𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒔𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒓𝒓𝒐𝒘 [hiatus]

《𝐛𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬.》

You greatly admired spider lilies. You didn't know why, but ever since you were a child, you had grown a deep affection for a flower that only seemed to grow in your home.

It sprouted all sorts of mesmerising colours - red, orange, yellow, pink and white. Your favourite had always been red despite its depressing meaning, yet to you, it was the most beautiful.

You were planning to leave Liyue soon and you were preparing some final goodbyes for the people you had grown close to during your long time there. Childe would obviously see you again, but many, such as Keqing, Ningguang and Hu Tao, would not.

You knew that leaving at such a dire time would make you seem suspicious, as Rex Lapis had just been assassinated. You leaving now would create a cause for suspicion, but you figured after that ominous dream you had it was better to leave now rather than later.

You had arranged designated times to spend with each of them, them already knowing that you were planning on leaving even before Rex Lapis had not so majestically fell from the sky.

However, you couldn't help but feel a tad bit guilty for leaving without telling Zhongli. You barely knew him, so logically there would be little to no reason for you to feel this way. If you left, it would change just about nothing in his life. Yet you couldn't shake the feeling of guilt gnawing at your heart.

Perhaps a short goodbye could work since you were going to see Hu Tao anyways.

"Hu Tao, I'm here." You knocked on her office door at the agreed meet-up time, 6:30 in the evening. You both planned to have dinner together, as your final taste of authentic Liyuean cuisine.

What you didn't anticipate was Hu Tao dragging Zhongli along.

"Hey (Y/N)! Hope you don't mind me bringing Mr Zhongli along!" She opened the door rather cheerily, a bewildered Zhongli standing right behind her.

"Oh, sure." You blinked. Guess that made telling Zhongli a tad bit easier.

"Alright, then off we go to Liuli Pavilion!" She dragged both you and Zhongli by the cuffs of your sleeves, the both of you equally as confused.

The walk there was rather peaceful as she had eventually stopped dragging the both of you, instead walking by your left side as Zhongli stuck by your right. The three of you had engaged in an interesting conversation about life and death, as well as karma and sin. Each of you had offered your own two cents into it, making the flow of the conversation rather smooth. It was almost as though the three of you had known each other forever.

The dinner was spent eating the best of the Li-style cuisine and continuing the discussion, talking like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time. Oddly enough, you felt compelled to pay more attention to Zhongli. Something in your heart seemed to yearn for him and his touch, but the rest of you seemed either indifferent to him or repulsed. Repulsed may have seemed like a strong word to use, however it was the only appropriate word you could've used to describe the feeling of disgust and anger.