FirstWinterLight: Interesting interpretation! I played it a bit more straight than that, but ultimately I would call the argument they had back at Liyue more intense than this. You also raise a good point with the ego. Sure there has been close calls, but how can one not gain unearned confidence with three new 'captures'? And the hypnosis rules I've set for myself are pretty fun to work around~
ASM769476: Nah, we're good there! I promise...
CornyChiWah: He only sees Shenhe for her body...sad.
UgoWriting/sh1rog4n3: Well I hope this new part satisfies!

"Piiii…."

"H-h…uh….? Who…?"

"PI!"

"Ah….Gouba~ Hee…. What… are you doing here…? I thought you were still at Wanmin…."

"Please…"

"Huh…? G-Gouba, you can talk-?"

"Please wake up Xiangling."

"! Ah-!"

CLONK*

Ugh, seriously?! I know that I was excited when I went to bed, with too much energy to really vanish overnight, but I wasn't expecting to be the first one up! …Or second. (Does Shenhe actually get a non-induced rest?) And yet here I am, shaking the shoulder of a surprisingly heavy dreamer.

"Perhaps we should put some food in front of her nose."

"Shenhe, she's not a dog-" I start, but pause, truly considering her plan. "…What kind of food?"

"I will check Master's domain." And she off, back to that indent in Mt. Aocang. It's going to feel really awkward here in a minute if I can't wake Xiangling up, maybe I should grab her forearm instead? Skin-to-skin touch is always more effective…

"Are you lovers?"

Sigh…. Absolutely fuck you Shenhe, for putting that thought on the same plane of existance as me. When I get my hands on you in Liyue, I'll- bah, forget it! I'm just not going to touch her anymore, let's start shouting instead.

"Hey Xiangling. Dummy. Wake up, we gotta go."

"…mmm…H-H-huh…? W…ho…?"

Oh fuck, it's working~ I can see movement! Life in the form of lips flapping, of sleep gradually being shaken! Hurry up will you? Here, I'll assist.

"…Please!" Maybe more forceful? Ok sure, "Please wake up Xiangling, now!"

….Hah! I saw that! Saw your eyes flicker! I'm better at this than I thought! Now to just back away from her and-

*CLONK*

Honestly? This is just a microcosm of this entire trip, the way it suddenly snaps from 'Fuck you Xiangling you are the most annoying person who ever lived' to 'Oh my god thank you Xiangling, this is all thanks to you, you are the greatest person of all time' at the drop of a hat. So what happened this time? Well, that's an easy one. When Shenhe comes back, it's not to me triumphantly helping a now-awake chef up, but rather with her over me, apologizing profusely for her giant freaking forehead's active role in giving me a brand new indent on my skull…and probably a concussion. Xiangling Mao is a menace to society and should only be let out of the Fortress of Meropide for good behavior.

But then- and speaking of foreheads- I suddenly find Shenhe looming over me, pale eye showing not even a hint of emotion as she examines. I wouldn't say I like being looked at like I'm nothing, but she's so sexy I'll ignore it. Doubly so as the next thing I know, two of her fingers have been pressed up against my temple- and wow, Cryo Vision or no, that is cold. Does a great job at giving me eye-candy while dulling the pain in my head thought. As a bonus, I'm able to 'persuade' her into giving me more attention- a well-timed grimace when she removes her hand goes a long way. It's a gleeful fifteen seconds to be sure, her chest is hypnotic~

I stand up after that, and Shenhe hits us both with a surprise: it'll be her that cooks us breakfast for today (as apparently she remembered what a host is supposed to actually do in the middle of the night) before we leave. So after denying an overeager Xiangling the role of helper, she makes us sit together and just wait. An interesting dilemma emerges here.

"So, um, what do you think she's going to make?"
"B-beats me. …Hope it's good though~!
"Y…yeah…"

The air between us is stiff, and we both concede defeat quickly, letting it pound us into silence. Weird…does she feel that bad for the headbutt?

Shenhe informs us breakfast is ready shortly after- she apparently had some bacon and eggs on her (where she got them from, I can only imagine) and serves us a simple meal- one that Xiangling very clearly can't wait to dig into.

