LIFETAKER.

Someone at Hoyoverse is clearly out to drive me mad with how they do this every year.

Like you have Xiao writing a letter talking about taking strolls when Keqing has a voiceline where she mentions taking a stroll when she has nothing else to do?? Hmm suspicious.

And then (credit to Anty for pointing this out) in the birthday art where he says "only you could find such a place" Eeerrrrrmmmm hmmm like the Yuheng who's memorized the entirely of Liyue's layout?? UNHINGED.

Also the fact that he says he has a Qingxin to use for decoration really hearkens back to the fact that Keqing is always super minimalist and would probably only want something small and simple to decorate her home with??? WILDING.

Not to mention he had a little chibi art flying a kite likeeeee @ my last post where I talk about Keqing going hardcore in this year's Lantern Rite wanting more people to care about kite flying and HE ACTUALLY DOES??? BRUH THEY'RE NOT EVEN HIDING IT ANYMORE.

They're secretly dating, I'm convinced.

If they don't fly kites together next year, what's the actual point?

A bit late to talk about this but Happy Xiaoqing Festival, IE Lantern Rite! Despite the fact that we were, once again, robbed of a new interaction, Lantern Rite did not disappoint in dropping more crumbs for me to obsess over.

Starting with Keqing's scene, this one was particularly interesting, as many Xiaoqing shippers point to Keqing's voice line about Xiao stating that she believes he should be free from his duty. So it's extremely interesting that out of all the kite motifs she could have brought up, she chose the example of a butterfly symbolizing a desire to "break free" or freedom.

It's also interesting that the kite making tradition is specifically mentioned as a Liyue folk tradition that she wants the younger generation to learn more about. She herself is also well versed on information about kites that she learned from her grandfather. Which is also interesting as we know her grandfather, a historian, also knows a lot about the Adepti, which she previously mentioned in the Stove God quest.

Another small detail from this year was the fact that Keqing delivers gifts to the Adepti every year, meaning she continues to see Xiao at least once every year during Lantern Rite.

I have a strong suspicion that, if we take all of this into account, Keqing probably believes, with Xiao being an Adeptus, the kite making traditions of Liyue would probably be an appealing theme to him for Lantern Rite. She's certainly aware that he does not attend them in person and continuously chooses themes that he will be able to see from a distance. Xiao even verbalizes to the traveler that he always picks a spot where he can see everything from.

So we can now brainrot yearly Xiaoqing meetings where she pokes his brain, trying to gain knowledge about his interests and they possibly even play a part in the theme she helps craft year after year.

Now Xiao's part is equally as interesting. First of all, sly Zhongli, trying to nudge Xiao in the direction of finding someone to fly kites with. He's almost certainly aware that Keqing was behind the theme for the festival, so I can easily inhale enough copium and see her being who he's referring to.

Add on top of that to the fact that Xiao himself seems pretty open to the idea, as anything he doesn't outright dislike is enough to say that he's willing to do it. Especially since his first reaction is to ask who would want to fly kites with him rather than an outright "no".

His view on kites is also pretty interesting, saying that they give him "peace of mind". Pretty much echoing Keqing talking about the butterfly kit symbolizing "happiness" and a desire for freedom. Plenty of details across Xiao's Story and Namecard make it apparent that he does want to eventually be free from his Yaksha duties, even if he doesn't outright say it.

Soooo it just all really comes full circle that Keqing and Xiao meet up, she finds something out about him that she thinks would intrigue him, and themes Lantern Rite Celebrations around that. Based on her own idea that Xiao should be free, she hopes to help push him in the direction of seeking his own freedom, by hosting a Kite Flying Lantern Rite theme that Xiao would be sure to see. And Zhongli, probably also aware of this, hint hint nudge nudges Xiao in her direction for the Xiaoqing Kite Flying Date of The Century.

And because I forgot to take a picture of Keqing releasing a Xiao Lantern with Xiao, have this picture from last year's dinner that Keqing totally deserved to be at. Not that it matters since we now have confirmed yearly meetings, maybe yearly dinners, they're in love, obviously.

There are a million swirling emotions within me and I need a place to express them so sorry if this analysis is mostly unhinged ramblings. 

I was already on board with how their card imagery looks so similar. Almost like Xiao is guarding Keqing’s front while she’s watching from the rear.

But then the update drops and this is actually canon.

Xiao has Keqing’s card in his deck. 

XIAOQING EXISTS IN THE TCG THANKS TO XIAO HIMSELF.

THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Not only that, but this is his CANON playstyle description.

“Xiao’s deck is centered around switching characters and Normal Attacks...”

WHICH IF YOU DON’T PLAY THE TCG, IS EXACTLY HOW KEQING IS PLAYED. 

“Lightning Stiletto Combat Action: Switch your Keqing in to be the active character and immediately use Stellar Restoration once. This instance of Stellar Restoration will grant Keqing Electro Infusion without creating another Lightning Stiletto. 

Electro Infusion When the character to which it is attached to deals Physical Damage, it will be turned into Electro DMG. ”

SO WE HAVE XIAO AND KEQING WHO BOTH FOCUS ON SWITCHING CHARACTERS AND NORMAL ATTACKS IN THEIR TCG GAMEPLAY.

Can we talk about the implications of this being insane??? 

I mean we’re already past the fact that their cards are L-I-T-E-R-A-L-L-Y meant to be played together with Keqing’s switching enhancing Xiao’s plunging.

But there is already the BARE minimum being that they play TCG together. Canonically, the way to get another character’s card is to beat them in a match. So the fact that Keqing’s card is in Xiao’s active deck means that either:

A: Xiao, having beat Keqing in a TCG match, decided to formulate his deck’s playstyle entirely around the way her card is played, since it functions well with his own card.

B. Xiao, having already decided on how he is best able to play the game (switching), specifically sought Keqing out to add her card to his deck, knowing that they’d have good synergy together.

C. Keqing, having pity on this 2,000-year-old boomer, gave her card to him and helped him build a deck that would best satisfy his gameplay.

THE FACT THAT THEY PLAY TCG TOGETHER.

THEY PLAY TCG TOGETHER.

THIS BEING THE YUHENG XIAO REMEMBERS FROM THE OSIAL BATTLE IN WHICH HE WAS ABLE TO REMEMBER HER BECAUSE HER SWORDSMANSHIP WAS THAT GOOD. SO HE GOES LOOKING FOR HER TO PLAY TCG TOGETHER AND LIKES HER GAMEPLAY SO MUCH HE ADDS IT TO HIS DECK ORRRR SHE GOES OUT OF HER WAY TO PLAY WITH HIM AND HE’S SO IMPRESSED HE ADDS THE CARD TO HIS DECK

I’m SOBBING

They always have the smallest crumbs but the implications from them go SO CRAZY

I love this, I love Xiaoqing, I would very much like more of this, thank you Hoyoverse, please give me Xiaoqing playing TCG together on screen

~~

Xiaoqing Analysis Series

Xiao’s “Obsession” with Keqing

The car door was swung wide mere nanoseconds after Xiao pushed it open. And not a moment later was he dragged out of the vehicle and onto the ground.

“Ugh.” He groaned after hitting the parking lot concrete. He could barely hear himself think with the dozens of high-pitched squeals and shrieks filling his ears.

“IT’S XIAO! IT’S XIAO!”

“GRAB HIM!”

Xiao immediately felt his body being pushed and pulled and dragged repeatedly, by what seemed to be five, ten, twenty people. He felt hands on his arms, tugging his hair, some attempting to hold him down to the point that he was struggling to so much as turn his head.

“Hggh…d-don’t…” he choked out. He was trying to plead with the girls not to further damage Keqing’s car. But at that point, he wasn’t even able to see if they were still pummeling it or not.

The situation quickly went from being flung around like a rag doll to having his clothes ripped from his body. His jacket, his shoes, even his necklaces were torn from him without a second thought.

“I GOT HIS SOCKS!” He heard one person yell.

“GIVE IT TO ME!” Another shouted.

“GET HIS SHIRT!” Someone else hollered.

It felt like hours had passed as he was helplessly stripped right in the middle of the parking lot. He could hear the sounds of his clothes being torn between the frenzied crowd. Felt a knee being pressed in his back and his arms pulled awkwardly away from his head to get off whatever they could. And there was nothing he could do to stop it.

Frankly, this was nothing new to Xiao. Well, in theory, at least. Ever since middle school, girls would follow him around and wait for an opportunity to strike. It almost always resulted in them stealing his clothes from him. Swiping his jacket from around his waist. Causing him to trip and stealing a shoe while he was down. Maybe even his socks if they were fast enough.

The fact of the matter was, Xiao was used to this. And he had long given up fighting back. It was pointless. They were pests, never giving up even if he managed to shake them one day. They would just be back to try again until they got what they wanted. Resistance was futile.

He would probably never have an answer as to why girls who seemingly hated him as much as they did, wanted his clothes so badly. Nor why it persisted into his college years. He overwhelmingly preferred it when other students ignored him over the embarrassment that he was experiencing now. Yet it seemed this was one form of torment he could never escape from.

As he felt his body become less and less clothed, he also heard the sounds of footsteps speeding away, no doubt satisfied with what they’d grabbed. He felt a few attempts to grab his undergarments, but clutched them with one of his hands, refusing to be found completely nude in the parking lot. 

Just when it seemed his grip was beginning to wane, as he was fighting against tenfold the amount of hands he had available to him, he vaguely made out a voice he wasn’t familiar with shouting over the cries of the girls. In all of his concentration trying to keep himself clothed, he couldn’t figure out what was being said.

What he did notice was that most of the hands started to release him and he took the opportunity to crawl under Keqing’s car. Wincing, as he felt part of the machinery scratch against his back, all he could do was remain as still as possible, not knowing whether the voice was friend or foe.

Xiao was mortified. Not only because of what had just happened, but also because Keqing would inevitably discover what had happened to her car. Not to mention that Xiao would have to explain all of this to her once she found out.

He blew it. This wasn’t supposed to happen. This is the exact opposite of what was supposed to happen. What use was it having someone like Mona at his disposal to warn him of future misfortunes if his actions would only end up resulting in his humiliation anyway? Was he really doomed to suffer a life of perpetual despair at the hands of his peers? Was there nothing he could do to change his fate?

Distraught and humiliated, Xiao could only mutter to himself, over and over, completely unaware that Keqing and their other friends were hurriedly making their way to him at that very moment.

It’s a little insane that I’ve taken this long to make a general post about why I ship Xiaoqing since that’s basically the entire reason for this account. I think there is so much unexplored potential between the two of them, and I’m inhaling massive copium that this is the reason why Hoyoverse has kept their interactions minimal up until now and are just waiting to give us some type of event that explores the two of them in the future.

I want to cover as many reasons why I enjoy this ship so much as possible so forgive me if this post ends up being all over the place. To start, we have to begin with the first crumbs of Xiaoqing content from the beginning of the game until now.

The first instance of anything linking the two together was the Liyue Archon Quest where the Qixing and Adepti team up to battle and defeat Osial. Both Xiao and Keqing are present in this Event, but they never speak directly do each other.

However, it is not until after you complete this quest that you are able to unlock Keqing’s voiceline about Xiao. This voiceline is pretty huge for shippers. In it, Keqing states that she believes it’s time for Xiao to be released from duty. It might not seem like much on its own, but it is interesting to note since very few characters are actively vocal about believing Xiao should be freed from his duties as Yaksha. It’s otherwise really only Zhongli who remarks about Xiao’s contract at all.

But this line being unlocked specifically after the Quest makes it more interesting. Was it after seeing what Xiao goes through as Yaksha that made her suddenly open up in such a way? This is also where her understanding of the Adepti also begins to be more favorable than it previously had been. It’s pretty notable that this voiceline is only unlocked after her views on the gods start to shift and after personally being around Xiao. Regardless, it’s a huge point in their favor that she’s at least thinking about him and his wellbeing given how much he suffers as the last Guardian Yaksha.

