Love Me.

- 6 -

"What brings you here all of sudden?" the lady asks.

"Lady Ningguang, you are the one who gave me the privilege of working outside Liyue." Yelan sweetly states as she walks closer to her desk. "Furthermore my presence here is for the annual report for duty."

The lady nods her head once in understanding. "Please state your report."

"I am here to report that Lady Ningguang has not been eating well and huddled up in her room for countless days."

Ningguang frowns at this. "What a pointless report," she says straightforwardly. "Where did you hear that from?"

"Please, Lady Ningguang, it is very evident. You should know by now that the entire harbor watches you."

The lady is aware of this and so she simply let out a small sigh. "Care to explain?" Yelan awaits her.

"I do not need to expose my private life to others," Ningguang strictly says. 

"You don't need to be so cold," Yelan says, feeling hurt inside. "I am not just others."

"You are working for me now," the lady reminds her. "We keep it professional. You are not someone special to me."

"Was calling me special a lie before?" Yelan leans over the lady's desk. The woman looks deeply into her eyes. "What happened to that little spark we had?" She lowers her voice.

Ningguang blinks, breaking eye contact. "Yelan, this is not the time and place to talk quite unprofessionally. We are in my office." It's obvious that the lady wants to avoid talking about it. "Besides, everything that has happened in the past shall remain in the past."

"You haven't changed one bit," Yelan acknowledges. "You're still that same Tianquan I've known for years." The woman gives herself a comforting smile. 

The lady clasps her hands on her desk. She is getting impatient with Yelan. "Well then," she begins. "Is that all you would like to report? If so, you are dismissed."

"Oh, Lady Ningguang," Yelan says with a seductive tone. "How serious you are."

Ningguang furrows her eyebrows. She is beginning to feel annoyed. "Yelan, you are distracting me from my work. Get straight to the point. What is it that you want?" 

The lady knows something is up since Yelan is staying in her office longer than usual. Not only that, but she keeps shoving her with nonsense.

"Lady Ningguang, I want nothing but simply your attention." Yelan lays her hands on top of the lady's.

Ningguang snatches her hand away. "Yelan, must I remind you? You had the chance in the past to make things right. Yet, here you are as if you're asking for another chance?"

Yelan lets out a low chuckle. "Look who's talking about the past now."

The lady is not having it. As much as she doesn't like talking about it, she spits it out. "You very much know why it didn't work well for us," she hisses.

The short haired woman pauses for a moment to think. Her face is suddenly serious. "I know." She looks straight into her eyes. "And for everything, I am sorry. That's why I came here. To beg for a second chance. I am willing to do anything for you."

Ningguang scoffs. "Do you even know what happened to me? The reason for me not taking care of myself? So you're just going to take advantage of this fact?"

"Lady Ningguang, I don't know what you're talking about," Yelan tells her directly. "So, would you like to tell me what happened to you?"

The lady stands. "It is none of your business. And I reject your proposal. Please leave my office. Only come back when you have a real report."

Yelan persists. "Lady Ningguang, there is not a single day where you have never come across my mind."

"Yelan, if you do not–"

"I was a fool for not taking things seriously. I regret every moment where I messed up." 

"Leave or I will call my guards."

"Call them." Yelan says. "Take me away. Send me away. But my heart will always remain in one place and it is where you are."

Ningguang closes her eyes and takes deep breaths as she thinks. "Go. Or I'll fire you."

"You know that I'm the best one," Yelan says. "You need me, Lady Ningguang. For the sake of Liyue."

The lady is beginning to have a headache. "Please leave." And she doesn't say anything after that.

Yelan remains silent and stands in front of the lady for a few seconds, with her eyes trying to read Ningguang. With nothing else coming out of her, Yelan eventually leaves her office.

The lady opens her drawer and reads a short old note from the captain. She needs comfort.

"She says her heart will remain in one place and it is where I am," Ningguang whispers to herself as she feels the note. "But for me, my heart will remain for you." She touches Beidou's initials at the end of the note.

I am pathetic, the lady thought.