FirstWinterLight: I've literally never heard of Spacebattles before lol... oh, a forum? Neat. Well anyway, there's a bunch of hypnosis triggers I'll be playing with, especially as things begin to break down, some common, some I haven't seen before.
What's great is that the hillichurl population being culled will probably result in more tourism and absolutely no long-term problems in nature to speak of! Yet another detail he fails to take into account, though speaking of which, I really hope that when we get to Yelan, I'll be able to write her correctly, as she'll definitely be a worthy adversary. Thanks for the review!

UgoWriting: 5.3 has already helped me when we get to our Lantern Rite, so it'll be very interesting to see what happens there- thanks for the compliment too~

Daggerxxx: You'll probably enjoy this chapter then- but more to the point, what could be improved for the hypnosis parts? They aren't going away, so how can I make them better in your opinion?

By now, it's impossible to know just how many times, how many days Xiangling has followed the exact same routine. Hundreds? Easily. Thousands? Getting warmer~ Even if she was the one counting, she would've lost track a long time ago… and spoiler alert, she absolutely was not counting in the beginning, the middle, or now. Wake up whenever the sun would rise, do whatever chores needed to be done in the morning, and then head to Wanmin Restaurant. That was her life, eagerly awaiting for a day of cooking, delivering, and just doing what she loved. And with apron snug, hair tied in signature style, and emergency ingredients at the ready, today wasn't going to be any different~

It turns out she was wrong there. …Because in fact, Xiangling Mao was handling her duties even better than normal. It was tough to describe- how can somebody who's essentially almost perfect at her job somehow improve further? Maybe it was the fact that when she carried a spicy bowl of soup through a rather thin aisle of the restaurant, avoiding legs of chair, table, and man, she didn't spill a single drop. Or how about that she felt it was possible she could cook everything to perfection blindfolded- a belief that she did NOT test today, thank you! But the point was made- it was just that kind of perfect day at Wanmin, not a gloomy face could be found.

"So 'ave you heard the rumors….?" A mustachioed man leans over his table, smirk beginning to develop.

"R-rumors? Wh-what rumors?" Comes the reply from a skinny, wimpy, iron-deficient excuse of a man.

"Don't play coy with me boy. Ms. Ganyu and Ms. Keqing… finally seein' each other in that…special light~ If I've heard my share, damn sure you've done the same!"

"B-but they're just r-rumors. H-hearsay!"

"Yes, because when I want to dispel any relationship tall tales, I go strollin' along with the person in question! All over the city, reeeeaaaaal slow-like~ This way, everybody in the friggin' region can see us and know that we DEFINITELY AIN'T DATIN'~!

"…..m-maybe they were just checking out the Lantern Rite decor…"

"Sorry to take a jackhammer to that optimism, but accordin' to folks… they headed in the direction of Ms. Keqing's house~ And Ms. Ganyu didn't reappear again that night…"

"What?! No way! Nononono -Aargh, somebody must've saw more!"

"Oh please! You know everyone up there is a bigwig, they'd never snitch on one of their own. We have that much in common~"

But while the older man is stroking his beard thoughtfully, the younger man hangs his head in abject depression, sighing deeply. Oddly this prompts the same noise from the guy who just killed a deep-rooted hope. With consideration he hadn't shown prior-

"…Err, look son… I'll introduce ya to real fine girls workin' for us… you hafta move on though. Yer a good kid, got a good head on yer shoulders, but the Yuheng? Always a pipe dream, been tryin' to tell ya- a beauty like her, talkin' with a damn woman like Ganyu every friggin' day? Only surprise is that it took them this long to get together."

"I guess…but-"

"Order up~!" Completely suddenly for the two men, Xiangling bursts out of nowhere, expertly carrying two dishes, one hot off the stove, but both ready to be devoured. "One Dragon Beard Noodles for you-" Naturally that dish goes to the man with enough facial hair to match the name. "And one Mint Salad for you~" "Much appreciated Ms. Xiangling~ Yer lookin' even more chipper than usual~ Somethin' good happen?"

