Chapter Text
By the time she arrives at the teahouse, she can already hear the sounds of familiar chatter drifting down the stairs. As she crests over the top of the stairs and onto the landing, she sees Xingqiu and Chongyun leaning over the table together, Chongyun with a curious expression, and Xingqiu with a conspiratory one.
More unexpectedly, Hu Tao is there too, whispering together with them, eyes alight with an air of mischief.
"Xiangling!" Xingqiu cries in greeting as he catches sight of her, patting the empty chair beside him.
"Hey guys," Xiangling greets, before turning to Hu Tao with a smile. "I see you've managed to pull yourself away from the funeral parlor."
Hu Tao laughs.
"Xingqiu dragged me out here!" she chirps.
"A new rumor has hit the harbor!" Xingqiu explains excitedly. "It's all anyone will talk about these days!"
"So you decided to drag Hu Tao out here to gossip with you?" Xiangling asks, taking her seat with a sigh.
"Well, considering that the rumors are about Wangsheng Parlor, I was curious what she had to say," Xingqiu says, before turning to Hu Tao with a sly grin. "So, Director Hu, have you heard the rumors? Is there a long-running assassination scheme going on between Wangsheng Parlor and the Fatui?"
Hu Tao immediately begins to laugh again. She's laughing so hard this time that she has to clutch at her middle to stay upright, all but collapsing against the table in inexplicable mirth.
"Oh, I've heard!" she manages through her laughter. "I have heard! This time, they are claiming that the waitstaff heard it at one of the eateries!"
Xiangling suddenly feels very cold, but it seems no one at the table notices, because the conversation quickly moves on.
"Rumors have been flying since that harbinger arrived back in the harbor," Xingqiu notes. "Based on what was overheard at the Third Round Knockout, his assignment to Inazuma was only temporary. He's back here until he receives his next assignment."
He grins, turning back to Hu Tao with a cheeky wink.
"I suppose it certainly doesn't help the rumors that your consultant has been seen drinking with him," he teases.
Hu Tao just grins.
"There's no accounting for our consultant's shady taste in friends," she says gamely.
"Speaking of which!" Xingqiu interjects. "What is going on with that consultant of yours? It feels like everyone is talking about him!"
"Our consultant has become quite the hot conversation topic of late, hasn't he?" Hu Tao says, and laughs. "I have to admit he's a pretty mysterious guy."
Xingqiu leans in.
"So I may have had some people do a little digging," he confesses in an undertone. "No one can find anything about his past. No record of ever having lived in Liyue Harbor, yet he hasn't been seen living anywhere else either. No education records or mention of any famed tutors, yet his knowledge rivals the most respected scholars of Liyuen history!"
"No family records either," Hu Tao adds. "For all we know, he could have just popped out of a rock one day."
Xingqiu leans in further, eyes glinting with visible excitement.
"I posit," he whispers, "that Zhongli is actually a fake identity."
Chongyun's expression immediately turns long-suffering, but before he can say anything about Xingqiu's theory, Hu Tao perks up, slamming both hands down on the table in her excitement.
"That's what I thought too!" she gasps. "I also tried to investigate his past, but like you, I only found dead ends. How is it that he speaks like he's lived here all his life, but no one knows who he is!"
"Perhaps some mysterious circumstances caused his appearance to change completely?!" Xingqiu suggests eagerly. "Just like the protagonist of Samsara in Fire!"
The two of them erupt in an enthusiastic cacophony of whispers, but Xiangling can barely register what they are saying. There's a strange ringing in her ears now as she stares down at her hands in a stupor.
"Well, whether he's an adeptus," Xingqiu sums up passionately, "a person with a dark past and secrets to hide, or the descendent of a long lost lineage trying to hide his roots— who knows! I, for one, am curious to hear what the rest of you think!"
"Adeptus," Hu Tao says at once.
After a moment, she and Xingqiu turn to look expectantly at Chongyun, who flinches back in alarm at their joint gazes.
"Ehhh?" he yelps. "Don't ask me! I haven't interacted enough with him to know!"
"I haven't either," Xingqiu laments. "But Father and Brother have had him over before, and they were speaking so formally as well! He has to be someone important!"
"Adeptus," Hu Tao cuts in again. "I'm calling it. I'm even willing to bet on it! He just refuses to admit it when I ask!"
She slumps down onto the table with a frustrated groan, before suddenly brightening again.
"Say," she begins, turning to Xiangling with a glimmer in her eyes, "you've seen him relatively often of late, haven't you? He's a regular at Wanmin Restaurant! I've seen him drinking there with Childe—"
She gasps, putting both hands over her mouth melodramatically.
