Honkai Star: Rail x Reader Oneshots

A Sip Too Far | Jing Yuan x Teen!Reader

Summary: You confront Jing Yuan when you see him drunk, expressing your disdain for alcohol and how it affects people. Despite the tension, Jing Yuan opens up about the burdens he carries, and you learn to understand his need for release while still maintaining your aversion to drinking.

Tags: Yuan x Reader, Teen!Reader, Platonic relationship, Respect and confrontation, Alcohol aversion, Slight angst, Healing and understanding, Lighthearted moments.

Warnings: Mentions of alcohol consumption, Light angst, Brief rudeness/disrespectful behavior (toward Jing Yuan, though resolved), Possible mild frustration or tension between characters.

The bustling air of the Cloud Knights' gathering hall on the Xianzhou Luofu was alive with voices, laughter, and clinking glasses. The evening had begun as a lighthearted celebration, with various factions within the Alliance coming together to honor their recent victories. However, for you, the celebration felt more like a suffocating weight than a joyous occasion.

You leaned against the stone railing, arms crossed tightly over your chest, scanning the crowd with sharp, discerning eyes. The clinking of glasses echoed in the distance, and the laughter of your comrades was loud and carefree, but none of it brought you comfort. In fact, it made your skin crawl.

You hated alcohol. The way it dulled minds, destroyed focus, and led people to act foolishly—it grated against your very core. You could never understand how people could drink so freely, so carelessly. And you loathed how it turned the most composed individuals into loud, bumbling messes.

And that was exactly what was happening now.

You noticed Jing Yuan across the room, his usual calm demeanor softened by the effects of too many glasses of wine. His eyes, once sharp and calculating, now glinted with a hazy warmth. He was surrounded by the other Arbiter-Generals, engaged in some casual conversation, though his words were becoming slower and less coherent with each passing minute.

You felt a pang of frustration. Jing Yuan, the very man who had commanded respect through his sharp foresight and composed leadership, now seemed to be unraveling before your eyes, all because of something so simple as alcohol. The thought made your stomach turn.

You walked over, your footsteps purposeful and firm. When you reached him, he grinned at you, though the smile was a little too wide, a little too unsteady. “Ah, [Name], my young friend. Come join us! We’re celebrating, after all!” His voice was warm but slurred, his hand lazily lifting his cup to you as though it were the most normal thing in the world.

You froze for a moment, your gaze fixed on the glass in his hand. The sight of it, the content of it, made something inside you snap. It was as if the very image of Jing Yuan—someone you deeply respected—was tarnished by the alcohol. You couldn't keep the disdain from your voice. “I don’t want to join your little celebration, Jing Yuan. Not while you’re like this.”

Jing Yuan blinked, a laugh bubbling up from his throat. "What do you mean, [Name]? I’m just... enjoying myself. A little wine never hurt anyone."

“No,” you snapped, your voice colder than you intended. “It turns you into a fool. You know better than this. You’re supposed to be the ‘Divine Foresight,’ a man who commands respect, not someone who can’t even hold his liquor.”

The words stung more than you’d planned. You had never been one to mince words, but now, seeing his eyes waver with a hint of hurt, you felt a brief moment of guilt. Still, the anger in your chest refused to subside.

Jing Yuan’s smile faltered for a brief second, his eyes studying you intently. “You... really don’t like drinking, do you?”

“No, I don’t,” you replied bluntly, turning away from him, your tone now laced with disgust. “And I don’t like seeing people I look up to like you act like this.” You threw a glance over your shoulder, making sure your words had hit home. “I’ll be over there if you decide to stop embarrassing yourself.”

With that, you stalked off, leaving Jing Yuan standing there, his expression unreadable. The room seemed to grow quieter in your wake, but your focus was elsewhere—on the shadows in the corner where you could gather your thoughts, away from the noise and the clinking of glasses.

It wasn’t long before you heard footsteps approaching. You tensed, expecting some kind of reprimand or even worse, pity. Instead, you felt the presence of Jing Yuan standing beside you, no words exchanged at first. He simply stood there, his golden eyes reflecting an odd mix of amusement and understanding.

“You know, you don’t have to treat me like I’m a child,” he finally said, his voice now softer, though there was still the slightest hint of slurring. “I’m perfectly capable of making my own choices.”

You didn't meet his gaze. “That’s the problem, Jing Yuan. You are capable of making your own choices. And you’re choosing to throw everything away with a simple glass of wine. It’s beneath you.”

He sighed, long and deep, like he was weighing your words carefully. “I’m not trying to throw anything away, [Name]. Sometimes... sometimes I just need to forget for a moment. The weight of all those years, all those battles, the people I’ve lost...” His voice trailed off, and you saw a flicker of something deeper in his eyes, a weariness that you hadn’t noticed before.

You fell silent, your irritation cooling just slightly. You didn’t speak for a long time, the air between you both heavy with unspoken thoughts.

Finally, you turned to face him, your expression softening, though you kept your distance. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just... can’t stand seeing people I care about lose themselves like this.”

Jing Yuan smiled gently, his posture shifting as if to reassure you. “I understand. You’re protective, and I can respect that.” He paused for a moment, before adding with a small chuckle, “But you have to admit, [Name], I’m not as helpless as you think. A little bit of wine won’t stop me from getting back to my duties.”

You couldn’t help but smile at the sincerity in his voice, despite the slight waver. “I know. But maybe... next time, just take it easy. You’re still the ‘Divine Foresight’ to me, even if you’ve had a bit too much wine.”

He winked at you, his usual calm composure returning, and nodded. “Next time, I promise I’ll stick to tea.”

With that, you allowed yourself to relax a little, knowing that even though Jing Yuan had his moments of folly, his wisdom was as unshakable as ever. Perhaps you could learn to give him a little grace when it came to letting loose every now and then.

As for the alcohol? Well, that was still something you’d rather avoid entirely.