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It’d been quite a busy week for the resident of Liyue Harbor. Not a single day spent without toiling around the streets, carrying one or two boxes with both hands. Then again, those hours were still a delight to them.
After all, Lantern Rite was just around the corner—just a few days until countless lanterns being lit and cast to the boundless sky above. That wonderful spectacle—once-in-a-year marvel—was worth the trouble alone.
Even being drenched in sweat in the broad of daylight was something they looked forward to.
And, of course, that spirit got the best of Liyue’s most precious hat-wearing lawyer.
Maybe too much, actually.
“Granny, I’m back.”
The wind hissed as Yanfei stepped on the highest stair that connected her to Yujing Terrace. Madame Ping was waiting for her, enjoying the sun beaming above her. The elder stood behind the well-carved wooden door as usual.
“Welcome back, Yanfei. You’re awfully late.”
“Had a little trouble with a troublesome client. Everyone gets so rowdy all of a sudden. Might be a bad day for them or something.”
“Or maybe because of the Lantern Rite next week. No one wants to have a problem while celebrating a festival.” Madame Ping took a teapot and poured its content into a cup. It gracefully obeyed the gravity, making a pool of brown-colored liquid. “That’s why they asked for a help from the best person out there to solve their problem.”
“And I’m stressed because of that.” That last word was followed by a sigh and the exhausted look on her face.
“Oh, my little Yanfei can get stressed just because of that?”
“Of course not,” Yanfei said that with a prideful smirk. “Also, I’m already an adult, Granny. That nickname is embarrassing.”
“Don’t kid yourself. That’s not a word from someone who can’t eat cold food.” For her, who had lived since the birth of Liyue Harbor until now, that talented lawyer was nothing more than a child. “Take this. One ought to relax their mind after working tirelessly.”
“But the best dishes are served hot!” Yanfei corrected her master while putting the cup’s mouth onto her lips. “Ouch!”
“Don’t get so hasty. It’s still hot.”
“But still hits the spot. Thank you, Granny.”
Yanfei returned the cup to the table, waiting for the tea to cool down. Madame Ping also poured for another cup—this time was for herself. It emanated a sweet aroma which Yanfei couldn’t tire of. Even the sound of tea splashing into the cup, similar to raging waves of Teyvat before calming down, turned the chaos within her mind into a peaceful serenade. Having brewed the same tea in such a high caliber made Madame Ping the master of her craft.
“So, what will you do now?” Madame Ping asked. Her hands were resting on her back, selling the elderly appearance she had even more, although that body could still move much better than the Millelith standing far from them.
“Hmm….” Yanfei rubbed her chin, trying to remember everything that had to be done for today. “I think I’ll just take some rest. Reading a book, probably? I’ve some time to kill, anyway.”
“Ah, that’s a good news then.”
“What is it, Granny? Do you need any help from yours truly?”
“Not me in particular.” It could be a mistake from Yanfei’s part, but as Madame Ping said those words, she could see a mischievous smile forming on that wrinkled face—one expression the Adeptus often used to tease her innocent student. “Someone was looking for you when you were out. He left already, but I’m sure he is still waiting for you.”
“‘He’? And who might that be? Another client?”
Yanfei shrugged her shoulders, thinking that her dear grandma was playing with her. But that backfired as the smirk stretched across Madame Ping’s face widened.
“It was Aether.”
A few hundred away from the Liyue Harbor—right on the Southern side of it where the main city resided in this nation—was a headland protruding toward the Sea of Cloud and Liyue’s famous yet dangerous archipelago, Guyun Stone Forest. Although its view—the blue paint waving and stretched across as far as eyes could see—was magnificent beyond any words, no one found any purpose to visit this spot. Unless that person was an avid fisher who despised the slightest hint of human interaction, this place was pretty much desolate for the most time.
Right now, however, someone was there. His blond hair danced alongside the gush of wind. On his hand was a fishing rod with its hook submerged under the water. All he could do now was waiting for a prey while sitting on the prickling sand.
He was also waiting for something else. A human, or a girl, to be exact. And when her face appeared on his mind, he could hear her voice, too. For this one, though, it wasn’t just an imagination.
“A-Aether!”
When looking at his side, Aether found the pink-haired lady—the one he’d just thought about—running towards him. As she got closer, with the distance being just a few meters, her pace slowed down, and her perfect running form crumbled into a shamble. The moment she stopped right before the traveler’s eyes, the least she could do was stand up with those two vibrating legs.
“….What happened to you, Yanfei?” Aether asked, not used to seeing Liyue’s prominent lawyer in that state.
“S-sorry….I heard from G-Granny that you were looking f-for me. I was w-working and couldn’t s-see you. A-again, sorry.”
“And that’s why you were in a hurry?”
She nodded. “S-so, do you need something?”
That answer explained why she was panting a lot. She’d ran from Yujing Terrace, fought against the wave of humans flooding the main hub of Liyue, and traced the not-so-easy to traverse terrain of the rocky hills—all of that because she didn’t want Aether to wait for too long.
He was the one who chose the spot, so he felt a bit guilty. At the same time, he couldn’t help smiling.
“Calm down first, okay?” Aether said. “Here. Sit down next to me. I planned to tell you to bring your own fishing rod, but I forgot, so I hope you don’t mind using this one.”
His words made Yanfei’s eyes wandered around the area. She quickly caught onto the other fishing rod available there. It wasn’t difficult for her to fit in the puzzle pieces together.
“I-I’m so glad!” Her legs gave up, and a sigh of relief escaped her lips. “You don’t know how worried I was! I….I thought something bad happened to you. I’m so glad that wasn’t the case.”
“And I’m sorry for making you worried. As you can see, I’m fine.”
Yanfei relaxed. The muscle on her face formed a smile. “Seems like I was worried over nothing, then. I didn’t expect it’s fishing that you want to do right now? For any particular reason, or is it some fresh fish you’re drooling for at this hour?”
“What you’re describing is Paimon, not me,” Aether said, showing an annoyed face. “But honestly, did you forget? Fishing together was your idea, wasn’t it?”
