Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

I

Monday was about to start, but it was already a gloomy beginning of the week. A group of fluffy grey clouds covered the azure sky. The typhoon season had started, but nobody required that. Primarily a single mom who was slowly riding through an avenue, recalling that she cleaned her car only the day before.

Ningguang pulled the car into a parking lot in front of the private Liyue Kindergarten. She laid sight on her watch, checking how much time she has until the first business meeting. She could have sworn that the hands of the watch moved incredibly faster.

A soft rain was tapping on the vehicle. Before she could start lamenting about how foolish it was to clean her black Mercedes a day ago, a quiet wail, with a sniff followed, caused her to turn around. She faced a brown teddy panda with some navy blue bangs from behind. Gouba was almost Ning’s second child, who would protect her daughter from her whenever she was in trouble. Speaking of her child, Xiangling was all on nerves since she had to move to another group. The girl wasn’t the best at making new friends. She was always in her small world, with Gouba by her side. The usual spot you could’ve found her was a small toy kitchen with plastic Jueyun Chillis. The hobby could have been unusual looking at her age, but Ningguang always tried her best to support the girl. Although, she wasn’t the only one. 

Xiangling and her bestest friend Hu Tao, like children, found out that going to the kindergarten’s real kitchen was a brilliant idea. Everything would be fine if Hu Tao didn’t bring three other kids and close one of them… in the freezer. Everyone knew the girl was famous for her pranks, and teachers were more cautious towards her. Xiangling, on the other hand, was a well-behaved child. Ningguang tried to teach her manners and respect. Even though her personality was a little perky, she knew how to act. That’s why Ning couldn’t believe it when she got a call from the daycare.

Thanks to the Ningguang’s influence, the principal moved them to another group. Hu Tao, however, received a three-day suspension. That was the businesswoman’s influence as well. Ning has never liked that girl. Not only she took Xiangling into her problems, but she also made her girl cry. Countless times.

The logical thought was to forbid Xiangling any contact with that weird girl. And Ningguang wished for that badly, but children had their ways of escaping prohibitions. Especially since Hu Tao knew how to do that, which worried the single mom. The latter was convinced that her girl was showing the impact of a dangerous influence. At some point, she couldn’t understand why girls kept playing with each other. While Hu Tao pranked Xiangling almost all the time, the second girl got tired of it. But oh well, kids described logic differently.

“Xiangling,” Ningguang sighed, reaching for the small hand on Gouba’s tummy. “Look at me.”

The girl silently obeyed—a slight pout formed on her lips when her sight finally met with her mother’s. Ning sometimes felt that her daughter feared her. Xiangling hardly ever grumbled or whined. Obeying was almost her second name. It was weird for the mother. In the past, she handled kids with any problem. They have liked her, even though her mystery aura could scare them. She thought that since she is her mother, there was no way that her girl could be scared. They’ve rarely argued because Ningguang didn’t want Xiangling to feel gloomy. She really wished her to have a better childhood than what she had got. Her smile was the most precious one, and she knew it was her duty to protect it.

“It’s going to be okay, honey.” The rain tapped louder. “I’m sure that you know some of those kids from the playground.” 

Xiangling swallowed her tears in the response. Her weary eyes wandered to the building in front of them. The small hand squeezed the bigger one.

“I don’t wanna go.”

A deep sigh escaped Ningguang’s lips. She was in a big hurry to make it on time for her meeting. There was only one way to convince her daughter, which could hurt her schedule a bit. 

“Then let’s try this. You will go today only to check. If you can behave yourself, we can cook together later.” 

Cooking was something that Xiangling would never miss. They’ve made themselves some kind of routine, that every weekend the evenings were spent in the kitchen. Occasionally, they prepared breakfast together, but most of the time, it was only Ningguang who would cook. She wasn’t the best, though. Her dishes were always simple and easy to prepare. But when they had enough amount of time, they could’ve spent a whole evening cooking. Something was amusing about making the recipe into an actual dish.

“Today…?” Xiangling smiled weakly. 

“Yes, today. Maybe even tomorrow if you can be a good girl for me and go without tears in your eyes.”

Ning chuckled when the girl vigorously wiped her face. Convincing was easy, but finding time for the promises was not. She was worried that the work would drown her to the point that Ganyu would have to pick Xiangling up. Even though the secretary was even busier than her, she could do way more things than her. 

The tapping sound from the windows moved to the small, orange umbrella. Ningguang once tried her best to paint Gouba’s face on it for her daughter. Xiangling never was a big fan of rain. It could be easily proved just by looking at how clingy she was to her mother. Squeezing Ning’s hand, her sides glued with woman’s hip. The toy tightly hugged to her chest, not letting any water near them. Her mother only smiled, seeing the reaction—she also wasn’t very fond of rain.

The daycare always looked different. Each week the corridors had been displaying newer and newer works. Sometimes photos, or letters for parents. Of course, they were pretty simple but still cute. Secretly, Ningguang was taking pictures of Xiangling’s art pieces whenever they were on walls. In her opinion, that was embarrassing. She could never handle those moms whose social media were screaming with: ‘hey, my kid breaths, so you have to see it!’.  The daycare’s group chat (because, of course, they would have to need one for some strange reason.) was full of people of that kind.

Her mental hand blew away that thought as she went inside. A sweet smell welcomed the two girls. It seemed that lifted Xiangling’s mood, who happily took off her coat. Ningguang took a few guesses and got to the conclusion that the lunch had a sweet dessert that day.

They were about to make their way to the small lockers since there was no sign of any teacher at the horizon. But someone was faster.

“Good morning~!” A quirky voice snapped through.

A tall brunette dashed to them. A simple red apron covered black turtleneck with dark jeans. The left side of her face was covered with bangs. Rest of the hair was in a high, long, and messy ponytail. She wore a confident and enormous smile, beaming with energy. Her body was muscular—it was very noticeable through her clothing. Hands were covered with pink band-aids. Ningguang wasn’t sure if the woman was a preschool teacher or maybe the gym one. Despite the overwhelming enthusiasm, Ning had to admit that the teacher looked friendly and… cute.

“Good morning.” Xiangling was the first to greet back. She wasn’t taken aback as much as her mother, who was standing surprised. Maybe it was because her morning coffee was left on the kitchen’s counter. Her brain was working with some delay. Recalling the other woman’s face was her main priority.

“In which group are you?” The brunette bent down to the Xiangling’s level and sent her a warm smile. It was smaller than the previous one. Probably to don’t scare the little one.

The girl became a bit shy and ran to Ningguang, hiding in her thighs. Both adults chuckled, which gave the girl a slight blush.

“There was a small incident, and she got moved to another group. I suppose it’s number four?” The businesswoman stepped back, lifting Xiangling up. The latter found a comfortable place to bury her face in her mom’s neck. Few pats on the back, and the toddler was looking at the teacher again.

“Oh, right! I was waiting for you two.” The brunette clasped her hands together with a smile. Ning made a mental note that the reasonable tone of voice didn’t have to match the personality. “Miss Ningguang, correct? I’m Beidou, one of the teachers. Of your child’s group, of course. Come with me.”

The amount of the information was overwhelming. Beidou was speaking fast and enthusiastic. It was hard to understand anything. She could almost feel the urge of Beidou to just show herself. The other woman wasn’t a big fan of that kind of people. They always wanted to be everywhere. But oh well, she couldn’t argue. She silently walked after the brunette, blinking with disbelief.  She needed coffee badly.

Reaching the destination, Xiangling jumped off her mom’s embrace. She paced slowly to the door and curiously looked inside. A few children were playing on the carpet, building construction from colorful blocks. On the toddler’s face, a smile appeared. It seemed that she knew the kids, which gave Ningguang a sigh of relief.

“You must be Xiangling, right?” Beidou said, leaning down a bit. She decided to make a bit of space between them. She really tried her best to get Xiangling’s trust. At least it was what Ning thought. She was sure that the girl will run to her again, but instead of it, she looked at the brunette, giving her a nod. “Welcome aboard! I’m captain Beidou.”

“Aboard?” Ningguang didn’t hide the surprise of the weird welcoming.