"Wait, no!" she stage-whispers. "Has he ever said anything incriminating while drunk?! Xiangling, tell us!"
"His frequent exchanges with the harbinger has added much to the dark past theory in the eyes of many," Xingqiu contributes enthusiastically. "But I've also heard speculation that he's being blackmailed by the Fatui. Do you have intel on that, Xiangling!? What do you think?!"
It feels like a flame erupts suddenly in Xiangling's chest.
"What I think—" she begins, "is that everyone needs to stop gossiping about the personal lives of others!"
Her raised voice rings out in the sudden silence.
The others rock back, surprised at her unexpected outburst, but Xiangling just clenches her fists slowly against the cool marble of the table, before continuing in an angry undertone.
"Everyone is so busy spreading unsavory rumors," she says in a low, trembling voice, "has anyone ever considered what that must be like for him? No wonder he prefers spending time with Childe! At least Childe isn't tattling on him to other people!"
She turns to Xingqiu and Hu Tao.
"And the two of you," she continues furiously, "intruding into someone's past like that— what in Tevyat were you thinking!?"
Hu Tao rubs the back of her head.
"Well," she says, with a sheepish grin. "I am his employer after all. He came to us under quite mysterious circumstances. I thought it was wise to do a background check, but maybe I did do a bit more digging than strictly necessary."
Xingqiu coughs as Xiangling turns her angry gaze onto him next.
"It's in the interest of the Feiyun Commerce Guild to be informed of potentially important persons!" he says quickly, before clearing his throat. "But I admit that personal curiosity did also play a large role in my investigations."
Xiangling crosses her arms.
"I think Mr. Zhongli is definitely not someone with a dark past," she says stubbornly. "He's extremely, extremely kind, and— and I think everyone has been way too hard on Childe too! He's way nicer than many of our more entitled customers, and also super generous. But just because he's from the Fatui, everyone is saying that he assassinated Rex Lapis!"
Embarrassingly, her vision begins to grow blurry.
"People spread all kinds of terrible rumors without thinking how they may affect others," she says tremulously. "I think it's awful, and I wish everyone would just stop."
The others immediately crowd closer, making soothing noises as she puts her face into her hands, letting out a wet sob. Xingqiu rubs at her back while Chongyun pats her elbow awkwardly. After a moment, Hu Tao gets out of her seat and comes around the table to give her a big hug.
"Aww, don't cry, Ling!" she cries, squeezing Xiangling so tightly around the waist that it momentarily takes her breath away. "We don't actually think Zhongli has a dark past! Or, well, at least I don't."
"I don't either," Xingqiu quickly says.
"Xingqiu just likes to come up with crazy theories," Chongyun assures her. "You should just take everything he says as nonsense."
"Hey!" Xingqiu yelps, offended, and Xiangling can't help the shaky laugh that finally breaks through the tears.
"Oh, I'm sorry, guys," she says, sniffling. "The rumors have been getting a little out of hand at Wanmin lately. I shouldn't have yelled."
"The rumors have been getting out of hand, haven't they?" Xingqiu says sympathetically, still patting her on the back. "I heard there was a huge blow-up on the wharf the other day, and it got so bad that the Qixing had to step in!"
Chongyun reaches into his shirtfront and produces a blue handkerchief from somewhere inside his shirt.
"It certainly feels like the pot has been boiling over lately," he agrees, holding the handkerchief out to her.
Xiangling takes the handkerchief from him with murmured thanks, dabbing at her eyes.
"Yeah," she says miserably. "I was there on the wharf when it happened."
The others wince.
"Alright, alright," Hu Tao says briskly, standing up with a decisive clap of her hands. "No more rumors. We're done with rumors! Let's talk about something else instead!"
"Chongyun tripped and fell off the dock yesterday," Xingqiu immediately says. "You should have seen him. It was hilarious."
"You pushed me!" Chongyun cries, betrayed.
"I elbowed you! I didn't think you'd go falling off the dock—"
As the table erupts with the sounds of chaotic banter, Xiangling folds the handkerchief up into neat quarters, and laughs.
“Mr. Zhongli!” Xiangling cries, slightly breathless from her jog out of the harbor. “Sorry for the wait!”
Just outside the harbor, Mr. Zhongli stands serenely over the bay, looking out towards the harbor with one arm crossed, austere, behind his back. He turns at the sound of her voice, and offers a gentle smile.
“You are on time, Miss Xiangling,” he says gently. “I too have only just arrived.”