Shrugging, I have my fill too. And yeah, unsurprisingly, it's a nice meal.

Which instantly makes it one of the worst ones I've had here.

"Hey, can you give this to Shenhe?" Xiangling doesn't wait for my answer, as I'm immediately holding a small slip of paper.

"Hmm? What's this…?"

'Chef Mao wants YOU! Wanmin Restaurant is now hiring! Enjoy the best food in all of Liyue Harbor at a new special employee discount! Apply now!'

…I will kill that man, I swear. But the more pressing matter-

"How much random stuff did you bring?"

"It's not my fault!" Xiangling argues, embarrassment showing. "Dad insisted I brought it- said Shenhe could be a big help at the restaurant." Can't deny that to be fair, she scales mountains like it's nothing.

"Xiangling, I think you should be the one to give her this."
"But isn't that like a…..oh, a 'conflict of interest'? You know, 'cause I'm her friend and the owner's daughter?"
"Gut feeling is that I highly doubt the Millelith would care."
"Hmm…I don't know, can you just do it for me…?"
"Ugh, really."
"Yes! Shenhe's looking at us weird!"
"Can't imagine why Xiangling…!"
"Oh, come on!"

Fine! She wins this one- I'll throw my hands up here.

"Shenhe, take this."
"…A job application?"
"By the…illustrious man himself, Chef Mao. If you want to accept the offer, I'm sure he'd appreciate it, but just because I'm doing some work for him now, I won't say that you should too. Up to you."

There are both positives and negatives to her working at Wanmin- mainly, that it would give her an excuse to be in Liyue Harbor more often, but it might get in the way of what I have planned for her. Not a guarantee though, and if she really wants to work, I'm certainly not gonna get in the way.

"I… see. Thank you."

Or she could take it and leave it at that~ I do wonder what she'll decide, but this isn't my interest anyway. I turn around, approach a squatting Xiangling and receive an awkward 't-thanks' - only to be one-upped by me giving way-too-big of a nod back. Ok why are we being weird?

"Bye Shenhe~! Thanks for having us over! Say hi to Cloud Retainer for me alright~" A stiff wave back from the sexy woman flows into my toothy grin. I'll see YOU later love, this is merely a brief parting…

We take a few steps to the edge- "Ah, I totally forgot to ask Shenhe to play cards. Damn, that's a missed opportunity- games with her would've been interesting."

"Mm…"

"B-By the way, so when I gave Shenhe Chef Mao's invitation, something occurred to me."

"Hm?"

"Am I…being replaced?"

There we go- Xiangling's face turns red in a hurry, mouth massively agape. "What?! No! Never!"

"That's a relief. I mean, I know this whole employment thing isn't permanent, but it'd still SUCK to be psuedo-fired during my trip."

"No no no! Dad wouldn't! It's just… y'know, for later."

"Ah, once Lantern Rite is over?" We approach one of the many sets of ladders down, Xiangling goes first and answers me with an affirmative grunt.

"That was your plan after all, right?"
"Yup. Here for Lantern Rite, the start of it especially! After that, whenever I want to go, home awaits~"

"…Yeah..."

And the fucking silence returns.

"B-By the way, so when I gave Shenhe Chef Mao's inv… somethin…."

The pair of fresh voices to Mt. Aocang fade as they begin their descent. Shenhe watches them go, unblinking and lost in thoughts. They seem to get along with other just fine, so why did he shout that they weren't friends…? Master has told her that pairings come in all shapes and sizes, but outright denial… that's a completely new type of partnership, the benefit of which completely eludes Shenhe. It doesn't bear worry over though, Xiangling is trustworthy, she's confident in that. Nevertheless, the mountain is certainly grateful for the sudden drop in noise, meaning her focus can return to-

'Chef Mao wants YOU! Wanmin Restaurant is now hiring! Enjoy the best food in all of Liyue Harbor at a new special employee discount! Apply now!'

