Chapter Text
Xiangling hums a soft tune as the stovetop crackles to life. Making quick work of her fingers, she slips a small slab of butter onto the frying pan, swirling the skillet around to cover its whole surface.
Her eyes dart to the clock hanging above her. 12:47 PM. Phew, she’s right on time. Chongyun and Xingqiu should be done with their respective classes at 1:15.
She picks up a bowl of beaten eggs seasoned with pepper, salt, and mayhaps a mysterious ingredient from the forest near their university. Without a thought, Xiangling pours the mixture into the pan and lets it sit.
Chongyun has an exam today for the class he’s currently in at the moment. To help him relax afterward, Xiangling decides to cook one of his favorite dishes for lunch. She knows of his fondness for Inazuman recipes, and so she studies the nation’s most popular cuisine. Thanks to a classmate of hers, Kujou Sara, Xiangling has mastered the Inazuman egg roll. To be fair, it’s a fairly simple dish to cook, but Chongyun likes it, especially when it’s completely cooled. Seeing his satisfied smiles—ones that the untrained eye can easily miss—makes all the effort worth it.
The egg mixture thickens in the skillet. With a spatula and a little pizazz, Xiangling flips it, letting the other side cook.
Xingqiu should be in his public speaking class, which he takes as an elective. She wonders why he attends such a class when he’s, at least in her opinion, already skilled at the art. Perhaps it’s because he was already trained in the skill, growing up as the second heir to a well-known local company. A childhood of long discussions and conferences would shape anyone into a smooth talker. Sure, Xinqiu has a better way with written words, given his international success as an author, but surely he’s aware of this talent as well.
Xiangling thinks about last night when Xingqiu read a short story to both her and Chongyun. The Feiyun Guild child has a velvety reading voice, one that easily lulls his partners to sleep. As per usual, it was about a hero with a gift in martial arts on a mission to achieve something big. During these storytimes, Xiangling is always the one with the best reactions and bubbly questions, while Chongyun silently listens with a gentle smile. Xingqiu isn’t as mischievous at night, so when he attends to Xiangling’s burning curiosity, his voice is soft and sincere. She finds it sweet.
The solidified egg is transferred to her cutting board. She holds onto a knife and begins slicing the egg into long strips. Then, carefully, Xiangling rolls the thin segments to form rectangular shapes.
The island in the kitchen is already set, with three plates lining the counter. She serves two egg rolls on each platter. She also places a small dish of soy sauce in the middle.
Suddenly, Xiangling feels a nudge at her ankle, and she looks down. Guoba, their (more like her) pet dog (she likes to say that he looks more like a teddy bear), paws at her leg, flashing big gleaming puppy eyes. She knows this look. It’s the same expression she makes when she’s hungry.
“Hold on, pal,” Xiangling giggles. “I have something for you.”
She takes a leftover piece of egg from the cutting board and crouches down. With a big grin, she offers it to Guoba, who eagerly takes it from her hand. He chews quickly and makes an amused bark. It has the Guoba seal of approval.
Xiangling pets him gently behind the ear. “Don’t you worry, Guoba. I’ll fill your bowl up before I leave for class.”
Guoba seems to understand, his tail wagging excitedly as he leans further into Xiangling’s touch.
Her peace with Guoba is quickly interrupted by the front door opening and the shuffling of shoes. Xiangling’s ears perk up at the sound, and she stands up instantly.
“We’re home!” A light, youthful voice announced from down the hallway.
A warmth spreads throughout Xiangling. She watches the entrance to the kitchen expectedly, her hand unconsciously placed upon her chest. If she wasn’t so focused on the entryway, she could probably hear, or rather feel, her increasing heartbeat.
Finally, two blue-haired figures appeared in the room. The darker-haired boy flashes a bright smile at Xiangling before making his way to her. He cups her face, squishing her cheeks a bit (forgive him, he can’t help it) before placing an affectionate peck on her forehead.
Xingqiu’s dark teal hair was longer than it was in his youth, the front sections pulled back into a small ponytail, though his bangs were still the same length, sweeping over his right brow. He wore an oversized black and gold patterned cardigan over a simple white turtleneck and plain black pants. A brown leather satchel is strapped across his chest, likely carrying a ton of notebooks and novels. Hooked onto the strap and sitting on his waist is a gold tassel accessory with an amber gem. The blue jewel of the earring that always adorns his right ear glints in the light.
