Chapter 18: Cat Eared
"So where should we go first, guide?" Allen said with a grin.
"Grrrrrr" It seemed that there was no need to answer as King's stomach answered revolving.
"I'm also hungry, so should we go to eat something first?"
King flushed red in shame and nodded quickly. "I will bring you to the best restaurant in the city" King took Allen's hand "To the Liuli Pavilion. They have all types of Liyue's traditional delicacies, I'm sure that you never tasted anything like it."
"You are the guide" Allen nodded, letting himself be dragged over the crowd of people, going over the south of the city.
Allen was really looking forward to the food. In his last life, he could be considered a foodie, eating strange and all kind of food being one of his hobbies apart from games. A hobby that he wasn't able to partake in this life where since not long ago, having even anything to put on his mouth was a luxury. So he had really high expectations of where King would bring him as a most probably noble child, she would be used to the best.
However, the expectations for his guide quickly started to waver. What started by confidently dragging him straight off the path with decisive steps, quickly slowed down, stopping at very few steps and looking around with a worried face.
After waiting for some time, their surroundings changed, the quality of the buildings lowering as well as the number of people around. It was clear that they had gone to a new district that while it was in no way a slums, it was meant for a lower class people and would rarely have the best restaurant familiar with nobles.
Allen finally interjected, pulling her and stopping her track "You are lost, no?"
King stopped, blushed a little and avoid Allen's gaze "N-no. Of course not!" She shouted "T-this is a shortcut. Yes! A shortcut!"
Allen let go her hand, gripping with both hands her head and forcing her to directly look at his eyes.
"Are you lost?" Allen's gaze turned sharp.
King avoided the gaze "Yes" She said in a whisper with barely any sound "S-sorry. I'm lost!" She said with red eyes, some tears started living "I don't know where we are."
"Calm down" Allen released his grip and started patting her head "It doesn't matter. We are still in the city so it won't be difficult to go back our steps or ask around, don't worry."
"B-but, I promised to bring you to the best restaurant" King said between cries. "I'm useless. I can do anything alone." She said sadly, lowering his gaze with vacant eyes.
Allen quickly discovered that this went over simply being lost. This mistake having blooming the girl's insecurities.
"Don't dare to say that!" Allen shouted with a tint of anger "It's normal to fail sometimes, you only need to repent and continue forward, trying to learn from your errors. Also, the most probable is that you had always been guided and dragged around by others, this being your first time alone, no?"
King nodded "I always have a keeper and they never leave me alone, always forcing me the way around" King raised her head "The truth is that I escaped from my house. I didn't want to participate in the festival as a mere monkey to show around."
"That's all. Take it as I good experience and learn from it. But!" Allen flicked his finger, hitting King's forehead.
"Ouch!" King groaned, covering the hit with her both hands "Why?"
"You shouldn't escape. You would make your family worry" Allen scolded.
"Family?" King mood turned sour "You don't understand anything!" She shouted in tears before running away.
"It seems that I thought a sour point" Allen sighed before quickly chasing her. He couldn't let such a young girl in that state alone. At best, she would get even more lost and at worst...
"King, stop!" Allen was shocked by her sheer speed, which was even faster than him, making the distance between them only grow larger. However, suddenly a gush of hot air crossed them.
"My hood!" The strong wind pushed King's hood away, sending it flying and revealing her beautiful light purple flocs of long hair. King stopped still, lowering her body and trying to cover her hair with her arms.
Due to the wind plus the shout, the pedestrians gazes turned over King, causing her to try to hide even further "Please, no!" She cried.
She was about to burst out running, but suddenly, she felt something wrapped over her head, covering her hair with it.
"Let's go" Raising her head, she found Allen next to her. She calmed down, letting herself be dragged away by Allen away from the street towards a corner.
"Have you calmed down?" Allen asked worriedly.
"M!" King nodded and looked over her reflection at a nearly water torrent, seeing her head covered by a pink hood with cat ears.