Over the course of certain Quests, like Moonchase, small hints towards her views towards humanity and the Adepti are shown. It’s very interesting that Keqing continuously shows more and more interest in learning about the divine due to her grandfather’s research and the fact that she wants to finish it for him. It’s that strong connection that she continues to have to the Adepti that continues to indirectly link her to Xiao and why I really hope Hoyoverse explores the two of them directly in the future.

The biggest moment for Xiaoqing as a ship is obviously their first on-screen conversation with each other during the second Lantern Rite Quest. And for such a short conversation, so much happens in it.

Firstly, Keqing happily introduces herself to Xiao and he responds saying that he remembers her from the battle with Osial and that she is fierce with her blade. Several huge things here. For one, Keqing previously mentioned that she was worried the Adepti wouldn’t remember her from the battle, which would obviously include Xiao. Not only does he remember her, but he also admits that he was watching her during that battle. Given how intense that battle was, it’s very interesting that he not only watched her at all, but he watched her for long enough to judge her skills with the sword.

Xiao does not give out compliments very easily, so it’s already high praise coming from him. It’s arguably even bigger praise considering the fact that he’s a 2000-year-old warrior and is specifically complimenting her prowess in battle. It is no small compliment for the Conqueror of Demons to say that you’re fierce in combat.

Later, he makes a remark that I firmly believe is about Keqing, warning her not to approach him so casually (as he does to everyone) saying “even if you have a higher constitution than most (voice)/even if you have a constitution that surpasses that of ordinary mortals (text).”  It could appear that he is talking about the Traveler here (since Keqing has not spoken since her introduction), but I don’t think it makes sense for that to be the case since the Travelers are not humans and they are already aware that Xiao considers his karma to be harmful. It would be a bit strange to tell them something they already know.

Whereas this is his first time meeting Keqing, it makes more sense that he’d be warning her of his karma here than the Travelers. Alternatively, he could just be talking about all of them. Regardless, I think Keqing is included in his warning here.  

Needless to say, this is another compliment to Keqing’s strength, saying that she has a higher constitution that most humans do. But he still warns her not to get too close to him for the sake of her wellbeing. It’s just very interesting that Xiao rolls out compliment after compliment to her despite it not being something he does all that often or freely. And his compliments are continuously about the fact that she’s strong.

Overall, even though they really only spoke a single sentence to each other, this scene showed us that Keqing clearly stands out to Xiao amongst other mortals. Xiao has clearly been impressed by her skills and considers her to be stronger, both physically and mentally, than most mortals are.

On that note, I wanted to bring up the fact that it’s mentioned in Keqing’s description that the gods “admire skeptics like her quite a lot”. It’s just interesting that Xiao seems to also check this box in that he’s not only been shown to watch her in combat, but to also think very highly of her based on what he’s seen. I think he’s curious about her if nothing else.

There’s unfortunately not all that much else left to work with from a pure canon standpoint, so I did want to move into some fanon aspects that many shippers agree cite as reasons for liking this pairing.

Their Similarities

Xiao and Keqing are actually very alike when you really look at their characters. Both of them are prideful and don’t like to accept help from others or be told they need to rest. They don’t take care of themselves as well as they should and often rely on others to keep them in check with making sure they don’t overdo it. It’s arguably a notable aspect of both Lantern Rite quests, with the first being about Xiao and the second being about Keqing.

Because they’re so stubborn, I think that’s one of the more fun parts of their dynamic to explore. They’re usually able to have the last word with anyone else, but they can’t with each other. Keqing isn’t the type to let Xiao push her away and would be adamant about trying to prove that she isn’t afraid of him or his karma. While Xiao would make Keqing realize that she doesn’t always have all the answers on her own and needs to be able to let others with more years of experience have input when needed. It’s how they start breaking through each other’s outer shells.

Secondly, neither of them makes friends all that easily. Keqing is seen as hard to approach because of being outspokenly controversial, and Xiao because of his refusal to interact with humans for their own safety. This is something I personally think is a big reason why they can easily relate to each other. They don’t have anyone they can really call a close friend since it’s hard for them to open up easily. Those are barriers that can be broken with each other.

Their Images

Both Xiao and Keqing put forth a very intimidating image of themselves to the rest of Liyue. So, it’s really fun to think about the fact that they would likely do a complete 180 when they’re out of the public eye and be overly soft and cutesy with each other about their feelings. We’ve seen Xiao as a romantic type in his birthday letters, and I’m certain that is exactly how he would behave with Keqing. While Keqing is very confident about herself in situations regarding her work, but can be unsure of how to respond in scenarios with friends or people she is growing close to. So, it’s another fun dynamic for them to have as a couple that not a single soul in Liyue would ever believe is real even if they saw it.

Their Dedication to Liyue

This is one of the reasons I can truly only see myself shipping them with each other. I think Keiqng’s love for Liyue is such a central part of her character that I can’t see her loving someone who doesn’t love Liyue as much as she does. With Xiao having served Liyue for thousands of years and continuing to serve it, even at the cost of his own freedom, not to mention the fact that it causes him constant physical agony, I think it’s simply a given that this would be one of the biggest reasons she would have love for him.

They Align Perfectly with Each Other’s Interests

We already mentioned that Keqing is shown to have a growing interest in the divine, while Xiao is stated to have a curiosity about the mortal world. I can see them as that couple that could listen to the other talk for hours about things that the speaker would probably find mundane and boring, while the listener could never get enough of what the other has to say.

Mortal X Immortal Angst

Xiaoqing is naturally a very angsty ship due to the fact that Keqing is obviously going to die before Xiao does and it makes their relationship always have a special kind of appeal. That they only have a limited amount of time together, which is interesting to think about given Keqing’s dislike of procrastination. The fact that she wants to make the most of their time together is a big part of their dynamic and it can often be a point of contention when it feels like Xiao is afraid to acknowledge that reality. Having to battle with Xiao’s introversion and fear of being around other people while Keqing truly just wants to show him the world with what little time they have together is something that tugs at the heartstrings, IMO.

They’re Both Heavily Associated with Lantern Rite

There have been several connections between Xiao, Keqing, and the Lantern Rite festival. The first Lantern Rite was centered around Xiao, while running Banners featuring both Xiao and Keqing back-to-back. The second Lantern Rite saw the release of Keqing’s skin, a story centered largely around her, and, of course, them finally meeting each other formally. It’s just interesting to note that the two are consistently linked to Lantern Rite every year.

Overall

As of now, that’s generally what we have for Xiaoqing as far as what can be drawn from canon material. I’ve spent most of this account talking about personal headcanons, but I never really sat down and explained why I like these two from a largely canon perspective. So I hope this can serve as a general, go-to, “why do you ship them” for me (or other shippers) in the future because I can already see myself getting asked this a lot in the next coming months.

Hopes for the Future

As for what I’d like to see next from them: honestly, any quest where they are able to talk about the role of the Adepti in modern Liyue society. What Keqing thinks his future holds for him if he is ever freed from his contract, and her actively encouraging him to seek out a happier future for himself. Allowing Xiao to see himself as someone who is allowed to think about being happy for himself and not always serving others. 

Something that even lightly grazes that would be incredible. But if I have to lower my expectations: I want to see them training together. He’s already complimented her in battle. The obvious next step is for her to ask him to train her so he could be more impressed and fall more in love, we love that for them.

~~

Xiaoqing Analysis Series

Xiao’s “Obsession” with Keqing

Lantern Rite will be upon us soon, meaning it’s also nearing the Official Unofficial Xiaoqing Holiday Season. Happy Lantern Rite, Xiaoqing Shippers! May we be blessed with something we can squint at and interpret as additional crumbs in the same vein that “You are fierce with your blade” gave us last year.

Even though I’m forever going to associate Xiaoqing as the Lantern Rite ship, it’s still a pretty rare pairing. So, since brain rot season is here, it’s inevitable that the question will be asked: “why do you ship them?”

So, I decided to start a series that no one asked for where I essentially address questions people may have about Xiaoqing as a ship. Or just talk a little bit about it if you’re new to the pairing, curious about the dynamics, or that I can honestly just link to every time I have to explain why I’m so unhealthily obsessed with them.

Disclaimer: This is just my view of certain aspects of the ship. Even though Xiaoqing shippers share 99% of the same braincells, we still have interpretations that differ, so just because I feel this way about it, doesn’t mean all shippers do.

~~~

I decided to start with something that happens to come up every so often when talking about Xiao ships, which is Xiao’s characterization in some pairings. Apparently, it’s very popular to portray him as being “obsessed with” or “yandere” for whoever he’s being shipped with, which most people would consider a pretty big mischaracterization.

In general, I don’t really like when characters feel uncharacteristically obsessed with another character. It usually feels out of place if that’s not a major or blatant trait of the character. But I can get behind it if there’s some basis behind it.

Bluntly put, in terms of Xiaoqing, I think Xiao would absolutely become obsessed with Keqing at the start of their relationship. Almost to an unhealthy degree, if not actually just flat out unhealthy.

The way I interpret him, Xiao is an emotionally deprived, touch-starved character, who has spent 2,000 years not interacting with almost anyone. Not humans, not his fellow Adepti, no one. He has never been able to love anyone, and he’s never been loved by anyone.  That all changes when he and Keqing get together and he realizes that he is capable of achieving what he previously thought he couldn’t.

Once he is not only accepted by Keqing, but he realizes his feeling for her are reciprocated, it’s completely believable that he would reorder his entire life around Keqing. It’s mentioned in the Developer Insights that Xiao is much gentler than he shows himself to be, and I would argue his birthday letters further show him as the romantic type. I believe that Xiao has always wanted to show this side of himself, but has never had the opportunity prior to his relationship with Keqing. She is the one who showed him that he could love someone, make someone happy, and have a purpose outside of dedicating his life to the slaughter. 

Most of all, she is a mortal. And a wealthy one at that. She should honestly want nothing to do with him, and yet returns his love for her and accepts him despite him lacking wealth, his karma, and the danger he presents to her. She gives him access to her home, which becomes their home. The first place he could ever truly call home. A bed where he’s allowed to hold her and she tells him it’s the safest she’s ever felt. For him to be told that he makes someone not feel threatened, but safe, is the pinnacle of the resulting infatuation. There is every reason in the world for him to become obsessed with her, and I think it aligns with his lore in a way that isn’t out of character. I can 100% see him pining for her when she’s away at work, spending every hour waiting for her to come home. Not wanted to let go of her when she does get home. Wanting her to feel as loved and safe as she makes him feel.

The thing with Xiaoqing is, Keqing is not in support of Xiao putting her on a pedestal in such a manner. She is outright against it, knowing that it is only going to result in Xiao falling into an irreversible depression once Keqing eventually dies. On top of that, Keqing is and has always been very independent and isn’t used to the idea that she should be given as much attention as Xiao wants to. She is almost unnerved by the fact that Xiao is so fixated on her. Xiao is obviously aware of this and even more at odds with himself because he wants her to have her “me time” while also struggling to be apart from her. Xiao’s obsession is constantly combated by the very person he is so obsessed with.

So, given that Xiao would never deny the fact that his life would essentially come to an end without her (regardless of how long he lives, he would never be the same after Keqing’s death), Keqing strives to get him to find hobbies and interests outside of her, like art. To form friendships with others that he can confide in when Keqing isn’t around, like Hu Tao and Kazuha (I’ll elaborate on Kazuha specifically if anyone wants me to). She works tirelessly to find things for Xiao to find joy in so he doesn’t become a mere shell of himself after her death.

With that all said, I don’t think it’s a mischaracterization to believe that Xiao would become obsessed with Keqing considering the fact that it would essentially be an entirely new world for him in realizing that he is finally able to be gentle with and to love someone who doesn’t push him away because of his past. He would do everything in his power to maintain that relationship with her. Even at the cost of his own happiness, he would do whatever he thinks he needs to in order to keep Keqing satisfied with him.

However, Xiao is not a yandere, and would not just go around slaughtering anyone who gets near Keqing out of jealousy or a desire to keep her to himself. On the contrary, Xiao thinks he’s so worthless compared to wealthy, mortal men that lack the emotional baggage that he carries, he is more than willing to give Keqing up the second he believes someone better for her comes along. He loves her to an unhealthy degree, but believes that she deserves the person who can provide the world for her. Knowing that he could never do such a thing, he is always prepared for the day she decides to part ways with him. He would be devastated to accept it, but would do it just because of how much he loves her and wants to see her happy.

In essence, Xiao would absolutely have an unhealthy obsession with Keqing at first, but with her determination to shake him out of that, they would eventually reach some level of understanding that Keqing should not be placed on a pedestal. Nor should Xiao sacrifice his own potential happiness to constantly try to satisfy her. Xiao behaves this way as a result of 2000 years of repressed emotional connections with other people. While Keqing has always been independent and isn’t used to the hyper-obsessive attention Xiao would want to give her. Still, she also doesn’t want to push him away, as she obviously loves him back just as much. They’d eventually reach a middle ground of sorts where Keqing is able to accept when Xiao wants to do things for her out of the love he’s never been able to share with anyone. While Xiao is not quite as dependent on Keqing for his personal happiness and learns that he is allowed to have his own life, dreams, and desires that are not limited to his relationship with Keqing.

They’re both very stubborn people and have trouble accepting care from others. Part of the Xiaoqing dynamic is moving towards that acceptance and learning how to let themselves be loved and cared for just as much as they desire to show love to each other, and finding a good balance between giving and receiving.

~~

Xiaoqing Analysis

Why Xiaoqing

“I feel like now that we live in the age of mankind's rule, it's time for the legendary boy-adeptus to be released from duty.”