“That’s….” She’d buried that memory deep within her head, and Aether’s words dug it out in one big swoop. The red cheeks she had were the result of it. “Y-yeah! I can’t believe I forgot about that….S-speaking about Paimon, where is she? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you once without her leaving your side.”
Changing the topic was her way of avoiding the embarrassment alone. But the moment Aether’s cheeks went rosy too, she knew her effort backfired.
“I mean,” Aether paused, preparing himself for the next few words he was about to say, “you said it yourself in the contract we made last time, didn’t you? That you want it to be just the two of us….”
No one said anything after that. These two helpless and bashful people let the silence drowned the moment between them into a serene one—or instead, what it looked like from the outside.
In reality, all Yanfei could hear was the sound of her heart thumping. It was so quick that her ears couldn’t capture the sound of nature around. Aether was under the same condition too. His cheeks were heating up. It just came to him how embarrassing those words were, but the damage had been done and nothing could reverse it.
In the end, Yanfei was the first one to be overwhelmed by the awkwardness. “W-we’d better start now before the day goes dark.” She tried to grab the fishing rod next to her only to miss her target, adding another stroke of red marks on her face.
Luckily for her, Aether failed to notice that. The embarrassment caused by what had left his mouth was too much, prompting the desire to drown one’s own face in the body of water before his eyes.
“Y-you’re right. We don’t want to make these fish wait too long, do we?”
Both of them let out a nervous laugh while reeling in some fish to their new house, a bucket. They’d to wait for a few minutes until the courage to come up with a conversation resurfaced. Moreover, Yanfei being silent the entire time would’ve been impossible. It was the same as breathing for her. It was a necessity.
“….S-so,” Yanfei said, forcing the tremble in her voice to stop. “Did you just come back from Sumeru?”
Aether was the same, but in that regard, he could control his voice better. “Actually it’s Fontaine.”
“Fontaine?!” Yanfei’s shout scared almost all the fish. Those who got captured already could only cower in fear. “I mean, considering that it’s you, I shouldn’t be surprised. I hope you didn’t do anything weird stuff there. From what I know, the legal system there is even more confusing.”
“About that….”
“….I want to ask what happened, but maybe not now….”
Aether didn’t need to finish his sentence for Yanfei to understand. At least for now, she could tone down her curiosity to let the moment pass.
“But did you get something useful, at least? You know….About your sister, maybe?”
“I did, but not much.”
“Well, I guess that’s what matters the most, right?” Yanfei said while pulling the fishing rod towards herself. From the end of the hook was a fish, wiggling around as its resort for survival. “It’s still one step closer to finding out the truth. It will eventually lead you to her. So all in all, I assume it was all worth it. Who knows? Maybe you will see her again tomorrow. One can always hope, right?”
“Tomorrow might be impossible….” Aether said. He understood that Yanfei was just trying to comfort him. But it was a well-needed one, and he couldn’t hide his smile any longer. “But the day after tomorrow? Maybe. Just maybe, though.”
“That’s the spirit!” Aether’s smile spread to Yanfei. She was happy, knowing that the things she said could comfort the traveler next to her. “For now, let’s just think of the stuff you want to do after you meet her. Lumine, is it?”
“I guess I will introduce you first.”
“W-what?!”
When Yanfei heard that, her grip loosened, and what could’ve been another victim filling the bucket escaped to see another day. Her blush slowly returned, changing her skin tone into the same color palette as the clothes covering her figure. That was an ambush, if she’d ever known one.
“T-that’s very flattering, but are you sure? I’m pretty boring, you know? W-what about Paimon? Don’t you think she deserves it first?”
“No, I want you to be the first one.”
Aether’s answer was yet another critical hit she’d least expected. The blond traveler she knew within her head was more quiet and timid, so being knocked out by his sudden bold responses was something new to her.
Of course it would make her conscious.
With two red marks that seemed to be everlasting right on her cheeks, Yanfei glanced towards her side, looking at the culprit who made her head a jumble mess again. She thought she would find Aether smirking with his usual smug face, which she’d seen once in her life. Instead, the face she saw was the same as hers—two rosy cheeks as a drop of sweat poured from his temple.
“D-don’t say that if you’re going to be embarrassed!” Yanfei’s yell scared the fish away.
“But that’s true, though,” Aether said, not even denying the embarrassed part. “When the time comes, it’s you who I want to introduce first. You’re important after all….T-that’s about it….”
As he reached the last couple of words, Aether dropped the volume of his voice—almost turning it into a mumble. And yet, Yanfei didn’t miss that. In fact, she heard it—and if she hadn’t, she’d have still read his lips.
“L-like I said, stop being so embarrassed by y-your own words….”
“You should say that to yourself….”
Shifting their focus back to fishing was their only resort to avoid the awkward situation looming above them. What they didn’t know was how loud their banter was, frightening all the fish swimming in peace. The moment they realized that, their preys had scattered in all directions and left both of them dumbfounded. And as a means to mock them, the wind hissed, bringing the leaves down to declare their defeat just like a white flag.
“I think we should probably go back….”
“….That’s a great idea.”
Aether and Yanfei returned to Liyue Harbor with defeated looks both on their faces. On Aether’s hand was the bucket they used to captive their victims. His hand swung forward and backward, giving those fish one last attraction they could enjoy before the life’s end greeted them.
They could’ve gotten more, but of course, the awkwardness they’d created for themselves prevented that from happening. At least, it wasn’t a problem. After all, it would be a lie for them to say they didn’t enjoy the time well spent together.
For Yanfei, it was the kind of fun time she’d rarely gotten these past few days. The urge to grin was getting more unbearable, but she still tried to suppress it, not making it too obvious to the traveler walking beside her. She couldn’t possibly let Aether knew that in her mind, this wasn’t just a sightseeing or hanging out with a friend. That idea didn’t even come across her mind.
What she thought about all of this was more similar to the word that started with “D” and ended with “E”. Spelling the entire letter in that word proved to be impossible, though, as she would blush immediately just thinking about it. It was yet another self-destructive thought she was mulling over for these past few minutes.
But….