"Hehehe~ Nooope, just a great day!" Her smile is just too infectious, and a prime example is shown as it's quickly mirrored by the man. And as for the other person, a revelation within is happening as the two speak.

"….Actually, Xiangling." The younger man pauses, gathers what meager courage he has- "Can I add something? Minty Meat Rolls?"

Xiangling lights up in agreement, but it's the elder with a more animated reaction. "Finally want to bulk up, do ya? About time~ We'll get ya to be a real man soon, don'tcha worry~!" After assuring Xiangling that they've got the money for this addition, the cook runs back to the kitchen, leaving them alone again.

"Hey son….what about Ms. Xiangling? Don't believe she's seein' anyone, eh~"

But the unexpected happens- no eager acceptance, but thin lips as the boy contemplates. "Hmmmm….no….? I don't know… Xiangling is nice and not a bad look… but that's kind of all…. Besides, don't you think I can do a lot, y'know, better? Actually, no. I KNOW I can. And I will"

"HAR! Someone's feelin' confident! That's the ticket- women love a man who's sure of himself~! We'll get you someone soon, I swear!"

"Oh, Yanfei! Hee-hee~ Welcome!"

"Hm...? Ah yes, Xiangling, good afternoon. A table is available I take it?"

"You bet! Right this way please~!"

Luckily, there's been a bit of a lull in the action, being just after prime lunchtime, so the chef in question can now focus solely on making sure everyone in the restaurant has what they need. Chef Mao still collecting payments, Gouba cooking the food- thank Rex Lapis their reputation was so good, nobody would believe a bear/hidden god could cook so well otherwise. She leads her 'friend of a friend' down to a table meant for two, menu preset, and the fellow Pyro user takes her seat.

"Alright take a look and I'll be right-"
"No need, can I just order?"
"Okay~" Yup, figures the lawyer would already know what she wants-

"I'll take… two tall glasses of water. As cold as possible, filled to the brim."
"Alrighty~"

"…"
"…"

"…Um, anything else? …An actual meal? With food?"
"No, just the water please."
"…..You sure?"
"Positive."

….In all her years working at Wanmin, it stands to reason that Xiangling had served an infinite amount of food, in combinations as varied as stars in the sky. And yet, she had never- NEVER- gotten this kind of request. And who could blame the hesitation, the noticeable pause as she pseudo-limped away from Yanfei. Water? The same kind of water found in literally all civilized businesses and homes, including Yanfei's? And only water too- no super-spicy dish to counter it. Just the most common drink to mankind, asked for like a full meal…

At the end of the day though, everyone must be fed, even the obviously insane. So doing her absolute best to hide the sheer confusion she was feeling, Xiangling would return with the customer's full order in world-record time. At least one of them was normal.

"My compliments to the chef~" Yanfei says, chuckling to herself. And even though this is not what said chefs are supposed to do, Xiangling can't help but watch with intrigue as the half-adeptus grabs one of the two glasses and shotguns it down her throat. The complete abandonment of how you would expect someone like her to typically do this, but it's no delusion. Without missing a beat, Yanfei succeeds in draining the first glass and switches promptly to enjoy a round two.

Loathe as she is to admit it, a troublesome idea came to Xiangling while watching the spectacle. "Um, did Hu Tao do something…?" A bold question to be sure, probing for potential relationship trouble- luckily, doubts would be immediately dispelled as a wry smile formed on Yanfei's face.

"Oh, no~ Everything's fine on that front, thank you." Unbeknownst to Xiangling, Yanfei is going through a fierce internal dilemma. Yes, yes, she was a lawyer with more secrets to keep closed than pretty much anybody else, but what she witnessed yesterday… it outright defied belief. The noises… the screams… the implications- all toyed with her mind throughout the night. Of course Keqing was absolutely free to pursue those activities in the privacy of her own house-

"Uh, Teyvat to Yanfei?"

"…Apologies Xiangling. It's been an… interesting last twenty-four hours…"

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine. Just…" Yanfei took an inhale- no, she wouldn't give names or specifics, but this was proving to be too much. "I may have… discovered something that was definitely not meant to be found."

"Um, ok? What was it?"

