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Another day in Liyue Harbor was coming to an end. The lively bustle of the docks died down as storytellers wrapped up their tales, Millelith gaurds exchanged shifts for the day, and the stores along the streets began to close one by one.
But not Wanmin Restaurant. The evening orange sky reflected off of the building, making the humble kitchen look even more warm and welcoming to any hungry stomachs thinking of dinner. And speaking of dinner, Xiangling and Xingqiu found themselves sat at a table outside just behind the restaurant, listening to Chongyun go on about a certain lion dancer that has been the talk of Liyue Harbor recently.
"He has this hoodie just like me. But I've heard it glows! It must look so cool at night. I bet it really brings his performances to life. Oh, and he even has this little lion that dances with him! His footwork is amazing, at least from what I've seen. And I'm pretty sure I've seen him hauling a claymore around too-"
"If I didn't know any better," Xingqiu teased, resting his head on his hand, "I would say you have a little crush on him."
"What?!"
"Xingqiu..." Xiangling gave him a look, a pursed smile on her lips. "Don't say that."
"But don't you agree, Xiangling?"
"Agree with what?"
"You know what I'm talking about."
Xiangling crossed her arms. "Well, you're getting nothing from me."
"Don't be ridiculous, Xingqiu," Chongyun intervened, also crossing his arms. "I don't have a crush on Gaming. I just really admire him. He's able to work as a guard but also pursue something that probably requires a different skill set."
Admittedly, Chongyun has never been able to sit through a whole Wushou Dance. He was always on exorcist duty when Gaming performed and only allowed himself a quick glance before going about his day as much as he wanted to stay and watch.
Chongyun pondered a bit more about the lion boy. Although he could draw a small handful of similarities between them, there were much more obvious differences. For one, Gaming wielded a Pyro vision, just like Xiangling. Pyro is fire. Fire is hot. And Chongyun didn't do well with hot things.
Second, as he pointed out, Gaming worked as one of the most reliable guards of the Sword and Strongbox Secure Transport Agency but was also able to pursue something he was passionate about. Chongyun was deeply dedicated to his family's line of exorcism, but his training didn't allow a lot of time for any hobbies, and his yang energy most definitely didn't allow him to take part in anything remotely of a passionate nature.
And third, Gaming was a very open person and knew how to make anyone feel welcomed. Very expressive as a performer too. He had to be able to convey spirit and energy, had to be to be able to make something inanimate come alive. On the other hand, every now and then, Chongyun would catch word of someone mentioning how he has a frosty look to his face. But he didn't have the luxury of being open or expressive. He couldn't let his yang energy get the better of him.
Despite sparing, at most, two seconds to watch Gaming's dances whenever he passed by, Chongyun was moved by the idea that perhaps one day, after he trained hard enough, he could do something neat like that as well.
"If you admire him so much, why don't you talk to him?" Xingqiu asked, that smug smile still on his face.
"I can't just do that." Chongyun shook his head at the crazy idea. How would he even go about starting up a conversation? On top of that, "Xinyan and Yun Jin are both hardworking performers. How do you expect me to pull them away from their work?"
"But they're always able to make some time for us," Xingqiu brought up.
The exorcist sighed exasperatedly. "I just really admire him, okay? Stop saying I have a crush on Gaming."
"What about me?"
The three friends instantly turned to the sound of the new voice, eyes probably a little too wide. There was the lion boy, standing right at their table with a playful smile, his dark hair a little out of place but nonetheless tied up in it's usual style.
Before Chongyun could answer, Xingqiu opened his mouth. "Gaming! We were just talking about you."
Chongyun internally panicked as he snapped his eyes back at Xingqiu. No no no, what was this Feiyun Commerce Guild boy doing?
Gaming laughed. "All good things I hope," he joked lightheartedly.
"Definitely," Xingqiu nodded.
Chongyun lightly kicked him under the table, earning a small "Hey" from the Hydro wielder. Why did he have to give the most unconvincing answer in the most unconvincing way? Chongyun brought his attention back to Gaming, praying he didn't look noticeably red, something his face did too easily. "It's good to see you. What brings you here?"