This strange job application. Master has mentioned these kinds of things before… Employment, yes. An important function of society- individuals seeking out opportunities such as this for the promise of enough Mora to survive, especially in populated areas. Shenhe ponders this… she hasn't earned even one piece of Mora in her life, yet she has shelter, food, and close relationships all her own. Another blessing from Master. So knowing this, why did this 'Chef Mao' seek her out…?

A nagging feeling picked at her brain the more she absorbed his name, like she should know more about him. However it's less like her wadding through muck to obtain something valuable and more like a bee distributing the peace with its' irritating hum. She can't pluck this one out of the air, so the next best thing is-

RIIIP

To completely tear the slip in two, then two more, then two more. Any pesky thoughts get abruptly cut, causing the Cryo-user to form the start of a smile. She knew this was the right course of action, and it's nice to have that feeling confirmed. Her body loosens up, and scraps of paper emerge from her fist, eagerly beginning their journey of a thousand miles down the mountain. Shenhe, quite unbelievably, just committed the crime of littering- but in her defense, it was for good reasons. She's done letting strange men take advantage of her upbringing!

Proudly determined, she treads back to Master's domain- she must begin moving preparations.

Ok, LOOK, the journey back to Liyue was always going to be a massive downgrade compared to going to Mt. Aocang- there's nothing new to see, no different path we're taking, and there will be no side activities like hillichurl hunting this time (for the best honestly, I'm suddenly feeling very done with those fucks)- but this? THIS is dreadful! It's just me and Xiangling, walking in silence, footsteps and crunches on grass being the only sounds most of the time for Archon-knows-how far. And it's not because we're giving each other the silent treatment like a couple of immature brats, we just don't have a conversation to orbit around. Such a silence should be the biggest blessing when dealing with this loudmouth too!

But it's just… unsettling! I want her to talk! I want to hear that infuriatingly-high energy voice! Come to think of it, she'd be kind of lacking that since yesterday, wonder wh-

"Now make yourself useful, do what you love, and find us some meat~ M'kay?"

….Oh. Yeeeah, that probably didn't earn me any points.

"Master would label you as…yes, a 'pathetic disgrace of a man', a coward, and 'useless'.."

Oh-ho-ho-ho, HOO BOY! Yesterday was just FULL of fuck ups wasn't it~! My first order of business will be turning that fat ass of hers black and blue, I swear to the gods!

"Xiangling. Stop."
"…." Ok, step one good. Now to reel her in.

"Isn't it lunchtime?"

For the briefest of moments, a smile flashes across her face and that irritating glint in her eyes return- but it feels like she physically smothers them back down.

"This is early, dont'cha think? I'm not that hung-"

GRUMBLLLE

…Wow, not even hypnosis could do that so perfectly. Needless to say, the next few minutes are spent in identical fashion to dinner on the journey here. An embarrassed Xiangling sets up a couple of Pyro-infused torches everywhere - this time solely to keep the monsters at bay- before prepping the latest meal: scrumptious-looking sandwiches with fresh fowl for added energy.

….A shame then, that neither myself nor her feel like digging in to a food-filled paradise. Five minutes pass and both plates remain practically untouched.

This is pathetic for me in particular, I already apologized to her once before, so doing it again, pfft, piece of cake right?

"So, uh, how much farther?" "Well, I want to get to the bridge by nighttime. We'll be home midday tomorrow then." "Home huh?" "I-I mean Liyue…!"

Ok, at least we've got an emotion. That's nice, now to figure out how I want to approach-

"Hey…." Xiangling draws my attention back. "Did… you really mean what you said back there? With Shenhe…?"

…..Fuck.

"I-I mean, I'm not mad or angry or upset or anything like that! It's just that, well, we've done a ton of stuff already! Fun, amazing stuff! A-and I know, I know, what you said is true, we have only known each other for like a month, but I think that's more than enough time you know? Like, I hardly get to see Lumine, and she's one of my best friends, she always reads my letters and fills me in on what she's been doing. And it's not just her, Xinyan has been on a ton of tours lately, and she brings Yunjin often, but they're both still close friends with me! So yeah, I don't think the length of time is that important, and whatever we might be lacking there, in my opinion, we've more than made up for it in memories! Who else would push me into the harbor or scale a mountain like this? I can't imagine doing all these things with somebody I wasn't close with! So that's why I consider us friends!"

