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Everyone in Liyue had heard of the name of the Tianquan. Children recognized the sound of her heels walking through Liyue Harbor, her pace calm and her composure full of confidence; while merchants recognized her ivory white hair, as she weaved through the bustling streets of Liyue, her eyes scanning around as if she was locating her next investing target. She was like a phoenix and they feared her presence, as they knew that a wave of her could alter the market; but yet at the same time they longed to approach her, maybe just one glimpse on her information board in the floating palace would change their fates forever.
The Tianquan had a beautiful name - Ningguang. While her name sounded gentle and elegant, it also hinted at her ambition; to climb higher, towards the brightest. Fate? Luck? She ain’t need those. She could climb to the top by her own limbs, step by step.
Ningguang knew what it was like to live in poverty, and she had swore to try her hardest to climb up the ladders. Now, the slender figure stood at the floating palace of hers, once again illuminating after crashing once, looking at the city she vowed to protect dearly. She had done it once again, she rebuilt her Jade Chamber. She had mora, she had power, she had recognition, she had admirers, fame and wealth, she had everything. Indeed, she was content, but deep down she felt something was missing. She was happy, she was well, but her heart longed for something more, just like the last piece to a puzzle. She didn’t feel complete.
Ningguang longed for love. Being as elegant and rich as she was, she never lacked suitors; but she never accepted any of them. She had seen some of them, from famous merchants to diplomats from other countries, they had always looked at her dearly with a hint of desperation in their eyes. It made Ningguang scared. She wanted to form a relationship of equal footing, she wanted to love and be loved, not as the wealthy Tianquan, but as Ningguang, the girl who roamed the Yaoguang Shoal bare feet, and the woman who adored mora unconditionally. Opposite to the rumors spread about the Tianquan everyday, she had never been in a relationship. And she thought she would never be. She was ambitious in nature, if she had to settle down at where she was to fall in love, it would be as if the wings of a bird were taken away. A bird that couldn’t fly was one which lost its charm, and will be kept in the invisible cage called “ground” while others roamed the sky, Ningguang understood her ambitious nature better than anyone else. So maybe, she wouldn’t ask for more, she’d just dream, dream about being loved and to love, dream about being engulfed in a certain someone’s arms, dream about the feeling of jubilant to know that she was dear to someone as who she was. Maybe, just maybe, love wasn’t impossible for Ningguang if it was with her .
The kids at the harbor ran near the boats as they saw the silhouette of a well-known captain arriving at the Liyue harbor with her crew. The single-eyed captain had a red claymore on her back which she effortlessly carried, as she pranced through the joyous streets of Liyue. Lantern rite was approaching, how could the dragon-like sea captain – Beidou, be absent?
Beidou liked the sea. She liked exploring, adventuring, meeting new people; and the sea was filled with unpredictability and unknown which filled her lust for adventures. But the land that she grew up on still gave her a sense of normality, the sound of brisk merchants selling their goods on the street, oh and, the smell of grilled fish from Wanmin Restaurant. There was something about Liyue that always led her back after every voyage. Or maybe, there was someone too.
When she was younger, she had always envied her fellow crewmates when she saw how their families waited for the boat to approach, and greeted them with the warmest hug. Yes, Beidou had friends of course, she had a lot of friends in fact, but she had always wanted to try snuggling in someone’s arm when she landed, and say “ I’m home. ” She was content though, she now had loving crewmates which had always supported her and assisted her in her journeys, and she had learnt to appreciate and cherish them. They felt like family to her, but occasionally, her heart still ached because she knew she would always be the “second family” to them.
Beidou glanced up; some of the decorations for the lantern rite had already been put up. A joyous festival indeed, the sea captain decided to immerse herself into the festive atmosphere. Ningguang, her dear friend, had mentioned to her before, this year’s lantern rite would be celebrated with fireworks; she had seen fireworks in Yoimiya’s shop when she visited Inazuma, but she hadn’t seen large scale fireworks, not to mention in Liyue. It was indeed something fresh for the captain to look forward to.
The night of the lantern rite firework performance, she was following Xinyan and Yunjin up to the Jade Chamber, when she came across her long seen friend, with a pipe in her hands, eyes closed as she leaned at the front door. She couldn’t help taking a glance at the Tianquan’s new outfit; it was a posh dress, bluish purple, showing Ningguang’s shoulders and her smooth thighs. Her Tianquan friend had noticed the captain as well, as Beidou walked closer.
“Hey, check you out, looking pretty fancy!”
Beidou’s voice was genuine and soft, as Ningguang turned and faced the approaching captain.
