“You helped me that one time… so I’m gonna do the same. Keep your cool today. Walk away from the situation, if you need to. Losing your head will just give you more trouble than it’s worth.”
The piece of “advice” from the astrologist plays in Keqing’s head, unbidden. It gives her pause, and her brows furrow on their own. She wonders what Mona means and why she said it. More importantly, she wonders why it’s somehow dampening her good mood.
So, Keqing doesn’t let it and continues on her way to Mingxing Jewelry.
‘Today is the day,’ the Yuheng thinks giddily, and she can’t help the skip in her steps as she approaches the said shop. She greets the clerk with enthusiasm, mind on a single track to get her coveted item. This makes her miss the slight apprehension that crossed the clerk’s face.
“Good morning, Miss.” The clerk greets back, smile nervous.
“I’m here to pick up my Lucent Crescent.” Keqing tells him, smiling – hers genuine – back.
“Um, yes, of course,” the clerk starts. He can’t continue his statement, though – not with Keqing being who she is.
The awkward silence is what makes Keqing notice the slight tremble in the man. And when she looks closely, she sees a bead of sweat there, forming on his forehead.
“Are you alright, sir?”
And the Yuheng gets her answer from the little jump the clerk made upon hearing her voice.
“I-I’m alright, Miss. I just-”
Keqing can’t help but raise an eyebrow at his answer.
“Are you sure? You look like you’re going to be sick.”
“Yes, M-miss. I just-”
“Just?”
“Well, you see… regarding your order-” the clerk fidgets. And Keqing’s sunny bright disposition just got covered by grey clouds. She knows too well when she’s going to be disappointed.
“What about my order?” she asks, mustering all the patience she has. Perhaps it won’t be so bad as she thinks…
“Th-there’s been a, uh, an… acquisition of the, uh, Lucent Crescent.”
“Good for you. And you have another acquisition right now.”
“I- Miss… I’m afraid there w-won’t be an acquisition… for quite a long while.”
…or perhaps it would even be more catastrophic than she originally dreaded.
“Excuse me?” the Yuheng asks through gritted teeth.
“I’m so sorry, Miss. I-it’s just that… there was a, uh, customer who p-purchased all of our s-stock… for double the price.”
“What!?” Keqing asks incredulously, voice raised from her momentary inability to control herself. “Who in their right mind would spend an exorbitant amount of money for-”
And something in the Yuheng’s mind clicks, unlocking the puzzle of her misery mystery. She storms off, not sparing another word, or look, at the helpless clerk.
It’s a feat how she manages to dash swiftly to Yujing terrace while basically stomping her feet all the way there.
She sees Bu’yun standing on his post. Making her way to him, she sees him smile and give a bow. Unfortunately, she doesn’t have time for pleasantries.
“Excuse me, do you sell the moon here?” she asks rather snappily.
“Yes. How many would you like?” Bu’yun asks her, blissfully unaware of the wrath of justice she’s going to be thundering down to his boss.
“It is not convenient to speak of numbers here.” She responds quickly. She just as quickly walks past Bu’yun and ascends to the Chamber. If her muttered ‘thank you’ was not heard, well, that’s not really her top priority right now.
Upon reaching the Jade Chamber, it is not the guards who greets her but the woman she’s hunting seeking: the Tianquan herself.
“Ara, a visit from the Yuheng! Will you make my day and tell me this is a social visit and not an official one?” Ningguang smiles in that way she does.
To say that Keqing is caught off guard by the reception would somehow be a terrible understatement. She clears her throat, aware of the sudden disappearance of her foul mood in exchange for a different one.
“I-” she stutters and questions herself why she’s doing so. She tries again, resolve going back to the fiery one she had coming up the palace. “I came here for my Lucent Crescent. I reserved that one, so it’s mine. You can keep the rest and do what you will with them. But give me mine. I’ll even pay what you paid for it.” she tells Ningguang, whose glinting amused eyes never left hers.
“So, this is an official visit,” the Tianquan finally says, smile turning into a slight frown. She’s quick to replace it, though, as she continues to speak. “No matter. Who says we can’t socialize while we talk business, right? Now, come, we shall speak in the comfort of my home,” Ningguang beckons.
The Tianquan leads Keqing to her office. She tells the shorter woman to take a seat in one of the chairs in front of the desk.
“Before we start, may I offer you anything? Tea? Or perhaps something stronger?”
“No, but thank you. I’d really just like to have my Lucent Crescent.”
Ningguang’s response is to smile more widely at Keqing. It digs into the reserve of patience that the latter didn’t know she had.