“Good afternoon, my love. It smells quite delicious. Please tell me that all of this cooking wasn’t just for your dear Guoba?”
Xiangling’s heart flutters at his fingertips, and she melts into his hands. She lets out a snort. “If you guys didn’t just arrive, I would’ve caved in and fed him your lunches.”
The quieter light-blue hair boy holds a cold stare with Guoba as he walks over to the pair. Unlike Xingqiu, Chongyun didn’t change much of his appearance from before university. His short blue hair is still a bit messy with the bangs framing his face. But, his features have definitely aged, becoming more angular, betraying his past round baby face. Today, Chongyun wore a blank white short-sleeve shirt and navy sweatpants. A white and blue tassel dangles from a loop on his pants. Even in the winter weather, he refuses to dress in warm clothing. Typical.
Chongyun tears his icy eyes away from the creature, and his gaze softens at the two in front of him. He quickly kisses Xiangling’s cheek, his lips cool to her warm skin. It sends a shock throughout her body, a jolt she finds rejuvenating.
“I can’t believe I have to consider the dog as competition,” Chongyun mutters glumly under his breath. Xiangling has to stifle a laugh. There has always been a rivalry between him and Guoba.
Overjoyed, she brings all of them into a group hug, nuzzling into the nook of their shoulders. Their scents wash over her. Xingqiu's smell reminds her of a library, of book pages and candlelight—probably because he was there earlier. Chongyun has a bit of a pine tree aroma. He likely took a stroll early in the morning, like he always does. After a moment, she releases the boys and ushers them to the stools stationed at the island counter.
Xiangling sits on the very right, instantly picking up her chopsticks. “Personally, I’m starving, so let’s dig in! I have class in 30 minutes, anyway.”
Shaking his head, Xingqiu beams, enamored by her high energy and spontaneity. He picks the middle seat. “I sure hope you didn’t add anything strange or unorthodox to this. Last time we went foraging, you nearly picked up poison ivy.”
“Hey! In my defense, it looked pretty yummy.”
Chongyun lets out a sigh as he sits down beside Xingqiu. “I always wondered how you managed to stay alive before Xingqiu accompanied you on your forest ingredient runs.”
“You would think she already knows what is poisonous and what is not,” Xingqiu jokes.
“Listen,” Xiangling puffs her cheeks, “I did pretty good without you guys. There’s nothing super wild in the egg roll, you can relax.”
The crystal eyes of the boy on the left continue to observe the dish in front of him with caution. “No Jueyun Chili?” Chongyun questions warily.
“None at all, I promise.”
He blinks, assessing Xiangling’s tone, before deciding she sounded truthful and biting a chunk off. Fortunately for the spice-sensitive boy, he is met with an untampered tasty egg flavor. Chongyun’s eyes twinkle.
“It sounds like our little Yunyun passed his exam,” Xingqiu muses. “It appears that his professor remembered this time to keep the room temperature a bit cooler.”
Chongyun nearly chokes on his food. His cheeks heat up in embarrassment, but they’re immediately met with Xingqiu’s cold hands, cooling him down. Despite the kind gesture, Chongyun sends his boyfriend a glare. He would prefer never to talk about the last incident again. Let’s say that warm temperatures and Chongyun never end well.
Xiangling doesn’t add to Xingqiu’s teasing and instead claps in elation. “That’s great to hear, Yunnie! I knew you could do it.”
Xingqiu retracts his hands when he deems Chongyun’s complexion safe. “As did I. I noticed you studied particularly hard for this one. We’re proud of you.”
His lovers’ praise makes Chongyun bashful, causing him to look away from their matching amber eyes. He wants to hide the pink coloring his usually pale face. “I won’t know the results until the next class. But… yes, thank you,” he manages.
“How about you, Xingqiu?” Xiangling switches the question. “How was your class today?”
“It was fine, as usual,” the dark-haired boy replies, tilting his head in thought. “We had to read a story of our choice out loud to the class. I chose the one I told you guys last night."
Xiangling recalls how her eyelids felt heavier after Xingqiu finished his storytelling that night. His reading voice was so soothing it could lull a baby to sleep. It definitely lulled her as Chongyun had to carry her back to her room asleep.
"I mean this in the best way possible, Xingqiu," she starts, tapping her chopsticks lightly on her lips. "But did anyone fall asleep?"
