The sight of the giant mushroom trees in Mawtiyima Forest will forever be such a mesmerizing view for anyone who has had the fortune to observe it with all its serenity.

Well, that's what Keqing would have probably said if she hadn't been blindfolded at this very moment.

"Aether, I'm aware that you think that I enjoy surprises…" Her arms outstretched, she tried her best to maintain her balance over the bumpy road that she very much cannot see, "I'm willing to entertain your idea since this is our last day here, but you've got to understand that you are treading on some decently tight rope here."

She could only hear the soft chuckles from the blonde in question and the light breeze of his breath on her ears, "Humour me for a bit, milady." They paused their steps for a moment, "I promise that it'll be worth it."

Keqing couldn't help but to groan exasperatedly, "That's always your excuse!"

"And pray tell, have I ever failed to deliver?"

To that, Keqing didn't exactly have an outright response other than shut her mouth and get on with whatever it is that he has in store for her.

She could just feel the shit-eating grin that this man has on his lips right about now. A mental note quickly formed in the backburner of her mind to not let him off the hook so easily later on.

The air became that little bit colder, a sign to her that they've gone up in elevation. Calming winds blew past her hair, and she could feel the afternoon sun slowly hugged them with warmth. The temperature had been in such an ideal spot for an outing of this kind, she would have thought that he had this all planned out.

Who is she kidding, he definitely had all of this planned out.

"Alright, just a couple more steps and some leaps and you'll have your freedom!"

Keqing tried to look back at him the moment she clocked his words, "Wait, what do you mean by leap-,"

A squeak escaped her when he suddenly scooped her up and carried her through an Anemo vortex. The flap of his wind glider willing the scope of her ears the moment she felt them burst forward through the serene sky, gliding for mere seconds before they came to a smooth stop on what she can only presume to be a taller mushroom tree.

She felt around for his face, only to playfully shove it away as soon as she found his grinning features, "A warning would have been pleasant, my Qin."

He had signature justification ready on his tongue, "But, it's-,"

"So much more fun this way, I know… I know…" She waved his pandering away, crossing her arms after the fact, "Are you going to put me down now, or am I doomed to being in your arms for the rest of the day?"

He kept moving forward, her idle suggestion elicited a wondering hum from his chest, "Now that doesn't sound like such a bad idea after all."

"Okay, now you're really testing me here."

"Haha, I'm kidding." He sneaked a light peck on her forehead, "Or at least, only half-kidding."

Seriously, what was she supposed to do with this man.

Finally, he halted his steps, "And voila, we have arrived at our destination!"

Keqing merely deadpanned behind her blindfold, "I think I would be more excited if I could in fact see whatever it is that you're so excited about."

She felt the jolt of recollection from him.

"Oh, right!" Gently putting her back down on her feet, he guided her by the shoulders and planted her firmly in a particular spot, "Okay, stand still now."

Feeling the tug of the blindfold at the back of her head, she closed her eyes on reflex. Bracing for the light of the sun to hit her eyes that accommodated itself to the darkened vision beforehand.

It, however, did not help her to prepare her against the sudden proximity of his soft voice.

"I just want you to know how it is that I see you every day,"

With a tug of the knot, her blindfold came loose. She felt the sun boring down her eyelids and before she could begin to open her eyes up, he felt the shuffle of his feet taking a few steps back.

"With a view that I can only hope to compensate for my lack of words."

His voice had been so tender, and she can only feel her heart swell at his words as she slowly opened up her vision once more.

For it to be greeted by the sight of Mawtiyima Forest, basking under the glow of the afternoon sun. The navy hues of its resonating mushroom trees a sight that she can now confidently say that she will never find in any other place. The light of the fireflies and the dendro-infused shroom creatures giving a shine to just how beautiful the forest really is.

It was breath-taking, it was mesmerizing, it was stupefying.

And above all,

"It's beautiful…"

Her thoughts were echoed in sentiment by his own chuckle of agreement.

"It truly is."

Though when he had agreed with her, he hadn't exactly been referring to, nor looking at the view itself.

His eyes had been focused one person, and one person only.

