ASM769476: He totally did~ Prepare for more such language in the future.
FirstWinterLight: When the beautiful lady rescues you from death's doorstep brought by three angy hillichurls, you say "Thank you Ma`am!" ...No? Just me? Ok.
(Also by other student I just meant Xiangling lol my bad. Yanfei will have a role tho, Yaoyao will probably just get a cameo.)

A more wholesome chapter for you. Next one won't be though, duh.
(60+ favorites, 90+ follows, absolutely nuts. Thanks guys.)

I will be honest right here, right now. An uncomfortable truth that has recently surfaced, one that I feel is my responsibility, my duty, to talk about. It might seem like a minor thing to some, but I can already feel myself begin to change in turn with this new revelation. Here it goes:

It is reeaalllly, ridiculously, almost absurdly tough, to not cop a feel with Shenhe. Phew. There is no one who wouldn't be able to understand me if they were in my position either, I'm convinced of that- and if someone were to tell me otherwise, I'd call them a liar! C'mon, can you blame me?! Thanks to her outfit, they're huge! A destructive pair or weapons! Not to mention with how Shenhe has been so far, would she even notice- or care? She doesn't react to my you-know-what standing at attention, prodding and poking her for crying out loud! Like, congratulations Xiangling, somehow we found someone even more oblivious than you~! The more I think like this, the closer my hand gets to taking itself off her shoulder, hovering past her collar, and dropping into pure bouncy paradise, with a major decision of left or right mere seconds behind.

But….as alluded to with the language, it didn't work out that way. True, there is some worry that such a blatant action like me feeling her up would get attention of even the most dull individual, resulting in an awkward conversation at best and downright 'fourth hillichurl-ing' me at worst. However the more prominent block at present…is that If I take any body part off Shenhe, she will drop me. I can't be absolutely sure, but it sure feels like she's terrible at the whole 'giving someone a ride' thing! It's anything but a smooth journey back to Liyue- I can feel every bone rattle around, like I'm in the hands of an overexcited child.

"We have arrived." As sudden as ever Shenhe declares that after a bit more traversal, which a look over her shoulder confirms. Statue of the Seven to the left sure, but from this vantage point, you can make out quite a lot of Liyue Harbor, especially the "harbor' part of that description. The way I can see people busily moving here and there this far out from the city just reminds me further of Lantern Rite- while also taking me back to the first day I arrived. I don't think any of the decorations were present back then, but I honestly can't be too sure- I paid more attention to the ocean than the city~!

"Wait, you're leaving now?" My basket is given back, prompting the wonder.

The lips of my savior turn down just a bit. "I am… not very welcome here." A sore subject…? Huh, guess Shenhe can feel sadness. But why would she say that… she's a bit….stilted, but she seems like a good person? Well, I don't think I should get too involved, no matter how sexy she might be.

"Oh, well, thanks for helping me~"

'Mm. Take care of yourself." And completely unceremoniously, she turns away and walks off- without hesitating for even a moment.

Holy crap, those pants have windows.

Well standing mesmerized at a goddess' backside won't get these Violetgrass delivered, a fact that the newfound weight of the basket is quick to remind me of. Right… Violetgrass, Jueyun Peppers sans two, some other random food I plucked this morning on the way, the pocketknife and….sigh…..

Another ruined deck of cards. Only a few survived intact. Bless Shenhe, but the others are smudged with dirt and grime, bent out of shape, both, and at least one card is gone forever, eviscerated beyond all recognition.

…Let's just go…. I take a tentative step to Liyue….
And instantly fall to my knees.

Oh yeah~! I still can't move~ Fun fun fun~~~!

"Yay! You're back~ I was starting to get worrie-" It's actually a pretty lucky thing it took me so long to crawl back to the restaurant, as any morning rush has long since cleared out, which definitely will save my reputation from becoming 'Hey, wasn't he that guy walking through town half dead?'. This is doubly so once I'm inside Wanmin and Xiangling easily spots me.

"Wait a minute….. aah! Y-You're hurt! What happened?!"

Why she picked now though to actually be kind of perceptive, I have no idea.

"This? Don't worry, it's nothing…!" Pfft, rich~ If the table I'm currently leaning on tilts, I'm falling and not getting back up! "More importantly, look at this: Violetgrass!"

