Archive of Our Own

As much as Keqing loved to work, she knew when she needed a break. Her head was starting to throb, and the Feiyun account could wait a second longer. She closed out of her email client and scooted away from her desk, pausing at the momentary pain. Damn, she was stiff. She rolled her shoulders twice and twisted her torso, before coming face to face with a wide-eyed Baishi.

Nothing in hand, nothing to say, and no obvious reason for her sudden appearance. If there was one thing Keqing hated, it was lack of initiative. Did she have to ask?

“Can I help you?” Keqing said tersely.

“Miss Keqing, you must have heard,” Baishi replied unhelpfully.

“About… the Feiyun account?” Keqing guessed. She hoped she was right. Baishi, one of the three ‘B-Secretaries,’ as Keqing had mentally labeled them, had a penchant for mindless office gossip. Keqing hated gossip, and Baishi surely knew this. It couldn’t have been that.

“So you haven’t heard.”

“Fine, Baishi,” Keqing said, scooting back into her desk. If Baishi decided she was going to waste Keqing’s break talking her ear off, she may as well get some more emails sent out. “Tell me, what haven’t I heard?” She clicked into her drafts.

“I’ve heard from a very reliable source”—so, Baiwen or Baixiao—“that Miss Ganyu is seeing someone.”

Keqing hit Send, blinking.

“Seeing,” she said, turning in her seat to face Baishi.

“Seeing,” Baishi repeated, widening her eyes for emphasis. That unsettled Keqing, so she inched her chair back out of the desk. Baishi’s eyes widened even further when she realized something: “Miss Ganyu didn’t tell you.”

“Um,” Keqing held her hands in her lap. “Why would she? We’re not particularly… close.”

Baishi’s eyebrows knit together. “Oh, Miss Keqing,” she said. She patted Keqing on the shoulder and walked away.

Keqing sat there, half in annoyance and half in shock.

What the hell was that?

“I’m assuming you’ve heard.”

Keqing’s fingers paused on her keyboard. That condescending drawl never failed to irritate her.

“Why is everyone talking to me about this?” Keqing practically hissed, turning her chair to face Ningguang. She could feel the beginnings of a new headache. 

“There you go—I didn’t even mention what. Your reactions are nothing short of entertaining.”

Ningguang was looking at her with that judgmental leer, yet her body was angled away as if she had better places to be. But here she was, needling Keqing about their secretary for whatever reason. Truly insufferable.

“Well—” Keqing bit out. “Whatever it is, it doesn’t affect me, and I don’t care.”

“Okay,” Ningguang acquiesced, mouth curling into a smile. “Then I just came by to let you know you CCed me and not the Tianxuan about the Feiyun account. But I’m sure you meant to do that,” she laughed as she walked away, heels clicking sharply against the polished floor.

Keqing realized her hands were balled into fists on her desk. She gingerly uncurled them, willing herself to forget about stupid Ningguang and focus on her stupid work.

Ping!

Keqing clicked into her messages.

Hu Tao (1:38 PM): so sorry about ganyu (three sobbing emojis in a row)

She swiftly clicked the DM closed, stood up, and headed for the exit.

Converting their office to open-plan was definitely a mistake. Keqing just couldn’t catch a break.

One of the other major changes Keqing had made since becoming Yuheng was open the building rooftop for employee access. She had argued to the other Qixing that the workers needed a clear view of the city they were working for, and that it was better to smoke up here than in the building or on the street level.

She didn’t even smoke, but she tacked on that last point for Ningguang, who gave her resounding approval.

Right now, Keqing was more than thankful for her past actions. A concrete wall had been erected around the perimeter before the old railing as a safety measure, and she braced herself against it. She leaned forward on folded arms and peered over Liyue, a cup of black coffee at her elbow. Chilly fall days like these meant that hardly anyone else came up here. Now that she was finally alone with her thoughts, she could review the events from this afternoon.