H-Holy crap, the lungs on this woman- but at the last second, she suddenly becomes a bit melancholy.

"But if you think otherwise, that's…fine, I get it. I-I know… I can be a little too excited… and I didn't see what you were trying to say at all about us… so if you want to keep some more distance-"

"Xiangling!" I shout, surprising even me. "Just shut up and let me apologize!"

….

"…W-what…?"

Oh that's real fucking smooth of me. Can't take it back now though.

"S-sorry, but just, can I get my thoughts in order?"

A silent, wide-eyed nod is my answer.

"You can... thank Shenhe for this revelation by the way- or thank her Master, whatever. But first thing's first, remember our trip here? How we had to deal with a couple of hilichurls?"

"Yeah…?"

"Well, that was kind of a…. a… cowardly thing to do in hindsight! Just making you take care of them! I should've helped out somehow…!"

In response, Xiangling scratches her neck. "Um! But that was no big deal! Two hillicurls are nothing~"

"Because of your Pyro Vision, right?"
"Weeellll~ I'm pretty strong too you know~ Having it certainly does help though!"

"…Xiangling. I apologize in advance, but- Fuck Visions."

This time around, the only answer is another stunned chef.

"Sorry, again, that came across harsher than I wanted. But ah, remember Lyney? My inspiration?"

"Lyney….? Oh right! With a …top hat?"

Pffft. "Yup~ Well he has a Vision too. Actually come to think of it, a Pyro Vision in specific, just like you." I put my plate down on the ground, stand up, and begin pacing back and forth in front of her- it feels appropriate.

"So you understand that my inspiration for all this is blessed, with tricks that up his sleeve I can't even fathom! Now whether or not it's the Vision that actually allows help to perform these amazing acts, I likewise couldn't say. But regardless, I've been looking up to him since forever, and maybe the 'promise' of getting a Vision was the final push I needed to start following in his footsteps~ You know, 'If I could surpass him one day, the gods might smile upon me as well' that stuff."

"But it's not just Lyney! Feels like everybody important back home has a Vision! I'm sure you've heard, Fontaine, the Land of Justice!" A quick nod by her. "Well the leader for everything related to those matter, the Chief Justice, has a Vision. When criminals get sent away, the person in charge of their prison has a Vision. Our Archon's loyal bodyguard has a Vision- and on and on. They may not necessarily be a symbol of status, but it sure as hell feels that way!"

"Of course, I would love that kind of recognition! To be someone special like that! So I go to Liyue, and what do I find? More of the same! The impressive Keqing and Ganyu have them (don't ask how I know about the latter Xiangling), Shenhe has it, and even Hu Tao and Yanfei have them! ….Er probably? I think I saw them?"

Again Xiangling nods, I hide a sigh of relief. Nearly messed up there.

"But when I saw you had a Vision too, it kind of shocked me. I really just felt like you would be able to understand what it's like, heh… but I'm surrounded. And honestly? I try not to mind. Sometimes though… ah, it's jealousy, pure and simple. Maybe I was content hanging back and leaving those hillichurls to you because I knew the oh-so special Vision holders could handle it. Of course, that would just upset me and be a self-fulfilling prophecy."

"But that's no excuse. Just because you have a Vision doesn't mean I should just do nothing! And it also gives me no right to be such a jerk, I said some things I shouldn't have said… So…sorry, for both my actions and inaction.."

There! Done! I collapse, strings cut, with a surprising amount of relief escaping me.

"So, are you saying we're…?" Xiangling asks lightly, full of hope.

"…Honestly I don't know, I've never done any of this, with anyone! I mean, is this really what it's lik- HGKK!"

One second I'm talking normally, maybe mumbling a bit into my lap. The next- well, it's probably not surprising.

"Ulp! ….X-Xiang….l-ling… C-crushing me….! C-can't b-breathe.…!"

"Nope~! I'm not falling for that, heehee~ You already ARE important you know?"

"…..M-mother….finally….!"
"…Oh! Oh no! Are you okay?! Speak to me!"

