Remembering The Glaze Lilies | Ganqing {DISCONTINUED}

Chapter 22 - Kalimba

Only about 15 minutes later, Gouba waddles over to them with a small cake, but it looked incredibly good. 'Happy 16th, Ganyu,' was written in exquisite calligraphy on the top of the cake, adorned with strawberries and Qingxin petals on the edges, along with looping threads of frosting decorating the sides of the cake. A handful of golden pearls were scattered across the bottom layer of the cake. Gouba bows as they run off to Xiangling, who winks at Keqing before she turns to face the qilin.

Ganyu is speechless, to say the least.

A smile adorns her gentle features, as she gestures for Keqing's hand, and the lavender - haired girl is more than happy to oblige, placing her hand into Ganyu's own. "Keqing... thank you, so much for all you've done. Sometimes, I feel like I'm not contributing enough to our friendship because of how much you do for me," says Ganyu, laughing a bit. "Don't worry about things like that, I just... really care about you and love you a lot, and I want to make you as happy as you can possibly be, you know I'll do anything for your happiness," responds Keqing, giving her a cheeky grin.

"And I'll always appreciate that, Qing. Now, are we going to dig in?" smiles Ganyu, her eyes twinkling playfully. Keqing nods, taking the small knife placed on the side as she slides it smoothly through the cake - once, twice and thrice, ending in a perfect triangle. She places it on the qilin's plate, before cutting another slice for herself. "Ready?" mouths Keqing, and the Cryo wielder nods excitedly, as they both attack their slices with a fork.

And oh, the cake was incredible.

Rich flavors of vanilla and cinnamon enveloped their senses, melding fluidly into each other for a delicious combination, paired with the bitterness of the Qingxin as well as the tangy, sour flavor of the strawberries made for a delicate cake that simply melted in their mouths. Neither of them can stop, going in for more slices and Ganyu decides to steal some Qingxin petals from the side, due to it being her favorite thing to eat, of course. Keqing, on the other hand, steals some golden sugar pearls due to them being such a tasty thing to munch on. The two finish the cake in record time, save for a smear or two of frosting being left on the plate. They use the napkins left on the side to wipe their faces and wipe them clean of any leftovers.

Ganyu glances at Keqing, before the two laugh affectionately. "We really 'wiped up' that cake, didn't we?" chuckles Keqing, as the qilin gives her a playful punch to her shoulder at her statement. "Jokes aside, that was really tasty. I am so coming back for more," giggles Ganyu. With nothing left to do at the shop, the Electro wielder assumed that it was perfect timing for Ganyu's gift. "Yuyu, it's time for your present," smiles Keqing, pulling out a beautifully wrapped present, with a little tag attached to it. She hands it to the Cryo wielder whose eyes widen at the sight, gazing at the present in curiosity.

"Is this for me?" murmurs Ganyu, her voice quiet. "What?" asks Keqing, unable to hear her over the noise of the people around them. "It's for me, yeah?" repeats Ganyu, and Keqing simply chuckles, before reassuring her that indeed, the present was for her and her alone.

"Read the tag!" adds Keqing, and the qilin glances at said tag. On It, in neat cursive was a message, as she reads it.

Dearest Ganyu,

I can never remember a moment in time where you made me upset. You've been my best friend for so many years, and I'm so fortunate to have met someone as amazing as you. I hope the present inside will make you just as happy as you've made me.

~ Keqing

"Aww, Qing, that's really sweet," smiles Ganyu, as she begins to unwrap the gift, taking her time to ensure she didn't damage the wrapping. She tinkers with it, moving through all the loops and removing the tape properly and inside, lay a white box. The Cryo wielder looks to her friend in amusement, and Keqing simply nudges her to keep going. Ganyu then opens it, before an audible gasp leaves her.

"Keqing!"

"You can't have possibly- you really did!" exclaims Ganyu, as baby tears form in the corners of her iridescent eyes. "Don't cry, don't cry. I told you I'd get you what you wanted most, didn't i? Why don't you get it out of the box then?" replies Keqing, her own voice catching in her throat out of excitement as she pats her back. Ganyu eases it out of the box gently, as though roughly handling it might break the gorgeous instrument. She holds the clear, acrylic kalimba up to the air, the light reflecting off of it and forming a rainbow on the wall beside them. "God, it's fucking gorgeous. Thank you so, so much for this," mutters Ganyu, hugging Keqing.

Keqing can barely breathe from how fast her thoughts and emotions were racing - the feeling of getting to hold Ganyu like this was one she thought was definitely worth in exchange for a birthday gift. She snuggles into her, hoping that the qilin couldn't hear how loud her heartbeat was as they leave the hug. 

This leaves the lavender - haired girl feeling strangely empty without the qilin in her arms. She brushes it off though, as Ganyu softly presses one of the notes and it resonates, making a melodic sound.

"It sounds exactly like how I'd hoped it would. I love you so much Keqing, thank you for giving me this absolutely incredible present. Today has been nothing short of amazing," murmurs Ganyu, clutching onto Keqing's hand gently and squeezing it. Now that they're finished with the present, they have no more reason to stay. So they leave, waving goodbye to Xiangling and Gouba in the process and they leave the mall, giggling all the while.