~Together Apart ~ Xingyun Angst~

Until You Tried To Kill Me...

Chongyun POV:

"The Feiyun Commerce Guild's second heir?" malice laced Shenhe's mouth as she muttered those simple words.

"Ah, yes..." I barely mange to speak through the knot in my throat. I swallowed the entanglement blocking my voice box and look up at her and notice her slowing down to a halt. "Auntie...?" I meekly ask. No response.

I peek at the small portion of her face that was visible and see it filled with hostility and rage. I panic as her fists clench to the point of shaking.

She grabs my wrist firmly, and weaves the two of us through the crowded streets of Liyue, the more people we past the quicker we go and the harder she holds onto me. She drags me through the towards the entry of the Harbour, and ignores the guards standing there.

She pulls me behind a large rock and grips my shoulders, her head still tilted downwards.

"Chongyun." she begun, fear and pain shot through my body. Not only from the sore wrist, but also because of the power that Aunt Shenhe holds. I still remember watching her blast a water serpent to below the surface with her vision, the site still haunts me today.

"yes...?" I cautiously ask in fear of angering her even more.

"Don't fall for it." 

"What?"

"Xingqiu doesn't love you."

Xingqiu POV: 

I stay hidden behind a small crowd of people at the local chop suey stand, listening in on Chongyun's conversation with Shenhe. Chongyun informed me that he was gonna tell Shenhe about us today and advised me to stay at home, but I came anyway. 

They walk at a medium pace, which is good so I don't move hiding spots often. Chongyun begins fiddling his fingers around the same time as they leave earshot. I attempt to follow but get interrupted by Su Er'niang, who wants me to buy her dumb chop suey. I deal with the challenge and get her to leave me alone.

 I look back to the cluttered streets, and discover that Chongyun and Shenhe are nowhere to be found. I was only held up for a few minutes, where did they go?

I shrug it off, and go towards my house again since I have nothing better to do.

Biggest Mistake Ever.

   *~Two Weeks Later~*

Chongyun POV:

I gaze out of my bedroom window overlooking Liyue Harbour, the warm colour palette of the building complimented the bright blue ocean beyond it. While the view was beautiful, I was bored it, sick even. Why you ask? Simple. I've been stuck in my room for almost two weeks, with nothing to do but look out my window at the same scene all day everyday. The reason is stupid, but I can't change anything. 

Two weeks ago, I told Shenhe about Xingqiu and I, which made her furious. She told me upfront that I couldn't trust Xingqiu, and that he doesn't love me. But I knew that he did, he loves me...Xingqiu, loves me....

At the sheer absurdity of her words I ran away, back to my house and flop on my bed with tears forming in my eyes. Little did I know, Shenhe wouldn't let this go, ever.

The next day, my parents got a letter from 'Xiangling', which, to me, was obviously Shenhe. And by that I mean that Xiangling was in a cooking contest against someone in Mondstadt, and she always sent letters to Xingqiu and I, not my parents.

The contents of the letter was what I expected, 'Dearest family of exorcists. Your son Chongyun is dating Xingqiu without your consent nor permission, I attempted to talk to him about it, but he rudely brushed me off. I'm informing you for Chongyun's own good. -Xiangling' 

Since then, I've been locked in my room, unable to leave. My parents 'didn't approve of my choices' and that this is 'for my own good', but I knew that they were just homophobic, and wanted me to 'be normal'.

But I didn't have to despair for much longer though, since I was grounded for two weeks, and today is the final day of my limitation. I just have to wait 15 more minutes, then I could go outside, leave my house, and see Xingqiu...

I stand up and select a short story from by bookshelf, I begin to read it mindlessly getting absorbed into the narrative. The story is about a forbidden love, and how one of the two lovers were taken away to a foreign land and their significant other followed them there to rescue them. By the end of the story the first lover is set free by the other, but as they plan to leave, the first's bodyguard comes in to take them back to confinement. A fight breaks out between the second lover and the bodyguard as the first lover watches. After seeing the hurt they've caused, they jump off a cliff and fall to their death. The story ends with the now heartbroken lover crying at the other's grave.

I close the book and check the time again. 2:30pm!! My quarantine was over at last. I fix my appearance and swing open my door and run for the exit. My freedom right in front of me.

"Where do you think you're going, Chongyun?" 

Xingqiu POV:

I drag my feet towards Wamin Restaurant as Xiangling has returned from Mondstadt, I plan to inform her about  the tragedy between Chongyun, Shenhe and I. As I reach the restaurant, I flop onto the closest stool and slam my head on the bar style table in front of me. 

"Xingqiu!" Xiangling exclaims in her cheery voice "I hope you and Chongyun didn't have too much fun without me!" At her simple mention of Chongyun I slowly lift my head to face her, then slam it back into the table.

"Ok..." Xiangling turns around towards her father. "Dad, can I leave for a second?" He nods and Xiangling runs out of the store and around the front grabbing my the arm and pulling me towards the wharf, she lets go of my forearm and grabs my shoulders.

"What happened? And where's Chongyun!? Did you break up while I was gone!?" She clearly panicked and shook my shoulders. I let out a sigh and motion for her to let me go.

"No...I'll explain... Basically, Chongyun told Shenhe about the two of us, and she got mad since she doesn't like me. She wrote a letter to Chongyun's parents claiming to be you, and told them about Chongyun and I. His parents didn't like that. Since then he's been grounded, and I only know all of this, because I did what Shenhe did but writes Chongyun letters pretending to be you, and giving each other secret messages since his parents read every letter between us. He was meant to be ungrounded today, but he never showed up at our meeting place, which is why I came to Wamin Restaurant." I managed to explain everything before bursting into tears. Xiangling comforts me, and we go back to my house to discuss a plan.

3rd POV:

Xingqiu and Xiangling sit on the floor and discuss different ways to talk with Chongyun, or his family, without being suspicious. 

The plan was, Xiangling would go to the front of Chongyun's house, and distract his family by asking to see when he'll be ungrounded. Meanwhile, Xingqiu would sneak into Chongyun's room  through the window, and get some answers.

The main points go the plan was to ensure that:

1. Chongyun's parents stay away from his room.

2. Xiangling never brings up the fact that Chongyun was grounded for two weeks.

Number is easy, but number two is necessary since Chongyun never told Xiangling the duration of his confinement, hence why it's a no-go.

With the plan in order, all that was left to do was to execute it.

Word Count: 1318 (slay me)

Thank you for reading!! Sorry I haven't updated this story for a while, but I hope this was worth it!!