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A young Chongyun strolled down a street of Liyue Harbor. Merchants cried out about sales on jade and fresh fish. The smell of the salty ocean hung in the air. Kids crowded by a kite shop. Iron Tongue Tian regaled customers sitting at outdoor tables with a story of ancient heroes. Beneath a tree, glaze lilies swayed in the wind.
Chongyun came to a stop. In the plaza’s center lay a hexagon pond with a stone lantern illuminating the water. A girl dressed in a shuhe, a cross-collared tunic with trousers, sat at the pond’s edge. Grinning, she licked down an ice cream cone.
Enraptured, Chongyun gaped at the dessert. He unconsciously balled his exorcism robes with his fists. “Ice cream…!” But Chongyun hung back. He didn’t understand why but whenever he became too excited or too stressed, he had trouble controlling himself. Although only six years old, Chongyun had already lost several friends because of it. No child wanted to play with him.
The girl looked up, spying Chongyun. She raised her cone. “Want some?”
Chongyun froze. After a long moment, he nodded.
Grinning, the girl slapped the stone next to her. Chongyun sat beside her on the ledge. The girl had immersed her bare feet into the water, koi fish nibbling at her toes. Chongyun shed his footwear and dipped his legs in, soaking his trousers. Lily pads bobbed on the water surface.
The girl pressed a hand to her chest. Her silky looking blue-black hair and circular braids were pretty. “I’m Xiangling. You? What’s your name?”
“C-Chongyun,” he blushed.
“Here! Have some.” Xiangling held the cone out towards him.
Chongyun hesitated. Other kids his age often pushed or shoved him, calling him names for learning thaumaturgy. But Xiangling’s wide amber eyes sparkled. She beamed ear to ear, hiding nothing. Eyes screwed shut, Chongyun leaned in. Licked it. Some vanilla ice cream stayed on his nose.
Xiangling giggled. Chongyun sheepishly chuckled along with her. As the harbor bustled around them, they took turns passing the cone between them and licking it.
“Xiangling, we finished shopping! Where are—? Oh! Who’s this?”
Chongyun and Xiangling looked behind them. A man with cropped black hair and a woman with elegant long black hair dressed in a cheongsam approached them. The man’s face fell at the ice cream slathered around both their mouths. “You weren’t just doing…?”
The woman chuckled behind a hand. “Shall we—” Her laughed turned into a coughing wheeze. The man glanced at her, face pinched. Smiling, she cleared her throat. “Shall we get two fresh cones, one for you and your new friend?”
Cheering, Xiangling pumped a fist in the air. “Yay, thanks, Mom—! Ah!”
The ice cream jostled. It tumbled into the pond.
Wide-eyed, they stared at the ice cream. The two burst into tears.
“Noooo, my ice cream!” wailed Xiangling.
“I only just started!” cried Chongyun.
Xiangling’s mother rushed to them, hand raised in a placating gesture. “It’s okay, it’s okay! We can get you new, triple-scoop ice creams and rice pudding!”
“H-honey, that’s a bit much don’t you think…?”
“Nonsense! No amount of mora is worth more than a child’s happiness. We should have enough left over after groceries… right?”
The man sighed.
Shivering, Chongyun stopped outside Wanmin Restaurant. Between the rain and darkness, the streets were all but deserted and all stalls had closed. But a lantern still burned brightly at the back of Chef Mao’s restaurant. Stepping around the counter, Chongyun flicked back his hood. Rain plastered his bangs to his forehead and soaked his clothes. “Xiangling?”
Along the back wall were wooden shelves piled high with vegetable baskets and cuts of meat. Dishes lay scattered across the top of a stone oven. Xiangling stood with her back to Chongyun, an open crate before her. She sniffed.
Chongyun came a little closer. “I… I heard about what happened with your mom.”
Trembling, Xiangling balled her shuhe in her fists. Inside the crate lay broken remains of popsicles between piles of cyro slime concentrates. Some popsicles had shattered into shards while others were misshapen with odd bumps and grooves. A puddle of melted popsicles pooled at Xiangling’s feet.
Xiangling hiccupped. She wiped her eyes with the back of her sleeve. “They’re for Daddy. He… he hasn’t smiled since.”
Chongyun’s chest ached. He couldn’t count the number of times he’d come over to play in the past year to find Xiangling and her parents laughing as they cooked together.
