Chapter Text
Paimon released a long, relieved sigh after eating her favorite Liyue dishes. After a long time away from the Nation of Geo, she and Aether decided to stay for a while to relax before setting out on their next journey. As usual, the duo's first stop was the famous Wanmin Restaurant where Paimon proceeded to devour all the food Aether had ordered with his limited pay. The traveler would normally limit the girl's meals, but since today was a special occasion for them visiting the harbor, he made a once-a-year exception that he kept secret from her.
“That meal was delicious!” Paimon sighed, floating up and down like a lively balloon, “Oh Liyue cuisine. How Paimon missed you!”
Aether chuckled while finishing the last of his Bamboo Shoot Soup. “Has it really been that long since we’ve eaten here, Paimon?”
“Yes, it has, Aether. When you have a tongue as refined as Paimon’s, you can distinguish how long it’s been since you’ve indulged in a nation’s signature dish.”
The blond traveler raised an eyebrow. “I see. I figured the tastes all blended together for you.”
“Huh? Why would you think that?”
Aether’s mind trailed back to the moments when Paimon wolfed down her food without a second thought. Whether it be morning, noon, or evening, the floating companion never failed to clear her plate of food. Every time something entered that eager mouth of hers, she somehow always managed to swallow it in less than five chews. Given how she rarely chews, Aether wondered if she even tasted anything at all.
“No particular reason.” He answered, looking away to hide his knowing gaze.
“What do you mean “No particular reason”?” Paimon narrowed her eyes at him before letting out a sigh. “Hmm… Well, you’re lucky Paimon’s in a good mood, then.”
Aether let out another happy and relieved chuckle. Before he could ask what they planned to do next for the day, the blond traveler noticed the wave of shiny white hair from the corner of his eye near Wanmin Restaurant.
“Hm?” Aether tugged at Paimon’s arm. “Paimon. Look over there.”
“What is it?” Paimon looked in the direction to see the familiar woman. Upon further inspection, she too recognized her. “Oh, it’s Shenhe.”
He then noticed Shenhe’s narrowed eyebrows and raised a hand to stop Paimon from flying to the adeptus disciple. “Hold on a second. Something doesn’t seem right.”
Paimon glanced back at Aether before returning her gaze to Shenhe. “You think so?”
The duo stood to the side to examine the snow-haired woman longer. They took note of the paper she held and the laser-focused gaze she gave to it. Though faint, a low grunt rumbled from her throat reaching the ears of her eavesdroppers. Having watched for long enough, Aether decided it was time for them to approach her.
“Reading something there, Shenhe?” Aether asked.
Shenhe’s eyes popped open as she shifted her gaze from the paper to the duo approaching her. “Oh, Aether, Paimon,” she replied, putting the paper away, “I didn’t know you two came back to Liyue.”
“We never notify people when we visit,” Paimon said with a giggle, “Best to keep things like that up to surprise, you know?”
“Surprise?” Shenhe asked, smiling at the prospect, “Yes, I heard of such customs for mortals to leave good surprises as a sign of affection. Is this one such occasion?”
“Hmm…” Aether smiled with a shrug, “I don’t think it applies to surprise visits, but your interpretation isn’t too far off the mark.”
“What were you reading there, Shenhe?” Paimon inquired, “You had such a sharp face too.”
Shenhe sighed again. “Just a delivery request I have to run. Nothing for either of you to concern yourself over.”
“Wanmin’s kept you busy, huh?” Aether asked, “I could ask to take over your shift as a volunteer if you’d like.”
The adeptus disciple raised her eyebrows, hesitating to answer. She diverted her gaze away briefly and asked, “You would? But…I could never ask…” She smiled and returned her gaze to the two, “I mean…thank you, Aether, but I have to respectfully decline.”
“A simple ‘no thanks’ works too, Shenhe,” Paimon pointed out.
“It’s no problem with me,” Aether interjected, “I’m just surprised to see you so disgruntled.”
