Velvet Café [Childe x reader]

Afterstory [3] Xiangling's restaurant

 
"Husband forgets wallet, husband returns to get wallet and leaves kid, husband returns with wallet to find kid, husband loses kid, husband loses wallet while looking for kid, husband finds kid because kid threw tantrum, husband looks for wallet with cranky kid that wants to eat, husband finds wallet,

Husband and kid have supper, husband and kid come back to the hotel room, kid throws another tantrum in the middle of the night because husband let eat kid too much." (Y/n) rests her head against the window of the vehicle she was in, rubbing the temples of her forehead.

"There there, (Y/n). At least (K/n) was found safe and Childe was able to find his wallet without losing anything important." Barbara tries to comfort her friend.

"If he wasn't careless then he wouldn't have lost our kid and lost his wallet in the first place." She groans.

"I'm right here you know." Childe is driving the vehicle the three are in. Noelle remains at her place with daughter and (K/n).

"So? I'm not trying to hide my disdain towards you, careless husband."

 
   
   
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An hour of driving comes to pass, the three enter Wanmin restaurant which was bustling with people. Lively atmosphere, a great cure to the tension Barbara had to bare in the car after (Y/n) and her husband spent most of the time bickering.

"Hello, welcome to Wanmi- Barbara? (Y/n) and Childe! Oh wow you three came to visit us it's been soooo long!" A familiar face is cheerful to see old friends. "Xiangling is in the kitchen right now, do you want to take a sear while I go call her?"

"Sure Xinyan, it's good to see you too!" Barbara replies.

The restaurant was almost completely full, a single vacant spot was left in the awkward center of the vicinity surrounded by the loud voices of bantering individuals. (Y/n) takes her seat beside Barbara, glaring at Childe that sat in front of her.

"S-sooo, Xiangling's restaurant seems pretty popular don't you think? People love to go here especially on holidays." Barbara anxiously taps on the table.

"Xiangling is an amazing chef after all."

"Unlike a certain someone who keeps getting egg shells into whatever she cooks." Childe whistles.

"Will you ever shut up about the egg shells?! I haven't gotten egg shells left in anything I've cooked since then!"

"Ah, and I thought starting a conversation would help clear up this atmosphere." The lady caught up in the never ending bickering murmers to herself, resisting a painful urge to slam her head against the table.

"You guyyyss!!!" Xinyan returns with Xiangling.

"Hmm? What's with the look you three have? Let me guess, Childe said something about eggshells to (Y/n). Good times, good times."

"Xiangling not you too!" She gets all mopey. "Egg shits aside, we came here to talk to you about something important, and to catch up too of course!"

"You better order something from the menu too!"

"Of course we will! Perhaps we'll order one of everything, Childe says he'll pay. Right hun? Tartaglia?" The foreboding look kills the tiny part of the man that wanted to argue.

"Yeah... I, I will."
 
  
The group moves on to talking about what they've been up to the past years. Xiangling has worked hard to set up her own restaurant, Xinyan choosing to work with her, and a few other employees joining her side.

After, (Y/n) tells the two of the bad news.

"I see, so that's what happened. I was shocked when the café suddenly closed down but Xinyan and I were just so busy and caught up with the restaurant we hadn't had the time to look into what happened or talk to the others."

"It's ok Xiangling..." Barbara puts her hand on her friend's shoulder. Her gaze shifts to a certain figure that is serving meals to a different table. "Uhm... That is a panda-errr raccoon bear? You have an animals as a waiter?" She rubs her eyes.

"Oh that's Guoba! Guoba is a great help in our restaurant."

"Uh huh." Barbara, (Y/n), and Childe follow Guoba with their eyes as it makes it's rounds from table to table. Even cleaning the tables after an occupant leaves.

"Hey Xiangling, do you think we should close down the shop for a while and assist in the search?" Xinyan asks.

"I don't think you guys should close down the shop, that wasn't what we came here for! Because of what happened when Noelle and I told (Y/n) about the situation, it made me realize it'd be cruel to leave you and the others in the dark, but I also don't want you to have to sacrifice what you've achieved now..."

"But we still need to do something, Zhongli and the rest are our friends too." Xiangling sighs.

"I may have thought of something." Childe intervenes. "What has Zhongli been doing before investigating Qiqi and Baizhu's disappearance?"

"Zhongli? I'm pretty sure he was freeloading off of Ningguang. Since you weren't around to lend him money. You know, there was even a time he was asking if he could borrow money from me and Noelle! How shameless!"

A man with no shame, such was intolerable to Barbara.

"Has Ningguang looked into the case?"

"Hmm, perhaps Dainsleif or Lisa & Jean would know something. It's difficult contacting Ningguang considering she's on a whole different league of busy."

"Oh I know someone who could help us get in contact with Ningguang!"
Xiangling pulls out her phone with the intention of handing out the contact information of the individual she has in mind.

"You mean me?" A lady towers above them all with a complacent look on her face.

"Beidou!" Xinyan and Xiangling gasp.
  
  
  

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I totally didn't accidentally publish the chapter while I was still writing it earlier clown moment

Also I just wanna flex that I am now a Kokomi haver <3

& Here's a question for you all because I'm curious

What do you think happened to Baizhu, Qiqi & Zhongli?