~~~

Okay, perhaps she could have chosen her words a little better. More, gently, as it were. But would it really be a statement from the current Yuheng if she wasn’t subsequently riddled in controversy for her opinions?

After all, what shame was there in having such a belief? What anger could be had over that statement? The Boy-Adeptus had spent his entire life, over 2000 years, protecting her homeland. Most of that time he hardly even received a word of thanks for his service.

After all that time (and coincidentally after the Yuheng’s thoughts had been publicized), suddenly, everyone from the commoner to the elite had a thought on the matter.

How ungrateful! Does she not know how much we owe the Conqueror of Demons?

She is too young and brash! She doesn’t understand how much we depend on the Adepti for our protection!

If not for him, Liyue would have fallen long ago. She needs to learn some respect!

Oh, the irony.

Yes, as far as Keqing was concerned, it was time for Xiao to be released from duty.

Released and free.

The gods' time of rule was over. The responsibility of maintaining Liyue as a nation was now in humanity's hands. They had long been responsible, in fact.

So why are we still forcing the Conqueror of Demons to suffer on our behalf?!

It was what Keqing wanted to ask countless times but couldn’t.

Partly because she knew they would never understand. To the average citizen, the Conqueror of Demons was simply a mysterious force who worked out of sight to defend their lives without another thought.

Were they to sit with him for even a few minutes, they would learn that he was so much more.

That he had his own dreams, his own wishes, his own desires. And even if he rarely voiced them, those desires did not include being Liyue’s protector for the rest of his life.

But Keqing’s main reason for reluctance in challenging them was because the Conqueror of Demons wasn’t being forced at all. And she knew it.

“I still think you should consider it.” She had told him one afternoon. “You have spent several lifetimes serving the people of Liyue. All the other Adepti are resting or have retreated to peaceful lives. It’s time for you to do the same.”

“You know that I cannot.” He answered in the way Keqing expected. “I owe Morax my life. And for that, I will honor our contract until I cannot any longer.”

“Do you think Morax would want you to suffer such excruciating pain for another thousand years?” Keqing asked, not bothering to hide her frustration. “He didn’t free you from bondage for you to put yourself back into it.”

The look he gave her was one Keqing expected. One that would have undoubtedly led into an argument had she not continued.

“I know what you want to say. No, I don’t think what you’re doing is the same. But…I can’t stand the thought that while everyone else is moving forward with the happiness they deserve to have, you still refuse to do so.”

Especially when you’re the one who deserves it the most, she refrained from adding.

Xiao was silent for a while, before eventually sighing.

“I have told you before. Rather than wasting your energy on me, you should continue to hope for a day where demon attacks no longer plague this land.” Xiao explained. “When that day comes, I will retire without a fight.”

Keqing wouldn’t meet his eyes. Every time they had this discussion, his answer was essentially the same. He had no plans on resting until there were no more demons left to quell.

On one hand, she hated the fact that she couldn’t get through to him. As Yuheng, there was almost no one that she couldn’t eventually get to come over to her side of things.

On the other, she couldn’t deny that she was nearly as stubborn, if not more, than Xiao himself was.

After all, this had to have been the fifteenth or sixteenth time she’d mentioned this to him. Either directly or in passing. And it would be far from the last.

Perhaps they were more similar than Keqing anticipated.

Perhaps that was why she felt so passionately about getting him to rest. The same way others encouraged her to rest.

These thoughts, and others, swam around in her head one day as she arrived at Wangshu Inn to deliver Xiao’s painkillers on behalf of Mr. Zhongli. It was Ganyu’s suggestion that the youthful Keqing take over the job of medicine delivery for the Funeral Parlor Consultant. It made sense when she came to Keqing with the proposition, she thought.

What didn’t make sense was the unmistakable glint she noticed in Ganyu’s eyes whenever she inquired about the Conqueror of Demons. She knew Ganyu was hiding something from her, but it wasn’t her place to intrude on what were, to the best of her understanding, family matters. Ganyu and Mr. Zhongli were apparently the closest people Xiao had available to him and far be it from Keqing to get more involved than she needed to be.

Keqing knocked on the door of Xiao’s room at the Inn, expecting to spend no more than a minute of conversation with him when he answered. Which is why it surprised her when two minutes had gone by and she didn't hear even a shuffle of movement inside. She knocked at least three times with no answer before raising an eyebrow at the odd silence. It was unusual for Xiao to not be around when it was her scheduled day to deliver his medicine.

“He must be busy.” Keqing thought out loud, reaching up behind her trusted hairpin and finding a small, silver key.

There was no telling how long Xiao would be occupied if he were dealing with monsters in the area. While it wasn’t often, it wasn't the first time Keqing had come by only for him to be away. Xiao had expressed immense guilt on two past occasions that the Yuheng had waited upwards of three hours for him to return.

In anticipation of him possibly being away on any given day that she planned to visit him, the Adeptus had given her a key to his room so she could drop the medication inside and make her leave. While Keqing insisted that the wait was no bother, he insisted just as strongly that she not be forced to waste her valuable time waiting for him.

Rolling her eyes at the thought of something like this being a waste of her time, Keqing opened the door to Xiao’s room. She had only taken a single step inside when she was surprised to see the Adeptus was, in fact, inside the room.

He was asleep on his bed.

Keqing was admittedly caught off guard. Even though Xiao had told her numerous times that he didn’t need to sleep, she eventually found out from Ganyu that the Yaksha did sleep on occasion.

However, he explained that it never came peacefully, and he was always riddled with nightmares any time he tried to rest for a long period of time. Despite Keqing's attempt to take him to Dr. Baizhu to possibly seek a treatment for him, he insisted that there was nothing mortal medicine could do to ease his torment.

Setting down his painkillers and quietly nearing his bed, Keqing frowned upon seeing Xiao's expression.

His eyes were tightly shut, and she could see beads of sweat on his face. His sheets were unkempt, a sign that he had been tossing and turning relentlessly in a bed that already didn't look incredibly comfortable. He also appeared to be distressed, small sounds of anguish escaping his lips as she stood over him.

What could he be dreaming about?

Keqing found her hand reaching for him, too pained by the sight to stand around idly and leave him to his suffering. She rested her hand on his head, hoping it would soothe him even a little bit.

To Keqing’s surprise, whether he recognized her presence there or not, the Yaksha’s demeanor appeared to change. His breathing slowed and it almost seemed as though he attempted to lean into her touch. Perhaps he found it comforting?

Without really thinking about it, Keqing climbed in Xiao’s bed, pulling her legs underneath her to take up as little space as possible. Afterward, she gently moved his head into her lap and began stroking his hair to ease him further. She quietly hummed an old Liyuen tune, something to possibly replace whatever ghoulish sounds he was hearing in his nightmare.

After some time, she felt Xiao begin to relax. His face softened and he no longer thrashed about. His body temperature was coming down and his breathing became much softer and quieter than it had been.

For the first time she could ever recall seeing the Yaksha, he appeared to be at peace.

Keqing lightly traced his features, not really knowing why she felt compelled to do so. His skin was much softer than she had expected it to be, given the light remains of old scars still visible on his face. Despite his eyes being closed, she noticed both his eye makeup and eyelashes were surprisingly well maintained. Something about seeing him in this state, perhaps just the fact that he was capable of appearing this way, was comforting to the Yuheng.

And in the back of her mind, it only pained Keqing to think that this would be for but a moment. He would have nightmares once again the next time he tried to sleep. And Keqing probably wouldn’t be around to soothe him when it did.

As Xiao quietly slept, Keqing's eyes never leaving his face, she felt her resolve strengthen more than she could ever recall.

I will make sure this is not the last time you’re able to sleep like this. As the Yuheng, you have my word.

