betrayal is bitter

Posted originally on the Archive of Our Own at http://archiveofourown.org/works/30388656.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning: No Archive Warnings Apply
Category: M/M
Fandom: 原神 | Genshin Impact (Video Game)
Relationship: Tartaglia | Childe/Zhongli (Genshin Impact), Kong | Aether/Xiao | Alatus
(Genshin Impact)
Character: Tartaglia | Childe (Genshin Impact), Zhongli (Genshin Impact),
Ekaterina (Genshin Impact), Kong | Aether (Genshin Impact), Hu Tao
(Genshin Impact), Xiangling (Genshin Impact), Paimon (Genshin
Impact), Guizhong (Genshin Impact), Xiao | Alatus (Genshin Impact)
Additional Tags: Angst, Betrayal, Canon Compliant, My First Work in This Fandom,
basically the aftermath of zhongli giving his gnosis to signora, childe is
rightfully PISSED, as a childe kinnie this is what i would have done if i
was childe, Nightmares, Tartaglia | Childe and Zhongli's Marriage
Chopsticks (Genshin Impact), childe and aether are BESTIES, Tartaglia
| Childe's Real Name (Genshin Impact), the xiaoaether was supposed
to be super minor but i rly popped off and made it in your face,
Protective Zhongli (Genshin Impact), Misunderstandings, zhongli tends
to childes injuries, Goodbyes, slight inazuma spoilers in the epilogue so
be warned!!!, Letters
Language: English
Stats: Published: 2021-03-31 Completed: 2021-07-28 Words: 37,664
Chapters: 8/8

betrayal is bitter
by littledemon66

Summary

After Zhongli hands his Gnosis over to Signora, Childe is absolutely fuming. Not only was
Zhongli Rex Lapis, but he had been a pawn the entire time. So Childe decides to leave for
Snezhnaya as soon as he can.

Notes

My first fic for Genshin and I'm feeling good. There are so many fics of Childe and Zhongli
right after ZL gives away his Gnosis, and I wanted to do my hot take on it.

See the end of the work for more notes

 Day One

Childe isn’t sure whether he wants to laugh or cry, but he knows that if Zhongli tries to talk to him,
he’s going to kill something. Preferably the funeral consultant. Or should he say, Rex fucking
Lapis. It had been less than an hour since Zhongli handed his Gnosis over to Signora and revealed
himself as Rex Lapis. During the entire exchange, Zhongli didn’t look at him a single time. He
kept his eyes on Signora and handed her his Gnosis.

As soon as the whole exchange was over, he bolted from the scene, running back to his office in
the bank, not bothering to wait for anyone to speak to him. He has locked himself in his office,
which was where he now was. So many things were wrong with what had happened. First of all,
Signora coming to Liyue to just take Rex Lapis’ Gnosis even though Childe had been sent to
retrieve it? If Signora was going to take it anyway, why was Childe even sent? Second of all, Rex
Lapis just willingly gave away his Gnosis. From what he had heard from Signora, she had to kick
Barbatos in the stomach and rip his Gnosis away from him. Not to mention that a Gnosis is what
makes a person a god. So why would Rex Lapis give something like that away? He mentioned
some kind of deal he made with the Tsaritsa, but Childe couldn’t imagine what the Cryo Archon
could have offered in exchange for something so vital to godhood.

And then there was the biggest problem. Zhongli was Rex Lapis. Looking back on his time spent
with Zhongli, he feels like an idiot for not realizing it sooner. The long speeches about Liyue’s
history, talking like he was actually there for major events from the past, even the fond smiles
when someone had mentioned the Geo Archon. In hindsight, it all made sense. So how had he
been so blind?

A faint knock from the door pulled Childe out of his thoughts.

“Sir? Are you alright?” Childe recognized the voice as Ekaterina. “Can I come in?”

Childe hesitated before slowly making his way over to the door and unlocking it. He opened the
door slightly, just enough to look at the woman outside the door.

“Sir, I…” Ekaterina paused. She then grabbed the door handle and opened it enough for her to slip
in. Then she closed the door behind her. “What happened?”

Had Childe not lived in Liyue for months and gotten to know the Fatui that were employed at the
bank, he would have snapped at her for her disrespect. But over the course of his residency in
Liyue Harbor, Childe had grown to see his employees as a secondary family.
“Katya,” Childe heard himself say. Was that really him speaking? His voice sounded hollow and
broken. “I need you to book me a ticket to Snezhnaya as soon as possible.”

“You’re leaving?” Ekaterina gasped. “But, sir…”

“I have to leave,” Childe interrupted her. “Don’t make this harder than it needs to be.”

Ekaterina stared at him. Childe tried to give her a convincing smile, but even he knew how fake it
looked. A few beats of silence passed before Ekaterina spoke again.

“Of course, sir,” Ekaterina finally said. “I’ll… get right on that.”

“Thank you,” Childe said gratefully. It would break his heart to leave her and the other employees,
as well as the beautiful country of Liyue, but he knew what he had to do. “Tell the other employees
as well while you’re at it.”

He watched as Ekaterina opened the door and left the room. Thankfully, she closed the door behind
her. As soon as she was gone, Childe’s mind began to race.

Had he really been a pawn the entire time? Was his fate set in stone before he even stepped foot in
Liyue? But why would the Tsaritsa send him to Liyue if she was just going to send Signora to do
the job anyway? But most importantly, did Zhongli know what his mission was the entire time?
Had Zhongli just been playing him for a fool the entire time? So all of the times they had gotten
lunch together or walked around Liyue… was that all just a ploy to earn Childe’s trust? Childe was
disgusted with himself. He had let himself become tricked by Zhongli’s long speeches and subtle
touches. Was a few words and glances enough to render a Harbinger useless? Apparently it was.
But Childe wouldn’t let himself be tricked anymore. Not that it mattered now anyway , his mind
supplied.

Any fondness or trust Childe had for Zhongli was crushed beyond repair. He wouldn’t believe a
word that came out of his mouth any longer. Not that he would speak to Zhongli again. If he was
lucky, he wouldn’t have to see that lying scumbag ever again. All he had to do was just continue
work at the bank until his ship left. Then he would never have to think about Zhongli again.

Now all he had to do was hope a ship was leaving for Snezhnaya tomorrow.
He looked up to see Ekaterina entering his office. Had he been so lost in thought that he didn’t even
hear her open the door?

“So when is the next ship leaving for Snezhnaya?” Childe asked as Ekaterina closed the door
behind her.

The woman in front of him looked down at the ground. Childe had never seen her so nervous.
Even with her mask on, he could tell that she had a troubled expression on her face.

“Sir, if I may be so bold as to ask a selfish request from you,” Ekaterina spoke softly.

“What is it?” Childe asked. If there was anything that she needed before he left, he would gladly
give it to her. She deserved it, after all.

“The next ship leaves in two days…” Ekaterina said, but she wasn’t finished. “I told the others
about your… unexpected departure. And I speak for everyone that works here at Northland Bank.”

“Yes?” Childe pressed. Ekaterina took a deep breath.

“We would like you to stay for just a little longer. We’ve grown accustomed to you as your boss
and we enjoy your company. So, if you could just reconsider the time of your departure, we would
all appreciate it.” Ekaterina said, still looking down. Her hands were clasped into fists by her side.

Childe stared at her. The employees… wanted him to stay? He sometimes wondered if his familial
affection towards the other Fatui employees was fairly one-sided. As an older brother, Childe
couldn’t help but feel some sort of familial attachment to the people he had spent time with over
the past few months. So the only one who didn’t return his affections was Zhongli , his mind
unhelpfully piped up.

“You’d like me to leave later?” Childe asked numbly.

“All of us at the bank would truly like you to stay for a little longer,” Ekaterina nodded.
Childe went silent. He did love Liyue as a place and the bank staff made him feel at home. Maybe
he could stay for a little longer. His siblings would be alright without him for a few more days,
right? He’d been gone for a few months already. All he really needed to do was avoid Zhongli the
entire time he was here. That shouldn’t be too hard, right?

“If you really insist,” Childe smothered a laugh when Ekaterina’s head snapped up, “I’ll leave on
the ship after tomorrow.”

“You will?” Childe could almost hear her smile from her words. “Of course, I’ll go get your ticket
and inform the others.”

“Thank you, Katya,” Childe watched as she left the room and closed the door behind her.

He listened as Ekaterina excitedly told the other employees. But his mind began to swell with
unnecessary thoughts. Would he really be able to avoid Zhongli for as long as he was still in Liyue
for? Liyue Harbor was a fairly small city. But then again, Zhongli played him for a fool and used
him as a pawn.

He just hoped that the next ship would leave fairly soon.

Ekaterina came back into his office after a few minutes, holding a paper. She handed it to him, and
Childe took it.

“The next ship after tomorrow leaves in a week, sir,” Ekaterina simply said, “so please enjoy your
time here until you have to leave.”

“I’ll still be working here, so I’ll still come in every day to collect debts,” Childe said. Before
Ekaterina could say anything, he put up his hand. “I do this because I want to.”

“Of course, sir,” she said. “If you’d like to continue working until you leave, I can’t tell you
otherwise.”

Childe thought that would be the end of it, but Ekaterina didn’t move. Normally if she was done
talking, she would have left.
“Is there something else?” Childe asked.

“Have you told Zhongli about your departure? I’m sure he’ll miss you,” she spoke softly. Childe
felt his body freeze up. No one else other than Signora, himself, and Aether knew that Zhongli was
Rex Lapis.

“He doesn’t know. And I have no intentions of telling him,” he said icily. He didn’t want to
pretend or lie to Ekaterina. She had been the one to listen to his lovesick rambles about the ex-
archon.

“What?” Ekaterina’s hand flew up to her mouth. “Did something happen?”

“I don’t want to have this conversation right now, Katya.” Childe hated having to be so cold and
rude to her, but there wasn’t anything else he could say. “I doubt he’ll ask or come by, but if he
does, I don’t want him knowing a single thing.”

Ekaterina looked like she wanted to argue, but she just sighed instead.

“As you wish, sir,” Ekaterina paused. “And thank you. For staying just a little longer for us.”

Childe merely nodded. Ekaterina said nothing else, and left his office. He looked down at the
paper Ekaterina had given him. It was his ticket for his boat ride back to Snezhnaya. The Tsaritsa
hadn’t given him direct orders to return yet, but surely he was expected to return soon? Now that
Rex Lapis’ Gnosis had been taken (not by him, he had to add), there was no reason for him to stay
in Liyue.

But one thing was for sure. Before he left Liyue, he either wanted to beat the everloving shit out of
Zhongli or never see him again. Part of him wanted to never see Zhongli again because he didn’t
know how he would react. But another part of him wanted to fight Zhongli and make him hurt the
way Childe was hurting.

Had it been Zhongli’s plan all along to spend time with him? To make him feel loved for who he
really was for once in his life? He was sure it was. Zhongli must have known what Childe was
there for. So he must have spent time with him to gain his trust.

Childe looked down and noticed that the hand holding the paper was curled into a fist and his
ticket was starting to crumple. He smoothed the paper out and placed it in a drawer, where it would
be safe. He would finally be leaving Liyue once and for all in exactly one week. He would miss the
scenery and atmosphere, that was for sure. But he didn’t regret his decision. He wanted to leave so
badly. He couldn’t stay in a place where someone like Zhongli was. Childe hated Zhongli with
every fiber of his being.

He just hoped he would never have to see him before he left for Snezhnaya. Because he wasn’t
sure what he would do if he saw him again. Best to just throw himself into his work instead so he
didn’t have time to think about anything.
 Day Two
Chapter Notes

See the end of the chapter for notes

Zhongli rarely dreamed. Not because he couldn’t, but because he just never slept. Archons didn’t
require sleep, so he never felt the need to. There was plenty to keep him busy, like overseeing his
country, so Zhongli found sleep to be a waste of time. But Zhongli had stepped down from
godhood.

He was still something of an Adeptus, so he still did not entirely require sleep. But Aether had told
him that if he wanted to be mortal, he would need to get at least seven hours of sleep each night.
Zhongli saw that as a waste of time, so he promised Aether that he would sleep for seven hours a
week at first. Then he would slip into a more normal sleeping schedule. Aether had reluctantly
agreed, knowing that going from no sleep at all to seven hours a week was a good effort to start
with.

When he had first slept, he dreamed of his past. He dreamt of Guizhong and ancient wars lost in
time. Zhongli was no stranger to dreams. Xiao had told him about some of the more disturbing
dreams he had eaten from the people of Liyue. But he wasn’t very familiar with having dreams
himself.

They all felt so real . So real, in fact, that Zhongli had awoken in the middle of the night several
times in a cold sweat, reaching out for someone that was not there. The nightmares happened fairly
often, and they all had the same premise. Not that it hurt any less, but Zhongli began to get used to
them.

But then he gave his Gnosis to Signora as Childe stood by and watched.

Zhongli knew that Childe would be upset. He had practically used the Eleventh Harbinger as a
pawn. So he stared as the redhead ran into his office and locked himself in. He barely heard
Signora thanking him and leaving the bank. Zhongli stared at Childe’s office door longingly. He
wanted to knock on the door and explain everything.

“Hey,” Aether patted Zhongli’s upper arm, “he just needs some space. Maybe try talking to him in
a few days? I’m sure he’ll cool off by then.”

“Time…” Zhongli said. He had been alive for over 6000 years. A few days should be nothing to
him. But right now, a minute felt like a millennium.
“Come on, Zhongli.” Aether tugged on Zhongli’s sleeve. “There’s no use in staying here.”

“You go on ahead, Traveler. I need a moment to collect my thoughts,” Zhongli replied. He felt
Aether’s hand on his sleeve ball up into a fist.

“Zhongli, please,” Aether tugged on his sleeve. “Childe isn't in the mood to see you right now. I’ll
talk to him later, but right now, he just needs some time for himself.”

As much as Zhongli didn’t want to leave, he knew that Aether was right. If he tried to speak to
Childe now, it could only go badly. The Harbinger was emotional, no doubt.

He watched as the receptionist (Ekaterina, he believed her name was) knock on Childe’s door and
slip inside. The door shut almost immediately after she went inside.

He would give Childe the space and time he needed. Time was hardly a factor in a life as long as
Zhongli’s anyway. So the ex-Archon let his companion lead him out of the bank.

“Where is your little companion?” Zhongli asked Aether. The little fairy seemed to be missing.

“Paimon? She likes to disappear sometimes. She’ll be back later, I guess.” Aether looked troubled.

“Is something the matter? You seem… on edge.” Zhongli knew that Aether had a tendency to keep
things to himself.

“It’s nothing. I guess I’m just worried about Childe. I know he tried to basically drown the harbor,
but I’ve kinda become friends with him,” Aether said quietly.

“I would like to think that I had earned Childe’s friendship as well.” Zhongli wasn’t sure what else
to say. He wasn’t used to having to console someone else.

Aether chuckled. “You did more than get his friendship. He talked about you a lot.”
“Did he?” Zhongli chose to gloss over the first part of what Aether said. That was for him to think
about privately later.

“Yeah, he did.” Aether stopped speaking and looked up at Zhongli. “I think you should take a
break. Take the rest of the day off, y’know?”

“Do I look especially tired? I assure you that I am just fine,” Zhongli tried to assure him, but Aether
shook his head.

“It’s not that you look tired. You look…” Aether snapped his fingers a few times, trying to think of
the word. “You look drained.”

Zhongli blinked in surprise. Drained? Now that he had mentioned it, Zhongli’s body felt heavier
than usual. His limbs felt weary and sluggish. Perhaps he was tired. He chalked it up to his new
mortal form.

“I don’t really know how to explain it. But I think you should get some rest. I can tell Hu Tao, if
you’d like,” Aether said.

“I would appreciate it. Thank you, Aether.” Zhongli hummed. “Tell Hu Tao that I will return
tomorrow.”

“Do you want me to walk with you?” Aether asked.

“I’m not a senile old man just yet.” Zhongli laughed to himself. “I’ll be just fine on my own.”

Aether gave him a strange look. When Zhongli asked him if he had said anything unusual, all that
the traveler said was “it’s nothing. Just sounds like something Childe would say.”

With that, Aether bid him goodbye and left in the direction of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Zhongli
stood there in silence. Perhaps all that time spent with Childe was starting to rub off on him. Then
he began his walk home. Aether had been correct, and Zhongli had felt weary.

As soon as Zhongli arrived home, he quickly changed into more comfortable clothing and lay
down onto his bed. His chest felt empty, but he didn’t think it was because of his Gnosis being
given away. Instead, he yearned for a companion. But not yet any companion. He missed Childe.

He missed Childe’s playful and teasing jabs and his snarky quips. He missed the way Childe would
laugh or the way he would smile at Zhongli’s long speeches about the history of anything they
passed by. Rarely had he been able to just ramble about Liyuen history to someone who actually
listened to him. He even missed the way Childe would perk up at the thought of a fight, no matter
how small. He missed their frequent lunch meetings and how Childe would always fumble with his
chopsticks.

The chopsticks. Did Childe even understand the meaning behind the chopsticks Zhongli had gifted
him? (Did it really count as a gift if Zhongli bought it with Childe’s money? He liked to think it
did.) Childe had never spoken about the chopsticks, and had only thanked Zhongli when he gave it
to him. Perhaps he really didn’t know?

Zhongli’s mind swirled with thoughts of Childe. He couldn’t keep thinking about him. He had to
sleep, like he told Aether he would. Zhongli shut his eyes and tried to clear his mind. Eventually,
he relaxed and began to drift to sleep.

Zhongli was sitting at Wanmin Restaurant, like he usually did when him and Childe met up for
their lunch meetings. He had already ordered two servings of Jade Parcels and two cups of tea.
His meetings with Childe were always enjoyable.

“Hey, xiansheng!” Zhongli turned to see Childe approaching. He put his hand up in silent
greeting. He could feel his chest blossom with warmth as Childe took his seat in front of him.

“Hello, Childe.” Zhongli greeted.

“You didn’t wait too long for me, did you?” Childe picked up his teacup and took a sip.

“Not very long. I ordered lunch for us before you arrived,” Zhongli said.

“Really? What did you get?” Childe asked with childish glee.

“Be patient. You’ll see.” Zhongli smiled slightly. “Have you brought your chopsticks?”
“I sure did!” Childe took out his chopsticks, the dragon and phoenix design shining in the
sunlight. “I’ve been practicing!”

“Have you now?” Zhongli hid his smile behind his teacup. “We shall see how well you’ve gotten
soon then.”

“Sorry for the wait!” Xiangling apologized as she brought two plates of Jade Parcels to the table.
“Two servings of Jade Parcels!”

“Jade Parcels?” Childe said curiously. “An interesting choice.”

“I’ve noticed that you like these,” Zhongli commented as Xiangling left them alone.

“I’m sure you have,” Childe’s gaze became icy from behind his teacup, “Rex Lapis.”

Zhongli hid his surprise well, masking his grunt of shock with a polite cough. He looked around
and all of the other patrons had disappeared.

“What are you talking about, Childe?” Zhongli asked, placing his cup down. “Don’t be
ridiculous.”

“Of course you’d think I’m the one being ridiculous.” Childe’s smile became thin. “Do you take
me for some kind of idiot?”

“On the contrary. I think you are quite intelligent actually.” Zhongli watched as Childe’s grip on
his teacup became tighter.

“You are Rex Lapis. Don’t lie to me. I’m tired of your lies.” Childe crushed the teacup in his hand,
cutting himself. Blood began to drip from the cuts.

Zhongli quickly reached for napkins to stop the bleeding. “Childe, stop this.”
As Zhongli took Childe’s hand to force him to let go of the cup, the Harbinger pulled his hand
away.

“Don’t touch me, Morax.” Childe spat the name out like it was poison.

“Childe, you’re bleeding. Please, let me help you.” Zhongli reached for Childe’s hand again.

Childe stood up suddenly, yanking his hand away from Zhongli’s reach. “I said, do not touch me.”

Childe opened his hand and let the shards of the cup fall to the ground. Drops of blood dripped
from Childe’s hand to the floor as well. Zhongli stood up as well, still trying to help the injured
man.

“We can talk about this later. Give me your hand first,” Zhongli said, his voice shaking.

“Scared?” Childe grinned a manic smile. “Good. I’ve always wanted to scare a god.”

“Childe, please. I want to help you,” Zhongli pleaded. He never wanted Childe to despise him.

“Help me?” Childe used the hand that wasn’t bleeding to tap his chin. “You can help me by
staying the fuck away from me.”

“What?” Zhongli’s voice became small and strained. His heart twisted in agony as he watched
Childe begin to walk out of the restaurant.

“You heard me.” Childe stood at the exit. “Never speak to me again. Stay away from me for as
long as I live. That is the biggest help you can grant me. I’m sure such a request is easy enough for
a god like you.”

“Please, just let me explain myself,” Zhongli took a few steps forward, but Childe summoned a
hydro blade in his uninjured hand.

“Not another step, Rex Lapis.” Childe held the blade to his own throat. “Or I’ll slit my own
throat. I want to live, but not nearly as much as I want you to suffer.”

With that, Childe walked out of the restaurant. Zhongli wanted to chase after him, but his legs felt
glued to the ground. He couldn’t move, or even yell out Childe’s name. All he could do was watch
as Childe walked out of his life.

Zhongli violently sat up with Childe’s name on the tip of his tongue. His cheeks were damp and he
was sweating heavily. He blinked rapidly, getting used to the change in scenery. He… was in his
bedroom. So it was all a dream? Well, nightmare.

He could easily say that it was the worst nightmare he had ever gotten.

The sunshine coming in from the window made the room far too bright for Zhongli’s liking. He
pulled himself out of bed to calm his racing heart. He began his morning routine, trying to forget
about the nightmare. His heart felt heavy as he washed his face and changed into his regular suit.
The nightmare had felt so real, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget it.

He left his house and headed for Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Hu Tao was probably expecting him,
and he had work to do. When he arrived, he saw Aether and Paimon talking to the young director.

“Zhongli!” Aether waved to him as he entered.

“Good morning.” Zhongli nodded to them all in acknowledgement.

“Morning? It’s two in the afternoon!” Hu Tao said incredulously. “Seriously, I call you a grandpa
as a joke, but I really think you’re getting old!”

“Two… in the afternoon?” Zhongli numbly repeated. Had he really been asleep for that long?

“I came by to see how you were doing and Hu Tao was telling me that you didn’t even show up
today,” Aether said.

“I formally apologize for my tardiness. It won’t happen again,” Zhongli apologized sincerely. He
hadn’t even realized he had been asleep for so long.
Aether and Hu Tao looked at each other. Then Hu Tao sighed dramatically.

“You’re already this late. You may as well just take the whole day off. But you’ve got lots of work
to catch up on tomorrow, old man!” Hu Tao chastised. “I’m all for vacation days, but at least tell
me first!”

“No, I shouldn’t. I’ll stay and finish whatever I need to today,” Zhongli insisted.

“No way, you’re already super late. You may as well have some fun today.” Hu Tao winked.

“If you insist, I thank you for the extra day.” Zhongli thanked Hu Tao. “I will come in early
tomorrow to make up for whatever losses may occur because of my actions.”

“Yeah, yeah. See you tomorrow, grandpa!” Hu Tao laughed.

Before Zhongli could leave the funeral parlor, Aether stopped him.

“Hey, can we talk? Let’s go out to eat. My treat, of course.” Aether gave him a concerned look.

“Paimon wants food too!” Paimon stomped her foot in the air angrily.

“You ate an hour ago.” Aether looked up at the pixie. “And I’m sure Zhongli hasn’t eaten yet.”

“That would be correct. It seems I haven’t had a meal today,” Zhongli admitted. Normally he
would make himself breakfast, but his nightmare had thrown him off entirely that he could barely
think about anything else.

“C’mon then. Is Wanmin okay?” Aether asked as they felt the funeral parlor.