Ningguang didn’t look surprised at Beidou’s arrival. “Only a true treasure catches the eye of Captain Beidou,” Ningguang gave Beidou a warm glance and a smile. “Seems I’ve struck gold with this one.”
There was something in Ningguang’s presence that made Beidou feel calm. They could be in utter silence, but Beidou would still feel comfortable. As the fireworks were being launched, both of them looked up and enjoyed the colorful fireworks. Ningguang adored this moment, it was as if she was seeing the concerted efforts of her and other Liyueans shimmer.
Fireworks were like Epiphyllum Oxypetalum, its beauty being indescribable by words, but barely lasted more than seconds. The firework show ended, as Keqing and the others gradually left the Jade Chamber, Beidou stood by Ningguang. She didn’t know what to say, but she didn’t want to leave either. The silence between them was comfortable enough to make Beidou want to enjoy a night with company.
“Beidou, are you free tomorrow?” Ningguang suddenly broke the silence.
Beidou was a bit taken aback by the sudden question; tomorrow was her birthday. For the past years, she had always spent her birthday on a boat, with her crew, they would throw her a party and make amazing food. But this year, the lantern rites were exceptionally close to her birthday, so she would be celebrating her birthday on land.
Her birthday was also on Valentine’s day. To be honest, she didn’t like it when she was younger. Everytime when she told someone her birthday, they would be amazed: “Ooh, your birthday is on Valentine's day! I’ll never forget it then!” and indeed, they did remember her birthday and sent her wishes. But because of this, she never really felt like her birthday was a “special” day for her, as everyone left their special day for their special ones.
Hearing Ningguang’s question, she felt a little flame kindle in her chest, the little hope that Ningguang was there to celebrate her birthday aroused, but she persuaded herself to press back down the little hope. After all, yes they were friends, they bickered and played chess and all that stuff, but Beidou had never known how important of a friend she was to Ningguang. Maybe she just wants to have some new collaboration. Or my fines. And Ningguang is always so busy, maybe she doesn’t remember. One will never be disappointed if one does not hope.
“Yup, I’m free anytime,” Beidou gave Ningguang a smile. “You’re not telling me- you’re fining me on Valentines right?” Beidou gave Ningguang a scared (pretended) look, as Ningguang chuckled. “You’ll know then, Captain. See you at 10pm at the Harbor.”
“ight.”
Beidou woke up early the next morning and looked out of her window, and saw two birds being all lovey dovey on the branch. Aw man, I know its valentines, but it has nothing to do with me.
As she approached Wanmin restaurant for breakfast, she met Xinyan, Yunjin, Xingqiu and Chongyun. “Ooh, it’s Captain Beidou! Happy birthday, Captain!” Xinyan aggressively waved her hand when she saw Beidou, Yunjin calming her for fear that she might accidentally sweep Xiangling’s cooking on the floor. The others gave Beidou their blessings as she greeted them. They didn’t know it, but they just lit up Beidou’s morning.
“Captain Beidou! Happy birthday!” Xiangling said as she came over to Beidou’s table and put down her orders - a bowl of spicy noodles, and an extra fish of grilled fish. “Here, it’s for your birthday, hehe.”
“Aww, that’s so sweet of you, Xiangling, thanks!” Beidou had always appreciated how wholesome the blue haired chef was; and grilled fish, that was her favorite.
Ningguang was tidying paper works in her office, when she heard knocks on her door. “Yes, you may enter.”
As the adeptus with sky blue hair gently pushed open the door, Ningguang noticed that Ganyu wore a different outfit today.
“Whoa Ganyu, that looks nice.”
Ganyu’s face lit up at Ningguang’s complement while she handed Ningguang the new paperworks she had received. The secretary knew that the Tianquan was one with high standards, so a praise from her must mean that the outfit fit her very well.
“Thank you, Lady Ningguang. Also, may I leave earlier tonight?”
“No problem. Hm, I wonder who you are spending Valentine's Day with?” Ganyu’s excitement was all written on her face that Ningguang couldn’t help but tease her a bit.
Ganyu felt a blush crept up her face, but with how observant Ningguang was, Ganyu knew trying to dodge the question would be to no avail. “Uh, Lady Keqing. It’s not what you think, Lady Ningguang!”
“Oh, I was thinking you were going on a platonic playdate with her. So I am wrong, I see.”
“Lady Ningguang!” Ganyu buried her face in her hands, hiding the crimson glow on her cheeks. “I just, for once, want to try getting what I want.”