“That’s because of the delivery in question,” Shenhe explained, bringing out the paper she read. “The client I bring food to…is an unbearable annoyance.”
“Annoyance? In what way?” Paimon asked.
“For starters, this individual never fails to immediately answer the door when I arrive, and he always asks me if I’d like to “stay over for tea” after I complete my task.”
“That’s…a little odd?”
“Putting it lightly there, Paimon,” Aether added, placing a finger under his chin. As he thought it over, a portion of his blood began to boil as he subtly asked, “He hasn’t done anything…strange to you, has he?”
“If he did, he’d be short a few bones,” Shenhe answered coldly, playing with her knuckles. “Had it not been for my job at Wanmin and Master’s teachings, I’d have had him visiting the Bubu Pharmacy for tea instead.”
“Uh…Paimon doesn’t think that’s necessary,” Paimon said, sweating profusely.
“That doesn’t seem right to me,” Aether said, “If he didn’t do anything weird, doesn’t that mean he was just…” His tone lowered to a tiny growl, “…asking you to stop and relax a bit?”
“Believe me, I thought the same the first time around…until the second, the third, and now the tenth time, if I’m counting yesterday’s delivery.”
“I see...”
“Paimon’s sorry to hear that, Shenhe,” Paimon said, “Are you sure you don’t want us to take over for this? After all, you…”
“Again, I respectfully decline, Paimon. In other words, no thanks, as you said,” Shenhe said, with a smile. “I’ve dealt with countless annoyances like him from the insects to the Hilichurls. It’s my own tendencies I have to worry about the most, but I’ve been managing. In fact, today might go better now that you two stopped by.”
“Glad to hear it, Shenhe,” Aether said, “If you think you can handle it, I won’t insist.” His eyes softened a bit, “Just…take care of yourself, okay?”
Shenhe tilted her head at the request, silently examining the traveler before nodding at his request with a smile. “I will, Aether. Thank you for your concern. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to get this damn delivery over with. Once I get back, why don’t we relax together and catch up with some tea?”
Paimon giggled, “You’re not going to break our bones, are you?”
“What?! Why, I’d never, Paimon.”
“Paimon was being cheeky with you,” Aether interjected, “We’d be happy to join you.”
“Oh, I-I see,” Shenhe said, clearing her throat, “Well I’m off. I shall join with you here at noon.”
Aether struggled to hide the strange feeling he had from her. As he and Paimon waved her goodbye, his mind returned to the story of her client inviting her to tea. The image formed in his mind, painting the vivid smile of the man as he winked to Shenhe. The blond traveler grunted, letting a portion of his emotions leak through.
“Aether?” Paimon called with a sea of worry in her star-filled eyes. “Are you okay?”
“Huh?” Aether snapped back to the real world as the vision of Shenhe with another faded.
“You had this scary look in your eyes. Did Paimon do something wrong?”
“Oh, no, Paimon.” He scratched his head. “I was just…thinking of something.”
“And that something made you growl?” When he didn’t answer, she continued, “Are you sure something was wrong with Shenhe? If anything, Paimon thinks…”
“She must be getting better at hiding it from me,” Aether said, hoping Paimon wouldn’t notice him shift the topic.
“Huh? Hiding what?”
“Did you pay attention to Shenhe’s eyes, Paimon? There was a moment when she didn’t look into ours. It was brief, but it was there.”
“Oh… Yeah, Paimon did notice, but she was too distracted by Shenhe’s rough language to think about it. Why bring that up?”
“Hmm…” Aether shook his head and sighed. “Maybe I’m looking too deep into it…”
“Hey, never distrust your gut!” Paimon exclaimed, “If it’s related to Shenhe, then we have to be ready to help her out if she needs it.”
“Are you sure, Paimon?”
“Paimon’s sure she’s sure!” She paused and tilted her head. “What’s the matter with you, Aether? You’re never uncertain about your intuition.”
