“There’s not much left to wrap up, so I’ll take it from here.” Yelan crossed her arms over her chest and nodded approvingly to Ying. “Guess this is where I say goodbye.”
Ying nodded in return. “Well done, Yelan.”
“Hmm…” Yelan huffed, looking back in the direction of the hut and the source of the mysterious tune. The traveler had helped shorn down the amount of work she had to do physically; hunting down the bandits and all, but she still needed to clean it all up and report back to Ningguang. Then of course there was the cleaning job for the Lantern Rite Festival, which she had been assigned, despite wanting to spend the night with Yanfei.
“Yelan?” Sparkles danced along the air as Paimon flitted over to the spy master, her head tilted with curiosity. “What is it? Is there something else?”
Sighing, Yelan shook her head. “I’m still not sure how you first got your hands on this information, so,” she lowered her arms. “Play it safe when you get back. Don’t mention to anyone that you ran into me out here.” Yelan then leaned in close to Ying and whispered in her ear. “You helped a lot with the investigation and arrest anyway, so it’s perfectly fair for you to get all the credit. Just take it - it works better for me too.”
Yelan grinned and pulled back, tapping her forehead with two fingers in a mock salute. “See you when I see you, Traveler. Happy Lantern Rite.”
With that, Yelan turned around and walked away with Fujinh at her side, his eyes nervously darting from her form to the path they followed. Yelan chuckled at the agitated bandit, but continued on walking towards the city. She still had a lot to do and very little time to do it.
The next day
Yelan leaned against a wooden pillar, the wood smooth against her back while she listened with closed eyes as Ningguang discussed quietly with Kequing about the Lantern Rite, which was to happen that night. She was taking a quick breather from running around the city, “cleaning up” as she normally would.
Sighing, Yelan pushed off the pillar and turned away from the Tianquan and her assistant and made her way through the halls of the Jade Chamber. The clean up had delayed the investigation she had been working on for days and wanted to be done with, so the least she could do was be a good girlfriend and tell Yanfei she would have to enjoy the festivities without her. Yelan hated the thought of disappointing Yanfei, but she could not let the trail go cold, and her lovely adeptus was very understanding.
Finding Yanfei’s office took very little effort and time for Yelan, and she made sure to stop by the Yanshang Teahouse to pick up a special blend of tea made only for the Lantern Rite Festival. It never really hurts to sweeten the bitter news with a little bit of tea. Unfortunately, when Yelan walked into the office, her heart sank at the sight of Yanfei’s empty desk. The secretary was kind enough to tell Yelan that Yanfei had to step out and would not be back for at least another hour. Swallowing her disappointment, Yelan thanked the secretary and set the bag of tea leaves on Yanfei’s desk. Taking a blank sheet of paper from a drawer, Yelan selected a pen and began to write.
Love,
I came by your office hoping to see you, but was told you were out on business. I’m very sorry to tell you this; I will be on a job all of today and tonight, so I will not be able to enjoy the festival with you like I promised. I hope you are able to enjoy the festival with Granny and the others, as well as that wily Traveler.
I will see you when I am back, my adeptus.
Yours forever,
Yelan
Folding the note, Yelan set the tea bag on top of it and left the office, thanking the secretary once again as she walked out the door. Back to work she would go, apparently. Letting out another heavy sigh, Yelan turned away from the office building and faded into the bustle of the city.
It was an hour later that Yelan was hurrying past the temple when a shock of familiar red hair caught her attention and she saw Yanfei hurrying towards Madame Ping. The older adeptus smiled as Yanfei held her hands in obvious concern, asking if everything was alright. She must not have expected to see so many gathered around her mentor, but Ping laughed and gently patted Yanfei’s hand, assuring her all was well. Nearby, she could see Cloud Retainer, Ganyu, and of course, Ying and Paimon.
That traveler really knew how to be everywhere at once.
