𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙮 | 𝘹𝘪𝘢𝘰

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐄𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍

★ 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐑𝐢𝐭𝐞 ★

I moved into the Wangshu Inn two weeks later. I still had yet to get used to living there, but within the next week that I stayed there, I was confident I wouldn't regret my decision. I still felt like I was clinging to Xiao too much, though he said otherwise. He normally didn't like contact with people and he told me I was different, but part of me didn't believe him. However, I attempted to ignore those thoughts and focus on the happy things.

"Y/n!" Verr Goldet called.

"Hm?" I hummed. "Yes?"

"I wanted to ask a favor of you," she stated.

"Oh, sure!" I smiled. "What is it?"

"The Lantern Rite Festival is coming up," she mentioned. "And Xiao has never gone. Could you... Make sure he experiences it this time? He seems to be loosening up a bit now that you're here, so I think he'll listen to you. He's been protecting Liyue for over a thousand years. He deserves a break, don't you think?"

"Absolutely, I agree," I nodded. "I'll definitely do something."

"Thank you," she blessed. "I'll let you get back to work now!"

I gave her a small smile before getting back in the kitchen, grabbing another meal from Yanxiao and taking the elevator to the ground of the Wangshu Inn. I served the food and went back up, sighing. The journey back and forth was a bit excessive, but it could've been worse.

After I moved into the Inn, Xiao began focusing more on protecting the area and Liyue as a whole. I guess I ended up distracting him a bit, which I felt guilty about, but as long as he was okay, I wouldn't worry. 

 After a few more hours of work, I returned to my own room. Luckily, I didn't have to pay for it with mora. As long as I worked there, I could have the room for as long as I needed it. They were quite generous with that, actually. I appreciated it.

I glanced around my room, some of the space still occupied by boxes with some of my things in them. It was comforting, and knowing I wouldn't have to worry about anyone barging into my room at random also felt nice.

"Y/n."

Xiao was an exception, his presence was always welcome.

"Oh, hey," I greeted as I watched him climb through the window effortlessly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm doing... Fine..." He answered, furrowing his eyebrows.

"...Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I just... Missed you..." He muttered.

"Aww, I missed you too," I giggled.

He approached me and cautiously wrapped his arms around my waist, as if he was trying not to hurt me. I returned his embrace and he rested his head on my shoulder, letting out a small sigh. He must've been stressed.

"Stressed?" I asked.

"Yes..." He replied.

"Hm," I hummed. "Tell me all about it."

"I don't think you want to hear it," he declined.

"Would I offer if I wasn't willing to listen?" I retorted as we pulled away. "Tell me if you want to, Xiao."

"There's not much to say," he stated as I sat on the edge of my bed. "Things are different now, compared to before. I have... You... Sometimes, I feel the sudden urge to quit my duty just so I could spend all my time with you. I know I can't, but if I could, I would. It's dangerous."

"Dangerous how?" I questioned.

"I've never needed people," he started. "But for you, it's completely different. I need you, and the safety of others could be risked because of it. I don't want to be the reason more people die. I don't want you to die."

His voice was harsh near the end, but I could tell he wasn't really mad. He was worried, for me and everyone else in Liyue. He never expressed that much care for people before, but at that point it was clear he wanted them to be safe. Surely the eons of slaughter he was forced to endure contained more than enough killing.

"Xiao..." I said. "I'm not going to die, and you aren't going to cause anyone else to either. You're skilled and you've protected a countless number of people already. It's natural for humans to die, and when they do, I can assure you it won't be your fault."

He met my gaze and I smiled to reassure him, letting him know I'd be okay. He exhaled and ran his hand through his hair, closing his eyes. I hoped I wasn't causing him too much trouble. I recalled what Verr requested of me earlier and decided to bring it up.

"Oh!" I gasped, my eyes sparkling. "Xiao! The Lantern Rite Festival is coming up, right? Verr told me earlier!"

"Yes, what of it?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

"I've never gone to the festival before," I admitted. "...Would you like to go with me?"

"You know I dislike crowds of people."

"Well yes, but maybe we could find somewhere away from everyone else," I suggested.

"I highly doubt that," he shook his head. "Liyue is always filled with people. You see them no matter where you go."

"Hm..." I thought for a moment. "If I manage to make it so it's only us, then will you go with me?"

"...Yes."

"Alright!" I grinned.

"I'm not sure what you plan on doing, but it most likely won't work," he said.

"Well there's still a chance, isn't there?"

"I suppose, but-"

"Exactly!"