She hoped the fresh air and caffeine would cure her headache.

Months of lunches and subtle flirting, gone out the window. Keqing’s careful planning had led to nowhere. She could forget about inviting Ganyu out for ‘friendly’ drinks tonight like she’d originally hoped.

Keqing knew Ganyu was cautious by nature and had tried to respect that, tempering her eagerness to immediately ask her out once she realized her own feelings. She had kept her advances mild, hoping that after enough time—and if the feeling was mutual—Ganyu would eventually catch on and acknowledge them.

What she hadn’t expected was something else developing behind the scenes.

What an oversight. It was by no means Ganyu’s fault, but Keqing couldn’t help but wish she had let her down sooner. Or at least mentioned this ‘someone’ in passing.

She took a sip of coffee, thinking about what she had told Baishi. Were they really not that close?

The bitter taste lingered in her mouth. Keqing had clearly misread the situation. Whatever she thought had been going on between them was never meant to be—just another closed door. She sighed into her cup. She could be mature about this and move on.

BZZ! 

Keqing fished her phone out of her pocket.

Hu Tao (1:47 PM): her name is beidou and she’s really jacked btw

It took all of Keqing’s self-control to not throw her phone off the roof.

“Miss Keqing? Are you alright?”

Keqing glanced up from her work and locked eyes with Ganyu, concern clear on her face.

“Oh, I’m…” Keqing stared down the offending paper. “Fine.”

With the subject of this week’s hottest topic sitting across from her, it was hard to concentrate.

She shouldn't have been surprised that as soon as she returned to her desk, Baixiao had come out of nowhere with more details. Apparently, the night before, Baiwen had seen Ganyu waiting outside of the company building. A tall woman holding a large stuffed animal approached, Ganyu rushed her with a hug and the biggest smile anyone had ever seen (Baiwen’s words), and they linked arms before walking off.

It hardly sounded believable, given the secretary’s closed-off nature, but Baiwen had sworn up and down that she’d seen it (again, Baiwen’s words). Baiwen, a good distance away at her own desk, had nodded furiously in confirmation. Keqing even thought she saw Baishi send her another pitiful look.

Keqing scrutinized the document before her, where the name ‘Beidou’ had suddenly appeared and caught her off-guard. Irritation must have been clear on her face if Ganyu had noticed. Great. The name wasn’t exactly uncommon, and Keqing was already starting to associate key business figures with her crush.

“You must be tired after everything today,” Ganyu said casually, eyes glued to the papers she was signing.

Keqing froze in her seat, panic settling in. She thought Ganyu had been out all day running errands. Had she overheard anything?

“Feiyun is demanding quite a lot,” Ganyu elaborated, gesturing at the papers in front of them. Keqing exhaled. “Any plans after this?”

What? No. Well, not anymore. A few weeks back, Keqing had cleared this evening for their hypothetical dinner date, which was definitely out of the question now. Currently, her plans were starting to look like an evening at home, spent face-down on her bed and screaming into her favorite pillow. Not that Ganyu could know that, but Keqing did have some pride left.

“Um, yeah,” Keqing said, grasping for something to say. “I’m—dinner. With a friend.”

Good lord. Why not just make unintelligible noises next time.

“Oh, I see,” Ganyu said, biting her lip. Maybe yesterday, Keqing would’ve thought she almost looked disappointed.

Ganyu picked up her phone and began tapping away. Against her better manners, Keqing caught a glimpse of Ganyu’s lockscreen: a photo of a cluster of silk flowers. The instant relief she felt annoyed her.

“What about you, Miss Ganyu?” Keqing asked, trying to be polite, despite her personal distractions. She was aware that she was no good at small talk, but she’d been making an effort.

“Same as well,” Ganyu smiled gently. “Dinner with a very good friend of mine.”

“I see.” Was that what they called girlfriends these days? Well, this was Ganyu. She’d never heard her refer to a restroom as anything but ‘the ladies’ room.’

