokens, and after I gave them to Paimon for safekeeping, she suddenly said that we could get either books, or some materials I could use to strengthen my swords and other weapons." Keqing reflected on how unique this exchange was, then replied by saying "Theater Mechanicus, huh? That game was quite popular, yet no one was reported to do such a thing with the Peace Talismans that Ruijin gave out. The fact that you can turn tokens that seemingly have no real use into some helpful items through Paimon is quite interesting." Aether agreed, and jokingly told Keqing to not tell anyone.
After a few hours passed where the pair did random things around the harbor, the sun started setting. Remembering that they had to make their lanterns, they found a quiet place, sat down, and started creating their lantern designs. They also wrote riddles on the lanterns, something most Liyue people did during the Moonchase Festival. Eventually, they finished their lanterns. Aether was the first one to show his lantern designs. First, he pulled out a lantern showing both the sun and the moon. Then, he showed Keqing a small lantern, which caught her eye.
"Nice design! Why did you make it?" "Actually Keqing, I wanted to give this to you. I made it so you'd have something you can look at when you want to remember this Moonchase Festival. I'm happy that you like it!" Keqing thanked Aether, then brought out her lanterns. First, she gave Aether a small lantern shaped like a dandelion, explaining that she made it for the same reason he made his lantern. Once Aether took the lantern, she placed the lantern she planned to release on the table in front of them. "Interesting design. It's nice!" Aether remarked. Keqing then shared an anecdote about Ningguang, saying "I made this lantern because I've taken an interest in Lucent Crescents recently. While I tried buying one to see how it would look on me, Ningguang paid double the price just to buy the last few months' worth of them! Although, while she can be such a pain, I still consider her a comrade in arms." After Keqing told the story, she then asked Aether if he wrote any riddles on his lantern. Aether told Keqing that he did, and shortly after that, they started answering each other's riddles.
Aether started, saying his first riddle. "I walk on 4 legs in the morning, 2 legs in the noon, and 3 legs in the night. What am I?" Keqing answered this one easily, saying "A person." Aether confirmed that she was correct, mentioning that this riddle was well known in his home world; however, Keqing hadn't heard of it before. Keqing then told Aether her riddle. "I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body, but I come alive with wind. What am I? After one minute passed, Aether gave his answer: "An echo." "Correct. What's your next riddle, Aether?" "Ok, here it is. I have cities, but no houses. I have mountains, but no trees. I have water, but no fish. What am I?"
Keqing thought about the answer for this one for a while, and eventually, she answered with "Something I look at from time to time: a map." "Correct, good job!" "Phew, that one was quite hard. Anyway, here's my next riddle. What comes in a minute, twice in a moment, but never in a thousand years?" "Easy. The letter M!" Aether answered. "Oh, that was fast. Have you heard that one before?" Aether nodded. "You got it right, by the way. Also, can I tell you my final riddle first?" Keqing asked. "Sure!" I am a word that begins with the letter "I." If you add the letter "A" to me, I become a new word with a different meaning, but that word sounds exactly the same. What word am I?"
"A word that starts with the letter I, and when you add the letter A to it, the meaning changes… Oh, got it! An aisle, right?" Aether said. "Correct!" "Good. Anyway, I'll say my last riddle, so get ready." "What kind of ship has two mates, but no captain?" "Hmm…" "I think it's something that I- wait, what am I even saying?" "Go on, Keqing. You can do it!" "Ok, I think it's a relationship. That was a clever one, but did I get it right?" Keqing asked. "Yes, you did! I think that's all for now." Aether told Keqing. "We ended up getting everything right in the end." Keqing said, smiling.
"That was fun, Keqing! You're quite good at making riddles!" "Thanks, Aether! Your riddles are also good. Anyway, the show starts in twenty minutes. If we want to get front row seats, we have to be early. Let's go." Keqing and Aether then descended the stairs and sat down on the remaining front row seats.
After five minutes, the show started. A large moon-shaped lantern was released from the stage, and as it flew up in the air, many people wondered what the object inside it was. As the moon was rising, Keqing told Aether and Paimon about the history of this lantern. "This moon is what we use to begin the Zhongqiu Yishi every year. The Qixing usually holds a short meeting to determine the object or symbol that we place inside the moon. It's also reusable, so once the ceremony ends, we bring it back down and store it in a storage room in Yuehai Pavilion." Suddenly, it opened up, and a Geo symbol was revealed.
"Interesting. Why do you think the Geo symbol was chosen for this year, Keqing?" Aether asked. "Actually, it was my idea. I thought that it would be a good way to honor Rex Lapis considering what happened, and when I brought it up, everyone agreed." "But haven't you always been skeptical of the gods? Why the sudden change of heart?" Paimon also asked. "I wouldn't call it a change of heart, as I still believe that humans don't need divine intervention. However, after the events that have transpired recently, I've realized that we could actually learn a lot from Rex Lapis' leadership." "Oh, ok. Paimon gets it now!"
