Chapter Text
Keqing was quite stressed, to say the least.
The Moonchase Festival would be starting tomorrow, and despite this festival being way smaller than the Lantern Rite, many of the harbor's citizens still celebrated it. This mid-autumn festival served many purposes, like serving as a way for the people of Liyue to give thanks for the autumn harvest (a tradition that would look vastly different now considering Rex Lapis' "death") and watch both the full moon and the stars surrounding it. It was also a common practice to create custom lantern designs and participate in games and events.
Of these, the Zhongqiu Yishi, also known as the "Firework and Lantern Ceremony" by most people, was the event that Keqing oversaw.
It was also the festival's biggest and most important event.
As the Yuheng, the member of the Qixing in charge of land, Keqing also had to arrange the places where the merchant booths would be placed. While she was already done with this, it was still possible for arguments to arise between two sellers about their booth placement. Also, since the festival started tomorrow, she had to organize the deliveries of the lantern-making materials to the people who signed up to get them. While both the Millelith and the Ministry of Civil Affairs handled the deliveries given to people who lived outside the harbor, Keqing had to deliver the materials to the residents of Liyue Harbor herself, which was no easy feat considering that Liyue Harbor was a large city.
However, she had thankfully finished all her work for the day, and for now, all she could do was rest. While she usually worked for a bit longer, she decided to leave early to prepare herself for the big workday tomorrow and get some sleep.
The Next Day
Keqing woke up at seven o'clock. While most people she knew woke up at this time, she usually woke up at 6:30 to check in for work early. "I must've overslept", she thought. After going through her usual routine, she went to her office, where Ganyu was waiting for her.
"Lady Keqing, good morning!" "Hello, Ganyu. Anything you need to tell me?" "Ningguang said that she wanted to tell you something, and that you should go to Yuehai Pavilion to meet her." "Alright", she replied, and Ganyu led her to the office.
Both the Tianquan and Uncle Tian, the Tianshu, were sitting down and waiting for her to come. When she arrived, they greeted each other. Then, Uncle Tian started the announcement.
"After some discussion, we have decided that you should take a break starting tomorrow and ending on the last day of the Moonchase Festival." Before Keqing could speak, Ningguang continued and said "We understand that you might disagree with us, but we think that you deserve at least a few days of rest. Also, when we brought this up to the rest of the Qixing, they agreed with us, noting how you didn't even take a break once during the Lantern Rite earlier this year." Considering these words, Keqing said "Ok then, you have a point. I'll arrange for Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi to do my work in pairs, with both Huixin and Ganyu coming to help when they can." Both parties agreed to these terms, and once she approached Ganyu and notified her, she left her office at Yujing Terrace to start her work for the day.
As she left, she wondered about what she could do when her work was done. She needed to do something to pass the time anyway, and she would probably regret agreeing to the deal if she just aimlessly wandered around Liyue.
Suddenly, she remembered.
The last time she met Aether, the traveler from a foreign land who had saved Liyue from Osial, she had encountered a problem related to her work that she could only solve with help from someone who had experience in things like adventuring. Once they solved it, he helped her with things related to land and real estate, which led them to find an Abyss Order stronghold that was under Liyue Harbor itself. After defeating a dangerous Abyss Lector, they managed to foil an Abyss Order plot that would corrupt selected individuals living in the harbor and turn them into Abyss Mages. Whether this was because they were short on mages, they needed more help, or some other reason, they didn't really know. Either way, they were just glad that they caused the Abyss to abandon both their plans and the area. Once they finished that, they said their goodbyes, and Keqing promised Aether that she would agree to his request and take him for a peaceful walk around Liyue Harbor.
Once she remembered this, she decided to approach Aether and tell him about her break from work.
"Thank you for completing today's commissions. Here is your reward. Have a nice day!"
Aether accepted the rewards, and after placing them in his backpack, he approached the stairway to exit the Adventurer's Guild building. On his way out, he saw a familiar face. Paimon, his flying companion, was the first to recognize who it was. "Oh hey, it's the Yuheng!"
"Hi, Keqing! Is there anything you need help with?" "No, not really. I just wanted to tell you that my colleagues decided that I should take a break. I won't have much to do when it starts though, so maybe we could go for a walk?" "Sure!" "Alright. I also wanted to let you know that I'll still have some work to do, as I'm the organizer of this year's Zhongqiu Yishi. If that's a problem, just let me know."
"Oh, it's fine. I'm okay with accompanying you for your work. Also, if you don't mind, can we celebrate the Moonchase Festival together?" Aether nervously said. Thankfully, Keqing agreed. "Sure! My break ends on the last day of the festival, so I wouldn't mind if we celebrated together. It would be quite enjoyable if I could experience the festival, I've worked so hard to organize it after all." With their agreement in place, they headed to the location of the firework and lantern ceremony.
When they arrived, they saw that the stage was almost completed, and they also noticed that the bags of lantern materials were right beside the stairs. Immediately, Keqing and Aether started their work. After taking note of the placement of the chairs and testing the lights for the system, they checked if the firework machines were operational. Once that was done, they went to a nearby table and took note of the places where the Millelith would be stationed to escort people watching the show.