Aether didn’t respond right away, his eyes diverting away from Paimon’s as his mind froze as if standing on a fork in the road. He slipped a thinking hum from his throat as he pondered what answer to give that would satisfy the curious girl. However, his silence only fed into her nosiness.
“Aether?”
The boy sighed and looked back at Paimon. “I think…Shenhe’s mentally exhausted.”
Paimon’s small body jolted at the explanation. “Shenhe? Mentally exhausted?!” She paused and rubbed her cranium with a loud, confused exhale of her breath. “Yeah, maybe you are thinking about it too much, Aether. Saying that is like saying Ganyu’s lazy.”
“Look, I know it sounds dumb, Paimon, which is why I don’t want my intuition to be right.” Aether crossed his arms and passed around his companion, “But… I couldn’t help but notice the bags under her eyes and the way she changed her tone when talking about her client.”
“I see. Do you want to ask her about it when she gets back?”
“I do, but I think we need to get some special herbs to blend tea with.” Aether paused, realizing a hole in the plan, “But where do we find some…”
Paimon nodded at the proposal. “Paimon read in a medical book about a rare breed of the Qingxin that grows at the highest peaks of Jueyun Karst. If we can get that plant and brew it…”
“Wait, you actually read one of those books, Paimon?” Aether asked, “Why?”
“Huh?” Paimon’s eyes shot open before she turned away, “O-Oh, uh…P-Paimon thought it’d be useful for…uh…our travels! You can never be too prepared, right?”
“I… Yes?”
“Then on to Jueyun Karst we go! We want that teatime with Shenhe to be special, right, Aether?”
“…Right.”
Aether saw it in Shenhe’s irises. That hint of loneliness in that unmoving, cold stare of hers. The icy gaze that briefly disappeared into dust when she saw him at that moment made the traveler realize that they hadn’t spoken to Shenhe for months. Though their reunion should be a joyous occasion, the snow-haired disciple filled it with nothing but troubled stories and annoyed grunts of a woman who experienced one too many misfortunes. Aether’s core shook at the thought, wondering if it was him that was at the center of Shenhe’s distress and that, worst of all, Shenhe intended to hide it from him.
~~##~~
“See anything up there, Paimon?!” Aether shouted from the base of one of the many towering mountains of Jueyun Karst.
“Yeah, Aether!” Paimon shouted from the top, “Paimon thinks she found it!” But before she allowed him a chance to cheer, she followed it with, “Uh, wait. No…it’s a Violetgrass.”
“Come on, that’s the fifth time!”
“Hey, don’t blame Paimon! It’s not her fault this special Qingxin is also purple!”
Both let out a tired sigh. They spent the past three hours searching for the rare breed of Qingxin on the peaks of each Liyue mountain top. Climbing them took an abundance of time and energy, yet the duo checked half of the mountains so far. Exhausted, the pair rested at the nearest boulder.
“It must be on some mountain we haven’t explored yet,” Aether deduced.
“But where in Liyue could that be?” Paimon asked, staring up at all the mountains in the distance, mixing with the purple hue of the Violetgrass. “It’s going to take forever to find that plant.”
“If only Cloud Retainer hadn’t gone out to train Shuyu, she’d be able to spot it from the air.”
“Ah, Paimon doubts we’d be able to find it even with her help. One plant in a sea of mountains… just the thought alone is making Paimon dizzy.”
“How about the area between Jueyun Karst and Chenyu Vale?” The blond traveler suggested, standing up, “We could check there.”
“But how much time do we have until noon?” Paimon asked.
“Uh…” Aether checked his pocket watch with the hour hand pointed at the eleven. “An hour.”
“Do we have enough time to check there and get back?!”
“If we run, I think so. Come on, let’s do this for Shenhe!”
As they rushed to the northwestern parts of Huaguang Stone Forest, a thought came across Paimon’s mind. Though ready to help anyone, Aether seemed more eager to find the plant than usual. Questioning his actions was out of the question because, to Paimon, things like this were an everyday occurrence. But that little thought in the back of her mind caused her to think otherwise, wondering if perhaps something was bothering Aether about as much as Shenhe.