Xiangling took a shaky breath. Grabbing a cup, she reached for more slime concentrate to make another popsicle. When she touched the cyro slime, Xiangling winced and massaged her hand. Xiangling held her fingers. Half-frozen, her reddened fingers throbbed. The cup clattered to the ground. Rolled. It stopped at Chongyun’s feet.
“I just…” Xiangling swallowed hard. “I just wanna make Daddy happy again…” Hugging her hand to her chest, Xiangling sank to the ground. “But I can’t get it right! Mommy and Daddy are great at making food, but I’m no good at all.”
Xiangling’s quiet sniffles carried in the empty restaurant. Outside, the rain fell like a steady drum.
Chongyun scooped the cup off the ground. Taking a towel, he mopped up the puddle on the floor. Straightening, Chongyun held both of Xiangling’s hands with his, and, rubbing his hands over hers, warmed them. Chongyun looked up at her. Beamed.
Xiangling blinked at him. Breath hitching, Xiangling flung her arms around Chongyun’s neck. The girl buried her face his shoulder, tears dampening his robes.
Chongyun stiffened like a board. Gradually, Chongyun eased and placed a hand on her back. After a little while, Xiangling withdrew, rubbing her eyes.
Together the two collected the broken popsicle fragments, mopped the floor, and retrieved new cups and sticks. In the quiet of the night, the two children silently worked together in tandem.
Grimacing, Chongyun held his pounding head. The preteen sat on the edge of one of Liyue Harbor’s piers. Water lapped against the docked boats. The wind carried air so rich in salt one could practically taste it. Assorted crates, barrels, and ropes lay along the piers.
“Chongyun? There you are!”
Xiangling jogged up to Chongyun and crouched next to him. “Hey. You okay?”
Hand over his face, Chongyun glanced at Xiangling through his splayed fingers. He looked away. “When I came to, Wanmin Restaurant had been wrecked and my claymore lay at my feet. What happened?” When Xiangling didn’t meet his eyes, Chongyun turned to her. “Please, I have to know. If I hurt you…”
“No, no! You didn’t hurt anyone. You…” Exhaling, Xiangling sat on the pier’s edge beside him. She gazed out at the water. With the sun setting, the water was ablaze in oranges, pinks, and reds like a stained-glass window. “You weren’t yourself, so something spicy must have set off your yang energy. You started going up to other people’s tables, talking about how great your exorcism clan is and sampling their food, before sensing some evil spirit in the restaurant and chasing me around with your claymore.”
Chongyun paled. “I… I did that? Are you all right?!”
“I’m fine! You weren’t… really aware of what was going on at the time so it was really easy to disarm you. Then you slapped a charm on my forehead and declared me ‘free of all evil spirits’,” giggled Xiangling.
“What a relief that you’re okay. But the restaurant and my clan’s honor…” Groaning, Chongyun buried his face in his hands. “I’m so sorry. I’ll make up for this! Yes, I’ll pay for all the damages I caused. I may not have much mora, but I can work odd jobs between my exorcism training. And once the repairs are done, customers—Oh no, will those customers come back? I made you lose business! I… I can make flyers! I can, I can…!”
“Breathe, Chongyun.” Xiangling gripped Chongyun’s shoulder.
He jerked away. “You should stay away from me. I’m dangerous.” Teeth gritted, Chongyun clenched his head. “This accursed yang energy. I can’t control it. If only I didn’t have it—!”
“That yang energy is a part of you. It’s the real you.”
Chongyun stilled. Eyes wide, he stared at Xiangling. Her amber eyes evenly gazed back at him. “Beneath the cold, emotionless walls you put up, that’s a version of you with more confidence. More outgoing and earnest. And, okay, maybe a little bit crazy, but that was kinda fun. Well, if you weren’t swinging your claymore in a crowded restaurant. This other side of you is like… like adding whopperflower nectar to a brew. An unconventional ingredient, but it makes for an unforgettable and special dish. So be more accepting of yourself, so says your friend!”
Hands still clutching his head, Chongyun stared at Xiangling as if she was a lifeline. Slowly the tension in his body eased.
“So… yeah. Ahaha…” Looking away, Xiangling nervously pressed the tips of her splayed fingers together. Her face flushed. When she cut a quick glance at him, Xiangling glimpsed him still staring at her. Clearing her throat, Xiangling stood. She held out a hand. “Now come on. Cleaning up can wait. Let’s get some dessert like we always do!”