You will be free.

~~~

“Could you repeat that? You want me to do…what exactly?”

The Yuheng paused to slide Xiao’s breakfast on his plate before turning around and setting it in front of him.

“I said, I want to know something about you that I don’t already know.” She repeated. “That’s what I want for my birthday.”

“I don’t understand.” Xiao commented, poking at the Almond Tofu on his plate. “We will be celebrating the anniversary of your birth, not mine. Why would you desire to know something about me for your birthday?”

Keqing took a seat beside him, cutting a fork into the Almond Tofu and breaking it into small pieces.

“I know you may never be comfortable telling me everything about you and your past. But…whenever you do, it feels wonderful. To know that you trust me enough to share it, regardless of the day, is the greatest gift I could ever receive. That's why I don’t want you to buy me anything. Because nothing would mean more to me than you sharing a part of yourself with me.”

The dumbfounded Adeptus could only let his mouth hang open as Keqing filled it with a forkful of his favorite food.

~~

Since that day a week ago, Xiao could do nothing except…think. Think about what he could possibly tell Keqing about himself that would satisfy her inquisition and make for an acceptable gift to her.

It was difficult for several reasons. If he told her something insignificant, it wouldn’t be a worthwhile present. If he told her something too difficult for mortals to comprehend, she may be left more confused about him than before. If he told her something darker about his personal past, it would certainly upset her, something Xiao wanted to avoid at all costs on her birthday of all days.

He groaned, resting his cheek on the back of his fist as he stood at the kitchen window. He at least had a few hours left to think before Keqing would return from a birthday outing with the Qixing. Ganyu came up with the idea to allow Xiao some time to prepare for the couple’s evening together. He’d already made a brief trip to Wangshu Inn to pick up an order of Golden Shrimp Balls specially prepared by Smiley Yanxiao. They would enjoy a pleasant evening watching the stars, and…that would be it. Her birthday would be over. And it would be up to Xiao to come up with something interesting about himself to finish the day off with a bang.

It frustrated Xiao that her request was so simple and yet so complex at the same time. Xiao rarely talked about himself, and it despised him when he was tasked with coming up with something positive to say about himself. Or at least, not something negative. He was clueless as to what he could do.

Before Keqing had left, Xiao pulled aside and begged Ganyu for something, anything to help him think. In true Ganyu fashion, she was able to offer him only the most subtle of hints.

You know her better than anyone. Tell her something that will remind her about her favorite things about you.

Her favorite things about him? What was that? Keqing was never shy about showering Xiao with compliments and affirmation to counter his constant self-depreciation. But how could that be used as a gift for her?

As if being guided by Rex Lapis himself, he thought back to his gift to her from last year. When he took her flying. When she told him about her favorite place in Liyue.

"Right here…in your arms. Where I’ve been the whole time.”

Xiao’s head snapped up as an idea finally clicked in his head.

~~

The evening had been nicer than Xiao expected. Keqing brought back some frozen snacks for them to share after dinner. Despite their cold temperature, Xiao’s face was flushed most of the time, as Keqing insisted that feeding him would serve as a much better gift to her than the reverse, despite his complaints.

“I told Ningguang you’d like them.” Keqing giggled, as he swallowed the last one. “We’ve found something else you’re able to stomach. I’m noticing a pattern with all of them.”

“What’s that?” Xiao asked, his eyebrow raised.

“They’re all sweets.” Keqing pointed out, as if it were obvious.

Xiao rolled his eyes. How was it his fault other mortal foods didn’t taste as good?

“At least I can get you to eat a Satisfying Salad every other month.” Keqing said with a laugh, brushing her skirt off of any crumbs. “Well, ready to go back inside?”

“Not yet.” Xiao said suddenly. “I…wanted to show you something first, if that’s okay.”

“Sure, that’s fine.” Keqing said, somewhat caught off guard. “Is this…?”

“Yes, it is.” Xiao said. “Your gift.”

“Are you sure?” Keqing asked, quietly. “It’s something you’re comfortable with sharing, right?”

Xiao nodded. “Yes, I am, don’t worry.”

Keqing smiled softly. “Okay. Whenever you’re ready.”

Xiao didn’t hesitate to offer both of his hands to her, palms facing up. Keqing looked somewhat confused, but took both of his hands in hers.

“Remove my gloves.” he said.

Keqing obeyed, sliding the Yaksha’s gloves off. After she’d done so, she blinked slowly at what she saw.

His hands were dark. Black. As if he was still wearing the signature gloves. Keqing would have thought as much if she couldn’t see the creases in his skin and weren't holding the gloves herself.

They’re bruised, was Keqing’s first thought, before immediately casting it out of her mind. No, that’s not an injury. Xiao hands didn’t look as though there was evidence of blood clots.

Instead, his hands...his skin...more or less resembled the color of his hair. His palm appearing a grayish-black tone, while his fingers, she now noticed, were more similar to the dark green shade of his highlights.

Wordlessly, Keqing reached out for Xiao’s hand. They were warm. Soft. The same hands that had held hers dozens of times. The same ones that she’d seen dozens of times. And yet they had never looked like this.

“This is what they really look like. When they’re not being disguised.” Xiao said after a moment.

“Disguised?”

“As you know, I can change my form at will. To be an Illuminated Beast or to resemble mortals.” Xiao explained. “Included in this is my hands. They can either resemble the tone of humans…which is the same as the rest of their skin, or…that of my fellow Yakshas.”

Keqing quietly examined his hands as he spoke, recognizing some cuts and scars from battle.

“So, up until now...whenever you took of your gloves, you disguised your hands to look…"

“Normal.” Xiao finished. “So, they wouldn’t frighten you.”

A pang of sadness swept through Keqing, as she held both of Xiao’s hands in hers. “You thought I would be afraid of seeing you closer to your true form?”

Xiao nodded. “As an Illuminated Beast that lives amongst mortals, I take care to blend in with humankind as much as possible. So I don’t scare anyone with my appearance. Before we became close, I simply hid my hands from you. But after long, when we became more comfortable with each other, I knew I wouldn’t be able to hide them from you forever. So, I just decided to disguise them whenever a chance arose that I had to expose my bare hands.”

Keqing silently listened to the explanation, feeling somewhat upset that Xiao felt the need to hide something like this from her. She was so used to seeing other Adepti who felt comfortable showing off their horns or other unique traits, yet Xiao was wary of exposing even his hands, which were normal other than their color.

When Keqing didn’t speak, Xiao continued.

“I’m sorry for hiding it from you.” He started. Keqing shook her head before he could say more.

“No, I understand why you did it. And, I’m happy that you felt comfortable showing them to me now.” She said, intertwining their fingers as a smile grew on her lips. “I think they’re cute.”

Xiao blinked. “What about them is…?

“They match your hair.” Keqing said, bringing a hand up to brush a few strands out of his face.

Afterward, she pressed a kiss to the back of Xiao’s hands, before turning them over and kissing his palms. Xiao hoped she wouldn't notice the reddening of his cheeks.

“Thank you for showing them to me." She said, holding their hands in her lap. "What made you decide to? I mean, over anything else you could have told me.”

This time, it was Xiao's turn to kiss her hands.

“So, I could hold you with them." He said with a kiss to her knuckle. "Because, you told me before that they’re your favorite place to be.”

Keqing smiled, wrapping his arms around her waist. “In your arms…and now your hands…are still my favorite place to be.”

Xiao pulled her close to him, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, before carrying her back inside.

There, Keqing spent the rest of the night peacefully asleep in his arms, as his finger tips glowed a light green color against her skin.

~~

Keqing – Keqing is Xiao’s beloved, the one who was able to get him to open his heart to others and to experience love for the first time. Regardless of canon or modern verse, he is infatuated with her to the point that almost every decision he makes revolves around her or her happiness, much to her frustration.

 ~~

Canon Verse – Xiao primarily becomes acquainted with Keqing through Ganyu. The Qixing Emissary suggests that Xiao take on tasks from the Qixing whenever he isn’t busy. Most of his orders end up coming from Keqing, leading the two to form a cordial relationship. Despite Xiao’s insistence that he doesn’t need any repayment, Keqing often insists on cooking for the Yaksha, leading them to spend a considerable amount of time together. Over time, Xiao becomes somewhat infatuated with Keqing, impressed by both her lack of fear of being around him, and her refusal to back away from conversing with him.

Ganyu is made aware of his crush on Keqing and suggests the two go on a date. The two end up going on two pivotal dates: one of Yaoguang Shoal and the other in the Guyun Stone Forest, the latter of which results in the two confessing their feeling to each other and making love to each other for the first time.

From then on, Xiao moves in with Keqing, and the two are almost inseparable. Day-by-day, the two fall more and more in love with each other, as it is the first time either feels truly loved for who they are, not for what they present to the world. Xiao is in disbelief that a mortal would accept him despite all of the heavy baggage he carries and is willing to both love him and teach him how to love in return. While their relationship is never perfect, the two can never stay mad at each other for long, and the pair become notorious for their constant and shameless public sexcapades around Liyue.

There are frequent concerns in their relationship, with Xiao constantly worried that he presents a danger to both Keqing, and her reputation, should anyone find out she is dating him. The Yaksha is always afraid that he will one day lose control of himself and end up taking her life as a result, a fear that consumes him continuously. Otherwise, he fears she will will tire or bore of him and want to leave him for a rich, mortal man, leaving him heartbroken, but willing to let her go to someone he feels would be better for her. On her part, Keqing worries that Xiao is simply too in love with her and that he will be unable to live for himself once she eventually passes away. She spends much of their relationship trying to get Xiao into hobbies that will entertain him long after her life ends, such a landscape drawing, a pastime which he picks up quickly. Still, she is often worried about how busy she is, how much more time she wishes they could spend together, and how to deal with the knowledge that she’s acutely aware that Xiao’s life would likely come to a standstill when she eventually dies, as she is the first person he has ever truly loved. While Keqing insists that he will be able to love again, Xiao expresses certainty that no one will ever be able to have his heart the same way that Keqing does.

In spite of it all, Keqing remains the love of Xiao’s life and he is willing to give everything he has for her at a moment’s notice. Through her, he has found purpose, a reason to live, a reason to want to break free of his contract, and…that which he has always wanted…someone to love.

 ~~

Modern Verse – Keqing is introduced to Xiao via a mutual friend: Kazuha. While Xiao is initially uninterested in forming a friendship with Keqing, she makes it her mission to befriend him. He eventually warms up to her due to the kindness she shows him, something he isn’t used to receiving.

The two become friends after a few months, but it doesn’t go much further than that due to Keqing already being in a relationship with one of Teyvat University's more prestigious fraternity presidents, Ajax. Xiao has no strong feelings on their relationship, and initially denies his feelings for Keqing altogether. However, his friends are certain he has a crush on Keqing and encourage him to confess to her, as they are all very aware that Keqing’s patience with Ajax is wearing thin.

Xiao never ends up confessing, and the two remain friends. Eventually, Keqing and Ajax break up leaving Keqing single and the object of many affections on campus. She convinces Xiao to be her fake boyfriend, so she won’t be approached by other guys on campus, and he agrees, not seeing any loss in doing so.

Their fake dating only leads the two to grow much closer than they anticipated to the point that Xiao’s friends wonder if they’re actually a couple. Xiao denies, insisting that Keqing isn’t romantically interested in him. However, after a year of “fake dating”, the two eventually end up confessing to each other and being a real relationship.

The two are, expectedly, inseparable. But their relationship isn’t free from conflict.  

Ajax does not take his breakup with Keqing well and it is a constant source of strife between himself and Xiao. Meanwhile, Xiao doesn’t even consider himself to be a good boyfriend, as he soon finds out that Keqing is from a very rich family, leading him to always feel that he will never be able to give her what she deserves. Being an introverted hermit, he fears that Keqing’s reputation as a sorority vice president will be ruined because of him. He also worries that, because this is his first relationship, he’s incapable of satisfying Keqing sexually due to his inexperience and general repulsion of his own body. This, paired with Xiao’s immense amount of self-depreciation, often leads him to unintentionally push her away, fearful that he’s holding her back or causing her unhappiness.  

This year’s Lantern Rite was almost at its end. With it would be the end of the incessant bustle and chatter of mortals, noisy celebrations, and litter amassing the city streets, seas, and mountains alike.

It would also be the end of the relentless attempts by demonkind to cause havoc and ruin said celebrations.

That, Xiao thought, as he was making his way back to Wangshu Inn, was all he was really concerned with.

Protecting morals during the rest of the year was nothing Xiao could not handle, even on a daily basis. But the additional weight of karmic debt he was set to endure during Lantern Rite was always cumbersome. Still, the Yaksha would not allow it to hinder his responsibilities.

Xiao had quite a long way to go before he would reach Dihua Marsh, and he was in no real rush to return home, if he were being honest. The forest outskirts were dark and lonely, but they were at least peaceful. Which was why Xiao was lamenting the fact that he was now beginning to enter territory close enough that he’d certainly begin encountering humans.

Humans were noisy enough on a normal day. But they were exponentially livelier and more irritating during Lantern Rite.

Xiao was unmistakably an Adeptus and never went out of his way to disguise himself, as most tended to avoid him in general. That all changed during Lantern Rite, where mortals were constantly hounding him to listen to their pleas and cries for fortune and success. They would go on and on, begging, imploring…and wasting what felt like ages of Xiao’s time on matters he couldn’t deal with in the first place.

Ten, twenty, thirty, forty encounters that would leave him absolutely drained by the time he eventually reached Wangshu Inn. More drained than he felt from his battle alone.

Were he not so weary, he would have donned his mask and traveled in great bounds back to Wangshu the second he noticed the figure currently a short distance from him. That is, before he took a closer look. The Yaksha almost thought he was seeing things, delirious from hours on the battlefield. But those long, flowing twin tails of the person before him being carried by the nighttime breeze were too unmistakable to be anyone else.

“You’re here.” Xiao managed to say. Hearing him, she turned around to face him, not remotely startled by the suddenness of his voice.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” was the response.

Should he have expected any other answer from Keqing, Yuheng of the Qixing whom he’d become unusually close to over the past year since she’d presented him with gifts at the previous festival? It was strange for a multitude of reasons; her status as a governmental figure with a reputation for skepticism and a sharp tongue, and his status as a Yaksha who kept to himself and stayed largely away from those in high society. Any average citizen of Liyue would have surely assumed that the two had little to no knowledge of the other outside of their mere existence.

“It will be difficult to see the fireworks from out here.” Xiao said as Keqing approached him, not bothering to question what she was doing so far away from the Harbor. It wasn’t as if presence her was surprising.

“It won’t be difficult to see you.” She replied.

His heart ached at the slight look of disappointment and uncertainty on her face as the words left her mouth. Not because she didn’t mean them, he knew. But because she could tell he would have preferred she not come all this way to see him. It hurt her that he would doubt her willingness to do such a thing. And it hurt him whenever his self-depreciation caused her pain.

“You are…rather alluring tonight.” Xiao said, staring at the lanterns being released from the Harbor faintly visible in the sky. It did nothing to lessen the heat rising on his cheeks.

He was both embarrassed and relieved at the giggle he heard in response.

“Right…you didn’t get to see me in outfit this last year, did you?” Keqing said, moving to stand in front of him.

Xiao gave her a look of intrigue. Keqing dressed up rarely and it seemed it was even more rare that they crossed paths on a day in which she had. He was nothing short of stunned whenever he saw her in anything outside of her usual attire. The one that she was wearing now; a short dress in a dazzling shade of blue that appeared feather-like in much of its appearance, accented with shining gold details, and finished with elegant ribbons adorning her hair buns, plus a large bow of a similar hue around her neck was…breathtaking to say the least.

“Perhaps you will be able to see me in it…or something else…at the festival next year?” she asked, sounding hopeful.

Xiao didn’t look at her. He couldn’t. Not when he knew very well that it wouldn’t be possible. He couldn’t stand to see the look of disappointment on her face. Yet, he knew Keqing was a realist above all. She understood as well as he did that he wouldn’t promise something he’d be unable to keep. Her statement was wishful thinking out loud more than anything.

“Were there a lot of demons out tonight?” Keqing asked, filling the brief pause between them.

“Many. Far more than usual for some reason.” Xiao replied, quick to avoid another awkward silence. “They must have intended to disrupt the end of the festival for some reason. But it matters not. They have been dealt with.”

“You must be tired.” Keqing said, resting a hand on his cheek.

Xiao shook his head. “This is just what I do.”

“You know, it’s okay to rest.” Keqing’s voice was nearly a whisper, looking him in the eyes and taking in their fatigue. “I understand that there is an urgency that comes with confronting demonkind. But…you don’t have to put aside your own wellbeing. You can ask for help. You don’t have to do it alone.”

Xiao’s eyes darted away from hers as he lightly took her wrist but refrained from moving it from his face. “Keqing…it’s dangerous enough for you to even be next to me. For you to be touching me like this…it’s-”

“Xiao.”

The Yaksha couldn’t help but meet her eyes again. How was it that a mortal had such power over him in this manner?

“I didn’t come all this way because I’m afraid of being near you.” Keqing said, her voice remaining gentle but now firmer. “…I want to be by your side.”

Xiao could say nothing. It was not the first time she’d touched him. It was not the first time he’d cautioned her against it. It was not the first time she’d chosen not to heed his warnings. Risking her life to offer him comfort. It rendered him too dumbfounded to say a word.

“Please…be honest with me.” Keqing said, cupping his face with both hands. “I had to learn this myself last year, so…you’re not alone.”

After a moment of silence, Xiao sighed. “Were I able to spend a day like this in a manner that was more…peaceful…I wouldn’t turn it down.”

It was all Keqing needed to pull the Adeptus into her embrace, cradling his head and wrapping her other arm around his waist. Xiao didn’t know why he felt so…heavy…in her arms. The weight of all his karma could pull her to the ground at any minute, he thought. And yet, her hold on him didn’t lessen. Was she really this strong?

And yet he also felt…so light. As if his suffering and burdens were dissipating from his flesh under the pressure of Keqing clinging to him. He wanted nothing more than to close his eyes and to stay there, with her, for hours.

But the Yaksha remained ever attentive, and the sound of nearby footsteps did not go unnoticed by him.

“…There are others here…” Xiao said, becoming tense.

Even if he couldn’t hear them, he could clearly sense the presence of humans in the area. The ones he expected to run into eventually on his way back.

“Shh…it’s hard to miss when you’re fighting in the area.” Keqing whispered, trying to soothe him into relaxing. “They could likely tell you were here from miles away.”

“Keqing.”

The Yuheng knew what he was alluding to. They’ll see us, he was refraining from saying. She didn’t care. None of those approaching them were concerned about the intimate gesture between the Yuheng and the Conqueror of Demons. There was an incredibly high likelihood that none of them recognized her as Yuheng as it was; her reputation wasn’t in any danger because of this.

Besides, it was clear none of them cared about the embrace beyond the fact that it was occupying Xiao’s attention. Keeping him from being approached by them in that moment. That was the only thing any of them wanted; the only reason anyone would seek out the Yaksha at this specific time during Lantern Rite.

These people only wanted to use him for what little time they could get a hold of him.

To them, Xiao was a wish granter. A genie.

Keqing opened her eyes and caught glimpses of the people who began to occupy the area in greater numbers. She found her blood heating up with each additional person she saw. Holding what were likely small “offerings” that they planned to give to Xiao in exchange for whatever he could provide for them. It was a joke; small trinkets they probably got from a prize stall at the festival were their offerings to the Vigilant Yaksha’s presumed divinity.

They all wandered around, pretending to not be watching and waiting their turns.

It made Keqing’s blood boil.

Did any of them have an inkling of everything he’d been through? How much pain he suffered keeping them safe? His restless devotion to defending them while they frivolously laughed the night away? For not so much as a thank you outside of a single day throughout the entire year? And in exchange for that protection, all they could do was beg for more?

Keqing’s grip around him tightened, a sharp glare she didn’t realize she was mustering covered her features at the onlookers in the area.

They weren’t concerned about him. They were just waiting until Keqing finished. Waiting for their turn to beg him for blessings.

Every impatient glance thrown their way was only met by Keqing’s glare, and their eyes would quickly turn away. Some seemed to get the picture and distanced themselves from the pair. Others simply seemed annoyed with waiting, shooting Keqing a nasty look back before walking off in obvious disgust at having their opportunity to meet the Yaksha wasted.

Keqing’s stare never faltered. Once one person left, her eyes immediately locked on to the next one. And the next…and the next.

Until the Yuheng effectively drove everyone off without moving an inch. And there was no one left in the field aside from herself and Xiao.

Once her expression softened, she could better assess the Yaksha’s disposition. The tenseness from when they first embraced had dissipated. He had fully embraced her back at this point, and Keqing could feel the trust he had in her in that moment. It was a rare moment that he allowed himself to let his guard down. And allowed Keqing herself to be his guard.

“…Keqing, I…” Xiao said, silently. Keqing could recognize the ever-present guilt in his voice whenever his vulnerability showed itself before her.

“Shh…I’m not going anywhere.” Keqing soothed him, holding him tighter than she ever had before, with no intention of letting go any time soon.

“Even a protector…needs to be protected at times”