“Each group has a different motive. Ours is like a pirate crew. We weren’t sure if it was okay to put it, since it can be violent, but kids here are on their best behavior.” Leaning back, Beidou explained, giving a wide smile. She was somewhat getting on Ningguang’s nerves. She understood that kindergarten teachers had to be friendly, but that much? The brunette was almost dripping with positive energy.

“But I don’t want to be a pirate.” Xiangling pulled the red apron a few times, getting the attention. Ningguang was questioning the sudden change in her daughter’s attitude. Did she perhaps miss something while raising Xiangling? She could swear the girl was always shy with adults.

Beidou softly chuckled and gave another smile. A reassuring this time. “Oh? Then who do you wish to be? We have a princess, a lawyer, a musician, so you can be everything.”

“A chef!” Without a drop of hesitation, Xiangling replied proudly.

Ningguang felt slightly left behind. She could admire the scene when her daughter was getting a small sticker with some character that she didn’t even like! Even Ningguang got from her daughter a scolding that it’s not okay to like that character. But Xiangling took it indifferently and gently stuck it on her cardigan. That was… unbelievable. A wave of jealousy faced her when a sweet laugh came out from the toddler’s lips. She couldn’t follow what was going on since the only thing she had in mind was screaming: You evil…

It has to be said that Ningguang always had a problem with communicating. To be precise, with showing her emotions. A mystery aura was beaming from her whenever she was around. She didn’t mind that at first, but when Xiangling came to the world, it happened to be a problem. Of course, the woman tried her best to create conversations or show her daughter affection. But it seemed to be not enough judging by the fact that sometimes they could spend hours in silence, cooking or watching TV. Ning liked spending time like that, especially with the girl crawled on her lap, but she needed more. She was thirsty for Xiangling’s chuckles. How come then other adults could make her laugh that easily? So no wonder why she was jealous. Even the businesswoman wasn’t surprised by her emotions.

With that, Ningguang decided to shorten that hurtful scene. Bending next to Xiangling, she turned the gaze toward her, correcting her cardigan. “Alright then, I will be going. Remember what you have promised me, okay?” She forced herself to give the brightest smile she could possibly show, even she hardly was opening her eyes.

“Yes!” Throwing her arms to her mother’s neck, Xiangling exclaimed. “Bye, mommy.”

Ning answered with a gentle peck on the girl’s head and sent a reassuring smile. Xiangling only picked Gouba from the ground, and waving vigorously, she found herself among other kids. The businesswoman followed her with sight, to sigh relieved after. Deep inside, she felt a wave of proudness, seeing how her daughter started playing with another girl. The unknown child had a very calm expression on her face, which was a relief for the single mother. She prayed to the gods, hoping it wasn’t another Hu Tao.

“Don’t worry, we will take good care of her.” A pat on Ning’s shoulder woke her up from the worries, only to drive into another. Her body stiffed underneath the influence of touch. Beidou’s strength was something different, and Ningguang guessed that the teacher didn’t even pay attention to that. She got on her nerves already.

Her brow twitched, but she remained silent. There was no need for being rude through the words, even though she wanted to be. Instead of it, Ningguang slowly took off Beidou’s hand from her shoulder. She gave a simple bow and left the daycare only hearing the clack of her heels.

Oh, how I hate those people…

-o-

A quiet apartment in the business center of Liyue was filled with the sound of boiling water. Its kitchen, at that time, had a maze from pots and pans with two girls beyond it. Compared to the rest of the flat, the kitchen was the smallest. Barely could fit the adult only. It had some kind of window but without the glass. Ningguang ordered breaking that part of the wall herself, which allowed her to look at Xiangling whenever the girl was playing in the living room. Those moments were rare, of course. The toddler was always following her mom to the kitchen. She even got a personal apron with her favorite character on it. Gouba was everywhere. Even when they were cooking, he was sitting on the worktop looking at his owner. In secret, he sometimes scared the adult.

The two of them were standing in the kitchen (Xiangling on the high stool), hair tied in buns, apron on their bodies, and hands busy with peeling green beans. Xiangling happily was taking off the skin and placing the seeds in the small bowl. Ningguang, on the other hand, was lost in her own thoughts, recalling previous events from the day. Her eyes wandered from the beans to her daughter, who hummed a song from a TV show.

Ning was still shocked how she found her girl among other kids when she came to pick her up. The plastic kitchen was left behind. Instead of it, the room was filled with her daughter’s laughter, probably caused by the teacher called Beidou. The car ride back home wasn’t silent like usual, but Xiangling talked a lot. About her new friends, the activities, or how awesome was the new teacher. Ignoring the last fact, Ningguang was very proud of her daughter. She gladly listened to the whole story, remembering all the names, facts, and events, trying her best to keep up with everything. It felt weird, the sudden change wasn’t planned at all, but that was the miracle of living. Everything was unexpected, and nothing could be predicted with a full guarantee. Thus, she had to accept it, and she did with a small smile.

Then another thought came, making the single mom feel a bit guilty. In the back of her head was the chance that maybe it wasn’t a change in her daughter’s behavior but maybe the lack of time they’ve spent together. Willy-nilly, she was a businesswoman, and her free time had its own schedule. Sometimes one of her secretaries had to pick Xiangling up because she was under a ton of paperwork. When the work reached its end, her daughter would usually drift into a sweet slumber. That’s she tried to compensate it with cooking or playing on the weekend, but it still felt it wasn’t enough. Ningguang was her only relative, not to mention her biological father, who never seen his own daughter. It was hard to reconcile work and family at once.

“Mommy,” Xiangling waved the bean pod and Ning’s thoughts with it. “I can’t peel it.”

The woman blinked several times blankly, trying to get back into reality. She looked at her daughter and replied with a simple ‘hm’ to get the question again. Xiangling only pouted but eventually repeated herself, placing the pod in her mother’s hands.

“Here you go.” Ning opened the pot, leaving the pleasure of removing the seeds to the toddler.

Xiangling’s eyes shined as she placed the last beans in the bowl. “Thanks!”

Eyes focused, with a small pout, the girl rinsed them gently. Ningguang had to secure Xiangling from behind, who was too concentrated on her task that she didn’t mind swinging stool. The woman rested her head on the smaller one, closing eyes with a long sigh. The work took its toll by making her drained. Well, she had a long talk with one of her acquaintances. Apparently, he was yet again without any money and came to complain about it. She was pretty sure that he just came by for a tea break, but it ended up like always.

Xianlgling suddenly moved her head, causing Ning’s chin to fall down unexpectedly. “Am I doing it right?”

“You’re doing great.” Ningguang smiled helplessly, placing a small kiss on the top of Xiangling’s head. The girl giggled happily in response, moving closer. The woman raised her brows, surprised. Maybe Xiangling was actually giving her a lot of laughs, but she was too busy being worried. Instead of looking carefully, she decided to call herself a failure pushed by perfectionism. What did she expect herself to see when she was closing her eyes?

Ning chuckled to herself and lifted Xiangling to face her properly. She softly pecked the girl’s forehead and brushed their noses together. “Oh, you have no idea how much I love you.”

In the end, she was able to hear a lot of giggles from her daughter.

Chapter Text

II

The Friday sun was bidding a farewell, hiding behind the sealine. A few of the last rays desperately struggled to break into the room. With success, like always, they disturbed the businesswoman, who was in the middle of filling the last records. Ningguang has always cursed that she got the office on the west side. If not for the pleasant warmth from behind her back, she would order better curtains a long time ago. But in addition, whenever Xiangling had to stay here, she loved to look at the sunsets. Besides the toys she had to keep for her daughter, sunsets were another form of entertainment. Well, it was enough for the little girl, who hardly ever complained about being bored. Ning thanked the gods for the best daughter she could ever imagine and her three secretaries who would always help her. Let’s be honest—nobody wants to stay at the Friday afternoon overtime.