“Wanmin is acceptable, yes,” Zhongli said, ignoring the soft pang in his heart and the bubbling
panic in his chest.
He let the traveler lead him to the restaurant and they took their seats. They were sitting at a
different table than Zhongli and Childe used to sit at every time they came to Wanmin. Zhongli
couldn’t help himself and glanced over at his usual table. It was unoccupied, almost as if that table
was reserved for just him and the Harbinger.

He tore his gaze away and forced himself to look at Aether when he heard him speaking, who was
already looking at him with a worried expression.

“Did something happen?” Aether asked once Zhongli looked at him.

“I slept last night as you requested,” Zhongli simply stated.

“Nightmare?” Aether prodded and Zhongli concealed a wince.

“Yes,” Zhongli nodded. “It was about Childe.”

Aether opened his mouth to speak, but he was interrupted by Xiangling, who was carrying two
plates.

“Hey guys! One Jueyun Chili Chicken and one Minty Meat Roll here for you!” Xiangling placed
the chili chicken plate in front of Zhongli and the meat roll plate in front of Aether. “Enjoy your
meal!”

She left them alone after the pair thanked her. Zhongli picked up his chopsticks and watched as
Aether did the same.

“How did she know what to bring if we did not order?” Zhongli mumbled to himself. Aether gave
him a strange look.

“I ordered when we got here. Didn’t you hear me?” Aether’s eyebrows furrowed as he began to
eat.
Zhongli only stared as Aether used his chopsticks with minimal trouble. A few fumbles here and
there, but for the most part, he was eating like someone raised in Liyue. It only made him think of
Childe more, and how the redhead would spend minutes just trying to pick up a single bite of food.

“I apologize. I have been rather distracted as of late due to my… nightmare,” Zhongli apologized.

“Wow, it must have been really bad if you’re still thinking about it. You really miss him, huh?”
Aether said sympathetically.

“I do. And I know that it was my actions that caused him to harbor such hatred for me now.”
Zhongli sighed, looking down at his food.

“I’ll talk to him tomorrow. How about that?” Aether said. Zhongli looked up in surprise.

“Are you on good terms with him?” Zhongli asked.

“I think so?” Aether rubbed the back of his neck. “We spar sometimes, and I’m supposed to be
meeting up with him tomorrow at the Golden House for it. I can try talking to him then. I’ll let you
know how it goes.”

“You spar with Childe?” Zhongli had no idea that such an occurrence happened at all, let alone
frequently.

“Yeah, you know how he is. He loves a good fight and it’s kind of how he makes friends,” Aether
went on. “I’ll try to see if he’s cooled off at all.”

“You have my thanks, Traveler.” Zhongli bowed his head. “I am in your debt.”

“No, it’s nothing.” Aether shook his head. “But if you want, you could come with me for some
commissions I have.”

“Of course. It’s a contract.” Zhongli put his chopsticks down and put his hand out. Aether placed
his chopsticks to the side and shook the ex-Archon’s hand.
“Yeah,” Aether laughed. “I’ll go pay and then we can leave.”

Zhongli was about to argue that they hadn’t even finished their food until he looked down. Both
his and Aether’s plates were empty. It seems that even the mention of Childe captured his
attention.

When Aether returned, Zhongli stood up and followed the traveler to wherever he needed to go.
They were simple tasks, like killing a few hilichurls in different areas, and Zhongli was sure Aether
was more than capable of handling them. But he assumed that the traveler just wanted to keep him
busy so he did not think of his nightmare.

By the time they returned to Liyue, the sun had set and the moon was shining in the sky. Aether
had accompanied him home, even after Zhongli tried to decline.

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Zhongli,” Aether said once they had reached his house. “I’ll talk to Childe.
Try to get some sleep, okay?”

“I will, thank you. Stay safe, Aether.” Zhongli bid him goodbye and watched as Aether turned
around and left. Once he was out of his vision, Zhongli entered his house and got himself ready to
fall asleep for the night.

Zhongli lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling. Would he even be able to fall asleep? Every time he
closed his eyes, the image of Childe’s bloodied hand and dagger against his own throat popped up
in his mind. For the first time in his life, sleep scared him.

Zhongli had always seen sleep as a waste of time. It was also a liability, letting your guard down
for hours at a time. He had always looked at sleep as a useless luxury. But never had he seen it as a
thing of impending fear.

But now he was scared to close his eyes. He was afraid of what kind of nightmares he would have
if he fell asleep again. The thought of seeing Childe do something drastic, even in a dream,
terrified him.

Zhongli didn’t sleep at all that night.

Chapter End Notes

Thank you all so much for your support!!! you guys are so nice holy shit,,,, ive gotten
so much support for this fic that i ZOOMED this new chapter <333

again, kudos and comments are SUPER appreciated and they keep me motivated!! i
crave validation so much sdfdgdfsgfs
 Day Three
Chapter Notes

IM SO SORRY FOR THE LONG WAIT

ive just been so panicked about childe's banner that i just,.,., grinded for him
BUT HE'S HOME
so i made this to celebrate <3

See the end of the chapter for more notes

At about noon, Childe left Northland Bank and made his way near the front of the Golden House,
waiting for Aether to show up for their sparring session. He needed a good fight to blow off some
steam. Sure, it would feel a lot better if he was beating the shit out of Zhongli, but he wouldn’t
complain. He didn’t think it would be a good idea to show himself to too many guards. He
technically did try to drown Liyue Harbor so he was sure that the Millelith wouldn’t be very kind to
him.

He looked up when he heard a familiar voice call his name. Aether was walking towards him with
a guilty smile on his face. Normally the traveler had a penchant for running everywhere he went,
so it was strange to see him walking for a change.

“There you are,” Childe said. “I was wondering where you were.”

“Yeah, sorry, I got caught up in something.” Aether rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment.
“Um, so about our spar…”

“Did something happen?” Childe asked.

“Could we maybe postpone it?” Aether laughed awkwardly. “I’m still kinda beat up from before,
y’know?”

Right, Aether was the one to basically protect Liyue. Almost single-handedly, he had to add. It’s no
wonder Aether was still recovering.

“Sorry about that,” Childe apologized. He really did feel bad for hurting Aether. When the Gnosis
wasn’t in Morax’s Exuvia, he had fought Aether with all his strength because he had falsely
believed Aether had already stolen it. “I’m really sorry.”

“I get why you did it,” Aether said. “I was mad before, but I can’t really blame you for it.”

“But I attacked you for something you didn’t even do,” Childe argued, frowning.

“You attacked because you were following your goddess’ orders for getting the Gnosis. You
thought I already took it so you fought me to get it back. Sure I was mad at first, but I understand
now.” Aether patted Childe’s arm reassuringly. “I would’ve done the same thing if I were you.”

“Aether…” Childe felt himself smile. “Thank you. You’re too kind.”

“Nah, it’s nothing like that,” Aether laughed quietly. “We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Yeah,” Childe simply said, “we are.”

“So instead of a fight, can we just hang out today? Maybe swing by some shops?” Aether asked
hopefully.

“If you just want to leech off of my money, you could just ask,” Childe let out a laugh.

“Come on, Mr. Wallet. Time to buy me nice things.” Aether grabbed Childe’s arm and began to
lead him back to Liyue Harbor.

“Of course, Mr. Traveler. The Fatui’s mora is at your disposal,” Childe let himself be pulled.

As they walked, Childe listened to Aether recount his day. The pair had arrived at Liyue Harbor
and they began walking towards the main commercial area where most of the shops were set up.
After a few minutes of strangely uninterrupted storytelling, Childe was confused.

“Hey, where’s Paimon? Doesn’t she always stick by your side?” Childe asked. Normally the little
pixie would have made herself known by now.
“I, uh, wanted to hang out with you alone? So I left her with Hu Tao and… um,” Aether made a
few awkward gestures.

“Zhongli?” Childe asked with a dry tone.

“Yeah,” Aether nodded, looking apologetic.

“You can say his name. I won’t drop dead just by hearing it. I have nothing to do with him
anyway,” Childe said bitterly.

Aether gave him a sad look and moved over so that they were walking side by side.

“You’re still mad at him?” Aether pressed his cheek against Childe’s shoulder.

“How could I not be? I thought I was important, but I ended up just being another pawn,” Childe
sighed. “I was so stupid.”

“Hey, no, you’re not stupid.” Childe felt Aether shake his head against his arm. “Okay, how about
this? No more Zhongli talk for now. Let’s just have a good time today.”

“Gladly,” Childe leaned into the warmth from the traveler. “Where to first?”

“I don’t know. Let’s just wander around a bunch of shops. I’m sure we’ll find something nice.”
Aether suggested as they finally made it to the commercial area.

“Sounds good,” Childe looked around for something to catch his interest.

The last time Childe had come here with intentions of buying something was with… Zhongli. He
remembered the consultant leading him into many of the shops. So often, in fact, that some of the
merchants knew Childe by name and even gave him a small discount on his purchases. Although
that offer may not be on the table anymore, now that he thought about it. If anything, the prices
may go up if Childe stepped foot into any of the shops. Not that he cared about the prices anyway.
The funds he had in the bank were more than enough to buy entire shops.

Shaking the thought away, Childe followed Aether into a shop that he went into. Looking around,
it seemed to be a jewelry shop. There were various types of expensive looking accessories in cases.

Childe began to look at all the jewelry available. Maybe he could buy something nice for Tonia or
his mother while he was here? Or find something that he could come back later and purchase. A
pair of earrings quickly caught his eye.

They were blue (Noctilucous Jade, if he remembered correctly) and they sparkled in the sunlight.
Tonia would love these, he couldn’t help but think. He would definitely need to come back later
and buy these.

Childe glanced over and saw Aether staring at a pair of rings in a glass case. Leaving the earrings
where they were, he slid over to where the traveler was standing.

He followed Aether’s gaze and looked at the rings. The rings themselves were made of a silver
material (most likely platinum or actual silver). But what was most beautiful was the stones on the
top of the ring. One ring had small pieces of Noctilucous Jade surrounding a slightly larger piece of
Cor Lapis. The other matching ring had small pieces of emerald surrounding a larger piece of Cor
Lapis.

Cor Lapis… It reminded him of a certain consultant’s eyes. No, that didn’t matter anymore. He
crushed the thought.

“You’ve got pretty good taste,” Childe said honestly. Those rings truly were lovely.

Aether stayed silent. When Childe looked at his companion’s face, his eyes widened. The traveler
had a melancholic look on his face that made him look much older.

“The one with Noctilucous Jade… It reminds me of my sister,” Aether confessed quietly.

“That one with the emerald would suit you too,” Childe put his arm around Aether’s shoulders
comfortingly. He knew just how much Aether missed his sister. “Try it on.”
“Huh?” Aether looked up at him.

“Why not? Try on the emerald one,” Childe looked around for a shopkeeper. “Excuse me, could
my friend try one of these rings?”

The merchant quickly came over, eager to make a sale.

“Of course! Which ring would you like to try on?” The merchant asked.

Aether pointed to the emerald ring. The merchant opened the glass case and took the ring out. The
traveler put his hand out and the merchant slipped the ring onto his finger.

“A perfect fit! Like it was made for you,” Childe looked at the other ring. “Is that one the same
size?”

“Yes, these rings are a pair and come in the same size. But they can be resized if needed,” the
merchant answered.

“How does it look?” Aether asked, moving his hand so that the light hit the ring in a way that made
it shine.

“Looks great on you,” Childe nodded. Then he turned to the merchant. “How much is it?”

The merchant seemed to think it over. Yeah, the price was definitely going up because of who he
was. “100,000 mora.”

“Absolutely not,” Aether pulled the ring off of his finger. “That’s way too much.”

“Who said you’re paying?” Childe asked with a chuckle. Aether glared at him.

“You are not paying that much for a ring,” Aether said as he gave the ring back to the merchant.
Even though he said that, Aether looked longingly at the matching rings. Childe noticed
immediately.

Then he remembered a conversation they had had before. Aether had told him that him and his
sister were very similar in sizes. The traveler had once told him that they switched clothes one day
and it fit them both perfectly. So if they were really that similar, surely their ring sizes were about
the same?

“Shame. The ring looked good on you,” Childe sighed dramatically.

“Come on,” Aether tried to pull him away, but Childe stayed put.

“You go on ahead. There’s some nice earrings that Tonia would adore. I’ll buy those and catch up
with you later,” Childe motioned over to the earrings he was looking at before. Not a complete lie.
He really did want to buy those earrings.

Aether stared at him for a moment and sighed. “Fine, I’ll be at the store next door.”

Then Aether left the shop, leaving Childe alone with the shopkeeper.

“So how much for those earrings over there plus these matching rings?”

~~~~~

Childe walked out of the jewelry store with a substantially lighter wallet, but a pair of earrings and
rings richer. He was positive that he paid far too much for the accessories, but it didn’t matter.
Money wasn’t important.

He went into the shop next door and met with Aether, who was looking around at some antiques.

“Got the earrings. Ready to go?” Childe showed Aether the box that had the earrings in it. Aether
gave him a look and opened the box. He seemed surprised to actually see the earrings.
“Wow, you actually did get them,” Aether sounded fairly surprised. What he didn’t know is that
Childe had another box with the rings in his back pocket.

“Of course. I never lie.” Childe closed the box and put it away. “So where to now?”

“Can we just walk around?” Aether asked. “All these shops are getting kinda stuffy.”

“Try working in a bank for an entire day,” Childe joked. They left the shop laughing.

They walked around for a bit, just talking about absolutely nothing. Times like these made him
realize that he wasn’t entirely Tartaglia, or even Childe. Times like these reminded him that Ajax
still lingered in his soul. Childe would never buy someone a pair of rings for sentimental purposes.
Tartaglia would never even consider it.

But Ajax had always had a soft spot for family.

Childe (or was he Ajax right now?) and Aether stopped by a bridge. The sun was starting to set and
the sky was colored in a faint orange.

“Thanks for today,” Childe said. “I needed this.”

“I think I needed it too,” Aether agreed.

“As much as I like our fights, I’m glad we did this today instead,” Childe admitted.

“Right? There’s been enough fighting already.”Aether suddenly looked nervous. “Hey, can I ask
you something?”

“Anything,” Childe said, leaning against the railing of the bridge.

“I know I said we wouldn’t talk about Zhongli, but…” Aether hesitated. Childe felt his smile drop.
“What about him?” Childe asked coldly.

“Ah, I was talking to him yesterday. And he’s really messed up because of all that happened. So I
was wondering if you’d be okay with talking to him,” Aether fidgeted with his scarf.

“Well maybe he shouldn’t have done what he did,” Childe looked away. Why would Zhongli care
about him? Faking emotions again? He shouldn’t even be surprised to hear about the ex-Archon
stooping so low.

“Please, Childe. For me? I hate seeing you guys fight.” Aether’s face fell. Childe could feel his
heart crack at Aether’s expression. It felt like trying to say no to Teucer or Anthon. Tartaglia had
long since melted away whenever he was with Aether. But now Childe shattered, leaving just Ajax.

“Okay, I’ll talk to him. For you,” Ajax sighed.

Aether’s face lit up almost instantly. “You will?”

“But I’m not making the first move. Either he comes to talk to me or it’s not happening at all.”
Seems like there was still a piece of Childe left.

“That’s fine!” Aether smiled. “So can I tell him to meet you later today?”

“At the bank, sure,” Ajax agreed.

“Thank you,” Aether clasped his hands together. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

“Oh, and another thing,” Ajax reached into his back pocket and took out the box with the rings.
“This is for you.”

Aether stared at the box. “You did not.”

“I didn’t what?” Ajax felt his smile creep back up onto his face.
“Stop it,” Aether took the box from Ajax’s hand.

Ajax watched with amusement as Aether opened the box and stared at the rings in the box. Then
the traveler looked up, eyes glistening with unshed tears.

“You–” Aether wiped his eyes with his free hand. Ajax put his arms out and Aether ran into him,
hugging him. “I hate you rich people.”

Ajax laughed, petting the top of Aether’s head.

“I hope your sister likes it. When you see her again, make sure you give her the right ring,” Ajax
hugged Aether back.

“Thank you, Ajax,” Aether mumbled into Ajax’s shoulder.

“It’s what friends are for, right?” Ajax laughed when he felt Aether punch his chest.

“I’m scared to ask how much you paid for everything,” Aether said.

“Yeah, you shouldn’t ask,” Ajax decided not to say anything about the price. He knew Aether
would have a heart attack if he heard how much he had paid.

“You don’t have to talk to Zhongli if you don’t want to,” Aether said after a moment. “Don’t do it
just for me.”

“May as well get it over with. It was bound to happen eventually,” Ajax patted Aether’s back. “Just
tell him to meet me at the bank whenever he’s free. I’ll be there all day.”

Aether pulled away from the hug with a smile on his face. “Okay.”

“I should probably head back now. I’ve still got a ton of work left to do.” Ajax looked at the sun
slowly setting.

“When you talk to Zhongli, don’t play nice. You tell him everything you want to say,” Aether said.
Ajax blinked in surprise. He wasn’t expecting that at all. “What Zhongli did was terrible and you
deserve to say it.”

“C’mon, who do you think you’re talking to?” Childe slid his Fatui mask over his face.

“Of course. I don’t need to tell you that,” Aether knocked the mask back to the side of Childe’s
face. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Whenever you want to see me,” Childe waved to Aether and began to walk back to Northland
Bank.

~~~~~

About an hour passed after Childe had come back to the bank. He had jumped right back into his
work, not wanting to watch the clock. He had no idea when Zhongli would show up. What was he
even going to say? Sure he had a lot to say, but how was he going to say it all? Maybe he would just
word vomit.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

“Sir? Zhongli is here to see you,” Ekaterina said softly.

“Let him in. And tell him to lock the door.” Childe said briskly. He began to start filing ideas that
he wanted to say.

The door opened and Zhongli walked in, just as stunning as Childe remembered. Not a single hair
out of place, like he had been completely unbothered by everything that had happened. He watched
as Zhongli locked the door behind him and stood in front of his desk. Everything that he wanted to
say quickly slipped from his mind. Childe bit the inside of his cheek. Focus, he thought.

“Childe,” Zhongli said in that deep voice that used to make him swoon. Now, all it did was light a
fire in his heart.

“Tartaglia,” Tartaglia corrected. If Zhongli was going to walk into his office thinking that this
would be an easy conversation, he was dead wrong.

“Tartaglia,” Zhongli echoed, “Aether told me that you were willing to speak to me.”

“Tell me something, Morax,” Tartaglia didn’t miss how Zhongli’s mouth tightened. “Why are you
here?”

“As I said, Aether told me that you–” Zhongli started, but Tartaglia cut him off.

“No, that’s not what I’m asking. Aether told you that I’m ready to talk. But you came here of your
own volition. Which means you wanted to speak to me. Why is that?” Tartaglia asked again.

“I wanted to apologize for my actions,” Zhongli bowed his head. Tartaglia barked out a bitter
laugh.

“Apologize for what?” Did Zhongli even know what he was apologizing for? Or was he just here
to give him a half-assed “sorry” that didn’t have any meaning?

Zhongli looked up, eyes wide. “For… using you.”

“So you don’t even know what you’re apologizing for,” Tartaglia ripped his gaze away from the
man standing in front of him. He should have expected this.

“I used you in a larger plan that the Tsaritsa and I had, and I’m here to apologize for it,” Zhongli
stared at him. “Is there something else that I did that I am not aware of?”

Making me feel loved. Zhongli had made Tartaglia feel like he could be loved for something
beyond his battle skills. Ever since he had crawled out of the abyss, he had been seen as a weapon.
But in his short time in Liyue, Zhongli had made Tartaglia feel like more than just a tool for
destruction.
Surely Zhongli had known what he was doing to the Harbinger?

Unless he didn’t. Zhongli had proven himself to be rather oblivious to human emotion. Or was that
a façade as well?

Then it was Tartaglia’s fault for falling in love. It was his fault for reading into things that weren’t
even there.

“So you’re here to apologize just for not telling me about your plan?” Tartaglia locked eyes with
the consultant. Even though he was no longer an Archon, Zhongli’s gaze was unnerving, like he
was looking right into Tartaglia’s soul.

“Not only that,” Zhongli’s eyes softened. “For deceiving you.”

“What?” Childe hadn’t expected that. He could feel Tartaglia slipping away.

“I never told you that I was Rex Lapis. And because of that, you were betrayed by my actions,”
Zhongli looked away, breaking their eye contact. “I led you to believe that I was simply a mortal
living in Liyue. I never wanted to hurt you.”

“But you did,” Childe didn’t dare take his eyes off of Zhongli. He could feel his heart pounding in
his chest.

“I did what I thought was the best course of action, which was befriending you and gaining your
trust. I only intended for us to meet a handful of times. But as I spent more time with you, I realized
that I could not stay away,” Zhongli confessed. It was barely visible, but the consultant’s cheeks
were dusted red.

Childe could feel Ajax cheer in victory. Tartaglia quickly smothered the feeling. Ajax was
overjoyed at the fact that Zhongli did indeed like him, and Tartaglia was bloodthirsty over being
toyed with. But Childe? He was conflicted. So Zhongli truly did enjoy his company? But he also
knew that things would end like this.

“So you were selfish,” Childe finally said after careful deliberation. “You knew what you would
eventually have to do, but you continued to spend time with me? As expected from the God of
Commerce.”

“Yes, I was selfish. And I am deeply sorry for having to deceive you,” Zhongli looked back at
Childe.

Childe wanted to believe him. He really did, if his thundering heart was any indication. But what if
this was all another ruse for another plan? He would rather die than be betrayed twice by the same
person.

Zhongli’s gaze was unwavering and it felt sincere. But so did every other time he had met with the
consultant. What made this any different?

“If you really are sorry, how about a contract, Rex Lapis? I know you’re awfully fond of those,”
Childe said.

“Anything,” Zhongli said without hesitation.

“A fight. You’ve never agreed to one before,” Childe smiled for the first time in that meeting when
he saw Zhongli’s expression twist into displeasure.

“What are your terms?” Zhongli asked, clearly not liking the idea.

“If I win, you never speak to me again. You stay away from me for as long as I live,” Childe
almost choked when he saw Zhongli’s eyes widen. In his eyes, Childe could see fear. Never once
had he seen Zhongli so panicked. “And if you win, you kill me.”

“I refuse,” Zhongli said quickly. “I cannot accept those terms.”

“Scared?” Childe watched in confusion as Zhongli became more panicked. He knew he would get
a reaction by asking for a fight, but he never expected something this… extreme.

“Think what you will, but I will not accept the terms you have laid out,” Zhongli’s breathing
quickened.
“So you won’t make a contract to prove you’re sorry. Do you really expect me to believe you? That
I’ll just run into your arms and forgive you?” Childe scoffed. “Sorry, but I’m not the type.”

“The chopsticks,” Zhongli said without explanation.

“Chopsticks…” Childe said dryly. He was starting to lose his patience.

“Do you remember the chopsticks I gave you?” Zhongli leaned forward earnestly.

“This is not the time to talk about some chopsticks,” Tartaglia could feel his patience wearing thin.

“Do you know the meaning behind them?” Zhongli continued on as if Tartaglia never spoke.

Here he was, trying to figure out if he could even trust the man in front of him, and Zhongli was
talking about some fucking chopsticks? Was he serious right now? Tartaglia didn’t give a shit what
the chopsticks meant right now. He wanted Zhongli to prove himself so he could possibly trust him
again.

Tartaglia opened his top desk drawer, careful not to let Zhongli see inside. His ticket to Snezhnaya
was at the top, under the chopsticks. Tartaglia grabbed the chopsticks and shut the drawer
forcefully. Then he stood up from his seat, holding the chopsticks in his hand.

“Are these the ones that are so desperately important to you?” Tartaglia held the chopsticks up for
Zhongli to see.