He gestures behind him, where Xiangling finally notices a horse-drawn cart waiting, a middle-aged man already sitting at the reins.
“Ah!” Xiangling cries. “You hired a cart!”
“I’m in the harbor to pick up some goods for the inn, Miss,” the horseman explains with a smile. “Mr. Zhongli here asked if you two could hitch a ride.”
“We should be able to reach Wangshu Inn by nightfall this way,” Mr. Zhongli elaborates. “I suggest that we rest there overnight before heading up into Jueyun Karst. Unfortunately, we will have to make that half of our journey on foot.”
“Oh, that’s no problem at all, Mr. Zhongli!” Xiangling immediately pipes up. “Truthfully, I was expecting to have to walk the whole way, so this is great! We’ll be able to conserve our energy for the climb instead.”
Without further ado, they get up into the cart, setting off towards Wangshu Inn.
“You two are headed up into the mountains?” the horseman calls from the front.
"Indeed," Mr. Zhongli agrees.
“Be careful up there," the horseman says, not turning from the road. "I hear the adepti can be rather tetchy about humans going up into the karst. I’ve heard stories of people getting trapped in amber while up there.”
Mr. Zhongli winces.
“I believe the adeptus known as Mountain Shaper is responsible for that,” he says. “However, Mountain Shaper is not known to retaliate against those who come with innocent intentions. In any case, Mountain Shaper resides on Mt. Hulao, and we shall only be going so far as Qingyun Peak.”
“I see,” the horseman says, and chuckles. “Well then, best of luck to the both of you.”
True to Mr. Zhongli’s estimate, they arrive at Wangshu just before dinner. While the horseman unloads his goods, the two of them head up into the inn. There, at the counter, Mr. Zhongli finally turns to face Xiangling.
“I have a friend who is currently residing in the inn,” he says solemnly. “I would like to pay him a short visit while we are here. Will you be okay on your own?"
Xiangling blinks, a little surprised.
"Oh, of course!" she says, and smiles. "You go ahead. I was meaning to say hello to Smiley Yanxiao anyway."
Mr. Zhongli returns her smile.
"In that case," he says. "Please rest well tonight, Miss Xiangling. The trek tomorrow will likely be taxing.”
They set off bright and early the next morning.
“There are a number of things I’d like to get during this trip,” Xiangling chatters absently as they walk, rummaging through her pack as she does so. “I’d like to keep the flowers as fresh as possible, so I’m thinking we should keep an eye out for some mist flower corollas to keep the flowers chilled. Aside from the violetgrass and qingxin, I also took stock of my inventory yesterday, and found that I’m running out of slime condensate!”
She looks up from her pack, offering Mr. Zhongli a reassuring smile.
“But don’t worry, Mr. Zhongli!” she chirps, “if we run into any slimes — or any other monsters, really — I can take care of them! I have a vision after all!”
Zhongli just laughs, low and melodious.
“Of course, Miss Xiangling,” he says warmly.
The journey passes in slow but pleasant conversation. Mr. Zhongli is a good conversationalist, never seeming to run out of topics to talk about, or knowledge to share. It doesn't feel like a long time at all before they cross over into Jueyun Karst.
A long wooden bridge paves a friendly path across a deep gorge, but from there, there is only a steep cliff extending up and up. Xiangling considers the rock face with some trepidation as they tread across the creaking panels of the wooden bridge, not having been expecting to face such a steep climb right off the bat. As they reach the end of the bridge, however, a light hand at her back guides her to the right, where she finally notices a dirt path lying half-concealed by the grass.
The path takes them across a stream and through an elegantly roofed archway. There, Xiangling stops momentarily, blinking a few times.
"Ah," she says, surprised. "There are stairs."
Indeed, a long flight of eroded stone stairs are etched into the mountainside, weaving up in curving lines into the foliage.
"People often ascend these mountains to leave offerings," Mr. Zhongli explains.
"And so these steps were built?" Xiangling asks.
"Hand carved by devotees, yes," Mr. Zhongli says, his eyes softening. "The steps have been greatly eroded over time, but they continue to serve their purpose."
As they begin their upward ascent, Mr. Zhongli leads the way a few paces ahead, long legs carrying him effortlessly up the difficult terrain, his every step steady and sure, undisturbed by the rises and dips in the earth, or the loose pebbles that litter their way.
"You seem to know the way well," Xiangling eventually gasps, winded by the climb.
"I walk up here often when I need some time to think," Mr. Zhongli explains, somehow not sounding the slightest bit out of breath.
Maybe I should train with Yaoyao and Shifu more often, Xiangling thinks.