The minutes ticked by, and Keqing finished her last paper. “Thank you for your time, Miss Ganyu,” Keqing said, gathering the documents into a clear folder. Ganyu hurriedly stood up with her, lips parted as though to say something. No doubt trying to clear the awkward atmosphere Keqing created.

Keqing felt guilty, so she beat her to it. “Uh, I hope you have a good time. At dinner.”

“I—Yes,” Ganyu said, nodding slightly. “Have a good rest of your evening.”

Keqing smiled wryly before walking out of the room.

For Ganyu, she’d at least try.

‘Trying’ and ‘doing’ were two very different things. Keqing had a mostly sleepless night, over-analyzing every single one of her interactions with Ganyu in the past six months before embarrassment hit her like a truck.

She’d been crushing on their secretary. Rushing to greet her first thing every morning, covertly ordering her favorite foods at lunchtime, eagerly anticipating the next time she would need Ganyu’s assistance. And she was so sure her interest was at least a tiny bit reciprocated too. Shame coursed through her, compounding into guilt.

That guilt led her back to the office the next morning, determined to compensate by putting in extra work. And it worked. The hours flew by, and Keqing was almost beginning to forget the events of yesterday.

“Miss Keqing,” a soft voice said.

Or not.

Ganyu always looked put-together, but there was something about her today. Keqing immediately clocked the subtle details: a black pussybow blouse in lieu of her usual crisp white button-downs, wavy hair pulled back into a bow. Keqing could even spot the gold earrings usually hidden by her side bangs. It was almost unfair how Ganyu could look so good even within the constraints of business casual.

To put it simply, this was definitely not helping after last night’s self-reflection.

“Hello, Miss Ganyu,” Keqing said, trying to keep her nerves together. “What can I do for you?” Ganyu’s pleasantly floral perfume was stronger than usual today. Or was it just their close proximity?

Ganyu had her hands folded in front of her. “Do you have any plans this evening?”

This again?

“I don’t believe so,” Keqing said carefully. She didn’t have the heart to lie again today.

“Then, would you like to have dinner with me? I’d like you to meet someone,” Ganyu said, hands moving to link behind her back. 

A few months ago, Keqing would have killed to hear that first sentence. Back then, when she’d naively projected she and Ganyu would progress from lunch to dinner by the end of the year.

She just hadn’t expected their dinners would include Ganyu’s girlfriend.

Which made Ganyu’s invitation all the more confusing. Keqing tried to look at it from a business perspective. Did Ganyu want to introduce her girlfriend to her workplace, and had designated Keqing as the office representative?

It made little sense, but Ganyu was waiting for her answer, and Keqing was no coward. When she was curious about something, she got to the bottom of it.

Even if it could hurt.

“Sure,” Keqing said, as coolly as she could.

The way Ganyu’s face lit up almost made it worth it.

Maybe Keqing had made a mistake.

Beidou was, indeed, jacked. Her arms were very well-defined, muscles stretching even the thin fabric of her black quarter-sleeve shirt. The jacket draped over the back of her chair was shockingly expensive in contrast—a black Charmeuse silk blazer adorned with hefty gold-plated Gucci buttons. It looked like something that Ningguang would buy for herself on one of her weekend outings.

“This is Beidou. She works in shipping,” Ganyu said proudly.

Beidou waved, and the seams of her sleeves looked like they were threatening to rip. 

Does she move those containers herself? Keqing thought.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Keqing,” Beidou said, extending a hand. “You can just call me Beidou.”

“Then, you can call me Keqing,” she returned, reaching forward to shake her hand. Calloused fingers closed around hers briefly, yet the vice-like grip had Keqing almost wincing. Damn, her grip was firm.

Strong and fit—sensible qualities to have as a worker in the shipping industry. Yet her extravagant attire suggested that she was more than just a laborer in her field. As she mulled it over, Keqing pulled out a chair for Ganyu, who thanked her quietly. Beidou was no ordinary woman. Where on earth had Ganyu found her?