“You still have them? Even after all this?” Zhongli looked relieved. Tartaglia hated that look. Why
was Zhongli so happy to see a pair of chopsticks? It wasn’t nearly the most expensive thing the
consultant had asked him to pay for.

“What could possibly be so important about these that you care so much about them?” Tartaglia
stared down at the chopsticks. The dragon and phoenix design almost glowed in the light. It was
pretty, sure, but not enough to explain Zhongli’s actions.
 His hand curled around them tightly. Why were these chopsticks more important than him?

“Childe…” Zhongli said quietly.

“It’s Tartaglia,” Tartaglia interjected.

“You’re going to break them. Just give me the chopsticks before you snap them,” If Tartaglia
didn’t know any better, he would have thought that Zhongli was pleading for him to hand the
chopsticks over. Zhongli put his hand out, clearly wanting the chopsticks back.

Suddenly Tartaglia had an idea. Ajax cried out in protest, and even Childe was against it. But
Tartaglia didn’t care. If Zhongli cared more about some chopsticks than proving himself
trustworthy, he could die on that hill.

“You want them?” Tartaglia placed his other hand on the chopsticks.

And then he snapped them in half. The sound was quiet but it felt deafening. Tartaglia looked up to
see Zhongli’s expression morph into a mix of heartbreak and pain. It was a good look on the ex-
Archon (Ajax and Childe heavily disagreed). Then he placed the pieces into Zhongli’s hand.

“You can keep them,” Tartaglia closed Zhongli’s hand around the broken chopsticks. “I’m
leaving.”

Tartaglia walked past Zhongli, not bothering to look at him anymore. He was done here. Tartaglia
unlocked the door and left his office, closing the door behind him. With quick goodbyes to the
employees, he left the bank.

Chapter End Notes

yall have NO IDEA how long i've been planning that last part with the chopsticks
that part was actually the thing that made me start writing this entire fic
ANYWAYS
yall know the deal
comments and kudos are SUPER appreciated and motivate me to get the next chapter
out as soon as i can <33333
 Day 4
Chapter Notes

WOOO I managed to get this done right before Zhongli's banner went away!!! I'm so
sorry for the long wait again,,,, I was grinding for Zhongli BUT I GOT HIM!!!!!
Enjoy ;)

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Zhongli had stumbled home after his meeting with Childe. So many things were wrong with what
had happened. There had been moments where Childe said the exact same thing as his nightmare,
and it terrified him beyond belief. So he had clung to the idea of their chopsticks, hoping that
Childe had still kept them.

And then Childe broke them.

When Childe had snapped the chopsticks in front of him, Zhongli had felt his heart crack as well.
But from what Childe had said, it was safe to assume that he did not understand the meaning of the
chopsticks. It was a blessing and a curse. If Childe had understood them, would his reaction to his
betrayal have been the same? Would it have been harsher? Or possibly softer and more
understanding?

Zhongli stopped himself there. There was no point in thinking about it now. He knew better than
anyone that there was no point in wishing to change the past.

He lay down in his bed (when did he get home?), still clutching the broken chopsticks in his hand.
He had ruined things. It was completely his fault, was it not? If he had not created his plan of
befriending Childe but giving his Gnosis to La Signora, Childe would never have hated him. But
then again, he would have never met Childe.

Was it worth it? Having loved and lost rather than never loving at all? He thought so. Zhongli had
learned from Guizhong’s death that he would rather hold fond memories of people long gone than
to have no memories at all.

… Long gone? No, Childe wasn’t gone. Not if Zhongli had anything to say about it.
He would do anything to repair their relationship. It was his fault that Childe hated him (rightfully
so), so it was his responsibility to fix things. Even if it took an eternity.

But Childe didn’t have an eternity. Childe was mortal, with a mortal lifespan of about 80 years or
so. Considering his… bloodthirsty and battlehungry nature, it would be cut far shorter. No matter
how capable Childe was (and he was very capable), there was no doubt that he would succumb on
the battlefield.

Zhongli tightened his grip on the chopsticks. He would not let Childe die at an early age. He was
going to rebuild the burnt bridge between them, this time with stone. Even if Childe didn’t think so,
Zhongli cared. He cared so much that it hurt.

As much as he didn’t want to let go of the chopsticks, he knew that he had to. If he held them for
longer, there was a chance he would crack them even more from his iron grip. So Zhongli placed
the broken chopsticks under his pillow. They would be safe there.

Even though they were broken and Childe didn’t understand their meaning, it made Zhongli feel
like a part of Childe was still with him.

But Zhongli didn’t dare close his eyes.

He knew what would happen if he made an attempt to fall asleep.

But he was exhausted, both physically and emotionally. It was a foreign feeling to him. Was he
already subject to mortal limitations? He fought to keep his eyes open, but his exhaustion got the
better of him. He felt his consciousness slip away, and the last thing he felt before he fell asleep
was fear.

“I know you can do better than that, xiansheng!” Childe taunts, swiftly blocking Zhongli’s spear
and brandishing his hydro blades.

Zhongli had taken a defensive position, and had kept it for most of the fight. He doesn’t want to
harm Childe, no matter how angry the Harbinger was. His shield was almost impenetrable, and he
watches as Childe batters at it.

“You cannot win this fight,” Zhongli hears himself say. “Why do you continue to try?”
“You agreed to the contract,” Childe harshly stabs at the point he had been focusing on. Zhongli’s
shield cracks slightly and Childe’s face twists with malicious glee. “You win and you kill me. I win
and I never see you again.”

“I do not want to kill you,” Zhongli quickly mended the crack in his shield, but not before Childe
rained a heavy assault on the crack. It was getting harder to keep his shield up and intact.

“The contract said that you had to use your full power!” Childe yells through his attacks. “It’s a
win-win for me either way, but don’t you dare yield just yet!”

He could feel his shield getting weaker and weaker. It would break at any moment if Childe kept
his relentless assault up for much longer. Zhongli summons a pillar, knocking Childe away. He
hurriedly fixes his shield back to full strength while Childe was still away.

He had expected Childe to rush back with his hydro blades, but when his shield remained
untouched, Zhongli looked around.

“Up here, Rex Lapis!” Zhongli looked up to see Childe sitting on the top of his pillar, one leg
crossed over the other. His hair was unruly and he was breathing heavily. The manic look in his
eyes had not left.

“Do you yield?” Zhongli prayed to Celestia that Childe would not say yes. He had not prayed as
hard since he was knelt by Guizhong during her final moments.

“Yield? Me? Never,” Childe replies, and Zhongli let out a sigh of relief. “But I think it’s a little
unfair that you got to mess with my feelings for so long and have no consequences.”

Before Zhongli could ask Childe what he meant, the Harbinger took out a pair of chopsticks. Their
chopsticks.

“It’s so unfair that you’ve been enjoying yourself for so long while you knew what would
eventually have to happen. It’s not a surprise that a dragon would be selfish, but I wish I was
smarter to see it coming,” Childe sighs. “Like, really? What kind of funeral parlor consultant
knows that much about history? Not even historians have that much information in their heads.”
Childe spun the chopsticks around in his hands, playing with them. “These are cute, aren’t they? I
almost regret what I’m about to do.”

“Childe, wait–” Zhongli barely had time to react when Childe uncrossed his legs and held the
chopsticks in his hands. Then he snapped them.

Zhongli stopped moving, standing still and staring up at Childe in horror. Their chopsticks…
broken. And it was his fault. All because he was selfish. All because he wanted something that
wasn’t his to have. Childe was never his (no, Childe was always his own person), and he never
would be.

Childe threw the broken chopsticks to the side, and Zhongli couldn’t help but stare at the broken
pieces of wood. They were broken. If he wasn’t so selfish, would things have been different? Of
course they would have, but not in a way that Zhongli liked. If he hadn’t been selfish, Childe would
have only been a minor acquaintance. An acquaintance that he would have forgotten in about ten
years. He hated the thought of forgetting Childe. Even if Childe hated him for what he did, Zhongli
did not regret what he did.

He had to use Childe as a pawn for his people. To protect Liyue. And what use was a god if he
couldn’t protect his people? For that, he does not feel guilty.

What he does feel guilty about is making Childe believe that he never cared about him at all. That
wasn’t true. The exact opposite, in fact. It was because he cared too much that they were in this
situation at all.

A blur of movement pulls Zhongli out of his thoughts. Before he can do anything, Childe pushes all
of his energy in his hydro blades and at a specific point in his shield.

Zhongli’s shield shatters almost instantly.

Childe’s smile lights up, but not in the way Zhongli is accustomed to. Zhongli is used to a soft and
bashful smile, hidden behind a gloved hand. Zhongli is used to pink cheeks and lingering gazes.
Zhongli is used to pleasant company and warm fondness that would bubble in his chest.

What he is met with now is a manic smile and empty blue eyes. He hates it. It’s attractive
(everything about Childe is attractive), but he hates how the battle thirsty look is aimed towards
him.
Zhongli lets Childe shove him to the ground.

“Do you yield, Morax?” Childe asked, holding a hydro blade to Zhongli’s throat. If he yielded, he
would never see Childe again. But if he didn’t yield and Childe won, he would have to kill the man
he had unequivocally loved.

Zhongli stays silent, reaching his hand up to cup Childe’s cheek. Childe flinches and pulls away
from his touch, as if it repulses him. After everything that has happened, maybe it does repulse him.

“Do you yield?” Childe repeats, pressing the blade harder against Zhongli’s throat. Zhongli’s
palm still burns with Childe’s warmth. He likes it.

“I love you,” Zhongli says instead. If he was going to die here, he at least wants Childe to know
that he loves him.

Childe’s eyes narrow in distrust. It was fair for Childe not to believe him, Zhongli muses. Zhongli
had built their relationship on hidden truths after all.

“Do you yield?”

“I love you.”

“Cut the shit. Do you yield or not?”

“I’ve always loved you. I never lied about that.”

Zhongli blinks and suddenly he’s watching the scene from the side as if he’s a separate person. He
watches as Childe continues to ask if he yields. And every time, Zhongli watches as his body
repeats the same three words. He wants to step forward but he’s rooted to the ground.

He watches as Childe grows more and more irritated. Childe lets out an agonizing scream,
clutching his head. Zhongli tries to rush towards him and comfort him, but he can’t move. He
watches his body look up at the Harbinger with worry.

“Just yield! Stop fighting!”

“It would be an honor to die by your hand.”

Childe screams again, but this time he sounds lost. His heart aches. Then he watches as Childe
grabs his body’s hair, tilts it back, and slits his throat.

Zhongli watches the light in his eyes fade. He had watched himself die. Childe doesn’t move, and
his breaths are erratic. He aches to touch Childe.

Childe looks up and looks over at where Zhongli is standing. His heart shatters when he sees tears
rolling down Childe’s cheeks. He longs to wipe them away with his hands. Childe’s eyes are dull
and empty, and it sends a shiver down his spine.

The haunted look on Childe’s face reminds him of his early godhood when he had to watch his
friends die around him. He doesn’t want Childe to feel a fraction of the pain he’s felt over the
course of his life.

Childe looks down at his bloodied hydro blade. It drips with blood and hydro energy. Childe looks
down at Zhongli’s corpse. Zhongli is suddenly aware of what Childe is thinking.

No. No, no, no, nonononono

Zhongli tries to scream when Childe moves his blade to his own throat, but he can’t make a sound.
He struggles, trying to move or speak. Anything to stop Childe from taking his own life.

Childe looks back at where Zhongli is standing. For a moment, Zhongli thinks that Childe can see
him, or at least sense him. But the empty look in his eyes says everything. Zhongli keeps struggling.
He would not let another person he cared about die right in front of him.

Childe squeezes his eyes shut, and he’s shaking a little. He’s scared. Zhongli wants to scream.
Childe, no matter what the Harbinger thinks, is still young. He’s young and he’s afraid. He’s
afraid of dying, just like every other mortal. Death scares him.

And now it scares Zhongli. He doesn’t mind dying at Childe’s hand. He’s lived far too long, and
death is a welcome release. But Childe is too young to die. He couldn’t be more than about twenty
five years old.

So Zhongli screams. He screams so loud that his throat is sore. But he doesn’t stop. He keeps
struggling and he keeps screaming. He feels tears flowing down his cheeks. He won’t stop. He
can’t stop. Childe is about to take his own life right in front of him. He feels like time has slowed
down. He screams for so long that he can feel himself losing his voice.

But Childe doesn’t hear him.

Zhongli watches, kicking and screaming, as Childe’s hands tremble. Childe shuts his eyes and
mumbles something. He can’t quite make out what he’s saying, but he’s positive he heard his
name.

Childe takes a deep breath, and his grip on his blade tightens. Zhongli struggles harder than he
ever has. But he still can’t move. He watches as Childe brings the blade to his throat.

Childe’s eyes are still closed, and he takes another deep breath. His grip tightens again on the
blade and–

Zhongli jolted up, tears still flowing freely. He tried to control his erratic breathing. Deep breaths,
he thought to himself. It was just a nightmare again. It was just a nightmare, Zhongli repeated to
himself like a mantra.

The sun was already out, and Zhongli had no idea what time it was. He was never one to oversleep
like this, but this was the second time this week. There was no way he would be able to work in
this condition. He would just have to ask Hu Tao for some time off. A day might not cut it this
time. Maybe he would take the rest of the week off. Even if he wanted to work, he knew he would
not be able to stay focused. He had learned that from his last nightmare.

Perhaps he would visit Xiao today. He knew the adeptus rarely ever, if at all, ate dreams these
days, but maybe he had a way to ward off nightmares. Celestia knows he needs it.
He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see Childe. Then again, Childe had made it abundantly clear that he
wanted nothing to do with Zhongli anymore. The thought of that broke his heart. He wanted to fix
what he had broken.

Zhongli got himself presentable enough for the day. He took the broken chopsticks out from under
his pillow and placed them in a hidden pocket inside his jacket. He had not told Xiao about the
chopsticks, and it seemed like as good a time as any to finally bring it up.

But first things first, he would need to tell Hu Tao about him taking a few days off. He hoped that
she would understand. It would count as a personal leave, and Zhongli had used a few of those
days already. He would just have to make up the work later. It was fine though. He just couldn’t
handle sitting in his office alone today.

Not when he had fond memories of Childe dropping by on slow days, sitting on his table as he tried
to work. Zhongli never got much work done on those days, but he loved them.

He left his house, and walked towards Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. He felt horrible for all the days
he had already taken off this week. When he was ready to go back to work, he owed it to Hu Tao to
work harder than he ever had.

Even the walk to Wangsheng felt different than it used to. Zhongli found himself putting his hand
out multiple times for Childe to hold. Childe never used to take his full hand though. He would
also just entwine their pinkies together whenever they walked.

Now there was no one next to him to hold his hand. It was a strange thing to miss. Zhongli had
never indulged in mortal relations, and he never thought that something so miniscule as someone
else’s hand would be so important to him now.

Even with his gloves on, his hand had never felt so cold.

Zhongli opened the door to Wangsheng and let himself in. Hu Tao was already there (as expected)
and speaking to the Ferrylady.

“There you are,” Hu Tao had her hands on her hips as she turned to face him. Then her arms fell.
“You look terrible.”
“Do I?” Zhongli was sure that he was not looking at his prime.

“Are you okay?” Hu Tao started to look worried. Strangely, she still hadn’t offered to sell him a
coffin. “Maybe you should start looking at coffins to be buried in.”

Nevermind.

“No, I’m alright. But I have to make yet another selfish request,” Zhongli bowed his head. “I must
take the rest of the week off for personal reasons.”

“Huh? Again?” Hu Tao asked. “Well, sure. Me and the Ferrylady can take care of things while
you’re gone.”

“I will make up for lost time when I return,” Zhongli promised. He looked up when he heard Hu
Tao laugh.

“I know you will. Now go do what you have to do. I’m sure it’s important if you’re taking the rest
of the week off,” Hu Tao shooed him out the door. “Come back only when you have everything
sorted out.”

Zhongli smiled to himself as he was sent out of Wangsheng. Hu Tao had a strange way of caring
about people. But now that he had the next few days off, he began to walk.

Wangshu Inn was a far walk away from Liyue Harbor, so he set off immediately. It was a walk he
was very familiar with, and he had walked it alone many times. But he found himself leaning into a
presence that was no longer with him. Childe had walked with him whenever Zhongli had business
to attend to outside of the harbor.

It was just like him to realize what he had when he had lost it.

Zhongli shook his head. No, Childe wasn’t completely lost to him yet. And he would do
everything in his power to make sure Childe didn’t disappear from his life.

The walk to Wangshu Inn was uneventful. Without Childe there to listen to his rambles, Zhongli
had walked in silence. He climbed the stairs up to where he knew Xiao normally stayed. He waved
hello to Verr Goldet as he passed her.

Zhongli stood in front of Xiao’s closed door and was about to knock when he heard someone
speaking inside.

“–and I’m just worried about them,” Zhongli identified the voice as Aether’s. What was the
traveler doing here? His hand stilled and Zhongli stood by the door quietly, listening to the
conversation.

“Morax knows what he’s doing. You should leave them be,” Zhongli heard Xiao say. So Aether
had told Xiao about Zhongli and Childe? He can’t say he’s surprised.

“You didn’t see what I saw,” Aether sounded uncharacteristically angry. “Back in Mondstadt, I had
to watch as Signora just… kicked Venti and pulled the Gnosis right out of him. And now I had to
watch Zhongli just hand her his Gnosis like it’s no big deal!?”

Zhongli hears a chair creak and footsteps in the room.

“I know you’re loyal to him, but I can’t just watch something like that and look the other way!”
Aether argues. It’s the most upset Zhongli has ever heard him be. “Please, Xiao. Just try to see
things fairly.”

Silence. Zhongli thinks that Xiao won’t respond, but then he hears a quiet voice.

“I thought Morax really had died that day,” Xiao said quietly, so quiet that Zhongli had to strain to
hear. He was surprised to hear Xiao confess to any kind of weakness. Perhaps Aether and Xiao
were closer than he had thought.

“See? He didn’t even tell you or anyone else about his plan. I can’t imagine what you must have
felt,” Aether says, and Zhongli hears bed sheets rustling. “And when he gave up his Gnosis… I
can’t imagine how Childe must have felt.”

“Who cares about that Fatui? His only goal here was to steal the Gnosis,” Xiao argued, and
Zhongli wants to intervene. Yes, that was Childe’s primary goal, but…
“But Childe really fell for Zhongli. And then he had to find out that he was being lied to. Sure he
was sent to Liyue to steal a Gnosis, but he never got to do that. He came here, fell in love, and then
watched someone else do his job for him,” Aether sighed. “I went to visit him earlier today.”

Zhongli hears the bed creak slightly.

“Something happened yesterday between them when they talked. Childe didn’t look normal. He…”
Aether groaned, “I don’t really know how to describe it.”

“I don’t think that Fatui boy has any semblance of normal,” Xiao said bluntly. Zhongli has to bite
his tongue to stop himself from laughing. It was true. Childe was not normal by any mortal
standards.

“Yeah,” Aether laughed. “I know that. But I mean different from what his normal is. I was going to
check on Zhongli at Wangsheng, but he wasn’t there.”

“He wasn’t?” Xiao asked, and Zhongli could hear the concern in the Yaksha’s voice.

“He’s been… having nightmares recently. I think whatever happened yesterday made them worse.
But Childe won’t say anything about it and that worries me. I told him not to hold anything back,
but I’m scared he might have said something he didn’t mean,” Aether said quietly. “Ah, I’m talking
too much. I know you don’t like Childe.”

“It’s true that I don’t like that Harbinger for trying to drown the harbor, but it also involves
Morax,” Xiao paused. “And if it’s bothering you, then I want you to talk about it.”

“So it’s not any trouble? You already have enough on your plate as is. I don’t want to put anything
else on you,” Aether sounds so small at that moment and Zhongli’s heart lurches. What exactly had
this boy been through?

“Aether,” Zhongli’s eyes widen at how tender Xiao’s voice sounds, “I have already told you to
speak my name if you ever need me. That is not an offer I make lightly. I want to share your
burden.”
“And if you do, can I have the honor of taking some of the weight off of your shoulders?” Aether
asked gently.

“It’s no honor to carry as much karma as I have. This is my karmic duty and my curse to bear
alone,” Xiao said quickly.

“If you help carry my burden, who will help you?” Aether asked softly. Zhongli suddenly felt as if
he were intruding. He should not be listening to this conversation. This was a private matter that he
should not be eavesdropping on.

“I do not require help,” Xiao said, and Zhongli frowned. So Xiao still thought that he was
undeserving of support? “I’m not used to–”

“Please don’t tell me you’re not used to getting help. That’s a little sad, don’t you think?” Aether
let out a hollow laugh. “I don’t know the exact details of your past, but I can tell you this right now:
you have me, and the other adepti, and Zhongli.”

“What…?” Xiao sounded just as surprised as Zhongli was.

“Don’t think I haven’t noticed,” Zhongli could practically hear the smile in Aether’s voice.
“Zhongli is like your father figure.”

“Wait, what are you talking about?” Xiao spluttered, making incoherent noises.

“Always trying to get his approval and all. And Ganyu’s kind of like your sister. I remember you
helped her train that one time,” Aether’s voice had a teasing tilt to it.

“I helped train her out of necessity. She was getting too used to office work,” Xiao tried to deny.

“You could have given her a task. You didn’t have to be there yourself and watch. C’mon, I know
you care. And they care about you. Just like I do,” Aether chuckled. “Well, maybe not the exact
same way I do.”

Zhongli let himself smile. Maybe he wouldn’t have to worry so much about Xiao anymore. Aether
had the Yaksha wrapped around his little finger.

“I…” Xiao made a disgruntled noise. “I suppose.”

“So you agree?” Aether asked. Xiao made a small noise of confusion. “You agree that Zhongli is
your dad?”

“Stop speaking this instant,” Xiao demanded, but Aether just laughed.

“It’s okay. I’m pretty sure he looks at you like his son,” Aether said, and he was right. Zhongli had
seen Xiao as a son for decades. It was why he would regularly bring him painkilling medicine to
help with the karma.

And one of his biggest concerns as a “father” was Xiao’s tendency to isolate himself. But now that
Aether was here, he didn’t think he would have to worry as much. Zhongli was happy to see Xiao
opening up to someone.

He heard Xiao vehemently try to deny any familial bonds and decided to put him out of his misery.
Zhongli raised his hand and knocked on the door.

He heard Xiao and Aether fiercely whisper to each other. Then Xiao opened the door.

“Morax?” Xiao’s face reddened. “How long have you been there?”

“Not long,” Zhongli lied.

“Ah, speak of the devil!” Aether piped up from the room. Zhongli looked past Xiao and saw the
traveler sitting on the bed.

“Traveler, I see you’re here as well.” Zhongli continued to pretend as if he had just arrived for
Xiao’s sake.

Xiao stepped aside, letting Zhongli inside. Zhongli stepped into the room and Xiao shut the door
again.

“What brings you here?” Aether asked. Xiao stayed silent, not looking at Zhongli. Poor thing was
probably embarrassed from both being caught with Aether alone and them having just talked about
Zhongli being his father.

“I have been having nightmares again,” Zhongli decided to be blunt and get straight to the point.
Xiao and Aether shared a look. “I came here to ask if Xiao had any nightmare repellants or
anything of the sort.”

“Unfortunately, I can only eat dreams. I do not know of any methods to stop them at the source,”
Xiao replied. “I apologize.”

“No, it’s alright. I can manage,” Zhongli sighed. Was there no escape from these nightmares other
than not sleeping?

“Do you want to talk about it?” Aether suggested. “Talking about dreams usually helps.”

“It… was another nightmare about Childe,” Zhongli confessed.

“Oh,” Xiao simply said. “Do you…?”

“Do I what?” Zhongli asked. He had a feeling he knew what Xiao wanted to ask.

“Do you like him? Romantically, I mean.” Xiao’s nose scrunched up in disgust. Zhongli distantly
remembered being told that hearing about a parent’s love life was mortifying. Perhaps him and
Xiao would have to talk about this later.