Needless to say, by the time they settle down for lunch, Xiangling is ravenous. Setting her pack down, however, she realizes for the first time—
Mr. Zhongli is completely empty-handed.
He has not brought a single thing with him. No rations or bedroll.
Absolutely nothing.
Xiangling is momentarily stunned, but after a moment, she quickly blinks away her shock and begins rummaging through her pack.
"Don't worry, Mr. Zhongli," she assures him. "I brought some canned stew and also some meat buns. There's more than enough to share!"
"Ah," Mr. Zhongli says, sounding somewhat surprised, and then smiles. "Don't worry about me, Miss Xiangling. I am not hungry."
"No, no, I insist!" Xiangling cries. "Just give me a moment. I'll start a fire in a bit. Soup is never good when it's cold."
"No worries," Mr. Zhongli says again, bending down with that same peaceable smile. "I can help with that."
As Xiangling continues to dig through her pack for her rations, she hears a spark, and then the unmistakable sound of a flame coming alight. When she looks back up, stunned, she sees Mr. Zhongli straightening up from a small fire.
"You brought a flintstone," she says numbly.
Mr. Zhongli blinks, and then looks down at the stone in his hand.
"No," he says, sounding quite bemused, "I just picked one up off the ground."
Picked one up off the—
For a long moment, they just stare at each other in silence, Xiangling struck speechless, and Mr. Zhongli just seeming confused.
"Alright," Xiangling finally blurts out. "Okay, I'll get some stew going."
In the end, Mr. Zhongli had politely but insistently declined the stew, and Xiangling had reluctantly settled down to eat her meat buns.
Dinner, however, had passed in the same way.
"Truly, Miss Xiangling," Mr. Zhongli had said, sounding, for some reason, quite puzzled. "I am not yet hungry."
Xiangling had eventually let it go, but as they bedded down for the night, she had insisted that Mr. Zhongli take her blanket to sleep on. This time, she had not taken no for an answer.
"Mr. Zhongli, surely you can't expect me to let you sleep on the ground!" she cried. "Besides, I have a pyro vision! I don't get cold that easily."
"Alright," Mr. Zhongli had eventually acquiesced, with a sigh, and an indulgent smile. "Thank you for your concern, Miss Xiangling."
The next morning, she had woken to find the blanket draped over her.
"I think that we can perhaps hunt a boar for dinner," she says the next day at lunch. "I have spices so we could cook up something nice."
After Mr. Zhongli had declined breakfast, Xiangling had spent the morning thinking on it as she absently picked qingxins. Eventually, she had recalled that Mr. Zhongli had always been quite the picky eater. Pa had once said that he only frequented Wanmin when she was cooking for the day, and while he had never had criticisms about her cooking, she recalls hearing that he had once entered the kitchen at Liuli Pavillion to specify exactly how a dish should be cooked.
Canned stew and two-day-old meat buns aren't the most appetizing choice of dish, she reflects.
Mr. Zhongli rubs his chin thoughtfully, and then, after a moment, he hums in agreement.
"The climb ahead of us today will be steep, so it may be a good idea for you to eat more," he agrees. "Violetgrasses do not grow along this path, so we will henceforth need to leave the path and head for higher ground."
Mr. Zhongli, she thinks despairingly, you are the one who needs to eat.
After lunch, they had left the path, stepping onto significantly more difficult terrain. With pebbles coming loose under her feet on steeper slopes, and the sharp dips and rises of the earth, hidden under the long grasses on flatter ground, much of her attention had been held by watching each careful step. There had still been a few times she had tripped, and several times she had almost twisted an ankle, but each time, Mr. Zhongli had reached out with uncanny timing to steady her.
Observing his steady gait, he could have been strolling down Yujing Terrace for how steadily he had walked. He had not even broken a sweat, his hands as dry as sun-baked earth under her sweaty palms.
I really, really need to train more with Shifu, Xiangling thinks helplessly to herself.
Needless to say, by the time dinner had arrived, she had sat down against a nearby tree—
"Let me sit for a moment," she had mumbled. "I'll get dinner started in a bit."
—and promptly fallen asleep.
When she next wakes, the sky has gone dark, and the moon is sitting high in the cloudless sky, stars stark as jewels in the absolute darkness of the mountainside. She is tucked into her bedroll, and a few meters away, a campfire crackles merrily away.
Xiangling recalls Mr. Zhongli discarding the flintstone he'd found after she'd finished eating, the day before. She had considered, at the time, picking it up — good flint was hard to come by after all — but in the end, she had left it there. Despite lacking a flintstone, or a pyro vision, however, Mr. Zhongli has somehow managed to start a fire.
