Xiao X Reader [A Fragment of My Memories]

[02] A Sojourner's Memory

Vibrant yellow leaves trickled down to the ground. You held out a hand, just in time for a leaf to land on your palm. 

'It's the same color. Just a little darker...' you thought, looking up at the sky as you squint your eyes.

A bright yellow tree loomed over a building with red walls and green roofs. It was pretty hard to miss, especially with the way it sat atop a massive stone pillar. 

'This is the place.'  

You look around, spotting the bridge and iconic Silk Flowers behind you. To the front was a wide flight of wooden stairs adorned with lanterns on each side. Strangely enough, you couldn't see a clear entrance beyond it. 

Taking a deep breath, you climbed up the stairs until you reached the orange carpet. Immediately, you spot a dark-haired man dressed in gray Liyue clothing approaching you. 

"Ah! You must be (Y/N) from Mondstadt!" The man exclaims. "Welcome, welcome to Wangshu Inn!" He smiles, extending his arms in a warm welcome. 

You dip your head in a bow as a sign of respect. "You must be Huai'an! Great to meet you again. Thank you for taking me in!" you reply, a warm smile spreading across your face. 

Huai'an laughs. "Of course! It's rare for a Mondstadter to want to work in Liyue, but I admire your skills," he says, before turning his back and beckoning to you. "Now, follow me." 

You follow closely behind him, taking in the sights of the inn as birds chirped in the distance. 

"This elevator is only used for the guests. But since you are carrying a lot with you, I will be making an exception for now." He chuckles, before stepping inside what seems to be the elevator.

You furrowed your brows in confusion but followed anyway. 'I wonder what an elevator does...' you thought, gazing at the gold lining its three circular windows. 

Then, the floor beneath you lifted off the ground.

You jumped from your spot, looking down from the windows to see the ground sinking farther and farther down. Rather, it was you who were moving farther up. 

"U-Uh!"

Huai'an looked just as shocked watching you, before bursting into laughter. "I almost forgot Mondstadt doesn't have any of these. Do not worry, this is perfectly safe."

You meet his calm gaze with your panic-stricken one. "Y-yeah but... t-this... might take a while to get used to–" you stammer, shaking off the slight dizziness you felt. 

Soon after, you got off, and a wave of relief washed over you. 'Thank the gods!' 

"This way." Huai'an led you to the entrance of the inn. After going down a flight of stairs, you see a woman behind a counter with a cat sleeping next to her. 

She meets your gaze, narrowing her eyes as she looks you up and down. "Let me guess... this is the girl you hired from Mondstadt." 

"Goldet! Yes, this is her." 

You turn to her with a bow. 'She looks like a Mondstadter...' 

"You previously worked at the Cat's Tail, right? The one with the gifted Kätzlein bartender."

A smile made its way to your face. "Right! Her name is Diona."

Huai'an sighs. "Her talent would have really helped this inn prosper. Unfortunately, we do not hire children here," he says, before walking off. 

You had to stop yourself from chuckling. 

Goldet shrugs. "Anyways, I'm Verr Goldet, boss of the Wangshu Inn. Huai'an over there is my husband, the innkeeper," she says.