Xiao X Reader [A Fragment of My Memories]

[36] A Necessary Facade

Alatus watched whenever you returned to your village. He watched as you trudged along the narrow path, exhaustion creeping up with each step. He watched as you stubbornly kept going, carrying your basket of freshly picked medicinal herbs in one hand.

And each time, a pang of uneasiness would hit him. Strange how you're able to mask your tiredness with such a bright smile. Enough to oppose Liyue's darkening skies. 

Usually, that uneasiness went away once you returned safely. Though he did not know much about human villages, he understood that it's your home. But this time, Alatus was filled with an odd curiosity as he kept an eye on you, noticing the way you ever-so-slightly straightened up your posture. He furrowed his brows. Why did you feel the need to hide your fatigue? Wasn't your village your home? 

You tried many times before to convince him that you were fine. But even Alatus knew that you let your guard down around him. He knew you wouldn't try too hard to hide your exhaustion. 

But he didn't understand why you didn't do the same in your home. 

Before he knew it, he hid atop a tree's branches, keeping a close eye even as you entered the village.

It didn't take long for the exhausted look on your face to turn into a smile again. Alatus furrowed his brows in confusion as he scanned the path ahead of you. Eventually, he noticed a small child a few strides away. The child's eyes lit up as she raced towards you, pulling on your sleeve urgently. 

Alatus couldn't hear your conversation with her, but he immediately noticed your smile drop. You quickened your pace, following the child as she dragged you along by your sleeve. 

'A human child... could she be one of (Y/N)'s patients?' Alatus wondered as he followed you both. 

Eventually, Alatus found himself on the other side of the village. He kept himself hidden in the trees' shade, watching as you hurriedly approached what looked like a canopy tent.

His eyes went wide, spotting rows and rows of beds sheltered underneath some patchwork fabric supported by bamboo poles. Alatus took a step back, seeing almost every bed occupied by someone. Right by their bedsides stood other people with worried looks. Most probably their relatives.

Just by watching their movements, he knew those who were bedridden were terribly ill. But it was strange. He could sense an eerie aura from each of them. It was as if black fumes emanated from their bodies. It's unlike anything he's heard about mortal sickness. This... wasn't natural.

He suddenly remembered you mentioning an unknown sickness. A sickness that even you couldn't figure out.    

As you approached the tent with the child, everyone turned their heads to you. And that's when Alatus realized. 

Most of your patients were children.  

The child let you go as she ran toward one of the beds. On it laid an even smaller child. A frail and pale younger brother. Alatus' eyes widened as he watched the bedridden boy. 

'He doesn't have much time remaining...' he thought, noticing the faint, black aura coming from the child, more sinister than the rest.

The child slowly sat up from bed, gazing at his sister with sunken eyes. She carefully patted him on the head, before whispering something into his ear. Then, he spotted you from his peripheral vision. 

Immediately, the small child's eyes lit up. Much to his sister's surprise, he hurriedly shuffled out of bed and raced towards you with teary eyes. 

Alatus watched as your jaw dropped in shock. "Be careful!" He heard the faintest echo of your voice as you yelled.

But the small boy kept running as fast as his small legs could take him. 

Suddenly, the boy stumbled. He leaned dangerously forwards, about to land flat on his face. 

Before Alatus realized it, he stretched an arm out, sending a gust of wind to slow down his fall. Meanwhile, you dropped your basket, racing ahead in hopes to catch him. But a small part of you knew you couldn't make it.

So when you caught him just in time, your eyes widened. As the boy started sobbing on your shoulder, you scanned across the surroundings, eventually laying your eyes on the tree Alatus hid behind. 

But Alatus was already gone. 

__________________________

Xiao turned around the small bottle in his hands. It was a little gift you gave him not too long ago. 

"I know you don't want me to stay too long around you, so I made this!" He remembered the way you sheepishly shoved the bottle into his hands. "I made some ointment for you. Just apply it all over any injuries you get."

"...This is not necessary."

"Yes, it is!" You put your hands on your hips. "With that, I won't have to worry and check on you all the time!"

Xiao sighed, pocketing the small bottle and standing up from the grass. "You care too much about others, even if it ends up costing you," he mumbled. 

Suddenly, he felt something wet hit his nose. He looked up, realizing how dark and cloudy the skies had gotten. 

In mere seconds, he was soaking wet by the sudden downpour. 

He furrowed his brows at the sky before his eyes drifted over to the direction of Guyun Stone Forest. 

'That demonic presence is back again...' he thought as he picked up his polearm. But just before he went ahead, he spotted something from the corner of his eye. 

A stuffed toy. Left behind on the wet grass as it got more and more soaked by the rain. His eyes widened. 'That's a toy for human children,' he thought, wondering how it got there.

Xiao eventually emerged from a thicket of trees. Immediately, he spotted a child drenched in the heavy rain. Her shoulders were slumped, clearly upset about something. 

He suspected she must be from the village nearby. But what was she doing so close to the forest? 

The child lifted her head, hearing the splash of Xiao's footsteps. As their gazes met, her eyes widened at the sight of him as if she'd just seen some magical being. 

Without a word, Xiao approached her, handing her the stuffed toy he found on the ground. 

The child's jaw dropped as she looked back and forth between Xiao and the stuffed toy. Eventually, she grabbed it from his hands. "Thank you, mister! I've been looking for it everywhere!" she exclaimed, hugging it close to her. "Where did you find it?" 

Xiao turned away. "I suggest you return home. It's getting dangerous in these areas," he said. 

The child blinked in confusion. But when she did, he was suddenly gone. 

'Among mortals, children are the weakest and most naive... which is why they are the most vulnerable. Is that not what you showed me, (Y/N)?'