To the unknown Future

Chapter 4:

It was around two hours and a half when a presentable-looking Uriel came down to the first guest room and met the three of them. 

She wore another forest-green hanfu with some cecilia brocade on the left waist and her long ebony hair was tied up in a long fishtail braid with a jade pin as an ornament. 

"Greetings to the guests, I am Uriel, an older relative of the young heir Xingqui, pleased to meet you two," Uriel said and bow down first before looking at their faces, 

"Yes indeed, Miss Uriel. I heard from the Adventurer's Guild of your great feats from last year, you are a remarkable adventurer," Zhongli praised with a smile, Uriel smiled back at him before meeting the eyes of the Zhongli's companion,

"Eh? Venti, is that you?" The two suddenly already acquainted with each other brought a surprise to Xingqui and Zhongli. 

"Oh... Oh! I must be a distraction, Xingqui, I'll head to the artisan first with Venti, is that fine, Sir Zhongli?" Uriel asked and the two of them agreed. They both watched the two of them run out through the door before looking at each other with confused faces. 

"I heard from my older sister that she went to Mondstadt about two days ago and assuming their closeness, they must've been acquainted there... right Sir Zhongli?" Xingqui asked speculating,

"Perhaps, I have not heard of it from Venti. Perhaps after they come back they will tell us," Zhongli said before resuming their conversation about the history of Liyue. 

Outside the Feiyun Commerce Guild, Uriel pulled Venti to the alleyway and looked back to look at the person that should be in Mondstadt.

"I thought I said I would come back after two days? I still have one more day though?" Uriel didn't know why Venti came to Liyue and assumed that he was looking for her. 

"W-What are you talking up? Uriel, I only came to Liyue to visit my friend that's all," Venti said with a flushed face while avoiding her eyes. 

'Did she really think I came here to follow her? Did I got caught while following her yesterday? That's unlikely,' He thought before he looked back to Uriel and saw her surprised and flushed face as well. 

"Ah, is that so? I-I'm sorry for assuming, ahaha, I must be still half asleep," Uriel said before looking away with a shy expression. 

"I-It's fine, But why did you take me outside? Where are we going?" Venti asked with a smile, trying to get rid of the awkwardness between them. 

"Oh yes, Since you're here Venti, let's go to the Artisan who was creating a new lyre for you, let's go," Uriel said with a smile and grabbed Venti's hand to walk towards the location of the Artisan in Liyue. 

Venti just noticed, but their height difference was just a few centimeters and he was a bit taller than her, and her small hands were slender and smooth to touch. Venti snapped out of his thought and pursed his lips. How could he be thinking of those when he was together with Uriel? It's getting on his system making him more confused. 

"Here we are, Feifei, the Windsong Lyre that I commissioned, is it done?" Uriel talked to the shopkeeper and waited for a while to get the lyre ready,

"Uhm this, Uriel, my hand," Venti cannot help but call Uriel who was focused on another thing than their current location, there were a lot of locals who were looking at their backs- especially their intertwined hands and he can feel that they were ready to whip up a lot of rumors if they didn't let go of each other's hands.

"Hmm? What is it Venti?" Uriel looked back to him and leaned closer to hear him, Venti could hear the gasps of the others and if he don't move fast, they will seriously whip up a rumor that could destroy Uriel's reputation in Liyue,

"You can let go of my hand now, please," Venti said with a fake smile and took a step back so that they both have distance from each other. Uriel let go of his hand with a confused look on her face, and could only put her focus back on the shopkeeper who got back to them and handled a crafted box to place the Windsong Lyre inside. 

"Here Venti, see if the Lyre is in good condition before we go," Uriel handed the box to Venti and looked down at the box he received. 

'This is the Lyre that was worth of twenty-thousand Mora... I'm a bit excited to see,' Venti thought and opened the box. 

Inside was a Windsong lyre that was coated in silver and the strings were made from good quality too, when he looked at the design of the lyre, he was astounded, it was an engraved gemstone that was created to form two cecilias located at the left side and his name carved on the center with a small shard of noctilocous jade below his name. 

"W-What do you think? I told the artisan to add the cecilias and the Jade with your name engraved on the lyre, does... does it suit your taste?" Uriel asked in a nervous tone and what Venti did surprise her. 

"Are you kidding? This is the best lyre that I ever had! Uriel, you're the best!" Venti was overwhelmed with joy that he hugged her by impulse and showed her the lyre again. 

"An exquisite lyre needs a praise-worthy song to accompany it! Uriel, you'll be the first audience to hear it!" Venti said and a bright smile was on his lips. Uriel was in a daze, Venti, the first time she met him in Mondstadt, there was something depressing on his aura and there's this cautious and melancholy look on his face the whole time, but now his face was so bright as the sun- it made Uriel feel so elating to her. 

"I-I'm glad you like it, Venti! Let me pay this first and go somewhere with me," Uriel said and gave the bag of Mora to the shopkeeper and then went towards the Yuehai Pavilion in Yujing Terrace. 

"The Yuehai Pavilion is a good place with plenty of space and fewer people, also, I do have something to do there, that is why I pointed out that place," Uriel said with a sheepish look after getting a knowing stare from Venti,

"You have another commission again? I heard from Xingqui that you just did a few commissions yesterday as well?" Venti asked and Uriel avoided the subject and smiled instead. 

"Ehe, T-This one is going to give something beneficial, so I really wanted to do this commission," Uriel said in a defensive tone, and Venti could only sigh and shake his head at her. 

"It's not like I was dictating your decisions, but other people around you get concerned about your well-being too when you push yourself too hard, you know? Even in Mondstadt, the people there were concerned seeing you run from one place to another," He said and Uriel paused for a bit and looked at Venti with wide eyes. 

"Venti, are you concerned about me too?"