As Ganyu left the room all flustered, her voice lingered in Ningguang’s mind for quite a while. How long had it been since she took risks and tried going full out for what she wanted?
The night descended, and Beidou sat in her own bedroom, glancing at the clock. 9:30. Half an hour till she would meet Ningguang at the harbor. No, no, no, she ain’t getting her hopes up. As she slowly strolled to the harbor, she observed the few couples with their hands in each other, she wished the best for them, she wished they would be in love until their hair turned gray, but as the only person walking alone on the harbor, she felt a sense of lingering loneliness despite the harbor not yet being completely empty.
Beidou leaned at the wooden railing at the harbor, as she laid her eyes on the peaceful sea. She had always loved the sound of the waves, it soothed her and reminded her of the scent of the sea. But today, the clear sound of the waves lingered in her ears, as if it was a reminder of how she was alone on her birthday, she felt pathetic, she felt like she was being ungrateful for all those who wished her well, but the happy faces of her crew when they spending the days on land with their lovers and their families flashes in her mind like a videotape.
Beidou reached her pocket watch: 10:00. She looked around, no sight of the silky haired woman. Ningguang was never one that would make others wait; in fact, Ningguang was never a minute late when Beidou invited her to her Crux for chess. She was always on time or early. Ningguang knew how important punctuality was to the reputation of a business woman, and she always kept track of her time.
10:05. No sight of Ningguang. Beidou told herself to wait for 10 more minutes, Ningguang would come, Ningguang would come, but she couldn’t contain tears forming in her eye. Beidou folded her arms on the railings and buried her face in her arms, no one should see the great seafarer crying alone on her birthday.
10:10. Beidou took a glance at her pocket watch and gave up containing her tears. Ningguang was not coming. Maybe she had some important matter she needed to deal with first. Maybe she found her valentines. Maybe… Beidou didn’t want to think anymore, consoling herself wasn’t working and she no longer cared about how the few others on the harbor view her, as she bawled her eyes out, releasing all her loneliness in a while.
10:13. Beidou heard a familiar voice behind her, full of concern and worry, as she felt soft hands rubbing her shoulders. “Beidou? Are you okay? Why are you crying?” Beidou finally lifted her head up from her arms, tear traces all over her face, through her misty eye she could see Ningguang looking at her, lowkey panicking, and the white-haired woman looked like she was going to cry too.
Beidou could see Ningguang bent down to put down something on the ground, then pulled her into a warm bear hug, as Ningguang rubbed Beidou’s back to calm her down despite not knowing what happened. Gradually, Beidou calmed down, and she could see that Ningguang was shedding tears too.
“Deep breaths, deep breaths,” Ningguang placed her hands firmly on Beidou’s shoulders, forcing the chestnut haired woman to look at her. “What happened, Beidou? Are you comfortable with telling me?”
Beidou once again felt tears rolling down her cheek as the tenderness of the other woman’s voice provoked a myriad of emotions in her. She felt pathetic for breaking down, as she could see the visible panic on Ningguang’s face.
“I thought,” Beidou murmured, “you won’t come.”
Ningguang felt a sense of guilt rush through her, as she started tearing up as well, and looked away from Beidou.
“I know this might sound so stupid, Beidou, but I tripped on a rock when I was coming here, and uh, I kinda twisted my ankle and dropped the cake as well so it took me longer…”
Beidou froze. “Cake?”
“Isn’t it your birthday?”
“You remembered?”
“Of course! Or else why did I call you here?”
For the third time today, Beidou couldn’t control her tears rushing out as she engulfed Ningguang into another hug, not caring if both of them get their tears on each other. After a long moment of intense sobbing from the two, Beidou murmured “I thought, you called me to ask me for fines or sum.”
“Well, uh, sorry, we have no cake now.”
“That’s okay, Ning, just knowing you are here remembering my birthday makes me very happy. I thought too much just now, I think, I’m okay now.”
Ningguang pulled out a small box from her pocket. “Well actually, the cake is ruined, yes, but I still have a little gift and something I want to give you.”
Ningguang opened the black little box; inside it was an earring of the shape of a crown. Taking a deep breath, Ning spit out words she would never have imagined herself saying. “This is for your birthday as well as Valentines’ day.”
“Thanks.” As Beidou took the box from Ningguang, she finally proceeded with what Ningguang just said. “Wait what?”
“I love you.”
“Since when?”
“Maybe it’s the day you stayed by my side after the first Jade Chamber fell, maybe it's the smiles you give me, maybe it’s your snarkiness when you bicker with me, I don’t know the answer to your question, but,” Under the dim moonlight, Ningguang silently prayed that Beidou didn’t see her crimson face. “I love you.”
