A piece of us (Xiao x fem!reader)

Lantern Rite, part 2

Y/n pov:

"Hey Xiao, why don't we go out and eat today?" i asked him. He was laying down on the balcony and i stood over him.

"Why." He asked. "Well, we've been protecting Liyue so much more than necessary lately. Why don't we just go enjoy a good meal together?" I asked him again.

"I do not need food." Xiao answered.
I crossed my arms. "That was not the question though. Would you like to go eat with me today?" I asked him for a third time. Seriously, why does he have to be so stubborn some times?

He then opens his eyes and looked up at me. We held eye contact for a while.

I gave him a smile. "You never know when i'll ask again you know. Might be a few centuries." I said, trying to convince him.

He then stood up and turned to me. He looked into my eyes. "Will it be a-". Xiao tried to ask me a question but someone interrupted him, which made my jaw lock.

"Lady Y/n!" I heard. I turned to the entrence of the balcony and saw a millelith soldier panting, as if he had ran here.
"Soldier. What are you doing this far from Liyue Harbor?" I asked. I walked up to him.
"We need a favour, my lady." The soldier said.

"I see... Liyue duties are calling. Xiao, we'll have to take that meal another day." I say.

I turned to face Xiao and almost froze when i saw the glare he sent the millelith soldier.
"Tch." Xiao said and turned away from us. He walked up to the railing and disappeared.

I looked at the spot where he disappeared from. My glance slowly turning sad. He was going to say yes, wasn't he.

-

"It would be great if you would go there to make sure nothing bad had happened, my lady." The millelith soldier said.

"So they have yet to return? I see.." i said.

Apparently, the specialist of keeping lantern rite safe, took a small team to guili plains and haven't returned yet.

"I will be on my way then." I say and head over to Guili Plains.

-

As i got there i immediately noticed a hilichurl blockade with a lot of hilichurls guarding it.
I stood on top of the hill, looking down at them.

"It's a hilichurl boockade! There's so many of them..." i heard the very familiar voice say.

I look behind me and come face to face with Aether once again. "It seems like i'll end up finding you everywhere, huh Aether?" I told him.
He chuckled a little, "it seems so" he said.

"Are you perhaps here to help out?" I Ask.
"We're here to deliver a message to the specialist of the lantern rite thing." Paimon said.
"Very well then. Let's go." I say and jump down, plunging and piercing right through a hilichurl.

Aether jump down after me and we start cleaning them up.

-

When we finish we see another millelith soldier. But this one seems familiar. It's Xinghuo, the specialist. I met him last year as well.

Xinghuo told us about what happened. He then was about to walk away, without hearing what Aether and Paimon had to say. Paimon stopped him and told him why they were here.

-

So there's a suspicious person at the harbor...
Xinghuo then walked away.
"Do you get the feeling....." Paimon started to say.
"That he's not up to the task?" Aether finished.