~~~

Xiao clutched his backpack and started making his way to the building. He had no idea what he was really doing or where he was going but he didn’t have time to come up with a plan. He had to make sure Keqing and her friends were okay.

As he navigated through the hallways, he started to feel his stomach churn as he noticed more and more people in the area. The giggling of girls as he passed by, regardless of if he made eye-contact or not, became almost deafening. He was starting to feel delirious with every passing step.

After what felt like ages, but was likely no more than three minutes, he heard the calming sound of Keqing’s voice. Stopping in his tracks, he peeked through the door’s glass window and noticed her, as well as her sorority members, giving a presentation.

She’s safe, he thought, feeling relieved.

Not even seconds later did he just barely register a hand trying to swipe at the top of his head. By instinct, he managed to move out of the way of a female student wearing a face mask.

“Damn…” He heard her mutter. “Hold still!”

Taking a step back, Xiao realized he was surrounded by at least ten girls, all wearing similar masks.

Were these the ones who were after Keqing?

The fact that they were all outside of the room she was in seemed to suggest it would be stupid for him to conclude otherwise.

Trusting his gut, Xiao took off running. And to his partial surprise, the girls took off after him. Not that he was complaining; the further they were from Keqing, the better.

Unfortunately, these ten girls were far from his only concern.

As he ran through the hallways, more students would leap out of seemingly nowhere, trying to grab his jacket, his shirt, his backpack, and his pants. Luckily, Xiao was fast enough that he could shake them off fairly easily. But the surprise attacks were only making it more likely that he’d trip and get dogpiled. He had to pick up the pace.

He finally dashed through the front doors, eyeing Keqing’s car. He reached into his back pocket for his key, pressing the button to unlock the door. Xiao glanced back for a second as he neared the car, hoping the girls would have scattered once he was outside.

He couldn’t have been more mistaken.

More students than Xiao could count were chasing him down like a mob. He grabbed the handle once it was within reach and slammed the door shut, immediately locking it after him.

He exhaled a sigh of relief, feeling safe for once. There was no chance the girls were going to be able to get to him anymore, and after a while, they’d likely get bored and go back to-

“OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!”

“WHO’RE YOU HIDING FROM?!”

The sound of the car being pummeled made Xiao shoot up in his seat. The girls weren’t finished. Far from it.

“XIAO! XIAO!! OPEN UP!”

“I WANT HIS JACKET!!”

“SOMEONE FLATTEN THE TIRES! GET HIM OUT OF THERE!”

“What?!” Xiao exclaimed aloud, as he quickly realized the students were kicking and punching the car. Some of them were beating the windows and one climbed on the hood, trying to pull off the windshield wipers. Beside her, another was climbing on top of the car and began jumping on it.

They were going to destroy Keqing’s car.

“Stop! This isn’t my car!” Xiao yelled. If any of the girls heard him over their own shrieks, they gave no indication of it. Little could be heard other than their assault against the car’s exterior and screams for him to come outside.

I should have just stayed in here, Xiao mentally cursed himself, unable to believe how much worse he’d made the situation. He knew he should never have doubted how far other students were willing to go to remind him of just how much they despised him.

How foolish he’d been to forget. No amount of his therapist, his family, his friends, or even Keqing telling him otherwise would ever change reality: regardless of his lack of understanding as to what he’d done to cause it, these girls hated him to his core.

“Please…just leave me alone.” Xiao begged, shoving his backpack under the seat as he was already mentally preparing himself for what he knew he was going to have to do. The pounding on the car was relentless and Xiao was starting to feel like he was suffocating.

“OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW OR WE’RE COMING IN!” one girl yelled, on the verge of breaking the door handle.

“YOU HAVE…FIVE MINUTES! OR THE CAR’S GETTINGE KEYED!” another added, searching her purse. Presumably, for a tool to help achieve that goal.

There was no bargaining with them. Nothing he offered would get them to go away. No amount of apologizing for whatever he did wrong was going to make them leave. There was nothing else he could do.

Xiao sighed as he replaced his pencil. He really needed to start carrying around a sharpener with how much he sketched. He was seated in the back seat of Keqing’s otherwise empty car, parked in one of the lots on campus, with only a couple other cars and bikes nearby to serve as company.

Others might think it strange that Xiao chose to wait for his girlfriend in her car rather than accompanying her to her sorority events. After all, the council was made up of his closest friends’ girlfriends, along with Keqing herself as the vice president. It would have seemed natural for him to show his face there. Two of his friends, Kazuha and Heizou, were currently accompanying Ayaka and Shinobu, with Heizou being the newest addition to his friend group and Shinobu to the sorority. Also present were several other mutual friends (Keqing’s friends, mainly) that Xiao honestly didn’t talk to that often and was sure weren’t missing him. That said, it was probably odd to most that Xiao was the only one who never attended their events.

That is, if it wasn’t for that fact that Xiao could go almost nowhere on campus without legions of female students on his tail, desperately trying to get his attention.

It was no secret to most students that he was taken, but far be it from any of his “fangirls” to care enough to not approach him. As far as most were concerned, Keqing was, at best, only deluding herself into thinking Xiao was truly dating her. And at worst, a fling. One of many, they were certain.

The general perception at Teyvat University was that Xiao was little more than a playboy who likely slept with a new girl every day. As such, while there were obviously some who were genuinely interested in pursuing a relationship with him, the majority stalked him only to see if he’d be willing to have a one-night stand with them.

Little did almost any of them know that this couldn’t have been further from the truth. Not only did Xiao have no sexual or romantic experience outside of Keqing, the last thing on earth he’d consider himself to be was a playboy. He’d always believed he was ugly and didn’t even consider the fact that these girls were interested in him sexually. Because of how often they followed him around, usually giggling because of how attractive they found him, he assumed they disliked him and did his best to avoid encountering or speaking with them whenever possible. With how little anyone really engaged with him, his mysterious aura only made him that much more popular.

Needless to say, Xiao wasn’t interested in all of the attention he’d likely bring, whether he knew the true reason for it or not. He hated crowded places in general, and even though Keqing’s presence usually comforted him, she was usually too busy as the vice president to stay by his side the whole time.