As Keqing settled in her own seat, something dawned on her.

“Could it be that you’re Beidou from Crux?” Keqing asked, eyebrows rising. Crux was only one of the biggest shipping companies around. So it wasn’t by coincidence that Keqing had seen Beidou’s name in documents concerning the Feiyun account—they were directly partnered with Crux.

“Yes, that’s my company! I’m in town to meet with one of our partners, so I thought, why not visit Little Miss Ganyu and see how she’s doing,” Beidou said, leaning over to sling an arm around Ganyu.

“I’m older than you and Miss Ningguang,” Ganyu said flatly.

“But enough talking shop.” Beidou ignored her, raising a glass to Keqing. “I’ve heard so much about you. Well, not just because you’re in the Qixing, but from Ganyu herself.”

Keqing’s heart sank. Had Ganyu complained to Beidou about her, back when she was sure Ganyu hated her guts? And was that better than not mentioning her at all?

“Beidou!” Ganyu protested, her voice pitching up in a way Keqing wasn’t familiar with. Ah, what Beidou had heard was likely all bad then.

“Apologies, by the way,” Beidou said, gesturing at their surroundings. “If I had known you were definitely coming tonight, I would have picked a fancier spot.”

With its rickety wooden chairs and stained tablecloths, it was plain to see that the restaurant was hardly the upscale sort the Qixing often held their business meetings at. However, she was no stranger to its casual ambience. In recent years, Keqing had even grown to appreciate coming to holes in the wall that might have been overlooked by her colleagues, seeing them as a much-needed respite from judgmental eyes.

“There’s no need to do that on my account,” Keqing said. “This is more than fine.”

“Glad to hear!” Beidou said. “This joint is just a reliable favorite for me and Ganyu.”

“Yes, it is nice to enjoy meals in a more relaxed setting,” Ganyu agreed.

Keqing didn’t realize Ganyu had shared her sentiment. Maybe it was a good thing she canceled yesterday evening’s reservation to Xinyue Kiosk last-minute.

Out of all the places Keqing imagined taking Ganyu to, it never occurred to her that Ganyu would prefer someplace more lowkey. Would their dinner date have been a bust? Did she not know Ganyu’s taste at all? Of course she didn’t. And if there was anyone who knew Ganyu best, they were sitting directly across from Keqing.

Beidou clapped her hands together. “Ha, well I can tell that Xiangling is getting impatient.” She chuckled, gesturing to the waitress in the corner, who had apparently never stopped staring at them. “Shall we order now?”

Keqing took a glance at the laminated menu at the center of the table, skimming over rows of dishes she’d never heard of in her life. Slime fried rice? Stone-grilled lizard? She frowned. There weren’t even any pictures to convince her they were appetizing. Or edible at all.

Taking initiative had always been a core part of Keqing’s nature. But her intuition was just as integral, and it told her she should let Beidou do the ordering.

“If you’re well-acquainted with the menu, I’ll let you take the lead,” Keqing conceded, passing the menu to Beidou.

“You bet. Oi, Xiangling!” Beidou turned and called out to the waitress, waving her over.

Xiangling scurried over, looking oddly excited for someone just doing their job. “It’s about time you came back!” she teased, addressing Ganyu and Beidou. She suddenly swung her whole body in Keqing’s direction, head leaning into her space. “And hello, Miss Keqing! Welcome to Wangmin Restaurant!”

Keqing had to crane her neck back. “Um, hello.”

Just as quickly as she had greeted Keqing, Xiangling shifted back to Beidou, and they began to discuss their order. The menu lay untouched where Keqing had put it. Beidou was turned, reciting the dishes without missing a beat. Keqing could see her side profile from this angle—a sharp chiseled jawline, cool scars lining her forearm. Did Ganyu find scars attractive?