“I do,” Zhongli answered honestly. There was no point in lying about it now. “And now he wants
nothing to do with me.”

“Did something major happen when you met with him yesterday?” Aether asked. “Maybe that
influenced your nightmare a little?”
“I suppose you could call it major,” Zhongli took a deep breath. Then he took out the broken
chopsticks from his jacket’s inner pocket. Xiao and Aether both came closer to Zhongli to see what
he was holding.

“Are those…? Morax, please tell me those are not what they look like,” Xiao pleaded.

“Chopsticks?” Aether was confused. The traveler must not know what the dragon and phoenix
symbols mean in Liyue.

“Dragon and phoenix pattern represents marriage and prosperity,” Zhongli explained. “And I gifted
these to Childe.”

“With all due respect, why would you gift those to Childe?” Xiao sounded incredulous. “You
proposed to him.”

“Wait, wait. If you gave those to Childe, why do you have them and why are they broken?”
Aether’s eyes widened. “Wait, don’t tell me…”

“It seems Childe had not understood the meaning behind them. He broke them and handed them
back to me yesterday,” Zhongli let out a bitter laugh. “I’ve ruined things.”

“He must have known what they meant!” Xiao argued. “That’s why he broke them.”

“No, I don’t think he knew. That’s a specifically Liyue custom. How would he know about that if
he’s from Snezhnaya?” Aether disagreed.

“If he is being sent to Liyue, do you not think the Fatui would have taught him about Liyue
customs?” Xiao shot back.

“I’m sure they did but do you really think Childe would have paid attention to marriage customs?
The Fatui might not have even taught him that at all! It’s not an important thing for him to know
for his mission, so there would be no point of him knowing that!” Aether shook his head.
“When I brought his attention to the chopsticks, he did not seem to have any reaction to them. I
believe he had not, and still does not, know about their meaning,” Zhongli interjected before the
argument got out of hand.

“And you still have not told him?” Xiao asked.

“He has made it quite clear that he does not want to see me ever again. If I were to tell him now, I
cannot imagine what his reaction may be. I do not want to ruin things more than they already are. I
want to fix what I have broken,” Zhongli said. If Childe had found out now, he may think that the
chopsticks were another ploy.

“Are you free tomorrow?” Aether suddenly asked as Zhongli put the chopsticks back into his inner
pocket.

“I have taken the rest of the week off already,” Zhongli nodded. “Why?”

“I can ask Childe to come with me for some commissions. And if you ‘conveniently’ bump into us
before we leave the harbor, you can come with us! Then maybe you two can talk things out?
Childe can blow off some steam with the fights and he might calm down enough to talk,” Aether
said, and Zhongli found himself agreeing. That could work. But there was an issue.

“Childe would realize that it is on purpose. Last time you went with him alone, you had convinced
him to talk to me,” Zhongli said. Aether frowned.

“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Aether hummed, looking down at the ground in thought. Then he
looked up at Xiao. “Unless…?”

“Please do not involve me in your schemes. I have things to do,” Xiao quickly began to shake his
head.

“Xiao, please,” Aether grabbed Xiao’s hands, “Liyue will be safe without you for a little bit.”

Xiao’s cheeks flushed at the sudden contact. Zhongli had to cover a laugh. Aether really had Xiao
dancing in the palm of his hand. Had it been anyone else, Xiao would have ripped his hands away
and his weapon would have been out before he could blink.
“I…”

“Please?” Aether pleaded. “For your dad?”

Xiao’s body stiffened and his expression morphed into one of horror. Zhongli watched as Xiao
turned his head to look at him with wide eyes. For Xiao’s sanity, he decided not to comment on it.
Actually, no. He wanted to speak about it.

“I ask this, not as your god or Archon, but as a friend or a father: would you accompany Aether so
Childe does not become suspicious?” Zhongli asked and he watched with amusement as Xiao grew
increasingly mortified.

“See? I told you,” Aether laughed. “So will you help?”

“I suppose Liyue will be alright for a day,” Xiao eventually agrees. It seemed that they had both
forgotten that Aether was still holding Xiao’s hands.

“Thank you!” Aether moves his hands to Xiao’s shoulders and presses a feather light kiss to his
cheek. “You’re the best.”

Xiao instantly stopped moving, and Zhongli bit back a laugh.

“We’ll lead Childe to Wanmin by about eleven in the morning. I’ll stall him long enough for you
to show up, and then we can all leave together!” Aether exclaimed, cheeks slightly red from the
intimate action he had just done.

“I shall see you tomorrow then.” Zhongli began to leave, but paused. “Treat my son well. You have
my blessing.”

“Of course!” Aether laughed, and if Xiao didn’t look horrified before, he certainly did now.

“Goodbye, Morax,” Xiao said curtly as Zhongli left the room. He closed the door behind him. Or
 should he keep it open? Would it be inappropriate to sit them both down and have a conversation
about mature relationships? No, they were both old enough to make their own decisions. Maybe a
conversation wouldn’t hurt.

He let his thoughts swim around his head as he walked. He didn’t have any specific destination in
mind. All Zhongli wanted to do right now was walk around in nature and let himself go where his
feet led him.

Soon, thoughts of Xiao and Aether bled into thoughts of Childe. Would he be easily embarrassed
by small bouts of intimacy? Or would he thrive off of it? Was he the type to publicly display
affection or did he prefer affection to be private? Did Childe prefer verbal affirmations or physical
touch? Perhaps he liked gifts? Or even just spending time together?

There was so much Zhongli didn’t know, but he yearned to find out.

He was so lost in thought that he hadn’t even realized where he had walked to. Pulling himself out
of his thoughts, he had recognized where he was.

He had walked to Guizhong’s grave without even realizing.

Zhongli wasn’t really surprised. Whenever anything of importance happened or even when he was
feeling overwhelmed, he somehow found himself sitting in front of Guizhong’s grave. This was no
exception.

So Zhongli knelt by the grave, relaxing from the scent of glaze lilies.

“I do not have flowers today because I came here on a whim,” Zhongli began and he pulled out the
broken chopsticks. “Although I visited a few weeks ago, much has happened since I was last here.
It seems I have plenty of news to tell you about.”

Chapter End Notes

SHEESH these chapters are getting longer and longer as I go huh

but I have BIG BIG plans for the next chapter and it'll probably be the longest one yet,
so the wait might be a little long (unless my brain allows me some motivation to
ZOOM)
anyways yall know the drill
kudos and comments make my day and validate me <333
 Day Five
Chapter Notes

So remember how I said the wait would be long??? Yeah so I actually really wanted to
write this chapter because I had plans for it. Also the last chapter kinda flopped??? So
I rushed this out so I could get some more validation dsfsdf

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Childe sat at his desk as he continued to fill out paperwork for the bank. Ever since he had… met
with Zhongli, his temper had been shorter than ever. He tried not to take it out on the bank staff,
but he was sure they had noticed. His itch to go out and fight something only grew stronger with
each passing minute, but here he was: stuck doing paperwork.

His mind wandered back to his little “excursion” that he had taken yesterday. He had taken a small
trip around Liyue Harbor, asking avid storytellers about Rex Lapis’ previous allies and romantic
partners. Childe had heard many different names, but the one that came up the most was a woman
named Guizhong, the Goddess of Dust.

Apparently she was an engineer that was the brains to Rex Lapis’ brawn. She had loved humans
and even empathized with them. Guizhong had used her engineering mind to create new inventions
to help both mortals and immortals. Then she passed away in a war.

But most of the storytellers that he had asked had a different description of what she may have
looked like. Some said that she had long black hair and wore a long dress. Others said that she had
brown hair and had billowing sleeves. The one thing that almost every storytellers’ descriptions
had in common was that she had bright blue eyes.

Multiple storytellers had even pointed out that his eyes were about the same shade as Guizhong’s
were. If the Abyss hadn’t sucked the life out of his eyes, they may have been identical to hers.

He was sure Zhongli had seen the parallel as well. Maybe it was the whole reason that he even
spent time with him. Maybe he was just a replacement for the deceased goddess. Childe wouldn’t
be surprised.

Even thinking about that ex-Archon put a bitter taste in his mouth.
He shook his head to clear his thoughts. Back to his paperwork. He felt like he had spent long
agonizing hours slaving over his work, but it was only about ten in the morning. He was never the
patient type that could sit around and work on papers for an entire day. People like him were more
suited for that type of thing.

But Childe tried to ignore it. He was only even in Liyue because his staff had requested him to stay.
Only a few more days and he could finally escape this country and go back home. Maybe visit his
family before the Tsaritsa requested his presence. But going back to Snezhnaya meant having to
see La Signora again. Ugh, why did things have to get so complicated? He should have never
agreed to come to Liyue.

No, he didn’t mean that. If he had never come to Liyue, he would never have met Aether or any of
the bank staff. The staff had become a family away from home, and Childe wouldn’t replace that
for anything. And then there was Aether. Childe considered Aether to be one of his closest friends.
It’s exactly why he had revealed his true name to the traveler. So he didn’t completely regret
coming to Liyue. But it sure as hell would have been nice to have never come here at all. Even if
he did not meet Aether, he would have never been backstabbed by La Signora or lied to by a certain
funeral parlor consultant. He could have just gone on and lived his life.

At least he got a few friends out of this horrible journey. He just wished he hadn’t gotten as many
emotional scars.

Then Childe heard a knock at the door. The door opened to reveal Ekaterina standing there.

“Sir, the traveler and a friend are here to see you,” Ekaterina said. Speak of the devil. It was like
Aether appeared whenever Childe thought about it. But if Aether was here, that meant an excuse to
leave the bank and possibly go out for a fight.

“Let them in,” Childe grinned. Ekaterina nodded and ushered Aether inside. With him was
someone he vaguely recognized. The green clothing seemed a little familiar. And wow, this guy
was short. It almost reminded him of Scaramouche.

“Hey, Childe!” Aether greeted with a wave. “Are we interrupting anything?”

“Please, if anything, you’re a savior from all of this.” Childe motioned towards the stacks of papers
in front of him. “What’s up, comrade?”
“Actually, I was gonna go out to do some commissions with Xiao. I just came by to ask if you
wanted to come too?” Aether asked.

“Just what I needed,” Childe agreed. Then he looked over at the short green guy (Xiao, he
recognized that name too). “You look familiar.”

“I helped stop Osial from drowning the harbor. The problem that you caused,” Xiao snapped.
Yeah, this guy would get along really well with Scaramouche. “You Fatui are never to be trusted.”

Or maybe he wouldn’t.

“Xiao’s the last Yaksha. I’m sure you’ve seen him around before. Or at least of him,” Aether said,
and Childe nodded. He faintly remembered hearing about a Vigilant Yaksha that was as swift as
the wind and merciless. Or something to that effect. He wasn’t entirely sure.

“Yeah, I sort of know you. You fight well from what I’ve heard,” Childe said, trying to remember
more about the Yaksha.

“I am more than capable of carrying my own weight in battle, if that is what you are insinuating.”
Xiao crossed his arms. “I normally fight alone, but Aether had pleaded that I join him today.”

Childe couldn’t help but give Xiao a blank stare. What the hell was this guy’s problem? Whatever,
it didn’t matter. But someone really needed to pull the stick out of his ass.

“So when were you guys planning to head out?” Childe asked.

“Actually we were going to eat lunch early and head out right after we ate,” Aether answered
earnestly. Hm, he seemed really excited about something. “Did you want to come with us?”

“Anything to get out of this stuffy building.” Childe got up from his chair. “Lead the way. I’ll just
tell the staff I’ll be leaving for a little bit.”

“Really? You’ll come?” Aether quickly shook his head. “That’s great!”
Childe walked over to the door and opened it, leaving the door open for the other two to leave his
office.

“Katya, I’ll be heading out for a while. If anything important comes up, just leave it on my desk
with a note,” Childe said as he left the bank, Xiao and Aether following right behind him.

“We were going to go to Wanmin. Is that okay?” Aether asked.

“Sure, that’s fine by me,” Childe paused. “Am I paying?”

“You don’t have to! I have mora,” Aether replied. “But if you wanted to pay, I wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course,” Childe laughed. “I’ll take the bill.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Aether giggled.

Childe and Aether continued to talk on the way to Wanmin while Xiao walked wordlessly.
Seriously, Childe was starting to get concerned. Were all adepti quiet like that? When they had
reached the restaurant, they all found a table and sat down. Xiangling came over to their table to
take their orders.

“You guys are here pretty early today.” Xiangling commented.

“Yeah, we’re gonna go out for some commissions later,” Aether said.

“Oh, that sounds fun! Make sure you stay safe out there. I heard that there’s a little more hilichurl
activity today.”

“Even better,” Childe said. If there was more danger, there was more to fight. And Childe was
never one to back away from a fun fight.
“So what did you guys want?” Xiangling asked.

“Almond Tofu,” Xiao simply said in a tone that booked no argument. Was that always how Xiao
spoke? No one was going to argue over food choices.

“I’ll take some Jueyun Chili Chicken,” Aether said. “Oh, and some Golden Shrimp Balls for the
road!”

“I’ll have some Crab Roe Tofu,” Childe smiled politely.

“Alrighty then! I’ll have that out for you in a bit!” Xiangling left them alone and went to the
kitchen.

“So what kind of commissions did you take today?” Childe asked Aether.

“Well all of them are fighting ones, so you’ll have fun with those.” Aether pulled out a few pieces
of paper and looked them over. “Oh, this one was what I really needed you for!”

Aether gave him one of the papers. Childe took it and glanced it over. A lot of it was just
information about the Adventurers’ Guild and how it was one of their commissions. Then he got to
the actual commission information.

Sources have said there is a strange influx of pyro energy in Cuijue Slope and Tianqiu Valley.
Defeat 4 Geovishap Hatchlings and 2 Pyro Abyss Mages. Be very cautious as there may be
Geovishaps in the area as well. It is not required to fight the adult Geovishaps, but it would be
greatly appreciated. You will be rewarded for your efforts.

“Abyss Mages, huh?” Childe mumbled. “The vishaps’ll be really annoying.”

“Yeah, but I’m sure we can manage!” Aether said as Childe handed the paper back to him.

“You’re in an awfully good mood,” Xiao finally spoke up.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Childe looked over at Xiao. The adeptus fixed him with a glare, but
then looked away.

“Forget it,” Xiao said. Okay, that was strange.

Then Xiangling returned with their food.

“Sorry for the wait!” Xiangling placed all of their plates in front of them. “Enjoy your meals!”

“Oh sorry, could I get a fork? You know I’m bad with chopsticks.” Childe rubbed the back of his
neck awkwardly. He didn’t really want to make a fool out of himself trying to use chopsticks.

“Sure thing! I’ll be right back,” Xiangling quickly left to get him a fork.

“I thought you were okay with chopsticks now,” Aether said after Xiangling left.

“I just couldn’t get the hang of them,” Childe said, and it wasn’t a complete lie. He had such a hard
time using chopsticks that Zhongli had fed him multiple times. “And I don’t really think I’ll need
to use them for much longer.”

“What do you mean ‘for much longer?’ Chopsticks are a necessity in Liyue,” Xiao asked, glaring
at Childe. He seemed very angry about something. Did he… know about the argument he had had
with Zhongli? There was a chance that Aether told him.

Wait, Xiao asked him about him not needing chopsticks for much longer. Archons above, he did
not mean to say that. Now Aether looked at him curiously. He was not going to get out of this line
of questioning, no matter how hard he tried.

Before he could respond, Xiangling came back with a fork.

“Here you go!” Xiangling handed Childe a fork. “Anything else you guys need?”

“Nope, we’re all good,” Childe said with a smile. He was very aware of both Aether and Xiao’s
gazes on him.

“Alright, just yell if you need anything!” Xiangling was about to leave when she looked over at the
entrance. “Oh, Mr. Zhongli! Welcome!”

Childe froze. Zhongli was here? Of all the places he could have been, it had to be here and now?
He didn’t dare turn around to look at him. Aether and Xiao turned to look.

“Oh, hey Zhongli!” Aether greeted. “Are you here for lunch too?”

“I am, yes,” Zhongli said, and Childe heard his footsteps come closer to the table they were sitting
at. Please don’t sit down, please don’t sit down, please don’t sit down.

“Do you want to join us for lunch? We just got here too,” Aether offered and Childe shot a glare at
him.

“If it’s not a bother, I would like that.” Childe could feel Zhongli’s gaze on him. It burned. Childe
refused to look at him.

“It wouldn’t be a bother at all!” Aether motioned towards the empty seat at the table. Childe felt
someone lightly kick his leg. He looked up to see Aether looking at him. “It’s okay, right?”

Childe sighed. It was fine. Only a few more days of this and he could leave for good. He would
never have to even think about Zhongli anymore.

“You always do what you like anyway. I don’t see why you’re asking for my permission.” Childe
kicked the empty chair back slightly.

Zhongli hesitated, but eventually took his seat. Childe didn’t look at him, opting to begin eating
instead. If Zhongli had noticed his cutlery and the lack of chopsticks, he didn’t say anything. Good,
he wasn’t in the mood for conversation.

“I will have some Bamboo Shoot Soup,” Zhongli told Xiangling, who was awkwardly watching
the conversation.
“Oh! Right, of course!” Xiangling snapped out of her stupor and quickly wrote the order down.
“I’ll have that out for you soon!”

She all but sprinted for the kitchen. Childe wished he could run out the restaurant just as fast. But
he still had a meal to eat and pay for. Unlike a certain person, he actually paid for his things and
didn’t force the bill onto someone else.

Thankfully though, with Zhongli’s appearance, Aether and Xiao seemed to have forgotten about
their questioning.

“So what are you up to today, Zhongli?” Aether asked, breaking the silence.

“Not much. I was granted the rest of the week off,” Zhongli said. Childe swore to the gods above,
if Aether invited Zhongli to come with them for these commissions, he was going to scream.

“Well, we are all going out after this for some of my commissions,” Aether started, and Childe
wanted to bash his head against a wall. “Would you like to come?”

“If you’ll have me, then I would be more than happy to accompany you,” Zhongli nodded. Childe
quickly said goodbye to his last shred of sanity.

“Your shield would be very useful in a certain commission, Morax,” Xiao said. “There seems to be
a vishap problem.”

“Is there?” Zhongli fell silent. “I see.”

“One Bamboo Shoot Soup, hot and ready!” Xiangling had brought a bowl filled with soup and
placed it in front of Zhongli.

“Thank you, Xiangling,” Zhongli thanked her, and Xiangling grinned.

“No problem! Let me know if you need anything else!” Xiangling left to go greet people that were
starting to trickle in.

“Which commission do you have planned for first?” Xiao asked Aether. The traveler looked
through the papers.

“How about this one?” Aether showed Xiao a paper. “It’s just taking down some hilichurl towers
near Mount Tianheng. It’s the closest one from here.”

“Where else do you need to go?” Xiao took the other papers from Aether’s hands to read them for
himself.

“Well, there’s the one in Tianqiu Valley and Cuijue Slope that I talked about before. The other two
are in Guili Plains. It’s just hilichurl fighting,” Aether explained, pointing to lines on the paper.
Aether and Xiao were sitting much closer together now as Aether pointed to specific parts on the
page.

Childe watched with amusement. So this was the guy that Aether liked to talk about. Were they
dating? It really looked like they were. How dare Aether keep this a secret from him, he thought
with a silent laugh. He hid his smile behind his hand.

He continued to eat as he watched Xiao and Aether do whatever they were doing. He wasn’t really
sure what kind of flirting this was, but it was cute to watch.

“Will you be staying for the entire time?” Zhongli spoke, and Childe reluctantly turned to look at
him.

“Why? Trying to get rid of me already?” Childe snipped. “I should be asking you that. Don’t you
have more important things to do?”

“No, I merely assumed that you had other matters to attend to,” Zhongli said, “but I’m glad you
will be staying.”

“Sure,” Childe went back to eating. He really did not want to talk to Zhongli right now.
As the group continued to eat, Aether was the one that kept up the most conversation. Childe knew
that Zhongli either never stopped talking or just stayed silent, and from what he had seen from
Xiao, he didn’t seem like much of a talker. Childe jumped in on the conversation a few times so
the traveler wouldn’t just be talking to himself.

They quickly finished eating and Childe saw Aether fumbling with his wallet. He had promised to
pay for their meal and he was not going to let the traveler pay. So he took out a small pouch of
mora and placed it on the table.

“I said I would foot the bill.” Childe stood up. “Now let’s head out.”

“Do you always pay for other people?” Xiao asked.

“Don’t complain unless you want to pay for everyone,” Childe simply said as the group left the
restaurant. Then he turned to Aether. “Hey, where’s Paimon?”

“Oh, her and Xiao don’t really get along very well, so I left her with Hu Tao,” Aether stepped
closer to Childe and whispered. “She really doesn’t like Xiao.”

“Yeah, and you like him a lot,” Childe whispered back. Aether’s cheeks flushed.

“Anyways!” Aether went to the front of the group. “Let’s go to Mount Tianheng!”

Childe laughed at his embarrassment. The group continued to walk out of Liyue Harbor and
towards the commission location. Aether held the commission paper in his hand and looked
around.

Xiao and Zhongli walked a little slower as Childe and Aether walked ahead. They scouted out the
area, looking for hilichurl towers or a camp.

“It says that the towers should be around here somewhere,” Aether thought out loud.

“There,” Xiao said, pointing to a hidden area behind a large mass of trees. “They should be over
there.”
They all looked at where Xiao was pointing to and began to head in that direction. Pushing past
some of the heavy shrubbery, Childe saw some hilichurls around two very crudely built towers.

“This should be what the commission is about,” Childe nodded to himself. “Let’s make quick
work of this and move on.”

Childe took out his bow and infused the arrow with hydro energy. The others quickly dispersed to
start fighting the hilichurls. He took aim and fired at a samachurl and ran out to the battlefield. It
was hardly a challenging battle, but it had been far too long since he’s gotten to fight anything.

He summoned his hydro blades and began to attack the closest hilichurl. He could leave destroying
the actual towers to the others because he would much rather get into a scuffle with these
hilichurls. Childe was faintly aware of the group’s presence around him, but he was honed in on
the fight in front of him.

It wasn’t much of a fight, if he was being honest. A few hilichurls never stood a chance. He looked
around and saw that the towers had been taken down as well.

“Well that was quick,” Aether said, putting his sword away. “It takes a little longer when I’m doing
it myself.”

“Where to next?” Childe let go of his hydro blades and they dropped to the ground as water.

“We can run and do the two commissions in Guili Plains. It’s just some more hilichurls and they’re
really close to each other.” Aether shuffled through the commission papers. “Does that sound
okay?”

“Let’s get a move on then,” Xiao said, taking a look over Aether’s shoulder at the papers. “Guili
Plains is this way.”

“Is he always like that?” Childe asked Aether as Xiao began to walk away.

“Pretty much,” Aether nodded, “but it’s because he’s always trying to do as much as he can.”
“Overworks himself, huh?” Childe could sympathize with that. Ekaterina was constantly working
and she hardly let herself take a break.

“It’s a miracle that he even agreed to help with my commissions today,” Aether smiled.

“You two are dating, right?” Childe asked bluntly. He needed to know if they were or not.

“You can tell?” Aether asked, cheeks tinting red with embarrassment.

“Aether, a blind person could see that you two are dating.” Childe pulled Aether along. “Now
come on before you waste his time.”

Childe willfully ignored Zhongli the entire walk. He stuck by Aether instead, so Zhongli couldn’t
make any excuse to talk to him. They walked for a long time, but they were all used to long walks.
Aether had traveled across Mondstadt and Liyue in search of his sister, Xiao had gone all over
Liyue every day for some kind of personal mission, and Zhongli quite literally created Liyue. And
Childe had had plenty of training so he didn’t mind an almost cross country walk.