"I can't say, sorry…. And that's exactly why I'm troubled. I want to tell somebody, but I can't tell anybody. You know what I mean?"

"…Hmmm…. Nope…! Sorry, but I kind of just talk to everyone, e-ehehehe… h-hope I'm not annoying though…"
Pfft, of course. That was just like Xiangling- and for just a moment, Yanfei wondered if she could entertain that kind of simple life too, before dismissing it just as fast. Her passion and job were too important!

"I seriously doubt that. Hu Tao adores you, and you have a strong knack for making friends~" After all, who else could be a student of Granny's, help her father with intense business, and befriend a god?

"You mean it? Well ok then, thank you Yanfei~!"
"Don't mention it. Though speaking of friends- According to Tao, you've grown quite close to someone from Fontaine~ ….ah, what was his name again…?"

"…W-w-what are you getting at?!"
"Nothing I swear! I haven't spoken to him since you introduced me. Just a little jealous of how easily you can make friends."

Xiangling exhales. "…It was harder than you might think this time, heheh…" Of course Yanfei notices this reaction and instantly has a strong suspicion as to what's going on- but chooses not to pry. Still though, considering yesterday's events, she does feel compelled to aid somehow.

"Hm well then… Remember to be careful, know what you're getting into, and go for it!"

"….! H-HEY! I just told you-!"
Yanfei smiles, the chef's gradual reddening face doing a much better job at communication than her sputtering noises ever could. Eventually though, she calms down enough to move on.

"But I bring him up for another reason actually- Hu Tao has at last gotten everything squared away for Xinyue Kiosk."

"Seriously? Woo-hoo~! Are you coming then?"
"Of course." For once, Yanfei matches the excited smile that Xiangling wears. "Over the next few weeks I'm sure she'll ask everyone again if they're still free, including you. Bet I already know that answer though~"

"Hee!"

"Though, call it a hunch… but I'll be shocked if she hasn't already tried to pull some strings - to get your new pal invited too."
"...You know, his name is- …Wait, huh?"
"Mm-hm. And well, it seems only right to ask if you're okay with that- this was something that started off between you, Tao, Xingqiu, and Chongyun after all, and they can't really vouch for him. So if you don't think it'd be fair, tell me and I'll let her know-"

"Are you kidding?" Xiangling asks with a soft smile. "Of course it's fine- we've brought Lumine last-minute before too, there are no rules for this~"

"I'd figured you'd say that. Of course he'll still have to actually accept the invite, but that's good news. Ideally makes a clean dozen and evens out the genders."
"One more than last year then, woo~!"

On that triumphant note, the pair of Pyro girls are free to switch to small talk- or they would be if Yanfei could stick around, but she quickly points out that impossibility. The lawyer then produces Mora way too great in quantity for a simple two glasses of water, but she shuts down all objections by quoting the 'opportunity cost in taking up a table'. Keqing's secret, like so many others, will have to be taken to the grave, but she can't deny it did help to at least discuss her dilemma with another. Didn't think it'd be with Xiangling though…

"You know, now that I think of it…. Why did Yanfei need my permission anyway? I mean, w-we're just friends right? A-and, and, she should know that they can invite anyone!"

"It's almost like they think I'd be… shocked at him appearing? But why would they think that…?"

…..

"…H-Hu Tao, a-are you plotting something?"

And so the day progresses without incident, food served, happy customers abound, and plenty of Mora being made. Wanmin Restaurant is so efficient today, no foreigner would believe it's mainly a father-daughter operation at first… well, a father-daughter-Stove God operation. All the while the aforementioned daughter tries not to think about the celebration in less than a month- a difficult feat given that Lantern Rite is all anybody else in Liyue feels like discussing at the moment. This is clearly not helped either by the fact that she hasn't seen her friend all day… she can't be upset, she did grant him today off- but an appearance would be nice. Though as the hours flow by, her hopes on that front have to be surrendered.

Oh well~ This just means tomorrow will be even better!