Chongyun studied Xiangling’s offered hand. Her wide smile.
He gripped her hand tight.
Frowning, Chongyun studied the qingxin flowers he had just plucked. He and Xiangling had headed to the ruins outside of Jueyun Karst to harvest qingxin flowers. “I’m not so certain about this, Xiangling. I don’t believe Aunt Shenhe would need—or even appreciate if I’m being honest—a batch of your popsicles. After she rescued me from that Hydro Abyss Mage, she barely stayed long enough to introduce herself.” Sighing, Chongyun lowered the flower. “She didn’t attend my clan’s grand reunion the elders hosted for her. It’s likely she doesn’t want to be bothered by anyone.”
Xiangling looked up from her gathering. Behind her was the crumbled stone ruins of a two-story stone building, its interiors exposed to the elements. A ruin guard slumbered against a tree. The wind rustled the sandbearer tree’s yellow leaves.
Xiangling shielded her eyes from the sun. “Maybe she’s just shy! Or doesn’t like the city. You mentioned she said she roams these mountains. So if you want to meet your aunt, visit her out here instead of Liyue Harbor.”
Chongyun looked away, frown deepening. “Even if I were fortunate enough to locate her, would she tolerate my presence? My skill doesn’t compare to hers. And if she’s ashamed of me, I wouldn’t know what to say. I know all too well how inelegant my conversation skills are. What if I make matters worse and she gets so infuriated with me she vows to never see anyone from our clan again? I don’t know what—What would I—?!” Breathing heaving, Chongyun clenched the front of his robes, crushing the qingxin flower.
Xiangling crossed the remains of a stone road to stand by Chongyun. She laid a hand on his shoulder. “Then say nothing! Hand her the popsicles and enjoy them in silence.” Xiangling gestured to the rises and swells of the mountains that framed the area. Birds flew through the wide-open air. “Enjoy the surrounding nature. Meditate. Practice your ritual arts and train together.”
Chongyun gazed at the crumpled pieces of the qingxin flower. “She’s gone this long without seeking us out. She doesn’t want to know us.”
“Take it from me.” Xiangling squeezed his shoulder, voice going thick. You don’t want to miss out on time with family. Taking that first step can be hard. It’s not always easy learning a new recipe. She might not know what to say or feel either.”
Humming, Chongyun held his chin. “Feel? The elders did mention she has red ropes to restrain her emotions… Wait, that’s it! Maybe her ropes could help me control my yang energy!”
“U-um, maybe? But your yang energy isn’t—”
“Perhaps my troubles with managing it could be a point of relation with us. Something that helps us grow closer.” Grinning, Chongyun squeezed both of Xiangling’s hands. “Oh, thank you, Xiangling! Thank you!”
Eyes wide, Xiangling leaned back. “I… Yeah, of course. Anytime.”
Chongyun rummaged through his sack of collected qingxin flowers. “We can make a wide variety of treats to offer her. Even spicy ones. Oh, but will the smell upset my already churning stomach even further? Probably… No, but I should bear it! Come on, Xiangling! Let’s start baking!” Chongyun ran down the hill, not looking back.
Xiangling hung back, watching him descend the rocky path. After a long moment, Xiangling walked after him.
Chongyun stood at Liyue Harbor pier, a bag slung over his shoulder. Before him other passengers boarded a ship. A sailor called over the boat’s edge, “All aboard for Inazuma! Leaving in fifteen minutes!”
Chongyun gripped his bag’s straps tighter. He walked forward.
“Chongyun!”
He turned. Xiangling ran off up to him. Breathing hard, Xiangling set her hands on her knees. “Wait, I… I packed some desserts I made last minute for you.” Catching her breath, Xiangling straightened. Xiangling gazed at him, her brows knit. “I just… I just still don’t understand why. Why are you leaving?”
Chongyun looked away. A flurry of activity surrounded them, filling the silence. Sailors shouted at each other as they carried goods on and off boats. People milled through the piers examining booths’ wares. Ships with towering masts were anchored on either side of the pier Chongyun and Xiangling stood on, boxing them in.