It wasn’t long until the duo found the rare plant on the borders of Chenyu Vale. The downside to this was that it rested just outside a packed Hilichurl camp, secured with two Hilichurls archers on the towers, three regular Hilichurls on watch duty, and a Mitachurl resting at the center. Areas like this were common for Aether and Paimon to clear; however, the difficulty now was ensuring they retrieved the plant unharmed.
“Now what…?” Aether asked, “We won’t have time to fight all of them.”
“Ooh! Paimon has an idea!” Paimon shouted, getting his attention, “Think you can distract them while Paimon snags the plant? We won’t have to fight all of them, and we’ll get the Qingxin with no problems at all.”
“Hmm…” Aether turned his eyes to the camp to analyze the positions of the enemy. “That’s risky, Paimon, but it’s better than nothing. I’ll divert their attention eastward while you sneak through from the other side.”
“Leave it to Paimon~!”
Aether and Paimon both commenced their strategy after arriving at the correct position. As predicted, the Hilichurls and Mitachurl spotted Aether from a distance and immediately rushed to attack him. As the traveler diverted their attention away from their camp, Paimon snuck her way through, keeping her head low under the bushes while checking for any Hilichurls that stayed behind. Knowing there was no danger in the area, she slowly flew to the rare Qingxin that grew on the far side of the camp. The bright glow of the purple plant captivated her as she reached out her hand to feel its leaves.
However, Paimon heard a growl from a distance and turned with horror to the Hilichurl Shooter aiming it’s electro crossbow at her. Before she had time to react, the lightning-fast arrow raced past her arm, shocking her as she ripped the Qingxin plant from its resting spot. A small scream from the little girl was enough for a beam of light energy to hit the Hilichurl Shooter off the tower. Her heart raced at a thousand miles as her vision darkened, but she still persevered and retreated from the camp undetected. After the sounds of fighting ceased, Aether called out to Paimon, who reunited with him with a pained expression.
“Are you okay, Paimon?!” Aether shouted.
“P-Paimon’s fine,” Paimon replied, feeling her body jolt from the stream of foreign electricity, “H-Here. Paimon got the plant.”
“Let me see your hand.”
Paimon paused for a moment before showing her blond friend her scratched hand that sparked with electro residue. The closer his hands got to her wound, the more painful the sting became.
“It isn’t too bad, but we’ll need to get it treated,” Aether deduced.
“But…what about our teatime with Shenhe?” Paimon asked.
“We’ll just have to have it another day, Paimon. The last thing we need is for your body to get damaged by the electro residue. Bubu Pharmacy should…”
“I-It’ll be fine, Aether!” Paimon shouted, pulling her hand away, “Just a bandage will do.”
“But Paimon…”
“We went through so much to get this plant. Paimon doesn’t want to ruin it all so… just bandage Paimon up and she’ll go to Bubu Pharmacy herself.”
“Not without me, you will.”
Paimon let out a tired sigh. “What will Paimon do with you?” She muttered before extending her hand, “Fine. Paimon will go to Bubu Pharmacy with you, but you need to have tea with Shenhe, you hear Paimon?”
“Why…?” Aether stopped his question when he stared into Paimon’s serious expression. He remained silent and pondered on what words to counter her insistence with, but try as he might, he shook his head and sighed. “Alright, Paimon. We’ll do it your way.”
“Heehee…”
Though her wound remained on his mind throughout their journey back, Aether made sure his trusty companion knew he appreciated her effort. He didn’t want to act like her being wounded was a sign of valor, but he didn’t stop Paimon from declaring her wound as such. The moment they arrived at Liyue Harbor, they immediately stopped by Bubu Pharmacy and informed the clerk of Paimon’s condition. Aether took way too long to leave Paimon there, worried that something might happen to her, but Paimon insisted he not leave Shenhe waiting. After promising to come back, Aether made his way to the meeting spot at Wanmin Restaurant where Shenhe patiently waited at the dining table.
