Work Text:
It’s been three days since Verr Goldet has come out of her room.
Ever the attentive husband, Huai’an has brought meals to her every day, checking in and making sure she’s still eating and drinking and sleeping when she can; but the inn is worried. Without their boss, the inn lacks a certain life and rigor to it, the strong hand of a leader to make sure it runs as smoothly as a celestial wheel. Yanxiao runs out of carrots and snaps at Jiangxue, who rushes to buy some at the market and forgets that they needed his fish for the day, which forces Huai’an to go convince the area fishermen to give him some and leave the top floor guests unattended for a precious half hour. Though Verr Goldet knows none of this, when Huai’an comes in to bring Verr Goldet her dinner, he looks frazzled and tired, something that startles her out of her intense concentration on the latest surveillance project given to her by Lady Ningguang.
“Are you alright?” she asks when she catches sight of his weary face.
Huai’an chuckles. “I should be asking you that, dearest,” he responds, setting down chopsticks on a delicate holder shaped like a crane. “How is the project going? You have been at it for a few days now with no rest.”
“Everything’s nearly in place,” Verr Goldet replies, gratefully accepting the food and touching his hand gently as thanks. “The last few agents should be setting up camp tonight by the Dragonspine border, and will be receiving their orders tomorrow.” She wipes a hand across her brow, sighing deeply. “Hopefully everything goes smoothly.”
“So, your work is done.” Huai’an looks at her for a moment, seeming to ponder something, then smiles and kisses her head. “That is good to hear. Rest well, dearest. This husband will see you tomorrow.”
“ Hao , goodnight,” Verr Goldet responds, fond, and curious now what the pause was for. She soon forgets about it, though, as she dives into her dinner - là pork and rice, with a bowl of tomato soup - and returns her mind to funds and sentry placements.
--
A cycle of the sun later, Verr Goldet is signing off the last few permits and notices when Huai’an enters her room again, just like the evening prior - except he doesn’t hold any tray or cup in his hands.
“Oh? Husband, hello.” She looks up from her work, greeting him with a smile. He touches her cheek with a fond look. “Is something the matter?”
“Actually, I wanted to show you something,” Huai’an responds, a cheeky smile on his face. “Come with me?”
Verr Goldet hesitantly puts down her pen. “I suppose I can finish this tonight. What’s wrong? Is there something for me to tend to?”
“Yes, only you,” Huai’an says, but his serious tone is belied by the creasing of his eyes. “It’s serious.” Doubtful but curious, Verr Goldet allows him to take her hand and lead her downstairs, already running over possible problems in her mind. But what greets her is not a stray spirit, a broken faucet, or a room in flames - instead, an array of vibrant colors and smells assault her senses as soon as she enters the kitchen.
“What-!”
Huai’an laughs, face glowing in the golden light of the kitchen. “Surprise,” he says, kissing her cheek.
“O-Oh,” Verr Goldet says, entirely at a loss. Her hand is slack in her husband’s, eyes scanning the room in shock. “Er- is this… is it for… are we having an occasion of some sort? Is someone visiting?”
“No, no,” Smiley Yanxiao says, emerging from the back with a platter of sautéed shrimp topped with scallions and ginger, normally downturned mouth in a lopsided grin. Yuhua follows with a large bowl of steaming hot rice, holding it gingerly with two fuzzy oven mitts. “It’s for you, lady of the house. Eat up. You’ve been working hard.”
“I see,” Verr Goldet says. The entire room has stopped in their motions to welcome her in, waiting for her reaction. After a pause, she sighs and brings a hand up to her forehead, shaking her head ever so slightly and smiling. “You all didn’t have to go to such lengths for me. I’m only doing what I’m supposed to.”
Jiangxue the fisherman gestures to the seat across from him, chuckling. “And you’re doing an amazing job at it, dàjiè. Come, sit and eat! I caught this one.” He points at the boiled tilapia proudly, earning an eye-roll from Yanxiao, who mouths Well , I cooked this one.
Huai’an ushers her to the proffered seat and she sits, still in awe at the feast before her. All for her?
Her husband, ever so attentive, seems to sense her hesitation. “It’s all for you, my plum blossom,” he says fondly, laughing when her face flushes at the endearment. “You do so much for us all - we wanted to show you you’re appreciated. The head of our inn - no, of our family.”