Did he find another one? she wonders, almost hysterically. Are there undiscovered flint deposits on Qingyun Peak?
Several meters away, Mr. Zhongli stands by the cliffside, looking up towards the distant moon. He strikes a regal figure, austere and serene against the starry sky, with one arm crossed elegantly behind his back.
Xiangling immediately sits up, mortified.
"Mr. Zhongli!" she cries. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep. How long have I slept?"
Mr. Zhongli turns his head slightly, profile stark in the starlight for a brief moment, before he turns fully around, and smiles.
"It's no matter, Miss Xiangling," he says kindly.
After a moment, however, he sighs.
"I must apologize, Miss Xiangling," he says, solemn now. "I should have realized that the pace we were taking was tiring you out. Please, in the future, do tell me if you require a break."
"Oh no, Mr. Zhongli!" Xiangling immediately assures him. "It's not your fault at all! It's my fault for being unable to keep up."
"Miss Xiangling," Mr. Zhongli begins, and then sighs.
After a moment, he steps forward, taking a seat on a boulder on the other side of the fire.
"Your master," he says unhappily, "would be deeply disappointed in me if she learnt that I failed to take care of you while we were traveling together. She entrusted you to me on this trip, after all."
Xiangling blinks, surprised.
"You know my Shifu," she says.
Mr. Zhongli nods, a graceful dip of his head.
"Indeed," he confirms. "She is a dear friend of mine. When you expressed your intention to embark on this journey, I sought her out to inform her of this, and to reassure her that I would be accompanying you."
"I—" Xiangling begins blankly. "I had never seen you around until recently."
Abruptly, she realizes how rude that had sounded and immediately slaps a hand over her mouth.
"I'm so sorry, Mr. Zhongli!" she blurts out. "I didn't mean to— to—"
But Mr. Zhongli just laughs that gentle laugh of his.
"It's quite alright, Miss Xiangling," he assures her, before his expression turns pensive. "Upon reflection, it has, more often than not, been your Shifu making the trip to see me, instead of me coming down into the harbor to meet her. That is rather unacceptable. Now that I have an abode in the harbor, I should make some time to see her. It's been a good few decades since I last visited her teapot. It would also be nice to meet some of her newer disciples."
Xiangling takes a moment to consider his words. Slowly, the lines begin to connect in her head, like stick insects moving sluggishly through molasses.
i.
Mr. Zhongli said that it had been decades since he'd last visited Shifu's teapot, despite looking like he's in his early thirties.
ii.
He mentioned that he wasn't previously living in the harbor, but had to be living in Liyue for Shifu to have been visiting regularly, yet Xingqiu and Hu Tao's investigations had revealed that he was not living in any human settlement prior.
iii.
Mr. Zhongli has visited Shifu's teapot, an abode that she had always tended to keep secret from mortals.
The lines lengthen, lighting up in her mind like the trailing tails of comets, etching their path across the night sky, before finally— they connect in a bright flash of epiphany.
Shifu is an adeptus, she thinks.
It feels like the world is zooming very slowly away from her.
Mr. Zhongli, she thinks next, is also an adeptus.
He was not living in any human settlement because he was living up in Jueyun Karst! she realizes.
He might not need to eat, and I haven't actually seen him drinking water either! she realizes.
Have I even seen him sleep?! she wonders. He's always awake when I fall asleep, and is always awake before I wake too!
In all the time they have known each other, she doesn't think she's ever heard him say anything like I'm hungry or I'm tired or I'm thirsty. Which is remarkable, considering that she works at an eatery. She has only ever heard him say things to the effect of I would like to eat, or I think this would be an opportune time for some tea.
Is that why he's such a picky eater?
He doesn't actually need to eat?
He eats for enjoyment?!
An owl hoots in the distance, the sound accompanied by the distinct creak of a tree branch, and the rustling of feathered wings taking flight. Turning his head, Mr. Zhongli looks towards the horizon, lightening with hints of dawn.
"Daybreak," he murmurs, and then turns to smile at her. "You should sleep more if you wish, Miss Xiangling. Today will be another steep climb."
After a moment, still reeling from her realization, Xiangling nods.
Then, she rolls over — and goes back to sleep.
The next morning passes in a bit of a blur. She'd had another meat bun upon waking, and then they had set out once more.
This time, Mr. Zhongli stops to wait at fixed intervals, reaching out, extending a hand to help her over any hurdles in their path. She takes his hand absently each time, murmuring her thanks, but otherwise stays silent in thought.