Chongyun turned towards the city. The early morning mist blanketing Liyue’s mountains had lifted. “After meeting Aunt Shenhe, I realized that there are no expedient or effective methods of eradicating my excess yang energy, not even her red ropes. I have to accept it, understand it more. Only by mastering myself can I become an exorcist of equal skill. And by traveling to Inazuma and purging evil youkai, I’ll be able to adequately grow. As an exorcist and person.”
Xiangling nodded to herself a couple times. “Right, right…” Swallowing, Xiangling brushed back some errant bangs before flashing a smile. “I’m really proud of how far you’ve come. From a fledgling line cook to a professional chef in such a short time! I hope that this journey to Inazuma is everything you’ve ever hoped for and more.”
Flushing, Chongyun tucked a strand of hair behind his ear, unable to meet her gaze. “Well, not everything I hoped for…”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Chongyun closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Facing her, Chongyun extended a hand. “Come with me.”
Xiangling stilled.
“I-I mean, only if you want to, of course. But the expedition might prove useful for you. You can study Inazuma cuisine, experiment with new ingredients, make connections with local chefs and learn their techniques…”
Xiangling continued to stare. Gulls cried in the distance.
Shoulders slumping, Chongyun lowered his hand. “Sorry, I know it’s a lot to ask and so sudden, too. F-forget I said anything…”
Squealing, Xiangling threw her arms around Chongyun’s neck before kissing his cheek. “Oh, yes, I would love to go!”
Gasping, Chongyun tensed, hand to his cheek.
Xiangling turned beetroot red. “I-I—! I’m sorry! I know what came over me. I mean don’t! Don’t know!”
“Haha… Just a friendly gesture, right? It’s fine.”
“Yeah! Um, right. Exactly. Actually, no. Maybe. Oh, I don’t know…” Sighing, Xiangling turned away. She nervously pressed the ends of her index fingers together. “After you left to speak with Shenhe, I was so worried about you. Had me thinking about us. How our whole lives we’ve been together, through good and bad, like me helping pay back the damages for Wamin Restaurant and you being there for me after my mom’s death.” Xiangling held a hand to her heart, smiling to herself. “I realized how important and special you are…” She faced Chongyun, her smile growing wider, raiding a rainbow of light like a prism. “How much I care about you. I don’t know if that means anything, uh, more! Like, you know. Or um… Gosh, I have as much finesse as a hilichurl.”
Chongyun shook his head, face red. “It’s all right. In the interest of fairness, I’ve… I’ve had a crush on you for as long as I can remember. But since you were the one of the few people in my life who wasn’t afraid of the other side of me, I didn’t want to let you know and ruin our friendship. So I suppressed my feelings.”
Chuckling, Xiangling held both of Chongyun’s hands with hers. “Well, as we explore Inazuma, want to explore our relationship, too?”
Chongyun smiled and nodded.
Grinning, Xiangling crushed Chongyun in a hug. Chongyun chuckled. He buried his face in Xiangling’s hair. Soaked in her warmth. For once, the warmth soothed rather than excited his condition. When Xiangling released him, Chongyun brushed his lips against her forehead. She giggled.
Behind them, the sailor shouted another warning about the boat leaving.
Xiangling startled. “Oh, we gotta go! C’mon!”
Chongyun ran after her, hand outstretched. “W-wait, did you pack anything?”
Horn blowing, the ship slowly pulled out of the pier. Chongyun and Xiangling stood beside each other on the deck watching the city. A familiar-looking man pushed his way to the front of the pier. Chef Mao emerged from the crowd, hand raised in a wave.
“Oh, it’s Dad!” Hands on the railing, Xiangling leaned forward. “Daaaad! I’m sorry, but I’m going with him.
“I suspected this might happen. I packed your things. Here!” He threw a bag toward the boat.
Grunting, Xiangling leaned over the railing and snatched it by a strap. “Thank you, Dad! I’ll be sure to write!”
They both waved until Chef Mao and Liyue Harbor disappeared from sight. Gulls soared above them in the vast sky. Chongyun breathed in the fresh, salty air. Xiangling still watched the horizon, the wind adorably mussing her hair. Chongyun smiled, his cheeks aching in protest. His face hurt from smiling was a novelty. Xiangling caught his gaze and beamed up at him.
With Xiangling at my side, Chongyun thought, I may yet be able to face the unbridled passion of my positive energy—no. Come to accept and cherish it like Xiangling always has.
Chongyun wrapped an arm around Xiangling’s waist as they sailed to new shores.