Well, they would have been free, but there was no sign of the last client on the horizon. Zhongli, because it was his name, was like a living mystery. Everything was unexpected if it came to him. Sometimes he would wait for Ningguang to end her meetings, but sometimes she was dozing off while waiting for him. To be honest, the word ‘client’ was too beautiful to describe him like that. He had to come to get a proper scolding from the administration. Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was missing a few tax records. Not to mention that he was missing some payments. Ningguang almost felt bad for Zhongli. They have been friends since high school. Despite his eccentric attitude, she found him amusing, especially when he would run up to her, asking her to lend him money for the vending machine with his mystery and confident smirk. As if she would give him any! Still, as much as she liked him, there was no way of escaping the law. And she was about to make sure of it.

The businesswoman would usually let Ganyu take care of it, but the secretary was back in her apartment, preparing for the usual meeting with Ning. When the workweek wasn’t too rough, they would meet for tea at the end of it. Well, alcohol wasn’t the best idea since both of them had to take care of kids.

The clock was ticking, pushing the time forward slowly. Ningguang now was vigorously typing on the computer’s keyboard, looking at her daughter from time to time. The latter was busy with a coloring book, sitting politely on Baishi’s lap. Who would have known that one of the secretaries could be a perfect nanny as well? Xiangling was okay with any of them as long as her mother was on the horizon. When Ning had an urgent call to pick up or visited another office, the toddler would follow her. Not that she would mind. She considered that as a rather cute thing. However, it could have been troublesome. Food seemed to do the trick, so Ningguang kept some snacks on her desk.

The click of the door interrupted the silence suddenly. Three heads moved up in unison, looking at the entrance.

“Miss Ningguang, these are the records you have asked me for.” Baiwen softly said, entering the room. The clacking sound of her heels filled the quiet space. She made her way to the white-haired woman, placing a small white folder in front of her. The secretary looked like she wanted to say something else but only sighed and nodded to herself. Ning accepted it with a simple thank you and moved her sight back to the monitor again. She was in the middle of necessary research, with an emphasis on the two last words.

While they were waiting for Zhongli, she searched for the unusual teacher on the internet. To be fair, she felt like a stalker. It started with just checking basic information about her, like the education (which she couldn’t find actually) but ended up knowing that Beidou once won a drinking contest. Every second made her worry even more. Who hired an alcoholic to work in the kindergarten? Her eyelids were blinking faster and faster, reading articles about how much she could drink. Ogling Xianling from the corner of her eye, she observed small hands clenching a crayon. Was it okay to let that crazy woman take care of her daughter?

She clicked on the kindergarten’s page, checking the section with teachers. With a bored sigh, she scrolled through it, stopping on Beidou. An energetic, funny, and charming teacher—she could’ve read. Nothing more. Well, that was weird. 

It was reassuring at some point that there were three teachers per one group. Information about them was more extensive. When Ningguang was about to click another article, she heard Baiwen’s voice once again. This time she was the only one who looked up. Xiangling was too busy explaining Baishi Gouba’s family tree. Ning chuckled, seeing how lost the secretary was. 

“Miss Ningguang.” The businesswoman raised her eyebrows, focusing on Baiwen. “Mister Zhongli has arrived.”

“Wonderful.” A happy sigh escaped Ningguang’s lips. She stood up, taking the white folder in her hands along with the phone. It caught Xiangling’s attention, who suddenly jumped from Baishi’s lap. Ning knew what was going on and had to change her plans a bit. “Please tell him to wait in the meeting room.” She added, receiving a simple nod.

When the secretary disappeared from the horizon, Ningguang allowed her daughter to climb on her knees. The girl sniffed and peered up. The mother smiled and ran her skinny fingers through the blue locks.

Raising a kid was a small test for her. Children were unique. They thought differently. Sometimes Xiangling was full of energy, forgetting that her mom exists, but somedays she would practically glue to her parent, not choosing to let go. Patience was the key, and luckily Ning had it. She tried her best at raising her daughter, giving her those things she didn’t have in her childhood. Strict parents never gave little Ningguang the attention the kid needed. That’s why when she got older, she tried to don’t make similar mistakes. If she followed their morals, Xiangling would be too scared even to approach her. 

“It makes my heart flutter that you want me to stay.” She paused for a moment, leaning down and tucking a strand behind Xiangling’s ear. “But someone is waiting for me. And it’s urgent. After that, we are free to go.”

“...” The girl muttered something, pressing her head against the crook of Ningguang’s neck. Of course, Xiangling knew that there was no way she could go with her mother. She rubbed her small nose in there, making the older woman shiver. Ning tried her best to stiff the laugh—she was secretly very ticklish. 

“10 minutes and I’m back.” The single mom said briefly, putting the girl on the floor. “It will be fast. I promise.”

The toddler chose not to answer. She simply nodded, receiving a small peck on her forehead. A soft giggle filled the room after that. Xinangling had pressed her lips on her mother’s cheek before she ran to the Baishi again. With that, Ningguang left her office, slowly pacing to the meeting room. 

-o-

When Ningguang reached the meeting room, an almost steamy air welcomed her. Surprised, she scanned the room immediately. The blood rushed through her veins quickly, but she tried her best to remain calm. Her sight searched for the potential source of a fire, but the only thing she saw was Zhongli, fighting with the kettle. Ning ran her hand through her blond bangs, sighing, relieved. She knew he wasn’t the best at technology but didn’t know it was that much. Slowly, she took the kettle, placing it as far as she could.

“I just wished to make some tea. I didn’t know this is that complicated.” A simple explanation came through a small cloud. Ningguang cleared her throat in the answer, opening the window wide. She checked the appliance, seeing black smudges under it. 

What the hell have you done to it?

The story of how they’ve met was ridiculous, in Ningguang’s opinion at least. The middle school they attended was connected to the high school, so no doubt that Ning would visit the second part quite often. She was very popular among students from her all-known family. Paying another visit, she ran into a pretty disturbing situation. In front of the vending machine, a high boy ineptly tried to get the content from the inside. The steel box shaken countless times, as expected, gave nothing. Not knowing what to do, Ningguang wanted to escape swiftly, walking past him. The unknown boy, however, didn’t allow her to do so. He blocked the way with his body, locking the gaze on the girl. She knew his face—he was the famous ‘Morax’ of the school. He was supposed to be a very rich, handsome, and wise upperclassman. Well, she had to argue with the first fact, just because he asked her to lend him money. She wasn’t willing to do that, but his annoying insisting was too much for the poor teenager. Eventually, he was coming back for more, and of course, Ningguang never lent him any at all, but the relation between them stayed, which at first was simple, then became bigger. He was well informed and intelligent, and those two things happened to be very useful to Ning.

“Good to see you, Ningguang.” As always, in his brown v-neck sweater and matching pants, Zhongli made his way to the old friend.

“You too, Zhongli,” Ningguang said after pulling from an awkward hug they’ve shared. She smirked, closing her eyelids. Placing the folder on the table, she sat down in front of the older man. 

“It has been some time since we’ve met like this.” Her fingers tapped the surface in a rhythm. She wished to dive into Ganyu’s soft couch, drinking her favorite tea, not spending her time scolding that poor man. Zhongli looked through the window before sitting next to the businesswoman, locking his gaze on the folder. A smirk visited his face as he looked at it. Ning raised her brows in a question, but she slowly got to the point since he wasn’t keen to give her an answer. “Do you know the reason why you are here?” 

“I do. But I think it is either a mistake, or you just did not check everything.” He answered on one exhale. 

It took Ningguang a moment to process the reply. She blinked several times with a smile, looking blankly at her friend, finally letting out a soft chuckle. “Pardon?”

“Did you even check those?” 

Of course, she didn’t. She was too busy stalking Xiangling’s teacher on the internet instead of actually checking the documents she got. A wave of embarrassment filled her from head to toes. Thank gods that it was her friend, not a client. The folder quickly found itself in her hands, and Ningguang examined the charts. Everything was filled—with a delay, yes, but the content was in.

A short ‘oh’ was all she managed to say. Standing up, she looked at Zhongli, who sent her a reassuring smile.