She probably needs to apologize to Hu Tao and Xingqiu when she gets back.
Should she tell them about her discovery?
Xingqiu is going to have a field day.
Hu Tao too, probably.
Mr. Zhongli is an adeptus, she thinks again to herself. An adeptus.
By mid-morning, they reach the side of the peak facing Huaguang Stone Forest. The sky, however, has begun to darken, with storm clouds gathering in the distance.
As thunder rumbles from afar, Mr. Zhongli turns to her.
"It is likely to rain soon," he says seriously. "The violetgrasses grow along this cliff. We should make haste to collect what we need, and then seek shelter as soon as possible. The stone grows slippery when wet."
He steps forward to peer over the edge, and then begins to bend down, as if to climb down himself.
"It's okay, Mr. Zhongli!" Xiangling immediately cries, rushing forward. "Please don't trouble yourself! I'll make the climb!"
Mr. Zhongli hesitates.
"Miss Xiangling," he begins reluctantly.
"No, no, I insist!" Xiangling says, putting her pack down, and then swinging herself over the edge. "I've done this before when picking violetgrasses elsewhere. Please wait here."
"Please be careful, Miss Xiangling," Mr. Zhongli calls unhappily, as she begins to edge herself slowly downwards.
She can't help but be a little distracted as she climbs, still mulling over the night's realization, but she's made enough climbs that muscle memory carries her through despite her scattered thoughts. Plucking a sprig of violetgrass from a nearby ledge, she tucks it into her herb pouch, but as she wipes her sweaty palm against her skirt, another thought occurs to her.
Mr. Zhongli doesn't sweat either, she realizes suddenly, remembering the dry touch of his hands. Is that an adeptus thing too?
As she continues the slow climb down, she thinks back to her long trainings with Shifu growing up, to the touch of her hands as she gently corrected Xiangling's forms. While Shifu had never been prone to sweaty palms, there had always been a faint moisture and warmth to her skin that set her apart from Mr. Zhongli.
So not an adeptus thing.
Maybe a Mr. Zhongli thing?
She is a good ways down the cliffside, her pouch now full of violetgrasses, when she hears the sound of a commotion below. Looking down, she catches sight of two individuals on the foothill below, spinning and lunging and striking out with discordant clangs.
It is Childe and the Traveller, battling what looks like four ruin guards and a ruin hunter all at once. Childe is laughing as he stabs a ruin guard through the core. Lumine jumps back to avoid a spinning attack from the ruin hunter, but startles as she seems to catch sight of Xiangling out of the corner of her eye.
"Xiangling?" she calls out, surprised.
At her call, however, the ruin hunter finally seems to notice Xiangling as well. It rears up, core coming alight, and a moment later, its missile system engages. With a yelp, Xiangling swings herself towards the right, but her grip slips—
And then—
She is falling.
"Xiangling!" two voices call out in horrified unison from below.
"Xiao."
A split second later, she jolts as something — someone, grabs her around the waist, pulling her into thin but wiry arms. Tucked against a firm chest, she sees a flash of a brown tailcoat above — Mr. Zhongli, jumping down from the cliffside. In his wake, she startles at the shadow of something extremely large passing overhead.
"What the fuck?!" Childe shouts.
A thunderous boom—
And then, silence.
"Are you two alright?" Mr. Zhongli asks. "Are you hurt?"
"What the fuck?" Childe hisses. "Was that a meteor, xiansheng? A fucking meteor?!"
Mr. Zhongli sighs.
"I see you are alright," he says, more wryly now.
Adeptus Xiao lands lightly nearby, and Mr. Zhongli immediately approaches them, nodding to Adeptus Xiao in greeting.
"Thank you for coming," he says.
"I will always heed your call," Adeptus Xiao replies, and Mr. Zhongli nods again, before turning to Xiangling.
"And you, Miss Xiangling?" he asks, slightly worried in tone now. "Are you alright?"
"I'm… fine," Xiangling says.
She peeks around them to see a large crater carved into the earth. The only remains of the ruin machines are a few small pieces of machinery strewn about in the grass. The rest has been pulverized to absolute dust.
Standing by the crater, Lumine sheathes her sword, completely unruffled, but Childe is still looking a bit dazed.
Xiangling can't help but relate.
As Adeptus Xiao bends down to set her back on her feet, however, Xiangling stumbles, surprised at the pain that suddenly lances up her leg. Mr. Zhongli's eyes immediately sharpen, darting down towards injury.
"You're wounded," he says.