Yanfei sighed and looked down at the ground she stepped on. She put a wry smile on her face while toning down the excitement bubbling within her now. It would be a pretty embarrassing sight, she thought, if she were the only one who got excited from all of these. After all, Aether said it himself, that he brought Yanfei to fish because of her request long time ago.
Aether is kind, so this probably means nothing to him….
As a result, she tried to suppress that special word from suddenly coming out of her mouth. The last thing she wanted would be mistaking Aether’s kindness for another thing she’d dreamed about until now. If that were to happen, she wouldn’t have a well-adjusted good night later.
….Maybe I should just call it a day rather than stealing more of his precious time.
It was a hard decision to make. She had to grip onto her cloth tightly until it creased just to steel her heart for the words right on the tip of her tongue now. On the next step, she raised her head, eyes looking straight to the front, where she saw a wall blocking her path.
Or to be more accurate, it was Aether’s chest.
“U-ugh!” she groaned in pain as her face was the first thing to dive straight into Aether.
“Oops, sorry.” He didn’t even budge in the slightest.
“D-don’t mind it….” She rubbed her nose that had reddened because of the unexpected collision, though the rosy marks on her cheeks remained the brightest. “Why did you suddenly stop?”
“You weren’t listening, were you? I tried to call you out several times, but you seemed to be lost in your own mind.”
“Oh….About that, yeah. I wasn’t listening. Sorry.”
As a lawyer, she knew the best that nothing could defense her against that allegation. She confessed her own wrongdoing without asking for a second trial due to the lack of evidence, making it the fastest case she’d ever done in her resume.
“Can you repeat what you said?” Yanfei asked.
Aether raised the arm he was using to hold the bucket. It shook a bit in response. “Where should we put this?”
“I think there’s only one obvious place, isn’t?”
“Which is….?”
“Wanmin Restaurant.” Yanfei put up her index finger, as if showing the number one, and at the same time, its tip was pointing to the place she mentioned almost a hundred away from them. “Instead of wasting these poor fish, we should let someone use them properly. All I can think of right now is Xiangling. Who knows what new innovations she can make using our captures today?”
“Well, I guess you have a point….”
Yanfei tilted her head a bit. “Hmm? It seems as if you want to say ‘but’.”
“It’s just….” Aether rubbed his cheek with his index finger. Faint red marks began to appear on his cheeks, and yet, amidst his embarrassment, he didn’t shy away from Yanfei’s staring eyes. “I really don’t want someone else to interrupt…, us, now.”
From the first glance, Yanfei knew Aether was struggling with his words. She studied his expression and lips that kept mouthing words without making them audible. To her, seeing the renowned traveler being bashful like that was an amusement on its own.
“I’d prefer if we keep them to ourselves, you know?” he finally continued. “Not saying I don’t want to meet Xiangling, but just…, for now, maybe we can do something together…, just the two of us…, like without interruption from anyone else.”
There were many pauses Aether had stumbled here and there, but his message came across.
They were still standing among the walking crowd. It was a lucky day for them since everyone around was still busy with Lantern Rite preparation. No one had the time or intention of listening to the awkward conversation both of them had.
Yanfei had her eyes opened wide, as if she was still processing the words she’d just listened to. “So….Basically you’re saying you want to spend more time with me? And only me?”
“….Yeah.” Aether nodded.
After Aether’s muffled answer, no one said a word. Their conversation appeared to drown amidst the crowd’s murmur alongside the click-clack sound of footsteps. Some would stare at them, but no longer than a second. At this moment, it truly felt that the world belong to them and only them.
“I see.”
Following that deafening silence was Yanfei’s simple and concise response. Both of her lips were closed again, and for a while, she appeared composed to the traveler. If only he could hear what was happening inside that lawyer’s head—
Aghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!
—Instead, her mind echoed with deafening screams of embarrassment, loud enough to shatter anyone’s ears who dared to listen. During that, the fish in that bucket stopped resisting one by one, accepting this inescapable fate that’d trapped them.
The next one to make a sound was Aether, still blushing here and there. “So Miss Yanfei? Is that a—”
“Wait!” Yanfei put her hand straight toward Aether, prompting him to stop right on where he was. “Don’t come closer. Stay right where you are.”
She threw her face in another direction, revealing her fluffy pink hair for Aether to see. Her poker expression wasn’t as strong as before, with lips quivering and cheeks hurting. It was the kind of face she refused to show everyone, especially to him.
T-this is hard….I can’t stop g-grinning!
Controlling facial expression wasn’t in her field of expertise. Aether’s words, added with those unfair blushes, proved to be fatal against her, whose heartbeat became frantic yet again.
I was really overthinking it….It’s not like he’s spending time with me because he’s kind, but i-it’s because he just w-wants to be w-with….
She couldn’t even escape from stuttering in her own mind, preventing her from finishing that last sentence. Her cheeks were brighter than her hair color. Although it was faint, a steam oozes from both of her ears, just like a machine that malfunctioned.
On the other hand, while Yanfei being an adorable maiden in love grinning with her own thoughts, Aether was the complete opposite. It’d been almost a full minute since she asked her to keep his distance. He couldn’t possibly know the conversation she was having in her own mind, not even with his mysterious out-of-the-world power.
Hence, he was worried that his words might bother the girl before his eyes.
“Emm, Yanfei?” he called her name.
“Y-yes?!”
Yanfei came back to her senses. She still had a wide smile, which would soon vanish after Aether’s unexpected response.
“About my request, you can just forget it.”
….Eh?
“I just realized that maybe it’s too bothersome, and you’re also busy with the Lantern Rite preparation, right? It wasn’t my intention to take much of your time, so…, yeah, emmm…, you know, it’s okay if you don’t want to.”
He tried to put up a smile, but the disappointment he was feeling also came across through that expression. His eyes wandered to the side, running away from Yanfei’s line of sight.
W-wait, that’s not what I meant.
Her lips couldn’t move. This’d never happened before. It should’ve been easy to say what she’d in mind—after all, it was the thing she did in daily basis. But when it came to her feeling, conveying it as a woven of words troubled her beyond expectation. Whenever she opened her lips, her unconsciousness pushed them back into each other.
