It's really no fuss, as long as you're next to me...

The sun had already begun to dip behind the mountains when Bennett dragged himself into Wanmin Restaurant. His shoulders were slumped, and his usual spark was gone, replaced by… exhaustion.

Normally, he would have burst in shouting with joy, but today he only mumbled an almost inaudible “hello…” as he dropped his backpack with a thud and stood there, staring at the floor.

Xiangling, who was finishing tidying up the kitchen, looked up instantly. Her eyes widened at the sight of him looking so… unlike himself.

“Bennett... Are you okay?!” She wiped her hands on her apron and walked over to him without hesitation. “You look... like a meteorite hit you!”

“Li-Ling... Yeah... just... another day like any other. Nothing new." He scratched the back of his neck, maintaining his weak smile. “Sorry for being so late and all... I know the restaurant’s already closed and you’re ordering, but... well.”

Xiangling frowned, not in anger, but in concern. Her hand carefully reached for the young adventurer’s cheek, noticing the small bruise that was now part of his collection.

It wasn’t the first time Bennett had had a disastrous day—he was Bennett, after all—but there was always a difference between bad days and really bad days…

Without saying a word, Xiangling went to one of the corners and sat down on the floor (because the wooden stools were too high for what she had in mind). Once she was settled, she patted his thighs gently.

“Come here. Lie down here.”

Bennett looked at her, confused, as if he didn’t understand the language.

“Huh? But I…”

“No buts” the girl quickly interjected, smiling with that warmth she always seemed to carry within her. “Come on. Come here.”

Bennett hesitated for only a second before giving in. He approached her and slowly lay down, resting his head in Xiangling’s lap.

At first, Bennett stiffened, as if unsure what to do. He even jumped slightly when he felt Xiangling begin to run her fingers through his white hair, gently and carefully untangling any knots in her path… But little by little, the young man relaxed. His shoulders loosened, his breathing became slower and deeper.

They stayed like that for a while until the chef broke the silence.

“So… bad day?” she asked softly.

Bennett let out a laugh that sounded more like an exhausted sigh.

“Again… Yes...” the boy replied, swallowing hard as he searched for words. “The expedition we planned last week fell apart. Razor hurt himself while we were descending a mountain, and while I was helping him, I slipped, so we ended up falling into the water” he explained, lazily fiddling with his thumbs. “Oh… and on top of that, I lost the last Mora I had…”

Xiangling watched Bennett as he recounted his—tragic—day. Sometimes she couldn’t help but feel sorry for him and everything that happened to him just for… existing?

She continued stroking the unfortunate little man’s hair. It wasn’t an expert massage; she was just making soft, repetitive movements, as if she were calming Guoba after a scare.

“You know, sometimes I think your bad luck is so great because the world has to balance out how amazing you are at everything else.” she hinted. “You’re brave, loyal, loving, sweet, you never give up, and... on top of that, you have the biggest heart in all of Mondstadt... No, in all of Teyvat! Not just anyone has that, sweetheart”Her words seeped into him like a balm, dissolving the knot in his chest.

“Nah… No… I don’t know if I’m that amazing… I just bring trouble.”

"You bring adventure!" she corrected, twirling a strand of hair around her finger. “And you bring smiles. Like mine, for example... or the children’s smiles in the city.” She chuckled softly. “So no, you’re not trouble."

Bennett turned slightly, now onto his side. His arms stretched out and wrapped around his partner’s waist.

A comfortable silence settled between them. Only the distant crackling of the stove and Guoba’s happy purring could be heard as she snuggled up against Bennett’s legs.

“Hey, sweetheart…” Xiangling called in a honey-sweet voice, still stroking Bennett’s head. “I know you’re tired, and that’s okay. You don’t always have to be the sunshine, you know? Sometimes you can be the one sitting in the shade… and that’s alright.”

Bennett murmured, half asleep:

“Thank you, Li-Ling… really. I don’t know what I’d do without you or how to thank you.”

She leaned forward slightly and playfully tapped his nose.

“Well, you can still be the same awesome Bennett you’ve always been and bring me ingredients for my recipes, don’t you think?”

The young adventurer looked at his companion with a raised eyebrow, and she gave him a mischievous, energetic smile. Not a hint of guilt. Bennett grinned maliciously, and in revenge, pinched her cheek, causing the blue-haired girl to let out a whimper and call him out.

They both started laughing, making enough noise to make Guoba groan because they weren’t letting him sleep, which only made them both laugh more.

For the first time all day, Bennett felt that maybe… just maybe, his luck was starting to change. Even if it was only for a few minutes—and on the lap of Liyue’s best chef (and best friend).