Xiangling feels a trickle of liquid rolling down her calf, and looks down to see an open gash on the back of her thigh. When did that even happen?
"Looks nasty," Childe comments, ambling closer with an air of concern. "Best to get it dressed as soon as possible."
Thunder rumbles overhead. Adeptus Xiao raises his head, looking up into the darkening sky.
"It is also about to rain," he notes.
Indeed, the rain clouds are now upon them, heavy with what looks like the beginnings of a heavy storm. There's a moment of silence as each of them seem to separately consider their options, before finally, Mr. Zhongli clears his throat.
"I know of a hidden abode nearby," he offers quietly. "We can shelter there until the storm has passed."
They make an odd procession, traipsing through the mountainside. Adeptus Xiao had insisted on carrying Xiangling on his back, but Childe, Xiangling can't help but notice, is walking with a very slight limp as well, his right foot bound in a lightweight cast.
It's not too long before Mr. Zhongli leads them to a crevice in the mountainside. Within it, a golden barrier glimmers with the light of a strange seal. The wards come undone at Mr. Zhongli's touch, however, and after a moment, he turns to give Adeptus Xiao a nod.
Adeptus Xiao nods in return, before stepping forward through the seal—
—into the entrance hall of a veritable palace .
Intricate carvings of herons, deer, and other creatures twine around the grand pillars holding up the vast hall, soaring and dancing through elaborately etched waves and clouds. On the walls to either side, adeptal beasts are depicted with their eyes closed, assembled solemnly, as if in waiting. A broad divan sits against the far wall, elevated upon a tiered dais.
Behind them, Childe steps through the seal as well, and immediately falters.
"What the actual fuck," he mutters under his breath, just as Lumine and Mr. Zhongli enter behind him.
Xiangling can't help but agree.
"Will—" she begins dazedly. "Will the owner of this abode mind us using the place?"
At that, Mr. Zhongli and Adeptus Xiao trade a silent look.
"Moon Carver will not mind," Adeptus Xiao says.
"This abode belongs to Xiao," Mr. Zhongli says, at the same time.
There's a moment of silence.
"Indeed, this place belongs to me," Adeptus Xiao corrects, after a moment.
"Apologies, I had forgotten that this abode is actually one of Moon Carver's," Mr. Zhongli amends, at the same time.
There's another very awkward moment of silence as Adeptus Xiao and Mr. Zhongli trade glances again. Closing her eyes, Lumine puts her face in her hand, and beside her, Childe chokes back a strangled laugh.
Xiangling suddenly realizes that they must be in on the secret too.
"It's alright, Mr. Zhongli," Xiangling offers timidly. "This is your abode, isn't it?"
Mr. Zhongli is silent for a moment, before finally, he nods.
"Indeed," he says, "this is one of them."
"One of?!" Childe repeats, before letting out another strange laugh. "No, of course. Of course you would own multiple fucking palaces."
Adeptus Xiao narrows his eyes at Childe, before turning to Mr. Zhongli.
"The harbinger is aware of your identity?" he asks, and Mr. Zhongli nods.
"I informed him in the aftermath of the Osial incident," he admits.
Adeptus Xiao's expression turns a little complicated at that.
"I see…" he says.
With a sigh, Mr. Zhongli gestures before him, and at his prompting, they begin to make their way silently down the grand hall. After a moment, however, Childe stops dead in his tracks.
"Wait," he says suddenly, "so when did you tell Miss Xiangling?"
There's a long pause.
"… I didn't," Mr. Zhongli finally says.
Another awkward pause ensues.
"It's alright," Xiangling speaks up again. "Mr. Zhongli, you're an adeptus, aren't you? I figured it out some time ago."
Mr. Zhongli falters mid-step.
"I… see," he says. Then, after a moment, he clears his throat, and continues walking— "May I ask what gave it away?"
Childe makes a disbelieving noise, and Lumine raises an eyebrow.
Xiangling coughs.
"Mr. Zhongli," she says delicately, "you haven't eaten in three days."
"Three days!" Childe shrieks.
Mr. Zhongli stiffens.
"I was," he begins, seeming a little flustered now. "I was under the impression that humans can survive for up to two weeks without food."
"Oh my god," Childe says.
"That's in extreme cases," Xiangling explains weakly. "We must usually eat every four to six hours, or we start experiencing pain and discomfort."
Adeptus Xiao and Mr. Zhongli suddenly look very bewildered.
"But don't humans typically sleep for eight to ten hours a night?" Mr. Zhongli asks, confused.