When she looked back towards him, he'd already settled himself on a patch of bouncy shrooms. Making it for a convenient place for them to just sit back and enjoy the view in its entirety.

His amber orbs filled with the same glint that he had never failed to shower her with.

The warmth of a love that thought to have never been able to achieve for herself.

She was about to follow suit in settling herself down beside him, but he stopped her in her tracks with a raise of his hand.

"Before you sit down…"

He looked back towards the edge of the mushroom tree, where a bunch of what seems to be docile-looking Floating Hydro Funguses had been waiting with an excited look in their eyes. As if they had been waiting for this moment their whole lives.

"I've got a quick surprise for you."

Gesturing a hand signal towards the funguses, they pepped out the moment they recognized their cue. The three funguses immediately shot a gaze towards one another and began moving in a coordinated manner towards the couple. If it wasn't an unusual sight enough for Keqing, she noticed that they had been moving in such a way due to the fact that they've been balancing something at the top of their round heads.

Keqing could only gawked at what she can only presume what that 'something' had been.

"You're joking, right?"

Indeed, he had not been joking.

Atop the three funguses had been what she correctly identified to be a modest-sized cake, which she recognized to have also been borne an Electro-inspired symbol as its core design. The flames of the sparsely placed candles wiggled alongside the hobbling movements of the three cute critters. All of them trying their best to make sure that the cake arrived at its destination with no harm coming its way.

At the sight of such a unique showcase, Keqing couldn't help but laugh heartily to herself. Aether didn't waste anytime in feigning a light reprimand upon her reaction.

"Hey, don't laugh at them!" Though try as he might, her laughter is undeniably contagious. His own muffled bits of spasms escaping his restrains the moment he saw the look of confusion upon the funguses, "They're trying their best, alright?"

Noticing the same look of confusion on the creatures, Keqing swiftly attempted to wipe the coming tears away, "N-No, no… they just-, they just look so incredibly adorable!" After a brief attempt in trying calm herself down, she knelt down to greet their sweet new friends, "Thank you so much for bringing this to us." She gave Aether a playful smack on his head, an exaggerated graon coming out from the blonde as she ignored his wailing self, "I'm sorry if he put you all through so much trouble doing this for him."

Rubbing his head, he scooted – somewhat miserably – closer to her, "What?! They offered to help me, alright?" Gently, he took the cake off of their support. Petting each and every one of them in the process, "I would never force Nur and their friends to do such things without their consent!"

The referred fungi took no time to quickly warm up to Keqing's hold. Nur jumped up with glee when she sat herself upon the bouncy mushrooms and found itself nestled comfortably on Keqing's lap.

Aether wasted no time in feigning a gaze of betrayal towards the unassuming fungi.

"Wow… you would betray me so quickly when I had been defending your honour?" The blonde shook his head in a dramatic fashion as he hugged the other two funguses close to him, "The pain, the suffering. When will it all end?"

Keqing paid no attention to his wailing self once more. Opting to simply spoil the fungus who can only chirp happily at her touch, "Oh, hush now, you're a grown adult." She hugged Nur close, "Don't be jealous of a fungus of all things – that's beneath you!"

He was about to continue the banter, before his eyes noticed the wilting flames of the candles on the cake. Slowly, he placed the two funguses beside him and grabbed hold of the item of the hour.

Noticing his movements, Keqing shifted herself to fully face him. Nur, who's still settled on her lap, curiously staring at the dancing light ahead of him as Aether lifted the cake closer to their features.

"Make a wish?"

His question was tender, and she can look at him the same way.

To be honest, she could barely thought of wishing for anything more.

This holiday, this time off, this period of simply enjoying her life with his presence being there for her for all the time that she could ask of him.

How whole he has made her feel.

Could she ever feel anything more fulfilling?

That may be a question for a different time.

For now…

She'll take a page out of his own book.

"Remember what you wished for, when it had been your birthday?"

Aether's lips curved softly, "To cherish all that I have today and to the future?"

Tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear, she beamed at the recollection of his own wish.

"Then I wish for all the same, considering all that I have been blessed with in life."

Her eyes focused on the brilliant glow of the flame. Her wishes for the future encapsulating all the emotions of her heart.