"Why, no dearie, I don't think I've seen him today… mm, I'm sorry."
"O-Oh, o-ok… Thank you anyway, ma'am. I appreciate it…! "

Well so much for that. In one of the few buildings of her home region that she'd never gone to before, Xiangling stands in front of a counter, an old portly woman on the other side, cloudy bunches of grey hair and thick smudge-covered glasses showing their age. Dividing the two women on said counter rests an open guestbook, confirming that, yes, her Fontaine friend does use this hotel as his temporary residence of choice. But it doesn't look like that timespan includes today, a fact which met a whole lot of confusion.

"Ahhh…."

And a disappointed chef, as her sighing shows. This was exactly the same situation as yesterday! Same endless wave of customers, same number one topic in the restaurant (Lantern Rite), and same lack of a new co-worker for gathering ingredients! At first, she didn't know if there even was anything to be done - how would she find someone that was only here for the holidays? - but then, voila~ Inspiration hit like lightning, much like when she's creating a new dish on the road! She could check out the hotel he's staying at- maybe he just got sick? Proud of her cleverness, the plan immediately got to work, using her lunch break to locate the building and ask around. And while that was a success-

"He's been gone since yesterday?! You're sure of this?!"
"Yes dear, suddenly charged out at the break of dawn. My memory hasn't gotten that bad, I remember clear as day…"

The real mystery was only deepening. Now on top of not showing up for work, he hadn't been to his room at all overnight… such thoughts were quickly becoming worries for Xiangling as she uttered a 'thanks' to the woman and dejectedly left.

This wasn't… her fault was it…? Did she cross a line she had no idea existed? Was she too excited about him proclaiming them friends that he decided to flee Liyue entirely at record speed?

No! Her inner voice snapped. Don't think like that! He was so happy when he touched your Vision, remember? He wouldn't leave so suddenly- gotta have faith!

Remembering that- and Yanfei's own encouragement from the day prior- was all she needed to calm down. Still this was a big problem! If he was in Liyue, but hadn't been to Wanmin or the hotel, he had to be outside the city! With hillichurls and smiles and geovishaps! The number of places those dangers lurked was in the hundreds! To use an expression she heard from both Xingqiu and Mr. Zhongli, locating him would be 'finding a needle in a haystack'. She couldn't just rush in blind, something was needed to narrow down the range…. Ooh, or someone! Who always watched all of Liyue, inside and out, like it was their duty…someone like Xiao~!

….But Xiao seemed kinda busy these days. According to Hu Tao, he was 'always at Lumine's beck and call~'.
So the next best thing was the Millelith guards!

Sadly though, her lunch break was gradually vanishing… she could get Gouba to fill in for her normally, sure, but not on such a short timeframe now; that'd be just unfair. A great new plan quickly developed in Xiangling's mind- she would talk it over with Gouba after work, and tomorrow she would go out there, find you-know-who, and drag him back to Liyue Harbor! And so she went back to Wanmin, optimism renewed, blinding smile insuring no one who saw her was any wiser~

"Stay safe, please…"

"Piii…."
"Come on Gouba! Pleeeease?"

The first snag was hit that night, rather unexpectedly too. She knew the Stove God would have issues with what her plan entailed, chief among them being the target.

"Look, I know you've always been wary around him, but he might be in danger!"
"Piii~?"

"W-well, n-no, I don't have any proof, b-but it's just weird! Remember the last time he went off alone?!"
"Piiii! Pi-piii!"

"Uh, respecting his privacy IS important, I know that, but…"

Oof, that was an angle of attack she didn't consider- was she being too overbearing…? What if it really was no big deal and he just stepped out for a day or two? Her friends did that all the time- heck, Lumine's entire life seemed based on that concept!

"Pi!...!"
"H-hey, don't talk about that…"

Xiangling could feel her fire start to diminish…

-Only to come back red hot not two seconds later, furiously shaking her head.

"You know Gouba, you kinda owe him one. And me!"
"Pii?"
"Don't play dumb~ You set his head on fire! I had to jump on him to put it out! Remember!?"
"Pii~pii~pii~!"
"Hey, it's not funny mister~!" She never thought about it before, but it's kind of lucky he still stuck around after that- though considering it was HIS fault they were both soaked to the bone in the first place, she'll just call it even.

