Work Text:
It is one fine afternoon in Liyue Harbor, although today the whiff of blossoms seems to permeate through the air stronger than any other day. And the scent of 'love' is in full bloom as well.
A strange custom from Fontaine surely is popular among those eligible for marriage and even among the married couples as well. Flower business and florists are making a lot of profit today.
High up in Yujing Terrace, the Liyue Qixing works as hard as ever to oversee the state affairs, wealth, and prosperity of Liyue. The three secretaries of the Tianquan of the Liyue Qixing thought their master would have been very pleased seeing that she's one of those earning quite a sum from the glaze lilies deal she'd foreseen for today.
But on her eminence Lady Ningguang's face sports knitted brows with a bothered expression. She's been handling tons of paper works since morning and hasn't moved from her spot at all even when she could use this day as an opportunity to relax for a bit, hell, even Lady Keqing the Yuheng had dismissed herself from work to enjoy the atmosphere in the harbor today.
Baiwen, Baishi, Baixiao glances among each other, they don't dare to dismiss themselves even when Lady Ningguang has granted them permission to take leave today. But the fear of overworking is not the reason they're feeling anxious.
The calm and collected Tianquan, even faced with a difficult dilemma, has never been one to ponder over things for too long, and after finding the appropriate solution to the problem her expression would return to normal. But today it seems like that's not the case, since their master went through stacks of paperwork even more rapidly than normal, still, the frown that mars her gorgeous face stays until now.
It must be something personal. Something personal that they all could make an educated guess.
"There's no appointment with Zhongli-xiansheng today right?" Baiwen whispers to her colleagues. Baishi and Baixiao shake their heads.
"None that I recall"
Zhongli-xiansheng, the advisor to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, has frequented them ever since the fall of the Jade Chamber and the Rite of Parting has passed. Lady Ningguang found his expertise in everything helpful, so she often calls him in to assist her decision making, but any one with eyes could see that she also simply enjoy spending time with him, letting him talk away reciting fascinating stories, and indulge her during her work hour as well. He's even actively assisting in the rebuild of the Jade Chamber by referring them to skilled artisans for the decorations and such.
Working as the Tianquan's most trusted secretaries, they caught glimpse of how those two dances around each other while attempting to conceal their growing affection. Though Zhongli-xiansheng fails miserably, of course, Lady Ningguang knows everything, as expected of her.
Though today where everyone is celebrating and enjoying the atmosphere of the 'Valentine' day, he vanishes to who knows where. Not even a single letter to inform their Lady or any news passed up along the chain at all.
To think that Zhongli-xiansheng hasn't done anything, he hasn't even shown his face yet unlike he usually does, is disappointing even to them, not to mention how it would be even more for her eminence. They suspect the xiansheng's inaction is the cause of their Lady's frustration.
They're not wrong.
"Baixiao" All of them jumps at Lady Ningguang's call rang through the chamber they're in.
"Prepare a bouquet for me please, and then go enjoy yourselves today, didn't I dismissed the three of you earlier?" The Tianquan raises her brow in question.
All her secretaries chorus. "Yes, Lady Ningguang"
It seems finally she'll be taking matters into her own hands. It's rare that things don't go in the Tianquan's way these days after all.
They only hope Zhongli-xiansheng is well-suited to handle their troubled master, one way or another.
xxx
A tall gentleman standing by the bridge taking in the lively atmosphere of the Liyue Harbor seems to be deep in thought. He's been there since the morning, greeting the passerby and bystanders that went up to talk with him from time to time, but nothing seems to be able to make him move at all, be it his body or his thought.
Zhongli lets out a long sigh, feeling utterly conflicted with himself. Normally at this time of the day, he would be off to see Lady Ningguang at least for a while or even stay to entertain her company already, but today he couldn't bring himself to go and see her as he wishes.
He half expects to see the Tianquan coming down to play with the children in the harbor today though, it's what she does when she gets some time to spare. Precisely why he chose to loiter in this exact spot, in hope of catching a glimpse of her without seeming too forward to not make her feel uncomfortable.
From all the time he's spent as the Lord of Geo, the Prime of Adeptus, Rex Lapis, the Archon protecting and guiding this nation, he'd rarely ever been unsure of anything, for he's solid and unmovable, as it should be, as it had been.
Though ever since letting go of his Gnosis, he'd learned a few things or two, one of which leads him to the current predicament that he's in right now.
Lady Ningguang, and her ability to make him feels unsure of nearly everything in their interactions.
He naturally feels frustrated, had it been so long that he has loosened his touch, that he'd misread the situation and set himself in a bargain that he would gain less than he expected.
Don't talk about people's feelings like it's an object. He feels as if he'll be scolded if his friends knew the line of thought that he had a moment before.
The former Geo Archon sighs once again to himself. He'd been careful, let the Tianquan set her own pace, keeping watch of every sign and gesture that she allowed herself to show to him more and more as time passed.
He'd been so sure.
But apparently, he'd been wrong.
'What is this rumor I heard that you're dating someone?' It was Beidou, the famed captain of the Crux, who came in for a report a few days ago that asked the question. He was outside her work chamber that day, waiting for her to finish receiving her guest before he intrudes.
Ningguang and her three secretaries paused in their tracks, He knew the Tianquan's lips were thin when he heard her stiffed voice.
'Where have you even heard about this ridiculous rumor?'