Wondering if she should take advantage of this chance, Yelan took a step towards Yanfei, but Ganyu kept pulling at Yanfei’s hand and trying to whisper something in her ear. Yanfei looked at her in confusion and nodded before quickly saying goodbye to Madam Ping before letting Ganyu all but drag her away. Yelan lowered the hand that instinctively reached out to touch Yanfei’s shoulder, despite the distance between them, and sighed.
“Streetward Rambler would often remain to admire the flowers with Guizhong before returning to her own abode.”
Cloud Retainer’s smooth voice pricked Yelan’s ears, garnering her attention right as she was ready to turn away. Streetward Rambler…why did she know that name? Curious, Yelan moved closer, sticking to the shadows.
It was not hard for Yelan to make the connection that Madame Ping and Streetward Rambler were the same adeptus, which caused her to raise an eyebrow. She remembered Yanfei mentioning that name once before, but didn’t remember her including Ping in the sentence. Intrigued, she moved closer as Cloud Retainer and Madame Ping delved into a story for Paimon and the Traveler. Yelan listened curiously to their words of the being named Streetward Rambler and the goddess Guizhong, who first began as rivals but eventually became friends through their passion for their craft and, in time, something more.
“But in the end,” Cloud Retainer said softly. “One is nothing like Streetward Rambler. She is dauntless but thoughtful not to mention eloquent and wise. Moreover, her friendship with Guizhong was far greater than one’s own…”
“Guizhong,” Ping whispered a few minutes after their audience had dispersed. “If only I had spent more time with Guizhong. All those years together, and yet, they don’t feel like they were enough.” She looked down and clasped her hands, rubbing her thumbs together. “So much time we could have spent with each other, now lost.”
Cloud Retainer looked at Ping and smiled. “Then keep those good memories of her close to your heart. THey are your precious treasures, hold them close and never forget them.”
Yelan stepped back, the shadows closing around her as she turned and hurried away from the group. She needed to get back to completing her task, it was important.
‘As important as spending the Lantern Rite Festival with Yanfei like you promised her?’
Yelan frowned at the through and shook her head. No, no, of course it wasn’t. Yanfei was the most important person in the world to her, she made sure that she knew it every single moment they were together. She was her girlfriend and her lover, and her best friend.
‘And yet you’re breaking your promise to her by working instead of being with her.’
Crossing her arms, Yelan sighed and leaned against a nearby building, her face furrowing in a frown as Cloud Retainer and Madam Pin’s conversation swirled in her thoughts.
As the night fell, the lights of the streets bloomed as people began to wander from stall to stall as they opened. Children ran about with sparklers dancing in their hands while adults discussed the varying events of their days and vendors shouted out their wares. Without a doubt, the Lantern Rite Festival was in full swing, people gathering around the stage where the festival music would soon commence.
Yelan watched it all from the shadows, her eyes taking in the details of every single interaction and moment that caught her gaze. There were many families out tonight to enjoy the festival, but she did not miss the larger number of couples wandering the streets. Nearby, Ningguang watched the activity with Beidou and Kequing.
“Does anyone have any plans tomorrow?” Ningguang asked after a lengthy silence. “With another year behind us, I think we deserve a celebration of our own. My treat, interested?”
“The Tianquan footing the bill?” Beidou grinned. “I can’t miss out on that.”
A quiet shuffle from behind caused Yelan to turn her head to the side, though she did not flinch. “I know you’re there.”
There was a stunned silence before a young man shuffled out from behind a nearby pillar, his head hung low. “Sorry, Lady Yelan, I-I wasn’t trying to sneak up on you, I just-”
“Wanted to let me stand here in silence?” Yelan turned fully around. “What is it, Wenyuan?”
Sighing, Wenyuan reached into his pocket and took out a folded piece of paper. “Miss…Miss Yanfei asked me to give this to you.” He met her gaze. “She saw me and gave me that letter, but I didn’t read it, I swear!”
Raising an eyebrow, Yelan accepted the carefully folded note and opened it. She recognized it right away as paper from Yanfei’s office, and knew instantly the small, uniformed words were written in the smooth hand of her girlfriend.