“Shenhe!” He called out to her.
“Aether, what took you so long?” Shenhe asked, noticing he was alone, “Where is Paimon?”
“Sorry to worry you, Shenhe, but Paimon’s at Bubu Pharmacy,” Aether answered, sitting down at the table.
Shenhe widened her eyes, “Did something happen? Is Paimon hurt?”
“Whoa, take it easy. Paimon just got a scratch on her while we went to Chenyu Vale.” He took out the rare Qingxin plant to show to her, “We were trying to get this for you.”
“That’s an odd-colored Qingxin.”
“It’s a rare breed that grows on this time of year,” Aether said, heading to the tea brewer, “We wanted to brew today’s tea for you — one that will make all your worries and stress disappear, if only briefly.”
“You both…put yourselves in danger?” Shenhe asked, “For me?”
“Of course we did,” Aether said, his gold irises softening, “Though…I wish I hadn’t put Paimon in such danger in the first place. Because of that, she won’t be able to enjoy tea with us.”
Shenhe’s cold gaze wandered to the brewer and then back to the mellow expression on Aether’s face. Admittedly, her steel mind had experienced cracks as of late. She had to deal with a handful of intolerable customers unhappy with her methods of delivering their food, despite how careful she was. The addition of the flirty customer who orders every day just to see her only added more fuel to the furnace of her boiling emotions. Despite all that, however, she couldn’t help but simmer down after hearing that Aether and Paimon both risked their lives over a plant to soothe away her stress. That alone cleared away the surrounding darkness around her vision, making her focus on Aether before gently smiling and leaving her seat.
“Thank you, Aether,” she said, hugging him.
“Shenhe?” Aether asked.
“I really appreciate you two going through all that for me, but I must…decline.”
Aether looked up at the woman with bewilderment in his stare. “A-Are you sure?! Who knows how much time this plant has until it-”
“Don’t worry. We can brew it and bring the tea to Paimon.”
“I…don’t think the doctors there will be happy about us bringing treats to a clinic.”
“Oh don’t worry,” Shenhe said as her irises darkened, “I’ll ensure that the doctors will see us with delicious tea and make a happy exception.”
“Should I…ask you to elaborate on that, Shenhe?”
Shenhe giggled. “No need to worry your head over that, Aether. Just leave it to me. Go ahead and brew three cups of tea and we can be on our way.”
It didn’t take long for Aether to use Wanmin’s stove to brew up a delectable set of three teacups decorated with a blue and white flower. The hot aroma reached the adeptus disciple’s nose, invading her senses with a smell that piqued her interest. She stared into the cups with the curiosity of a child.
“Something wrong, Shenhe?” Aether asked, noticing her fixated gaze toward the cups.
“This aroma…” Shenhe whispered, closing her eyes, “It reminds me of home.”
“Home?”
“Yes, back when I grew up with the exorcists. I think I recall smelling this fragrance before, but…” She lowered her head as her eyes narrowed, focusing on the rippling tea before her. “Hmm…”
Worried that the adeptus disciple fell into a trance, Aether waved his arm in front of her eyes. “Shenhe?”
“Ah!” Shenhe snapped out of said trance and sighed. “I-I shouldn’t let the tea get cold. Let’s go, Aether.”
The two made their way to Bubu Pharmacy, hoping the front desk clerk wouldn’t be difficult and make an exception. Thankfully, the clerk willingly allowed them to bring the tea to Paimon only if they made sure to keep the room clean and the noises to a minimum.
“How is it, you two?” Aether asked as he watched the two take a long sip of his brewed tea.
“Ah, it tastes so good, Aether!” Paimon shouted, “Paimon wants to drink more of this. Do you happen to have more?”
“Sorry, but three cups of tea meant stretching out the Qingxin’s herbal strength. Any more and it’d lose the effects.”
“That’s good,” Shenhe said, sighing after taking a second sip of her cup, “Because this is… delicious.”
“Wow, Paimon didn’t think you’d say that,” Paimon said.