"Sorry if it's not of your liking," Allen said scratching his head "But I didn't really have much time too choose."
Once King lost her hood and was paralyzed, Allen quickly acted, taking the first hood from the nearest festival posts, throwing some Mora to the owner and quickly covering King.
"No. I like it" King touched the ears of the hood while seeing her reflection "It's cute." She said smiling.
Allen smiled "Let's go to finally eat something and starving." Allen said turning around, but was stopped by King who gripped his robes.
"Thanks." She whispered, "The truth is that..." She said unsure.
"You don't need to force." Allen comforted
King made a thoughtful face and finally showed a radiant smile "M!" She nodded "Let's eat something!" She said quickly returning to the main street.
"Yes!" Allen nodded and started following her with a smile
Finally, asking around, they found that they were at the Chihu Rock, the southern area of Liyue Harbor near the docks. As it was turning out late and they were hungry they decided to stop at the nearest restaurant, with a poster where you could read "Wanmin Restaurant".
It wasn't anything grand, a little restaurant, mostly occupied with the kitchen where you needed to order at the stand and then bring your own food over the table, being very few tables.
"We have young customers" A middle-aged man said smiling at both of them "I am chef Mao. Nice to meet you. What would you want to order?"
"What would you recommend?" Allen asked.
"You're too young for our specialty, the Black-Back Perch Stew as it's too spicy." He said thoughtfully "Let's go with that."
Chef Mao started cooking, quickly finishing and presenting their dishes. It was a plate of beautifully decorated rice with some fruits and vegetables over it
"Universal Peace" Chef Mao said "A colorful staple food that maintains a perfect balance between soft and fragrant rice with carefully selected sweet ingredients." He explained "This dish symbols prosperity and peace for you to grow into strong adults. Enjoy it!"
Seeing the succulent plate, both children couldn't contain, having a spoonful before even going to the table.
"IT'S DELICIOUS!" King shouted happily holding her cheeks with her hands while her eyes shined happily.
"Yes. It's great" Allen nodded delighting over the food before turning to Chef Mao "How much is it?"
Listening to Allen, King stopped still and blushed, realizing that she hadn't brought any Mora with her as she was used for others to pay.
"For such cute children's first time, it's on the house!" Chef Mao stated "But be sure to recommend to others and return again."
King nodded quickly accepting. On the other hand, Allen let some Mora over the stand "I've been taught to pay for what it's worthy. And I'll make sure to return some other day."
"Thanks" Chef Mao said, the kids taking their food to the table.
Both started happily eating the Universal Peace.
"Eto!" Suddenly, Allen felt a grip over his clothes, finding a little girl with a plate in her hands with two rice bums. "Would you want to try?" The little girl asked hopefully, her eyes shining brightly.
Allen rather than the food focused on the girl who should be about 6 years old, with short dark blue hair with a yellow hairpin and wearing Chinese typical clothes, with a yellow shirt and brown pants with a red ribbon over her hip.
"Of course!" King quickly accepted wanting to try some new food, away from the usual sophisticated food that she was used to. In contrast, she was enjoying this new food much more.
Both took one bum and bite it. "HOT!" "Cough!!" Allen's and King's faced turned red and started coughing the bum. It was awfully uneatable, it was way too spicy! It was even more than eating a single chili, somehow this plate increased its spiciness.
"I see..." The little girl said thoughtfully "Using anemo slimes intensifies the spiciness of the chili. Should I use an hydro one next time?"
"Xiang'er! What did I say about testing with the customers?!" Chef Mao scolded the little girl "Sorry, kids."
"Don't worry, it doesn't matter" Allen said shaking his hands "And..." He looked over King's red face with some tears due to the spiciness. Being similar to a sad face, it was a wonder how can it be so much cuter "It was interesting." Allen laughed.
King knew that Allen was laughing about her, but seeing his face at the border of the cry by the same circumstances, causing her to giggle around
"Can I do anything for you?" Chef Mao offered.
