𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 | 𝐱𝐢𝐚𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢

V

What do mortal girls enjoy?

This question has been running through Xiao's mind for the past few days. In all of the years he wandered through Teyvat, he had faced countless adversaries, near-death experiences, war between gods, and still he braced through all of them, achieving resolution at the end. All problems, with the flow of time, would be solved eventually.

But now, as he stood on the doorsteps of Lumine's Sereniteapot, clutching a bundle in his hands, Xiao still didn't have an answer to that question. And the funny thing is, he was more mindful of this particular problem than one which would require him to fight in battle. His life wasn't even in danger, and yet he felt even more concerned.

His train of thoughts came to a halt when Lumine answered the door, clad in a comfortable robe. "You're here!"

He nodded. "I hope I'm not intruding on your rest."

"Of course not. I'm happy to see you." Lumine grinned, and welcomed him inside. It was then she noticed the pack he was holding. "What's that?"

"Ah, it's... almond tofu," Xiao said, blushing. "I brought some for you."

The way he held the food with such care, and the way he hid his face when he said those words—Lumine swore she was going to swoon. Nevertheless, she repressed her tender feelings and collected the tofu from him.

"It's still warm. I'll prepare it for us. You can have a seat in the living room," she said, heading to the kitchen.

Xiao heeded her words and sat on the couch. The material was soft and silky, reminding him of Liyue's furnishing style. Before him was a fireplace, and above the mantle were pictures contained in quaint wooden frames. 

Most of it were scenes of Mondstadt and Liyue, but every now and then there would be a person Xiao didn't recognise in the pictures. One was a group photo of Lumine with a brunette, who wore a red and white uniform and sported goggles on her head. Another was a picture of two individuals in Qingce Village, one of them having light blue hair, while the other had a darker shade. The boy with light blue hair was training with his greatsword, while his friend was reading a novel, seated comfortably under a gazebo.

Xiao wondered who they meant to Lumine. She seemed to have made lots of friends in the time she roamed across Teyvat—and upon gazing at the collage before him, he wanted to know more.

Clatters of plates and the cease of running water sounded from the kitchen. In seconds, Lumine was done and sat beside Xiao, holding up her own plate while passing him his share.

"Eat up. Looks like Yanxiao made a lot for us," she said and ate a spoonful. The soft tofu melted in her mouth, and a rich milkiness tickled her taste buds, making her feel warm and fuzzy.

"Now I know why you love this." Her words were muffled by a full mouth. "It's amazing."

Xiao chuckled. "If you like it so much, you can have mine."

She sprang up. "What? Are you serious?"

"This was all for you anyway."

He placed his plate on the coffee table. Lumine looked at it, then at Xiao, then thrusted out her hand to hog his share.

"Don't complain if you're hungry later," she warned, to which Xiao shook his head.

"I've already eaten before I came here. Also, Lumine, um..." he glanced at the photos. "Who are they?"

Lumine looked in his direction. "Oh! Those are the people I met during my journey. I know I can't stay in one place for too long, so I tend to take a lot of photos as keepsakes."