“My apologies.” Ningguang brought the folder and its records to her chest. She walked to the window, looking at the view in front of her. “You are actually punctual with those things recently. I wonder wh-” 

“I’m back! This place is like a maze, honestly.” Zhongli was about to answer when the door suddenly opened. A relatively young man stepped in, wiping hands on his grey pants. He looked to be the same height as Morax. His shag was ginger, eyes in the color of the ocean’s depth, and a quirky smile rested on his lips. In other words, Ningguang didn’t identify him at all. At that moment, her hatred of surprises revived. Ning struggled to figure out how come he even managed to get on the business floor. Her head sadly was already spinning from the irresponsible misunderstanding. 

“And… who are you?” The businesswoman had to sit down because her legs couldn’t bear information standing anymore.

“That’s the reason why I’m able to pay in time, actually,” Zhongli said softly, closing his eyes. 

“Childe. Nice to meet you.” The younger man walked to Ningguang, sticking out his hand towards her. He gave her a smile before talking again. “I believe Zhongli has never told you about me. You look surprised.”

Ning nodded, returning the handshake. She wasn’t sure if he knew her name already or not but chose to remain silent. Instead of talking, the woman walked to the small desk, pouring water into a plastic cup. While she was getting a sip, Zhongli glanced at her with his familiar mystery aura.

“We are getting married this spring.”

She almost choked. 

Gods, she didn’t even know that he was seeing someone. When people called Zhongli a mystery, they weren’t joking, and here was the proof. Mystery aside, Ning felt a bit betrayed. Her friend was that busy to forget to tell her that he was getting married? That he was having someone? What kind of attitude was that? Maybe they didn’t see each other as much as they did before, but she still thought that some bond was between them. Not to mention that he barged days ago into her office, complaining that he was broke once again. He could at least give her a hint!

“Well, that’s surprising.” She wiped her lips with a thumb and continued. “Why I didn’t get the information sooner?” 

Silence in response.

Ningguang knew why. That was a rhetorical question. Once, she was about to be married as well. Five years before. She remembered the planning of it like it was yesterday. Three months pregnant, resting in her office but with the difference that her partner was there. Ning thought it was a good idea to make a modest ceremony, inviting family and close friends. Her fiance didn’t share the same opinion. He kept to visit her every day, no matter where she was, and showed her every idea he got in mind. Ning was tired of it, but she felt happy. Of course, she never dreamt of being a wife nor a mother, but since they’ve agreed that she would be able to work as much as she did before, she was looking forward to the birth of her baby. But somehow, the groom-to-be became a coward. Not only cheating but his running away happened unexpectedly. The businesswoman looked for him, only to get the explanation, but she never found him. His family wasn’t cooperating too. It seemed that they were dissatisfied with the sudden change of his son’s plan. They’ve disappeared soon after him. Since that, she has never attended any weddings. She would usually lie about taking care of her daughter, but the truth was that it hurt her. Ningguang never showed any proof of suffering at all, but Zhongli could read through her. The void in her eyes months after the girl was born. It was a thing that nobody would forget. 

Thinking about the past made her anxious. Those times were in the past indeed, and she lived with a conviction to let bygones be bygones. It was useless to lament about things that she couldn’t predict. That was the magic of the world, wasn’t it? Memories were sad, but they gave her an important lesson. Not only that, because she got an awfully charming daughter who became a little ray of hope. Coming back from work wasn’t the same, and she didn’t mind the change.

‘Time to move on, Ningguang.’ She thought as her legs found their way to the door. Ning wanted to run away, sit in Ganyu’s comfy apartment and watch kids playing together. She was so done with remembering her past once again. If it weren’t Zhongli, she wouldn’t even drop sweat and go back to her usual routine. But since it was her friend, the guilt would come to her every night. The urge to be on her friend’s best day won. Yes, that was the time to move on. 

“I would like to get the invite. If it’s alright.” She spoke briefly before turning to the two. Her eyes wandered from Zhongli’s surprised face to Childe’s excited one. The latter stepped forward and gave her the sweetest smile she could ever get. Ningguang took a few guesses and assumed that Zhongli didn’t want to invite her, but his fiance probably pushed the topic. 

“Of course! We will be glad to have you. The best seat is yours.” 

And with that, she left the room with a pleasant peace in her heart even though her legs were barely working from all of those surprises. 

-o-

“Mommy, come on!” 

Xiangling dragged Ningguang’s sleeve to make her walk faster. The woman was lost in her own thoughts after the whole wedding thing from moments before. The realization of missing many things, just because she thought that running away was the best thing, hit her hard. Since when she became that sensitive?—that was her question. It’s not like she was absolutely unemotional, but the emotions were supposed to be on a leash. If something was controlling her, that could be only herself. Nothing more. The only exception was her daughter. Her worries were around Xiangling all the time. That was because Ningguang never got a tutorial on being a mother. 

Well, their destination was reaching Ganyu’s apartment, where both of them could relax from the hustle and bustle of work and life. Xiangling was always looking forward to those meetings because she was able to play with her friend Yaoyao. Hence the rush. The girl decided to be independent in this matter since her parent was giving zero signs of living at that moment. Letting go of her mom’s hand, she ran ahead. 

“Xiangling, slow down a little!” Ningguang suddenly woke up from daydreaming. Her daughter was soothing to her lost heart. Especially when Xiangling was about to hurt herself because the speed with which she was running was incredible. It amazed the single mom. “You will end up falling, I swear.” 

“You should speed up, mommy! You’re slow like a snail.” The girl whined, pouting her lips.

Ningguang smiled, raising her brows. The tired eyelids were slowly covering her sight. She couldn’t admit that the only thing she dreamt of was her comfy bed. Not after the whole fuss to get in there. She can’t tell her. She only gave a tired sigh and ran after Xiangling.

“How dare you insult your poor parent like this!” 

A squeal echoed in the empty avenue. The toddler jumped with a giggle and tried to escape the chasing adult. Xiangling ran with her full speed and reached the end of the street in seconds. Like it was nothing. Ning looked surprised but tried to match with her kid, who wasn’t giving up. As a result, the girl fell, trying to turn around and ran at the same time. Landing hardly on her bottom, she let out a loud groan of pain. 

“Gods, are you alright?” A wave of panic rushed through Ningguang when she reached her daughter. The girl buried her face in the woman’s neck as soon as she was picked up. The woman’s hands slightly trembled as she gently patted Xiangling’s back. She knew it was going to end like this.

“I’m sorry.” Ning felt a muffled apology against her skin with a sniff followed. She let out a deep sigh and dove her fingers in her daughter’s hair.

Ningguang scanned Xiangling’s body looking for injuries. Luckily, besides light scratches on her palms, she didn’t find anything serious. Too tired for scoldings, the single mom only pecked her daughter’s young hands and slowly walked to Ganyu’s apartment. “Try to be more careful next time.” 

Her friend, and also the most hardworking person Ningguang knew, lived on the outskirts of Liyue. Ganyu’s flat was modest, perfectly fitting a small family in there. Xiangling spent most of her time there at some point, while Ningguang was stuck with her work. Hopefully

Reaching the staircase, Xiangling perked up, asking to put her on the ground. As always, she ran to the door. Before she could do anything, her head turned to her mother, expecting confirmation. When she got a helpless nod from Ning, her knuckles tapped on the door’s surface. Then, they have waited.

For a moment, there was no answer. The two heard some rustle and laughter—familiar and unfamiliar one. It took a while when the door cracked open, revealing a muscular body.

‘I’m so done with those surprises.’

“Oh, fancy meeting you here, Miss Ningguang.”

From all those people, it had to Beidou. In her friend’s flat. She stood in front of her in a simple reddish camisole top with matching pants. Her hair was left to freely fall on her shoulders, still with the same bangs covering one side of her face. She looked out of breath, probably from all that laughing. The teacher scanned the person in front of her and raised her eyebrows.

Ningguang’s lips parted as she was about to say something, but her voice was stuck. She came all the way from her work to rest, but no! Of course, life had a different scenario for her. Another challenge because without it, the day wouldn’t be complete. And thus, she had to face it. Or maybe face her—the alcoholic teacher.

“Come inside,” Ganyu yelled from the kitchen. “Sorry, I have my hands kinda busy right now.”