My gambler,
Obviously, I got your note, my secretary told me you had been here earlier looking for me. I suppose I understand why, though I’m sad we won’t be able to enjoy the festival together, but there will always be next year. Please be careful on your mission and stay safe. I hope to see you when you return.
All my love,
Yanfei
Swallowing back another sigh, Yelan folded the note and tucked it into her pocket before turning from the column, hearing Kequin sputter from Ningguang’s words.
“I-um-well-thank you, Lady Ningguang!”
Ningguang tapped her pipe with a long golden nail and smiled. “Take the day off, go spend it with your lovely Ganyu. This festival only comes once a year, don’t waste your time with work when you could be enjoying it.”
The young woman bowed, her face flushed. “Th-th-thank you! Happy Lantern Rite!”
Ningguang chuckled low in her throat and turned to Beidou, taking her hand. “Don’t think I forgot about you, my handsome captain. Let’s go see what this festival has to offer.”
“Lead the way, m’lady.”
Yelan felt the stare Ningguang fixed on her as she continued on her way, her gaze still fixed on the activity of the festival.
‘This festival only comes once a year, don’t waste your time with work when you could be enjoying it.’
Swallowing back another sigh, Yelan took the note out of her pocket and stared at it as she continued to walk. Wenyuan scrambled after her, rapping his knuckles together as he waited for a response. After a long moment, he cleared his throat.
“Do you…want me to deliver a message back to Miss Yanfei?”
Looking around the busy street, Yelan took in the sights of the festival, her gaze for a moment falling on a man and woman standing by a food stall. Their hands were linked and the woman was resting her head on the man’s shoulder as they waited for their order to be complete. Seeing their steaming hot order of fried tofu be handed out, a smile slowly curled along Yelan’s lips and she pushed off the building.
“No, thank you Wenyuan,” she said, a plan being devised in her mind. “You go enjoy the festival, I’ll take care of this personally.”
A few hours earlier
Yanfei raced back to her office through the streets of the city, dodging preparations for the upcoming Lantern Rite while her mind reeled with the knowledge of how much time she had spent away from her desk. She had been so caught up in talking to Ping and the Traveler and Ganyu that she lost track of the hour, and was now significantly late to returning to work. The client she was working with had told her they did not expect any responses until after the festival, but Yanfei was determined to complete the job with ample time to spare. Something Yelan constantly teased her about, despite the irony of her own obsession with her job.
Huffing, Yanfei finally slid to a stop outside the office and, taking a moment to compose herself, pushed open the door and walked inside.
“Welcome back, Miss Yanfei.” The secretary nodded to her. “Lady Yelan was here earlier looking for you. Were you two able to talk to each other?”
Yanfei blinked, tilting her head curiously. Yelan? Looking for her? “No, I didn’t see her.”
“Oh.” The secretary gestured to Yanfei’s desk. “She said she left you a note.”
Frowning thoughtfully, Yanfei walked to her desk and instantly spotted the folded piece of paper beneath the bag of tea leaves she could only decipher had come from Yanshang Teahouse. Opening the letter, Yanfei read the message left by her girlfriend, her heart sinking with each word. Sighing, Yanfei sat in her chair and the letter dropped onto the desk, her eyes downcast.
In all honesty, Yanfei knew she shouldn’t be as disappointed as she felt. Yelan was a very busy woman with an incredibly demanding responsibility, just like herself, of course things could change instantly and disrupt any sort of plans. Still, Yanfei sighed, it hurt to have it happen. She had been looking forward to enjoying the festivities with Yelan as they had not seeing each other very often within the past few weeks. Obviously because of the workload they each had taken on in preparation for the festival, but Yanfei had been hoping still they would be able to enjoy it together..
‘Oh well…’ Yanfei sighed again and folded Yelan’s note to tuck it into a drawer. ‘Back to work, I suppose.’