Once the moon was opened, the main part of the ceremony began. The people in the front row were told to release their lanterns first, and Keqing and Aether released the lanterns they made, which were signed with their names. Immediately, people took notice; many of the people sitting in the rows behind them were amazed at the lanterns. They then looked behind them to see everyone else release their lanterns. "The lanterns this year are way more creative than the ones I saw last year, for sure." Keqing observed. "Well, I certainly like the designs." Aether added. As the lanterns were released, Aether spotted Albedo and Sucrose in the crowd, and waved at them. They waved back, and for a split second, Aether thought that he saw four familiar people behind Albedo and Sucrose. "Probably just my imagination." He thought, and once the people sitting in the last row released their lanterns, Aether and Keqing turned towards the stage and sat down. Once all the lanterns were released, the fireworks started. Immediately, the sky exploded with color, and everyone couldn't help but admire the fireworks in the sky. Without them noticing it, the pair held each other's hands.
"So Aether, now that you've experienced both of Liyue's festivals, which one do you prefer?" Keqing asked. "Honestly, I can't choose. Both festivals are unique, and I've really enjoyed them. How about you, Keqing? Which one do you like more?" "Hmm… I think I'll go with the Moonchase Festival. While it is the smaller festival, it gives everyone an opportunity to relax with their friends. There are also so many things you can do during this festival."
As the fireworks show continued, Yunjin approached Aether, Keqing, and Paimon. "Hello! It looks like someone left their seat. Can I join you guys?" "Sure, Yunjin!" Keqing said. "As long as the person who was there doesn't return, you can stay there." Paimon added. "Thanks!"
For a while, the four of them looked up at the sky and admired the beautiful fireworks. Then, Yunjin started talking. "The Zhongqiu Yishi is truly the highlight of this festival, don't you think?" The others nodded in agreement. "Speaking of fireworks and lanterns, I've heard that there's a rumor that's been going around recently. Apparently, if two people who are close write riddles on their lanterns, then answer all of their riddles correctly, they'll be destined to be together." Keqing and Aether blushed. They answered each other's riddles correctly, so did that mean that they were going to fall in love?
Immediately, Keqing responded. "I-it's just a rumor, so it's most likely not true, right?" "Agreed, Keqing." Aether said. "Although, I've been to other worlds where similar things that were proven to be more than just a rumor existed. For example, there was one where if you were holding hands with someone as a campfire dance ended, you would fall in love with the person you held hands with. A-anyway, let's keep enjoying the show."
Yunjin quickly noticed the blushes on their faces, and their panicked responses. "Oh, so you two answered each other's riddles correctly, huh? Well then, good luck!" Yunjin then said, smiling. This only made the two blush harder.
The fireworks then stopped, and someone announced that the firework and lantern ceremony was finished. The announcer added "If you want to watch Xinyan's performance, please stay in your seats." Keqing, Aether and Yunjin stayed behind, while some fans of Xinyan and a few Millelith guards went over to the empty seats. Xinyan then headed over to the stage, and after an amazing introduction, Xinyan performed her set. All of them found the performance great, and Aether and Paimon, who had never watched Xinyan perform, were stunned by how great her music was.
Once Xinyan finished her performance, she spotted Keqing and went towards her. "Lady Keqing! Man, it is great to see you here!" "Hello, Xinyan. Pleasure to meet you, I'm a huge fan of your music!" "Thanks!" Xinyan then shook Aether's hand. "You must be Aether, right?" "Yes, I'm Aether. Amazing performance!" "Thanks! I've heard so many stories about you."
Yunjin, who also loved Xinyan's music, talked to her for a while. After that, Xinyan told them that she would be willing to give them tickets to all her performances for a year. They decided to get them, and after Xinyan gave them to the group, they said goodbye to each other, as Yunjin had to go.
After talking to Xinyan, Keqing and Aether sat down on a nearby bench.
"So, you like Xinyan's music, Keqing?" "Yes, I do. While it is too noisy for traditional standards, it is good music, and more people should appreciate that." "Agreed. That was my first time watching her perform, and it was truly great."
"Anyway, Aether." "What is it, Keqing?"
"Can I stay at your place again? I've taken a liking to it." "Sure. Also, your bed has already been created, so I'll just place it upstairs." "Alright."
The two, along with Paimon, went inside the Serenitea Pot. Aether took the bed from Tubby and placed it in the bedroom upstairs, and after they said "good night" to each other, they went into their bedrooms.
However, Keqing couldn't stop thinking about the Zhongqiu Yishi and the Moonchase Festival, as well as the fact that throughout her break from work, she got to know more about Aether. As she went to sleep with thoughts of her time with Aether on her mind, Keqing realized one thing:
She didn't just admire Aether anymore, but instead, she could say that she had a crush on him. Keqing then closed her eyes and started dreaming…