"I wish to hold everything that is dear to me, closer to my heart." She flashed a momentary smile upon him, "To cherish them all and bring them with me to the future ahead."

With a swift puff of her breath, the flame danced away to the breeze around them. The remnants of its ash carried the wishes of her mind and soul to the heavens above.

Aether can only smile at the sight ahead of him.

If this had been the samsara that he had to loop through, then maybe he wouldn't have minded going through it for near eternity.

"Happy birthday, Keqing."

She waited for him to place the cake to the side and leaned in towards her.

"Thank you for your care as always, my Qin."

Their kisses were always short, yet it never fails to deliver that sweetness that Keqing had held so dear in her heart.

Thought the moment they pulled apart; she could tell that he had something more up his sleeves. The glint of excitement in his eyes was enough of a sign for her to see that there was more than meets the eye.

"You've got something else you haven't revealed yet, don't you?"

She could tell that there had been no holding back his excitement. Because instead of going for his usual path of teasing her inquisitive nature, he quickly reached back behind the two funguses by his side and brought forth a clothed item.

However, to someone as experienced with the object in hand, she could immediately tell what it had been through its disguised veneer.

"Is that…?"

Aether knew that there was no point in beating around the bush.

"You've said that you find it difficult to move on from your blade, right?" Uncovering the item in his hands, he gingerly looked on with anticipation, "I know it's not my battle nor my decision to decide, but I hope you won't mind the fact that I've decided to see if I can help you in that front."

Beneath the unassuming cloth, had laid a sword that resonated a hue that could match the brilliance of her electrifying eyes. Though she had recognized the inspiration for the model of the sword, the colour and the scabbard at its hilt was by no mistake, a product of his own design.

The purple was striking, and the lion scabbard glinted beautifully under the gaze of the sun.

And the blade, has a bright sheen that speaks soundly of its quality.

She could see her own reflection on the surface of its shining core.

Placing it on her hands, Aether couldn't stop himself from how wide his grin had begun growing.

"I call it, the Lavender Jadeite." As proudly as he had declared the name, he soon found himself picking at his nape sheepishly, "Though you are welcome to make amends to its name, seeing as it is, well-, yours."

She admired the sword with closer inspection, "Purple jade, huh?" She can mutter with an awestruck disposition, "How did you get your hands on them? Even collectors have a hard time getting their hands on gemstones of such a kind…"

"Let's just say that I have friends who understand a thing or two about rocks, and where to get certain kinds of them." He confessed loosely, gesturing towards the blade, "I figured that I'd get these lavender jades for you because of what I wanted it to represent."

Keqing gazed upon him, "The promise of a long life?"

His smile grew softer.

"And…"

He gently patted her hair.

"To encourage oneself to look at them for they are and accept what is good about them." He uttered soundly, "To relax and find the tranquillity they need to be happy and flow naturally with life."

In essence, a way for her to fully accept herself.

Oh, how she had wished that these feelings would last forever.

But, in truth, as endearing as it was for him to have done this; there was an inkling in her heart that she just couldn't shake off.

She tried her very best to simply immerse herself into the beauty of the sword that he had presented him with. To appreciate the amount of care that this man given her in its entirety, and to fully cherish him for everything that he is.

But she wanted to hurl at the fact that her head had not allowed her, to freely do so.

Because the moment she conjured images of letting her emotions fester within the sword, the images of her past began to flare up.

Her old sword. The one that has been passed down through generations of her family.

The sword the painfully anchors her heart to the past.

Her soul ached at the fact that she couldn't let go just yet, and she had no idea how she was to proceed with such a vicious emotion starting to boil her inner turmoil.

Luckily for her, as it always was with this man that she had loved so dearly…

He was able to see right through her.

"You don't have to use it right away." He smiled knowingly, his gaze softening at the sight of his contemplation, "I've probably heard a million complaints about the balance of your sword, but it's still precious to you, right?"

Keqing realized that her indecisiveness had been clear as day. A sheepish smile fettered upon her lips, her love for the man on full display as she eyed him with awe. The gentleness in his touch as he took her hand that had been holding the sword and left a light peck on her fingertips.

"Just… think of it as me presenting you with a choice."