"Huh- …oh wow, you're right! Mmm…" Wow Xiangling, I can see your drool you know- "Hey wait! Don't change the subject! Are you ok?"

Heh! That's just like when I was hypnotizing Keqing…makes me wonder if a piece of seafood would substitute for a pocketwatch on this chef!

"I literally just said to not worry. Especially because- whoop, think fast~!" My hand has trickled over to the planted basket, and as soon as my fingers wrap around something soft, I toss it for Xiangling to catch. By the time she does so I'll be well on my way out the door!

A plan that comes to a halt just as fast thanks to my body screeching at my sudden jerking. Add to a separate hand grabbing my arm, and it's over before it even begun.

"Stop that! What's wrong with you?! Why are you trying to leave?"

"None of your-" Telling her off is interrupted as I look back to Xiangling- and notice behind her the few customers at this time of day are getting annoyed at my games. "….Fine. Let's sit down…" Can't make a scene… plus, while I'll never admit this, I am thankful for the rest.

Xiangling follows my lead, sitting across, but her wide eyes remain plenty concerned. I search for an explanation that doesn't make me look like the world's biggest loser, but it never comes.

"Alright, first of all, these Violetgrass are a lot higher up than you implied. Like, really high up."

Her finger scratches her neck. "O-Oh yeah, sorry about that then. Guess it feels shorter when you've been doing it so long. But wait, that means…"

"Yeeeeah, I tried to climb those mountains, didn't work at all. I plummeted; think I cracked my ass~"

"…"

"Xiangling? I tried to make that funny? Y'know, ha-ha?"

"Well it's not." Wow, her stern face, golden eyes attempting to pierce me, is new- and a little cute to be honest. Like a puppy. "I told you to be careful."

"Yes, Mother… Ugh, you are not going to like the next part then."

"Why?"

'I fought a hillichurl. Three of them actually."

"WHAT?!" As expected, she pops out of her seat, stunned speechless- before regaining it in the form of apologizing to the other patrons.

"Look after I tried and failed, I was going to go back as you wanted. But I literally bumped into them- and they went straight for the Jeuyun Peppers." Xiangling wants to object here, but her voice vanishes right after- she might've known the peppers attract them and forgot to say so. "But actually that didn't start anything- no, that only happened when one of them grabbed your deck."

"My…deck?" Xiangling tilts her head.

I present her with the pile of cards masquerading as dirt now. "Yes, your deck stupid. One of them grabbed it and started ripping them, dropping them on the ground, laughing at the chaos…. positively maddening stuff…! I just couldn't take it, I had to do something! So I threw a punch at their leader."

"You what."

"Believe me, I instantly paid for it. The hillichurls were mad, and they were pretty keen to let me know that! It was pretty nasty to be honest, I kind of had no chance at winning… b-but don't worry, cause Shenhe, your friend apparently, arrived suddenly and sent them all back to whatever hole they came from! It was she who gathered up the Violetgrass as well afterwards once I said I wanted them~ If you would like to thank her, I'm sure there's something we could do."

"…."

"….Actually, I'm probably the one who should be properly thanking her the most, huh? Do you know where she lives?"

"…" Why isn't she saying anything?

"Xiangling? Are you listening? Actually, Shenhe mentioned she wasn't welcome in the city, so we can probably narrow down our searching if you don't know.-"

"…so stupid…"

"Uhhh…. What? Now you're worrying me Xiangling. Is something the-"

"YOU'RE SO STUPID!"

In just an instant, Wanmin Restaurant becomes deathly silent. Behind Xiangling, everyone present snaps their heads directly to us, locking on to me specifically. I think I even hear utensils dropped in the chaos. From what I can make out, every single person's face carries the same expression of sheer disbelief... They literally can not comprehend what just happened. And why should they- I'm having a hard time keeping my jaw from collapsing on a table. The usually warm, excitable, and honestly, a bit simple Xiangling Mao just exploded, face burning crimson with raw frustration and no smile to be seen. And it's not a random flare-up at nothing either- she's directing it… at me.

"X-Xiangling?"

"Why?! Why would you do something so….so DUMB?! You should've just left the hillichurls alone and kept yourself safe!"

