𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖 || 𝙫𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙪𝙨!𝙜𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙣 𝙭 𝙛!𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

[𝟏𝟗]. let go

"Sure, I'll sing you a song! It'll cost you an apple, though!" Venti winked, one hand outstretched as his lyre was in the other.

Ever since the Traveler had taken his party all the way to Liyue, the windborne bard had to make a living, of course! So how did he make this 'living'?

(By leeching off of Tea Master Liu's audience— and frankly, Venti was doing a much better job than the Tea Master.)

Zhongli, a frequent visitor of Tea Master Liu, did not appreciate this whatsoever.

"Here!" A little girl exclaimed, tossing an apple in the bard's direction as the azure-eyed male cheered, skillfully beginning to strum his lyre with an apple in hand.

"Now, let me weave you a tale! One of Rex Lapis and the mighty adepti!"

Zhongli raised his eyebrows.

☆

"Ugh... where's he again?" You rubbed your forehead, just waking up to find Venti's room completely empty. Usually, he'd be nagging your ear off about Third Round-Knockout.

Trekking out of the bard's room, your eyes were quite literally blinded once the sun smacked you in the face, distorting your vision of Venti playing his lyre in the middle of Liyue's streets.

☆

"[Y/N], my dearest! How are you on this fine day?" The azure-eyed bard chimed gleefully, face flickering with mirth as you spared him a fleeting glance.

"Good, you?"

"Haha! After your arrival, I am surely the happiest a bard can be!"

"Uh huh..." You deadpanned, not buying (literally and figuratively) his words.

"How cold!" He gasped, a hand planted over his heart in a mocked hurt as you flicked his forehead, sauntering down the Liyue street.

"Cry about it."

And then you disappeared.

And then his lips contorted into the widest smile imaginable.

Venti, the windborne bard, had seriously fallen for someone like you— [Y/N].

'I wouldn't have it any other way!' He exclaimed internally, an apple in hand as he continued to strum more tunes.

With the mora he got now, it was possible for him to rent out a boat during the Lantern Rite!

Not that he'd do that, though. He had wine to get to!

☆

"Venti? Are you okay? You seem to be... scheming... something," Aether deadpanned, watching the bard count each individual mora coin he had garnered from his brief performance.

"Ehe, funny you ask, Traveler! Tell me, how much mora does it cost to rent a boat during the Lantern Rite?"

"Uh... not that much. Only like, 20,000 mora?" The blonde hummed, an index finger pressed to his chin in deep thought.

Venti's soul left his body.

'That means I'm going to actually have to work for a living!' He wailed internally, somberly putting his 800 mora funds into his little coin pouch.

Well, back to Tea Master Liu!

☆

"Hey, Aether? Have you seen that twink around?" You glanced over at the blonde who tilted his head, confused with your choice of wording.