“Ah, yes, the Lucent Crescent. You mentioned that you had reserved one and that you are willing to pay me what I paid for it. How valuable that commodity is.”
“It would appear so, since you did pay for months’ worth of stock for twice their market price.”
“So, why would I sell it to you for just twice its amount?” the Tianquan smirks. The Tianquan smirks, and Keqing feels heat buildup inside her, coming from what she tells herself is her anger.
“Are you seriously extorting more mora from one, single Lucent Crescent?”
And Keqing actually sees the mischief flash across red eyes, which are holding her own magenta ones.
“Oh, not mora, my dear Yuheng. What I require in exchange for that one, single valuable Lucent Crescent is something more… intangible – well, depending on how things will ultimately work out,” is the coy response.
“And that would be?” Keqing questions, and instantly regrets it when she sees the predatory grin that Ningguang’s smile morphs into.
Resting her chin on the palm of her hand, the Tianquan answers the query in a whisper-like, breathy tone, “Your service.”
Keqing feels the blood drain from her face. She doesn’t know why, but a lot of things that don’t make sense still happen anyway – just take for example this ordeal she’s currently in.
“I- what kind of service do you need?” the Yuheng asks, failing trying to act unflustered.
“Oh, it’s a simple one, really. I just need you to accompany me to a wedding I have to attend to in Mondstadt.”
“Me? Accompany you? What about Beidou?”
“I can’t trust Beidou to be in her best behavior there. But you,” Ningguang pauses, eyeing Keqing more intently, “you’re the Yuheng, so I know you’re going to be the best girl and play nice for me.”
Keqing squeaks responds with a sound of indignation. She’s also not blushing; it’s just the heat of her indignity that tinges her cheeks red.
Nevertheless, Ningguang revels in her sight, cooing at the smaller woman. “See?” the white-haired woman points out. “Though, I’d prefer it if you kept these wonderful responses just for me. I’m not really good at sharing with strangers, you know?”
The heat within Keqing intensifies, turning red into vermillion. She’s of a mind to tell Ningguang off for making fun of her.
“You- you’re kidding right now, aren’t you?” she asks timidly, instead.
“Oh, my dear Yuheng, you know I never kid. I’m serious. As serious as you are in acquiring a Lucent Crescent.”
Keqing takes a figurative step back, realizing they have yet to finalize their transaction. Perhaps she could make a counteroffer…
“So, I just need to go to the wedding with you, and you’ll give me my Lucent Crescent afterwards?”
…or perhaps she can just acquiesce to her fellow Qixing completely.
“A bargain, is it not?”
Keqing squints at that. “For you. A bargain is always in favor of you, Ningguang.”
Ningguang remains unfazed, signature smile intact. “I can be generous, you know? Just ask around. So, do we have a deal?” the Tianquan asks, extending her hand. Keqing hesitantly, but eventually, shakes it.
“Wonderful!” Ningguang claps, grinning. “Now that that’s done, may I interest you in some lunch?”
Keqing stares wide-eyed at Ningguang, unbelieving that the latter would actually ask her to stay longer. ‘Just what in the world is up with her? And what in the world is up with me?’ as she seems to be suffering whiplash after whiplash from the different points of her exchange with the white-haired woman, and that’s affecting her capability to think clearly.
“I think I should be off,” Keqing answers. She needs to get some air, preferably somewhere leagues away from where she’s currently at.
“Such a shame. And to think I had my chef prepare some golden shrimp balls when I heard you’re coming up.”
‘There’s that frown again.’
“But if you are in a hurry, then, please, don’t let me keep you. I’ve already booked my next meeting with you, after all.”
‘And there’s that smile again.’
Ningguang walks Keqing to the front door and bids her farewell. The Yuheng leaves the Jade Chamber with a stiff bow and a mysteriously contracted inability to utter another word.
She mulls over the entire encounter on her way back. ‘She’s toying with me; she has to be,’ is her brain’s repetitive thought, along with Ningguang.
‘Wait.’
“Oh, fantastic. Now I can’t think of anything else.” Keqing mutters dryly to herself, continuing her trek back. Eventually…
“Aaah! Damn that Ningguang! She’s such a pain!” Keqing screams, abruptly stopping in the middle of the road. Thank heavens there’s no one around. Keqing doesn’t really know if she can handle more embarrassment for the day.
She heaves a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose in order to collect herself. ‘Just head home and regroup, Keqing. You’ll find a way to survive this. You always do.’
It occurs to her then that she should really listen to Mona more… and also maybe hire her as an advisor.