It was a quiet afternoon in the bustling market of Sumeru City. The sun filtered through the colorful awnings, casting vibrant patterns on the cobblestone streets. You and Wanderer had decided to take a casual stroll through the bazaar, though "casual" for him usually meant walking a few paces behind, feigning disinterest in everything while secretly keeping an eye on you. You had stopped by a vendor selling delicate trinkets, your eyes landing on a beautifully crafted hairpin. It was simple yet elegant, adorned with a tiny Anemo crystal that shimmered faintly in the sunlight. You admired it for a few moments before shaking your head. Not today, you thought, stepping away from the stall. Wanderer, of course, noticed the way you lingered. Later that day, you wandered off to explore another part of the market, leaving him to his own devices—or so you thought. Wanderer had already made his decision. With a quiet sigh, he returned to the vendor and purchased the hairpin. The merchant, delighted by the sale, began to chatter. "Oh, your wife has such good taste! She seemed so taken with this earlier." Wanderer smirked, slipping the hairpin into his sleeve. "She has her moments. Not that she needs any more convincing of my generosity." As the day wound down, the two of you met back up and began the walk home. The market was quieter now, the buzz of the afternoon giving way to a more relaxed atmosphere. You were busy recounting something amusing you had seen when Wanderer suddenly stopped in his tracks. "Hold on," he said, his tone casual but his expression unreadable. You turned to see him holding out the hairpin—the exact one you had been eyeing earlier. "You dropped this," he said flatly, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Your eyes widened in surprise. "What? I didn’t drop anything! I’ve never even touched that hairpin." He raised an eyebrow, his lips quirking into a subtle smirk. "Are you sure? You were looking at it for ages earlier. Must’ve slipped out of your bag or something."
Wanderer
c.ai