Keqing tilted her head lovingly, "A choice to…?"

His smile had been full of endearment. His gaze flittered between the glinting violet sword and her glimmering violet eyes.

"A choice to move forward. A choice that gives you a way to look past what the sword had previously meant for you."

A choice that her past had never been able to give to her.

Putting the new sword aside, she happily took the initiative to sink herself into his hold. His warmth an intoxicating sensation that she can never quite get enough of.

"The option is always there. To look at the things you love without having to bear the pain of how you came to love them."

She sunk herself deeper into the crook of his neck. Her heart ablaze as he tenderly kissed her hair.

"I will always be there."

The words that she had always wanted to hear.

How is it that he had always so effortlessly found the things that just makes her existence feel so much more together?

Sinking herself deeper into his embrace was the only thing she could do.

"Thank you…"

Her show of gratitude had been strained, but it just serves to show him how much she is trying to remain strong. How much she had been holding back through all the loveless years that she has had to endure from the people that should have never let her down in the first place.

And he wanted to do nothing but to just let her soak his presence into every fibre of her being.

The newborn sword glinted brilliantly as they proceed to get lost within the embrace of one another. The one true witness of the love between the two souls that nothing but fate to help them find one another.

The sun's gaze grew gentle, and so did the caress of the breeze around them.

Nature can only show nothing but respect for such a wondrous sight.

Adventurous as they are, Keqing was still human after all. Fatigue began to set within her body the moment the carriage finally brought them to her hometown. Liyue Harbour greeted its Yuheng back home with a silent acknowledgement as nighttime had fully settled among its populace.

In any case, Keqing had preferred it that way. She simply didn't have any energy left other than to greet those necessary to meet her return to the Harbour.

"Are you sure you'll be fine?"

Aether asked worryingly as he eyed her on the steps of Yujing Terrace. Though she was admittedly tired out of her mind, she just had to make a quick pit stop to her office to see if there were any letters that might be important to tomorrow's agenda.

"I'll be fine. It will only be for a few minutes, then I'll head into the teapot." She caressed his cheek before making it a few steps ahead of him, "You go on ahead, I'll meet you there in twenty."

He was still hesitant, but relented nonetheless, "Fine…" He himself couldn't resist a yawn, prompting a light giggle from the lilac, "If you're not back in twenty then I'll come pick you up."

Keqing simply grinned.

"Deal."

With a light wave, Aether made his way down the Terrace's staircase, while Keqing made her towards Yuehai Pavilion.

With an empty street, she had no one to acknowledge other than the patrol of Millelith's who sounded their quick notice of return to the Yuheng and went on their merry way. Yuehai Pavilion itself had been empty. Safe for the front side clerk, she made her way to her office with no other interruptions.

The pile of envelopes and scrolls on her desk was nothing new to her eyes. Other's might feel faint at the sight of such chaos, but she knew that her assistants had been diligent enough to sort them out based on which one had held the most important agendas.

And while she was not surprised to see the parsed piles, she was surprised that one singular scroll had been placed at the centre point of her desk – right where she would normally do all her paperwork if she were to be sat in her office.

Must've been the most important one.

So, she sighed to herself and settled on the chair. Stretching the kinks of her body before she took her scroll opener and proceeded to open the parchment.

The heading had been nothing out of the ordinary. Though she did find it a tad bit surprising that it had come from Liyue's Merchant Guild branch that had been based on Fontaine, she thought nothing of it as she proceeded to read the contents of the letter.

Her eyes trailed down the document, her mind autonomously registering all the information.

Until it came to a certain point of the document.

"The request for a meeting from the Executive Directors of Fontaine Division's Liyuean Merchant Guild, to be notified in writing to the,

Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing."

When her eyes came into contact with the name and the handwriting below, her mind halted.

She had never felt her blood freeze in a way as if hell had decided to freeze over her.

She thought it was the fatigue, she thought her mind was just playing tricks on her.

But after reading the name ten times and over, she knew for sure.

Her voice cracked; she can only utter that word in disbelief of what she had saw.

Her legs shook, and her eyes were wide as an owl.

Her words croaked out, barely even a whisper to herself.

"Mother?"