She focused on the paperwork, mind-numbing as it was, that she needed to have ready for when she met her client. It was all for a large estate property that the owner was looking to sell for development purposes, but they had asked for the best of Liyue’s legal assistance for the finite details, and Yanfei was more than up to the task. Unfortunately, Yelan’s letter buzzed in her mind, making it hard for her to focus as her eyes would drift from the paperwork to the tea leaves and the drawer where she had left the note.
Soon, the daylight had faded away and the other tenants of the office packed up and shuffled out, eager for the festival. Knowing by now she would not complete the task as quickly and effortlessly as she had hoped, Yanfei gathered her paperwork and set it in a folder so it would be ready for her in the morning. Shouldering her bag, Yanfei tucked the bag of tea leaves inside and exited the office, her steps not as energized as her coworkers.
Just as she passed by a small alleyway, a light scuffle reached her ears, causing the half-adeptus to stop. Slowly, Yanfei turned her head and caught a subtle flicker of movement in the shadows. To the untrained eye, it most likely was a cat or a rat, but Yanfei’s eyes were well trained, thanks in part to her spymaster of a girlfriend. Walking into the alley, Yanfei scanned the narrow space and spotted a familiar form huddled carefully behind a stack of bins.
“I know you’re there, Wenyuan.”
A startled yelp and thump was what Yanfei heard before Wenyuan stumbled out from behind the bins, massaging his head. “Sorry, Miss Yanfei, I-I didn’t mean anything by it, Boss just asked me to keep an eye on you.”
Yanfei crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow. “Really? Does Yelan think I’m so fragile when she’s not around me that I need bodyguards?”
Wenyuan flinched. “N-no, she just wanted to make sure you were safe. It’s the festival and…you know that people can sometimes get a bit unruly if they’re not careful, so she wanted to make sure I could be here to assist you if you wanted it.”
Biting back a smart retort, Yanfei sighed and shook her head. “You don’t have to follow me around, Wenyuan, go enjoy the festival and take the night off. If Yelan gives you any trouble, tell her I said you could.” Chewing her lip in thought, Yanfei opened her bag and shuffled through the contents before taking out a letter she had written while at work. She had planned on looking for one of Yelan’s assistants to give this to her, and might as well take advantage. “And, can you give this to her please? Tell her I got her note.”
Wenyan looked at the letter and accepted it with a nod. “I’ll deliver it to her right away.”
Yanfei nodded in return. “Happy Lantern Rite, Wenyuan.”
“Happy Lantern Rite, Lady Yanfei.” Leaving the alley, Yanfei made her way to Madame Ping’s table, which had been set out of the way of the festival, but still kept the perfect view. Plenty of food dishes of varying flavors and styles covered the table, along with teas and rice wine, but Yanfei only picked at it. She glanced over at Yao Yao, smiling at her energetic manner while Ganyu calmly watched the festival.
“Is everything alright, dear?”
Yanfei turned her head in surprise to Ping, who was watching her with a curious eye.
“You seem a bit distracted.”
Blinking, Yanfei sighed. “It seems like it will only be us for tonight.”
Ping’s lips curled into a soft smile and she nodded. “Busy as alway.”
“Yes,” Yanfei sighed again and smiled. “I wouldn’t love her any other way.”
Time passed by as they ate and talked, waiting for the moment when the lanterns would fill the sky. Yanfei continued to pick at her food, more content with watching her friends enjoy the goings on of the festival. Soon, Ganyu appeared with a xao lantern in her hands and, as lights began to drift up from the lower grounds, she gently lifted the lantern and a breeze carried it away. Yanfei watched the flicker of flame inside the lantern dance, smiling at the beauty, but her heart wavered with Yelan’s missed presence.
A soft tune pricked her ears and Yanfei looked to see Madame Ping plucking away at her instrument. Everyone slowed to a stop to listen to the beautiful, yet sad, melody as the elderly adpetus played, her eyes closed in concentration. Yanfei studied her face, watching the emotions shift from happiness to melancholy to almost pure sadness before easing into a bittersweet smile. When the song ended, Yanfei felt something against her cheek and reached up to wipe away a few errant tears. Clearing her throat, she dried her eyes and thought about the idea of asking Granny to teach her how to perform that well, imagining them one day in a duet together.