"I just finished bringing in some deliveries for a merchant here in Liyue Harbor. It was a pretty big batch and it's left me hungry, so I was stopping by for a meal. Is it alright if I join you guys?"
"Of course!" Xiangling exclaimed enthusiastically. "The more, the merrier. Perhaps you could give me some input for my newest dishes too." Both Chongyun and Xingqiu gave half-hearted chuckles at the sound of that, knowing how fast their chef's culinary ideas can escalate.
"I'd be happy to. I could definitely pull some popular recipes and ingredients from Qiaoying Village if you'd like too." And with that, Gaming took a seat next to Chongyun. Xiangling was thrilled and instantly went to work, jotting a bunch of notes down.
Hu Tao arrived shortly after, not missing the chance to promote Wangshu Funeral Parlor's latest deal, followed by Xinyan and Yun Jin, who were very thrilled to have a new guest join the gang tonight. And so, the seven of them scooted around the table.
Gaming was left to squeeze much closer to the Chongyun. He didn't mind. He'd just wish Xingqiu would stop giving him that look, like he was trying extremely hard (and failing) to suppress a knowing smile.
With everyone here, it quickly became a little party, especially with all of the scrumptious food that reached their table, a lot of them being speciality dishes that Xiangling took great care in. It was amazing how she could remember everyone's favorite dish at the top of her head. Chongyun smiled and watched as everyone began in a flurry of conversation. It had been a while since they all caught up like this.
He sat there, silently listening to everyone's voices, until he felt the male next to him lean close. When Chongyun turned to face him, Gaming lowered his voice.
"You don't like peppers, right?"
The question was a little sudden. Chongyun shook his head. "No. I can't eat them. Ideally, I shouldn't be near them either, but it can't be helped." He still had flashbacks of accidentally breaking some perfectly good tables at this very restaurant during one of his fervent yang episodes in the past. He cringed at the thought.
"Then I'm guessing you wouldn't like this."
Chongyun wasn't sure what he was referring to but watched as Gaming brought over his chopsticks to his plate of cold noodles and picked up a bright red Jueyun Chili Pepper that was definitely not supposed to be there. He panicked for a split second, was tempted to pull out one of his blue popsicles, but then groaned under his breath. "Xingqiu..." Of course. Why was he even surprised?
Gaming softly chuckled, popping the pepper into his mouth like it was nothing. He could read Chongyun's expression and knew exactly what to say next. "Is there any chance Xingqiu is not a fan of greens?" he quietly asked, eyeing the mushrooms and cilantro sitting on the exorcist's dish.
Chongyun instantly picked up on that tone in his voice (second nature, all thanks to Xingqiu) and looked at Gaming in the eyes. Just as he thought. There was a playful gleam. Chongyun glanced at Xingqiu, who was looking all goody two-shoes talking to their other friends like he didn't practically hand him a full chili pepper on a silver platter. He then glanced at the little carrots that decorated his cold noodles and then back at Gaming.
Unlike Xingqiu, Chongyun was a very good friend. But perhaps it wouldn't hurt to get a little payback. After all, Xingqiu did this to him all the time. He really didn't understand what was his problem with carrots. They were healthy! And it's not like eating them would aggravate Xingqiu's nonexistent abundance of yang energy.
Chongyun grabbed two, no, three freshly boiled carrots with his chopsticks. Xingqiu was too busy trading sophisticated prose and, admittedly, impressive lines of poetry with Hu Tao to even think that his friend may have realized his devious scheme. As calmly as ever, Chongyun silently dropped the orange veggies onto his friend's dish. He unintentionally made eye contact with Xinyan across the table, but she gave him a subtle thumbs up, holding back a laugh, and took a bite of her special Jueyun Chili Chicken dish like the good friend she was.
Chongyun turned back to Gaming, and the two of them shared a quiet laugh. Perhaps he could join him in the "Victims of Xingqiu" alliance. Even though Gaming hasn't technically been a victim of Xingqiu's questionable sense of humor.
