[Xingqiu x Chongyun] Lost For Words☆

𝕏𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕢𝕚𝕦

Razor, Bennett and I were rushing towards the harbor. We had spent so much time on lanterns that we nearly for got the reason we were making them.

"Let's make it to the front Xingqiu!" Bennett points ahead, with Razor leading the way.

People had already begun to release their lanterns.

Looking around, many people were gathered. Couples, children, friends, and families, they were all happy.

"Look!" Bennett shouts, stoping us.

We all look up and stare in awe at the mingxiao lantern, beginning to lift into the air.

"Com'on, let's release ours Razor!"

Everyone was happy.

I mean, I'm happy to be here too. Razor and Bennett are having fun, I'm sure Hu Tao an Xiangling are doing well too.

But what about Chongyun?

"Book?" I hear Razor call.

"Huh, Yes Razor?" I ask him.

He hands me a candle.

"Bennett can help you light your candle." He points.

I tilt the candle towards Bennett as he proudly uses his vision to light the wick.

"Not bad huh." He proudly smiles.

"Not at all." I laugh.

He turns to Razor, asking what their wishes should be. "We're sharing a lantern after all! We should make ours together!" due to Bennett's many failed attempts in the end.

Razor agrees as the two continue to talk.

"How About- oh! We could wish for something like..." I look around once more, holding my lantern in hand.

'Does Chongyun have one?'

I look towards Bubu Pharmacy, hoping to get a glimpse of a lantern in the distance, but there was none.

'If he is still there... he shouldn't be alone.'

Was there still time?

"Xingqiu, what are you gonna wish for?" Bennett asks me.

"I'm... not sure, but you two should just wish together." I suggest to Bennett.

"What no, we're friends, you should wish with us." He protests.

"No no no." I refuse. "Plessy allow me the honor of being a third wheel."

"Xingqiu-" that's all Bennett manages to say before turning a bright red. "That's not- you shouldn't-"

"It's fine." I laugh. "I have someone to see anyways." I slightly nod my head towards the Pharmacy.

"Meeting with Chongyun?" He asks.

I had told them that Chongyun would be busy with exorsist work and couldn't join us, so why would he...

"I said he'd be busy, do you-"

"He's who you were talking about in Mondstadt right?" He laughs. "When we he joined us to Wanmin, all he ordered was cold noodles. I remember you saying that part back in Mondstadt. It was a bit weird, so I remembered. You know?"

"Huh, yeah." I stand surprised by his memory of that one night.

"I... should be going now." I begin to back away. "You two have fun." I wave to them through the crowd as I begin to leave.

I try and run as fast as I can, while preserving the flame on the lit candle of my lantern, trying my best not to run into other Liyue citizens and travelers viewing the Rite.

As I grew closer, the crowd dwindled with very few people scattered here and there.

I continued up a flight of stairs which lead to something more of a dirt path with scattered stones, as I begin to hear the water of a running waterfall up a head.

I soon see Chongyun, looking up to a lantern, assuming he had just released.

"Goodbye." He says.

I step onto the bridge and tell the lantern he sent off "farewell." Waving it goodbye.

I seem to startle Chongyun as he turns around and steps back a bit.

"You wre saying goodbye to your lantern right?" I try go laugh, but it seems my exhaustion had caught up to me.

"I suppose I came a bit too late to release lanterns with you." I say laughing again at the lantern in the sky, and the one within in my hands.

"Xingqiu..." he says, stepping back to where he was.

'I'm glad I was able to see him in time'

"Hey Chongyun." I smile.