"Look, one day; that's all. I'll go out and look, and if I can't find him by the end of tomorrow, then I'll be back no problem!"
"….Piiii…."
"If you agree to look after the restaurant and Dad while I'm gone, I'll- oh! I'll give you an extra-large helping of dinner for the next week~!"
"…Pi~"

"Aw thanks Gouba~! You're the best friend anyone could ever have! Now make sure Daddy knows where I've gone if he asks!"

Pun unintended, she pulls the bearish creature into a bearhug. Meanwhile the Stove God in question just kind of gives up with a weary noise, agreeing to go with her plan through an affirmative hum.

"Don't worry so much~ I know what I'm doing~!"

So convincing Gouba altogether amounted to a mere hiccup, nothing major. After all, the two of them had spent so long together that their friendship rivaled the strongest jade. But if that was just a bump in the road, what happened next was nothing less than a complete crash and shutdown of her carefully-laden plan.

Although for this one, Xiangling wouldn't mind finding herself minding much.

As soon as she wakes the next morning, the Pyro chef immediately gets to work, gathering all of her affairs in order at home. Water, snack mix, cooking pot, and signature polearm just in case, like the previous trip. A quick visit to Wanmin is all that's left, to make sure there's nothing urgent she or her dad have to be present for… and it's while she's in the restaurant-

"Hey, am I going to get my tasks anytime soon or is that just not happening~"

…..Wait, what?
She recognizes that voice like the back of her hand!

A confident smirk!
Signature dark hair neatly combed over!
Rich brown eyes, a handsome face, and incredibly unique Fontainian clothes!

BANG
SLAM
Clatter

Only thing was that in her hasty job of fully turning around, she ends up kicking a nearby chair leg, sending it to the ground. Now seeing this horrific act of violence done on their fellow furniture, a lone table on the opposite side keenly does not do the same when Xiangling whirls into it as well, instead retaliating against the chef via a hard thump to the midsection- making her painfully double over.

"Xiangling…!"
"Piiii…"
"Xiangling! Are you ok- wait, why are you suddenly back?!"

Surrounded by father, friend, and a freaking god talking over one another in concern, Xiangling should be embarrassed- but instead shows no sign of this, popping back up to her feet, clasping the wrist in front of her, and issuing a simple order:

"Gouba, you explain everything to Dad. I'll be right back~" And as quickly as she entered, both young adults leave Wanmin, albeit with one getting forcefully dragged.

…Leaving poor Gouba alone to confront one very confused Chef Mao…

She wasn't intending to come this way, but once out of the restaurant, Xiangling finds herself heading in the harbor's general direction- despite the fact that having this guy around the area stirs up some very… wet memories. Luckily few, if any, people are out and about at this time of day, so they can chat all the want without eavesdroppers~

And BOY, does she have a lot to say to him! Starting with the most prominent thing-!

"Well, somebody's happy to see me~"
"A-Am not…!"
"Xiangling you're smiling… annnnd now your face is red-"

Ugh, you little…! C-c'mon Xiangling! Focus!
"Stop talking or you're not getting anymore food from me."

…Message sent, and by the silence from him, message received.

Ahem!

"Alright, soooo… where were you yesterday? We could've used the help, you know."

A confident smile is her answer! "Oh, I was in my hotel room, practicing for Lantern Rite!- it's less than a month way now, got to kick it into overdrive."

What?
…Wait, huh?

"In your…hotel room?" Xiangling dimly repeats.
"Yeah, sorry for not checking in, I really needed to concentrate… "

"l…Um, are you sure? Because yesterday I came by to check on you, and couldn't find you at the hotel or… anywhere."

…..

"…You…. You what…?" Just like that, the smile is knocked completely off his face, like it was never there in the first place.

"Y-yeah! I was pretty worried…. I had to check if you got sick or something, h-heheh…"

...

"Um, m-maybe you went to the wrong hotel…?"
"No, no, I saw your name in a guestbook there, swear on it!"

...

"Then….ah….m-maybe…?"

….A tremendously awkward silence erupts as both voices fade out, potent enough to make the deceased God of Salt shrivel up a second time. Xiangling searches for a sign of the fragmented sentence continuing, but finds only an aghast face on her friend, white as a sheet.