Xingqiu chuckles, entertained. "I don't believe that other people find my voice as calming as you two think it is."
"They're missing out," Chongyun contributes with a shrug before pushing himself off the stool to wash his dish. He may not have as big of an appetite as Xiangling, but he does eat fast, quicker than the other two. "Xiangling, you should finish soon. Your class starts in fifteen minutes."
Xiangling's golden eyes widen, and she turns back to her plate, taking big bites of the egg roll.
She feels a flick on her arm.
"Don't eat too quickly, or else you'll choke," Xingqiu playfully nags.
In response, she nods her head. If her mouth weren't stuffed with food, she would answer with an 'I know, I know.' Soon enough, her plate was clear, with not a single crumb in sight. Before she can bring the dish to the sink, Chongyun appears wordlessly behind her and grabs it.
"I'll do the dishes. Go get ready."
Xiangling opens her mouth to protest, but Xingqiu speaks before her. "Why don't you get your bow and tassel? I can braid your hair quickly before you leave."
She clamps her mouth shut in defeat.
"Fine, I'll be back in a minute!"
Guoba follows the girl closely as she finds her bedroom. It's a bit cluttered with papers, cookbooks, and gifts from her boyfriends. Despite its messiness, Xiangling finds her signature bow on her desk.
It's a big red hair bow that her dad gifted her for her 10th birthday. When she, Chongyun, and Xingqiu enrolled at Liyue University, they all bought matching tassels. Chongyun and Xingqiu wear theirs on their hips, but Xiangling combined hers with her favorite hair accessory.
She retreats to the kitchen, where Xingqiu waits patiently. Xiangling places the bow into the palm of his outstretched hand and turns around. His fingers work swiftly, but he's careful not to tug on her hair. When Xingqiu concentrates, he narrows his eyes and bites the inside of his cheek. He braids Xiangling's hair into a simple yet elegant updo—his favorite hairstyle for her—and clips the bow in the middle.
"There, I'm finished. You look pretty as always, my love."
It's unfair how Xingqiu has a way with words, always bringing a blush to Xiangling's cheeks. She smiles, smitten, and kisses him as a thank-you.
Chongyun joins them with Xiangling's coat draped over his arm. His eyes meet hers. When Xiangling first met the boy, she thought his pale blue eyes were cold. It takes time, though, to recognize the adoration in his irises. Unlike Xingqiu, Chongyun isn't a man of words, but Xiangling can feel his love through his actions and body language.
He unfolds the coat, waiting for Xiangling to turn around. She does, and the garment is put onto her body with care. He weaves the sleeves through her arms and gently rotates her to face him. It only takes him a few seconds to button the clasps on her jacket. When he's satisfied with how bundled up Xiangling is, he looks back at her, his hands still resting on her shoulders.
She breaks out into a laugh and stands on the tip of her toes, trying to reach Chongyun, who happens to be the tallest of the three. Their lips meet, and she can feel him smile slightly in the kiss.
"Thanks, guys. I'll be on my way now!" Xiangling chirps.
Xingqiu smiles, leaning his head onto Chongyun's shoulder. "Are you sure you don't want us to drop you off?"
"Nah," she replies, waving her hand so they wouldn't worry further. "Xinyan has a class at the same time, so she'll be my ride."
"Make sure to stay warm." Considering that Chongyun is the only person to wear a t-shirt in the winter, Xiangling is amused by this advice.
A quick realization hits Xiangling, and she spins around. “I almost forgot! Since I have no time now, could you guys fill up Guoba’s bowl?”
She watches as Chongyun’s smile falls. Guoba, previously sad to see Xiangling go, turns to glare at him.
“No problem~” The other boy responds, ignoring the intense face-off beside him.
Xiangling flashes a thumbs up as she walks backwards down the hallway. "Thank you! I'll see you guys later tonight! I love you!"
"We love you too," Xingqiu replies, his smile reaching his eyes, forming crescent moons. "We'll cook dinner tonight."
"Oh my Archons, you better not burn down my kitchen! Chongyun, make sure Xingqiu doesn't ruin my beautiful kitchen."
"I’ll protect it with my life."
Xiangling spins on her heels, ready to leave the apartment. She can only hope that her kitchen remains in one piece. Oh, Rex Lapis, please look after her cooking klutz partners and her home!