It was when her overthinking mind backfired.
D-damn me! Say something, won’t you?! Don’t miss another chance yet again!
While she was having a conflict with herself, Aether—who was waiting for a response—became more discouraged.
“So, well, about this,” Aether said while peeking at the bucket, “maybe I should bring this to Xiangling now. Do you want to come…, at least?”
With a piece of heavy lump inside him, Aether’d reduced his expectation. Because of that, the last thing he expected to hear was Yanfei’s shout resonating through the air.
“W-wait!”
She clutched onto her skirt. Her fingers digging into the fabric, inflicting a sharp pain upon herself. Although it caused her to flinch, she didn’t do it on of a whim. Instead, she sought for something to jolt her courage back, and for the moment, the pain served as the perfect catalyst.
“I….” The first word came out in a soft whisper, barely audible under the noise surrounding them. “I still want to spend the time j-just with you.”
Her voice was trembling, yet the look she had in her eyes was much more different compared to before. It was laced with determination, looking straight at Aether who was taken aback by that sudden change.
He didn’t want to get his hopes up, though. In his mind, Yanfei was just being apologetic to him. It’d pain him further if he made her do something she didn’t want to….
“Hey, it’s okay. You don’t have to force yourself to—”
“No! I mean it!”
….Or at least that was what he thought. When his gaze met with Yanfei’s, in that one instance, he understood that there was no lie behind her words. And the longer they kept staring into each other, with no one breaking the eye contact—not even Yanfei who was still trembling because of the embarrassment—the more he realized her sincerity.
Unsure of how to respond, he just covered his mouth. Similar to Yanfei, he wasn’t able to control his smile. Grinning was all he could do, feeling like an idiot whose worry had almost prompted him to do the worst available option.
But of course, the biggest idiot wasn’t just him—it was Yanfei as well. Clouded by her panic, she’d only realized just now that her shout which stopped Aether on his track had gained some attraction. Passersby were no longer wandering around, standing firm on both feet with head facing right at those partners in crime.
The first one to notice was Yanfei. It was already too much for her, and with this addition? Even her pyro vision wouldn’t be as hot as the steam coming out of her temple.
She rushed towards Aether, closing the distance in several steps before seizing his wrist with one hand.
“L-let’s get out of this place,” she said. Her ears were burning red, but Aether couldn’t make fun of her since his were the same.
While at it, the surrounding people all agreed in an instant that they’d seen something precious for today, and they were thankful for it. Fortunately—or unfortunately—Aether and Yanfei would never know….
“F-finally we’re here….”
Yanfei was short of breath. She gasped for air while sweats were glistening on several spots of her body. Aether was the same. It was all thanks to his much more trained his body that he didn’t get exhausted as much.
They’d just stepped on the last stair leading to Yujing Terrace. It shouldn’t have drained her stamina that fast, but considering everything that’d happened so far in just a few hours, it didn’t come out as something shocking.
Nothing changed about the view, except for the sky that began to bleed to the West. At the same time, Madame Ping was no longer there to be found—only the usual wooden table was present.
“It’s unusual not seeing Madame Ping here,” Aether said. “Something happened to her?”
“I believe not. She was here this morning.”
Yanfei wiped off the sweats on her forehead. Both eyes were scanning the whole place with a furrowed eyebrow. As she walked towards the table, she found a piece of paper with an empty cum on top of it, preventing that sheet from being taken away by the wind.
A few words were written on it. Yanfei was the first one to read it, and to say she got flabbergasted would be the perfect word to describe her expression right now.
“Don’t forget to use protection,” she read it in her mind using her granny’s voice. There was a smiley face right in the end, probably Madame Ping’s face when she wrote it.
“G-Granny, you….” Her voice trailed off as she struggled to find the right words to express her surprise.
“What does it say?”
In a swift motion, Yanfei turned around. The paper was behind her back now, not really well-hidden but at least out of Aether’s grasp.
“I think it’d better if you don’t read it….” Yanfei said.
“….Why? Is it something bad?”
“A-about that….” she avoided Aether’s eyes. She knew the moment their eyes met again, Madame Ping’s message would echo in her mind, prompting her to the things that can make her faint easily. “I-it’s just another bad joke of hers.”
“I didn’t know she has a sense of humor.”
“Yeah….” Yanfei chuckled it out, trying to act nonchalant while her head could only think of….not-so-wholesome stuff. She made a fist and crumpled the paper in her hand.
Seeing how Yanfei was so reluctant to show that letter, Aether chose to put the attention back on the bucket he was carrying.
“So do you have any plan on what we should we do with this?”
Yanfei’s lips curved upward into a smirk. “Of course I do.”
She crouched on the opposite side of the table. For a moment, Aether couldn’t see what she was getting up to. It was only after a few seconds before she stood back, hands holding an object bigger than their heads covered in a fabric.
“N-nghhh….”
A groan escaped her lips as she lifted that mysterious thing. Its weight had nearly caused her to lose and stumble against the concrete. Thankfully, Aether reacted swiftly, his hands joining hers to provide the necessary support. Together, they managed to bring it onto the table’s top.
Neither of them moved, meaning Aether’s palms were still resting atop her hands. As soon as he realized it, he quickly pulled them back in a panic.
“S-sorry!” he said.
“I-it’s okay,” Yanfei answered. She really meant her words. Even if they intertwined hands for hours, she didn’t think it would be a bother. “I should be thankful. It could’ve been a disaster if you didn’t help.”
“Don’t mind it.” Aether was the same. His mind was still lingering with the delicate and smooth feeling of Yanfei’s hands. He cleared his throat. “So what is this?”
Yanfei went all smug, as if she hadn’t been a stuttering mess of a tomato just moments before. With a gleam of anticipation in her eyes, she eagerly pinched the fabric, tugging on it with excitement. Then, in one swift motion, she pulled it off, revealing what lay beneath.
“Ta da!”
Despite that build-up, though, Aether remained unimpressed.
“A furnace?”