Beidou moved to the side, letting the guests step inside. She shared a quick bow with Xiangling since the latter was rushing inside to find her favorite aunt. If it comes to Ning, she tried her best to maintain a decent expression and stop herself from peering behind her back. The brunette caught that and chuckled under her breath, walking past her. 

“Aunty Ganyu!” Xiangling threw her arms around the secretary’s waist. Girl’s nose dove into her side, making Ganyu laugh. Compared to Ningguang, she was extremely ticklish.

“Hello, sweetheart. Quirky as always.” The blue-haired woman smiled warmly, watching as Xiangling rushed towards the living room to meet her beloved friend—Yaoyao. As for the five-year-old, she gave her best to be a big sister to the other girl. With Xiangling, Beidou also made her way to watch the kids. Probably her work habits couldn’t let her go. It allowed Ningguang to slip into the kitchen and face her friend. She had several questions and demanded answers.

“So, you know each other?” The blue-haired woman said with a smile. “That makes things easier!”

The businesswoman sat down on a small stool and glared at Ganyu, putting something in the oven. “I don’t think I can say that we know. What is even she doing here?” She almost whispered, making sure that the object of the conversation wouldn’t hear them.

Ganyu looked at her friend, surprised. She put her thumb between her lips as her eyes wandered, trying to find something on the ceiling. “I’ve never told you? She is my friend. She lives above. Beidou comes by to help me sometimes.”

“I’ve remembered only the one who was in the navy. Not a preschool teacher.”

“Oh! That’s because she’s not in the navy anymore. I forgot to mention that.”

They both looked at each other. Ningguang blinked several times, tilting her head to the side.

“Don’t tell me that Beidou is….” Ganyu was first to broke the silence but was quickly interrupted.

“Xiangling’s teacher? Yes, she certainly is.” Ning closed her eyes, letting a chuckle. She happened to be more curious about Beidou than before. That was a bit interesting how Ganyu became a friend of hers. Their personalities didn’t seem to match. However, she was aware that she was the last to judge that. She didn’t know the teacher at all. It was only a week based on small talks that she secretly hated. 

Ningguang stretched her arms and caught a few glares of the brunette looking at her. Privately, it was kind of amusing. People would often stare at her. She was fully aware of how imitating her look could be. The thing was that Beidou wasn’t trying to be secretive at all. 

“Tea?” Ganyu asked out of nowhere, shaking the kettle in the air and the other woman nodded as a reply.

Getting up from the stool, Ningguang made her way to the main room. It was a spacious living room. Its walls were pinkish, sometimes with glimpses of other colors from the rainbow. It has to be said that Yaoyao liked to paint. Several paintings hung on one side, leaving some space underneath for family photos on a dresser. The white-haired woman didn’t like them at first, remembering that it could be her. But then again, looking at Keqing with her baby daughter was adorable to see. The dresser had some kind of hole in it where the TV stood. The thing in the center was a carpet. A soft material that wasn’t even white as it should be. A wooden table stood on it. The businesswoman gave it once when Ganyu and Keqing moved in. She was somewhat keen on it. But the best thing was the last one. In front of the table was a couch. Ning’s favorite place from all of this. A gray sofa with giant pillows on it. She would usually dive into it, with a warm tea watching random telenovelas, with her friends. 

But oh well, that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon. The girls created a maze from blocks on the carpet making, a lot of noise to addiction, and Beidou occupied the couch. Unbearable conditions to relax. 

Letting a sigh, Ning sat down on the floor, resting her head on the couch. She scooped her knees to her chest, making a somewhat comfortable place to put her chin on. 

“Sooo…” Beidou said after a while, shifting her weight on the furniture. Ningguang wasn’t sure if the teacher was talking to herself or rather to her. Even so, she turned her head, still having it on her knees. “You’re Ganyu’s boss?”

Involuntarily Ning laughed. 

The teacher only scratched her neck nervously. The businesswoman almost felt evil for making someone feel embarrassed like that. 

“Hm, I wouldn’t phrase it like that.” She replied shortly. “But she is under my matters as well. However, I can’t say I’m fully her boss. Ganyu works for the whole company.” Beidou let a simple ‘oh’ before the other woman continued. "We couldn’t find a better secretary, though.” Ningguang felt an unexplained urge to compliment her friend. Well, she was approaching them anyways, so she used an occasion to make the secretary embarrassed. Ganyu looked cute while taking any praises. 

“Oh, Ning, stop that.” The blue-haired woman said softly, her cheeks flushed. She placed three mugs on the table and sat down between the women. Somehow it made Ningguang happy. “Speaking of which… Yao, could you bring me this purple box?” Ganyu pointed to a place next to the TV.

The girl happily obeyed, taking Xiangling’s sleeve behind her. She couldn’t leave her best friend behind. 

“If we are giving compliments, then you should know a thing, Beidou.” Ganyu took the small box from her daughter and patted her. “Our Ningguang is a chess master.”

Beidou looked at Ningguang, who was as surprised as her. “Are you challenging us to play a chess match?” 

“Only if you want to.”

“I came here to relax, not to train my brain,” Ning replied at the bizarre proposal on one exhalation. Surely, Ganyu didn’t think that she would accept something like that. Not with this exact person.

-o-

Resting her chin in Xiangling’s hair, Ningguang took a deep breath in. Her eyes observed the chessboard. For goodness sake, she had no idea that her opponent was that good. Most of the pawns were locked in the right corner, and her brain couldn’t think about any good strategy. Her mind went blank. And that was rare. As Ganyu said before, she was a chess master and losing... She never lost any match she had. The businesswoman was so confident about winning it that she completely lost track of time. Not only her daughter was soundly sleeping in her arms, but Beidou was getting drowsy as well. Keqing came back from work, Ganyu was sitting half-asleep on the couch, and Yaoyao played with Beidou’s hair. They remained for an hour like that.

There was no way she could win. Her rival quickly confronted every move that she made. Ningguang thought that it was rather interesting. Lacing her fingers around her daughter’s waist, she looked at the board one last time. Firstly Beidou only took Xiangling’s attention but now she was beating her up in a chess match. Was she angry? Not exactly. Maybe at first, she felt a mock of annoyance when the brunette smiled at her or threw some joking taunts. But through the whole game, they’ve talked a lot. Beidou was praising her daughter for being well-behaved. As she should be. But those things aside, they had a vivid conversation about her role as Tianquan, which ended up a bit harshly. Principally because the brunette had unusual insights about the law.

Ning looked up at the teacher and snorted, seeing the sleepy face. Her fingers reached for the king and silently placed it on the surface. She lost. 

“I won?” Beidou muttered through her palm that covered her mouth.

“I believe so.” Ningguang nodded her head, watching as Keqing took Yaoyao in her arms since the girl fell asleep on the floor. The apartment was filled with an uncomfortable silence. Ning looked at the wall clock. Almost midnight.

“Woah. Beidou, you can be proud of—” The lavender-haired woman wanted to end her sentence, but Ning’s tongue clicked, not satisfied with the turnout of the events. It wasn’t the end.

Beidou decided to gather businesswoman belongings as the latter had a chance to get up and get her daughter in a more comfortable position.

“Lingling, are you asleep?” Ningguang whispered a rhetorical question. Xiangling only snuggled more to her mother, completely dozing off. Archons, the woman’s heart was beaming from the cuteness that her daughter gave.

After a second the teacher came, putting the bags on the floor. She helped Ning to put her coat on and tucked the bags carefully into her arms. She had to admit—it was cute, but nothing could escape her precise sight.

Beidou left a little note in her pocket as well.

Chapter Text

III

[5 years ago, Nov 2]

“Congratulations, Miss Ningguang. Your baby is safe and sound.”

Those were the first words she clearly heard.

It was raining. Maybe that was too weak to call that rain. It was an actual downpour. Ningguang realized that minutes after the whole situation was over. Her child was finally with her. And it looked like Ning was going to be stuck with an actual person.

