𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐄

三

Ningguang

"Lady Ningguang, your guest has arrived", Baixiao announced, walking in my office.

Beidou told me everything she knew. I felt a weird feeling in my chest when she asked if I was only doing it solely for the investigation.

I was so close to denying it. So close.

Though, I still am a bit flustered about what we did.

Sometimes, I would think about it randomly at night, when I was getting ready for bed, when I was working alone in my office.

She's been in my head like a parasite that I couldn't get rid of.

"Who?, exactly has arrived?"

"Diluc Ragnvindr of Mondstadt"

"Ahh yes, I shall be out shortly.", I fixed up the last pile of reports, and headed out to meet him.

"Mister Diluc, nice to meet you", I held out my hand for him to take.

Diluc stood atop the Jade Chamber, with a black clad attire and fiery red hair. He was quite handsome.

"Lady Ningguang, your home, it's amazing", Diluc gestured to the floating mansion which hovers over the entirety of Liyue.

"Thank you, Mister Diluc, shall we head out and eat?"

"If we shall, Lady Ningguang"

//•//

We both headed down to Liuli Pavilion, where I would often hold business meetings over lunch. As we made our way down to the restaurant, whispers among the residents were evident as we walked by.

"Is that Master Diluc?"

"Are they going out together?"

"I thought it was Lady Ningguang and Captain Beidou who had a thing?, Guess not."

If only they knew what happened between me and Beidou.

"Licai, we're here for my reservation"

"Yes, of course, my lady. Head right in.", Licai held the door open for us, Diluc following in my trail.

We both sat down at our table, the food already prepared ahead of time.

"Let's talk business, Mister Diluc"

"Yes, so about Angel's Share branching out in Liyue"

//•//

We exited the restaurant after our long talk about the wine industry and a new branch of Angel's Share DIluc was planning to open in Liyue.

He wanted my partnership in opening the branch and asked for business advice.

"It was good to talk business with you, Lady Ningguang", Diluc shook my hand.

"I enjoyed my time as well, Mister Diluc"

"I'll go take my rest now, I have to rest up for the tour you prepared tomorrow", Diluc bowed in goodbye.

"Yes, you should, Have a good rest Mister Diluc"

//•//

I woke up and got ready for the tour I had promised Diluc the day before. We were to tour around Liyue and show him around the different tourist spots.

I pulled up in a carriage, stopping at a luxurious hotel at Yujing Terrace where Diluc had took his rest for the night.

"Mister Diluc, are you ready?"

He opened the carriage door and got in to take a seat beside me.

"Yes I'm ready and please, call me Diluc", Diluc turned to me and let out a small smile.

"Okay, Diluc, and you may call me Ningguang"

"Okay, Ningguang"

//•//

We arrived at Luhua Pool. It was beautiful as always. I remember how Beidou and I had to stake out an enemy base right here.

After we looked around we headed to our next destination, Wangshu inn.

We stopped at the inn to grab lunch and have a look around. Yuhua, the waitress of the Wangshu Inn escorted us to our seats and took our orders.

"Yes Yuhua, I would like to order Noodles with Mountain Delicacies, almond tofu for dessert and some Apple Cider for drinks."

"and what would the gentleman like?", Yuhua nodded to Diluc.

"I would like to order the Stir Fried Fillet and dessert and drinks the same as the lady please."

"If that will be all, your dishes will be ready in a moment.", Yuhua left in a hurry, sending the order to Smiley Yanxiao.

After a while and a bit of small talk with Diluc, our dishes arrived. The smell of different dishes engulfing the air, the stir fried fillet standing out to me most.

It reminded me of Beidou's cooking. She had cooked for me her favorite dish, stir fried fillet after our business meeting.

I had insisted we could just go and get some food from Liuli Pavilion or even Wanmin Restaurant, but she insisted and said her cooking was way more delicious than that.

Well, she wasn't wrong.

After we finished our meals, we toured around the inn for a bit to digest the food we ate.

We headed to our next place, Qingce Village. We looked around their farms and paid our visit to Grandma Ruoxin.

Then we headed to our last destination, Guyun Stone Forest.

I know Beidou keeps her ship anchored here, it's been a week since her visit to Inazuma.

I wonder if she came back home.