It resembled a grill, or more accurately, it was indeed a grill, just a bit fancier with the intricate design carved on its sides. There was a closed box under it, presumably where the fire would be lit. In Aether’s eyes, it was nothing out of the ordinary. Yanfei shook her head, her grin widening.
“No, no, no,” Yanfei said rapidly, and in the end, she clicked her tongue the same number of time as her ‘no’. “It’s much more than that.”
Her excitement seeped through each word coming out of her mouth. Aether was still in the dark, but seeing Yanfei’s being all bubbly and giddy made it all worth it. That enthusiasm was contagious, and Aether found himself smiling in response.
“Just take a look at this,” Yanfei said.
She proceeded to palm both of her hands on the closed box’s sides. They were planted firmly, and as the seconds passed, Aether noticed a red glow on her waist. It was her pyro vision, reacting to whatever she was doing at this moment.
The air got warmer, even Aether who stood almost a meter from her could feel it. Slowly but surely, the furnace turned into a bright red hue, and the engraving on its surface radiated a soft orange-ish light. It was only after the entire furnace burned with the heat when she withdrew her hands, revealing both palms that were totally flushed from the warmth.
Aether’s concern flickered as he noticed her rosy hands. “Hey, are you okay?”
Yanfei flashed him a reassuring smile while flexing her fingers, seemed to be unbothered. “Don’t worry. I’m more than fine. Now, more importantly, place the fish on the surface.”
“How many?”
“It’s your call. I suggest not too many, though.”
“So three?”
“Why not four?”
“You told me not to overfill it.”
“I don’t think four is too many.”
“Well, sure. I’m just going to do what you ordered me to.”
“Go right ahead.”
Aether did exactly what Yanfei told him to do. He gently placed the fish—had long died because of the heat and cringe—one by one until they were facing the same direction. At least they departed this life together.
After arranging those poor victims, Aether took a step back, waiting for what made Yanfei so excited. He couldn’t deny that excitement was building inside him. The legal adviser, on the other hand, clapped her hands together.
“Perfect! Now, let’s see the magic happen.”
As soon as Yanfei said that, the flame engulfed those fish. It tried to lick the sky, going upward second by second, even almost reaching the tree branches hanging above it. The first one who got alerted would be Aether. He’d prepared himself to get surprised, but this was out of his imagination.
“I-is this normal?” Aether asked. If something happened, he felt more than glad that he’d gotten the power to control hydro element from his visit to Fontaine.
As if a light bulb popped right above her head, Yanfei’s lips curved yet again into a grin. It was an embarrassing act, but with everything that’d happened so far, she realized that Aether was on the same spot as her, easily flustered. So it filled her with the confidence to be a bit more…, aggressive.
“H-here, just try it.”
She grabbed Aether’s forearm—not on the handholding stage yet—and led it towards the blazing furnace. His fingers winced on reflex, sensing it as a danger that could unfold into a bigger problem. But no matter how closer his hand was, the heat didn’t fluctuate, or more accurately, it was nowhere to feel.
“So?” Yanfei’s cheeky grin was wavering, looking as if it could break down anytime soon due to her own self-consciousness.
“….It’s not hot at all.”
“Neat, right? The heat from my pyro vision is stored in this box container, and there’s also a protective layer that prevents the flame from escaping, meaning the inside is very hot, but on the outside? You won’t feel anything,” Yanfei explained, showcasing her speech skill where she was proficient at. “Even more—wait for it—this furnace knows the right temperature to cook whatever the food is down to perfection! Literally perfect!”
“Well, that weirdly sounds…, useful,” Aether said.
“We’ve Granny to thanks for. Her creations are always a wonder.”
“Madame Ping? I thought you made it.”
“Not without her help, of course.”
“I see.”
“Yup.”
“….”
“….”
“Also…, your hand is….”
“What about it?”
“Emm….I mean I don’t mind, but….”
Yanfei was too enamored with the conversation and the furnace that she failed to notice he was referring to her hand that was still wrapping onto his forearm. Same as before, her cheeks reacted first, turning into a flushed, rosy skin color Aether’d seen numerous times.
“O-oh…, well…, do you dislike it?”
Then again, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that she was also enamored with him.
What she’d just said made Aether speechless. It wasn’t something he’d expected. The result was a critical hit right at his heart.
“….No.”
“Then, i-it’s okay if I touch you like this, r-right?”
It was yet another decisive blow, possibly even more devastating than the first. This move rendered him even more vulnerable to her attacks, particularly as she heightened his awareness of their physical contact. All he could think was the sensation of her warm, smooth, and gentle touch right on his forearm.
Whether she did it on purpose or not, it was undeniably doing some effects to Aether.
Aether struggled immensely to control his facial expression. On one hand, the word “happy” alone couldn’t encapsulate the emotion inside him. He’d jump in joy, most likely punching the air like when he planted his fist on a certain fatui’s face.
But he was also concerned with his heart that had been thumping this entire time with no sign of stopping. Sooner or later, he could faint because of it. So, although it was a shame, for his own survival, he needed an excuse.
“It’s just…, d-don’t you think eating would be too hard?” he said, coming up with the best excuse he could formulate at the time.
Yanfei raised her eyebrows. The shade of pink still colored her cheeks, and a second after that, she let go of her grip with a soft chuckle.
“Y-yeah, you’re actually right,” she answered. “S-sorry, I got carried away.”
“I-it’s okay….”
Both of them couldn’t deny that it was a bit disappointing. If it were possible, their skin ship would last longer—even for hours maybe—but they were weak against each other, and with every passing moment, one of them understood that the feeling they had for each other could be contained no more.
Ding!
A voice coming from the furnace interrupted the silence between then. They both looked at it at the same time, noticing the perfectly cooked fish that had been listening to their banter. The aroma enticed them all, and the first one who had their stomach growling for some feast was Yanfei, feeling her calories got burned because all of her blushes so far.
“W-we should eat first,” she said while holding her belly.
“You’re r-right.”
“Also, I forgot to say this, this is the first time I used this furnace. So no promises with the flavor.”
“Isn’t that something you should’ve said from the beginning?”