"Something to take out this savour would help" Allen said, King nodded.
"Pa! Pa! Pa!" from the restaurant surged walking what seemed a bipedal bear, with his arms holding over its head a plate with two cups filled with white liquid.
"Good job, Guoba" Chef Mao said to the bear, taking the plate and offering it to the kids "Milk is the best against spiciness."
The children drink the milk and certainly found it more tolerable.
Having finished eating and being test subjects, King quickly stood up "Let's go, we have a lot of things to see!" She said dragging Allen away "Thanks for the food!" she shouted before leaving the restaurant.
After eating, they started exploring all around. King relinquished her post as a guide, not really being able to do it correctly, but without hurry, they started looking around.
Due to the Rite of Descension, a great number of people came to Liyue and while it was considered a solemn ritual, over Chihu Rock was more like a festival, with games and selling post all around.
"How does it look?" King happily asked wearing a cat mask.
"A little redundant, the double cat ears" Allen laughed.
"Mu!" King puffed her cheeks and started trying more masks while Allen looked all over the merchandising.
"What a cute couple" One of the vendors called Allen. Allen turned to it and saw an old woman full of wrinkles and white hair that had her body curved and covered with a veil. Turning to the posts in front of her, he found what it seemed to be hairpins, but kind of strange as they were irregularly cut in half.
"What are these?" Allen asked curiously.
"Hoh? I hope that you don't have any need for them, young boy" The old woman said kindly "They are promises to meet again. Liyue Harbor is a port city and as such, it has a lot of parting, people going away to the sea. So it's a custom to make a promise to meet again, these hairpins symbolize that. Each hairpin pattern is different, only having one pair. One for each one" She said taking two pieces of the cut hairpin. "Once they fulfill the promise and meet again, they join the pieces"
"Clank" The two pieces joined, forming a complete hairpin "Then the complete hairpin is gifted as a fulfillment of the promise and as a show that the couple is together." She explained.
"It's usually used by lovers, but it can also be used by family and friend, having a half showing how much you want to return." She finished "Seeing how good of a couple you are. I hope you don't never need them, never needing to part."
"Haha" Allen scratched "We are nothing that strong, we are simply friends that have passed a day together. I'm not from here and I would leave shortly."
"Poor boy" The old woman said sadly. "Travels are good, but at such an age keeping bonds should be the best."
Allen was about to answer when he was interrupted by King.
"Allen, look! Look!" King gripped his arm, trying to push him to another post.
Seeing the kids playing, the old woman smiled kindly "Take the charge." Allen quickly took out one of the hairpins, hiding inside his robes and throwing some Mora at the old woman.
"I hope for your reunition" The old woman said smiling.
"Did you buy something?" King asked while pushing Allen "No" was Allen answer.
After that, they continued enjoying the little festival, buying little things, trying some foods, going all over Liyue and being able to visit the most emblematic sights from Feiyun Slope, King explaining all of them, showing that while her sense of orientation was awful, she was very informed about Liyue's history.
"I want to see one last place" King said seriously "It's outside the city."
"It's very far?" Allen asked.
"No" King shook her head "It's just outside the city. Let's go."
Both started walking away from the city, leaving it behind by the main entrance near the docks, walking up a slope.
Seeing how serious was King's face while walking, he decided to stay quiet.
Finally reaching a cliff, King stopped and turned around, seeing the great sight in front of her. It had become quite late, the sun hiding over the horizon, tinting the sky in orange. From there, all Liyue Harbor could be seen, from the docks to Yiyan Temple.
""I was forbidden to leave the city, but I always wanted to come here" King said solemnly looking at the great view.
"Thanks, Allen." King turned towards Allen and took out her hood. "And sorry to have lied to you. I am not called King." A soft breeze released her long light purple hair flocks, moving with the wind "I am Keqing, the Yuheng of the Liyue Qixing."
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