"Isn't that...?"

"Yeah..."

Passersby exchange odd looks with each other as they watch the Hero of Mondstadt and the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing stick posters onto lampposts around the harbour.

Amused, some people stop to look; the poster consists of a portrait drawing – a young woman in her early twenties – the words "MISSING" in bold, capitalised print, and the necessary authorities to contact.

"Are you sure you should be here right now?" Aether asks, sticking another poster on a bulletin board, "Aren't you... busy?"

"I am," Keqing nods, "Helping you."

"You know what I mean."

She chuckles, handing him another poster. "I know how to manage my workload. There's always work to be done, but not to the point where I'm busy." She looks at the small crowd behind them. "It seems your posters are garnering attention."

"I think we're garnering attention."

"Yeah, well..." Keqing shrugs. After a moment, she points to some area several meters away. "Let's put some over there, too. We could also ask Xinyue Kiosk and Liuli Pavillion to place some inside."

Aether looks at her, a sort of dumbfoundedness on his face. An unexpected hint of admiration. She catches him by the corner of her eye.

"What's up?"

"No, it's just... Thanks, I guess," Aether meekly states his gratitude as they begin to walk. The Yuheng smiles in response – she does it a lot, he realises.

"Not what you expected, huh?" After handing Aether another poster, she continues, "I know when I make a mistake – and I do my utmost to make up for it. Things like that are something I don't compromise on."

Aether shoots her an impressed gaze. "You're unexpectedly passionate."

"I wouldn't be the Yuheng if I wasn't."

After another hour of sticking posters, the sun sets in Liyue Harbour. The stars above become visible, the lampposts turn on, and signs of the city's nightlife begin to spring up.

"I didn't think we'd cover a lot of ground today," Aether sighs exhaustedly, "This might just be the most productive day I've had since coming here."

Keqing finishes posting the last of her posters, her arms relieved of their weight. She stands tall with pride. "Hehe, I'm glad to hear it," she says.

Grrrr...

But as if to ruin her little celebration, Aether's stomach utters a feral growl. "...My bad."

Sometime after they finish sticking posters, Aether and Keqing embark on a vigorous hunt for food. Tonight, it's a full moon. Despite Rex Lapis' death, the streets are packed with tourists and locals; Liyue Harbour never sleeps.

The Yuheng shouts to the vendor, "Can I have two, please?" as a savoury aroma wafts from their stall, accompanied by intense heat from the stove at the back.

"Coming right up!" they replied with an enthusiasm that embodied the spirit of summer. With blinding speed, the vendor produces two skewers of exotic meat, presenting them to Keqing. "Thank you! Next!"

She slithers away from the lengthy queue and returns to Aether, standing some distance away – and holding plenty of food already.

"What's that?" he asks, curious about the twentieth thing she's bought. Keqing doesn't answer, choosing only to stick one skewer between his fingers and walk off. It elicits a smirk, but he shrugs and follows on. "Wait for me."

They pass by the Adventurers' Guild and turn left – past the massive dockyard east of the city and the warehouse behind the guild. As they walk, sailors gradually outnumber the people around them, replacing their presence.

"Where are we-"

"Just follow me."

Eventually, she leads them into the upper left corner of the docks – a little spot of land isolated from the rest of the harbour, hidden behind carts and containers.

In truth, it's just a big rock – but oddly enough, it teems with such life; on its surface is a verdant patch of grass with a diverse scattering of flowers. There's even a tree made of thick bark, rambling branches and plenty of colourful leaves.

Keqing plops down with a thud, patting the grass beside her, beckoning Aether. He obliges, gently placing the spoils of her shopping spree between them.

"Nice spot," he says, viewing the endless expanse of the Sea of Clouds. Waves lap over the pebbles below; moonlight bounces off the water – and it shimmers, reflecting the starry field above.

"I'm the Yuheng; I manage the land. Of course, I know nice spots."

Aether scoffs at her subtle brag, biting a piece of the meat skewer she'd given him. "Oh my god."

"What?" she whips her head around, her brows furrowed.

"This is nice," he chews.

"..."

Aether chooses to ignore her deadpan stare. After a minute, Keqing similarly takes a bite of her food, and they watch the scenery in silence.

Off in the distance, she watches the ships come and go like fireflies in the sea. Around the north, she spots the silhouette of Guyun Stone Forest, shrouded in mist; in the west, she spots Feiyun Slope and her people, smaller than ants in her view.

"Oh- look over there," she says, pointing a finger past Guyun Stone Forest. "Do you see that tall mountain? With the purple-hued sky?"

Aether hums in acknowledgement. "What is it?"

"That's Seirai Island in Inazuma. I've wanted to visit, but the Sakoku Decree makes it impossible."

"Inazuma, huh..."

"It's your next stop, right? I can patch you through to Ningguang; one of her people can get you there." Aether shifts and sighs – not the expression she expected after offering him a free ticket to the super-strict nation. "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing."

"What's wrong?"

Aether chuckles in defeat. "I feel like my time here got cut short. There could be something here I'm missing." He clenches his fist. "There's got to be more than just me putting posters around the harbour."

She remembers Chef Mao's words: "It was like his life depended on it."

The Yuheng purses her lips. She's never been in the predicament that Aether now finds himself in – helping an assistant find her lost cat, maybe, but not to godly proportions. She's never needed The Seven's help for anything – she would never.

But...

But... from what she can tell, she can tell it sucks.

"Here's an idea," she proposes, "What if you come with me?"

Aether's face contorts into confusion – and he gazes at Keqing as if she's just overstepped her boundaries and popped (aggressively) his personal bubble. "...Huh?"

"M-most of my work is outside the harbour," she hurriedly explains, "I travel lots around Liyue. I'm only here now because I had to manage the rite this year, and..."

"And you were investigating me."

"Right. Yes. Still sorry about that, by the way."

"No worries."

Keqing continues, "Since I always travel with someone – you can do – and you want to probe around Liyue for your sister, you know..." The Yuheng shrugs, unsure if the business pitch is reaching him. "Two birds with one stone."

Aether nods with a low hum, but he raises a question. "Just one thing."

"Yep?"

"Why are you doing this?"

"Oh." Keqing finds herself at a loss for words. Her face squints in confusion... of herself. For the first time in a while, no counterargument forms in the back of her mind. All she manages is a simple "Huh."

Aether continues, "I'm grateful and all – but if this is still about your self-imposed guilt, don't worry. Seriously. I've experienced a lot worse in my time."

But she shakes her head. "No, this isn't about that."

"Then what?"

The Yuheng shifts in place, turning her body to face him. Keqing closes her eyes and listens to the night's ambience, clearing her mind.

She takes a breath, exhales, and then responds, "You're nice to get along with."

Aether draws a blank stare. "That's it?"

"That's it."

A moment of silence passes between them.

"Do I get paid?" he asks.

"Sure, some–"

"Deal."