The commissions went by very smoothly. The four of them worked together surprisingly well.
They were all extremely capable fighters, so the hilichurls didn’t even stand a chance.

“The last one is in Cuijue Slope, correct?” Zhongli asked once they had finished the commissions
in Guili Plains and began to walk to the next destination.

“Well, it says here that it might be in either Cuijue Slope or Tianqiu Valley,” Aether answered. “So
we might have to check both places.”

“It will be more efficient to split up,” Xiao said. Childe found himself agreeing until he realized he
might have to work with Zhongli.

“Since there are gonna be vishaps, me and Zhongli should be on different teams. Then we can all
be protected by shields if we come across them,” Aether reasoned. Childe hated how that logic was
sound.
“I will accompany you, Aether,” Xiao said, and Childe can feel his heart lurch. Before he can voice
an objection, Xiao speaks again. “If anything goes wrong, you can speak my name and I will hear
you. It is a trait that all adepti have.”

Then Xiao looked over at Zhongli. Right, Zhongli was still technically an adepti. So if Aether and
Xiao said Zhongli’s name, he would hear them. Well, now he knew that he couldn’t say Zhongli’s
name out loud when he was by himself or talking to anyone.

“Is that alright with you, Childe?” Zhongli asked him. He wanted to refuse, but he knew that this
team setup was best for the situation.

“It’s fine,” Childe lied. “We’ll meet up here after we check the area.”

“Sounds good,” Aether gave Childe a sympathetic look. “We’ll go check out Cuijue Slope.”

“Then Tianqiu Valley is ours.” Childe looked at Zhongli. “Let’s go.”

Childe began to walk without even waiting for Zhongli to follow. The sooner they could scope the
area out, the better.

“Childe, I…” Childe heard Zhongli start and pause. After a beat of silence, Childe turned his head
to look at him.

Zhongli was staring at him, and he seemed to be struggling for words. Zhongli had always had
something to say, whether it be a history lesson or just a random thought, he was hardly ever silent.
But now Childe watched incredulously as Zhongli struggled to say anything.

Well if Zhongli wasn’t going to say anything, Childe could ask about Guizhong. He wanted some
closure before he left Liyue for good.

“A question for you, Rex Lapis.” Childe had spent enough time around Zhongli to understand the
miniscule expression changes meant, and right now, Zhongli was pained to hear him say Rex
Lapis.
“I will do my best to answer it,” Zhongli said. Childe slowed down to let Zhongli walk next to him.

“Guizhong had blue eyes too, didn’t she?” Childe smothered a grin when he saw Zhongli flinch.
Good. “I am her replacement, aren’t I?”

“You and Guizhong are two different people. You could never replace her and she could not
replace you.” Zhongli spoke after a moment with a tremble in his voice. “What brought this up?”

“Just wondering. I’ve had people telling me that my eyes kind of look like hers,” Childe said
casually, but his heart was aflame. “You know, I was wondering if the whole reason you ever
spoke to me was because my eyes reminded you of her.”

Childe felt Zhongli put his hand on his shoulder. He had to bite back to urge to shrug it off.

“You are not a replacement for Guizhong. You are your own person, and I care about you.”
Zhongli sounded sincere. Childe turned his head away to hide his blushing face.

Curse his lingering feelings for the consultant.

No matter how strong his resolve was, Zhongli was always able to make him shake.

“Forget it.” Childe shrugged Zhongli’s hand off of his shoulder.

“I never lied about how I felt about you,” Zhongli continued as if Childe hadn’t spoken. “I want to
fix things between us.”

Tartaglia was fuming. How dare this man face him after everything that had happened? But Ajax
wanted to fix things too. He wanted to go back to the way things were before. If anything, Zhongli
should be the one that was furious over Childe being sent to Liyue to steal his Gnosis and
attempting to drown the country he had created.

And yet here Zhongli was, asking to start over and fix things.
But Tartaglia couldn’t–no he wouldn’t–agree to this. Zhongli had lied to him and played him for a
fool. He could never reconcile with someone like that. And what if this was another plot that he
was unaware of? To be manipulated twice by the same person was a disgrace to the Fatui.

“I don’t know what else you’re planning, Morax, but I won’t fall for it anymore. I know better than
that,” Childe settled on.

“There is no higher plan. I’m doing this because I don’t want you to resent me,” Zhongli sighed. “I
had not realized how important you were to me until you had left.”

“...Right.” Childe had no idea what to say. Zhongli had sounded so disgustingly sincere that he
couldn’t bring himself to brush him off.

“Will you give me another chance?” Zhongli put his hand out in front of Childe. Childe looked at
it, and then up at Zhongli. His amber eyes sparkled in the light and Childe felt his heart jump. It
was so easy to just take his hand. To forget about all that had happened and start anew.

But he couldn’t. Not yet, and maybe not ever. He was leaving Liyue in two days. Even if Childe
wanted to (and at this point, he wasn’t sure what exactly he wanted), he would have to leave before
they could make any measurable progress.

He looked away from Zhongli and his outstretched hand, walking away. He couldn’t afford to slip
up now. Not when he was so close to leaving this country forever.

“Let’s hurry,” Childe resisted the urge to look back at Zhongli. “We shouldn’t just stand around
doing nothing.”

“Of course,” Zhongli said quietly.

Childe then heard the laughs of Abyss Mages and followed the sound. The commission had said
that there were two pyro mages and a few geovishap hatchlings. He had encountered the hatchlings
a few times before, and he knew that it was almost necessary to have a shield up when fighting
them.
In battle, trust in one’s allies was absolutely vital to a successful fight. If you couldn’t trust your
own teammates, your team is doomed from the start. Childe had learned that lesson ages ago. He
was used to fighting alone, but he still knew how to fight alongside other people.

Childe trusted Zhongli on a battlefield. It was impossible not to. One of the names he had gone by
was the Warrior God, so he had full faith in Zhongli. Off the battlefield? He wasn’t so sure about
that, but he knew he could entrust his life with him in a fight.

The giggles of the pyro mages got louder as Childe approached a clearing. He took his bow out and
aimed towards the sound as he slowly walked closer. Infusing the shot with hydro, he kept aim
until he saw the pyro mages. There were four geovishap hatchlings rolling around as well.

He trusted Zhongli to take care of the vishaps and distract them until Childe had dealt with the
mages’ shields. He stopped and took aim as Zhongli slipped past him. All of the enemies had
locked onto Zhongli and began to attack. The consultant summoned a pillar and put his shield up.

Childe knew he wouldn’t have to worry about him. Zhongli would be fine.

He fired a shot at one of the pyro mage’s shields and it took notice of him. It disappeared, and
Childe summoned his hydro blades. He expected the mage to appear next to him.

The mage appeared just where he expected and Childe began to chip away at its shield. The other
pyro mage had noticed him as well and appeared near him as well. Two abyss mages were easy to
deal with, especially pyro ones.

Their shields broke quickly and Childe then focused on killing them. It took almost no time at all,
and the mages could barely even get up to attack him back. Childe quickly took care of them and
he had barely even broken a sweat.

He looked around to see Zhongli fighting two hatchlings. He must have already defeated the other
two. Childe rushed over to help. Geovishaps had always been a pain in his ass, so he wasn’t going
to pass up a chance to kill a few.

He picked up some shield shards that were lying around to protect himself. Childe was eager to
jump into battle, but without a shield, the vishaps were more effort to defeat than they were worth.
He slashed at the hatchling with his hydro blades before it could dig underground and escape.
Then a loud roar startled him and he turned around to see what it was. Standing there was a large
adult geovishap. While he was momentarily distracted, the hatchling he was fighting slashed
through his shield. Childe jumped back to avoid being attacked, but the hatchling scratched his
arm. Thankfully he had jumped back when he did, so the attack only grazed him.

A last stab with his blade killed the hatchling and it fell at his feet. Childe clutched his arm in pain.
Dammit, these things were annoying. Then he turned to face the adult vishap. Zhongli had already
taken care of the hatchling he was fighting.

The adult vishap curled up into a ball and began rolling towards Childe. He desperately looked
around for shield shards, but he couldn’t find any. He was about to dash out of the way when he
saw a flash of gold.

Then he was greeted with the sight of Zhongli’s back, who was still protected by his shield. The
vishap crashed into the shield and fell onto its back. Zhongli turned around to face him, and Childe
tried to hide his injured arm. But of course, nothing got past this man

“Childe, you’re bleeding.” Zhongli took Childe’s arm, inspecting the wound. Childe suppressed a
wince at the action.

“It’s just a graze, I’ll be fine.” Childe looked up at Zhongli’s face and stopped. Zhongli’s eyebrows
were knitted with concern and he was frowning.

“It has to be treated or it will get infected,” Zhongli said.

“I think that can wait until we fight this vishap.” Childe looked over Zhongli’s shoulder and saw
the vishap getting up. “Look, it’s already starting to get up. I’ll wrap it up later.”

Childe tried to pull his arm away from Zhongli’s grip, but his hand only tightened. Childe couldn’t
hide the wince this time.

Before he could even voice an argument, Zhongli summoned a circular shield that he hadn’t seen
before. It surrounded them both, but it was somewhat small. If he took a few steps back, he would
be outside of the shield. The vishap butted its head against the shield and roared in frustration.
With the hand that wasn’t clasped around Childe’s arm, Zhongli took the lower part of his coat and
ripped off part of the cloth with his teeth. Then he wrapped the cloth over the wound, tying a tight
knot. Childe felt heat rush to his cheeks at the sight.

“This will have to do for now,” Zhongli looked at Childe, “but I will personally take care of this
wound once we are done here.”

“It’s fine, I can take care of it myself.” Childe ripped his arm away from Zhongli.

“I know you can. I never doubted that,” Zhongli said, “but I want to. If you’ll allow me to.”

“Let’s just finish this fight first.” Childe dodged the question, covering his cheeks with his
uninjured arm. His arm didn’t hurt nearly enough to stop him from dual-wielding his blades.

Childe took a few steps past Zhongli to go attack the vishap, but he was pulled back. He felt a hand
around his waist (a warm gloved hand on his exposed midriff that made him flush) and a gentle
hand on his injury. His back was pressed tightly against Zhongli’s chest.

“If you leave this shield, you will get injured again,” Zhongli whispered against Childe’s ear in low
baritone voice. Childe shuddered, and he could feel the tips of his ears redden.

“It’s nothing I can’t handle.” Childe tried to keep his voice steady, but he failed miserably.

“I’m sure you can handle it, but I can’t handle seeing you get hurt.” Zhongli took his hand off of
his injury and placed it on his shoulder. Was it just him or did the shield look like it was shrinking?
“You have your bow, so you don’t need to leave the shield.”

Zhongli let go of him and Childe took a step forward to put some distance between them.

“I may have a bow, but what are you going to do? Just stand and watch?” Childe let go of his
blades and took his bow out.

“There is plenty I can do from a distance.” Zhongli summoned two pillars, one on either side of the
vishap.
Childe began to fire arrows at the vishap, and it rushed towards him. It hit the shield and fell over.
Seeing his moment of opportunity, Childe rushed forward and summoned his blades. He cut at the
exposed underbelly of the vishap. He knew he was outside of the shield, but a quick step back
would put him back inside. He continued his assault until the vishap got back up onto its feet.

Childe quickly jumped back into the safety of the shield. He was reckless, but he would rather keep
himself uninjured for the most part. He couldn’t take over the world if he was permanently hurt, so
he knew when to take risks and when to fall back.

He continued to fire at the vishap from behind the shield. Then the sky suddenly went dark,
making Childe stop attacking. He looked up and saw a large meteor falling from the sky. He
stumbled back from shock. Where the hell did that come from? Was this shield strong enough to
withstand a meteor like that?

Childe backed into Zhongli as he tried to step away. He was not going to die here because of some
unfortunate event. He looked at Zhongli’s face, about to yell at him to move, but he stopped
himself. Zhongli’s arms were crossed across his chest and he had a faint smile on his face.

The meteor crashed into the ground where the vishap had been standing. Childe covered his eyes to
protect them from the dust that would undoubtedly rise and he braced himself. He kept his eyes
closed until he heard Zhongli chuckle behind him.

He moved his hand and opened his eyes. The meteor was gone and the vishap was very much
dead. He stared at the scene in awe. Was Zhongli always able to summon a literal meteor whenever
he wanted? Childe turned his head to look at Zhongli.

“You can summon meteors!?” Childe asked in disbelief. If Zhongli had ever agreed to fight Childe,
he could easily crush him with something like that.

“I had told you that I can attack from a distance,” Zhongli said casually, as if he didn’t just literally
summon a fucking meteor.

“That was a little overkill, don’t you think?” Childe asked, looking back at the crash site. There
was a giant crater where the meteor had struck the ground.

“Now we can take care of this scratch.” Zhongli touched Childe’s injured arm softly.
“I… guess we’re done here, yeah.” Childe nodded dumbly.

“Come.” Zhongli motioned for Childe to follow him, so he did.

Zhongli led him to a tree stump not far from where they were just fighting. Childe wondered where
they were going. This wasn’t the direction that they had come from.

“Sit down.” Zhongli took out a few small first-aid items.

“You just carry those around?” Childe sat down on the stump. Zhongli kneeled next to him and
untied the cloth from his arm.

“I always carry first-aid equipment wherever I go in case of emergencies,” Zhongli answered. “Are
you wearing anything under this jacket?”

“Does it look like I am?” Childe deadpanned, motioning towards his exposed stomach. “It’s hot in
Liyue.”

“So immodest,” Zhongli mumbled under his breath, but Childe hears it.

“Don’t you ever get hot wearing that much in this weather?” Childe asked. “Do you even feel the
heat?”

“I maintain a level of modesty in public,” Zhongli said, rolling up Childe’s sleeve to expose the
injury. “This may hurt.”

Zhongli dabbed something on his arm and he felt the familiar sting of rubbing alcohol.

“Hypocritical of you to talk about modesty,” Childe smothered a laugh. It was so easy to fall back
into the banter they used to have. “Those Statues of the Seven are you, aren’t they?”
Zhongli pressed the rubbing alcohol harshly against his arm and Childe yells out in pain.

“That was the norm back then,” Zhongli said. “Times change.”

“So you went from having your chest out all the time to having a full suit on?” Childe lets Zhongli
clean his wound without moving. “Sounds a little backwards.”

Zhongli gave him a fond look that took Childe off guard. He can’t remember the last time someone
looked at him so affectionately. Zhongli tied the cloth around Childe’s injury and rolled his sleeve
down.

“This is only temporary,” Zhongli explained. “After we return to Liyue, you should go to Bubu
Pharmacy.”

“Yeah, I will.” Childe stayed seated and Zhongli made no effort to get up. “Um…”

“Are you still angry with me?” Zhongli took Childe’s hands in his.

“I…” Childe thought about it. Tartaglia was still furious, but Ajax could never stay mad at
someone that was so clearly regretful. Honestly, he was sure that a part of him would always hold
that grudge against Zhongli.

“I don’t know.”

And that was the truth. He really didn’t know how he felt anymore. The first few days he was
furious, the betrayal fresh in his mind. Any mention of Zhongli felt like salt in the wound. But it
wasn’t the same anymore. Yes, the betrayal was still in his mind and it wasn’t something he would
forget easily.

But he also just wanted to get over it. He wanted to move past it and be able to look at Zhongli the
same way he looked at him before the whole incident happened. His feelings, though repressed,
still lingered in his heart. He wanted to try again, and start from the beginning. This time with no
lies or hidden truths.
“I would wait an eternity for you.” Zhongli pressed a chaste kiss to Childe’s hand. Then Zhongli
flipped Childe’s hands over and rested his face against his palms.

Then he remembered how they were doing a commission for Aether.

“You might be able to wait an eternity, but Aether won’t. We should head back.” Childe didn’t
move so he wouldn’t disturb Zhongli.

“Ah, right.” Zhongli pulled away from Childe and stood up. “They may be waiting for us.”

Zhongli put his hand out for Childe to take.

Should he take Zhongli’s hand? If he took it, did that mean he was completely over being
betrayed? He still wasn’t over it though. But if he didn’t take his hand, would it mean that he still
hated Zhongli? Because that wasn’t exactly right either.

His thoughts must have shown on his face because Zhongli smiled at him.

“You’re overthinking,” Zhongli said softly. “It doesn’t need to mean anything if you do not want it
to.”

Childe hesitantly reached his hand out to take Zhongli’s. The consultant pulled him up and
squeezed his hand. Then he let go.

“Let’s get back to the others,” Childe said awkwardly.

They walked back in silence, but it was more comfortable than the silence they had walked in
before. It didn’t go unnoticed how they were walking much closer to each other.

From what had happened today, he was confused as to how to feel. He should hate Zhongli for
lying to him (and to an extent, he did), but he also wanted to reconcile with him. He resented what
Zhongli had done, and he didn’t think that would ever change. But maybe he could try to move
past it. Could he even do something like that?
They kept walking until they got back to the spot that they were supposed to meet up with Aether
and Xiao at. They saw the other two standing there already. Since he and Zhongli had found the
mages and vishaps, they must have just scoped out Cuijue Slope.

“Oh hey, you’re back!” Aether waved when he saw the two approaching. “Did you find anything?”

“Sure did, comrade.” Childe tried to hide his injury. The cloth that was tied around his arm was
under his jacket, so it wasn’t visible. “We took care of things.”

“Oh, that’s great! You’re both alright, right?” Aether looked them both up and down to look for
any serious injuries.

Childe was about to tell him that they weren’t hurt, but Zhongli beat him to it.

“Childe sustained a minor injury on his arm,” Zhongli said. “I applied some basic first-aid, but it
would be best for Baizhu to take a look in case of an infection.”

“Are you okay?” Aether turned to him, looking worried.

“It’s just a little scratch, don’t worry. You’ve done worse to me.” Childe laughed it off.

“Any injury is worth getting checked by a doctor,” Xiao said. “Any minor injury can blow out of
proportion.”

“Okay, okay. I’ll swing by the pharmacy once we get back,” Childe relented. “No need to get all
serious.”

The group then started their journey back to Liyue Harbor. Aether had stuck to his side, asking
about his injury. Aether was always worrying about other people. It was endearing. Zhongli had
stayed back and he had walked with Xiao.

When they returned to Liyue Harbor, Aether pulled Childe in the direction of Bubu Pharmacy.
“I’ll take him to the pharmacy,” Aether said. “I’ll see you both some other time.”

“I should be taking my leave now,” Xiao bowed to Zhongli.

“You don’t need to bow to me,” Zhongli said. “I am just Zhongli now, a regular funeral parlor
consultant.”

Xiao disappeared with a gust of anemo energy. Childe blinked in surprise. Well that was a useful
ability to have.

“This is goodbye then,” Zhongli said to Childe.

“Yeah.” Childe wasn’t really sure what he should say. He couldn’t just walk away, but he wasn’t
sure what exactly was going on between them. “I’ll… see you around, I guess.”

Zhongli turned and walked away. Who knows where that man was going? Childe looked back at
Aether, who had fixed him with a curious look.

“Are you two okay now?” Aether asked. They began to walk towards the pharmacy.

“I don’t really know,” Childe answered honestly. “I don’t know how to feel.”

“But you don’t want to kill him anymore,” Aether nodded. “That’s progress.”

“If you could call it that.” Childe really doesn’t understand how he’s supposed to feel anymore.

“Hey, I didn’t really get to ask you about it earlier, but what did you mean when you said you
wouldn’t be here for much longer?” Aether asked. Childe swore internally. Of course Aether
would remember that.

“About that…” Childe wasn’t sure how to bring it up. “I’m leaving Liyue.”
“What!?” Aether yelled. “What do you mean you’re leaving!?”

“My ship leaves in two days. I’m going back to Snezhnaya.” Childe felt horrible for telling Aether.
He had befriended the traveler so quickly and the thought of not being to see him in person hurt.

“Have you told him?” Aether asked and Childe knew exactly who he was talking about.

“No,” Childe heard Aether gasp, “and I don’t plan on telling him.”

“You have to tell him!” Aether argued.

“And he should have told me that he was the person I was sent here to steal the Gnosis from.”
Childe had believed that so strongly. But now he wasn’t sure at all.

“Ajax…” Aether grabbed Childe’s uninjured arm. “Are you sure you have to leave?”

“I’m sure,” Childe lied. He was sure when he had demanded a ticket back to Snezhnaya. But
Aether didn’t need to know that. “I’ll send plenty of letters. You better send some back.”

“Of course I will,” Aether promised. “I’ll tell you everything that happens on my journey.”

By that point, they were standing in front of Bubu Pharmacy.

“Well, this is my stop,” Childe joked. Aether let go of his arm.

“I’ll come see you tomorrow,” Aether said.

“I’ve been blowing off some of my work for these commissions,” Childe laughed. “Katya will
have my head if I keep avoiding more work.”
“I’ll come visit your office and we can stay there,” Aether pleaded. “Is that okay?”

“Of course,” Childe grinned, “my office is always open to you.”

Aether looked at him sadly, and he looked so much older. Then he sighed and smiled.

“I’ll be there when your ship leaves,” Aether puts his pinky out. “Pinky promise.”

If Childe was holding back tears, no one had to know about it. He entwined their pinkies in a
promise.

“You make a pinkie promise, you keep it all your life. You break a pinkie promise, I throw you on
the ice. The cold will kill the pinkie that once betrayed your friend, the frost will freeze your
tongue off so you never lie again.”

They both repeated the nursery rhyme together. Childe’s hand fell to his side.

“I’ll see you around, Aether.” Childe waved goodbye.

“I hope you heal up soon.” Aether waved goodbye as well and left.

Childe went into the pharmacy and went up to the herbalist working.

“Is Baizhu around? I got a little beat up from a fight earlier.” Childe put on his best smile.

“I’ll go get him,” the herbalist quickly left to get Baizhu.

As he waited, Childe’s mind raced. After today, Childe’s heart began to melt a little. He wanted to
let Zhongli back in. It might be dangerous to do such a thing in case it was yet another trap, and he
was well aware of that.
 The Tsaritsa or Zhongli? He was stuck in the middle with his loyalties to the Tsaritsa and his
reemerging feelings for Zhongli. It was a tricky situation. He was hydro, fluid and as powerful as
his allies. If he stuck with the Tsaritsa, his heart would freeze. If he stuck with Zhongli, he would
crystallize. Either way, he was immobile and at his enemies’ mercy.

But there was a slight difference.

By staying with the Tsaritsa, it would freeze him and he would become colder. He was used to the
cold, and it brought him comfort. But the cold would harden him. It would change him.

By staying with Zhongli, he would be crystallized but it would be warm. The Liyue weather was
always warm and comforting. He never had to worry about freezing to death. Crystallization would
warm him and make him adapt. But he wouldn’t lose himself.

“Childe?” Baizhu’s voice pulled him out of his thoughts. “I hear that you’re injured.”

“Just a little scratch,” Childe explained. “Nothing too major but I just wanted to get it treated before
it got worse.”

To be frozen or crystallized. That was the decision he had to make.

Chapter End Notes

i rly zoomed this chapter as fast as i could <3333

AND UMMM idk how this chapter is 8k words i rly dont know where it all came from
comments and kudoses are super appreciated pls i need them to survive
 Day Six
Chapter Notes

IM SO SORRY FOR NOT POSTING IN LIKE 2 MONTHS

between graduating high school in the middle of june and all the banners in genshin, i
was really burnt out for a while
but next chapter is here!!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Zhongli was torn between his worry for Childe’s injury and his elation that Childe was starting to
warm back up to him. He knew that his worry was not necessary; he had watched Childe walk off
worse injuries like they were nothing. But he couldn’t help but be concerned when it came to the
reckless Harbinger.

There was another thing that he couldn’t stop thinking about. Childe had asked about Guizhong
and if he was a replacement for her. Zhongli was sure that he had spoken of her before, but he
couldn’t recall ever telling him that she had had blue eyes. Which meant that Childe had either
heard it from storytellers on accident or had actively seeked out that information.