‘I think I’ll go ask her.’
After finishing dinner with her group of companions, Yanfei walked through the still-bustling streets of the Lantern Rite Festival. It would be up and running for another few hours for sure, but she had work in the morning and that meant an early night. Carefully weaving through the crowds, Yanfei let out a sigh of relief when she came to her house and took out her key, unlocking the door.
Pushing it open, Yanfei stepped into the foyer and, shutting the door behind her, shrugged her bag off her shoulder. Opening the closet door nearby, she pulled a long blue kimono off a hanger and slung it on over her shoulders, left behind by Yelan after one of her many nights spent over. Turning her head, Yanfei noticed the door to the patio was cracked open, which made her frown.
Odd, she always kept that door locked whenever she was out. Trying the sash of her kimono around her waist, Yanfei took a cautious step forward, the essence of her Pyro ready to be summoned should something happen. However, the moment Yanfei took another step, a soft light flicked into existence, reminding her suspiciously of candlelight.
‘Why is it coming from the patio?’ Narrowing her eyes, Yanfei inched further into the house until she could see the door leading out to the back patio. Now more curious than ever, Yanfei walked to the patio door and opened it. Her jaw dropped at what she saw.
A small table had been set in the middle of the small patio deck, adorned with fine chinaware and delicate candlesticks that danced with small flames. Food containers sat in the middle of the table, their lids allowing small wafts of mouthwatering scents to toy with Yanfei’s senses. Up above, a small collection of lanterns had been hung from the ceiling, adding to the illumination. Warmth radiated behind her and a pair of arms circled around her shoulders, pulling Yanfei against a chest that vibrated with a soft chuckle. A pair of lips kissed the top of Yanfei’s head and a voice whispered in her ear.
“Happy Lantern Rite, my adeptus.”
Turning in the arms, Yanfei stared up at Yelan in pure shock, her jaw hanging open still. “You-you’re-but you said you were working-” A slim finger lightly touched her chin and closed her jaw with a light click of teeth.
“I was,” Yelan spoke softly, her eyes shining in the candlelight as she gazed down at Yanfei. “But something I heard Cloud Retainer say gave me a change of mind. Work can wait till tomorrow, but for now, I want to spend this evening with you and think of nothing else.” She cocked her head to the side. “Is that alright?”
Yanfei blinked at her before throwing her arms around Yelan and bringing the taller woman down for a kiss, one that Yelan happily reciprocated and leaned in, deepening it with a tilt of her head. The couple stayed there for a long moment, lost in each other’s warmth, until they broke apart in need of oxygen. Resting her forehead against Yelan’s, Yanfei giggled softly.
“It’s more than alright, it’s perfect.” She met Yelan’s eyes. “Thank you.” She pulled back and looked at the soft red robe Yelan was wearing, her jacket still hanging on her shoulders. “Are you wearing one of my robes?”
Yelan smiled and kissed the tip of her nose. “You’re wearing mine.” She winked. “Now, shall we eat? You don’t know how hard it was to carry all this food from the festival to your house without spilling anything.”
Rolling her eyes, Yanfei chuckled as Yelan pulled out her seat for her. “Oh you poor thing, having to carry food here all for the sake of surprising me.” She sat down and Yelan pushed her in before walking around to her own chair. “I missed you.”
Yelan looked at her and smiled. “I missed you too.”
“I guess I’ll need to give you a little reward for all that effort.”
Grinning, Yelan opened one of the many food cartons and the smell of fried tofu greeted them both. “I wouldn’t mind that at all, though it’s best you not tell me what you’re planning because I really don’t want to skip this delicious dinner.”
“Fair enough,” Pouring the wine, Yanfei handed Yelan her cup before picking up her own. “Happy Lantern Rite, Yelan.”
Yelan smiled and lifted her cup. “Happy Lantern Rite, Yanfei.”