“I’m sorry if Xiangling startled you,” Ganyu said from beside her.

Huh. Had Ganyu’s chair always been this close to hers? “That’s alright,” Keqing said, avoiding eye contact. If she turned to face her, there’d be practically no room between them.

“She’s really a good kid. Did you know she’s actually the head chef here? Her father started the business, but he’s planning to retire and leave it to her soon.”

“That’s interesting.” Keqing sipped her water. Beidou must have cracked a joke at some point, because Xiangling started laughing. 

Ganyu apparently had nothing to say after that and scooted away, so Keqing resumed her assessment of Beidou. Sure, Beidou was strong and good-looking and could make her friends laugh with ease, but could she do a backflip? Or whittle a rock until it was perfectly reflective? Keqing would have to see it for herself.

“I’ll be just a minute!” Xiangling’s voice cut through Keqing’s thoughts. She hurried off to the kitchen, but not before giving Keqing a curious look.

Beidou turned back to the table. “Got your favorite, Ganyu! Qingxin lotus stir fry,” she said.

Keqing preened inwardly. During their occasional lunches together at the office, Keqing had the pleasure of ordering that for Ganyu before. At the very least, she knew her favorites.

“I also got Xiangling to make non-spicy radish balls for you,” Beidou continued, “since your stomach’s sensitive and all.”

“Beidou,” Ganyu chastised, nudging her elbow into Beidou’s side. “I don’t think Miss Keqing needs to know about that.”

Just as quickly as Keqing’s ego recovered, it sharply deflated. Non-spicy? Sensitive stomach? There was a time she bought spicy radish balls for Ganyu, under the pretense of over-ordering. Was Ganyu only being polite for accepting them? Had she secretly handed them off to someone else?

Regardless, Ganyu didn’t want her to know about it. Forget not knowing Ganyu’s tastes, Keqing didn’t know anything about her at all. 

“And Keqing,” Beidou said. “I heard you like golden shrimp balls, so I put in a double order for you.”

“Thank you,” Keqing said, smiling tightly.

“Normally I’d also order some wine for the table, but I know Miss Ganyu here can’t control herself around her favorites. Food is fine, but alcohol’s a different story.”

“Oh,” Keqing said, perking up, “that’s hard to imagine. Miss Ganyu is always the most sober one at our work gatherings.”

“Ha! You should’ve seen her that one time—”

“Beidou,” Ganyu cut in, eyes narrowed. “Do you derive joy from embarrassing me?”

“Okay, okay, I’ll stop,” Beidou relented, holding her hands up. “But if you think my stories are embarrassing, then you should meet her mother.” She winked.

Keqing sunk into her seat amidst Ganyu’s spluttering, the chair squeaking beneath her. Beidou had met her parents. They were definitely serious—not like Keqing had secretly hoped otherwise.

The rest of the evening continued tolerably. Beidou steered clear of any topics that would embarrass Ganyu, and Keqing, no longer interested, responded with as few words as possible. Ganyu had equally little to say, and when she did, it was addressed to Beidou. 

It was simultaneously the most eventful and uneventful dinner she’d ever had. At least the shrimp balls were good.

Keqing, to her credit, managed to retain some of her dignity and pay for dinner. Both Beidou and Ganyu had loudly protested, but Keqing had held her ground, pressing her black card into Xiangling’s hand.

“Thanks for coming! Hope to see you again soon!” Xiangling said, waving from the entrance.

“The food was lovely as always,” Ganyu said.

Beidou slung her arm around Keqing. “Hey, thanks for getting the check,” she said. “I’ll get you back next time.”

Keqing prayed to god there wouldn’t be a next time. “It was my pleasure,” she said, fighting the urge to wriggle out of Beidou’s grasp.

To Keqing’s dismay, Beidou leaned in even closer. “Thanks for looking after Ganyu for me,” she said lowly. “She can be a bit of a wallflower sometimes, but she just needs some extra care.”