Unfortunately for him, while the younger Mao may be optimistic and innocent, she has never been stupid.

"….You're lying to me…"

Those words hit like daggers- and the subsequent whiplash into a stare back, but lack of verbal denial is an absolute hammer. But- to which one is the bigger blow dealt? The boy magician just watches, wide-eyed, suddenly sweaty, and maddeningly silent. And the girl chef's hand is now clenched against her chest, halfway trembling as she tries her utmost to maintain a steady breath. Maybe pathetic to some, but Xiangling couldn't begin to remember the last time she accused another, especially someone like-

Suddenly, a very slow, very deliberate nod comes- finally serving as an answer.

"Why would you…? What happened?" Maybe if he was behaving as normal, Xiangling would be able to go along with a little white lie, but the rate at which he seems ready to speak, opens his mouth- only to clam it shut a second later suggests that this is a serious situation.

"W-well…! …I-It's tough to explain…" Comes the cagey reply, from a person who looks like he'd rather be literally anywhere else but here.

….A possibility suddenly hits Xiangling- one that would explain the hesitation at providing an answer and clear embarrassment for the entire situation. Why is he here again? Lantern Rite. So what if- just what if- something has gone very, very wrong in terms of preparing for it? There can only be one thing that fits… A nationwide plague, whose activity spikes to take advantage of this time of year, causes her and her friends no end of grief, and who just delights in preying on good people like him…

"Hey…" She leans in to him, whispering. "Have you encountered any nasty Treasure Hoarders?"

"Huh?"

"Yeah, they just love picking on travelers! If you're being…. blackmailed by them, please don't worry! I know Keqing, she'll help out no questions asked-"

"Xiangling, it's not Treasure Hoarders. I have all my stuff, I swear."

"O-Oh." Well so much for that- she backs off quickly. "B-but then- ah, hey!" With her release, he moves back too- in an attempt to escape? She won't let- ah, nevermind …he's going slow. Not looking to run, but instead lead both of them to one of the harbor's piers. Another idea comes to her, one much less palatable this time.

"…You're not going to try and push me in again right?"
"Ha. The thought did cross my mind, to be honest."
"Hey…!"
"Don't worry, I wouldn't do that to a …f-friend."

There will be time to be happy that later, she decides, keeping an inquisitive look.

"….Look, Xiangling, I'm sorry, but I can't say what I was doing the past couple of days. Just know that I'm ok, alright?"

"No! It's not okay!" The rise in her voice stuns him, and the hands on his shoulders makes his face turn red. "This is JUST like the incident with the hillichurls! Don't think I've forgotten about you trying to run from me there too!"

"Of course I haven't! But I mean what I said back then; you had a point, and I won't do that again!"

"But it doesn't matter how you careful you are if you keep vanishing! There might be something even worse out there, so please stop doing this and just be honest with me—!"

….

Ah. She's doing it.

"….Xiangling…?"

Much like before, the contact from the chef gets undone in a split second- with arms limply falling by her sides.

"S-sorry… I'm being noisy again, aren't I!? It's okay, you can say it!"
"What do you-"
"No! No, forget it! Forget everything! W-we're friends, but that's all we are! I'm not going to follow you around or tell you where you can't go or anything like that! You're free to go- to do whatever you want- I-I m-mean, that was obvious from the start, right?, of course you are, don't get the wrong idea! I just didn't want you getting hurt or anything like that, but I will never outright stop you, so please please please don't think I'm being annoying, you mean a lot to- Ppfflllcckkkk!"

Xiangling Mao will never be able to make that gurgling-shout of surprise again for the rest of her life- after all, how often does someone get doused with saltwater in the middle of a passionate, animated rant-slash-plea? She has to immediately sneeze as well.

"Sorry." Says the perpetrator, hand soaked to the bone. "The idea just came to me, that was taking a weird turn. Bless you, by the way."

With a stunned face, liquid dripping off her nose and lips for the second time in a month- Xiangling isn't sure what to do. The apologetic attacker gives a perfectly awkward half-smile.