“Is it so uncommon?” Shenhe asked, tilting her head before she remembered how her tastebuds acted when eating or drinking. “Ah… Well, this is a special occasion, after all. I’d be rude to just say simple words, don’t you think?”
“You don’t have to go that far, Shenhe,” Aether said, “Just speak how you feel about it. I don’t mind what you say to me.”
Shenhe nodded, closing her eyes to remember the captivating taste of the tea. “…Sweet… The tea was so sweet yet calming at the same time. I feel like I could relax and forget all my worries. I like it very much, Aether, Paimon.”
“Yay! We did it!” Paimon cheered.
“I’m glad you enjoyed it,” Aether said, “Seeing your smile made our hard work searching for that flower all worth it.”
“In that case, I should find a way to repay both of you for your efforts.” Shenhe paused to think before an idea entered her mind. “Perhaps tonight I can cook dinner?”
“Uh…” Paimon glanced over at Aether and then back at the snow-haired woman. “A-Are you sure, Shenhe? Cooking a dish is different from brewing tea.”
“Don’t worry. Mr. Wanmin taught me some fascinating cooking techniques in exchange for the extra hours I worked.” Shenhe smiled. “He told me something along the lines of “The quickest way to a man’s heart is with a good meal”.”
“He said that?!” Aether asked.
“By the letter.” Shenhe raised an eyebrow at the horrified look the two gave her before continuing. “At first, I thought he was referencing a form of assassination by way of poisoning food to clog the blood flow to the heart.”
“Eh?!” Paimon exclaimed.
“What?!” Aether shouted.
“Interesting, Mr. Wanmin had that same reaction when I told him that,” Shenhe said.
Aether nervously chuckled, releasing bullets of sweat. “Th-That’s a funny interpretation, Shenhe, but it’s best to think of cooking like how I brewed tea for you.”
Shenhe remained quiet while thinking over his words. “Ah! So that’s what he meant.”
“Phew…” Paimon sighed as her energetic smile returned. “So there won’t be any poisoned food tonight…right Shenhe?”
“You have my word, Paimon,” Shenhe said with a smile while patting Paimon on the head. “As an apology for spooking you, I’ll add extra meat for you. How does Minty Meat Rolls sound?”
“Ah! Super duper tasty!” The satisfied companion’s mouth began to drool at the thought of food she would soon devour like before, “Oooh…”
“Imagination and anticipation are all well and good, but you need to relax that hand of yours first, Paimon,” Aether said, “The nurse told me that you can’t use it to eat for the next three days.”
“Aw, but Paimon always uses her right hand to eat!” Paimon whined, “Can’t you make an exception?”
“It’s best you listen to the doctor, Paimon,” Shenhe said, “Having electro residue in your body is usually a bad sign. Let’s not push your luck, okay? I can even help you eat if you’d like.”
“Paimon’s not a baby!” Paimon shouted.
Shenhe smiled, holding back the giggle forming within her. “Of course you aren’t, Paimon. Of course, you aren’t.”
As Aether and Paimon spoke to each other in front of her, she recalled something. A far-off memory that danced in her mind. Then she remembered it. A vivid scene of her as a child sitting on a bed with a nasty cut on her hand and the one treating her wound…being her father with her mother at his side. Shenhe gasped at the sight, realizing this once and keeping her gaze glued onto both — her mother especially. Even as a child, Shenhe was quiet, but the cheery nature of her parents more than made up for it. They’d chastise her for being reckless and scraping her hand from a fall but made up with smiles. For a moment, Shenhe thought the world to be real, until it dissipated into mere atoms with a dark void replacing it.
Her smile turned plain, and her breathing steadied to near-nothingness. It was then that she knew that no matter how much happiness she gained, that lingering sorrow would still be there. She did not know if it was there to haunt her or remind her, but the young adeptus disciple knew… that her dreams for a happy family were a mere wish of a naïve child.
“Aether… Paimon… How I wish to grasp that which you both have… A family.”