Alright ! Today's the day I will befriend Xiao !

First things first, eat breakfast and then shower ! After doing that I go back to my room to get the recipe for almond tofu but... I can't seem to find it... I swear I left it right here on this table.. where.. is it ?

"Heehee."

I hear a little girls giggle behind me. I turn around to see a translucent girl holding the recipe. "Hey you seem to have what I've been looking for, could you just hand it—"

"Come play with Dusky Ming~"

The girl phases through the wall and runs away. I chase her but eventually she disappears again but this time I can't see where she went. Surely Verr knows something about this, right ?

I ask her about the little girl named Dusky Ming and she said she's a resident of Wangshu Inn. She told me that she likes to run of into Guili Plains so that's where I am now.

I start looking around for her but a translucent little girl isn't exactly the easiest thing to find. But while walking pass a big rock I hear someone.

"You can't just go around stealing the guests' belongings. Give that back to whoever you stole that from"

"O-okay..."

I take a peek at the people talking to see Xiao scolding the girl. She walks over to me and hands me the recipe. I take it still kind of confused on what's happening right now.

"Come play with Dusky Ming again okay ?"

And with that she disappears. I look at Xiao and he just looks at me and shakes his head.

"That kid is quite the pain to deal with..."

"Uh... hi Xiao !"

I expect a hello back but instead he just walks away. That's it, now I'm even more determined to befriend him ! This is going to be the best Almond Tofu he's ever tasted ! I run back to the inn and ask for Smiley Yanxiao's help to make the Almond Tofu.

He teaches me a lot of new cooking techniques and by the end of it, not only does the Almond Tofu look delicious, but I learned a few new cooking tricks !

I walk up to the balcony with the Almond Tofu in hands careful not to trip over and drop it. And there I see Xiao again, looking out at Dihua Marsh.

"Uh Xiao ? I made you some Almond Tofu~"

Like a dog who's just about to eat, he turns his head as soon as I mention his favorite food. I quickly bring it over to him and he gratefully accepts.

"What do you want ?"

"Oh nothing really, I just wanted to talk to you, is all."

"Is that so ? You aren't here to ask me for a favor ? Or tell me Rex Lapis was killed ?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Tch, you're strange... all the other humans I've met only come to me when they need one of their mortal quarrels solved by an adepti, but you are here to merely... chat ?"

"Oh so that's why you're so strong ! And yes, you seemed like a nice person when we first met."

"Fine, then what do you want to talk about ?"

"Oh I don't know, I guess I didn't think that far ahead."

"You wanted to talk to me... despite not knowing what to talk about ?"

"Well isn't that how you make friends ?"

"Friends you say... hm. When was the last time I made a friend..."

Xiao looks back off into the distance and we stay there for quite a while. Not talking, just admiring the view together. The wind here is nice. The sun starts to set and I almost forgot. Tonight's my last night here !

"Oh uh Xiao, tonight's my last night here, just so you know. I'll be traveling to Liyue harbor first thing in the morning."

He doesn't reply. Instead he just glances at me with a sort of... disappointed expression ?

"Well I better go to bed now, I've got a long journey ahead of me. It was nice meeting you !"

"Likewise."

I wave off to Xiao and walk back to my room to sleep. I leave Wangshu Inn tomorrow. I'm gonna miss this place. The people were so nice ! And I wish I got to talk to Xiao some more... but it can't be helped. I must travel all of Teyvat no matter what it takes.

The dawn of a new day comes and Y/N is up bright and early to leave as soon as they can to get to Liyue Harbor.

Y/N packs all of their things and leaves Wangshu Inn after saying their goodbyes to the workers. Y/N sadly couldn't find Xiao though, the one they wanted to say goodbye to the most.

But alas, it can't be helped, Y/N shakes their head and marches onward to Liyue Harbor. They make it all the way through Guili Plains before the sun sets. According to the map, it shouldn't take much longer to get to Liyue Harbor.

Y/N finds a nice safe spot to set up a camp and then they go to bed. They did find something strange though, the entire time Y/N was walking they could feel something following them, bushes rustling at every twist and turn. But they paid no mind. Sleep was their highest priority.

And so our sweet little adventurer drifted off into dreamland.

But the world had for our little adventurer.