UNNOTICED 🌖 (Xiao×Venti)||Genshin Impact

Savior

"So Xiao, why do you have these red marks on your neck?", asked Hu Tao who had noticed them in the morning.

The school had ended and all 6 of them were walking out of the class when Hu Tao suddenly asked the question.

"Its an allergic reaction to eggs", replied Xiao. Of course he was not gonna tell them how he actually got those scratches.

And no one doubted him. Except Venti.

"Eggs? But he bought eggs himself with me a few days ago. If he was allergic to eggs then why did he buy eggs?", Venti thought. But he did not say anything.
"Xiao must have his own reasons for not telling us. I should not ruin the atmosphere"

"I actually have been wanting to visit the cider lake. Wanna go together tomorrow?", suddenly suggested Aether.

"Cider Lake? Why?", asked Venti.

"Come on. For fishing of course!", he replied.

"Tomorrow is Saturday."

"Ya and we don't have school so-"

"Then its settled!"

"I will not be able to go", suddenly said Ganyu.

"Why not?", asked Hu Tao with a sad face.

"I have a lot of work to do at home. And I have promised my grandmother to help her out in the shop tomorrow. I really would love to go along with you all but I will have to help granny."

"I see...", said Aether reluctantly.

"You all should definitely go. Don't worry about me.", Ganyu said.

That was when Lumine came to join their conversation. They all finalized their small little trip to Cider Lake, sadly without Ganyu. But everyone else agreed to go.

"You will come right, Xiao?", asked Kazuha.

"I can come", he said.

"Then let's meet at Cider Lake tomorrow. At 10:00 a.m.", said Lumine.

Everyone went back home after that.

The next day:

Surprisingly, Hu Tao was the first to arrive at Cider Lake. She made herself comfortable and sat in front of the lake on the soft green grass as she stretched her legs.
"The sky is bright and clear! Just the perfect day for Fishing!", she shouted by herself. The cool breeze blew her hair everywhere.

"I was not expecting you to be the first one to arrive"

Hu Tao looked up and saw Xiao.

"Heh? I was not expecting you to arrive right after me either", said Hu Tao with a smirk.

Xiao sat beside her on the grass and made himself comfortable as well.

"It is not 10:00 yet. I left early cause I had nothing else to do", he said.

"Hmm. I came early cause I had nothing to do either.", said Hu Tao as she gazed at the four little ducklings playing in the water. She saw a fifth duckling all alone behind the cheerful group.

"Ao- Hu Tao!"

"Huh?", Hu Tao's eyes were so intensely  fixed on that little bird that she could not hear Xiao calling her. "Oh... I spaced out. What is it?"

"A worm"

"Huh?"

"There is a worm climbing on your hand", said Xiao.

Hu Tao saw it and smiled. "So what? Its a harmless worm"

"You are not afraid of worms?"

"Nope. Are you?", she asked with a grin.

"Of course not", Xiao replied.

"Hehe... but if you see a worm climbing on a girl's hand you gotta remove it and not tell her about it. Not romantic at all", she said with a smirk.

Xiao turned his face away on hearing her.

"So then Xiao, when are you going to tell Venti?"

"Tell him what?"

"That you like him?"

...

"Hmm? Xiao?"

....

"Hello! Can you not hear me anymore?"

Xiao was way to flustered to speak. His ears and face were so noticeable red. Hu Tao simply smiled at him. "So you do like Venti "

"I! I don't! What even made you think that!?", he said all flustered.

"Come on. Don't deny it. Yesterday you even called him pretty "

"That... that was... just a slip of tongue ", he mumbled with his lips pressed.

"Don't lie. The way you get all red and flustered whenever you are around him is way too obvious. Although boys are kinda dim witted when it comes to noticing these things.", she said.

"As I said, I don't like him. Don't get the wrong idea. And he is a boy"

"So what? There is nothing  wrong with liking a boy. Venti is prettier than most beautiful girls out there."

"... what about you?", suddenly questioned Xiao.

"Me? What about me?"

"Is there anyone that you like?"

"Hmm... Of course ", said Hu Tao with  grin.

"Who is it?"

"Let's just say that there is someone I like and keep it at that. Don't worry. It is not Venti."

"I was not worried about that..."

"But I will say, if you cannot make Venti happy, don't even think about asking him out"

"Like I said, I-"

"Venti... is my savior."

Hu Tao's sudden words made Xiao look at Hu Tao's eyes. They seemed different somehow as she spoke. Different from her usual cheerful self.

Her eyes had a noticeable sadness buried deep within as she spoke.

"You see that little duck over there? The one that's all alone. That was me a few years ago. Ever since I saw a kid, other children have always avoided me because my family runs a funeral parlor. I had no friends. They used to call me creepy and stayed away from me. But when I met Venti, he was the first person to become my friend. He showed me the brightest sky ever. He showed me such bright smiles and gave me such happiness. If it wasn't for him, I would've been the gloomiest person on earth. And then eventually I met Ganyu, Kazuha, Aether and Lumine. They were all willing to accept me just as I am. And now I have met you as well."

Xiao listened to every word she spoke with his eyes fixed on the little duck.

"Xiao... if you like Venti, then you must take good care of him and love him more than anyone else. Or else I won't forgive you. I will never forgive you if you hurt him.", Said Hu Tao in a serious tone.

"You don't have to worry about me hurting him. I don't like him. So rest assured "

"Huh... boys really are dim witted", she said and sighed.

"Oh! Hu Tao and Xiao are already here!"

Both of them turned around and saw Aether and Lumine coming with a bucket and 2 fishing poles...

"Its just 10:00. You both came early huh", said Lumine.

Hu Tao jumped up from the ground. "I was getting bored at home so I came early!", she said with her ever so cheerful smile.

Almost as if the Hu Tao that Xiao was speaking to was someone else.

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