I shall Protect You

Trusting Advice

She continues repeating her mother's words. "I heard of the legends and thought maybe I could break the seal. I was surprised when I did". That was purely a White Lie. Ninnguang seemed to be somewhat satisfied with those words. "Hm, I see. Thank you for telling me". She nods and sips some of the drink. "Another reason why I asked for your presence". 

Lily puts her drink down. "Soon the Qixing will hold a Rite of Welcoming for the Legendary Yaksha". Ninnguang crosses her arms. "Once the festival begins, I fear there may be some who seek to find his whereabouts".

Ninnguang looks towards her "I ask you to please guard the Legendary Yaksha on our behalf". Lily was stunned by that. Although she had always secretly protected Xiao, she was never asked by someone other than her mother to do it. She nods "Of course". Ninnguang lightly smiles "Thank you". After more talking, Lily leaves shortly after. 

She returns to Liyue Harbor. That person raised more questions for her. Maybe asking someone who's knowledgeable about it would help. She knew one person in all of Liyue could answer her questions: Zhongli.

Already in Liyue Harbor, it wouldn't be difficult to find him. Lily begins by looking around. After a little while she finds him at a restaurant. Zhongli was sipping tea while listening to a man speak. Lily walks up to him and tries to grab his attention but is stopped by her mother's spirit, who floats up to him. 

Guizhong embraces him in a hug as Zhongli feels her presence but doesn't react. Lily runs up to him with a worried look. He lightly sighs and finds a quieter place. Guizhong, who now was cuddling with his neck, made Lily's stomach-churn.

Lily rolls her eyes. "Mother, stop coddling him!". She pouted at her. 'It's been so long since I've seen Zhongli!'. Zhongli chuckles and pats her head. "It's nice to see you too, My Love. But why not let your child state why she came to me?". 

Guizhong sighs and returns to Lily. She looks at her with a concerned face. "Other people could've seen you!". Guizhong looks at Zhongli and disappears. "You needn't worry, only those who have a connection to your mother can see her". Lily sighs in relief. "Now tell me your troubles". It was like he knew!

She proceeds to tell him about the events from earlier. "Hm, I see". She was worried that Ninnguang found out that she broke Xiao's seal. "I wouldn't worry too much". He pats her head. "Humans are very intelligent and would've found out the truth sooner or later". 

She gazed down and remembered what her told her. "It's you, who decides if you could trust them or not". Lily decided to trust Ninnguang for now. She hoped her secret wouldn't go public.

Returning from a long day, Lily felt exhausted. She goes down to the lobby where Verr greets her. "How was the Jade Chamber?". Lily sat on a chair and stretched "It was beautiful". Verr smiles and hands her a glass of warm milk. Lily thanks her and slowly drinks the drink. 

They talk for a bit until Lily leaves for her room. So many things happened today making her feel overwhelmed. She yawns "Guess I'll head to bed". Lily gets ready for the night and heads to sleep.

The next morning rolls around with Lily helping in the kitchen. She helped Smiley Yanxiao to make food for passing travelers. After she was done, she left with some dishes in hand. Lily walks up to the Balcony to find Xiao. "Xiao?". A wisp of blue and green appears next to her. "Do you need something?". 

She shakes her head. "I made you Almond Tofu". She hands him a plate. Xiao takes the dish from her and enjoys the desert. While he does this, Lily checks his physical condition. He seems healthy to her. No signs of his Karma affecting him. Xiao notices her starting. "What?". She smiles "Nothing". He looks away from her "Hmph". They enjoy the morning breeze together. 

A/N: Hi Everyone! How are you guys? I've been doing fine. I have gone back to school so ugh about that. My upload schedule will stay the same for now but might change in the future. Life of a College student is hard and busy. I hope everyone understands. 

See you soon!

-Aria