“D-don’t blame me, I was distracted. And you didn’t ask either.”
Yanfei, being the one hungrier, apologetically took one fish from the blazing surface.
“Well, I’ll dig in,” she said.
Yanfei sank her teeth into the fish, tearing its side apart with no effort, a crisp sound followed. Aether, who kept looking from the side, didn’t know what to expect from the mysterious furnace.
“So, how is it?”
“I….I think it’s a success.”
Her eyes sparkled with joy, her cheeks were filled with a delightful puff. The flavors—more than just delicious—danced on her palate, bringing a note of satisfaction to every bite. Its meat was delicate, packed with juicy flavors, yet not overly frail in the mouth. The skin still had the crunchiness that elevated the experience from the first bite until the end.
Seeing how much Yanfei was enjoying that fish, Aether found himself more excited to try it. The scent indeed aroused his appetite, and before he knew it, a drool ran from one corner of his lips. He wiped it out with his sleeve before taking one out of three available fish, waiting to join their friend.
“It’s my turn then,” he said.
As he brought that fish closer to his mouth, he could feel the heat brushing against his lips, offering a flavor he couldn’t possibly resist. Just like the girl beside her, he took the first bite from the side, going in for the skin.
Crunch!
That sound echoed softly in the air. He began to chew on it, but compared to how Yanfei did it, his face wasn’t as pleasant as hers. Of course, she noticed his puzzled look.
“Is there something wrong?” she asked, peering at him curiously.
It was after he swallowed it that he answered. ”It’s not good.”
“Wait, seriously?”
“Just try it.”
Aether handed the fish in his hand. Only after doing that when he realized that it would be an indirect kiss. And from the look Yanfei had on her face, she knew it too, but she didn’t shy away.
She snatched Aether’s wrist and guided the fish to her mouth, making it look as if he were feeding her. Before Aether was able to say anything, she chomped right on the area where the traveler had left his mark.
It should’ve been a playful remark from her, who—unsurprisingly—got embarrassed due to her own action. But she wasn’t prepared for the unexpected taste that spread across her tongue, leaving her taste paralyzed for a second.
“Uhuk!” she coughed. “I-it’s so charred.”
She stuck out her tongue, asking help from the wind to carry away the awful taste. Aether was the first one to notice charcoal-like dust on the tip of her tongue, and he couldn’t help but chuckle.
“H-hey, t-that’s not funny….” Yanfei said, still frowning at the pungent taste.
“S-sorry,” Aether said, feeling a bit guilty but unable to suppress his twitching grin.
As Yanfei loosened her grip, Aether pulled it back slowly, including the fish still within his firm grasp. However, before he could bring closer to his lips again, Yanfei slapped it away—effectively killing the fish for the second time.
“Don’t eat that!” she exclaimed.
“W-wait, why? It’s a waste, don’t you think so?”
“But you’re the one who said it was bad.”
“Doesn’t mean I couldn’t it.”
“Just don’t.”
“I mean….” He glanced toward the corpse by his side. Yanfei did too, looking at the pitiful fate that fish had to suffer even after its death. “….With how you suddenly slapped it, I don’t think I can.”
“S-sorry….”
“Don’t mind it. But yeah,” Aether continued, “so it’s a bit of gamble which one of these two is good tasting.”
“I thought it was perfect.”
“Said someone who didn’t even use it before.”
“H-hey, at least one is perfectly cooked.”
“And hopefully not just that one.”
Yanfei saw Aether’s disappointed expression. The first fish he took, and it was bad. It made sense for him to become more wary. She couldn’t bear looking at that.
“H-here….” She stretched her right arm, the one holding that perfectly cooked fish. “L-let me feed you with this.”
“W-what?”
Those words startled Aether. He looked at the fish, then at Yanfei, then back to the fish before glancing at her again.
“C-come on,” Yanfei said while controlling that smile of hers, “J-just bite on it before my arm g-gets too tired…, a-and before I get too e-embarrassed.”
Aether had the red marks on his cheeks. It was apparent he also felt embarrassed—in a good way, of course. As he didn’t make a move, Yanfei pushed the fish towards his lips. No matter what happened, she didn’t have any intention to back down from what she’d started.
A few seconds passed, and he finally gave up. “I-if you insist then.”
Since she’d only eaten one side of the fish, Aether indulged himself with the other side. It was still warm inside his mouth. Each bite burst with tantalizing flavors which coated his taste buds with delight, much different compared than its friend.
“….I can’t believe this one came from the same furnace as that one,” he said, wondering what had really happened on that furnace.
Yanfei seemed to be proud over that comment, forgetting she was also the one who made that abomination abandoned on the paving. “If you want, you can finish it.”
“It’s okay. There are still several fish we can cook. We can try them one by one.”
“But wouldn’t it be a game of chance? We don’t know which one that would be good, after all.”
“Well, that’s part of the fun, isn’t?”
“Y-you gamble addict….”
Even then, Yanfei liked that part about Aether. He took the remaining two cooked fish from the furnace before placing more—this time was six at the same time, had to cramp them in an uncomfortable position. Thankfully they died already.
One could say they were having a feast, and although the cuisine before their eyes was just a bunch of fish—both delicious and awful-tasting—a smile still painted their faces.
Yanfei couldn’t help but laugh, especially when Aether’s luck in choosing the fish betrayed him. That wasn’t the case with her luck. Most of the bites she took brightened her smile. Then again, what made her happy wasn’t that.
It was true that many moments throughout the day was her being embarrassed left and right, but she enjoyed every second of it. Even remembering some of them—like the conversation they had while fishing that afternoon—made her let out a soft chuckle. Today had been a core memory for her, one that she’d remember even years to come and filled her with fondness when she recalled it.
Without even noticing, her true feeling poured out from her heart into words.
“I wish this could last forever.”
There was a few seconds before Yanfei realized what she’d just said. Her cheeks turned red—probably the reddest rosy cheeks she had this entire day. She quickly turned her head to Aether, hoping to clear the misunderstanding only to see his eyes that were fixed to hers.
“Me….Me too.”