After a quick lunch, they then went to get the lantern materials. After Keqing gave a set to Aether, seeing as he was also included in the count, the two started distributing the materials. However, as they reached the middle of the harbor…
"Huh, that's strange. My bag's ran out of sets, and we're only halfway through." Aether said. "Same here." Keqing added. "I think we should go back to the stage." "Agreed. My conclusion is that either we forgot some of the materials, or someone stole them.
They then went back to the stage. While they tried looking around, it was to no avail. After their search, Paimon told Aether "Ok, so since the bags aren't here, they were probably stolen. Aether, use your Elemental Sight to look for clues!" Aether used his elemental sight, and after looking around, he eventually found something. "There seem to be some traces of Hydro and Cryo on the stage. Also, I noticed that there's a spot with a broken glass shard here."
"Aha! So, looks like the materials were stolen! But by who?" Paimon exclaimed. Aether observed "Well, the presence of Hydro and Cryo prove that the people who stole it can manipulate the elements. However, if it were an Abyss Mage, they would be caught easily, and none of the Hydro and Cryo vision wielders would even try to steal such an important thing."
"Considering that this case is quite difficult to crack, we should seek out help." Keqing said. "To start, we could look for Yanfei. Maybe she could figure out who was behind this." "Agreed, Keqing. Also, if things go horribly wrong, we can ask her for advice."
They went to Yanfei's office. After waiting for her to complete an appointment, Yanfei greeted them. "Hello, Aether and Lady Keqing! What do you two need from me?" Aether explained the situation to Yanfei, stating that the lantern materials were stolen, and they needed her to help find the culprit. "Okay, let's see. Judging by the elemental traces you found, it seems like some Fatui legionnaires entered the city and stole the materials. Also, it is possible that a Treasure Hoarder potioneer accompanied them, judging by the Pyro mark and broken glass."
"Interesting." Keqing remarked. "I've never seen the Fatui and Treasure Hoarders cooperate before. Yanfei, if you don't mind, can you accompany us as we look for them?" "Sure! This is also the first time I've seen this, so even though this isn't really a case that requires a legal advisor, I can assist you in your negotiations with them." Aether and Keqing thanked Yanfei, and they started their search.
After they left Liyue Harbor, Aether used his elemental sight, which led the group to Guili Plains. "This should be the place." Aether said, and they split up and searched the general area. Eventually, Yanfei saw what appeared to be a camp, and they approached the area quietly.
In the camp, there appeared to be two people talking to each other. From their hiding spot behind a bush, they could hear their conversation.
"Look at all these Plaustrite Shards! The boss will be so happy, we can earn major profit from this!"
"Yeah, this will teach those big shots in Liyue Harbor to never mess with the Fatui again!
At that point, they exited their hiding place and attacked. Even though both the Treasure Hoarder and the Fatui Legionnaire sent backup, they managed to immobilize the group, with Keqing landing the final blow by using her Starward Sword burst. Once their fight ended, they confronted the two.
Paimon was the first to speak. "Caught in the act! Now, what do you have to say for yourselves, huh?" Aether added "Hand it over, or else we'll do this the hard way." The Treasure Hoarder angrily replied "What do you need it for? We were going to give it back anyway after we sold the Plaustrite Sh-" "You can't. Those materials are meant for the people of Liyue. The Moonchase Festival is starting tomorrow, and if you sold those, we would be forced to go back and mine more, causing a huge delay. Surely, the citizens of Liyue would get extremely angry if they found out that the Fatui, who had recently attacked the city, stole the materials?" "And who are you, acting so high and mighty? The Fatui Legionnaire complained. "I am the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing, Keqing."
"T-the Yuheng?" "Quick, let's get out of here! Give them the bags!"
"Wait." Yanfei said, assertively. "What?" "We'll only let you go if you agree to our terms. Let's start with you." Yanfei pointed at the Fatui member. "Are you aware that it is illegal for Fatui to enter Liyue with evil intent, and that all Fatui should state their intentions to the Millelith upon entry? This law was implemented just a month ago and will only be enforced for one more month." "What? I've never heard of this before!" "Alright, but tell me. Are you in cahoots with the Treasure Hoarders?" Yanfei asked. "Be honest." Aether said. "If we find out that you're lying, Keqing and I will report you."
"Ok, ok, fine! I'm part of a group of Fatui that split up from the main group of members stationed in Liyue. We were extremely mad that the Fatui had given up on attacking Liyue after the Osial attack, so we joined together to plan something. In our plan, Liyue would see us as its supreme authority after the death of its god. Along the way, we joined some Treasure Hoarders who could help us do this."
"Hmm, I see. Now that you know about this new rule, sign this contract." "What does it say?" "It says that in order for us to let you go, you have to break up your group. If we find evidence that your group and the Treasure Hoarders are still cooperating, we're calling in the Millelith to arrest you." Left with no choice, the Fatui member signed the contract.