As if Beidou couldn’t fully digest what’s happening, she stood there in silence, eyes fixated on the box Ningguang just gave her.
“So… Do you feel the same?”
“Ningguang, I want to be completely honest with you. Hear me out.” Beidou grabbed Ningguang’s fidgeting hands. “I’ve never thought about you in a way more than friends, more like, I’ve never even thought of the possibility. I mean, you were like a star shining high in the sky, even if we were close friends, I still thought we lived in different worlds.”
Ningguang felt tears threatening to fall in her eyes, but she kept silent.
“And I’ve never thought anyone would love me in a romantic way, I mean, I’m always not at the harbor, and I’m reckless, and…”
Ningguang gave her a stern look which silenced Beidou. “Beidou, you are worthy to be loved, even if it’s not me. You are always so considerate, you help everyone in need, and you are always here for me when I need a shoulder to lean on. You are the best companion someone could ask for.”
Beidou looked into Ningguang’s watery eyes, damn, I’ve known it all the time, but when I’m allowed to look at her this closely, she’s breathtakingly beautiful.
“Ningguang, to be honest, I don’t know how I feel about you right now, this is very unexpected and I’ve never thought about us together before,” she couldn’t move her eye away from Ningguang’s soft eyes. “But I think, I might fall in love with you after this.”
Beidou loved it when she saw how Ningguang’s eyes lit up. There was something with Ningguang’s eyes that captured Beidou, the way her happiness glowed on her face as the pale moonlight showered her figure. Maybe, just maybe, things could work out if she was with Ningguang.
The Tianquan noticed a slight change in the way Beidou looked at her when she strolled on Liyue Harbour. Beidou’s crimson eye would peer at Ningguang for a longer time than usual, and her smiles were a little softer; Ningguang didn’t know if the smiles were directed towards her, but those were the kind of smiles one would see when they woke up to their loved ones on bed in the hazy warm morning. Ningguang would feast on the captain’s slightly buff arms, and her voluptuousness from her smooth curves.
The sea captain noticed that Ningguang’s strolls on the harbor were a bit longer. Beidou would quickly trace Ningguang’s figure with her eyes, from how silky hair waved like weightless fumes when the sea breeze caressed her neck, to her deceptively nearly naked legs. She would uncontrollably smile when she saw her figure, and when the Tianquan’s scarlet eyes met hers, Beidou would swiftly glance away as she didn’t want the white-haired lady to notice her slightly flustered cheeks. Nonetheless, Beidou’s efforts were in vain.
Slowly and steadily, Ningguang felt like there was something that sparkled between them since that night. Chemistry? Attraction? Love? She couldn’t tell. It just felt as if the great seafarer was gradually welcoming Ningguang into her life, and Ningguang couldn’t wait to crown her queen.
The sound of high heels touching the wooden deck of the Crux Fleet had become a common occurrence to the crew; Up on the floating palace in the sky bespangled with white sprinkles when the night silently descended, Baiwen tugged Baixiao on the shoulder when she could hear soft bickering from the Tianquan’s bedroom.
Few months after the Lantern rite, Juza was looking at the shore through a telescope and noticed a slender figure waiting for the Crux in Guyun Stone Forest, which was not one of the crew’s family members, as he could recognize. Wait, the Tianquan? Juza panicked, thinking about how they got caught when they smuggled goods on their last voyage. “Captain, is the Tianquan here to fine us? Are we in trouble again?”
Beidou’s eye widened at Juza’s words. She looked in the telescope Juza handed her. Next to the crowd of her crew’s family members, she spotted the familiar silhouette of the slender woman she had now fallen in love with, standing patiently on the soft sands. Oh, you’re here.
“No, the Tianquan is here to make your capt’n the happiest capt’n ever.” As the wind gently blew Beidou’s hair, Juza could see Beidou’s crown-shaped earring on her right ear, shimmering as it reflected the glow of the sun.
The brown haired woman had returned to Liyue thousands of times after her voyages, no matter far or near; but this was the first time she felt the waves gently pushing her towards where she could now firmly call “home”. As the boat was anchored, she approached the small crowd of people on the shore, and she found her beloved lady opening her arms to welcome her with a hug.
“I missed you, my queen.”
Beidou shoved her face into Ningguang’s ivory-white hair, as she felt the familiar scent of her perfume wafting into her nose.
“ I’m home .”
Hehe, it takes a phoenix to crown the uncrowned lord of the ocean.