The Vigilant Yaksha

Chapter 61

"Back from protecting Liyue already?"

Xiao was pleasantly caught off guard by the fact that without even turning around to face him, Vena had still been alerted to his presence despite how quietly he'd returned.

"I assumed you'd be fast asleep by now." Xiao huffed a short laugh through his nose, giving his head a gentle shake, knowing she'd always had a tendency to be a night owl.

Although usually, she'd made a habit of staying up late whenever she'd be working on something, not like now where she was simply sat outside in her typical spot down by the water's edge.

"I was thinking." Her voice remained soft and gentle, almost getting lost across the breeze of the cold night's air.

Turning around to face him, her gaze immediately dropping to focus on the various wounds littered across his body, her expression instantly becoming worried as she got to her feet.

"It's fine, love. Nothing major-" Xiao attempted to persuade the girl, already knowing she was about to shove him back into the house and get out her equipment like she did every time he came home with any type of injuries.

"You're bleeding, Xiao." The gentleness had left her tone, voice now stern with an edge, clearly taking his well-being very seriously.

"Sometimes I think you forget that I'm a Yaksha." The raven haired man pressed further, reaching up to grasp her wrists gently as soon as they'd reached up to start looking over his injuries.

"And you seem to forget that I'm a nurse. This is my job." Vena huffed, her stubbornness obviously knowing no bounds whenever it came to Xiao especially.

"I could never forget, but don't waste your supplies. I'll heal just fine. There's no need to waste them on such minuscule wounds like these when they could be saved for someone else, like Aether."

Hands now quietly rested on her hips, azure eyes simply glared him down, but he knew she was far from actually being angry with him.

"It's not a waste if they're used to help you." Vena mumbled out sheepishly, somehow growing shy at the admittance as she crossed her arms, turning her gaze away in defiance.

"I can make more anyway- I have so many recipes now for things from this world, they grow practically everywhere-" She attempted to sway him yet again, only to be cut off as he took her hands delicately within his grasp, pulling one up to press a gentle kiss to the top of her hand.

"I appreciate your concern, my love, but just relax. I'm perfectly fine, you don't need to waste so much of your time and energy piecing my clumsy ass back together all of the time."

Cheeks flushed scarlet at his display, her gaze shying away as she struggled to focus on his words.

Would she ever grow used to him doing such cute gestures? It seemed like the butterflies never left her stomach when he was around.

"Could you at least wash off in the stream? I'll feel better if I know your wounds are clean." She muttered shyly, trying desperately to keep her voice steady and not swoon at everything he did.

"Of course." Xiao agreed easily, letting go of her hands to step away, his hands now grasping the bottom of his shirt as he wasted no time pulling the thin fabric over his head, tossing it down on a rock nearby.

The typical white shirt was now covered in dirt and dry blood, something Vena planned to wash clean and have dry for him in the morning whether he protested or not.

"Now, what were you out here losing sleep over, hm?"

Unable to tell why, her stomach churned in delight every single time he 'hm'd her. Maybe it was the tone he always used.