And not a moment too soon, my lungs can expand to their normal size again, free from a Xiangling death embrace, gasping all the while.

"I assume 'apology accepted'?" I ask, bouncing back a few seconds later.

"O-Of course it is~ I just hope you'll consider us true friends now, and that there's no shame in letting me handle monsters for you!" Just like that, her eyes have seemingly flared back to life, their fierce golden hue shining quite brilliantly. Actually… now that Xiangling's basically in my lap, I can look closer at them… and they're, dare I say it, very pretty... Ridiculously welcoming too, they just have that warmth to them.

"Huh? What are you looking at?"
"You know Xiangling, you're quite…."

"Q-quite….w-w-what?"

Wait! What am I saying?!

"Warm! Yeah, quite warm- you know, Pyro Vision!"
"O-oh. Hm, I guess so…are you saying you're cold? Cause I know just what to do~"

Another hug, but this one is like actually normal- and sure enough, suddenly I'm feeling outright toasty. Though it's not an awful feeling, just the opposite, the kind of overwhelming heat that just goes directly to your core-

"Um." The voice in my shoulder clears her throat. "So I didn't say this last time… but uh, you kinda stink at hugging people~"

"What?!"

"Yeah! You're supposed to put your hands on the other person too. It's an embrace after all. Have you never done it before?"

"O-Of course I have!"

"…Mm." The doubt couldn't be more obvious… and unfortunately, she's got a point. I have to take a deep inhale, like I'm going to freaking war, before moving my arms- why is this so hard…

"C'mon, you can do it, I believe in you."

"Shut up… you better not say anything if I do something wrong." God damn, why does she have to be so skinny- actually, how might be the more pressing question with how much she eats…

…!

…This feels really good.

"See!? Much better, right?"
"…Don't talk to me."
"Hee hee hee~"

Neither of us talk for a bit, but this time the silence is weirdly comfortable.

"…So, I'm not sure why you don't have a Vision- but if it was up to me, you definitely would~"

"…Thank you for saying so, that means a lot."

"No problem- ah! I have an idea!" Suddenly Xiangling retracts and pretty much flips herself to the ground, huddling up right next to me. In her left palm, proudly displayed- her Vision, symbol of Pyro pulsing throughout the crimson orb. Like she's offering it up to me?

"That won't work dummy. As soon as I hold that thing, it'll begin to lose power." Keqing's Vision isn't the first time I've learned that, and it won't be the last.

"I know. But… who said I have to let go?"
Oh…huh, that's clever.

"Are you sure? It's gonna look pretty weird."

"Who cares, no one's watching~"

Fair- and in an instant, my right hand is dangling above the Pyro Vision. I'd be lying if I said this wasn't stirring something up within me…! I'm just one little movement away from being called a Vision-holder! What will it feel like? How will an active Vision differ from one that's 'shutting down'? Will anything strange happen? Will Pyro come out of my fingers? What would the gods even think about this strange loophole Xiangling just introduced - or has something like this happened already….? So many questions and wonders suddenly bouncing in my mind now, all within the graze of my hand. Just, gotta reach out and take it!

Just…reach out…

…

Ok this is annoying. I'm hesitating, arm shaking like its' been frozen for two days straight. Dangling right over the freaking Vision too. C'mon! This is what I've always wanted! Just grab the freaking thing!- but try as I might, I can't close the gap… that is, until Xiangling acts, in a very Xiangling-like move. She reaches across her body with her spare arm, clasps my wrist, and drives my hand directly into hers.

"H-Hey-!"
"Sssh~ So, sooo, how it's feel…?"

Silence, one full of concentration. I cannot believe this… I'm touching a Vision…! A true Pyro Vision! Nerves are not calmed, but at least settled with the deeeeep breath I take. My eyes flutter closed…

I can feel it… In the tips of my fingers, and the palm of my hand… the gentle flow of otherworldly energy…like a soft wave that somehow cuts right through the skin, piercing all the way down… Is this because of it being Pyro or do all Visions feel like this? Pure warmth surges, trickling throughout my skin if to answer that, roaring flames perfectly coating my hand.

"Incredible…"

(Elsewhere, my other hand moves slightly trying to summon a spark- but nothing happens. Drat.)