Both of them froze, as if the time stopped only for them. The sound of wind hissing became clearer, and as seconds passed by, it was the sound of their own heartbeats that echoed. Beat after beat, they could feel their own faces heating up. But different from before, none of them freaked out or tried to talk their way out of the situation.
They just kept staring each other in silence, soaking in the evening ambiance as their eyes reflected each other.
Aether’s eyes reflected the image of the legal adviser he truly cherished.
Yanfei’s eyes reflected the image of the traveler whose presence couldn’t leave her mind.
As they continued gaze into each other, the world seemed to fade away. Their hearts kept beating in unison. Above them was the red sky, casting its glow for both of them and for their surrounding, yet the blushes coloring their faces were much brighter.
“So….” The first one to speak a word amidst the comforting silence was Yanfei. “With what you said….Is that what I think it is?”
She didn’t stutter at all. Even to her, it was a surprise. Compared to before, it was easier for her to convey the emotions and feeling that had built up within herself.
Then, it was Aether’s turn to respond. What he felt was the same as Yanfei’s. After such a heartfelt question, he couldn’t betray it. Only by putting everything into words when he could hope his feeling sent across.
“I do.”
His stare still lingered. The passing wind almost muffled his words, but she still heard it—loud and clear.
“In that case,” Yanfei began, her voice trembling slightly. “Is it okay if I think that the feeling is…, mutual?”
Her question hung in the air, as Aether seemed to be hesitant saying his next words. Something prevented him from opening his mouth, a lump of uncertainty that burdened his mind into an inner turmoil.
As the tension kept building up, Yanfei could sense that something was troubling him. She didn’t know what it was, but she remained patient—waiting as long as she needed. It was the least she could do, giving time for Aether to arrange his thoughts.
“Yanfei, I’m torn,” he finally confessed, his voice was covered in vulnerability. “Or rather….I….I’m afraid.”
She knew it wasn’t her moment yet to speak, so she stared in silence, embracing the stillness that enveloped both of them. Aether understood the intention behind her quietness, an unspoken support that she offered.
“Well….How can I say this?” he continued, rubbing the back of his head and trying to come up with words that best expressed his worry. “After the troubles in Sumeru and Fontaine, I realized that—don’t want to make it sounds bad, really—but like, there’s no guarantee I can make it alive.”
His eyes drifted from the previous line of sight. He didn’t know what kind of expression Yanfei had. It was probably his most vulnerable moment, not just today but as far as he could remember.
“I was lucky with them, but there’s no way of telling when something as dangerous—or even more dangerous—might happen.”
Each of his word became heavier, weighted by gravity of his fears. He remembered many of the instances where death was just a hair breath escape. The thought of dying didn’t scare him, but it the fear of leaving people he cared about that paralyzed him.
“So—”
As soon as he steeled his heart, Aether raised his head, trying to look back at her. But instead of her face, he was met with her hand slicing through the air faster than his reflexes could response. It was going toward his cheek, and the next moment he knew….Plak!
His head was already facing another direction.
It took him a moment before noticing that Yanfei’d just slapped him. The shock numbed the pain that should’ve been spreading across his cheek.
Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t Aether who got surprised the most.
It was the slapper herself. Yanfei.
“Oh….” she murmured, both eyes widening in realization. “….Sorry.”
Her apology didn’t sound like one. She was still registering what she’d just done in her brain.
“I didn’t mean to…, I mean, I did slap you, but…, well, maybe I did really mean it….”
Confusion clouded her mind.
“T-that was a really hard slap, too,” Aether said, rubbing his cheek that began to sting.
“A-again, sorry.”
“It’s fine. I just didn’t think you would go all the way like that.”
“T-that’s because of you, though,” she said, only feeling worse by every passing second. “Because you said that kind of stuff….”
“I don’t think you had to slap me like that, though.”
“T-that’s why I’m feeling bad now.”
Aether only softly smiled. “I guess I need to apologize then for what I said. But it’s true, you can say that I’m afraid if something happens to me and—well, before you slap me again—”
“I-I know, I know! I won’t!”
“—I fear the thought of not being by your side.” He rubbed his head again “Sorry, I bet you’re disappointed in me—disappointed of how…, cowardly I am.”
“Maybe the cowardly part, yes.”
“You don’t have to be so honest.”
“But I’m not disappointed at all!” Yanfei leant forward, her face only inches away from Aether’s. “Actually, I’m glad you’re feeling that way. Caring more about my safety over yours….But it’s okay. I already said it right?”
“What?”
“That I want this moment to last forever.”
She put all of her feelings into those words, being honest with everything she’d just said. There was no reason to hide her feeling anymore.
She knew she liked Aether, and she didn’t want to run away from that feeling.
Instead, she wanted to face it with sincerity.
“B-but….”
Even then, Aether kept hesitating. Having seen the dangers lurking around Teyvat—some were life-threatening uncertainties—it made sense he’d be worried. It filled him with dread thinking the moment when he blinked and opened his eyes, Yanfei would be gone from her side.
If that’d ever happened, he couldn’t have possibly walked any more.
She could notice Aether’s fears just from the way he expressed the emotions on his face. She clenched her fists before taking his palms on hers, giving him the warmth of her feeling.
She took a deep breath, preparing herself for what she about to say.
“If you’re still afraid, I will go with you.”
“….Pardon me?”
“I said I will follow you on your travel! I may just look like a legal advisor—hell of a good one I’d say—but don’t underestimate me in a fight. I’ve a vision for a reason.
“T-that’s too risky! There might be many moments when I can’t protect you.”
“Then I will just protect myself!”
Yanfei’s determination was an endearing sight before his eyes, but after a while, only a chuckle could be heard. It was his. Aether even had to cover his mouth, trying his best to muffle his own laughter which was impossible with how close they were.
“I-is there something funny?” Yanfei asked, wasn’t expecting that as an answer.
“Nothing,” he answered, still with a smile on his face. His voice sounded gentle, much different compared to before. The determination in his eyes won against his fears—he’d made his decision. Of course he had too, especially after seeing how serious Yanfei was. It wasn’t the time to succumb to his own fear, and he understood that. This was the moment when all worried he had vanished in an instant. The fogs lingering in his mind became clearer, revealing his answer. “No….You should stay here.”