So, he sat quietly in Keqing’s car, only opening the door at fifteen-minute intervals to get some fresh air. It had perhaps been almost an hour into the event when he suddenly received a text message.

Odd. Who could be texting him when all his friends (all two of them) were currently either a part of or a participant at Keqing’s sorority gathering? His sister should have been at work and his dad was likely giving a tutoring session at this hour.

“It’s…from Mona?” he said, raising an eyebrow at his phone.

It wasn’t often that Mona texted him. She wasn’t much more than an acquaintance who, occasionally, offered him relationship advice, given that she seemed capable of seeing into the future somehow. Xiao was certainly not one to turn down any sort of advice in that respect. But the two otherwise didn’t maintain much casual conversation.

Meaning that something was wrong.

Mona: Xiao! I sense much jealousy and anger! A horrible incident is about to occur!

Xiao paused, reading the message a few times to make sure he wasn’t mistaken. It wouldn’t be the first time he had no idea what Mona was trying to say to him.

Xiao: What do you mean? Something’s going to happen?

Mona: Keqing! Shinobu! I see an altercation befalling them if something isn’t done!

“To Keqing? And…her new friend?” Xiao muttered to himself.

Unbeknownst to Xiao, he was far from the only one in his friend group with an obsessive following. While Kazuha’s following was more stagnant, Heizou had more than his own fair share of fans, and that number was only growing now that he was known as a new friend of Xiao’s. It didn’t help that many students on campus thought the latter two were related.

Xiao: An altercation? You mean they’re going to get into a fight?

Mona: Yes! Negative energies are in large amounts in the same location as them. They’re growing…and will soon combust!

Xiao was growing frustrated. Keqing may be strong and capable of defending herself, but if what Mona was saying is true, she’d be up against an entire group of people. Xiao didn’t know how well that would go over and he wasn’t particularly interested in finding out while he was hiding out in the back seat of a car.

Xiao: Why is this happening? What should I do?

While Xiao appreciated Mona’s warnings, all they did at times like this was make him feel helpless. It didn’t help that she was always so vague in detailing what would specifically happen.

Xiao looked out the window of the car. Even from where he sat, he could see several groups of girls going in and out of the building. Usually, he wouldn’t think much of something like that. But after Mona’s warnings, he couldn’t help but think this had something to do with her messages.

Mona: It’s because of you, Xiao! Can’t you see that they’re there for you?!

Xiao’s stomach sank as he read the text. Of course, it was his fault, Xiao thought. There was nothing he hated more than the fact that his unfavorable reputation was constantly causing trouble for Keqing. She was possibly going to get hurt, her event was going to be ruined, and it was going to be all because of him.

He felt his stomach get tighter by the second. He had to do something, and quickly. He hated the thought that was currently floating around in his head, but it was seeming more and more as though it was going to be his only option. He couldn’t stand being laughed at or mocked, but the thought of it happening to Keqing or her friends was ten times worse. Especially if it was because of him. He couldn’t allow them to suffer because of him.

“If…they’re after me…maybe…”

Xiao’s body was acting on autopilot now, not even consulting his brain as to a plan of sorts.

“Maybe…they’ll leave her alone if…”

Xiao didn’t fully understand these newfound feelings of his. This desire he had to always want to be around another person.

This person being the Yuheng, Keqing.

To always want to see her, and to see her happy. He didn’t like when she was upset. Whenever she was, he wanted to do whatever he could to see her happy again. The means were not a concern to him. As long as he could see her eyes twinkle with joy. He felt emptiness inside of him when they were apart, and he didn’t know why.

This was something he had not experienced before. For over 2,000 years, he only dedicated himself to honoring his contract with Rex Lapis. Thoughts of forming bonds had never crossed his mind and he largely kept to himself. He certainly did not see himself forming such a close relationship with another person, and especially with a mortal. The bond he shared with Keqing was something entirely new to him. And he had a hard time knowing what to make of his feelings at times or how to express them to her.

He found himself always wanting to be with her, even if she was occupied with other things. Just being in her presence made him feel…good. He didn’t know what the “good” feeling was. But he liked that feeling. When Keqing was at work, he longed for her. She always made her way back into his mind. He knew Keqing could handle herself, yet he had an overwhelming desire to want to protect her, to always know she was safe.

Xiao had never had a problem with being upfront with people, whether they were human or immortal. Yet with Keqing, he somehow found himself at a loss as to how to let her know how he felt about her. Thus, he never did. At least, not in words. He didn’t know how Keqing saw him, and it somehow bothered him that he didn’t. He wanted to be special to her, like she was special to him. He wanted Keqing to know just how much he cared about her. But how was he to do it? Should he give her something? Tell her something? What would he say or give when he hardly understood these feelings? Regardless, Xiao could no longer stand this confused state of limbo. He had to do something, even if it was something small.

~~~

“Zhongli…can I ask you a question?” Xiao posed one afternoon during a visit to the Geo Archon.

“Of course, young Xiao. What’s on your mind?” Zhongli responded, taking a sip of tea.

“Has there ever been a person you felt…strongly about? But you didn’t really know what you felt...yet you still wanted to show them in some way?” Xiao asked.

Zhongli placed his cup down. “Tell me, Xiao, is it a good feeling you have? Or a bad feeling?”

“It’s a good feeling that I can’t seem to get rid of. I’ve never felt this way before, but I don’t want to lose this feeling.” Xiao explained.

“And you have this strong feeling whenever you’re thinking about that person?” Zhongli asked.

“Yes.”

Zhongli smiled, knowingly. “I see. Well then, Xiao, I am very familiar with what you’re feeling right now. It’s a wonderful, natural feeling to care so deeply about another person. Think of it as you would a plant. It begins as but a small seed, but as time passes, it fully blooms into a beautiful flower. Just like your feelings have bloomed for that person.”

“But what should I do about it? So that the person will know?” Xiao asked.

“If you’re certain about the way you feel, there are a number of things you can do. There are many ways to express it. For example, in the animal kingdom, there are numerous courtship rituals used to catch the attention of a mate.”

“Courtship? Rituals?” Xiao asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Indeed, a mating call or dance of a certain species is a sign to convey interest in another member of that species. Or offering a slaughtered animal at the feet of the other party.” Zhongli explained. “I can offer countless other examples.”

True to his word, Zhongli explained, in far more detail than Xiao would have liked, about mating rituals between more species of animal than the average person should know about. Of course, Zhongli wasn’t the average person, and the 45 minutes he spent talking to Xiao had barely scratched the surface. He had just finished giving Xiao a lesson on courtship between insects when he stopped momentarily.

“Would you like to know more, Xiao, or do you have a better understanding now?” Zhongli asked.

“I…think I understand. Thank you, Zhongli.” Xiao said.

“Very well. You’re welcome, Xiao.” Zhongli said, giving the Yaksha a tussle of his hair. “Good luck in your endeavors.”

~~~

In truth, Xiao had no idea what Zhongli was talking about and left more confused than before he had visited him.  He decided Zhongli may not have been the best to ask about this matter. Despite several millennia’s worth of wisdom, he would have probably talked for hours about plants, birds, and spiders, without ever giving Xiao the answer he needed. Xiao may not have known much, but he was sure Keqing probably didn’t want him to bring her a dead bird. He needed someone who knew more about humans.

“So that’s what it is.” Ganyu said, tapping her chin before excitedly clapping. “Aww, Xiao, I’m so happy for you! I never thought I’d see the day! I can’t believe it, you and Keqing! I had a good feeling about the two of you!

“Not so loud.” Xiao sighed, quickly checking his surroundings to make sure no one overheard them. He was relieved he chose to meet her right outside of the harbor’s entrance, away from prying ears. “Stay focused. What am I supposed to do? What do humans do in situations like these?”

“I have an idea of what you may be feeling right now.” Ganyu said. “You can tell her, but I think it’ll be better if you show her in a special way.”

“And that way would be?” Xiao raised an eyebrow.

“You can give her…” Ganyu spoke in a hushed voice. “A kiss!”

“What?!”

“You’ve seen people do it before, right?” Ganyu asked.

“I have…and don’t understand. What will this achieve?” Xiao asked.

“A kiss is a sign of affection. A really big sign of affection, even if the action seems small. I guess it’s more of a human thing, but she’ll know for sure how you feel!” Ganyu explained. Xiao seemed to think it over for a second.

“I see…if you think so then, I’ll do it.” he said.

Ganyu clapped happily. “I’m so proud of you Xiao! Trust me, everything will work out fine. You have nothing to worry about.”

“So, how should I…kiss her? Should I practice first?” Xiao asked. Ganyu gave him a panicked look.

“Xiao, you don’t practice kissing!” she said, waving her hands in front of her. “Well…I guess, you could, but you shouldn’t! Your first kiss should be special and natural, not something you’ve prepared.

Ganyu tapped her chin, continuing, “At the same time, you shouldn’t go in completely blind. That could end quite awkwardly…”

Xiao sighed. “Just tell me...when should I do it? How do I go about it?”

“Like I said, it should feel natural. Don’t try to kiss her at a specific time. Just kiss her when it feels right.” Ganyu explained.

“What? How will I know when that is?” Xiao asked, more confused than before.

“You’ll…just know! Once the time comes, this feeling inside of you will say, 'This is it, this is the time to go for it!'”. Ganyu said, putting her hands on his shoulders and almost shaking him.

Xiao was still uncertain, but he didn’t really have anything else to go on. “Okay, I’ll do what you’ve said. Thank you for your advice.”

“You can do it, Xiao!” Ganyu cheered after him, as he turned to leave. Xiao decided he’d be traveling by tree for the rest of the day.

~~~

While Ganyu’s talk was more helpful than Zhongli’s, Xiao still wasn’t completely confident. This kissing thing seemed like more trouble than it was worth. Why did humans place so much importance on it anyway? Xiao didn’t understand it, but if it was significant to humans, he figured it was something he would try to do. It was worth it if it would convey how he felt about Keqing, he thought as he knocked on her door one evening.

“Xiao? This is a nice surprise.” Keqing said when she answered.

“I should have told you in advance, but I didn’t plan to visit today.” Xiao said. “I hope I’m not intruding.”

“You know you’re always welcome here, Xiao. Come in.” She said as she opened her door wider for him to enter. “What brings you here, was it something in particular?”

It was, but Ganyu said it should be natural . “No, nothing in particular, I just…wanted to see you.”

“Well, that reason’s fine with me.” Keqing said with a grin. “Although, I’m in the middle of some documents that I’ll have to finish tonight. I’m close to finishing. You’re welcome to join me. It probably won’t be the most interesting thing, so if you’d rather find something else to entertain you…”

“That won’t be a problem. I will join you.” Xiao said. If Keqing had decided to read the dictionary verbatim to him, he would have probably still found it more interesting than doing something without her.

“Then follow me.” She said.

~~~

Xiao joined Keqing at her desk, always fascinated by the amount of paperwork she had to do and how quickly she was able to do it. He couldn’t make much sense of anything on the numerous sheets of paper in front of her, and yet she moved through them with ease.

“You wouldn’t believe it, but sitting and writing for so many hours gets…tiring.” Keqing spoke suddenly, her eyes still on the papers in front of her. “I try to take a break every few hours but sometimes I’d rather just get it done and out of the way.”

Xiao looked at her for a moment before he stood and moved to place his hands on her shoulders to massage them. She seemed surprised at the action, but pleased nonetheless.

“Does this help?” he asked.

“Yes, thank you, Xiao.” Keqing said, a relaxed look on her face. She turned to look up at him. “I didn’t know you knew how to give massages. I’d have asked sooner.”

“I’m not an expert.” Xiao admitted. It was Ganyu who had given him the suggestion and taught him the basics. “But if you ever want one, you need only ask.”

“I’ll keep that in mind for the future.” Keqing said, returning to her work.

Xiao took comfort in the fact that he was able to offer something to her since he didn’t know a thing about business or politics. Thus, he never had much to say about her work. Though he would have felt better if he did, something was better than nothing, right?

“I’ll be finished in no time, thanks to you.” Keqing said.