"Wow~ You mean it!?" As if I was praising her, which I guess, I was in a way.

"Yeah, the only thing I can compare it to is… hm, a heartbeat. A little, warm, steady heartbeat. I really like it."

"I'm glad~ And we've got the whole day still, so you can 'borrow' it as much as you want!"

…..

In the next instant, the warmth is completely cut. My hand returns to my lap.

"H-Hey? Why'd you stop? I just said-"

I can only give a weak smile as apology. "It's probably not a good thing to touch a Vision like this for too long, no matter how minor. I wouldn't want to get addicted and then refuse to let go or something. We're going to go our separate ways back in town anyway." To say nothing of sleeping tonight- imagine falling asleep with a lazy hand all the way over on Xiangling's hip? Yeesh…

"If you're sure…" she asks cautiously.

"I am. But-" I make sure I turn to face her for this. "Thank you for the experience. It was cool just holding the Vision, even for only a minute. I never would have even thought about doing anything like that."

"You're welcome~" And now she stands up, stretching out her nice legs. "Now we should probably get going, we've been here WAY too long!"

"Agreed." Although…when I get up to match her, I don't know, but something just clicks- it feels like all the secrets of the universe unravel before me.

Xiangling… I get it. This is why.

The rest of the trip just kind of flies by, being full of walking, resting, and talking about random shit. And yes, this does mean that Xiangling ends up cooking our dinner and breakfast the next day despite my insistence that it wouldn't be necessary- delicious food is delicious food of course, but should she really be doing all of it? Still we avoid tapping into her new stock of meat and flowers, so I do not pursue. The hillichurls around this area clearly had a spiritual awakening after feeling their brethren leave this mortal plane and have graciously warned the other creatures of the ecosystem- or at least, that's what I'll believe happened, given the lack of any danger.

Also, Archons be damned, Xiangling is positively beaming. Her smile can't be pried off, even a little. Sun is here, at full strength. Maybe a little more, as every time she notices me looking in her direction, her face somehow gets even brighter. It's nice to bear witness to, and it's the perfect backdrop to me figuring out what to do next.

I think I'm going to make Keqing my main source of information- using her house kind of requires a lot of interaction anyhow. And there are worse people than the very Yuheng to pick- even if I still don't know what that means… Hopefully that status will allow her to convince Ninggaung to move Ganyu over though. Of course, if that happens, no fucking work is ever getting done in her house hahahah! Separate from that, I wonder if Shenhe has already begun following my orders- suppose I have Keqing's new mission~

Also speaking of, I'll wait till alone time with the purple cat lady to confirm, but her and Ganyu's body… maybe I can use their similarities…

"Here we are! Back home!"

Xiangling perks up, I look up, and there's a familiar sight to us both. The Geo Archon statue, and the great harbor of Liyue behind it. An easy trip downslope is all that is left….we nod at each other and move.

"Rex Lapis sure looks cool. On a throne, with that cloak on his face."
"Pfft~ Glad you think so. The Hydro Archon is still alive right?"
"Not just alive, active! She's great, and very wise."

A striking appearance too. White hair with blue streaks, teardrop in her eye, that hat, hm… Actually, you know what? Maybe I can increase my odds of getting a Vision by changing the color of my hair…it's kind of uncanny-

"Well if it isn't my favorite chef and magician~! How goes it?"

Then again, maybe not.

"Hi, Hu Tao~"

A spin to my left and yup- I'm facing the same black clothing, hat-wearing, flower-petals-in-her-pupils character as before. She's sizing up both me and Xiangling, happy-go-lucky grin spreading across her impish face.

"A hearty 'how do you do' to the two of you! I heard from Chef Mao, hope you guys enjoyed your days-long stroll~ I dunno about you, but that sounds positively ro-man-"

"Finish that sentence the way I think and I swear to the Hydro Archon…!" I don't know how I would end that given Hu Tao has a Vision somewhere. I also don't know why her smile just exploded even more when I mentioned my god, but I don't like it.

."Just kidding friendo~" She winks at us. "But I do have a message for, drumroll please, Xiangling!"

