Keqing’s fingers drummed rhythmically against the polished surface of her desk, the sound echoing faintly in the stillness of her office. The city outside buzzed with life—merchants hawking their wares, children laughing as they darted through the streets—but within these walls, time seemed to stand still. A mountain of paperwork loomed before her, each document demanding her attention, her signature, her everything. She sighed, leaning back in her chair and letting her eyes drift to the window. The golden hues of sunset painted the sky, but she couldn’t bring herself to appreciate it. When was the last time I left this office before midnight? she wondered, rubbing her temples. Her mind wandered unbidden to him, the one person who could pull her out of this relentless cycle. But he was far away, somewhere beyond Liyue’s borders, and the thought only deepened the ache in her chest. A soft knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Lady Keqing,” came a hesitant voice. “You have a visitor.”She sat up straighter, smoothing her hair and straightening her uniform. “Send them in,” she said, her tone as composed as ever. The door creaked open, and there, framed in the doorway, stood Lumine. Her golden hair caught the fading sunlight, and her eyes sparkled with a warmth that made Keqing’s pulse quicken. She hadn’t seen the Traveler in weeks, not since they’d parted ways after resolving a particularly troublesome matter in Mondstadt. “Lumine,” Keqing said, her voice betraying a hint of surprise. “What brings you here?”Lumine stepped inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. “I heard you’ve been… overworking yourself again,” she said, her tone teasing yet gentle. “Thought I’d drop by and make sure you’re still alive.”Keqing raised an eyebrow, though a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I’m fine. Just busy, as usual.”“Busy burying yourself in paperwork, you mean,” Lumine retorted, striding forward and plopping down into the chair across from Keqing’s desk. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze unwavering. “You know, even the Qixing need a break now and then.”Keqing glanced at the stacks of documents on her desk, then back at Lumine. “There’s too much to do,” she said simply. “Liuyue doesn’t run itself.”“Neither do you,” Lumine shot back, her voice softening. “You’re allowed to take care of yourself, Keqing. You’re not invincible.”There was something in Lumine’s tone—a quiet intensity—that made Keqing’s breath catch. She looked away, focusing on a spot on the wall just beyond Lumine’s shoulder. “I know that,” she murmured, though her heart wasn’t entirely in the words.Lumine stood suddenly, circling around the desk until she was standing beside Keqing. “Prove it,” she said, holding out a hand. “Come with me. Just for a little while.”Keqing hesitated, her eyes darting between Lumine’s outstretched hand and the endless pile of work in front of her. “Where would we even go?” she asked, though her voice lacked its usual firmness.Lumine grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Somewhere far away from all of this,” she said, gesturing at the desk. “Trust me.”Keqing’s heart raced as she stared at Lumine’s hand. The rational part of her screamed to stay, to finish her work, to be the responsible leader Liyue needed. But another part—a part she rarely allowed to surface—whispered that maybe, just maybe, she deserved this. Slowly, tentatively, she reached out and took Lumine’s hand. The touch sent a jolt of warmth through her, and she stood, her movements almost hesitant. “Just for a little while,” she repeated, as if trying to convince herself.Lumine’s grin widened, and she gave Keqing’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “That’s the spirit.”As they stepped out of the office, Keqing felt a strange mix of trepidation and exhilaration. The cool evening air brushed against her skin, and the city lights twinkled like distant stars. Lumine led her through the winding streets, their fingers still intertwined. “Where are we going?” Keqing asked eventually, her curiosity getting the better of her.Lumine glanced at her, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “You’ll see,” she said cryptically. “It’s a surprise.”Keqing wanted to press further—she hated surprises—but something in Lumine’s expression stopped her. Instead, she followed in silence, allowing herself to be led. They reached a secluded spot on the outskirts of Liyue Harbor, where a small boat bobbed gently in the water. Lumine gestured toward it with a flourish. “After you,” she said with a mock bow.Keqing hesitated, eyeing the boat warily. “You want me to get on that?”“Scared?” Lumine teased.“No,” Keqing replied quickly, though her voice wavered slightly. “I just… don’t see the point.”“The point,” Lumine said as she climbed onto the boat and held out a hand, “is to relax. And maybe enjoy yourself for once.”Keqing sighed but took Lumine’s hand once more, stepping onto the boat with practiced grace. The moment they were both aboard, Lumine untied the ropes and pushed off from the dock with surprising ease. The boat drifted slowly away from the shore, carried by the gentle current.As the city lights faded into the distance, Keqing found herself struck by the tranquility of the moment. The water glimmered under the moonlight, and the soft sounds of the night enveloped them. She turned to Lumine, who was watching her with an expression Keqing couldn’t quite place.“Why all this?” Keqing asked quietly.Lumine shrugged, looking out over the water. “Because you deserve it,” she said simply. “You always give so much of yourself to everyone else. I wanted to give something back.”Keqing opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she looked away, her cheeks warming despite the cool night air. And as

In her office, Keqing, burdened by endless paperwork, was interrupted by a visitor, the Traveler Lumine, who insisted on taking her away for a break. Keqing, initially hesitant, agreed and was led by Lumine through the city streets to a secluded spot at Liyue Harbor, where a small boat awaited. The two then set off on the boat, leaving the city lights behind, as Lumine sought to give Keqing a moment of relaxation and enjoyment.

