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"I have to thank you, Madame Ruoxin," Innamorati started. He sat in the old woman's home at her table. Incense sticks burned atop the hutch, and the wispy smoke smelled faintly of fragrant jasmine. It was furnished in a typical Liyuen fashion, similar to the home he was renting out, only it had more of everything. Whereas Innamorati couldn't even dream of hosting a party of more than a few people for lack of chairs, a whole banquet could probably sit comfortably in her home. This was, of course, an exaggeration, as the elderly woman still lived like any other humble villager, but the fact remained that she'd decorated it well. "For leaving so much food in that house."
"Oh, no need to thank me." The old woman chuckled softly. "And please, call me Granny Ruoxin. Madame Ruoxin is far too formal."
"All right... but I still owe you my thanks."
"For the food?" An amused smirk overcame the her expression. "That wasn't me, my dear. Mr. Zhongli bought it for you yesterday, before he left."
"I... see..." Zhongli did? "Why?"
"I suppose he cares for you." Granny Ruoxin's smile widened. "He doesn't often visit Qingce Village, but now that you're here, I'm sure he'll come around more often. So don't worry, you'll get your chance to thank him soon enough. Or...!" She stood up abruptly, scurrying about her house before returning with parchment and ink. "You can write him a letter expressing your innermost feelings. I'll get it sent over to the harbor for you, free of charge."
Innamorati stared at her for a moment before looking down at the tea Granny Ruoxin had been kind enough to brew for him when he stopped by her home. As he pondered what to say in response, he took a slow sip, letting the floral taste slowly melt his icy tongue. "...I believe that you've misunderstood our relationship."
"Have I really?" Though they were behind wrinkles and smile lines, her dark eyes twinkled. "You say that, but its unusual for someone of Zhongli's status to go to such extents for lowly mortals like you and I."
"So the Liyue adepti are that arrogant?" Innamorati scoffed. Though he was surprised that Granny Ruoxin knew of Zhongli's true identity as an adeptus, he was more concerned with maintaining the impression that he was yet another lowly mortal.
"Adepti...?" Granny Ruoxin blinked, her smile fading. Then she chuckled softly. "Arrogant? I suppose that some may be, but it's understandable. Many adepti view it as a form of selfishness for a mortal to capture their interest. After all, our lifespans are much shorter than theirs, so when we die, it only brings regret and suffering. But if its the adeptus who insists on chasing the mortal... well, what can we do, hehe?"
"Run as far and fast as possible," Innamorati replied before he could stop himself.
Granny Ruoxin's eyes crinkled into half-moons. "Speaking of running, Xiao Ting came to tell me a rather interesting story."
Xiao Ting... Did she mean Li Ting? Innamorati couldn't help but roll his eyes. "That ill-behaved kid? What, did I scare him too much?" And after he'd given the child his own portion of fried rice... he hadn't eaten anything the previous night because of Li Ting's endless gluttony, and the kid repaid him by complaining to Granny Ruoxin? How ungrateful!
"Scare him? Oh, yes, indeed. He was terrified by you. Though I don't understand how you did so through that mask of yours, you allegedly gave him the fiercest glare of his life. It scared him so much that he couldn't bring himself to speak, and so he came running to me, begging me to tell you how much he enjoyed the fried rice you made!"
Innamorati hardly processed her words before he launched into a tirade of complaints. "How... thankless of him. Did his parents never teach him manne - what? Oh."
She smirked slightly. "That being said, he seems to get along quite well with Xiao Xue. I saw the two of them playing together yesterday."
If "Is that so?" He didn't fully understand why she was telling him, but he remained polite. Speaking of polite... behind his mask, Innamorati frowned. "Granny Ruoxin, I actually have to leave, but thank you for the tea."
"Already? Goodness, young people are always in such a hurry." Despite her words, Granny Ruoxin didn't seem to mind. And so he left after properly expressing his gratitude, and headed up one of the surrounding mountains. The climb was hardly difficult, and he actually quite enjoyed the fresh and crisp air. Once at the top, he found that he was fully alone, free to admire the scenery at his leisure. And so he stood at the edge of the mountain, arm folded comfortably behind his back as he stared into the distance.
Though, that didn't last for long once a familiar blonde came behind him. "What are you doing in Liyue?" he asked, his voice just as cold as Innamorati remembered it to be.
The masked man smirked slightly, not bothering to turn around and face the blonde. "You're not the first to ask me that. Is it really so hard to believe I'm on vacation?"
"...Vacation?"
"Never mind that. The real question is, what are you doing here...? Your Highness."
If he noticed the obvious mockery in Innamorati's voice, he didn't bother to comment on it. "My sister has finally woken up from her slumber."
"Ah. Your comatose one?"
"Yes, and she's already messing everything up."
"Well, aren't you such a great brother."
"She's coming to Liyue next, and I want you to keep an eye on her for me... Innamorati. Keep her out of danger, but don't let her mess things up. And also... don't tell her anything about me."
"You want me to actively manipulate her? Who do you think I am?" His tone was mostly joking, but the prince didn't seem to take it that way.
"Figure that out yourself."
Immediately, Innamorati's expression soured, the reminder of his lost memories unwanted and unappreciated. But when he turned around, the blonde was already gone, leaving behind only his bitter words floating in the wind.
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its been almost a month (?) since i updated, and i have 1 reason for it; school. i've been completely swamped with homework ever since it started, so updates will probably only be on the weekends from now on. it's been really bad actually - i've been skipping meals and losing sleep just to get homework done. that's probably why i almost passed out yesterday, but whatever.
that being said, good luck to everyone who has to attend school as well!
