Chapter Text
The Tianquan of Liyue Qixing was often seen in public, but she was rarely alone, for she was a very recognizable character all of Liyue would die to even speak to, and she needed to keep herself safe. Not only was she breathtakingly gorgeous, but her wit was as sharp as one of the Millelith’s spears, so she knew better than anyone to keep her walks around the harbor as brief as possible. Still, she would sometimes cover her snow-white hair with a loose cloak to walk around as she pleased without being paid too much attention. Although she did not enjoy deceiving the people of Liyue, she knew that disguising herself was an infallible method of gathering intel. This was one of those times when she sneaked out of the Jade Chamber and walked around Liyue Harbor to hear the freshest news.
As she approached the docks, she heard a loud commotion coming from a specific boat. What was it called, the Alcor? She had definitely heard many people talk about this ship, its crew, and, most importantly, its captain. She heard about this mighty captain and how she managed to slay the legendary Haishan: how she and her crew spent four days and three fruitless nights attempting to kill the monster to no avail, until the last night, when the captain stood on the ship’s prow without eating or drinking while listening for the monster’s movements, and when dawn broke, she heard a change in the waves and beheaded the creature in a single strike.
Ningguang found this very hard to believe because rumors tend to be exaggerated and storytellers love to dramatize these types of stories. However, this woman caught Ningguang’s attention and she was eager to see what this renowned captain looked like. As she walked past the crowd to get a better view, she caught a glimpse of the captain. She was speechless. Her long brown hair floated in the warm beach breeze, her ruby eye glimmered under the moonlight while the other eye was mysteriously covered by a red eyepatch, her strong arms firmly grabbed a bottle of alcohol, her bright laugh roared over the crowd, and she had everyone’s attention. She was wearing an outfit that displayed her muscular figure along with her numerous scars. She was definitely not the biggest member of the crew, not muscle-wise, but she still looked like she could fight many mercenaries at the same time without breaking a sweat.
Ningguang suddenly felt a rush of heat creeping up her cheeks. She had such an acclaimed personality in front of her and the only thing she could think of was tracing her fingers along her scars, her muscular arms holding her tightly and not letting her go, feeling her laugh bubble while lying on her chest. “Beidou!” one of the crew members called, “What are you going to do after a long time in the sea?” Beidou smirked, “I will look for a beautiful lady, of course!”
Suddenly, their eyes locked and Ningguang’s heart certainly skipped a beat. She realized her little expedition had been far too long and she had to head back before her maids found out she was missing. Just as she turned around to leave, she felt a hand touch her shoulder. “Leaving so soon? What is your name?” It was Beidou’s voice. Ningguang’s heart rate grew erratic and all she could muster was “I am terribly sorry, I must leave at once,” she started walking rapidly, leaving Beidou and the crowd behind. When she was at a reasonable distance from all the ruckus, she sprinted to a corner to calm down. Her heart was pounding in her ears and her breathing was heavy. After she calmed down a bit, she headed back to the Jade Chamber. Hopefully, no one found out her true identity during that outing, especially not the captain.
In Ningguang’s opinion, these were enough emotions for one day, so she headed to her chamber and fell asleep immediately; her heart still pounding and her brain filled with adrenaline. Little did she know, a certain captain could not sleep after meeting such a captivating beauty.
Throughout her many voyages, Beidou had met countless beautiful women, but none of them could compare to the beautiful lady she saw today at the docks. Even under the cloak, her pale skin and her ruby-colored lips appeared so exquisite, as if she was some sort of princess. Beidou wondered about the identity of this girl, for she had never seen her before. Could she be the heiress of the Feiyun Commerce Guild? But Beidou knew the head of the guild only had young sons. Perhaps she was a member of the Gunnhildr Clan of Mondstadt, but she knew both daughters, the youngest was merely an infant, and none of them looked like this mysterious woman. A pair of alluring red eyes appeared in the Captain’s dreams that night. The next morning, Beidou had a new purpose: to find out who this woman was. And, maybe, if she also happened to be interested in women.