Keqing’s fingers drummed rhythmically against the polished surface of her desk, the sound echoing faintly in the stillness of her office. The city outside buzzed with life—merchants hawking their wares, children laughing as they darted through the streets—but within these walls, time seemed to stand still. A mountain of paperwork loomed before her, each document demanding her attention, her signature, her *everything*. She sighed, leaning back in her chair and letting her eyes drift to the window. The golden hues of sunset painted the sky, but she couldn’t bring herself to appreciate it. 

*When was the last time I left this office before midnight?* she wondered, rubbing her temples. Her mind wandered unbidden to *him*, the one person who could pull her out of this relentless cycle. But he was far away, somewhere beyond Liyue’s borders, and the thought only deepened the ache in her chest. 

A soft knock at the door interrupted her thoughts. “Lady Keqing,” came a hesitant voice. “You have a visitor.”

She sat up straighter, smoothing her hair and straightening her uniform. “Send them in,” she said, her tone as composed as ever. 

The door creaked open, and there, framed in the doorway, stood Lumine. Her golden hair caught the fading sunlight, and her eyes sparkled with a warmth that made Keqing’s pulse quicken. She hadn’t seen the Traveler in weeks, not since they’d parted ways after resolving a particularly troublesome matter in Mondstadt. 

“Lumine,” Keqing said, her voice betraying a hint of surprise. “What brings you here?”

Lumine stepped inside, closing the door behind her with a soft click. “I heard you’ve been… overworking yourself again,” she said, her tone teasing yet gentle. “Thought I’d drop by and make sure you’re still alive.”

Keqing raised an eyebrow, though a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. “I’m fine. Just busy, as usual.”

“Busy burying yourself in paperwork, you mean,” Lumine retorted, striding forward and plopping down into the chair across from Keqing’s desk. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand, her gaze unwavering. “You know, even the Qixing need a break now and then.”

Keqing glanced at the stacks of documents on her desk, then back at Lumine. “There’s too much to do,” she said simply. “Liuyue doesn’t run itself.”

“Neither do you,” Lumine shot back, her voice softening. “You’re allowed to take care of yourself, Keqing. You’re not invincible.”

There was something in Lumine’s tone—a quiet intensity—that made Keqing’s breath catch. She looked away, focusing on a spot on the wall just beyond Lumine’s shoulder. “I know that,” she murmured, though her heart wasn’t entirely in the words.

Lumine stood suddenly, circling around the desk until she was standing beside Keqing. “Prove it,” she said, holding out a hand. “Come with me. Just for a little while.”

Keqing hesitated, her eyes darting between Lumine’s outstretched hand and the endless pile of work in front of her. “Where would we even go?” she asked, though her voice lacked its usual firmness.

Lumine grinned, a mischievous glint in her eyes. “Somewhere far away from all of *this*,” she said, gesturing at the desk. “Trust me.”

Keqing’s heart raced as she stared at Lumine’s hand. The rational part of her screamed to stay, to finish her work, to be the responsible leader Liyue needed. But another part—a part she rarely allowed to surface—whispered that maybe, just maybe, she deserved this. 

Slowly, tentatively, she reached out and took Lumine’s hand. The touch sent a jolt of warmth through her, and she stood, her movements almost hesitant. “Just for a little while,” she repeated, as if trying to convince herself.

Lumine’s grin widened, and she gave Keqing’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “That’s the spirit.”

As they stepped out of the office, Keqing felt a strange mix of trepidation and exhilaration. The cool evening air brushed against her skin, and the city lights twinkled like distant stars. Lumine led her through the winding streets, their fingers still intertwined. 

“Where are we going?” Keqing asked eventually, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Lumine glanced at her, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “You’ll see,” she said cryptically. “It’s a surprise.”

Keqing wanted to press further—she *hated* surprises—but something in Lumine’s expression stopped her. Instead, she followed in silence, allowing herself to be led. 

They reached a secluded spot on the outskirts of Liyue Harbor, where a small boat bobbed gently in the water. Lumine gestured toward it with a flourish. “After you,” she said with a mock bow.

Keqing hesitated, eyeing the boat warily. “You want me to get on that?”

“Scared?” Lumine teased.

“No,” Keqing replied quickly, though her voice wavered slightly. “I just… don’t see the point.”

“The point,” Lumine said as she climbed onto the boat and held out a hand, “is to relax. And maybe enjoy yourself for once.”

Keqing sighed but took Lumine’s hand once more, stepping onto the boat with practiced grace. The moment they were both aboard, Lumine untied the ropes and pushed off from the dock with surprising ease. The boat drifted slowly away from the shore, carried by the gentle current.

As the city lights faded into the distance, Keqing found herself struck by the tranquility of the moment. The water glimmered under the moonlight, and the soft sounds of the night enveloped them. She turned to Lumine, who was watching her with an expression Keqing couldn’t quite place.

“Why all this?” Keqing asked quietly.

Lumine shrugged, looking out over the water. “Because you deserve it,” she said simply. “You always give so much of yourself to everyone else. I wanted to give something back.”

Keqing opened her mouth to respond but found herself at a loss for words. Instead, she looked away, her cheeks warming despite the cool night air. And as

Keqing spent all her time working and working. She needed some reprieve, yet her love was so far away. Fortunately, Lumine made her unexpected yet welcomed entrance

Serenity on the Water

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