"Snnrk…!"
So she laughs.
A small consistent giggle.
A half-chuckle, half-cough as her body attempts removing harbor water again.
And finally, an exuberant full-body laugh, wild and free. This one proves to be contagious and is quickly joined in, and the pair of them just laugh like this for a good while, completely oblivious to any dock workers who will now find 'the youth of today' to be full of completely unserious idiots.

But that's half the fun of making a friend right?

….

"Aaahhh….." Xiangling exhales, wiping away a tear with her finger- and her face with her gloves. "Man, I really messed that up didn't I?"
"You said it, not me…. But for the record, I don't agree,"
"Oh, well that's nice to know…!"

There's some silence here, but it just feels more comfortable.

"Can you really not tell me where you were?"

"…I can't Xiangling. But trust me please, I'm not at any risk of harm. My money and my stuff are all accounted for. If all goes well though, Lantern Rite should help you understand."

"Oh? I'll hold you to that then~! ...And… as long as you're not sick or hurt, that's all that really matters~"
"Thank you, I mean it."

"Although-" The closest thing she has to a piercing gaze appears again. "P-Please don't lie to me again… Friends shouldn't do that to each other…."
"….I…I understand. And I'm sorry again."

Nodding both to him and to herself, Xiangling spins around, gives her face one final clean up, and proceeded back up to the city. Admittedly that could've gone a LOT better, but at least she got her points across. As for whether or not he'll mean the unspoken promise to not lie to her… well, she certainly hopes he will, this whole suspicion thing really sucked!

I want nothing more than to believe in you!

She had me.

She had me dead to rights.

Fuuuuuuck….!

By the grace of the Hydro Archon, what the hell is going on? Can someone tell me just why I was being backed into a corner by freaking Xiangling? Sigh… damn it, damn it, damn it! I wasn't even thinking about someone asking the hotel staff where I went- but of course I wasn't! Nobody is supposed to care enough to check that! Argh, maybe I should hypnotize the staff, instruct them to assure anybody else that looks for me…? 'Oh yeah he's here, too busy to talk though, please come back later'. Hmph, no, no, they have nothing to do with anything, I can't do that. This screw-up was all on me, as much as I hate to admit it…. Shit, why couldn't I just fucking lie?! Or just go along with the Treasure Hoarders story? Even thought of a backup tale too: 'Sorry Xiangling, I was feeling homesick. Just needed to step out for a few days.' Bam- done! Perfect, she can't disprove it- nobody could! Uggggaahhh! It's like my tongue died everytime I spoke!

Such a fucking-
No. Stop.
…..Breathe.
Ok, ok, calm down, just calm doooown…..
In…..out…..in and out…..

Yes, it's not good how you self-destructed, and it's really not good that any 'second chance' was pretty much used up right here, but everything is still playing to your hand. You aren't going to go to the mountains again, Shenhe will soon join Ganyu and Keqing as being within spitting distance of the harbor, and the Yuheng herself is getting ready to convince Ninggaung... Just need to give it a few days for Shenhe to become a local legend among the Millelith.. .and soon after we'll have unlimited access to a whopping three bombshells!

Phew…
Call that self-hypnosis, the way I just relaxed myself. Although now I don't have anything to really do-

Eh? Xiangling?

"You're still here? Aren't you coming?"
"Where?"
"Whaddya mean 'Where?'? To Wanmin of course! We'll need a lot of stock over the next month, and that means all hands on deck~"

….Heh.
There's no avoiding this responsibility is there?

"Alright I'm coming."
"Nice, thanks! …Oh yeah, before I forget, Hu Tao is going to want to speak with you. Don't really know when, but just keep a look out- you won't be able to avoid her, you know?"

"….You know what Xiangling? Maybe I SHOULD'VE pushed you in again~"
"Hey, stop being a jerk!"
"Relax, I kid, I kid! Wanna play cards afterwards though? It's been a bit."
"Oooh, now you're talking! Loser has to try the new dish we just added: From Inazuma- Spicy Seagrass Stew!"
"Of course it would be- wait, how do you manage to make an underwater food spicy?"
"…Very carefully."

I think having this change in perspective helped me write this on-time, but let me know what you think!