She hated that. Well, not really, but the adult tried to convince her she didn’t like that. The truth was different. She hated the fact that they were alone. Without the man, she was going to marry. Without the person who made her let go of her emotions from the tight leash. That wasn’t in Ningguang’s plan to happen, yet it did. And for some reason, for this damn minute, she felt happy. It lasted mere seconds. It’s gone. The happiness that seemed to stay with her forever was gone. How did this all happen?

Now she was alone.

Not exactly, but her soul felt so lonesome that it could die at this rate. Her heart was broken not into million pieces but trillion of them. Ningguang felt so betrayed, so stupid. Nobody could stand next to her when she was giving her all. Crying, screaming, begging for help. Nobody was there to take her hand and squeeze it hard. To take some of her pain away. Only her, nurses, and her child. Not even her parents, who had told her to take care of herself better than that.

‘Screw them’

Xiangling’s crying echoed in her head, but it did not bother her at all. The emptiness took over her. She could only look at the source of the sound and blink it away, moving her sight to the window.

Her forehead was sweaty. No, she was all sweaty. The simple, blue hospital robe was sticking into her disgustingly. Her body ached after the pain she went through. Literally, she could feel every separate muscle and bone. A single groan of pain escaped Ning’s lips while pushing her hips slightly higher. She gave up after a second, knowing that it was impossible to do anything. How she was going to move when her body couldn’t stop quivering.

Pressing her head back to the uncomfortable labor bed, Ningguang sighed. Her face visited a grimace as she went through another wave of pain coming from her muscles. Was it even normal? She wished to run home or go a year back in time and reconsider her decisions.

“Miss Ningguang,” a soft voice broke through the cries, which made Ning open her eyes. “Here you go.” Handling the infant into Ningguang’s arms, the nurse said with a weirdly cheeky smile. The businesswoman was puzzled. Her child was crying, despite that, the nurse was smirking. How come it was funny? But the confusion lasted seconds.

Pressing the baby into her chest, suddenly everything settled down. Xiangling, the med team, and even her. The adult looked down, and all of her fears seemed to fly away.

The time suddenly stopped for the mother.

“Archons,” Ning smiled while her vision blurred. Protective arms clutched around the small body carefully. Xiangling’s eyes were tightly closed. She kind of… looked angry. Little hands rested on her mother’s body in clenched fists. The woman couldn’t help and let a soft chuckle.

“You are so tiny.”

Now, she wasn’t alone. There were two of them. And she was going to give everything to protect her daughter. Strange but also warm feeling struck her when Xiangling moved her small head to the woman’s chest. It fulfilled the need for love. Somehow, the yearning feeling rushed across her. Maybe this whole thing wasn’t that bad. It even made her excited about what the future had ahead of… them.

Tears finally let go from Ning’s eyes. A sniff echoed with a following ‘aw’ from the nurse next to the two.

“I love you.” A tear fell down from Ningguang’s cheek. “I truly do.”

Her daughter was born on a rainy day. Ningguang was a little curious if her little daughter was going to like rain.

Actually, she was curious about everything.

-o-

The Tianquan was standing on a glass balcony.

From time to time, her bored palm ran across her hair with a tired sigh for good measure. It was strange. Having no work was weird indeed. Everything has been done. All the documents she had to sign, dealing with clients, planning the rest of the week—there was nothing to do. What was even stranger was that it was only half-past one. It was pretty rare for those days to happen, but Ning guessed that someday had to be that day. Thus, she was waiting for the clock to show the number four. For once, she could pick up Xiangling with no problems. Secretly looking forward to it.

Ningguang never wanted to be a mother. Even though she liked kids, having one for her own wasn’t her thing. Her busy schedule couldn’t fit an actual child in there. But it had to eventually.

For the first year, the businesswoman was working from her flat, sometimes being in the office. They held all the meetings with her baby sleeping next to the adult. It sure was a rollercoaster, not knowing when the girl was going to wake up. It has to be said that little Xiangling was screaming as loud as they would eat her alive. Calming her was a tremendous fuss as well. If not for the inner determination that Ningguang had, she probably would have given up. The Tianquan, although, never gave up and wasn’t planning to in the future. Even the sleepless nights, horrific cries, or sick days couldn’t break her. From nobody, she became one of the Liyue Qixing—one kid shouldn’t be a problem. 

Well, it somewhat was.

Mostly it was only about sleeping, eating, and crying, but Ningguang soon realized that the time abnormally sped up after she got Xiangling. The girl started walking. It was an enormous accomplishment for the woman to that point that she cried. The spell was broken soon after that. Xiangling was running around the apartment without giving her parent a single break. Talking added for good measure. With the busy life, Ning had a hard time connecting those things together. Thanks to Ganyu and Keqing, who already had their own daughter on their heads, she survived three years.

Of course, it still wasn’t that beautiful as it seemed to be. It was hard to count how many times she crouched in the office’s bathroom, crying herself out. Usually, it was a five-minute breakdown, and Ning was back to herself again. Besides Ganyu, nobody knew about that.

Having a title of the Tianquan made her release that she can’t show her weaknesses. To anyone. Ning had to be firm. She felt tethered. Knots wrapped up around her mind, squeezing it too tight. It drove her crazy. Ningguang had to hold her own feelings on a narrow leash. Did she like it? That was a question she could not answer. Even if a sudden worry came through her thought, Ning had to keep her stoic calm. That was an enduring part of her. Besides, it was dangerous to let her emotions in someone’s presence. She liked gossips about her, but one about her breakdowns wouldn’t be welcome.

Xiangling was a kind of release of her emotions. Her daughter was able to introduce her to quite an unusual relaxation. It was strange at first—more and more she showed concern, affection, or excitement. There was a constant need to pay attention. Which was a little different from Ningguang’s usual way of living. Her partner, even if he was loud, they sat in silence often. The woman on her laptop, her boyfriend’s sight glued with TV. Then boom! Like a bomb, everything had to take a different course. A sudden change, but warmly accepted.

Later, when Ningguang’s hands became occupied while Xiangling started kindergarten, the adult could only beg for more moments with her little daughter. Even if it was about complaining, crying, and pouting. It really could be anything. After all, she promised to do everything in her power to keep her daughter close, no matter what. Yet again, she was failing.

That was the main reason she was so jealous of Beidou.

Speaking of Beidou, or rather the note, she left. It somewhat melted the ice between them. Only a little, though—Ning couldn’t let anything more. Last time when she allowed herself to befriend some moms from Xiangling’s group… Well, they tried to make a scandal out of nowhere, just because she is a Tianquan. Besides, those people were dripping with fake energy. Everyone would feel it from near 5 meters. That was why she tried to keep everything at a safe distance. It was better that way. Nothing harmful was going to happen.

The harmful thing, though, was the thing that Ningguang had in her hand. A small bundle. A cigarette. She liked to daydream while smoking on those rare breaks she would usually take. Having Xiangling forced her to limit those adult pleasures because of her daughter’s health. And maybe hers as well, but she knew her lungs could be black by then. Well, the single mother tried her best to not smoke as frequently as she did before.

She was about to put the thin cigarette between her lips, but Baiwen opened the glass door and waved several times. “Miss Ningguang, someone is calling you.”

The light-haired woman hummed with acknowledgment and made her way inside, hoping work was going to welcome her. She really was bored.

Ning took her sweet time to sit down comfortably before picking the handset. The businesswoman looked at the crumpled paper that lay on the desk, smiling to herself. It almost felt like being a teenager again. Beidou made her day. Somehow.

“It’s Ningguang speaking, how can–”

“Ningguang! I’m passing by Liyue, and my thoughts wandered to you.” There was a quiet chuckle in between. “Any chance that my busy friend has some time to spare?”

“What great timing.” Involuntarily, Ningguang’s lips turned into a smirk. “I hoped that someone could occupy my attention for some time.”

There was one hot topic that could use some hearing.

If you wanna play again, call me. Also, your ‘serious pouts’ are cute.

–Beidou

-o-

“Serious pouts? That is slightly unfair because I haven’t seen them!” Jean’s eyes shone with amusement while she burst into a fit of giggles.

Ningguang and Jean. Women of business. Apparently, friends. Both were extremely busy but yet always had some time to spend together.

