Chapter Text
This feels.. lame.
Yanqing liked to live his life full of quiet action. So, colour him surprised when Jing Yuan pressed him about who his valentine was. He acted patient and confident, saying no one. He was sure that anything stimulating would come this day. Of course, Jing Yuan sighed in disappointment. Stating that 'he needs a successor for my successor', a whole lot of whack in his eyes.
So it ends up with him doing not a lot of things that day. Unless you count eating cake, eh.. nope, helping a granny with a cat stuck on a tree? A little bit, and waiting at the laundromat, urm, alright then. Safe to say nothing happened.
As always, when the sun looked like it was about to fall, it was his cue for some swordsmanship training. He started swinging. And moving his feet around. And spinning around his sword in flair.. which was not interesting at all.
He drops himself alongside his sword on the grass, sighing at bored frustration. He closes his eyes, trying to dream of anything that could salvage this boring day the very least.
Suddenly, he heard near-silent steps walking through the grass. For a while, he couldn't care who it was, until the rhythm stares sounding.. familiar. It were the bare feet of someone, and he only knows one person that wouldn't have the decency to walk without any sort of protection.
"What're you doing on the Luofu?" He asks of Yunli, a small stimulation, but he was lying if he wasn't a bit curious however.
"None of your concern."
He scoffs, fair enough. "And what are you doing here?"
"I had some free time. I might as well visit you. I don't have many mutuals on the Luofu anyways."
"How'd you know I was here?"
"Where else would you be?" She shrugs, "You're here all the time. Besides, I don't even know where your house is."
Instead of kicking him in the thigh like a football, she sits down and glares at him worriedly. Weird. Has the time apart changed something in her?
"What's got you lying down like this?"
He keeps quiet for a bit, leaving her on edge.
"Valentine's, I suppose."
...
"What'd she do?"
"Nothing; as she never existed. Today was just a boring day."
She releases a loud sigh, "I thought someone had actually gathered the strength to confess that they liked you."
"I don't like distractions. I'm most likely going to be the next General of the Luofu which means I'm going to be alone."
"You're like Jing Yuan's son, don't you know that?"
"I probably already am, in soul."
...
She's acting.. soft. Strange.
"How's action been since I left?"
"Terrible. No one gives me the satisfaction of beating them like I do when I beat you."
"You've never beaten me." She responds almost immediately, "And you'll never beat me."
He stands up like a robot, finally thinking of something to rescue this unbelievably memorable day.
"You up for a spar?"
"No."
...
"What?! When have you ever said no before?!"
"I don't want to hurt you, Yanqing."
She squints in anger, "Are you underestimating me you punk?!"
"Nope."
He struggles to come up with words, before giving up entirely. "I.. um.." his mind goes into vertigo, but.. it would be interesting to see what she'd be acting like outside of sparring. Especially in this brand new mood swing she's in right now. "Fine. I didn't even want to spar anyways."
"Just kidding." She says the humourous words, with a face full of devoid humour.
"Not. Funny."
...
"It wasn't. Just changed my mind."
What in the world is wrong with her today?
As he throws multiple swords onto the Yunli's own Old Mettle, she jumps out in surprise at him. She goes for a leg sweep, and it works as he falls down.
His head is mere inches from the monstrous blade. Her face would usually be blaring with joy, but.. it's still devoid of the antagonistic warmth that's usually in her. What happened to her, genuinely?
"You hurt?"
...
"What's wrong with you, today? Why are you so.."
She cuts him off, offering a hand to raise him up from the floor. "-Different?"
"Precisely! Why?!"
"Answer this one question, then."
What is it now?
"Do you want to be my valentine?"
...
Yunli was sure that's the longest second she's ever been through.
"Why does that matter to your mood?"
"Well, I have to respect my valentine, don't I?"
True..
...
He hesitates, before mouthing "What choice do I have? You've already acted this way, it's not I can back out now."
Finally, she smiles. "Great. Happy Valentine's. Expect regular Yunli to reappear tomorrow, if I'm still here."
"I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing."
...
"Want food? You'll pay since you care about respect today specifically, right?"
"I've said what I said."
He giggles, and inside, he laughs. I don't know how much longer I can handle soft Yunli. New Yunli is not for the faint of heart.