Thoughts emerged in Xiao's brain, as if suddenly remembering why he was there in the first place. Should he kiss her now?  Was it a good time? Despite her willingness to take some of her attention from her work for him, he figured it would probably be too much of a distraction. He wouldn’t want her work to suffer because of him being unable to sort out his emotions. No need to rush, he’d wait for a better opportunity.

“And…done!” Keqing said, bringing Xiao’s attention back onto her. She stacked her papers neatly in front of her before standing up and stretching her arms above her head.

“That didn’t take too long at all.” she said, smiling at him. “I usually don’t finish quite this early. You should come over to help me with my work more often.”

“Help?” Xiao had a confused look on his face. “I didn’t do anything to-”

“Whether you realize it or not, you helped me out a lot.” Keqing reassured him. “Come on, I’ll need you for something else now.”

~~~

Xiao followed Keqing to her kitchen. He hadn’t been in it very often due to his aversion to anything relating to cooking, as well as her desire to continue having a kitchen should he be left alone in it.

“I’d like to get my mind off of work for a while.” Keqing said.

“What do you usually do at this time?” Xiao asked.

“It’s late, so I should probably eat something.” Keqing said, before turning to him and adding, “And so should you , for that matter.”

Xiao started to object, but Keqing wouldn’t hear it. “If you haven’t eaten anything else today, you should at least eat one meal.” She said.

“Fine, I’ll eat something...but you know I am not the most skilled with mortal food.” Xiao said, not bothering to argue. She was right anyway. She prided herself on being able to predict if he’d eaten or not on any given day with surprisingly high accuracy.

“Don’t worry about that, we’ll be cooking this together.” Keqing said, hands on her hips. “I’ll be teaching you.”

Xiao looked at her with slight uncertainty before she spoke again. “Don’t look so surprised. I told you after that picnic we had a while ago that I was going to teach you how to cook. Now’s as good a time as any.”

“I trust your teaching skills.” Xiao said. “It’s my cooking skills that are…lacking.”

“They won’t be after we’re finished.” Keqing said. “Come on, let’s get to work.

~~~

Despite his reluctance, Xiao impressed even himself at how quickly he picked up Keqing’s lesson. Knowing how little he cared for standard cooking methods, she showed him how to make, what she dubbed, Survivalist Grilled Fish. Thankfully, it didn’t require him to do anything besides watch her carefully fry the fish with Electro applied to her hairpin. After demonstrating how to do one, she allowed him to fry two more on his own. While the first was a bit overdone, she said he’d aced his second attempt.

“Good job, Xiao.” Keqing praised. “See, now if you need to cook something while you’re out, you can make this.”

“I suppose. But I’ll be unable to apply the Electro.” Xiao pointed out. Keqing thought for a second.

“You can always try to catch an Electro Cicin or Electro Slime.” She said. “If you can find something to infuse, it should work as a substitute.

While Xiao wasn’t quite sure how effective of a replacement those would be, he was constantly impressed with Keqing’s resourcefulness. How a businesswoman such as herself was so good at…pretty much everything, only made him more enamored by her. She knew business, she could cook, she had survival instincts, she knew Liyue better than any human who had probably ever lived, and had incredible swordsmanship on top of that. If there was anything Keqing couldn’t do, it was probably only fair at that point to leave something for the other mortals, Xiao thought to himself.

As she was finishing preparations with their dinner, he truly felt he could have kissed her right there. If there had been any remaining doubts in his mind that Keqing was the one mortal he valued the most, whose side he wanted to always be at, it was quickly draining away. Were it not for his difficulty in expressing himself and personal doubts as to how she felt about him, he probably would have told her this by now.

So he still refrained. He was too uncertain, waiting for this unknown “perfect time” Ganyu had sold him on. Xiao was honestly getting tired of his inability to discern a good time to do this. He wished he’d just made Ganyu be more blatant about when . Was this perfect time that important that he’d ruin things if he didn’t wait for it? Xiao doubted it. But he would probably regret it if he got ahead of himself in case there was this perfect time. This feeling that would give him the signal.

If anything, he realized he was still thinking too hard about it and Ganyu said that it should be natural. So he’d put his frustrations aside and pushed the thought from his mind.

“There, now we’ll just wait for them to cool and we can eat.” Keqing said, before turning to Xiao. “You should have more confidence in your cooking ability.”

“I was only as good as I was today because of your guidance.” He said.

“That’s because you never want to try.” Keqing said. “There are many things that you’re good at, but you shy away from things you don’t like to do. If you keep that same motivation, you won’t even need Yanxiao to cook for you as often.”

Xiao crossed his arms and sighed, she was right, as always. Why did it have to be always?

“There’s no shame in needing help, you know. I’m always here to help you.” Keqing added. “All you have to do is ask.”

She laughed a bit to herself and Xiao raised an eyebrow at her.

“It just sounds a bit funny, saying that to an Adeptus. Divine as you are, shouldn’t you be helping me?”

Xiao gave her an unamused look and she playfully stuck her tongue out at him. She grabbed his arm and led him to the next room.

