Corrupted Love| XIAOVEN

Chapter 4: Venti, the bard (2/3)

His body tensed and with widened eyes, he saw what the two had meant. What had looked like pure joy for the children, Xiao quickly recognized as a life-threatening situation.

In the hands of the giant statue sat someone.

From down here, he could not see who, but there was surely a human sitting there.

The stone statue was surely over thirty meters high, and a fall would certainly be deadly. This was even for the Yaksha and definitely for an ordinary human.

It was not his job to protect people from their stupidity, nor to save residents in Mondstadt, but the probability that this someone would die was not small.

Xiao bit his lower lip. He had the task of not attracting attention and had a mission to accomplish as well.

No matter how hard he thought about it, he could not decide. This was neither his task nor his place to intervene. He had expressed his oath to protect humans, only to Rex Lapis and Liyue, therefore he was under no obligation to save anyone.

He would have left immediately if no human life were at stake here. This very life would be gone soon if he would not intervene. In a way, he was now the judge of the life and death of this person.

Xiao grumbled angrily and finally decided to do something.

Without a real reason, he did not need to let this person die. And he found none, so he helped.

It was easy for the Yaksha to climb up the statue, using his adepti powers, and in a few seconds, he arrived on the statue's head.

From there, he made a great leap forward and landed on the hands of the stone monument. Only now did the human, who had been sitting up here alone, notice the newcomer and turned around in surprise.

It was a boy, probably of Xiao's visual age. Clear, honestly astonished blue-green eyes examined Xiao, who looked away embarrassed.

Xiao breathed tensely. The golden midday sun shone on the boy, who was now smiling at Xiao, like a good friend.

He had short hair, with two long strands braided into small pigtails that circled his face. black hair faded into brilliant sky blue.

On his head sat a green hat, into which small decorations were embroidered. In the summer breeze danced a large Cecilia, which was stuck in the boy's hair.

He wore long white tights with short green pants over them. Around his waist was laced a tight brown corset under which he wore a white blouse. He looked at the boy from head to toe.

Xiao could not help but notice how the latter beamed at him. His heart beat a little faster. Honest and friendly, the wide grin seemed as strangely warm as a small child.

It was not the warm sun, but somehow it seemed as if the boy was beaming with warmth. Not unpleasant, just friendly.

A light wind blew through the hair of the two boys. Xiao was now looking seriously down at his counterpart, who was sitting on the edge without a care in the world.

He did not know what to say or do. He had not expected the boy to be so composed. He just seemed to be enjoying the sun and watching the birds fly by.

"Hey!" the boy said as a friendly greeting and waved at him.

Xiao did not move.

The other chuckled amiably. "I haven't had anyone to keep me company up here for a long time." Xiao still did not move or say anything.

The other boy did not seem to mind and instead asked happily, "Do you want to join me? The view is great -hehe" He looked at Xiao happily, without expectation or force, just pure curiosity.

Xiao realized he still had not done or said anything and instead just looked at the boy in confusion.

"It's dangerous up here."

That was all he said without responding to the conversation. The friendly blue-green eyes met Xiao's. Venti laughed delightedly.

The stranger was not wrong.

"Then why are you up here?" Venti said, amused, and looked at the yaksha with interest.

"To protect you." Xiao said wanly.

Venti looked at him in surprise. He blinked several times and tilted his head. He looked at Xiao again for a while and then said softly:

" I understand."

Xiao did not understand. He did not understand anything anymore. He especially did not know how to act now.

He had wanted to save the boy but had not expected him to enjoy the area here so carefree. He was not sure whether he should not simply leave again.

"You should come back down." Xiao then said curtly. The other nodded slowly and then jumped up. Xiao's heart stopped for a moment, as he had seen the boy fall for a second.

He quickly took several steps towards the boy to be able to hold him in case of emergency.

"Careful." He said more strictly than he wanted. His counterpart, however, did not seem to mind. "You are right. I've been sitting up here long enough." He smiled at Xiao again.

The sun shone in his green eyes. The boy did not partially meet Zhongli's description which was why Xiao was watching him very closely. However, in front of him stood only a child, acting as carefree and naive as it was appropriate for his age.

Xiao could not imagine that this child could be a god of anything. His golden eyes scowled at the boy, and he slowly held out his hand. "I can help." Xiao said softly.

But Venti ignored the hand and shook his head. He beamed at the yaksha and then winked conspiratorially.

"I have my ways, trust me."

That was all the boys said before throwing himself backward off the statue.