"And what? Leave the cards behind? They were your present to me in case you forgot, again- I wasn't about to let some damn creatures have their way with them. Now that would've been stupid!"

"But I don't care about the cards! I care about you not risking your life for things that cost 500 Mora!"

Side note: I can very easily tell she's not used to screaming either- her spit is flying everywhere. Gross.

Now slightly annoyed, I cross my arms. "Xiangling. It's not up to you to decide what is and isn't worth 'risking my life' for. I wanted those cards back- who cares how much they were worth? In fact- you should be praising me!"

"What?!"

"Yeah that's right! Even though I knew I couldn't win against such odds, the fact is that I, a ordinary guy without a Vision, went to such lengths to try and save your present proves that I deserve nothing but admiration and worship-"

And then, all of a sudden- my shoulder cries out in pain, ringing throughout my weary body, light but still stinging. I look at the culprit responsible- a black fingerless glove I've seen so often…connected to a blue-haired individual who currently faces the table, eyes unseen from my angle.

"Xiangling, I'd appreciate it if you did not strike me ever again."

"…Ugh, darn it!" With a clap, she turns up to face me again, eyes full of tears. "You want praise…? Why don't you think about this? What if Shenhe hadn't shown up when she did? What was your plan then!? Just let hillichurls continue beating you up?!- you would've died!"

"I- …" Hm… "They were getting bored…"

"….Really? That doesn't sound very smart of you! What about thinking from my point of view? I was getting really worried, you had no idea-"

"Enough."

I wipe my face and stand up. Of course, my body complains, but this time I can- and must- ignore it. The way I see the current situation, there are two present paths for me to take. One is to suck the verbal thrashing up and concede her points, the other is to double-down and fight back.

…This shouldn't be a surprise.

"Screw you Xiangling. Just- screw you."

."W-what?" She's clearly caught off-guard, time for the attack.

"I said screw you. You think I don't know how lucky I was with Shenhe?! If it wasn't for her, I'd still be out there, crawling back on my hands and knees- or possibly taken back to a base! And yet, when I FINALLY get back here, I get to see a friendly face… only to get criticized- SHOUTED- by them for what I did? Are you freaking serious? Who wants to hear that so soon?"

My grip around the deck tightens as I show them off. "To you, these cards may be just that- stupid pieces of colored paper that you can get everywhere. But to me, they are much more- well, they were going to be much more."

Man. That was pathetic. I'm normally so much more… sharp with my language… must be the injuries. Still, I think I've made my point, so turning around and going for the entrance is my next step. Until- "W-Wait!"

I sigh, and pinch my nose. "…Xiangling, we don't need to let this linger. This was just… a stressful situation.."

"Y-yeah… But still, can we make out some time later to talk more? I think I need to take a breath. Oh, and I have work, heh heh…"

Those customers must be getting very confused. She was just shouting at me a moment ago, but she wants to talk still? Shouldn't someone as single-minded as her take, like, a day to reach that conclusion? "…Fine. At the docks?"

"Done, see you there…!"

And nodding in response, I limp out of the restaurant.

I mentioned before that being the middle of the morning was lucky, as the Liyue streets were mostly empty. Well, now it's time for that fact to boomerang back and hit me in the face- uh the dock is packed with a capital P for people. Vendors, seamen, and what I can only guess are part-time workers based on how scrawny they look hurriedly bustle from each side of the area to the other, carrying wooden beams and other such supplies. You can not go twenty minutes without a ship blaring, crashing into one of the many docks, and adding like five new individuals to the cavalcade of voices. I see more raw fish here than I probably ever had before, along with men freaking out over said fish.

As for me, I kind of just have to sneak off to the side to one of the more pathetic-looking piers, wooden and forgotten by the masses. Well at least it being so close to the wall means that I can relax… although, huh, this is a similar location to when I really hypnotized Ganyu for the first time. A nice memory- wait a minute!

….Phew, pocketwatch in one piece. Oh my god….it's a fucking good thing I did indeed land on my ass. If it was my side…

Back to my thoughts- come to think of it, that day was also when I first heard Shenhe's name- it was her that Ganyu believed she would see via Keqing's message. Well, damn, I hit the jackpot then~ Of course she came, Shenhe is apparently "not welcome" here. I would've done the same out of curiosity.

