The Vigilant Yaksha

Chapter 49

Vena almost thought she'd never find her blonde-haired best friend amongst the sea of people, but she did rather quickly thankfully since he sort of had a habit of standing out compared to the rest of the Liyue residents.

"Hey! How did your date go, bestie?" Aether was clearly in a good mood as he jogged over to meet her once she'd caught his attention with a warm wave.

"It was lovely." She beamed at him, noticing she'd have to talk a little louder than usual to be heard over the hustle and bustle of the city during the festival.

"Well, you can tell me the details over some snacks! There are so many food stands around!"

The two proceeded to browse the nearby food stands, trying various sweets and snacks, recommending good ones to each other as she caught him up on their short dinner.

"Yeah, he'd told us about demons being more active during the festival. I didn't think they'd be that active though... bummer."

"Well, it wasn't all badddd~" The girl insinuated as she took a sip of her drink, enticing a sideways look out of the boy as he waited for her to explain.

"He wants to go on another." Vena quietly blushed at the memory, quickly hiding her face as she turned to look about the surrounding area at all the lights and decorations.

"I could have told you that much." Aether rolled his eyes playfully at that, already knowing the level of Xiao's interest in her.

Maybe I shouldn't tell him that last part...

Vena felt her cheeks heat up all over again at the thought, quickly shaking her head in an attempt to dismiss it.

The pair of friends continued to walk around the harbor, being sure to take in every single sight and sound of the night as they chatted and laughed amongst themselves, enjoying every moment of the evening together.

Time slipped away quite quickly, and before they knew it, hours had already past.

"I really should turn in soon..." Aether mused to himself sadly, not really ready for the night to end just yet, but knowing it was getting far too late into the night for his liking.

"You definitely should." The boy nodded his head toward her, eyeing her bandaged wounds for a moment before turning away.

"I know," She laughed awkwardly, actually feeling quite under the weather and weak, but she couldn't deny how much fun she'd been having just walking around and laughing with her best friend.

For a moment, she'd actually forgotten all about her worries, her past, her injuries, and it had been an extremely pleasant break from it all.

For just a little while, she hadn't been living inside of her own head.

"Well, I guess I should start saving some mora and start sleeping in the house in my teapot, huh?" Aether laughed, quietly noticing her subtle change of demeanor as he tried to lift her spirits.

"Knowing how much you spend on upgrades, yes." Vena shot back, a smile spreading across her face again.

"I'll go back to Xiao's realm in a little bit. I'd like to watch the fireworks for a little longer." The violet haired girl finished as she watched Aether take out the item to teleport to his own realm.

"You should go up on the cliffs nearby, the view is gorgeous up there."

"Thanks, I will. See you tomorrow, Aether."

"Goodnight, Vena."

——————————————————————

This world may have its issues, but it's far better than my own.