“What?! Are you still being stubborn?”
“No….That’s what I meant,” he said. “There are people who need you here. It’d be better for you to stay and do what you’re best at.”
“But then, what about—”
“Don’t worry. I’ll come back to see you again. That’s a promise.”
Yanfei’s expression softened. She realized the true meaning behind his words.
“S-so…?”
He began to blush again. “L-let me say it clearer this time.”
None of them could control their heartbeat. It thumped each second, gradually getting faster and louder. The wait before Aether’s answer felt like an eternity, but in reality, ten seconds hadn’t passed yet.
“Yanfei, I love you.”
And same as before. After just a few second that felt like forever, Yanfei replied.
“I love you too.”
No words were needed at the moment. They were sharing an intimate look that couldn’t be mistaken for something else. Affection painted their expression, colored with more than just a mere delight.
Without even realizing it, both of them moved closer in unison. They leaned forward, heads were closing the distance that separated them.
None of them stopped.
Nor they wanted to.
Slowly nothing separated them anymore. They met each other right on the lips. It was fast, just a tender press, but it was enough to drown them in the sweetness of the moment.
Everything else melted away, all thoughts and worries vanished from their minds. Only bliss that was enveloping them in these small yet intimate moments.
Again, no words were needed.
“Emm….So, next week? At the same place?”
“Yup, or what is it? You don’t want to?”
“That’s not it….And could you even say that after what we just did?”
“D-don’t remind me that.”
“Shall we do it again then?”
“Hey, Aether, stop! People are watching!”
Yanfei pushed Aether’s head away from her with a panicked expression on her face, thinking he was brave enough to make a public spectacle just like that.
After that kiss had transpired, they were walking side by side on the streets of Liyue. The number of pedestrians roaming around had decreased, so they took the chance to hold hand. It might be sweaty and trembling, but no one cared. What they could only focus at was each other’s warmth.
It wasn’t long until both of them stopped, the time to be together was nearing its end.
“Well, I guess see you again in a week?” Aether asked, looking directly at Yanfei’s eyes.
“Yes. See you in a week,” Yanfei said, reciprocating his stare with her own.
Those were the last words they exchanged today. Aether began to walk again while Yanfei stood there, watching the back of the person she loved until his figure disappeared completely from her sight.
As soon as that happened, she covered both of her face and had an internal scream, this time was even louder than before. Her vision hoped it could be as bright as her cheeks.
It was enough to tell that Yanfei was happy—too happy to say anything, actually—as her body still trembling in excitement.
“Wasn’t that good for you, Yanfei?”
“T-totally!”
“So how far did you go with him?”
“W-we ended up k-kis—w-woah!”
Still filled with a bubble of happiness and ecstasy, Yanfei didn’t realize that Madame Ping was standing next to her. She had the smuggest look that Yanfei’d ever seen, sending a shiver throughout her student’s skin.
“G-Granny! H-how long have you been s-standing there?!”
“Since quite a while.”
“A while? W-wait, were you following me?!”
“Following both of you, to be more exact.”
“Ackkkkkkk!” Yanfei covered her ears, wasn’t ready to get humiliated by her own grandma. “T-then, how much did you h-hear?”
“Don’t worry. I heard nothing. Your secret is safe,” she said with a reassuring smile.
“I-is that so?” Yanfei released a relived breath, slowly inhaling and exhaling.
“But it’s so unfortunate.”
“W-what is so unfortunate?”
“You should’ve joined him in his travel. That way, you could always be together. Such a shame….”
“T-that’s….” As if something clicked on her head, Yanfei changed her tone. “Hold on….W-why did you….S-so you were listening from the start?”
“And I saw that, of course.”
“ACKKKKKKK!”
“Did I just hear Yanfei screaming?”
Aether turned his head. Yanfei was no longer visible, but he swore he could hear her voice coming from the direction where they separated.
“Something wrong, Aether?”
Sitting next to him—or floating, to be more accurate—was Paimon, having a bloated belly after the feast she’d been enjoying on Wanmin Restaurant.
“Nothing.”
Paimon kept staring at Aether. Something caught her attention, and her little mind couldn’t help not to become curious.
“Heem….Something must’ve happened….I can see it, even smell it!”
Aether almost Y-you’re just making baseless assumptions now.”
“Oh, really? Then why are you smiling now?!”
“That’s true, I agree with Paimon.” This time, it was Xiangling who responded over the sound of food sizzling. She was still cooking, but Aether and Paimon’s conversation was so loud she didn’t have another choice but to listen. “Confess it now, Aether! You can’t run from both of us!”
Those questions sounded even more threatening than many hilichurls or treasure hoarders he’d fought up to now. “Like I said, nothing happened.”
“Well, that’s disappointing.”
“I also agree with that one.”
“And now you two are so easily convinced. Just forget it,” Aether said, sounding a bit annoyed. “But, well, do you mind if I go alone on the Lantern Rite next week?”
“Hmm? I don’t mind,” Paimon said. Her hands were rubbing her tummy slowly, easing the pain caused by her own gluttony.
“Well….” The red marks on his cheeks became clearer as he rubbed them. “Let’s just say I’m meeting with someone.”
“I-is it for something dangerous?!” Paimon asked.
“No….It’s a…, well…, it’s a date.”
“Date?!” Paimon and Xiangling asked at the same time. “So something did really happen!”
Aether couldn’t answer that, Just by saying that one word already paralyzed him with happiness and embarrassment.
“With whom?!”
None of them were backing down, as if they wouldn’t get a good night sleep without any proper explanation they didn’t deserve.
“I-I won’t tell you two!”
“Petty!”
It took hours for them to unveil the answer from the person himself, and many more hours being teased by those two—even Paimon forgot about her own suffering.
Then again, he couldn’t hide his happiness, nor could she, who had to compose herself from her own granny.
The warmth still lingered.
The affection enveloped their entire being with happiness.
Distance might separate them, but at least from now on, their hearts were closer than ever.