“Our family,” Verr Goldet repeats slowly. She ponders those words - a ragtag bunch of workers recruited to participate in missions that are secret even between them, without family or friends, in the middle of Dihua Marsh, in an inn with no guestrooms but plenty of guests. Yanxiao reaches over to spoon stir-fried tomatoes and egg into her bowl, while Huai’an pours her some of their finest silver needle tea and kisses her cheek in plain view of everyone else. As she accepts the food being heaped into her bowl, cheeks pink, a figure swoops down and lands soundlessly behind the chair across from her, accompanied by the scent of qingxin and a fresh breeze. Wei the cat bounds down after them, curling between their legs with an aggressive purr.
The Vigilant Yaksha of Wangshu Inn settles into his chair after removing his mask and stuffing a bouquet of hastily picked glaze lilies into her hand. “Thank you,” Xiao says, curt, genuine. “For everything.”
Verr Goldet finally exhales the breath she’s been holding, a smile settling on her face as she accepts the flowers, letting the atmosphere of the dinner flow over her. “Our family,” she says quietly, startling Xiao. Then, louder - “Thank you all for being a part of this. For all your hard work and support. You all belong here. In a- in our-”
“Our Wangshu Inn family,” Huai’an says for her so she doesn’t have to, smiling gently at her and taking her hand. “You make this place feel like home. Especially you,” and he turns to her, eyes crinkling in that fond way she never tires of seeing. The others nod in agreement - stoic Yanxiao, laid-back Jiangxue, keen-eyed Yuhua, even the yaksha and the grey cat stealing fish from his bowl. It makes Verr Goldet’s heart swell, and she’s surprised to feel tears pricking at her eyes.
“Ah- thank you, again. Thank you all,” and she can’t help but bring up a napkin to wipe at her eyes, earning fond laughter from all. “Please, let us enjoy the meal Yanxiao and Yuhua have made for us.”
“I helped too!” Jiangxue says, and Yanxiao smacks his arm. With another round of laughter, the Wangshu Inn begins their dinner, together.
--
Verr Goldet used to consider this her job - nothing more, nothing less. Falling in love with her coworker shortly before their stationing was just a bonus, something nice to keep the days from becoming tedious. And so what if she comes to rely on the smell of Yanxiao’s Jueyun boiled fish to keep her energy up through the evening, or if she looks forward to hearing Jiangxue’s vague recollections of his past? So what, if she has gotten used to helping Yuhua style her hair for important meetings, or comes to expect Wei’s furry impatience tripping her up in the hallways at night? No - she reminded herself it was work, for Liyue, for Lady Ningguang. This was temporary - reconnaissance, support for the adeptus Xiao, an outpost for agents stationed in the marsh, and further out near Dragonspine. But her enforced distance couldn’t last, not in the face of all this joy. No place could stay this cold when so much warmth surrounds it day and night.
Now, when she thinks of Wangshuu Inn, it is alight with sounds of laughter, of men in love denying it by talking over each other, of a comfortable silence enforced by a vigilant reminder of a past not too far from them, watchful and quiet over the joyous noise. Golden lanterns hang over blazing ovens, simmering with seafood and vegetables, wafting delicious scents into the kitchen where no doubt someone is waiting to feast.
Verr Goldet finds herself at the periphery of so many stories that are not hers to tell, touching the edges of ink-stained pages and closing her eyes, lost in wonder, at the magic that so many lives together conjures up. She sometimes wonders how many millenia it would take to fill a book with all of them; with every fish Jiangxue has ever caught and every dish Yanxiao has ever made and every almost-kiss between them, turned into a passionate argument; every time Huai’an touches her hand when they pass each other in the hallways, every time Wei dashes out of Yuhua’s room with a mouthful of cat treat, dug out without fail from every new hiding place the waitress can think of; every time she comes home to an archon or two in her lobby, sharing wine and oh, the lady of the house, please come join us! There is always life at the Inn, from newborn darlings to ancient beings, archons and humans and adepti and one very well-loved cat.
“You’ve turned this place into a real inn,” remarks her employer with a surprised expression when she visits the week after.
“Fronts have to be convincing,” Verr Goldet replies placidly, with a secret swell of pride.
“Well,” Lady Ningguang laughs, casting her gaze over to the vibrant figures fathered around the kitchen table, milling around the lobby, bartering and arguing downstairs, “I would say that I’m convinced.”
Verr Goldet smiles. Something alights in her chest, warming her from head to toe.
“Me too.”