Regardless of how he had found out, the fact that Childe had assumed that he was a replacement
worried Zhongli. How long had he been harboring such thoughts? Nothing could replace
Guizhong, and he never saw Childe as any kind of replacement. Childe was unique. He was a type
of mortal that he had hardly ever seen before.

After he had left Aether and Childe (with the belief that Aether would bring Childe to Bubu
Pharmacy), he had wandered around Liyue until nighttime. When he had gone to bed that night, he
wasn’t sure what to expect. Would he have nightmares again? Or would his dreams for more
pleasant now that Childe didn’t despise him as much as he did a few days prior?

For the first time that week, he slept without any dreams or nightmares. All he could remember
was the faint smell of qingxin. Zhongli smiled to himself. He must have had troubling dreams, and
Xiao had eaten them.

Perhaps he should go to Wangshu Inn and thank the adeptus personally. Yes, he should do that
later today after he checked on Childe.

He was sure Childe had gone to work at the bank, so he would check there first.
Before he could leave his house, Zhongli heard a familiar voice. Aether was at one of his statues.
Zhongli stopped to listen, just in case it was important.

“So he’ll hear everything I say?” he heard Aether ask.

“Yes, Morax can sense whatever happens near any of these statues,” he recognized Xiao’s voice.

“That’s a cool ability to have.” Aether cleared his throat awkwardly. “Anyways, um…”

“Speak my name once you’re done.” Zhongli heard a strong gust of wind. Xiao must have left to
let Aether speak in private. It must be important if Aether wanted to speak a prayer.

“I don’t know if you’re listening right now, but it’s about Childe.” a laugh, “Well now I’m sure
you’re listening.”

Childe? Was he alright? Did his wound from yesterday get worse?

“Am I supposed to use his real name? I don’t really know who could be listening and if someone
overheard me, Childe would kill me. He only gives his real name to people he really trusts. I’m
sure he’s told you already, so you can pretend that I said it.”

Childe's… real name? Childe had never told him his real name. The only names Zhongli knew
were Childe and Tartaglia. Did that mean Childe had never really trusted him at all? Aether knew
what Childe’s real name was. But he had no idea.

Would he ever learn what his real name was? Childe didn’t trust him anymore. Could he even
regain that trust and more?

“Anyways, I want to ask for Childe to be happy and not have any regrets after tomorrow. He’s
gonna kill me for this,” a saddened laugh, “but after tomorrow, he’s going to be… gone.”

Gone? What did Aether mean by gone?

“And we won’t be able to see him after tomorrow. So I want him to be happy wherever he goes
and, y’know, leaves us behind.” Zhongli heard Aether sniffle.

“I’m really gonna miss him,” Aether let out a broken laugh. “Don’t let him know you heard any of
this. He didn’t want you to know, but I wanted to send out a prayer for him to Celestia. I wanted to
go to Mondstadt so you wouldn’t hear, but I’m so busy here and I wouldn’t be able to get back in
time before Childe…”

Zhongli stood there, unmoving. He didn’t want to jump to any conclusions before anything was
confirmed.

“Xiao, you can come back now.”

Zhongli heard a gust of wind again. Xiao must have returned to the statue.

“Aether?” Xiao sounded breathless. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. It just feels like I’m never going to see Childe again.”

“Is he…?”

“He’s already made up his mind. I tried to convince him not to, but he’s just stubborn like that.
He’s always like that.”

“You cannot change his mind.”

“I know I can’t, but…” Aether groaned. “I’m really going to miss him.”

“You will see him again.”

“I really hope so.” Zhongli heard rustling. “Oh! Sorry for taking up so much time, Zhongli. I hope
you weren’t busy with anything.”

Zhongli continued to listen to the receding footsteps until he could not hear anything anymore. His
mind was reeling from what he had heard. Was Childe…?

Was Childe going to die tomorrow?

Aether had repeatedly said that Childe would be gone after tomorrow. Had Childe planned to die
tomorrow? No, it couldn’t be that. Childe was not the suicidal type. Unless that had changed…
because of him. But that was impossible. What he did could not have had that large of an effect,
right?

No, he wouldn’t–couldn’t–let Childe die.

Zhongli quickly left his house. He made his way towards Northland Bank as fast as he could
without looking suspicious. The last thing he wanted was the Millelith stopping him for suspicious
behavior.

He was about to climb the staircase up to the bank when he noticed Childe himself descending.
Zhongli stayed where he was and caught Childe’s attention.

“Childe, it’s good to see you,” Zhongli greeted.

“Oh, Zhongli.” Childe glanced at the people around them. “Excuse me, I can’t stay long. An
emergency came up.”

“Emergency?” Zhongli asked. “Is someone hurt?”

“No, it’s just a debtor that hasn’t paid his dues. Somehow we just noticed, so I’m out to take care
of it.” Childe moved past Zhongli. “If you see Aether, tell him I had to take care of something and
that I’ll be back before evening.”

Instinctively, Zhongli reached out and grabbed Childe’s wrist. The Harbinger turned around to face
him, surprise evident on his face. Childe looked at Zhongli’s hand and back up at his face.
“May I accompany you?” Zhongli wanted to spend as much time as he could with Childe, and
possibly find out what his plan was for tomorrow. He could even try to change his mind.

“No, it’s okay. It’s a simple debt collection run.” Childe didn’t try to rip his arm from Zhongli’s
grasp.

“Please? I would like to come with you,” Zhongli pleaded, letting go of Childe’s wrist.

Childe stared into his eyes and his lips pressed together into a thin line. Zhongli could practically
see the gears turning in his head. A moment of careful consideration passed.

“Okay, fine,” Childe agreed with a sigh.

“How is your injury?” Zhongli asked as he began to walk alongside Childe.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t anything serious. Baizhu told me to keep it wrapped up for a few days, and I’ve
always healed fast.” Childe lightly tapped his upper arm where the scratch was. “Now come on, I
want to be back before sunset.”

They walked out of Liyue Harbor and began their trek across Liyue. Childe had said that the debtor
lived in Mingyun Village, so the walk would take a bit of time. During the walk, Zhongli couldn’t
help but steal glances at the Harbinger that walked next to him. Childe made no indication that he
would speak, and Zhongli wanted to know what he had planned for tomorrow.

“Is this so urgent that you have to resolve the issue today?” Zhongli started. “Could this not have
waited until tomorrow?”

Childe stiffened at the question.

“Yeah, it’s pretty important,” Childe didn’t look at him, but Zhongli could tell that he was lying.

Childe was an excellent liar (Fatui training, Zhongli was sure), but having known him for so long
and spending so much time observing him, Zhongli could tell when he was lying. Childe’s
expression when he lied was perfect to a fault. His smile was too even and his expression was
schooled into indifference.

But when Childe told the truth, he was much more human. His smile would be lopsided and his
eyes would crinkle at the sides. Sometimes, his nose would scrunch up if it was especially
embarrassing (like when Childe had admitted that he practiced his chopstick skills but still failed to
eat a meal without dropping anything).

“Is that so?” Zhongli asked absentmindedly. He didn’t want to continue pressing. If he kept
pestering him, Childe may send him away. “And you said this was very urgent? How much does
this man owe?”

“It’s not much compared to some of the other loans that have been taken out, but every single Mora
counts,” Childe said, “and it’s been a little too long since he’s paid his dues.”

“So we are going to collect that borrowed money?” Zhongli asked.

“Depends. If he can cough it up now, I’ll take it. If not, I’ll have to give him a stern warning,”
Childe’s Vision glowed slightly as he said that.

Zhongli couldn’t help but smile at that. Battle hungry as usual, but over the time they had spent
together, he found it endearing. Childe was so full of vigor and energy, a kind that Zhongli had not
felt in millennia. So quick to draw his weapon and jump into battle.

As they walked, Zhongli began to feel uneasy. The earth trembled under his feet, relaying
information privy only to him. Even with his Gnosis gone, he could still feel the energy of the
earth. There was danger nearby.

Zhongli turned to tell Childe, but he saw the redhead had already paused in his walking. Childe
stayed silent, eyes darting around. It seemed that Childe must have picked up on something as
well.

Heavy footsteps a short distance away. There were multiple people, about ten, if the earth was
relaying the right information (the earth never lied). Based on their clunky movements and
disorganized form, Zhongli could safely assume it was a group of Treasure Hoarders.
“Treasure Hoarders,” Zhongli warned quietly. Childe’s eyes met his as they stood perfectly still.

“They won’t attack.” Childe’s hand reached back to lay on his bow. After a moment of
consideration, his hand dropped back to his side. “I know what this is.”

“Has this happened before?” Zhongli resisted the urge to summon his spear.

“Somewhat.” Childe’s wary posture relaxed. “Let’s just keep going.”

Zhongli forced himself to ignore the knowledge that there was a group of Treasure Hoarders
nearby as he followed Childe. With every step, he could feel the group following them. He was
sure that Childe had some kind of plan, but he wanted to confront the thieves. Worry plagued his
mind and he couldn’t relax.

“Have you been followed before?” Zhongli had to ask. From how unbothered Childe pretended to
look (his tense shoulders gave him away), Zhongli assumed that he had experience with this type of
situation.

“Of course,” Childe said so simply, as if it was normal. “We’re going to find that debtor, then he’ll
tell me that I’m the reason for this country’s destruction and refuse to pay up. Then he’ll call for
the Treasure Hoarders to attack and we’ll be ambushed.”

“So you’re willingly walking into an assassination attempt?”

“Do you have such little faith in me that you don’t think I can take on a few thieves?”

“That’s hardly the point. You are playing along with people that want you dead without any regard
for your own safety.”

“It’s good exercise and it keeps me on my toes.”

“There are safer ways to stay in peak physical condition.”

Childe said nothing else, just merely shrugged Zhongli’s words off. He could hardly believe what
Childe had just admitted. He not only did this somewhat frequently, but enjoyed it. Childe actually
enjoyed being followed by a group of people that were sent to assassinate him.

Aether’s earlier prayer was starting to make much more sense.

“Allow me to accompany you whenever you go out to collect debts like this.” It wasn’t a request; it
was an order. From the way Childe’s eyebrows rose slightly, Zhongli knew that Childe understood
that. But Childe had never been very good at depending on others.

“This kind of thing doesn’t happen every time,” Childe promised, but it did little to placate
Zhongli.

“Had I known you deliberately went out knowing full well that you were being followed, I would
have accompanied you much earlier.”

“And had I known your real identity and ulterior motives, I wouldn’t have wasted so much mora
and time.”

Any argument he could have had died in his throat. Zhongli forced himself to keep his face plain
and steady. Childe’s eyes widened, as if he hadn’t meant to say that aloud.

“I see.” Zhongli had to force the words out.

“Wait, that’s not what I–” Childe looked panicked.

“No, I understand. I forced you to spend so much of your time and money with me while deceiving
you.” It was entirely Zhongli’s fault. Had Childe known his true identity, his bank account would
be larger and he would have had more time to do anything else.

He had been selfish. And perhaps he still was.

“Just listen to me, xiansheng!” Childe grabbed Zhongli’s arm. He looked at Childe’s face, but the
Harbinger stared at the ground. He heard the younger man mumble something quietly to himself.
“How do I say it?”

Zhongli waited silently, trying to control his breathing. What was he even doing? Childe had
shown him multiple times that he did not want anything to do with him? He was always respectful
of boundaries, so why was he still bothering Childe? He gained the trust of this man, only to shatter
it. He didn’t deserve forgiveness for his actions.

Guizhong had once told him that when mortals loved, they loved strongly. Whenever they felt
emotions, it was strong and overpowering. At the time, Zhongli hadn’t understood. How could
someone feel so strongly?

He knew now. After Guizhong had passed, he had felt grief so strong that he could hardly bear to
hear her name for years. And now his chest felt tight and it suffocated him.

“Listen, I don’t know if I can forget something like that but…” Childe looked up to look Zhongli
in the eye. His eyes with a fierce and blazing determination that Zhongli had never seen on him
outside of battle. “I don’t… I don’t regret the time we spent together.”

“Is that genuine or are you saying that just to console me?” Zhongli didn’t understand.

“I’m being honest,” Childe sighed. “I really did enjoy our time together.”

“And now?”

“I don’t know. It’s different now and I should hate you, and Archons above I did for a few days,
but I don’t know anymore.”

Zhongli felt Childe’s grip on his wrist tighten. Childe averted his gaze, opting to look at anything
but Zhongli. He could tell Childe was grasping for words.

“We can talk about this later, if you wish,” Zhongli offered. This was a conversation much more
suited for privacy. Not when they were in the middle of Childe’s job and there was a group of
thieves following them.
Right, the Treasure Hoarders. Zhongli had almost forgotten about them.

“Yeah, later is good.” Childe nodded softly. Then he dropped Zhongli’s wrist like it burned him.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to–”

“I didn’t mind,” Zhongli said. No, he had to be more honest. Omitted truths and lies were what got
him into this situation in the first place. “I liked it.”

Childe’s cheeks reddened almost instantly and his pale skin did him no favors. He turned his back
to Zhongli, but he could still see Childe’s red ears.

“We should keep going. Standing around here is just wasting time.” The embarrassment in
Childe’s voice was thick. For his sake, Zhongli decided not to push it.

“As you wish.” Zhongli continued to follow Childe.

They walked until Zhongli spotted a small isolated house. This must be the debtor’s house. Zhongli
did not remember ever seeing this house before. Then again, it had been a long time since he
ventured to this area. It must have been built recently. He could also feel the presence of the
Treasure Hoarders around them.

Zhongli stood back and waited by the fence while Childe went up to the front door and knocked.
He stayed vigilant, looking around to make sure the thieves were not about to ambush them. He
hardly paid any attention to the debtor, who had come out and the sound of the knock.

“You tried to drown Liyue! I have no reason to pay you anything!” The debtor yelled and grabbed
Zhongli’s attention. “You probably even killed Rex Lapis!”

Zhongli didn’t intervene, as much as he wanted to. He was sure that Childe had some kind of plan
or procedure for situations like this. But that didn’t mean his draconic rage was easy to hold back.
This debtor had signed a contract when taking a loan from the bank and he was now refusing to
pay it back.

Not to mention the absolute disrespect he showed Childe.

He felt more than heard the thieves coming closer. Once he saw a few of them, he summoned his
spear. Childe looked around at the sounds of the thieves, then turned back to the debtor.

“Next time you hire Treasure Hoarders to kill me, at least tell them to be discreet. They’ve been
obviously following us for ages.” Childe’s Vision glowed a bright blue as he summoned his hydro
blades.

“Liyue was built on the integrity of contracts,” Zhongli spoke through gritted teeth and Childe
glanced back at him in interest. “How can you claim to care about the death of Rex Lapis while
breaking a contract yourself?”

“How can you defend this… this killer!?” The debtor shot Zhongli an incredulous look. “This is
what he deserves!”

“Let’s pretend I do deserve it for a second.” Childe grinned. “Do you really think a few Treasure
Hoarders would be enough to take down a Fatui Harbinger?”

The debtor’s face went pale. “I…”

“I’ll take care of these thieves you’ve sent just for me and then I’ll come back to deal with you.
Don’t move, sir, or I’ll have to hunt you down.” Childe stepped away from the debtor, wielding his
blades in a defensive manner towards the thieves.

With a final glance towards the petrified debtor, Zhongli turned his attention towards the Treasure
Hoarders. There were about ten of them starting to inch closer. This would be a very easy fight.

So they jumped into battle. Zhongli hardly focused on the battle–it hardly required much effort–
and instead watched Childe. Childe’s movements were fluid and forceful, like he was raised to
fight. Maybe he was. As the Tsaritsa’s youngest Harbinger, Childe must have been raised for
battle.

He yearned to know everything about him.

Before he knew it, the battle was over and the defeated Treasure Hoarders began to retreat, but not
without a few curses towards the debtor. Zhongli put his spear away and watched as Childe
approached the debtor with his blades still dripping with hydro energy and blood.
“I don’t think I need to give you much more of a warning.” Childe’s smile was tight. “I’ll be
expecting your full payment plus interest and late fee in three days.”

“O-Of course, I’ll have my payment ready by then,” the debtor nodded frantically.

“Ah, xiansheng, what was that phrase about broken contracts?” Childe looked at him over his
shoulder. “Something about wrath.”

“Ones who break their contracts shall suffer the Wrath of the Rock.” Zhongli set his gaze on the
debtor.

“Right! That’s the one.” Childe turned back to the debtor. “And you don’t want to suffer the Wrath
of the Rock, do you?”

“No, sir,” the debtor said in a shaky voice.

“Wonderful! Cough up the money in three days.” Childe dropped his blades and they dissipated
into hydro energy. Then he turned around, leaving the debtor to catch his breath, and stood by
Zhongli. “That’s all I needed to do. We can head back now.”

Childe walked away and after a moment, Zhongli followed. The earth still alerted him of some
Treasure Hoarders still in the area, but he was sure that they would not bother them. They soon left
the house and began their walk back to the harbor.

“Did you know we were being followed from the very beginning?” Zhongli asked.

“Of course not. I’m not psychic. I only realized after I heard them,” Childe answered in a carefree
tone, like he hadn’t just had an attempt on his life.

Zhongli was about to respond but quickly snapped his mouth shut when he heard the quiet sound
of a crossbow being loaded. It was too quiet for a mortal to hear, but with his heightened adeptus
senses, his ears were able to pick up the small sound.
Childe looked at him curiously as he turned his head towards the sound behind them. He waited
for another sound but none came.

“What? Hear something?” Childe asked, likely straining his ears to hear anything. He was about to
turn around as well, but Zhongli placed a hand on the small of his back.

“Don’t move,” Zhongli warned. If there was another ambush, he wanted Childe to watch his
blindside.

“If you wanted to touch me, you could just ask,” Childe laughed airily, but he had a tremor in his
voice. Was it embarrassment or discomfort?

Not wanting to make Childe uncomfortable, Zhongli removed his hand from his back. That
moment of distraction was apparently enough for the attacker. He heard a crossbow click and fire.

Even with his quick reflexes, he wasn’t fast enough to both put his shield up and push Childe out of
the way. He heard Childe let out a gasp of pain when the arrow grazed his back, and Zhongli
swore that he saw red.

Whoever had shot the arrow (likely a bitter Treasure Hoarder) had run off before he could confront
them. Coward.

He didn’t even notice the fact that his hand was tightly gripped around his spear until Childe
started to laugh. Zhongli quickly dropped his weapon and rushed to check the injury.

It was covered by Childe’s jacket, but he could see blood. Zhongli had never been one to shy away
from blood (this small injury was nothing compared to what he had seen or even done throughout
his life), but something about seeing Childe hurt made him sick.

“A daring little thief actually got me,” Childe said through his laughter. “I’m impressed!”

“Come with me.” Zhongli took Childe’s arm and pulled him towards a clearing. He made the
Harbinger sit on a tree stump, ignoring any complaints.
“This is the second day in a row that something like this has happened,” Childe commented as
Zhongli kneeled by his back. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you like patching me up.”

“That would be because I do,” Zhongli spoke honestly, moving Childe’s jacket aside. “I don’t like
it when you are hurt, but tending to your injuries brings me peace.”

Childe went silent. Zhongli stared at the small cut on his back. It wasn’t very deep; it was only a
small graze. Good, he didn’t want to think about Childe being gravely injured.

He placed his gloved hands on Childe’s bare back, relishing in the warmth. He felt Childe tense
under his hands and immediately relaxed.

As he was tending to the cut, the jacket kept getting in the way. As immodest as the idea was, the
jacket would need to be removed so he could properly treat the wound.

With a polite cough, he asked, “may I take your jacket off?”

He heard Childe choke and his back straightened under his hands.

“You’ve never been this bold before,” Childe teased, but Zhongli knew he was tense.

“To tend to the wound, Childe,” Zhongli said, faking an exasperated huff.

“Okay, yeah… sure. Um…” Childe began to unbutton his jacket and slipped it off of his shoulders.
Then he completely took it off and held it in his hands.

Childe, of course, wore nothing under the jacket. So once the jacket had come off, Zhongli was
presented with the sight of the Harbinger’s pale skin. It was scattered with scars and he couldn’t
help but trace over some of them with his fingers. Childe flinches under his ministrations and
Zhongli’s hands paused.

“Does it hurt?” Zhongli asked, worried that he may have hurt Childe.
“No, they don’t hurt. I’m just not used to anyone touching them,” Childe laughed awkwardly.

“So many scars for someone so young,” Zhongli mumbled to himself as he continued to trace over
some of the scars.

“Maybe you should focus on the wound I’m bleeding from before you start looking at my old
ones.” Childe said in an attempt to distract him from continuing. Zhongli was fully aware that he
was being diverted, but he had a point.

With the jacket gone, Zhongli could easily clean the small cut and tend to it. It hardly took any
time at all. At least, it shouldn’t have. But with Childe’s full back on display, Zhongli couldn’t help
but get distracted.

He wanted to know the stories behind every single scar. He wanted to pepper kisses all over his
back and worship the man sitting in front of him. He wanted to pull Childe against his chest and
protect him from any more scars.

As a gloved finger tapped the small of his back, Zhongli noticed a dim blue light flicker. Looking
closer, he recognized it as a symbol for the Tsaritsa. Childe was marked by her.

But what was most interesting was the fact that the symbol was fading. From what he had seen
before in his experiences, whenever an Archon marked someone, their seal was bright. But
Childe’s mark was dim and subdued.

He couldn’t tell Childe about this. Only other Archons could see such symbols on others. Even if
Zhongli was no longer an Archon, he hadn’t lost that ability. But for such a thing to happen could
only mean one thing.

“Childe, how loyal are you to the Tsaritsa?” Zhongli asked. For a mark from an Archon to fade as
much as this mark did, the only reason he could think of was that Childe’s loyalty to the Tsaritsa
was fading.

“I would lay down my life for Her Highness,” Childe responded quickly. Too quickly . “Why do
you ask?”

“I was just wondering,” the lie came easily. “You do very much on her behalf.”
“She gave me everything I have now. I am indebted to her,” Childe sighed. The cryo symbol
started to brighten. Then it dimmed again.

“I see.” Zhongli brushed his hand over the symbol. Childe shivered under his hand.

“Is something there? It feels strange when you touch there.” Childe asked, but Zhongli ignored the
question.

“If you had not been a part of the Fatui, would you want to live here in Liyue?” With me? Those
words went unsaid, but Zhongli had a feeling that Childe heard them all the same.

“My family is in Snezhnaya.” Childe dodged the question.

“If you could bring them all here then,” Zhongli pressed.

“I…” Childe’s back was tense. But then Zhongli watched him shake his head and the Harbinger’s
tense posture relaxed. The cryo symbol began to glow softly. “Snezhnaya is my home.”

“If I were to offer you the protection of the late Geo Archon, would you accept?” Zhongli asked
softly. He felt Childe’s muscles tense again and the cryo symbol’s light diminished.

“What?” Childe turned his head to look at him.

“Would you accept my protection?” Zhongli caressed the symbol. Childe let out a pleased sigh.

“An honor like that would be wasted on me, wouldn’t it? I nearly destroyed your city.” Childe was
still avoiding answering the question.

“What if it was granted wholeheartedly?” Let me protect you.

“Don’t make jokes, xiansheng.” Childe’s face was tinted with red.
“You know very well that I don’t make jokes about serious matters like this.” Please let me protect
you. I worry about your safety constantly.

“Well, I suppose I would accept it if there were no strings attached.” Childe didn’t look at
Zhongli’s face.

“I don’t expect anything in return.” Zhongli tugged his glove off of his hand and placed his bare
fingers on Childe’s back, just above the Tsaritsa’s mark.

He hid his gold markings on his hand from Childe’s view and began to channel Geo energy to his
fingertips. The gold markings began to glow as a geo symbol started to form. Childe shuddered
under his fingers.