They knew each other from the economy class they took in college. Jean accidentally spilled water on their desk under the pretext of the lack of rest. The truth was different because it was Lisa’s idea, but Ning really didn’t mind that. In fact, that turned into a strong friendship for years. Besides, studying with Jean was amazing. Even after graduation, both of them called each other for pieces of advice. Not always related to business.

And here they were, about another advice. It was Ningguang’s turn at that time. The topic was: Is she flirting with me? Obviously, the answer was simple for the Liyue woman, howbeit there would be no hot material to talk to.

“Jean, please...” Hiding her curled lips behind a white cup, Ningguang examined the cafe.

The coffee shop had that homey ambience. Coffee aroma surrounded them, almost enveloping people’s bodies. Friendly chatters here and there suppressed the city’s noise. The sluggish barista was flirting with a lonely man at the bar. Jazz music calmed down those whose lives were in a constant rush. Plus those plushy armchairs. Some kids were running all over the place, the wooden floor creaking under them, but nobody minded that. That place had some kind of charm. Even when the bell chimes announcing someone coming in, nobody is distracted. Everyone is caring for their own business, sipping the finest coffee in Liyue. Because it was the finest coffee. Maybe that place wasn’t on the top of the city’s attractions since everyone was carving for the famous Yanshang Teahouse. Despite Ningguang’s status, she was keener to visit this particular cafe. After all, it was the store she could entirely visit for most of her career. The Tianquan wasn’t always the Tianquan but a mere commoner as well.

Getting back to the topic, the woman tried her best to reconstruct that afternoon’s events. Serious pouts? But what was that about? She only remembered herself to look at the chessboard and helpless tactics against Beidou. When was the last time she was that focused?

Focused, she was focused.

‘Oh, Archons.’

When Ningguang was madly focused on something, she would stick her tongue out and frown. She didn’t do that, did she?

“Ningguang, are you blushing?”

She did.

Ning laughed unexpectedly, smiling resignation. The heat from her Americano radiated through her fingers. “Am I childish?”

Her friend’s brow rose after those words. Jean took a sip from her own cup, scanning the surrounding around them. “Why would you be? I guess you like–”

“I do not.”

Yes, she didn’t like her. She couldn’t like her. It was dangerous. Plus, Beidou was annoying. Rambling about the law, thinking that she knows Ningguang’s profession more than her. And that energy of hers. It was irritating. Extraverts. The teacher was direct and bold. And, and, and… Well, Ning didn’t want to be cruel. In fact, there were some things she liked about the other woman. How excited the brunette could be and how cute it looked. The way she was interested in everything that the businesswoman said and yet had her own opinions. The perceptiveness she had was surprising. She noticed her bun wasn’t tied as usually–with the hairpin.

Maybe she wasn’t that bad?

“I think you should give her a chance.” Jean’s lips became a shy grin as her fingers cradled through her locks. Then her gaze moved to the nearest window. Her brows suddenly scrunched. “It’s going to rain.”

“I don’t know,” Ning tells her glumly before popping a caramel candy into her mouth. They had several in a small bowl on every table. She liked to take some more and bring them home for her and Xiangling. “Giving someone a chance, getting closer… Isn’t that a bit terrifying?”

“It’s the first time I see you so unsure about those things.”

The businesswoman snorted while her eyes traveled to the gray clouds on the horizon. Xiangling’s mood probably was ruined by the sudden weather change. More importantly, Jean was lying.

It wasn’t their first talk about that. Jean just wanted to support her spirit. But yes, they were in that specific cafe many times, struggling to get Ningguang out of her comfort zone. That was an actual struggle, indeed. Dating once again? Trusting someone once again? She… couldn’t do it. Six years were about to pass, and that awful man was still occupying her mind. He probably moved on like it was nothing while she was attached to those harrowing realities. The worst was that the feeling she had for him was genuine. Transient at first, but something was about him that she fell for it whole. Sinking deep into a foolish love. Devoted to a liar.

Her breath quickened, brows narrowed, and her heart was about to explode. She suddenly felt so surreal. Like she was visiting her body just to fly somewhere in a second.

Ningguang truly hated panic attacks. Mainly because he was the reason behind them. Firstly, her trust was shattered, and it happened to be her mental health as well.

“Ningguang?”

Shit, she was getting sentimental again.

Lacing her fingers, Ning squeezed them hard, feeling her nails digging into the skin. Biting the inside of her cheek, she tried to steady her breath. The next thing she knew was that Jean was at her side, rubbing her back in a steady motion.

She felt weak. She felt immature and stupid.

“Hey, Ning?” Her friend’s soothing voice broke through. “Do you want to go outside?”

The other only shook her head. Clearing her throat, she let a weak thanks and dismissed worried Jean with a small smile. Making a scene in front of her was too much. Ningguang was supposed to have her emotion on a leash. What was wrong with her lately?

“If you want to talk about that, I’m all ears.” Settling on the green armchair, Jean stated. “But I guess it’s not a good idea for now.”

“It’s alright. I’m sorry for this awkward moment, though.”

“Don’t say that. It never bothered me, anyway. Among every citizen, I know that you have several flaws, dear Tianquan.”

Ningguang rolled her eyes at that statement, which sadly, or not, was true. Jean knew her. Ning sometimes thought the latter knew her better than herself. Did it surprise her? No. Because she knew Jean in the same way.

The Tianquan thought it was a moment to move the topic from her. “How is Lisa, by the way? Oh, and how are you handling, Klee?”

Recently, her friend with her wife, of course, became mothers. Okay, maybe not that recently. Klee was already three. But knowing their schedules, three years could pass pretty quickly. Ning sometimes wondered how come her daughter was in the kindergarten when she gave birth only yesterday.

The Acting Grand Master let a helpless chuckle before starting a long ramble about how Klee is misbehaving, which was nothing new–she always was a trouble for her parents or Lisa’s charming beauty (Jean being romantic was cute).

Ningguang was listening to everything, looking at the pouring rain from time to time.

-o-

“I hate her!” Beidou scrunches her eyebrows, looking at the grey kettle. She blew several times to adjust her bangs and let a sigh of giving up.

She and her beloved friend Kazuha were having a well-deserved break in a utility room. The kids were having a nap, and the other two teachers took care of them. Thank Archons that there were four of them to take care of those children. Because if not, there was no way that she could’ve been sitting and complaining about her love life. And oh boy, there was a lot to complain about. Especially after the cute evening, they’ve spent at Ganyu’s apartment.

“Exactly two minutes and twenty-four seconds after you said that you are madly in love with her.” Kazuha checked his phone and reset the timer for the 7th time during the break. And only 15 minutes passed. Beidou’s blond friend seemed to have fun with the total breakdown that the latter was going through.

Well, apparently, Beidou was lovesick.

She was lost in her own feelings. Of course, in her teenage years, there were some stupid crushes, but never more. Believe it or not, even confessions which she always turned down. Nothing really caught her eye. Well, this time was different. Something was telling her that Ningguang is the one. And if she misses that occasion, there won’t be another chance. In addition, the businesswoman was giving her a familiar vibe. Like she’s met her before, but they both missed their fate.

“Wait, I love her, but then I hate her attitude!” Realizing what she said, Beidou turned to Kazuha with a helpless look. The man didn’t seem like he understood the sentence but nodded his head, knowing that it’s better to stay quiet.

But the sentence perfectly described what was going on in Beidou’s heart.

Ningguang was intimidating. The pale skin, perfect face, straight posture, and her eyes… Her gaze was mesmerizing. The first thing that made Beidou fall for her. Two crimson crystals, even when tired, could wade through her. The teacher could go on about Ning’s hands or the full lips she had. The way she walked and how cute she looked when focused. But that was only her appearance. Her personality, though… The problem lay in there.