“Come ooon~”

~~~

“While we’re waiting, is there anything you need, Xiao?” Keqing asked, taking a seat on her couch and pulling her legs up next to her. “You’ve probably been bored out of your mind, haven’t you?”

Xiao sat on the other side, thinking for a moment before speaking. “Nothing has bored me, this evening.” He paused. “However, yes, there is something.”

“Then why didn’t you say something sooner? What is it?” Keqing asked, clearly having not expected his answer.

“Can I kiss you?”

…She did say all he had to do was ask.

“HUH?!” Keqing exclaimed, her eyes widening.

“I want…to kiss you. Can I?” Xiao asked again, a bit quieter than the first time, his cheeks quickly reddening.

“Well, um…I…” Keqing stuttered, her face as red as his. “….Yes, you…you can but…um…”

Yes? She said yes? Why didn’t Ganyu just tell him to ask her in the first place? That would have been so much easier. Though, he supposed asking when she opened the door might have been a bit too forward.

“W-Why did you ask first?” Keqing asked.

“I…didn’t know a better way to go about it. So, I thought asking would be easier.” Xiao said.

“ I think it might have been less awkward if you just did it.” Keqing half-mumbled.

“If I am being honest…I don’t really know what to do.” Xiao said, suddenly feeling less confident than a few moments ago.

“That’s fine, it’s totally fine! I’ll…teach you. Okay?” Keqing said, noticing the change in his tone.

Xiao nodded, feeling quite relieved. Asking was definitely the way to go. This might be easier than he thought. If she could teach him how to cook, surely, she could teach him how to kiss.

“Well, first, I guess you can…come a bit closer.” Keqing said, her voice having softened considerably. Xiao moved over to Keqing, leaving a small space between them.

“Like this?” He asked. Keqing’s eyes had been on the floor but they finally met his when he spoke.

“Yeah, that’s good.” She said. Xiao looked at her, expectantly. She seemed to realize he was waiting for her and she quickly spoke again.

“Um, so now…you can…um, give me your hands.” She said. Xiao reached out both of his hands to her with his palms facing up, his gloves having already been set aside for the cooking lesson. Keqing took his wrists and seemed to think for a moment. She slowly brought one to her cheek, which Xiao held, gently. A small hum escaped her lips as she didn’t seem to know what to do with his other hand. She would move it slightly in one direction and then quickly return it back as if changing her mind. She ended up deciding to just intertwine their fingers.

For a moment, Xiao felt extremely nervous at how hard Keqing was concentrating. Maybe this was like one of the rituals Zhongli was talking about. He half-wished he had paid attention more to what the Archon had been saying before.

“Sorry…” Keqing said, with an awkward laugh. “I’m not really used to this.”

“There is no need to apologize.” Xiao said, his nervousness dissipating seeing that she seemed just as tense as he was. “I am…far more inexperienced.”

Keqing nodded, also seeming a bit less anxious at his honesty. “So now, I’ll close my eyes. Then you can go ahead and…”

At her words, Xiao ever-so-slightly squeezed Keqing’s hand and he focused back on her face. She looked back at him.

“What’s wrong?”

“Must you close your eyes?” he asked.

“Well, most people don’t kiss with their eyes open.” Keqing said, averting her gaze.

“I’d rather look at them.” Xiao said, slightly tilting her face to look closer at her. “They are one of my favorite things about you.”

Xiao only realized what he said when he saw Keqing’s face immediately redden. “Y-You’ll be fine, Xiao, trust me. Just close yours, too. You won’t even realize it!”

She was stumbling over her words and Xiao almost felt bad about it if his heart hadn’t been racing at seeing this side of her. The Yuheng had quite an interesting charm to her when they were together that contrasted to her usual more meticulous personality. He didn’t often use the word, but if he had to describe someone as cute, he’d choose Keqing.

After settling for a second, she spoke again. “Are you ready?” He gave her a slow nod in response.

Keqing’s eyelids fluttered closed and as soon as they did, Xiao’s lips softly pressed onto hers. His eyes closed and he felt the warm feeling return in his chest. Was he doing it right? He felt Keqing pull him closer, pressing her lips back against his, and felt that the answer was yes. After a minute, Keqing pulled away and her eyes met his. They stared at each other for a couple of seconds before Keqing gripped his arms tightly and he leaned in to capture her lips again. Shorter this time so he could pull back and kiss her again, and a second time and a third and a fourth. Then her cheeks, her jaw, her nose, and a longer kiss on her forehead. When he pulled away, Keqing leaned up to kiss the Yaksha’s own forehead, before taking his face in her hands and reclaiming his lips again.

They pulled apart when Keqing needed to breathe, much to Xiao’s dismay. He couldn’t believe he’d never tried kissing Keqing before. Had he known he’d enjoyed it this much, he’d have done it ages ago. The amazing feeling more than made up for the fact that he was apparently not allowed to look at her at the same time. Maybe there were some practices mortals got right.

Keqing looked off to the side after regaining her composure and cleared her throat, as if she wanted to say something, yet also waiting for Xiao to say something. Xiao figured he’d take the bait.

“Was that okay?” he asked. Keqing’s eyes darted at him as if afraid she’d offended him.

“Yes! It was okay…it was more than okay.” Keqing spoke quickly. “It was…wow…I…um…”

“I…was told this would convey…my feelings for you.” Xiao said, his cheeks reddening again.

Keqing looked up at him, then giggled and moved to sit in his lap. “It definitely did.”

She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his chest. “And…I hope it conveyed my feelings for you, too.”

“Wait…you…?” Xiao said, grabbing her shoulders. She giggled at him, and pushed herself up to kiss his cheek.

“Xiao…would you be fine if… I called you, my boyfriend?” Keqing asked, tracing circles onto his chest.

Xiao blinked. “What will this new title entail?” Keqing laughed.

“To be honest, you essentially already are in everything but the title. It just means that we more or less do the same stuff we do now.” she said. “Just more often, really. And, you don’t have to leave at night…if you don’t want to.”

“So…we will kiss more often?” Xiao asked, his hands finding her waist.

She laughed again, touching her forehead with his. “Yes, definitely.”

He looked at her, warmly, giving her one of his rare, small smiles. “Then I accept.”

~~

You don't need to answer if you don't want to, and I don't mean to put any pressure on you, too. I am just someone that looks forward to your new posts. Have a nice day :)

Hi! Thanks for the question! And sorry if I took a while answering!

Yes, I actually am in a Xiaoqing RP where we have a lot of ideas for their majors (a lot of the things I write are inspired by this RP). I'll list a few but you're free to ask about other characters! Credit to @royalstorm for most of these since they RP most of these characters.

Xiao - art major, specifically in painting

Ganyu - bachelor’s in healthcare management and minor in psychology; ongoing master’s degree in social services

Hu Tao - history and anthropology double major, popular social media influencer

Venti - theatre & music theory double major, also popular on social media

Kazuha - Creative writing major; English minor

Aether - architecture major; criminology minor

Ayaka - pre-med; nursing major

NOTE: This is more Keqing-centric than Xiao-centric.

~~

It wasn’t often that Keqing had a day off from work, so she made a point to make the most of any free time she had.

And making the most, in this case, meant having a picnic with a certain Yaksha. The two had been casually seeing each other for a while. Unfortunately, not as often as they might have liked due to Keqing’s many responsibilities as Yuheng. Of course, Xiao had his duties to attend to every so often, too, but these were few and far between as of late. Were it up to Keqing, he would be released from his constant battle with demons. But alas, she’d bring the idea up to him in time, as he still maintained a much freer schedule than she did.

While she often invited him to her home (truthfully her doors were always open to him should he ever desire to drop by), he often told her he didn’t want to be a bother. Keqing wasn’t sure what type of “bother” he thought he was, as he largely left Keqing to her work whenever he was around to the point that she often had to assure him that she was fine to chat while she worked. She was content with him just being there, yet he still seemed a bit hesitant to open up to her. Thus, Keqing wanted to invite him out for some personal time between the two of them. It seemed Keqing would have to show him that she was more than comfortable with his presence and hoped this would help him to become more comfortable around her, as well.

When Keqing brought up the picnic idea to him, Xiao was more surprised than opposed. That is, until she tasked him with bringing the food. Of course, she knew Xiao wasn’t one for preparing meals himself, and he rarely ate all that much. Thus, she assured him that whatever he managed to bring for them would be fine with her. Even a single dish would do.

Imagine her surprise when the basket she’d given him was filled to the brim with an assortment of dishes as he sat beside her under a tree, just in front of Mt. Aozang’s Clear Pool and Mountain Cavern. They agreed to meet there after Keqing made a quick trip to assure her work for the day was left in good hands, leaving Xiao to bring the food with him.

“Woah, what’s all this?” she asked, as he carefully unpacked the contents on the blanket.

“I didn’t know what you’d prefer so…I hope you’ll find something to your liking.” He said. As the blanket filled up more and more, the situation became quite clear.

“Xiao?”

“What is it?” he blinked.

“You didn’t make any of this, did you?” Keqing asked, a small grin on her face.

“...You just said I had to bring the food.” Xiao grumbled. “If I tried to make it…you’d still be here waiting for me.”

“Send Mr. Yanxiao my thanks.” Keqing said, with a laugh. She wasn’t surprised, it wasn’t as if she actually expected Xiao to cook anything, but she hadn’t expected him to go out of his way to bring this much food either.

“I thought you might be hungry, since you had to make such a long trip.” Xiao pointed out.

Before she could object, a loud rumbling of Keqing’s stomach gave herself away.

“What? I didn’t eat breakfast because I knew we were having a picnic today.” She said, folding her arms with a small pout on her face.

To her surprise, Xiao gave the smallest of chuckles and smiled at her.

“Well, there is plenty for you to eat.” He said, placing the additional contents of the basket in front of her while he searched for the plates.

Unbeknownst to him, Keqing stopped. Breathing, mainly, but it seemed like nothing was moving. Xiao…just smiled? At her? Not the kind of smirk he would usually flash during a fight, but a real, warm, smile?

It couldn’t have been longer than a couple of seconds and yet the smile he graced her with kept replaying in her head. Keqing had no idea what was happening or why she felt her entire body suddenly heat up at such a simple action. She shook her head, trying to regain her focus, but she just couldn’t .

Had Xiao always been this…attractive? Sure, Xiao was good-looking. Keqing couldn’t think of anyone who would deny that after seeing him. There was little confusion in knowing who most women and men alike were talking about when describing the "sharp-eyed, dashing Adeptus". But for some reason, Keqing felt as though she never really noticed before how good looking he was. Now that she was thinking about it, she didn’t even know what word she’d use to describe Xiao. Handsome? Pretty? Hot?

Keqing flushed, hoping he didn’t notice as she tried to quickly occupy herself with something . She barely knew what food she was reaching for as her mind kept swimming with thoughts. How come she hadn’t thought about it before? Up until now, she was just content with Xiao being Xiao, and she still was. But now that his physique was on her mind, she couldn’t seem to focus on anything else.

Keqing stole a glance at Xiao, who was looking rather unamused at the prospect of building a sandwich. Certainly, Xiao was a pretty boy with a pretty face. She didn’t think much about it usually, but she thought the Yaksha’s eye makeup did him nothing but favors. His eyes, which were usually sharp and intimidating, managed to soften when he spoke to her in the privacy of her home.

She found that Xiao was becoming more and more comfortable with looking directly at her when they were engaged in conversation (a struggle when they still weren’t quite so close). This was a change she was happy with. But she couldn’t deny that the intensity of his stare when he was listening to her talk was not the easiest thing for her to adjust to. His gaze was piercing, yet his eyes were always gentle. It came to the point she started to have a hard time engaging in direct eye contact with him .

“Here.” Xiao said, handing something to her.

“O-Oh, thanks!” Keqing said, quickly, taking…whatever he gave her (chopsticks, she’d realize in a moment). She was hoping he didn’t notice her mind clearly being elsewhere. And yet ironically, completely on him. As he pulled his arm back towards him, Keqing’s eyes followed.

A warrior like Xiao who had been protecting Liyue for millennia certainly had to be in top form. And in form he was, Keqing thought as she stared at the Yaksha’s toned arms. His body was certainly not lacking either. She thought about the prospect of being held in such arms, close to said body, and her face warmed remembering that she actually had on a couple of occasions.

One of which was when she had visited him at Wangshu Inn. She didn’t find him in the usual space he occupied and set off to find him. Not seeing an abandoned child’s toy at the top of the stairs, she tripped and would have hit the floor if not for Xiao appearing out of nowhere and catching her with ease, like they were in a romance novel she could find at Wanwen Bookhouse. She was shocked, both at having tripped, and at Xiao’s sudden appearance. She, unfortunately, didn’t spend too long in his embrace at that time, as he released her as soon as she was steady on her feet, hardly having a chance to register it.

The second had not been too long ago that she was wishing the Adeptus a good evening as he left her home. She didn’t know what came over her but for whatever reason, she reached out to hug Xiao before he left. Upon realizing her actions, she had started to pull away before Xiao wrapped his arms around her to return the hug. It was only somewhat awkward, as she felt Xiao tense up initially, but eased into it as he slowly embraced her back. Thinking back on the warm feeling of that evening, she wished she made the effort more often. Being held by Xiao…

Again, Keqing tried to return to reality, shaking her head and trying to focus on the picnic. She felt slightly bad that she was being this shameless when she was supposed to be enjoying quality time with the Adeptus. She was somewhat grateful that Xiao wasn’t too much of a talker and was probably fine eating in silence. Silence for him, at least. The screaming in her head didn’t seem to want to let up.

It got louder as Xiao leaned back with one arm behind him, as he looked at the view in front of him, a slight breeze blowing his hair. Keqing eyed his abs, the feeling of needing a drink of water arising in her quickly. She wondered what he would look like in a crop top…

“What is it?” She heard Xiao say.

“Oh! Nothing, I just…was looking for the napkins.” She said. He’d pretty much caught her staring, but it seemed she managed to get away with it for now.

Xiao turned to the basket on the opposite side of him, in doing so, reminding Keqing of the gracious amount of exposed flesh that the back of his top revealed. Keqing swallowed, starting to wish she asked for water instead of napkins.

“Get a hold of yourself! ” Keqing mentally scolded herself. “ This picnic was your idea and you’ve barely said a word to him, enough ogling !”

Trying to regain her sanity, Keqing took a few deep breaths. This was not the time to have these kinds of thoughts. Picnic. Food. Quality Time. Focus. She looked up to try to start a conversation about literally anything but didn’t get a word out before she realized she was eye-to-eye with her current distraction.

“W-What’s wrong?” She asked, surprised by his closeness to her.

“You’ve been overworking yourself.” He simply stated.

“What? Why would you say that?” she asked as Xiao’s forehead gently met hers.

“Your face is completely red.” Xiao’s eyes were locked onto hers, filled with a look of slight concern. “It has been all day. You may be coming down with something.”

Keqing didn’t have time to say anything as Xiao brought his ungloved hand up to her face. She didn’t notice when he took it off.

Keqing could have screamed if not for her self-restraint. This had to be some sort of punishment by Rex Lapis and whatever other gods there were for being a skeptic for as long as she was. Why else would Xiao choose today of all days to be this comfortable with this level of contact? And to smile? She couldn’t forget the smile.

The more plausible answer was certainly the fact that they were completely alone. While the two were careful in public to be rather discreet about their growing closeness, it was quite a different story when they were in private. Though, this was usually limited to Keqing’s home. It was rare that, even when they were alone in the open, Xiao would initiate contact with her, thinking mostly in consideration for her position as Yuheng were someone to happen upon seeing them together.

While she appreciated his consideration, if it were up to her, she wouldn’t have minded holding his hand more often when they were out. There were many times that they could have, and did, get away with it.

She remembered an evening when she awoke at her desk to the warm sensation that she knew was Xiao’s hand stroking her shoulder. She knew he had removed his hand when he felt her waking up, but she savored the feeling of warmth that he would never admit on his own was there. She was certain it was the case when she noticed that his gloves were off. Xiao had developed a habit of using his bare hands in such situations, and it made Keqing feel special. As if he wanted her to really feel him .

But perhaps she was just looking too deep into it.

Regardless, now, the warmth of those fingers delicately held her face as if she was made of glass.

Keqing pulled away and reached for the closest cup she could reach and downed the water hastily.

“I’m fine, Xiao, don’t worry.” Keqing tried to reassure, waving her hands in front of her face. “It’s just, really hot out, haha! I’m perfectly fine!”

Xiao was silent for a moment before averting his eyes.

“If you have work to attend to, we can reschedule.” Xiao offered, seemingly unphased by Keqing’s unusual behavior. “I do not mind if-”

“No, Xiao, I’m sorry.” Keqing said, genuinely. “It’s not work, I just…my mind has been racing all day.”

Because of you.

“I’m sorry, I haven’t really been paying attention much today.” Keqing apologized, with a slight bow of her head. “But I promise, I’m fine. And I really am happy we get to spend time together like this.”

Xiao paused and thought for a second before responding. “If you are not unwell, then you’ve alleviated my concerns. Still, I hope whatever is on your mind is nothing serious.”

Keqing coughed, flustered. Well, surely, she could tell him what started this debacle. After all, that part was innocent enough. Besides, this might be the best way to get it off of her chest.

“It’s just, um…I just couldn’t help but notice that you have a really nice smile, Xiao.” Keqing said, laughing nervously.

The Yaksha was quiet for a minute before immediately shifting his gaze away from her.

“O-Oh…that…” Xiao said, looking at the ground. Keqing could see the embarrassment on his face, as if he hadn't even realized it happened and wanted to forget it. “I…didn’t intend to…”

Trying to save him the trouble of searching for words, Keqing interrupted him. “I’m just, surprised, that’s all. For someone with such a nice smile, I’m not sure why you’d hide it.”

Xiao hesitated. “I…don’t think I’m what one would think of were someone to say the word, smile . It’s better that I don’t…”

“You don’t have to force yourself. But, you don’t have to force yourself not to, either. You’re…quite charming.” Keqing said, before adding. “ Very charming.”

“I...uh…thank you.” Xiao said, noticeably red-faced. “I’m…not used to hearing…complements like that.”

Keqing laughed a bit, feeling much more comfortable now that this weight had been lifted from her. Even more so after seeing Xiao's reaction.

“Well, how could you if no one else has ever seen you smile?” Keqing asked. “If more people had, I’m sure they’d feel the same way.”

Xiao seemed to be thinking about something, but unsure of how to put it into words. While Keqing wasn’t certain, she had a feeling she knew what he wanted to say.

“We can just keep this between us, I don’t mind.” Keqing assured him. “Whenever you feel comfortable is fine with me. Just be yourself.”

Xiao didn’t answer, but looked back at her warmly, the smallest of smiles on his face.

Keqing didn’t know if she squealed out loud or not when she covered her face with her hands, falling backwards on the grass. Xiao shook her gently, asking her if she was okay, but only received giggles as an answer, much to his confusion.

Yes, Xiao had a nice smile. A really nice smile. Keqing could accept these two brief smiles for now. They were already ingrained in her mind. They’d last until he decided to give her another one.

As for the rest of her thoughts from that day. Well, she could tell him later.

~~