...
Soon, Gaming stood up from his seat. "I'll be heading out now."
"Already? We still have more dishes coming," Xiangling piped.
"I'm sorry to miss out. I have to prepare for my shift tomorrow. The incoming shipments aren't going to organize and transport themselves. I'll be sure to treat myself here next time. And I won't forget to tell everyone at Yilong Wharf and back at home about Wanmin Restaurant."
"Then let me pack some for you to take on the road!"
"Oh! Let me add some coupons in there too!" Hu Tao added without missing a beat.
"Well, it was awesome to be able to have another performer of the arts join us tonight," Xinyan remarked with her warm smile.
Yun Jin gave a wholehearted nod. "I agree. We really love what you do. You should join us more often, Gaming."
"You're all too kind," the said male replied, rubbing the back of his neck. "Really. Thank you for allowing me to crash your dinner."
Xingqiu put a hand to his heart. "Ah, dear Gaming, parting is such sweet sorrow-"
"You're always welcome," Chongyun smiled through a pained face, sparing everyone the lengthy (and possibly embarrassing) farewell his friend was about to give.
Conversation resumed as Gaming left the table. However, as the lion dancer walked out of sight, Chongyun couldn't help but feel like there was something he needed to say. What happened earlier was still bothering him even though it shouldn't be, and he needed to make sure none of them got off on the wrong foot. He got up from his seat as well, swiftly heading in the same direction. Gaming hadn't walked very far, but it was far enough to not be heard by the gang.
"Gaming!"
The lion boy turned around, a smile still on his face. "Chongyun."
He tightened his fists, a little alarmed at how nervous he had suddenly become, but took a breath. "Um... A... About earlier, when you came to our table... I promise we weren't talking behind your back. Or anything like that! Xingqiu just likes to mess around like that sometimes, and-"
Gaming laughed, his voice as light as sparks flickering from a fire. It really was filled with energy. And now that the sky was dark, his eyes seemed ablaze too. "I was just playing around. Don't worry about it."
"Ah, okay..." An invisible weight had been lifted from Chongyun's chest, but why did he feel like he just made a fool of himself? "I just... wanted you to know that I really admire you, that's all."
Gaming noticed the way the other male shifted his feet, his eyes sheepishly looking away to the side. In his eyes, he thought Chongyun was the one who was admirable. He was a successful exorcist, even if the latter thought otherwise, who followed in his family's footsteps and was able to make them proud. Chongyun didn't have to worry about being a guard to make enough Mora to get by.
He had a heart as clear as water and will as strong as ice. That was something to admire. And when Gaming thought about all of that, he was moved by the idea that perhaps one day, after he worked hard enough, he could pursue his true calling as well.
It was then that Gaming also really noticed how the exorcist's eyelashes looked as though they were adorned with frost. "Chongyun?"
"Yes?"
"You should come to Chenyu Vale when you have the chance. I know I'm a guard and a lion dancer, but I can always make some time for a friend. Just like Xinyan and Yun Jin. I mean it."
"Of course," Chongyun nodded. "I promise." He smiled at the warm invitation but then froze, oddly feeling like he had just been exposed.
He didn't muster anything else and stood completely still as Gaming said one last goodbye and walked down the stone path, disappearing behind a building.
However, after a few seconds, Gaming peeked from behind the building to find that the other male was already turned to the side. Chongyun spoke barely above a whisper, closing his eyes shut. "He heard everything." A blush made its way across his cheeks, very much contrasting against his pale skin.
Gaming indeed heard everything the three friends discussed at the table earlier. He didn't mean to eavesdrop nor did he mean to cause the exorcist any distress, but after everything that has happened tonight, he genuinely wanted to invite Chongyun to one of his Wushou Dances. And introduce him to Man Chai. Maybe even show him around Chenyu Vale. Definitely share him some tea.
Gaming took one last look at Chongyun before letting him be, with a smile on his face that lasted the whole trip home.