"H-Huh?"
"Yup, from your two best friends~"
"O-oh! You mean?!"
"Yeah, Xingqiu and Chongyun have finished their business~ Finally! I was turning to dust over here!"

….Pretty sure I can see all her teeth in the smile Xiangling gives off. There's a part of me that feels like my 'part' is over and I should exit stage left, though I guess I'll be the audience this time.

"Context for the uninformed?"

"Oh yeah~" Hu Tao answers. "Our pair of pals, Xingqiu and Chongyun, went to Inazuma for some kind of literary event. A book tour? A festival? I don't remember, heh! Whoopsie~"

"A nice hobby."

"Heheh- probably only for one of them though! Alas, poor Chongyun! So innocent! Only there because Xingqiu tricked you so! The humanity!" Before I can react, she slings an arm around my shoulder. "Just between you and me, I think Xingqiu might be up to something over there- don't worry about it though~!"

Is she hinting for me to investigate or something? Cause I'm not doing that- and hopefully me separating myself from her grasp says as much.

"So, when will they be back?" Xiangling interjects- you two have no concept of personal space, do you.

"Dunno~ They're done with what they went for, but they mentioned wanting to see, ahem, 'the wondrous, Archon-blessed, beautiful sights of The Land of Eternity'. Definitely a Xingqiu line, that was. But yeah! Should still be back for Lantern Rite, I'm not worried."

As soon as Xiangling responds with an 'Mm-hm!', I take over. "Given that you know what we were doing, and now we now know what your friends are doing, what were you doing before this?"

"Why, waiting for you two, of course!'

"….." It is nice to know that despite our individual times knowing Hu Tao being a night and day difference, both me and Xiangling have the same reaction.

"Whaaa? But I'm so serious~"

"Don't you have a job?" I pointedly ask. "Or a life?"

"Ah ah ah~ Lantern Rite season bub, didja forget? Absolutely no one wants to even THINK about preparing for the end now! Well, not like they ever want to think about it, but I've learned that this is 'specially bad timing! Why, I could leave the parlor unlocked and wide-open and I wouldn't hafta worry! So when my options are sit at home waiting for something fun to happen or going out to MAKE something fun happen, it's a no-brainer~"

…I wish you picked the former. Home is nice, it has dust bunnies, walls, and no hillichurls! "Look this has been a pleasure seeing you again Hu Tao. But I'm gonna go back to the hotel and get caught up on some well-earned sleep."

"Boo! Heheh, kidding~ See ya around~"

"Xiangling." I softly bow to her.
"Bye! And don't worry about the restaurant tomorrow- I say you've more than earned a day off!"

It's impossible to not hear that or see her thrilled smile and not feel good about yourself- just like it's nearly impossible to NOT kick the everloving shit out of Hu Tao and her cheeky grin that stretches from ear to ear. Where's Yanfei when you need her? Whatever; I get my alone time trek to my room.

"Alright, this flashlight was a definite success. Hillichurls stood no match, so anybody to take a full shot would be visionless with plenty of escape time!" I am proof of that, despite my best efforts. Still there's no crisis now, so shoving it into the drawer here feels smart… it really looks no different from a regular pocket flashlight huh.

Now of course, I know what I said to my new…. friend.
But I leave anyway.

In hindsight, where I am now may just be the greatest benefit to all of my efforts. I no longer have to hope for coincidences or lucky breaks or try to make my own fortune or anything like that! One spot, every day, satisfaction guaran-freaking-teed! I almost can't believe there was ever a time where I didn't have this advantage- it's just too good, never going to give it up~

"What are you doing in front of my house? Surely you know how strange this looks?"

SNAP

"Oops~ Keqing, this is my fault for not making it obvious. Let's correct that shall we? From now on, if I'm here, what's yours is mine. You'll think nothing of letting me into your house."

"Understood."

Maybe I should ask for a spare key… Nah, that'd just be a disaster waiting to be uncovered! Imagine the potential trouble!

"Now open the door. I have a LOT to talk to you about. And….ah, yes, strip completely and get ready to dance. It's been such a long trip, I deserve time to unwind~"