Keqing didn’t know if Beidou was giving some friendly advice or if she was being threatened. Well, she had nothing to worry about. Keqing wasn’t a homewrecker. Tomorrow, she would go back to her old self that didn’t trip up over every minute spent with Ganyu. There would be no more lunches, and definitely no more dinners.

“It was nice to meet you,” Keqing said, gingerly removing herself from Beidou’s hold. “I hope you enjoy the rest of your stay.” She looked over at the entrance; Xiangling had already retreated back into the warmth of her restaurant, and Ganyu was left staring inquisitively at them. “Miss Ganyu, did you also park at the company garage? I’m going to head back.”

“Actually… I didn’t bring my car to work today,” Ganyu said. “Beidou drove me.”

Of course she did.

“Alright,” Keqing said. “I’ll see you at work, Miss Ganyu.” She waved, before turning down the street.

Well, that was that. All things considered, it would have been a decent dinner if Keqing hadn’t been trying to court someone else’s girlfriend up until literally yesterday. Keqing was used to things not going according to plan, but for once in her life she was wholly unprepared for the curveball that had been thrown at her.

Admittedly, while the situation still left an ache in her chest, Keqing was proud of herself for not running away from it. She needed to move on eventually, and being confronted with reality was the fastest way to do it. At least Beidou seemed kind.

Keqing continued down the poorly-lit street, the chilly air biting into her cheeks. She pulled her jacket tighter over herself and shoved her hands in her pockets. Thankfully, the sky was cloudless. While she didn’t think her day could get any worse, the last thing she needed was rain.

Hurried footsteps echoed behind her.

“Wait!” a voice called out.

Keqing whirled around, shoulders stiffening, but the tension left her body once she saw who had approached her.

“Miss Ganyu?” Keqing said, her heart skipping a beat. She could scarcely believe her eyes. Ganyu was standing before her, slightly bent over as she caught her breath. Her windswept hair fell into her face, and her coat was slung haphazardly over one arm. It was the closest to disheveled that Keqing had seen her.

Ganyu exhaled once more before she stood upright, still a little breathless and pink in the cheeks. “I’ll walk you back.”

Keqing blinked, eyes darting to Wangmin’s entrance where Beidou stood, waving at them both before she headed off in the opposite direction.

“Okay,” Keqing said. She was more than a little confused, but she figured it would be rude to ask. “Just the end of the block is fine.” And then Ganyu would go back to Beidou. She could endure the awkwardness for that long.

Ganyu nodded wordlessly, and they walked in silence for a few moments. The sound of cars passing by filled the air. Keqing chanced a glance at Ganyu, but the dim lighting around them made it difficult to see her expression.

“Keqing.”

Keqing stopped in her tracks. “Yes?”

“You can call me Ganyu,” she said quietly. “I mean, since even Beidou is calling you that now.”

A feeling between confusion and frustration bubbled up in Keqing’s chest. She had tried to get closer to Ganyu, only to find out she had a girlfriend. And now, when she was trying to create some distance, Ganyu suddenly wanted to drop the formalities. Nothing was going the way she expected. She needed answers.

“Ganyu,” Keqing began. She’d been careful not to scare off Ganyu with her direct manner, but there was only so much she could force herself not to address. “Why did you invite me out tonight?”

Ganyu, to her credit, was unfazed by her bluntness. “I wanted you to meet Beidou.”

Well, clearly. But that made it all the more confusing. A part of Keqing didn’t want to believe that Ganyu had been completely oblivious to her feelings.

… Or maybe Ganyu knew all along. An icy feeling clutched Keqing’s heart. Perhaps this was Ganyu’s way of subtly rejecting her. And if that was the case, then she needed to hear it from Ganyu herself.

“Why did you want me to meet her?” Keqing said, holding her breath.

“She’s important to me, so I wanted you to meet her,” Ganyu said softly. She moved to stand directly in front of Keqing. “I wanted you to know more about me. Was that not okay?”