“What are you doing?” Childe asked in a breathy voice. Just hearing that made Zhongli’s throat
run dry.

“It will help with the cut,” Zhongli lied. Well, it wasn’t a complete lie. This symbol would allow
him to grant Childe the same protection that the citizens of Liyue were granted when he still had
his Gnosis.

For a moment, he wondered what the Tsaritsa would think if she ever saw another god’s mark on
her Eleventh.

He quickly trashed the thought. He didn’t care what she would do. He was the oldest Archon and
she was akin to a child compared to his experience.

Zhongli finished creating the geo symbol and removed his hand from the mark. It glowed fiercely
for a moment, nearly blinding him. He heard Childe let out a choked moan as the symbol shined.
As it glowed, he could feel his connection with Childe forming. Once the connection was forged, it
dimmed slightly. It shone dimly, but brighter than the cryo symbol under it.

He tried to catch Childe’s eye, but the latter was facing away, trembling a little.

“Childe? Are you alright?” Zhongli was concerned. Was the feeling unpleasant? Or worse, did it
hurt?

“Archons above, what did you do ?” Childe turned his head slightly. Zhongli saw his bright red
face and smiled.

“It will benefit the both of us.” Zhongli simply said. “You gain my protection and I gain the peace
of mind and responsibility for your safety.”

“It was so warm.” Childe twisted his arm to brush the skin where the mark was. “Is there
something here?”

“You cannot feel or see it,” Zhongli said, “but it is there.”

“So can I put this back on?” Childe motioned towards his jacket. Zhongli stared at it for a moment.
He had told Childe it was immodest to show off his stomach and that he should wear a shirt
underneath, but now he didn’t want Childe’s skin to be covered. He wanted to trace the freckles on
his shoulders and create constellations from them.

“One moment,” Zhongli said. He leaned in and pressed a kiss on the geo symbol. He felt Childe
tense. Then he reluctantly pulled away and tugged his glove back on. “Now you can.”

Childe hurriedly pulled his jacket on with a haste that Zhongli hadn’t seen from him before. In his
haste, he buttoned his jacket wrong. Zhongli gently pushed Childe’s shaking hands away from the
front of his jacket and shook his head.

“Slow down.” Zhongli unbuttoned the jacket and rebuttoned it properly.

It was an intimate gesture, and he knew that very well. As he buttoned up the jacket, he left the
bottom two unbuttoned, just how Childe always wore it.

“I thought you didn’t like it when I kept those undone,” Childe asked with a shaky breath.

“I never said that I disliked it. I merely said that it was immodest.” Zhongli glanced down at the
bare skin of Childe’s stomach. Then he rose his gaze to Childe’s face.
Childe’s cheeks were red and his eyes wandered, looking everywhere but Zhongli.

Zhongli did not like to be ignored.

“Childe?” Zhongli called his name. All he received was a small hum in response. “Look at me.”

Childe’s eyes slowly shifted to look at him. Even in the dullness of those blue eyes, he could see
hesitant affection.

“Shall we return to Liyue Harbor?” Zhongli asked. As if pulled out of a trance, Childe blinked a
few times and stepped back a few steps.

“Right, we should head back now.” Childe nodded vigorously. “Aether is probably waiting for
me.”

“Speaking of Aether,” Zhongli decided now was the time to start asking questions. “He came by
one of my statues to say a prayer for you.”

“For me? How kind.” Childe’s smile was fake. They began to walk back to the harbor.

“Some of what he said was… concerning to say the least.” Zhongli had always been good with
words, but now they were failing him.

“If this is about my Delusion, I can handle it,” Childe said. Another lie, but that wasn’t the point.

“It was not about that. It was more of a concern about your life,” Zhongli began. “The traveler
spoke of him not being able to see you again.”

“Oh.” Childe’s mouth twitched. “It’s about that.”

“He said that after tomorrow, you would no longer be here.” Zhongli watched Childe’s face for
any kind of reaction. Denial, confusion, anything that would show him that he was wrong.

But all he saw was mild irritation. And that scared him.

“You weren’t supposed to find out,” Childe groaned. “I wasn’t going to tell you about it because I
didn’t know if…”

“You do not need to go through with it.” Stay with me.

“I can’t, it’s too late for that.”

“The traveler would miss you.”

“Just the traveler?”

“My missing you is a given. If you were to… leave,” Zhongli couldn’t bring himself to say
anything about death, “I would miss you dearly.”

“I can’t stay. My job here is done and my time is up.”

“Just because your job is over does not mean you should resort to such drastic tactics.” Zhongli
knew he was a hypocrite. His job as Morax was over so he faked his own death.

But Childe was different. He was young and had his whole life ahead of him. Dying at such an
early age… he could not let that happen.

“Please don’t try to change my mind. Don’t make it harder than it needs to be.” Childe looked
away from Zhongli.

“Is it so wrong of me to show concern for you?” Zhongli grabbed Childe’s wrist. “I care about
you.”
Childe shut his eyes, not facing Zhongli. “Stop…”

“I apologize if I led you to believe that I didn’t care for you. But I care so deeply that I can’t bear
the thought of you not being here,” Zhongli pleaded. Please don’t die, he begged, I couldn’t handle
it.

“I have to go back home! My job here as your pawn is done.” Childe ripped his hand from
Zhongli’s grasp. “I need to go back and await my next mission. And my family is waiting for me.”

What…?

Childe… wasn’t dying? He was just returning to Snezhnaya?

Zhongli let out a weak laugh. Of course he wasn’t dying. Childe was too stubborn and ambitious to
throw his life away like that.

“What are you laughing about?” Childe asked accusingly.

“From traveler’s prayer, I thought you were meant to die tomorrow.” Zhongli covered his face with
his hand. His throat burned as he laughed weakly into his glove.

He was so stupid. He had jumped to the worst possible conclusion. There was no way Childe
would consider dying when he still had his siblings at home waiting for him.

“Die…?” Childe sounded lost. “What gave you that idea?”

“Aether’s prayer gave me doubts and I wanted to confirm them now. But when you allowed
Treasure Hoarders to follow you, knowing that they would try to attack or kill you, I thought that
was the confirmation I needed.” Zhongli let his hand fall from his face. He truly was an idiot.

He heard Childe’s breath hitch. Then he was distinctly aware of the wetness of his cheeks. He was
crying.
In an instant, he felt Childe’s warmth pressed up against him. He felt Childe’s gloved hands
cupping his face and wiping his tears away. He leaned into the touch, admiring Childe’s face from
their close proximity.

“Xiansheng, I…” Childe started to speak, but then stopped.

“I understand if I have lost all of your affections because of my actions.” Zhongli felt a pang in his
heart. He didn’t want Childe to resent him. He didn’t know what he would do if Childe did indeed
despise him.

“I don’t know how I feel anymore,” Childe confessed. “When I booked my ticket to Snezhnaya, I
hated you and everything that you did. I’m still mad that you just used me, but what we had before
all of this is so special to me.”

“Every moment that I shared with you shines like gold in my memories.” Zhongli wanted to cherish
this moment for the rest of his life.

But all good things must come to an end.

Childe stepped back from Zhongli, putting some space between them. He willed himself to not step
closer.

“I need some time. To sort things out.” Childe’s eyebrows were furrowed.

“Of course,” Zhongli agreed. He would give Childe as much time as he needed.

They walked back to the harbor in comfortable silence. As they arrived at Northland Bank, Childe
let out a sigh.

“Well, I should get going then. I’m sure Aether is waiting for me.” Childe looked towards the
doors of the bank. “He wanted to spend time with me before I left tomorrow.”

“Bless him with good memories,” Zhongli said. Childe nodded and took a step towards the bank.
Then he stopped and turned around.
 “My ship leaves tomorrow at noon. If…” Childe paused. “If you’re free, would you see me off?”

“It would be my pleasure. I’ll be there.” Zhongli would wait at the docks for the entire day waiting
for Childe’s ship. And he would wait an eternity for Childe to return.

Childe gave him a small smile. Then he turned and entered the bank. Zhongli stared at the doors of
the bank. Then he let himself smile.

He still had a chance.

That alone made him feel like he had ascended to Celestia. Knowing that Childe didn’t completely
hate him was enough. He turned around and began his walk to Wangshu Inn. He had yet to thank
Xiao for eating his nightmares last night. Although he knew if he simply called Xiao’s name, he
would appear, he did not want to interrupt anything that he was doing.

So he walked out of the harbor and made his way towards Wangshu Inn. Perhaps he could get a
meal as well. He was feeling a little peckish.

The whole time he walked, his thoughts were filled with Childe. He had a chance to make things
right, and he wasn’t going to let go of it.

Chapter End Notes

its a little shorter than last chapter but im still feeling a little burnt out from these past
2ish months
kudos and comments really validate me and give me motivation to keep writing!! they
do so much for me <3333
 Day Seven
Chapter Notes

got this chapter out quick because i really wanna get to the epilogue!! ive been waiting
to make that for so long so i decided to just make this one really quickly
also im considering a possible sequel?? if enough people are interested, then i might
make one. just let me know in the comments if you’d like to see a sequel to this fic!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Childe stood in his empty apartment, finally done with packing everything up. He hadn’t come to
Liyue with many personal items—a few trinkets to remind him of home, but that was about it—but
now he was leaving with a plethora of new items. It was all thanks to Zhongli’s penchant for
shopping for nonessentials. He had arrived in Liyue with a small bag of pictures of his family and
small items from his siblings. Now he was leaving with almost two boxes filled to the brim with
trinkets.

Even with his mixed feelings about Zhongli, he had to admit that decorating his apartment made
him feel like he was coming home instead of just returning to a place to live. He was honestly
going to miss Liyue. Sure it got a little too warm sometimes (he could always just take some layers
off), but the atmosphere was great. The scenery was beautiful and he adored his bank staff. Childe
could see himself coming back to Liyue in the future sometime with his siblings on a vacation.

The bank had actually meant to open late today because the staff wanted to help him move his
belongings to the ship. Childe tried to tell them that they didn’t have to, but to no avail. They
insisted on making the move easier for him. He looked around at Ekaterina and Vlad, who were
helping to put his boxes stacked and easier to carry. Nadia and Andrei had gone to the docks to
secure him cargo space and verify his ticket back to Snezhnaya.

Once all of the boxes were packed and moved towards the door, Childe took one last glance at his
apartment. It was plain and empty, just the way it was before he moved in. His heart felt strangely
heavy. He was used to moving after assignments and he had never felt like this before.

Perhaps Liyue was making him soft.

“Master Childe, we should leave now,” Ekaterina said. He swallowed hard, trying to clear the lump
in his throat.
“Right.” Childe nodded. “Can’t be late for my ship.”

“Would you like a few minutes alone here? We can take some of these boxes to the harbor now,”
Vlad asked. Childe was grateful for the offer, but he wanted to spend more time at the harbor than
alone in an empty apartment. It was a little pathetic, wasn’t it?

“No, we can get going,” Childe sighed wistfully. “Aether must be waiting for me at the port.”

“Is it just the traveler?” Ekaterina asked. Right, he hadn’t told her that Zhongli knew about his
departure.

“Perhaps a certain consultant will be there too,” Childe said cryptically.

“I’m glad you two are on better terms now.” Ekaterina gave him a small smile.

“You worry too much about me, Katya.” Childe lightly laughed, but he was touched by her
concern.

Then the front door opened, revealing Andrei. Childe looked behind him, not seeing Nadia. Where
was she?

“Master Childe, your ship is expected to leave in about half an hour. The traveler is there waiting
for you. Nadia stayed behind to speak with him,” Andrei said.

“Is that so?” Childe hummed. “Well, best to leave now.”

He picked up a few boxes with ease. With one last look around the apartment, Childe let out a sigh
and left. The staff followed suit, with one of them locking the door for good. He walked to the
docks with his employees with him, making light conversation. He didn’t want it to be silent. Not
today.

Once they reached the port, the first thing Childe saw was Aether, Paimon, and Nadia. They
seemed to be engaged in a friendly conversation. Paimon noticed them first, tugging on Aether’s
scarf and pointing towards them. Aether and Nadia turned to look at them.
“Good to see you,” Childe greeted the both of them, then looked at Aether. “Here to send me off,
comrade?”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Aether said earnestly. Childe’s eyes darted around,
unconsciously looking for cor lapis eyes.

“Send me letters throughout your travels,” Childe reminded.

Yesterday, after Zhongli had walked him back to the bank, he had spent the rest of the evening
with Aether. They stayed in the bank (Childe still had to finish up some work before he left) and
just talked. Aether had swore that he would keep Childe updated on his adventures through letters,
something he was very appreciative about. Childe had always had fun whenever he teamed up with
Aether or even fought against him.

“Zapolyarny Palace, right?” Aether asked. “What name should I send them to?”

“Eleventh Harbinger Tartaglia should be fine. If the other harbingers don’t intrude, I should get
every letter you send.”

“Here, give me some of those.” Aether took some of the boxes from his staff and carried them.

“Aw, what about me?” Childe pouted. “Why not some of my boxes?”

“Sorry, Eleventh Harbinger Tartaglia, codename Childe , I’m sure you can carry a few boxes.”
Aether teased.

“If only I wasn’t so strong and capable.”

“Please never say that again.”

They loaded Childe’s luggage onto the ship under the watchful eye of the crew and captain. There
were a few other people that were sailing to Snezhnaya, mostly merchants. Once everything was
settled, Childe turned to Aether and his staff.

“Well, I guess this is it. It’s been a pleasure.” Childe hated saying goodbye. “I’ll try to visit when I
can.”

“It’s been an honor to work with you,” Ekaterina said. Childe swore he heard her voice tremble.
“We would love for you to return some day.”

“You work well in a bank, sir. Maybe you could consider working here later on in life,” Andrei
suggested.

Childe laughed at the thought of him working a mundane job. That wouldn’t fit him at all.
“Perhaps.”

“I can’t imagine what our next boss will be like. You might have spoiled us, Master Childe,”
Ekaterina quietly laughed.

“No need for formalities, Katya. Just call me Childe.” Childe wasn’t their direct superior anymore.
Yes, he still ranked higher in the Fatui, but he could still have a sense of familiarity with lower
ranked members.

“That wouldn’t be very professional of me to drop a title,” Ekaterina said. Childe burst into a fit of
laughter.

“That’s the point, Katya! We don’t have a strict boss-receptionist relationship, do we? I would say
we’re friends by now.” Childe put a hand on her shoulder. She sighed in defeat.

“... I agree, Childe.” Ekaterina looked scandalized, speaking quietly.

“Feel free to send me letters after I leave. I’d love to hear from you all.” Childe addressed the staff
as a whole.

He had gotten so accustomed to talking to them every day that it would be strange to go home
without Vlad bringing him a meal when he worked late into the night or Ekaterina rescheduling
meetings when he was running low on sleep. He would miss how Nadia kept him company some
nights when the bank had long since closed and her shift ended. He would miss how Andrei would
handle the day’s clients when his schedule was full of debt collections.

He was really going soft, wasn’t he?

“We’ll keep in contact, Master Childe,” Andrei promised. Childe gave him a look. Andrei cleared
his throat and added, “erm, Childe.”

The captain of the ship yelled out, announcing that the ship would be leaving in about ten minutes.
Childe looked around, still looking for the consultant. Hadn’t he said that he would be here? The
parting gift he wanted to give him weighed heavily in his pocket. Did Zhongli lie to him again?

He was so stupid. He fell for Zhongli’s lies again. Childe had sworn to himself that he would not
be deceived by that man for a second time, but here he was: standing with his staff and the traveler,
looking for the consultant to say goodbye. He was even dumb enough to buy one last present for
him.

“Zhongli!” Childe looked at Aether, who had just yelled. Aether shot his arm up and waved it.
Childe followed the traveler’s gaze and saw Zhongli running towards the docks.

He had never seen the man so… unkept. His hair was normally perfect, not a single strand out of
place. But now his hair was messy, seemingly tied back in a rush. Zhongli’s tie was askew,
something that he would normally never be caught dead looking like. Though what surprised him
most of all was the panicked expression on his face.

Zhongli’s eyes were wide, darting around to all the ships that were docked. Childe watched as
Zhongli looked at Aether’s waving hand. Then his gaze landed on him. Zhongli’s expression
instantly morphed into one of blatant relief. Childe looked at all the people that were at the docks,
staring at Zhongli in shock. It seemed that no one else had ever seen him so imperfect either.

Childe expected Zhongli to brush himself off and fix his appearance, maybe even apologize to the
people he had shocked. But instead, Zhongli had slowed down to a brisk walk over to him. He
looked at Aether, who had put his hand down.

“Thought he wouldn’t show up?” Aether asked, a mirthy smile playing on his lips.
“I was starting to, yeah,” Childe answered honestly. There was no point in lying to the traveler. He
knew him well enough to know if he was lying.

The bank staff shifted so that Zhongli could walk up right in front of Childe. His breaths were
labored, another irregularity. The consultant was nothing if not put together and calm. But here he
was, standing in front of him with his perfect image shattered for all of the dock to see.

“I pray that I’m not too late,” Zhongli took heavy breaths. Did he really run all the way from his
apartment? “I sincerely apologize for being so tardy. I had some trouble with一”

Childe couldn’t suppress the small laugh that bubbled out of his mouth. He slapped a hand over his
mouth, but that small laugh broke a dam of manic laughter. The staff, Aether, and Zhongli looked
at him in confusion as Childe doubled over in laughter.

“Paimon thinks he finally lost it,” Paimon said loudly. Hearing that made him laugh even harder.

Zhongli always found a way to take him by surprise. First, by living such a lavish life but never
remembering his mora. Second, by revealing that he was not just a simple consultant, but Liyue’s
god. Third, by asking for forgiveness, even though Childe was the one who had almost drowned
Liyue and made an attempt to steal his Gnosis. Fourth, by showing up to the dock and forever
altering everyone’s beliefs of him.

Celestia, what was he supposed to think?

He wiped the stray tears that had escaped his eyes from his laughter to see amber eyes staring at
him with worry. He shook his head, trying to dispel any concern.

“Are you alright?” Zhongli asked, still unconvinced.

Childe slapped a hand on Zhongli’s shoulder, feeling the man tense. “I’m great, xiansheng.”

The endearment had slipped out, but Childe didn’t care. For a moment, he was transported to a time
when things were a little easier. A time where they were just Ajax and Zhongli. Even through the
fabric of his glove and Zhongli’s suit, Childe could feel the man’s warmth.
Regardless of how he felt about Zhongli, he realized that he would miss this man.

He was going to miss their meals together. He was going to miss Zhongli’s long rambles about
history. He was going to miss their frequent shopping outings where the ex-archon would forget his
wallet and make him pay. He would miss how they would go out and just simply spend time
together.

He would miss Zhongli.

Childe must have made some kind of face at the realization because Aether and his staff started to
walk away to give him and Zhongli some privacy. He was going to call them back, but was struck
with the sudden remembrance that his hand was still on Zhongli’s shoulder. Childe pulled his hand
back.

“Sorry, I wasn’t thinking.” Childe felt heat rush to his cheeks. What the hell was he doing? He was
supposed to leave the country in less than ten minutes!

Zhongli’s eyebrows were furrowed and lips pulled into a frown. Great, now Zhongli was mad at
him too. The thought of the consultant being angry with him made him feel ill. Wait, since when
did he care what Zhongli thought of him? He shouldn’t care in the slightest. But he did, and it
scared him a little. Childe shouldn’t be so attached to someone apart from his family and the
Tsaritsa. He couldn’t be.

“I apologize if I’m overstepping my boundaries, but,” Zhongli raised his hand and brought it to
Childe’s face, “may I?”

Damn it all. He could afford to be a little careless now. He was going to be leaving soon anyway.

“Yeah,” Childe stared at Zhongli’s face. He felt the hand cup his cheek gently.

He could feel his heart skip a beat at the touch. Childe leaned into the warmth, relishing in the soft
touch. He closed his eyes, focusing solely on the leather of Zhongli’s gloves and the feel of his
slender fingers.

They stayed silent for a moment. With his eyes closed, he could pretend that he didn’t know the
truth. He could pretend that this was just Zhongli the funeral parlor consultant, with no other
names or titles attached. Childe let his hand rise to hold Zhongli’s wrist, keeping the hand on his
cheek in place. A little bit longer wouldn’t hurt.

A hand brushed the hair on his forehead aside. He felt a soft breath on his face. He kept his eyes
closed, not wanting to ruin the moment. Childe felt a pair of lips press a feather light kiss to his
forehead.

He squeezed his eyes shut, willing himself not to cry. He couldn’t remember the last time he was
treated so gently.

“Childe,” Zhongli spoke softly. He cracked his eyes open, instantly blessed with the sight of
Zhongli so close to his face.

He could feel every inhale and exhale against his face. Golden eyes stared into his soul and Childe
almost gasped at the pure adoration in Zhongli’s eyes. Like he was the one to be worshipped
instead of the actual ex-archon himself. If he moved just an inch forward, they would almost be
kissing.

“Zhongli,” Childe said his name without thinking.

“Childe, I一” Zhongli started to speak.

He was interrupted by the captain yelling out that the ship would be leaving shortly. Childe jolted,
becoming horrifyingly aware of their current positions. He pulled Zhongli’s hand off of his cheek
and shot back, putting space between them. He frantically looked for the traveler. Once they made
eye contact, he silently pleaded for Aether for a little more time. Aether seemed to understand,
nodding curtly and going towards the captain.

“We can’t do this.” Childe put a hand on Zhongli’s chest, stopping him from moving closer. “I
have to leave now and I just… I need time. I can’t do this.”

Zhongli bowed his head. “I understand. I shouldn’t have done that.”

Childe looked towards his ship. It was time for him to leave. His heart felt heavy at the thought of
leaving Liyue. He didn’t want to leave this place. He wanted to come back with his siblings
sometime in the future.
And a small part of him wanted to come back to Zhongli.

Normally he would crush any fond thought of Zhongli. But thinking about coming back to Liyue
with its former archon waiting with outstretched arms was such a strong desire that it choked him.

Ajax wanted to make a second home in Liyue with the man in front of him. He wanted to bring his
family here and show them how wonderful this country and its ex-archon were.

A home with Zhongli? Tartaglia felt sick. How could he possibly settle down anywhere, especially
with a man that played him for a fool? His destiny was to be in battle, fighting for the Tsaritsa. He
had pledged himself to the Fatui.

Childe cleared his mind. His thoughts were all over the place.

It worried him how much harder it was to clear thoughts of living in Liyue than it was to live and
die on a battlefield for the Fatui.

He lived for battle, of course. It was the very essence of his soul. But he didn’t want to die. He had
dreams of ruling the world. He couldn’t do that if he was dead. By living in Liyue, that would
promise him life, therefore a chance to continue his path for power.

At least, that’s what he told himself.

“I have something for you. To remember me by.” Childe reached into his pocket and took out his
farewell present. “Give me your hand.”

Zhongli put his hand out obediently. Funny that, how a god followed a request from a mortal
without question. Childe pressed the small object into Zhongli’s hand. He waited with bated breath
as the man stared at it.

“Is this…?” Zhongli looked down at the gift in amusement. His lips lifted into a smile.
“It’s a mora pouch,” Childe said. The pouch was a light gray, the same color as his clothing. Not
that that was the reason he had bought that specific pouch. “Since I won’t be around to pay for your
things, you’ll need to bring your own mora.”

That elicited a soft chuckle from Zhongli. When he went to open the pouch, Childe rushed to stop
him.

“Is something wrong?” Zhongli asked.

“It’s just that… Can you open it after I leave?” Childe had put a handwritten note inside for
Zhongli to read. He would be too mortified to let Zhongli read it in front of him though.

“I see. I shall read it later then.” Zhongli stared at the pouch with a gaze full of fondness. “Thank
you, Childe.”

“Even if you ended up being the archon I was supposed to steal from, I figured that I should at
least get you something before I left.”

“I have something for you as well.”