"And as for you…" "What is it?" The Treasure Hoarder potioneer asked. "Do you promise to never steal the property of the Liyue Qixing again?" "Yes, I do." The Treasure Hoarder said, still disappointed. "If that's the case, then the two of you can give us back the materials and go. If you break this promise, you will be arrested as well." They both gave back the materials, and after Keqing and Aether got their bags, they thanked Yanfei. The group then went back to Liyue Harbor, and after saying goodbye, Keqing and Aether distributed the rest of the lantern materials to the civilians.
As they went back to the area where the stage was, Aether heard someone saying, "Try out the new and improved Illumiscreen!" Interested, he and Keqing walked towards the booth.
"Oh, our defending champion's here! Do you want to participate with the Yuheng? Trust me, it won't be as easy as last time now!" Brother Qian said to Aether. Aether then asked him "What are the new changes?"
"First of all, we picked locations where there are no monsters, and should anything pop up, we've placed people to defend the participants and record the results. Also, this time, the game is more focused on puzzles. Since the puzzles will be quite difficult, you must join as a pair. This time, there are two parts. Since it isn't the Illumiscreen without the lantern puzzles, they're done every night, as usual. However, the pairs will race to complete these puzzles, and whoever finishes them first receives a bonus for the main part of the Illumiscreen, the Illumiscreen Treasure Hunt. This event takes place on the next day, and here, you will have to race another pair to unlock the treasure chests, and the first one to unlock the chest wins the first round. After waiting for four other pairs to compete against each other, the winners of the first round will race again to unlock two treasure chests. The first pair to unlock the two chests becomes the winner of the day's treasure hunt.
"Interesting. Keqing, do you want to join?" "Sure, let's go."
Brother Qian then told them "Sign up here, you'll be the fourth group to race."
Once they signed up, they waited in an area where you couldn't see the lantern puzzles. When they were called, they went back to the booth.
Aether and Keqing were able to work together on solving these puzzles. The shape being formed by the lanterns resembled a Silk Flower, so after experimenting with the lanterns, they started moving the lanterns to project that shape on the map. Aether was able to position the first lantern in place, while Keqing turned the third lantern so that the Silk Flower shape would be projected when they turned the middle lantern to the right. However, as they turned that last lantern…
"And we have a winner! Please go to the counter to claim your bonus: a shortcut to the treasure location!" Aether and Keqing had solved the puzzle, it seemed, but they weren't quick enough.
After shaking hands with their opponents, they walked away from the area.
"Well, looks like those other guys won. Either way, we're just entering for fun, so it's okay if they got an advantage." Aether remarked. "Agreed. Besides, if we work together, we can outplay our opponent. We can think of a strategy tomorrow."
"Anyway, it's been a long day. Aether, do you want to join me and find a quiet place where we can relax for a while?" "Yeah, sure!"
After their quick search, they found the perfect spot: a bench near the entrance of Liyue Harbor which was placed inside a small opening in a mountain. A lamp was placed on top of the cave.
"Looks like we can stay here for a while." Keqing remarked. "I agree. I think the view from here is pretty good. You can see the many ships that come to the harbor, as well as the clear, blue sea."
After those observations, they sat down beside each other.
"I actually am quite familiar with this place." "What do you mean, Keqing?" "As the Yuheng, one of my main duties is to inspect the land in Liyue Harbor and see if anything needs to be repaired or renovated. When I did this for the first time, one of the places that I first examined was this exact area. While I did notice that the color of the bench was starting to become dull, I decided not to note that down, as it gave the area a vintage feel. However, some of the plants were starting to wilt, so we thankfully were able to get it fixed. "Hmm, let me guess. After that, you went to this place regularly, right?" "Yes, you are correct. One of the things that I love about this little area is how no one passes through here in the night, so whenever I'm finished with work, I often sit down here to collect my thoughts. Actually, I'm surprised that I didn't think of this place sooner."
"Oh, I see." Aether replied, as he quietly yawned. "Keqing, I'm quite tired. After all, it was a busy day for us, and we ended up doing so much." Keqing nodded in understanding, then said "While it is a lot to take in, this is just an ordinary day for me as a member of the Qixing. As you probably already know, I strive to work ten times harder than the average person. While I know that many people don't really like me, considering my opinion on the gods, all I want to do is to ensure that anyone living in Liyue can live a peaceful life no matter what comes their way. Also, on busy days like this, having you by my side just makes everything a lot easier. Whenever you're there, I feel more motivated.
"Yeah, I understand that. I also get really happy whenever we're together… wait, what are you doing Keqing-"
Aether could only silently gasp in surprise. As the purple-haired girl put her head on Aether's shoulder and fell asleep, he could barely see a faint smile form on Keqing's lips.
Aether, of course, immediately got flustered. After thinking about it for a while, he decided not to wake her up, as he didn't want her to get mad at him for "ruining the moment…"
Wait, what was he even thinking about, anyway?
Settling into a comfortable position next to Keqing, he felt a warmth in his heart as he also drifted off to sleep.