She was mysterious. Even her voice was. But the cool she tried to maintain was inaccessible at times—almost grumpy. She could give Beidou the cold shoulder for no reason. Stare at her with a murderous gaze whenever she played with Xiangling (she noticed that for some strange reason). But there comes the talking part. They had a brief chance to exchange their opinions, but the talk they’ve had was more than enough. Beidou knew that even though they couldn’t agree on that statement, her interlocutor was mature. Ningguang listened to everything she had said but stated her own opinions, not fully agreeing with the brunette. Which made her mad, of course, but besides that, talking with her was… fun? Ning didn’t look like the type of pleaser, and yet their conversation was vivid. Knowing the fact that they basically hadn’t known each other, their interaction wasn’t that bad. At least, that was what Beidou thought. While she was counting on that it could make them closer, the next Monday usual Ningguang was back to herself. Only said good morning and didn’t even reply with a smile she wore that evening! Which Beidou secretly missed.

The brunette’s lips turned into a pout. This whole thing was messy.

“I don’t understand her.” She finally says after looking at the floor for some time.

Kazuha’s glare didn’t move from the phone he was scrolling through. “Why is that?”

“She just walks away every time I’m being nice. Every person who I tried to befriend wasn’t that tough. I thought I was natural?” There was a note of disbelief in Beidou’s voice. While it was correct that the woman had this everlasting charisma, and it wasn’t a problem to make a friend. But here comes Ningguang, hard as a rock. On the one hand, it was irritating, but on second thought, challenging. The teacher wasn’t planning to step back—not just yet.

“She isn’t everyone.” Kazuha crossed his legs, resting elbows on his knees. “Maybe she likes more reserved people? I mean, look at her. It’s the Tianquan or Archons know what. She may be out of your league.”

Beidou already knew that. It was just difficult to fathom.

“But we talked like two normal people. She doesn’t have the rich kid attitude. Plus, she is so freaking interesting. Besides the fact that she be arrogant at some matters, it was great to talk with her.”

Beidou let a helpless sigh, walking to the portable gas stove. She bent down, reaching for tea bags, and with a quick movement, she tossed them into two mugs. Rather than tea, she wanted to sink her lips into a cold beer. Maybe the weather wasn’t suitable for that kind of a drink, but she couldn’t care less. For her, every day was a good day to drink.

Kazuha’s chin dove into his palms as he looked with amusement at his friend. “Ask her on a date and see if she’s your type. If yes, that’s a green light. Ask her for another one.” Beidou only hummed. “You know, it’s really strong to say that you like her. It’s been only two weeks.”

“I do like her. But am I even allowed to? I’m her daughter’s teacher.” Beidou crossed her arms, not letting the other teacher win. She would probably remain like that for some time, if not a whistling kettle.

While she was pouring the water into the mugs, Kazuha turned his face to the wall, mumbling something under his breath.

“And a lovesick woman.”

But it wasn’t too quiet for Beidou to hear it.

“Kazuha.”

The brunette tightened her grip on the mugs, turning to her friend, with a deadly smile.

“You will spill the tea at this rate.” Kazuha snorts at her action. “Plus, do you know if she is single?”

“Fuck.”

“You don’t!?”

A quiet knock on the half-opened door disturbed them. A relatively tall man walked in. He had a girl in his arms that looked like she wanted to be somewhere else. Her little pout looked cute. Beidou recognized her without a problem. Only one person had two brown pigtails with flower hairpins.

“Um, excuse me.” The man sighed, adjusting the little girl he had on his hip. His shag was messy, almost like he was in a rush, and didn’t have time to brush it. In addition, he had eye bags, a creased blazer, and stubble. Looks like he was a busy guy. “I deeply apologize for disturbing you two, but I have to pick up Hu Tao earlier today. The other teacher told me that I need to report it to mister… Kazuha? I’m Zhongli, her dad.”

“Oh, yes, that’s me. I will write that on the list.” The blond teacher smiled, closing his eyes happily. He reached for some papers that lay on the boiler to write something down. Putting the pen aside, he let a quiet giggle meanwhile. “Usually, I only see her grandpa here, so it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.”

Zhongli shook the hand that Kazuha had already put out and cleared his throat. His brows narrowed, looking at the girl in his arms. She immediately hid her face in the crook of his neck. His bony fingers ran through Hu Tao’s locks.

“He recently passed away.” At those words, his daughter clenched her hands on his jacket. The teachers looked at each other, sharing a painful yet awkward gaze.

“Our condolences.” Beidou was the first to speak up. “Excuse us for touching this sensitive topic.” Kazuha nodded with agreement. He looked at Hu Tao, almost like he was about to burst into tears. Everyone knew how attached she was to her grandfather. It was painful to watch that little girl knowing her granddad wasn’t there anymore. Hu Tao was a troublemaker, but she was an intelligent child. Even though she was little, she already understood things like those.

“That’s alright. It’s not like you knew.” Zhongli assured. He scrutinized the room hurriedly before speaking up again. “From now on, I will pick her up, or it will be my partner. I hope it’s not a problem.”

Beidou wanted to say something, but a loud squeal stopped her.

“It won’t be you!” Hu Tao yelped at her dad. Small fists punched his shoulder. Perhaps she used all her strength, but it barely affected Zhongli. It looked cute. Especially for Beidou, but for the importance of the situation, the brunette tried to restrain her laughter.

“Hu Tao plea–”

“No, I don’t want to listen to you anymore!” The girl burst into tears. “It will be the awful Childe! I don’t want him to pick me up. I want you!”

The man tried to calm down his daughter with no effect. Hu Tao hardly ever cried, although when she did… it lasted for some time. Kazuha knew that perfectly. He usually was doomed to soothe her up.

It hurt to watch that scene, though. It looked like Zhongli couldn’t be for Hu Tao for most of his time. Beidou felt like her heart was aching. Those kids didn’t deserve to experience things like that.

“Please, excuse us.” Zhongli briefly apologized, giving the teachers a quick bow. He turned on his heel and left the room.

For the rest of the break, nobody said a word.

-o-

Ningguang pulled the car into the parking lot.

Her hands clutched on the steering wheel for a good minute before she let a quiet wail from her. Tears filled her eyes as her head gave up and fell limp. Gladly, the rain was on a full blast so Ning was sure that nobody will see her.

She usually wouldn’t let herself cry. She felt it was a sign of weakness. Although sometimes were days, she allowed the tears to fall down from her cheeks. Ningguang was still a human–full of emotions and memories. It was only natural that her body unwinded like that. After the long day she had, it was hard to forbid the vulnerable side to take control.

‘Screw those panic attacks.’

She wasn’t very fond of them. Who was anyway? They happened rarely, but if they did, they were intense. She had grown accustomed to them over the past years but somehow carried an enormous impact on her day later.

Ningguang took a deep breath in. There was no point to dive into that emotional madness once again. Her still shaky hands wiped black stains from her cheeks and patted them several times.

“Get it together Ning.”

Not even taking the umbrella, she ran to the building, soaked from the rain and drunk from her tears.

The businesswoman didn’t want to imagine how ridiculous she looked. Her eyes were swollen from crying. Wet clothes. Unkempt hair. She looked… horrible.

Before she could step into the main hall, someone grabbed her shoulder confidently but still light. If she wanted to, she probably could just walk away without any struggle. But she didn’t. Some inner side of her wanted to stay because she perfectly knew who stopped her. And maybe, wanted them to stop her.

“Miss Ningguang?” A whisper woke her up. Beidou finally faced her, looking at her worriedly. “Is everything okay? You look, um…”

“Terrible.” Ningguang ended up the sentence, snorting under her breath.

“Yeah. Uh, I will get you some blanket, you are trembling.” The teacher took her hand and squeezed it lightly. She didn’t move an inch, almost like waiting for Ning to approve the gesture. Beidou’s cheek visited a blush but she didn’t back up. Something charming was in that confidence of hers. Or maybe Tianquan really was drunk with her tears. 

Ning smiled and squeezed the warm hand.

“Sure, I’d like that.”

Chapter Text

Hello!
It looks like... I left this story to die. Yeah, this year for me was a living hell. I had a lot of exams to get my certificate and studying for that was extremly long and tiring. I wasn't able to finish at least one chapter because my other subjects got in my way. Finally I got some time! My summer break started only yesterday and my next year witll be breather... hopefully. I deeply apologise for that long break.

I still wish to finish this story and some next chapters will be here soon.
Please stay tuned!