Childe’s eyebrows raised in surprise. He wasn’t expecting anything. Zhongli held out the hand that
wasn’t holding the mora pouch. Geo energy surged above his palm and a small rock began to form.
Childe watched in amazement as the rock grew and began to take shape. It morphed into a heart the
size of Zhongli’s palm. Once it was fully shaped out, it landed into the ex-archon’s palm.

He stared at the rock. Childe had never seen anything like that before. Although something like
that should not have been any difficulty for the former Geo Archon. Zhongli extended the heart-
shaped rock to him.

“Though you were not the one I handed my Gnosis to, you are the one I gave my heart to.”
Zhongli’s cheeks were red in a rare show of embarrassment. “It is yours to do as you please.”

Childe took the rock with carefully controlled fingers. The last thing he wanted to do was break it.
He held it gently, rubbing his thumb over it. It was smooth to the touch and not very heavy.
“Zhongli, I…” Childe didn’t know what to say. All he could do was stare at the stone and its
creator.

“Take all the time you need. I would wait for an eternity for you.” Zhongli took Childe’s wrist.
“Go with my blessings.”

Childe felt a rush of energy flow through him. It was warm and energizing. He shuddered at the
feeling. So this was how the Prime Adeptus’ blessing felt like.

“Write to me,” Childe blurted out. “Send me letters to the Zapolyarny Palace.”

“Of course. I will send frequent letters to you if you wish to hear from me,” Zhongli agreed
without a beat of hesitation.

“Childe!” Childe heard the traveler yell his name. He looked over and saw Aether motioning him
over. “The ship’s about to leave!”

“Coming!” Childe yelled back. He turned to Zhongli. “I guess this is goodbye then.”

“I look forward to speaking to you again,” Zhongli said, “whether it be in person or by letter.”

“I’ll keep this safe for you then.” Childe put the heart-shaped rock in his bag.

“I am certain our paths will cross again. But in case they do not, just know that you will forever
shine in my memories like the most expensive piece of gold.”

Childe shook Zhongli’s hand with a feeling of finality. No, that wasn’t strong enough. He pulled
the man into a tight hug, throwing his arms around Zhongli’s neck. Suspicions and grudges shoved
aside, Childe held onto Zhongli like he was his lifeline. He could feel the man’s heartbeat rapidly.
Childe felt Zhongli’s hand wrap around his waist and his head tuck into his neck.

They stayed like that for a moment, pretending that it was just the two of them there in the world.
Just for a little bit, Childe let himself forget about his duties. He let himself pretend that he was just
Ajax hugging a simple funeral parlor consultant.
But all good things must come to an end. His ship was going to leave any minute now and he had
to return to Snezhnaya. He still had his responsibilities as a Fatui Harbinger. He reluctantly pulled
away from Zhongli, looking at his face.

“Bye then, Zhongli.” Childe said. Zhongli pressed his forehead against Childe’s.

“Farewell, baobei.” Zhongli let go of Childe.

They walked towards the ship. Aether pulled him into a quick hug.

“I’ll see you soon, Ajax.” Aether said quietly so only the two of them could hear the use of
Childe’s real name.

“Come to Snezhnaya soon. You promised Teucer, after all.” Childe savored the warmth of
Aether’s hug before pulling away. He turned to his staff and waved goodbye to them. “Perhaps I’ll
see you all again sometime!”

He boarded the ship, standing at the side so he could still see the group of people waving goodbye.
Childe waved until they were just specks on the harbor. He sighed and walked to sit down. He took
out the rock and held it cautiously.

Maybe, just maybe, the Tsaritsa would let him work in Liyue again sometime.

~~~~~

Zhongli watched as the ship Childe left on became smaller and smaller. He waited until he could
no longer see it before he ripped his gaze away from the horizon. The bank staff had left, likely to
get back to work. Aether and Paimon stayed next to him in silence. He could feel them both staring
at him.

“You both may leave. I would like to stay for just another moment,” Zhongli said.
 He heard Paimon about to say something, but Aether stopped her.

“If you say so. We’ll leave you to it then,” Aether said. “Let’s go, Paimon.”

The traveler and Paimon left, leaving Zhongli alone. He looked down at the small mora pouch in
his hands. He opened it now that Childe was not here. The bittersweet feeling in his chest tightened
when he saw a small folded piece of paper and a narwhal trinket. He unfolded the paper and read
the note.

Zhongli,

You’ve always forgotten your wallet when we went out together so I thought that maybe giving you
a mora pouch as a parting gift would help you remember to take it with you.

Your personal wallet,

Childe

Zhongli let out a small laugh at the note. He folded back up and put it back in the pouch. Then he
took out the narwhal trinket. It reminded him of the whale Childe summoned in battle.

He put the narwhal back into the pouch and closed it. The broken chopsticks in his pocket felt
heavy. Zhongli was thankful that Childe had not noticed them. If he had, he wasn’t sure if he could
avoid explaining their meaning. It was for the best that Childe did not know for now. But Zhongli
fully intended to tell him the truth.

He stared out towards the sea one last time. He would regain Childe’s trust. He would fix what he
had ruined himself. Zhongli let out a small sigh. He would do everything in his power for Childe to
look at him the same way he looked at him before he found out that Zhongli was the Geo Archon.

Zhongli put the mora pouch away and left the port, on his way home. Perhaps if he started to write
a letter now, it would reach Childe the moment he stepped foot in Snezhnaya.

Chapter End Notes

just wanna bring up that im playing with the idea of making a sequel to this fic!! the
next chapter is going to be an epilogue so definitely look forward to that!!
if you would be interested in seeing a sequel, let me know in the comments!! if enough
people would like one, i might work on one
as usual, kudos and comments give me lots of motivation and validation!! it rly helps
me keep making more content for you guys <3333
 Epilogue
Chapter Notes

this is the last chapter!! massive thank you to you guys for all the support <333

WARNING: there are inazuma spoilers in this!!!! be warned!!!!

See the end of the chapter for more notes

Dear Childe,

Once your ship had left my sight, I returned to my home to pen a letter to you. I miss you dearly,
even though you have only just left. My heart longs for you to be by my side. During our separation
after I gave my Gnosis away, I learned that I cared for you much more than I had thought. The
knowledge of you residing in Liyue did little to calm my mind, but I had forced myself to
remember that you were still here in this city with me.

Now that you are gone to Snezhnaya, I worry. I worry about your safety. I worry that if something
were to happen to you, I would not know.

Before I had begun to consider giving up my Gnosis, I wondered why mortals had long goodbyes
for their loved ones. After all, they were inevitable. But after you had left, I found myself wishing
that I had just a little bit longer with you. I did not want to let you go. I wanted you to stay with me.

You have your responsibilities as a harbinger. You put your title and family first, a trait that I could
not help loving. I can only hope that one day, I may have the honor of holding half of that
importance in your heart.

In all my time alive, time has never felt so slow. I eagerly await your letter. The wait is almost
unbearable.

I thank you immensely for the gifts inside the pouch you had given me. The narwhal was lovely. I
will keep it with me for as long as I am able to. Concerning your note, you are more to me than just
a wallet. You are my rock that tethers me to mortal affairs and emotions.

In other news, Aether will soon be departing to investigate something related to the Abyss. I wish
him the best of luck in his endeavors.

Yours affectionately,

Zhongli

~~~~~

Childe,

I found her. But she’s not what I She’s part of I didn’t think that

I found Lumine. I went out to investigate some Abyss activity and I met someone named Dainsleif.
We were investigating and she was there. I saw her there.

She’s the leader of the Abyss. I begged her to come with me, but she looked me in the eye and told
me that she had to finish something first. And then she just left me there. She walked away from
me, like I haven’t been searching for her the entire time I’ve been here in Teyvat.

I’m sorry, I didn’t want my first letter to you to be like this. But I had to tell you. I just… Does she
not care about me anymore? No, I’m sure she does. She has to. She’s my sister.

I’m going to start making preparations to go to Inazuma. I need to figure out more.

Hopefully my next letter will have happier news.

Your friend,

Aether

~~~~~

Dear Childe,
I presume you would want to know that Aether has left for Inazuma on the Crux. I am unsure if he
will be able to send any letters to you during his time there because of the Sakoku Decree.
Inazuma’s borders are closed, so I would not be surprised if that also included international mail.
Though I have full faith that the traveler will find a way to contact you regardless.

I have been putting your parting gift to good use. There has never been a day that I have not taken
the pouch with me when I leave home. Having it in my breast pocket gives me the feeling of
keeping you close to my heart. Leaving the pouch behind feels like I am abandoning you.

The merchants I frequent have been taken by surprise every time I take out my mora. Some have
praised you, saying that you were the one who changed me to be more mindful. They are
completely right. You have made me want to be a better man. I strive to improve myself so that I
may be deserving of your forgiveness, and perhaps even your love.

I had initially wanted to put the narwhal you gifted me in my office where I could see it whilst I
worked. But in the first hour or so, Hu Tao had made an attempt to take it. She had swore to give it
back after merely looking at it, but I would much rather lose my Gnosis a second time than trust her
words. No, that is not genuine. Nothing could possibly be worth the ill will you harbored against
me for that week.

I have instead put the narwhal on my bedside table so I can see it every morning and every night.
Seeing it there makes me feel as though I am waking up and falling asleep next to you. Sometimes
I am plagued with nightmares, with you being the main point in most of them. But when I wake, I
see the whale and hold it close to me. It brings me unimaginable comfort, the idea of you being
here with me.

When I go out, I find myself reaching for your hand. Liyue has never felt cold, not like the cold
you grew up in, yet my hand feels strangely chilly without yours. Even meals feel colder and
quieter. I had not realized how much we spoke over meals until now. I even find myself looking
over to see how you are faring with the chopsticks. Speaking of chopsticks…

No, that is a conversation that should be had face-to-face.

I miss you, Childe. I miss everything about you. This yearning to see you again is stronger than I
had anticipated. Whenever I reach for you and remember that you are not with me anymore, my
chest feels tight. I am in no place to make demands, so I will simply give a request.
Come back to me soon if you are able.

Forever yours,

Zhongli

~~~~~

Zhongli,

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to respond earlier. After coming to Snezhnaya, I was caught up in Fatui
matters. But now I can finally sit down and write to you. I’m glad the mora pouch is seeing use.
Celestia knows that those poor merchants need the mora from all your spur-of-the-moment
purchases.

About the chopsticks… I’m sorry for breaking them. When I think back to that day, I feel horrible.
I shouldn’t have let my anger boil over and break those chopsticks. I know they meant a lot to you.
I still don’t understand why exactly they were so important, but they were. I want to sincerely
apologize for my actions. I can get you a replacement if you’d like.

Coming back to Snezhnaya feels like a breath of fresh air. The crisp cold air is where I have made
my home, but sometimes I miss the warmth of Liyue. It’s strange. I am most comfortable in the
cold, so Snezhnaya suits me very well. But sometimes late at night when I can’t sleep, I think
about Liyue.

I’ve done my best to keep your rock heart safe. I keep it hidden away, in case any of the other
harbingers ever barged into my room. When I am alone, I hold it and stare at it. Ha, this is a little
embarrassing. How do you write such embarrassing things in your letters without a shred of
shame? Unless you write them in the privacy of your home with a dark blush on your face? I can’t
imagine even you could write things like that with a straight face.

Anyway, I think Liyue is the spot I miss most out of all my other assignments. Sometimes I have
cravings for some of Xiangling’s food. I try to replicate Liyue cuisine in the kitchen, but finding the
same ingredients at peak freshness is more difficult than the actual cooking itself!

Just yesterday, when I was cooking, I felt a strong craving for some Liyue food. I wasn’t paying
much attention to what I was making. My thoughts were absorbed by Wanmin and… you. When I
looked down at my finished dish, I had made bamboo shoot soup, the same kind that you are so
fond of.

As embarrassing as it is to admit this, I think about you often. It doesn’t help that your letters are
filled to the brim with such adoration for me. I should be angry with you for using me for a larger
scheme. But that anger has long since subsided.

If you fall asleep with my narwhal next to you, it’s not bad that I sometimes hold your rock heart
during cold nights, is it? Archons above, why am I telling you this? I don’t know if you did this or
if it’s just wishful thinking, but sometimes I feel a warm pulse when I hold the heart close to me. Is
that part of your design or is that just me hoping?

Well, it doesn’t matter. I have yet to receive a new assignment from the Tsaritsa, so I will be
heading home to Morepesok. You can still send letters to Zapolyarny Palace. Those letters will be
sent directly to my home. Though whatever you send will be heavily scrutinized by my siblings, so
don’t write anything you don’t want them to see.

Until next time,

Childe

~~~~~

Childe,

Sorry for not writing in so long! I’m in Inazuma now and it’s an absolute pain to send letters
outside of the country. I’ve met some very interesting people here. There’s this one person that
reminds me of you. His name is Thoma. He’s a fixer that helped me get around Inazuma and get
all these travel passes and things like that. He’s also the one that helped me get this letter sent at
all.

You two look very similar and you even act the same. I think you would like him. Maybe you
could meet him sometime. He’s not from Inazuma originally. I’m not very sure where he’s from
actually. I didn’t want to be rude and ask bluntly. My guess is either Fontaine or Natlan. I’ve
included a picture of me and him together, so you can see what he looks like.

Also I’ve gotten the ability to use electro. Our next spar will definitely be interesting. Your Foul
Legacy form is useless against me now that we both have electro abilities. I’ve grown much
stronger, but I’m sure you have to.
A lot has happened since I last wrote to you. I’ve joined the resistance against the Electro Archon
and her dictatorship. I even fought her for Thoma, though I lost badly. She almost killed me. If it
weren’t for Thoma, I don’t think I would be alive. Even though I went in to save him, he’s the one
who saved me at the end of it all.

Inazuma has a lot of problems and most of them stem from the Raiden Shogun herself. She takes
people’s Visions, and it steals their ambitions and some of their memories. I’ve spoken to some of
the people that had their Visions taken, and it’s ruined their lives. That’s why I’ve joined the
resistance. If any archon deserves to get their Gnosis taken, I would say it would be her.

I think that’s all for now. I don’t know if you’ll be able to send me letters, but if you can manage to
get a letter into Inazuma, send it to Ritou.

Your friend,

Aether

[Included in the letter is a small photograph of Aether and Thoma. They are both smiling at the
camera.]

~~~~~

Aether,

Sounds like you’ve been very busy, comrade! I looked at the picture you sent and I agree with you.
This “Thoma” person does look a little like me. From what you’ve told me, it looks like he’s a little
bit like your babysitter. I mean that with no ill intent, of course.

And you’ve received electro powers? We have to spar sometime. I would love to see how much
more you’ve improved since we last met. I can’t wait to have a friendly battle again.

I say this, not as a Fatui Harbinger, but as a regular person: The Raiden Shogun’s actions are
definitely very worrying. Had I come with you to Inazuma, I would have joined the resistance as
well. I would advise you to keep working with them. What she is doing isn’t right, no matter how
she may try to explain her actions.
Hopefully this letter reaches you. I’ve sent this to Ritou, just like you asked. I pray that the Sakoku
Decree hasn’t stopped this letter from reaching you. Best of luck in your adventures in Inazuma! I
hope that you stay safe.

Sincerely,

Childe

~~~~~

To Morax,

It’s been a while since we have last been in correspondence. I write to you for two reasons. Firstly,
the Geo mark you have placed on my eleventh’s back. Secondly, the romantic feelings you harbor
for him.

Regarding the mark you have placed on Tartaglia’s back, I must ask: did you think I would not
notice? The moment he stepped into my palace, I could feel the overwhelming Geo energy
radiating from him. When did you place such a mark on him? It seems that Tartaglia himself does
not know the type of mark you have given him. When I had asked him, he had said that it was a
mark of protection.

You have marked my eleventh without telling him the full extent of what it is and not telling me
beforehand at all. You forget that he is my harbinger first and foremost, not your lover, which leads
me to my next point.

I know of the romantic feelings you have for my eleventh. I know you remember that I am also the
goddess of love. I am aware of what you feel for my harbinger, and I also know how he feels about
you.

Out of respect for you and our contract, if you would wish me to, I will speak to Tartaglia. Despite
what my people may think, it saddens me to see someone under my command so distraught. That
being said, I will not force him to commit to anything, should he not want to.

Whatever you decide to do, remember that he is my harbinger. His loyalties lie with me and I will
have to call him back from time to time if he is needed. If these terms are acceptable to you, send
me a letter of assent.

Respectfully,

The Tsaritsa, the Cryo Archon

~~~~~

To the Tsaritsa,

It is nice to hear from you once again. I see you’ve noticed the mark I have given Childe. I had not
planned to mark him, so I never brought it up with you or him. The marking was an impulse
decision that I do not regret. I apologize for not telling you about it sooner. I had proposed a
hypothetical about my marking him, and Childe had readily accepted. I will not revoke my seal
from him, no matter what you say.

Of course, nothing can get past the goddess of love. I love your eleventh. I do not wish to assume
what his feelings of me are, especially after what I have done to him. Because of our contract, I was
not able to reveal my true identity to Childe until I gave my Gnosis to your eighth. Once he had
found out, he hated me. Before he left Liyue to return to you, I did what I could to show him that
the only thing that wasn’t completely truthful was my identity. I tried to show him that my feelings
were all genuine.

I do not know if he has completely forgiven me, and I don’t expect him to have. But I would
greatly appreciate it if you spoke to him. I miss him dearly, even if he has been gone for what could
be considered a moment in the span of my lifetime.

Though I do not understand what you mean when you say he is distraught. Is he injured? I would
have hoped that you would take better care of your harbingers. Whatever ails him, I humbly request
that you give him what he needs so that he can heal.

Our previous contact was meant to be a contract to end all contracts, but old habits die hard.
Enclosed in this letter is a contract for our deal. Because the deal relies entirely on Childe and his
feelings, it is not as concrete or detailed as I would prefer it to be. I have left it unsigned so if there
are any changes you would like to add, you may do so freely.

You have my utmost thanks,

Zhongli

[Included in the letter is a contract that states both sides of the deal. It is unsigned at the bottom. It
details every term with great care.]

~~~~~

Zhongli,

The Tsaritsa asked me about Liyue. She normally doesn’t take very much care to ask about how
missions go. She mostly just cares about the result. I imagine that this was your doing. She even
asked how I felt about possibly returning to Liyue. That was when I knew you had said something.
She asked me to be as honest as I could, so I complied.

She finished asking her questions and let me come back home. The Tsaritsa made no mention of
the future, so I suppose I’ll have to wait until further instructions. I’m writing this letter as soon as
I’ve returned home. What exactly did you say? I’m almost worried to ask.

With each passing day, I catch myself making Liyue cuisine and thinking about you. I wouldn’t be
surprised if you somehow put something in my mind with your adeptus powers. I have never
missed leaving a place other than my home and siblings. On lonely nights, I’ve considered making
Liyue a second home. I don’t think the Qixing would be very pleased to hear that, but I’m sure you
could put in a good word for me. If you’ll have me, of course. But from the letters you’ve sent me,
I think you would be elated if I returned.

Just one more thing. My siblings are practically begging me to send you some pictures they took
when we went out for ice fishing. In fear of my life, I’ve sent those pictures along with this letter.

Curiously,

Childe

[Included in the letter are three pictures. One is of Childe, bundled up in winter clothing, holding a
large fish in his lap with a large grin on his face. The second picture is of Childe and a younger
sibling, likely Teucer, sitting at a fishing hole together. Their faces mirror concentration. The third
picture is of Childe, Teucer, Anthon, and Tonia. They are all grinning at the camera with similar
expressions of delight.]
 ~~~~~

Dearest Childe,

Yes, I suppose you could say that I played a part in the Tsaritsa asking about your experiences and
thoughts about Liyue. You answering her questions honestly is all that I ask, so I am pleased to
hear that that is exactly what you’ve done. I will not say what I have spoken with her about, for you
will learn soon enough.

If you ever decide to make Liyue your home, I will welcome you with open arms. Do not fret
about the Qixing. I will have a word with them to allow you back into the country. Lady
Ningguang knows of my identity. If I request that she allow you in Liyue, she will comply.

I promise you that I have not altered your mind in any way. The thought of you returning to me is
enough to put a smile on my face. Since I have received your letter, Hu Tao has commented that I
look more joyous. Merchants say that I look much better than I did after your departure.

It is all thanks to you that I am no longer “stone-faced,” as Barbatos likes to say. I had traveled to
Mondstadt a few days ago to visit my old friend. He has much more experience with living among
mortals and having mortal feelings. When I explained to him what was happening between us as
vaguely as possible, he laughed and called me a “blockhead.” I had half a mind to crush him with a
meteor right then and there, but I would fall into trouble with the Knights of Favonius, so I decided
against it.

So instead we went to a tavern, Angel’s Share, I believe. We drank together and Barbatos told me
that if we love something and we let it go, it will return if it was meant to be. Leaving things so
flighty and unknown did not seem right to me, but I trust him. He also seemed keen to meet you if
you ever did return to Liyue.

He said, and I quote, “let me meet your loverboy!” That was not all he said, but it was one of the
more tame things that were said that night. Even if I was shameless enough to repeat those words,
I’m sure you wouldn’t want your younger siblings seeing something so vulgar.

Regarding the pictures that you sent with your last letter, you look ethereal. If I were ever so lucky
to see you smile like that in person, I don’t know if I would be strong enough to handle it. Your
siblings all look very charming as well. Tell them all that they look lovely.
With love,

Zhongli

~~~~~

Dear Zhongli,

I cannot believe you actually managed to get what you wanted. Guess what I got in the mail this
morning? An official assignment from the Tsaritsa Herself, assigning me to oversee Northland
Bank’s Liyue branch for an indeterminate amount of time. I’ll have to come back to Snezhnaya if
She ever needs me for anything, but this assignment will have me in Liyue for Archon knows how
long.

You actually managed to get me back in Liyue. I have to start packing soon. I haven’t bought a
ticket to Liyue yet. I’ll most likely go do that later today. I’m still in shock that you did this. In a
good way, of course! I’m not mad. I miss Liyue a lot. I’m… glad to return. I don’t know if the
Tsaritsa notified the bank, but if She hasn’t, could you go tell them? Bring this letter with you if
they don’t believe you.

Looks like you’ll have to start talking to the Qixing. I’m not entirely sure what the Tsaritsa has
already done regarding my return to Liyue. I assume she has gotten me access to enter. She would
not have given me this assignment if She had not.

From how you described your trip to Mondstadt, it sounds like you had a good time. When I come
to Liyue, I would be happy to meet Barbatos. Is he a good fighter? I’ve never battled a god before
because a certain someone refuses to spar with me. Maybe we can spar when I get there? You
wanted me to return so badly, so you can’t refuse!

I can hardly believe I’ll be coming back to Liyue soon. It almost feels like a dream. I’ll send
another letter the day of my ship and my expected arrival. This is really happening, isn’t it? I’ll
bring your rock heart along with me. I’ve taken care of it well for you. I feel bad about leaving my
family already, but they practically begged me to go. They’ve seen a few of your letters, so I’m
sure they trust you. And… I trust whoever my family does.

Love,

Ajax
 Chapter End Notes

and thats it!!! to all of you that have left comments throughout the chapters, i
remember your names and im super thankful to you guys <333
to everyone else that showed support through kudos or bookmarks, THANK YOUU
this is the first multichap fic ive ever finished and its all thanks to you guys and your
support <3333

come talk to me sometime!!

discord: littledemon66#2095
insta: littledemon66
twitter: littledemon669 (i hardly use twitter but i decided to start using it DSFDS)

ill probably make a sequel because so many of you wanted one!!

End Notes

you guys are so epic omg this is the first multichap fic ive finished SOLELY because of all
the support <3333

come talk to me sometime!!

discord: littledemon66#2095
insta: littledemon66
twitter: littledemon669 (i hardly use twitter but i decided to start using it DSFDS)

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