Keqing had to pause. She had no idea what to make of that. Even under the lamplight, the expression on Ganyu’s face was irritatingly hard to decipher. Months of actively spending time together, and Keqing still couldn’t get a proper read on her—a fact made all the more apparent with just how little she knew about Ganyu. But Ganyu had answered her question with another, and Keqing owed it to her to think about it earnestly.

Of course it was okay. Or at least, it should have been. Not even two days ago, she would have been elated to hear those words. A subtle romantic gesture from Ganyu, an invitation to get closer to her—it was everything Keqing could’ve asked for and more. 

Except now it was clear that she had just been reading the signs wrong all along. Tonight was irrefutable proof that their past interactions had been nothing more than mere friendliness from Ganyu’s end.

The truth was she would never be satisfied with just being friends. And now, with someone else in the mix, accepting more outings like these meant crossing a line. For the sake of propriety, Keqing had to set boundaries. And for her own sanity, too.

There were so many thoughts circulating through her head, but in the end Keqing could only blurt out one thing:

“You’re dating Beidou.”

Finally voicing it out loud stung more than Keqing thought it would.

There was a long silence. A car honked in the distance. Keqing’s phone buzzed in her pocket.

Ganyu blinked several times before her mouth dropped open. “Pardon?”

Keqing mirrored her expression. Why did Ganyu look surprised? “Baiwen saw you on your date. Beidou met your parents.” 

”You—you think we’re dating?” Ganyu asked. Her eyes seemed to lose focus. She put a hand to her forehead. “Oh goodness, this… this explains all the staring from everyone this week.”

Was Keqing not supposed to figure it out? Had Ganyu intended to keep her relationship a secret? “Baiwen spread the news rather quickly,” she explained. “However, I apologize for partaking in their gossip.” 

Ganyu was quiet for a few moments.

“So,” Ganyu said, “Baiwen thought she caught me with my secret girlfriend, spread it around the office”—Keqing nodded mournfully—“and you believed her?” Ganyu's tone took a sharp turn.

Keqing winced. Ganyu rarely raised her voice. She’d done it once before, and much like this time, Keqing had fully deserved it. “I’m really sorry.”

”I didn’t think you were one to gossip,” Ganyu said.

“Not usually,” Keqing said, biting her lip. “But it was about you, so I…” She clasped her hands together. She couldn’t say it. Especially not now, after she’d invaded Ganyu’s privacy.

Keqing measured her next words carefully, knowing nothing she said could make Ganyu stop being upset with her. It had hurt to find out she’d never had a chance with her crush, but it felt worse knowing she was going to lose a friend. The least she could do was try and make things right.

“At any rate,” she continued, “I’ll do my best to keep your secret. I’ll tell everyone at the office that it was a misunderstanding.”

“It is a misunderstanding.”

“Yes,” Keqing said, “I’ll say it is a misunderstanding that Baiwen thought you two were a couple—”

“That’s not—”

“—even though Beidou is fit and charming—”

“Keqing—”

“—and she drives you to work—”

“Beidou and I are not dating!” Ganyu snapped.

Keqing frowned. Ganyu’s hands were clenched at her sides. “I don’t think I understand.”

“Baiwen was wrong. We are not dating,” Ganyu repeated. “Beidou is my friend.” Her voice grew quiet, and she clasped her hands in front of her, breaking eye contact with Keqing. “Is this… is this why you barely spoke to me all dinner?”

The pit in Keqing’s stomach dropped. Beidou really was just her friend. Oh, she was an asshole. “I’m sorry,” she said. She didn’t think Ganyu had noticed her behavior.

“That’s not a direct answer,” Ganyu remarked, looking back at her. “That’s unlike you.”

“Then yes,” Keqing admitted. “That was why.” That was why she lied about being busy, avoided Ganyu, and gave her best friend a terrible first impression—all over a rumor that ended up being false. “I handled it poorly.”

