To the unknown Future

Chapter 5

"Venti, are you concerned about me too?" Uriel asked Venti with a surprised look on her face. Venti, who didn't expect to get asked such a question, got red on his face too.

"U-Uhm, well yes? I mean, You took care of my meals back in Mondstadt and gave me such an amazing lyre even though we just met a few times... If we're not friends by now, I'm gonna start questioning your intentions, Uriel," Venti got over his awkwardness and decided to tease Uriel whose face was like an open book, her emotions could be seen as clear as day. 

"W-What intentions- I-I was indebted to you that's why I did this, b-but if we could really be friends, that would be nice," Uriel said with a flushed face and a shy smile on her pink lips. 

"Then that's settled it, Starting today, we are friends," Venti giggled and followed Uriel to the Yuehai Pavilion to meet the person called Madam Ping. Venti was just on the side while the two ladies were talking when he heard the missing material was a Smaragdus Jadeite. 

"What a second, Uriel, you can't be thinking of getting one yourself right? That thing is dangerous to humans! just a few hours or even minutes in contact with that jade will make you ill!" Venti said and wanted to stop Uriel from acquiring how to get the Jade, but Uriel was persistent. 

"I really need the Serenitea pot, Venti! I have no home in Mondstadt and having this will greatly help me in the future, come on now, don't stop me," Uriel whined and held to Venti's free arm with a puppy look on her face. 

"Settle down, settle down children, you don't need to take that jade by yourselves, I know a person who does have a Smaragdus jadeite, but the money to acquire is not little," The old lady said with a smile.

"I'll take it! Madam Ping, please tell me where to find it!" Uriel was adamant to get the teapot and Venti had no choice but to follow her. But before he could take a step forward, Madam Ping called for him in a rather, polite manner. 

"I greet the Anemo Archon," 

"Ah, so you knew who I was," Venti looked behind and found Uriel already far away to catch their conversation and faced the other person with a smile. 

"It seems that you coming all the way to Liyue have some connection to that human,"

"Indeed that is the truth, but whether or not it will be worthwhile, that is up to me to find out. Please create the Serenitea pot she desires to have with the utmost care, I will see you later, Liyue Adeptus," Venti turned around and followed after Uriel who waited for him at the stairs of the Yujing Terrace. 

"Let's go over to Feiyun Commerce Guild first and ready the Mora, I will also ask one of the servants to look for the location of the auction before going," Uriel said and they took the leisure now to walk back to the Feiyun Commerce Guild and she talked to Xingqui in another room while he was questioned by Zhongli. 

"I see that for you to get suspicious was because you already have some familiarity of the person and their habits, but Venti, pray to tell how are you going to move forward from this?" Zhongli asked his friend and look at him straight to his eyes. 

"Isn't it obvious, just follow where the wind flow, moving on, it will come to me in the future, so no need to be hasty," Venti said with a smile to assure his friend before looking back to the open door where the two relatives were still bickering back and forth? 

"Like I said Jiejie, you can't go to that auction, firstly it's for males only, and second of that, it's Smaragdus Jadeite! You will get ill just by being near that!" Xingqui said in a worried tone, but Uriel was still headstrong on taking it. 

"But I need it to get a Serenitea pot, Xingqui! I want it so let me have it, I have enough Mora in my savings to win that Jade on the auction too you know?" She said with a frown. 

"The Mora isn't the issue here! It's your health!" Xingqui raised his voice and the two became upset with each other. Zhongli decided to take a step in and offered that he and Venti will attend the auction for Uriel.

"B-But Sir Zhongli! We just talked about how that jade will put humans ill right? Why are you-" Xingqui asked but Zhongli assured him. 

"Don't worry, I have a special box to take the jade and no outsiders will get in trouble," He said and Uriel was immediately up to her feet and mood once more,

"Really? There's such a thing? Oh, thank you so much, Sir Zhongli! I will get ready the Mora right away, please wait here!" and then she was gone out of the room. 

"...Yup, I guess I have to follow Zhongli to that auction too, Knowing him, although his mind is filled with history and knowledge when it comes to spending mora, he's a wastrel," Venti said in passing and went to follow Uriel who was talking to the servants to prepare the three bags of Mora. 

"Uriel are you... really putting all of your savings to that auction just to get the Serenitea pot?" Venti asked while staring at the obviously heavy-looking bags of Mora before looking back to Uriel. 

"Hm? Yes, I guess. I mean, I have some of the furniture ready, What I'm missing was the Serenitea pot itself, ehe," Uriel appeared sheepish and Venti could only look at her with a complicated look on his face. 

"We will come back before the night falls, don't go anywhere," Venti said and went out with Zhongli toward the location of the Auction. 

Xingqui who went upstairs to talk to Uriel again, found her standing in the middle of the room with her sword unsheathed. Looking like this, He knew that something was bothering her mind again. 

"Come Jiejie, let's go and get a commission to kill some hilichurls outside Liyue Harbor," Xingqui offered but Uriel refused. 

"No, maybe next time, I will be going to the underground area for a moment," She said and went out of the room. 

"For someone who does things so simply, why is she acting like there's something complicated in front of her?"  Xingqui tilted his head in worry before he shook his head, If she needs help, she will naturally come to him, from the start, Uriel has always been like that. 

Inside the dim underground area, there was a secret passage that could access directly to the warehouse near Mt. Tianheng, there was renovated space near this warehouse that was solely for Uriel's usage. 

There were twenty hilichurls that were released from the cage and brandished her sword to cut the hilichurls in a swift and clean manner. After putting back her sword to its sheath, she looked up to the sky died in red-orange color, deep in thought.

A servant from the warehouse went close to her and took back her attention, saying that the two gentlemen will be arriving soon. She turned around and went back in the direction of the passage and got back into the underground area with enough time allowance before the Zhongli and Venti come back to the Feiyun Commerce Guild. 

When she appeared in front of them, she was back to her bright and cheerful self once more.