Well however it happened, I'm one more session away from getting my original goal done with- can't believe it. But for now-

I walk up to the ocean, take a long look at my rippling reflection, and begin sliding off playing cards into the water. It can't be helped- even with only one card missing, it's too beaten up; a professional shouldn't be using a deck so poorly maintained. Each card floats down to the surface, floating momentarily as if begging for a second chance, before sinking, lost forever. Maybe it'll somehow find its' way to my original deck- that'd be interesting.

…Why the fuck have I lost two decks of cards to this damn dock? At least this time I'm directly responsible for the destruction, so as soon as I finish my task, I sit right back down and take some breaths.

Some time after that, I whisper the apparently golden words.

"That smells delicious Xiangling."

She appears in my vision not two seconds later, pridefully carrying what seems like a huge ball bread. As in, bread in the shape of a sphere, separate top piece shut tight to conceal something else.

"Sorry I'm late, had to get something from Bubu Pharmacy~" Xiangling reveals a small container of pink liquid, taking note of my curious reaction before handing it over.

"Medicine, be sure to take it all- Dr. Baizhu will never let me hear the end of it otherwise."

"Oh, ah, ok. Thank you?" I'm a proud man, not stupid- although your mileage may vary on that as I ingest a drink made by a foreign doctor after all. It tastes horribly bitter, bleck… but there's a strange warmth to it too.

"And now, here's lunch- you must be hungry after everything." With the new 'bread orb' in my hands, I remove the top piece- like one would for a bottle of alcohol - and see a vat of red sauce with floating vegetables throughout.

"This isn't spicy right?"

"As much as I would love to say that it is… I think I know your tastes by now~! Nah, this is my favorite dish when I have a cold- the fact that the 'bowl' can be used for dipping too is amazing!"

I'm going to say that I was beaten up, not got sick… but that idea is quickly forgotten as I take my first slurp. The nutritional energy of the carrot slices and onion chunks just warm my mouth, giving me that needed punch as it sllllides down my windpipe effortlessly. As I switch between eager gulps and quick tears and dips of bread into the broth, I catch Xiangling watching me intently, smiling all the while. It doesn't take too long for my lunch to be reduced to one tiny piece- nom, and it's gone~

"Delicious Xiangling, I needed that." "You're welcome! …Um…"

"….I'm sorry."

And now she's really flustered, I stole her line!

"You were right. No matter how much I liked having those cards, no matter how much they meant to me, I shouldn't have put myself at risk like that. I'm not a fighter, I don't have a Vision, I don't even have a freaking weapon on me- so I should've used what I do have and been smart- lived to preform another day. And- uh, I'm also sorry for making you worry about me…" Bowing my head, this really feels weird, and Xiangling definitely feels the same if her rosy cheeks are any indication.

"…I'm just glad you're okay! And I'm sorry too!" She has to verbally remind herself to slow down here, which is pretty funny. "Yelling at you when you're were hurt was unacceptable! And- and- I said to think about how I was feeling, but if I lost something important to me because of monsters, I'd be pretty upset myself! Also it DID make me just a bit happy to know that you cared so much about the cards. Just a bit~"

"Heh!" I snort. "Glad we got it both off our chests then."

"Mm-hm~ And now…" Uh, I don't like that sparkle in her eyes… "Alley-oop~!"

Her arms swing right at me and I brace myself- but one lands across my shoulders, other down around my side. It's an incredibly sloppy attempt at a hug, but Xiangling makes no moves to try and fix her position- or really any moves at all, burying her head in my chest.

For me? Only one thought echoes in my brain: Do not move, keep your hands off and where she can see 'em.

"What are you doing now."
"What does it look like~?"

"Aren't you concerned that someone will see you with a stranger-"

"Sssshhhh…." Xiangling, I am NOT a chil- "I…. just want to make sure this is real after all that. That you are real, you know? ….Is that so much?"

…Fuck you. What the fuck am I supposed to say to that?

"Haaaah….. fine. You are SO lucky."
"Hee-hee, thanks~ Just a few minutes, 'k? Then I'll tell you something very interesting, promise."

