Chapter Text
𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓕𝓲𝓻𝓼𝓽 𝓡𝓪𝓲𝓷𝔂 𝓝𝓲𝓰𝓱𝓽
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The rain pelted the roof of the huts. The smell of smoke billowed with the drafts of wind. Zhongli observed the crescent moon in the sky, barely illuminating through the thick rain. He shifted his legs in his seat, the soft pillow rustling slightly with his movement. Despite the cold dreary weather, he was rather warm. The fragrant tea in his hand eased him, helping him drift off to distant thoughts. The rain fell into a rhythm, like the steady beat of a drum. He closed his eyes and he was no longer in his study, surrounded by towers of books and documents. The scent of fragrant jasmine flowers transporting him to the colorful fields of Qingce Village where the breeze spoke louder than the quiet whispers in the small village and no one knew of his name and he was just another traveler. His thumb grazed the glaze of his ceramic cup of tea, relishing it’s warmth and the sweet taste on the tip of his tongue.
The moment faded as soon as it began. A loud and calculated knock on his door drew his attention away from his reverie. He merely sat in silence and placed his cup down on his table, his eyes drifting down to the half finished sentence, the ink of which dried a long while ago. His fingers wrapped around the brush. He pulled back his sleeve and reread his document once again, reminding himself of all the matters he had to attend to. The knock sounded again as he began writing another character. He didn’t look up.
“Enter.” He stated simply, finishing his thought with long methodical strokes, his hand moving fluidly as if the brush was but another limb of his body. He heard footsteps shuffle in quietly, as if they were teetering towards him politely. The one who entered remained silent. The sound of the night rain filling the room once again, and the rhythm beat against the roof, tempting to draw him back to another wistful daydream of a memory. When he had finished his last stroke. He placed his brush down besides the neat container of ink carefully, making sure his sleeves did not touch any of his precisely written sentences. He glazed over the black markings once again, before he placed his hands carefully on his lap, once again, being conscious of the placement of his sleeves. “Speak.” He looked up, glancing at a pair of magenta eyes, soft pink lips opened slightly before they closed again in a small smile.
“Busy as ever I see.” Her voice was soft, like a clear bell swaying in the wind. Her long purple tresses pulled up into intricate braided loops wrapped into the shape of a pointed bun. A worn flower pin glistened in the soft light of the candle near his table. She was still wrapped in a pretty purple hanfu, tied at her waist which matched her hair, the silky drapes flowed gracefully as she approached him slowly. “Will you rest tonight?” She inquired, her hand softly brushed against his shoulder, glancing over the pile of work beside him and visible disappointment flashed across her face.
Her expression alone caused Zhongli to crack a small smile. “Yes, Yuheng. I will rest before the crack of dawn.” He explained albeit sarcastically, watching her pout slightly. His childish companion stubbornly plopped down beside him, her hanfu sprawling out around her in a lilac pool. She stared into his amber eyes unblinking, searching for something in silence. He let her observe, merely holding a poker face. He enjoyed watching her expressions shift across her face in plain sight. After several moments, she sighed, dropping her shoulders. Her chin tilted up towards the window, her eyes shining in the moonlight. Zhongli was familiar with that look. Reminiscing, longing.
“Do you regret it?” She whispered, her eyes lingering on the moon. She was afraid to face him, and his honesty.
He remained silent, his lips moving slightly, involuntarily. He watched her without her knowledge, her purple hair framed her pink cheeks, her eyes glistened with knowledge that someone her age should not have known. He held himself back from reaching out and tucking her hair behind her ear.
Her hand dropped from his shoulder. He looked down, watching her hand fold in her lap, her fingers fiddling nervously at what she believed was uncomfortable silence for she could not get accustomed to quiet nature. “It would be a lie if I said no.” He said after several moments, realizing that she had been anxiously awaiting his response. She tensed at his words. He internally grimaced at his own response, despite his honesty.
“Is that so…” She spoke wistfully, a sad smile graced her face. It was beautiful and tortured. Zhongli’s stomach twisted uncomfortably. She let out a soft breath. She lifted her arms and placed her chin in the palm of her hand, fiddling with the soft leather covers of the books.
“Do you?” Zhongli turned towards her, shifting his whole body in her direction. His brows lowered and his amber eyes hardened in a manner she had not expected. She froze, taken aback at his sudden question. “You can be honest with me” He continued, attempting to ease her tension.
“No.” She replied quickly, her eyes locking with his before quickly shifting away, “At least not anymore.” She laughed softly at the end of her sentence. She smiled slightly, her cheeks reddening.
Zhongli raised his brow. Despite her circumstances, she was a dutiful daughter. The Yuheng, a powerful noble family with a single daughter. Of course it was a given that she would be the Empress candidate. In the instance of their society, monogamy was strictly enforced. She had to give up her love, and so did he. They were two birds of a feather, trapped in cages and bound by political fate. Unlike him, her lover was still alive, and must have loved her so. In the past, he would have loved to hear about him, but a strange nauseating feeling overwhelmed him when he thought about her fondly recalling her prior affairs. Thus, he was surprised to hear her response. He realized she sensed his confusion and she giggled softly.