Ganyu was staring at her intensely, and Keqing braced herself for the impending fallout. She was no stranger to Ganyu’s silent fury, but the silence stretched on longer than she could handle.

She didn’t think Ganyu would laugh.

“I’m glad you’re somehow finding humor in this?” Keqing said, not quite sure how to feel.

The smile remained on Ganyu’s face even after she stopped laughing. “I think… I’m just relieved that I didn’t imagine it.”

“Imagine what?”

“Nothing,” Ganyu said, turning heel to continue walking. Keqing could’ve sworn her smile turned sly.

Keqing flustered, rushing to catch up to her. Did she mean—

“Baiwen saw me walking around with a giant stuffed animal, didn’t she?” Ganyu asked.

“That is what she said,” Keqing confirmed. They were well past the end of the block now.

“I… can see how that would look incriminating,” Ganyu said. “I hadn’t seen Beidou in a while. She knows how much I like Rex Lapis, so she surprised me with the official plush.”

Keqing’s jaw dropped. “Those sold out within seconds of release.” She’d fought tooth and nail to secure one for herself. If Baiwen had any familiarity with the scarcity of Rex Lapis merch, then Keqing didn’t blame her for making assumptions.

Ganyu’s eyebrows rose. “Oh? Are you a collector as well?”

The adorable excitement in Ganyu’s voice hit Keqing straight in the chest. She would rather die than admit one of her biggest secrets to a coworker, but Ganyu appeared to be the exception. “I might be,” she mumbled, heat creeping up her neck.

Ganyu’s resulting laughter was well worth it, but Keqing couldn’t fully share in her amusement. Guilt still weighed heavily on her conscience. Beidou was such a good friend to Ganyu, and had been nothing but kind and accommodating to Keqing—someone she’d just met. And Keqing had not been so kind in return. She had to do something.

“Would it be okay if I took you and Beidou out to dinner again?” Keqing said. “Now that everything’s cleared up, I’d like to make things right.” On principle, Keqing was never one to leave things unresolved.

“Beidou will be busy for the rest of her stay,” Ganyu said apologetically. “She’s occupied with meetings, and will spend the remainder of her free time with Miss Ningguang.”

“Ningguang,” Keqing repeated more to herself than anything. The revelation didn’t surprise her as much as she thought it would. “I see. Some other time, then.”

“But I won’t be,” Ganyu said quickly. “Busy, I mean.”

“Oh.” Oh my. Keqing could take the hint this time, right? “Do you have any requests for dinner?”

“None in particular, but I’d love to see your collection afterward. If that’s alright.”

Keqing had to do a double take. Did Ganyu understand how that could be interpreted? But the way Ganyu turned her head away shyly told Keqing she might be onto something. Maybe Ganyu really was more assertive than she gave her credit for.

The idea wasn’t unappealing. Keqing swallowed thickly. “That… would be nice.”

“Oh, we’re here already,” Ganyu said as they approached the parking garage. A frigid gust of air brushed past them, and Keqing shivered in place. By contrast, Ganyu seemed unaffected despite not wearing her jacket. But surely it wouldn’t be comfortable walking back like that.

“Thanks for walking with me,” Keqing said, lingering by her car. She wasn’t ready to drive away just yet.

“Of course. It was my pleasure.” Ganyu didn’t seem like she was in a rush to leave either.

Her crush, standing outside in the cold, with no obvious ride in sight—Keqing would have to be an idiot not to take her chances. “It’s getting late now. Let me drive you back home?”

Much to her relief, Ganyu smiled and stepped towards her car. “Yes. I’d love to keep talking with you.”

“I feel the same way,” Keqing agreed, moving to open the door for Ganyu. “I’d love to learn more about you.”

Hu Tao (7:52 PM): ok but why do u keep leaving me on read

Keqing (1:13 AM): hu tao. please stfu