Putting it like that…I guess I have no choice, do I. Literally stuck with my back to the wall, being squeezed you know… Oh well, at least the warmth feels nice.

"….Xiangling…?"

"Are we just going to keep doing this all day? It's been more than a few minutes you know."

"Anything? Xiangl-"

As I crane my neck so I see what's going on, her arms start to slip off my body. But they do without a hint of resistance, as if all the fire and energy that the cook usually has been completely emptied. Before any worry can overtake me however, I see the truth. It's a sight I'm all too familiar with.

Xiangling's eyes are closed. She wears a warm smile, tiny and innocent. The breath from her nose tickles the hair on my neck… she feel asleep. And it wasn't even my fault this time~

"Gods… seriously? Now?" Obviously, there's no response- but she continues to slide off me, and that can't stand. Picking her up takes a whole lot of effort, but I work through it, arms fastened around her back and legs.

…Man, first the hilichurl, now Xiangling- I really am a wimp. It's bad enough that I'm pretty shaky once I raise up, but I also get the feeling that Xiangling is one of the lighter people I've ever met. ….Yeesh, I must look like a freak to any of the people at the harbor. Then again, considering nobody is running up offering me their help either, fuck them.

Of course, it only takes five seconds for me to realize that I don't actually know where Xiangling lives- like at all. But it's of little concern. Loathe as I am to enter that place carrying an unconscious daughter- carrying fresh meat into a tiger den- but it's either that or ditching her at the harbor. I'll take my chances with the predator.

Sure enough, seconds after I enter Wanmin, there's some light but obvious gasps all around me. After theyfade into silence, I notice a familiar person begin to turn his body.

Chef Mao. Somehow avoided him my last trip, but fortune will only smile once. It only takes him a moment to see his daughter in my arms. I try my best to brace for impact…

Yet it doesn't come. Like yeah, the man is once again pissed, face growing redder and more frustrated as I continue to stare. But he doesn't make a move towards me, not even taking a step. Perhaps he's concerned that doing something like that may make me drop Xiangling, or maybe he's thinking of just the best way to end my life. I approach him for once.

An angry parent is a lot less scary after your life was in danger.

"She wanted to makes plans tomorrow, but well…" Chef Mao's arms go out in much the same way as mine, yet his glare doesn't give an inch. "Too tired." Silence. I'm honestly not sure why I felt the need to tell him that, it's not like he's shown the ability to stop Xiangling from hanging out with me. Now I do wonder how Xiangling would feel about being passed from friend to father like a sack of potatoes, but it was her fault for falling asleep in the first place.

Job done. I turn around, hear an intake of breath, and look around some more. The interest in me has clearly waned, as nearly everyone is back to their dishes. So I make haste, about to leave when-

"Wait." That voice, clearly directed at me. It could only be Chef Mao, who appears in my peripheral once again. No longer with his daughter though, instead the only thing in hand is a bandage.

"The back of your head has a nasty gash, son. Allow me." Huh? …Oh right, the two hilichurls did throw rocks- before getting annihilated by Shenhe. Instinctively my hand goes up- ouch…. still fresh…

"You can do it?"

A smirk, a new look for Chef Mao. "You didn't think Xiangling only started doing these things recently, did you?" Good point, she was definitely the type of kid who ran around everywhere, getting all sorts of nicks and bruises. And as soon as I reach this conclusion and nod, I let Chef Mao do his thing. One wince later, my wound is covered- and despite my wariness, he doesn't lean in my ear and whisper a threat or something. So before he can change his mind, I leave Wanmin altogether after a quick thanks. With the unknown Xiangling discussion postponed till further notice, there is nothing stopping me from doing whatever I want for the rest of the day.

Buuuuttt to be honest- I really want today to fucking end! My life was threatened, I got a painful reminder of how fucking weak I am, I worried Xiangling due to said weakness, and I met a beautiful, if strange, woman- finally the long-mentioned Shenhe can have a face put to her name. But the point is that I need rest, relaxation, and preparation for whatever Xiangling wanted to tell me. Although, there is absolutely one thing that I'm now going to make happen. It's time, long past due actually. And just to be double-certain, I grab a piece of paper the second I'm back in the hotel room and get to writing.

'Get Keqing to bring over Ganyu to her house. I'm going to fulfill a dream.'