“Don’t think about it too much my Lord,” She smiled genuinely. “I like to live in the present, rather than the past. We have the ability to shape our own future.” She pulled her hand from the sleeves of her hanfu, and Zhongli felt her warmth envelope his hand.
He hesitated, but let himself indulge in her skinship. He intertwined his fingers with hers and he watched her smile brighten. As if it were contagious, he smiled too. They sat in a quiet silence again, listening to the orchestra of the night life echo in the study, the flicker of the candle drew both of their attention to the source of light and their eyes both glistened in a deep thought that neither of them were willing to disclose.
“I yearn for peace.” Zhongli’s tenor fills the room fully and Keqing sits quietly, observing him. She understood that as the truth. “However,” He continued, “Peace is not acquired for free.” He sighed. Keqing suddenly felt the heavy burden he carried on his shoulders. She frowned. She was still naïve in a sense, but her aspirations were wholehearted. “The choice you made to be by my side, I truly am indebted to you.”
Keqing laughed brightly. “Despite everything, you still treat me like a business partner” She smiled and squeezed his hand. Zhongli looked at her quizzically before she sighed and leaned her head softly on his shoulder. “I don’t regret anything. If anything, I treasure my opportunity to serve the country and to be by your side.” She coughed the last part out slightly and flushed.
He raised his brows, a soft beat in his chest aligned with the pattering of the rain and his mind shifted away from the millions of distractions that he held in his mind and he was suddenly hyper aware of the young woman beside him. His chest vibrated with a low hum, and he looked down towards her only to stare at her face to face, feeling her soft breath against his.
“Ah,” Keqing jerked away from his shoulder, her face flushed as she turned away. “I apologize.” She stammered. She faced her back towards him and tucked her hair behind her ear before folding her hands in her lap. Zhongli observed her, the thin nape of her neck slightly above the crease of her hanfu seemed to shine in the moonlight like a pale fairy goddess. Before he was even aware, he realized he was captivated. She slowly stood up, but before she could bow, he caught her wrist. She let out a small squeak of surprise, then covered her own mouth in embarrassment of her own noise. She lifted her garnet colored eyes, through her lashes to peek at him. She watched him and his unreadable expression, his stone like face cracked slightly, but she still couldn’t understand him.
“Stay.” He said simply. She slowly sat back down, obliging and he released his grip on her wrist, turning away sheepishly. She tucked her legs under her bottom, sitting formally beside him. She nodded in silence and he turned back to his work. They exchanged no further words. Again, the metronome of rain ticked away the time and the flicker of the candle grew dim.
When Zhongli looked up, Keqing was breathing softly, her head resting at the other side of the table where she sat. Her hair sprawled over her shoulder messily. He gently placed his brush down, realizing he had completed more than his necessary agenda for the day. The night sky was no longer a dark abyss. A slight burnt caramel lined the horizon. He had kept her in his presence until dawn. He quietly unfurled himself from his desk, gently approaching Keqing. He softly ran his fingers through her hair, a sweet osmanthus perfume wafted from her. Somehow he felt as if someone had tickled his heart with a feather. Such feelings would have irked him, but with her, he would allow it.
With as much care as he could muster from his calloused and battle-scarred hands, he removed her pin, making sure to untangle the strands of her hair. The braids tumbled down and found its place besides the rest of her hair. He sighed, untying the ends of the braids and letting them come loose. When he finished, he stared down at her, watching her peacefully rest. Not wanting to disturb her, he tenderly lifted her in his arms, realizing how lithe and small she was compared to him. He paused, watching her shift in his arms amused that she did not awaken from her slumber.
He carried her through the palace, not stopping to admire the lush gardens to koi ponds that surrounded him. He knew the routes to every room like the back of his hand as he had grown up trained to be aware of every passage, nook and cranny of his home. The home which held more dangers than comfort. The sun was slightly peeking out from the horizon now, and Keqing shifted in his arms. She let out a small blubbering noise and buried her face into his chest as she realized the presence of light. He felt her hot breath against his chest and he felt his heartbeat quicken. His arms tensed around her and pulled her up slightly so she rested in the crook of his neck. When he arrived at their room, he placed her softly on the bed and watched her sleep for a few moments longer before he felt the tiredness seep into his own bones. He laid beside her, gaining comfort in her own tranquility.
The rain had stopped, the birds began to chirp signifying the coming of spring. Zhongli tucked brushed her hair back out of her face before he closed his eyes. He fell into the pace of her own rhythmic breathing and felt himself succumb to the embrace of another day of dreamless sleep. And he realized that he hoped he would wake beside her too.