'Where I heard it from isn't important. Between, are you sure it's ridiculous? What is it that I heard about the advisor from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor then?' He could imagine Beidou narrowed her eyes from the tone of her voice, be it any other person than the Tianquan, they would have been rightly intimidated.
A loud sigh escaped her eminence's lips at this.
'No, we're not 'dating', as you call it. Zhongli-xiansheng is just assisting me in trivial matters when I need his expertise, it'll do you good to not believe the baseless rumors in the future Beidou. Now if you have nothing else to say, go.'
And now he's stuck in a dilemma. It's true in one way of wording it that they're not 'dating', as a modern word goes. But it's not like he hasn't boldly made it clear that they are somehow courting, and he'd always thought they have a connection that they share with none others. It certainly feels unpleasant to hear she said that with an absolute tone, his gut clenches uncomfortably thinking about it.
The thing is, he isn't even sure what she'd said is supposed to mean. Should he announce his intention loud and clear in case she's been waiting for it? Or should he back off and maintain a distance because she indeed thinks nothing of their interactions other than that of an acquaintance and occasional advisor?
A familiar faint smell of glaze lilies makes him shuts his eyes tiredly. Another reminder of the Lady occupying his mind all day today.
"A mora for your thought?" He's startled, his amber eyes flew open, luckily he didn't step back in alarm. He'd be very embarrassed if that was such a case.
"Maybe one mora is too cheap, how about a thousand? Ten thousand?" She coyly hides her smile behind the bouquet of beautifully arranged glaze lilies in her hands.
Zhongli wonders who'd she got that from, or for?
"It's nothing, Lady Ningguang. Nothing you should concern yourself with." He smiles softly, telling her not to worry, after all, it is something that he should figure out by himself.
The Tianquan raises her well-manicured brow in inquiry.
"Nothing that I should concern myself with, though it makes you avoid me like a plague since two days ago, Zhongli-xiansheng?"
"I apologize that it seems like that to you, Milady. It's just something that I need to take care of by myself." Her raised brow still hasn't gone down, though if she doubt his words, she's not saying anything about it.
"If you say so, Zhongli-xiansheng. And here I thought we'd be able to spend some time together today. Celebrating our successful deals of glaze lilies for this Valentine's day, don't you think of it fitting that I should reward you a bit for your insightful advice?"
Zhongli has no doubts about this. Ningguang is a fair merchant and master, she's very clear about the praises and rewards, as well as commentaries about works to her assistants and coworkers. It's fine to accept her invitation he guesses.
"Sure, do you have a place in mind yet, Milady?"
"I was hoping you'd know a good place or two to choose from, I trust you're also knowledgeable in this particular area as well? I would like to try what you think's best, it's all on me of course, so you needn't worry about the bill."
"Of course" Zhongli chuckles delightfully at her rare joke. But before he could lead her to the place he decided on, Ningguang takes one of his hands up, placing the glaze lilies bouquet into it, and steps back, smiling to herself in satisfaction.
He feels his heart is beating faster at her gesture. Is this...?
"...I don't understand" He turns from looking at the bouquet in his hand and locks eyes with her. The opportunity has arisen, He just needs to confirm it.
The Tianquan frowns a little bit before she asks. "What is it that you don't understand, Mr. Zhongli?"
"I..." How could he tell her that he had accidentally eavesdropped on her conversation with Beidou? "We aren't pursuing a relationship, are we? That's the reason I don't understand why you gave me this bouquet."
Ningguang frowns even further "Who said that?"
His complexion colored a bit to convey his embarrassment.
Before he could say anything, Ningguang seems to be able to connect the dots, something clicked in her mind and she stares at him for a while in disbelief, that moment he knew that she knew he had heard of the conversation she had with the captain of the Crux, and thus trying to avoid her until today.
She then laughs delightfully to his dismay. Soft, rich sounds reverberating from her lips transfixes him, left him feeling all wobbly in his stomach.
Even though he feels humiliated, it seems worth it because he gets to see her really laughing like this.
"Well, we're not dating," Ningguang confirms her word with a mischievous smile. "Yet"
Now it's Zhongli's turn to widen his eyes as the Tianquan continues while gazing at his eyes straight on. "I said we're not dating, which is still true because we're not, because we haven't reached our agreement about it yet, and because I'm waiting for you." To get it together
Oh. Oh.
So he hadn't misread the situation after all.
Now that the misunderstanding is out of the way, ruby eyes gaze up at him expectantly, and before long Zhongli plucks one glaze lily from the bouquet and tucks it on her ear slowly and deliberately. The touch from his hand burns her through her ears, Ningguang tries her best to not seem like his gentle touch affected her, still her cheeks tinted red, granting him the luxury of the endearing sight only a handful of people have the opportunity to see.
"I apologize for the lack of appropriate preparation on my part today, but if you're still willing, I can do better at supper tomorrow. Will bamboo shoot soup be to your liking? I will prepare it for you. But today, we can go to Third Round Knockout to celebrate as you suggest"
Of course tomorrow he'll be the one bringing a bouquet for her, it's not like people couldn't give flowers as a gift unless it's Valentine's day.
The Tianshuan lets her face slowly morphed into a languid smile that made him feel warm. It's like she already had the time of them officiating the courtship down to the second. It's amusing and incredible at the same time. He chuckles fondly as he lets her take his other free hand.
"It's a date then"