"I assume humans wake up in the middle of their sleeping period to eat?" Adeptus Xiao says then, and nods knowledgeably. "I have witnessed Smiley Yanxiao occasionally doing so."
"No!" Xiangling and Childe blurt out at the same time, horrified.
Lumine slaps her forehead again.
"Humans don't wake up to eat in the middle of the night, xiansheng," Childe says despairingly.
"We just tend to wake up feeling hungry— that's what breakfast is for!" Xiangling chimes in.
Xiangling's stomach takes that extremely opportune moment to issue a loud growl, and she blushes, mortified.
"Speaking of which," Childe cuts in, "it's about time for lunch."
"I hope you haven't been making Xiangling go hungry," Lumine says disapprovingly.
Mr. Zhongli immediately straightens, looking a little chastised.
"Please rest and take some time to eat, Miss Xiangling," he says contritely. "Xiao and I will look for dressings to treat your wound."
Without further ado, Adeptus Xiao sets Xiangling down, and the two bustle off deeper into the abode. At Xiangling's nod of approval, Lumine sits down, opens Xiangling's pack, and begins to root through her rations, clearly taking stock in preparation for their next meal.
Childe, meanwhile, flops down cross-legged opposite Xiangling.
"So," he says, propping his chin in one hand, "now you know too."
"I suppose," Xiangling answers weakly.
Childe immediately puffs up, with what looks like the beginning of an extended, and long-suppressed rant.
"How does no one know?!" he bursts out angrily. "He's bad at it. He's terrible at pretending to be human! Downright terrible!"
"I wouldn't say that no one knows," Xiangling offers pityingly. "Some people have guessed, but it does feel like wild speculation that they don't fully believe in either."
"Talks about historical events like he was there," Lumine offers without looking up, and then adds, matter-of-factly— "He was."
"Said he hadn't visited my Shifu in decades," Xiangling confides. "He looks like he's thirty."
"Argues with historians without bothering to cite sources," Lumine continues.
"He even says things like—" Childe begins angrily, before lowering his voice mockingly.
"—however, this information was lost to human civilization roughly two centuries ago—"
He returns to his usual register.
"So how does he know then?!" he demands shrilly. "How does he know?!"
"To his credit," Xiangling says then, "everyone seems to believe that he's just particularly well-read."
"Well-read, my fucking ass!" Childe cries, stamping his foot, and then wincing— "Ow!"
"Childe is just angry because he broke his foot trying to kick Zhongli under the table at the Third Round Knockout," Lumine tells Xiangling. "He didn't want anyone to know so he left the harbor. I'm babysitting."
Childe's mouth drops open.
"You weren't supposed to tell anyone!" he laments, betrayed.
"I never promised to keep your secrets," Lumine says, unimpressed.
"I thought we were comrades!" Childe cries.
"After everything you pulled during the Osial incident, did you really expect me to be on your side?" Lumine says.
Wait—
Childe was—
Actually responsible for that?!
"Everyone keeps pinning that on me!" Childe explodes. "Everyone! Why did I become the scapegoat?! This is all Zhongli's fault!"
"I did not make you unseal Osial, Childe," Mr. Zhongli says, tiredly, from behind them. "You did that by yourself."
Xiangling and Childe jump, hard.
"And there are multiple parlors in this abode for receiving guests," Mr. Zhongli adds exasperatedly. "There is one just up ahead. Surely there is no need to make Miss Xiangling sit on the floor in the entranceway."
Just up ahead is apparently two lavishly decorated hallways and one courtyard in. The hallways are lined with expensive-looking art and fine antiques, as well as intricately bejeweled weapons mounted upon the walls. The courtyard— is home to a towering rock feature, a waterfall pouring down its side into a large koi pond.
Xiangling thinks it unlikely that even the Jade Chamber is this lavish.
Finally, overlooking the courtyard, they arrive in a small sitting room, the folding doors thrown open to provide a view of the scenery outside. At Mr. Zhongli's prompting, Xiangling takes a seat. While Mr. Zhongli tends to a small tea stove, Adeptus Xiao assists Xiangling in applying a layer of medicinal salve to her wound.
"If you were to sell any one of the antiques in this place," Childe grumbles, taking a seat as well, "you'd be set for life. How do you even accumulate this much junk!"
"Gifts, spoils of war, and millenias worth of personal purchases," Mr. Zhongli answers, not looking up from the tea stove. "And I know you pocketed one of the daggers mounted in the hallway, Childe. You can't have that one. It was a diplomatic gift."
Glaring, Childe produces a wickedly curved blade from somewhere upon his person, setting it down on the tea table with a clank.
"Why am I always paying for you anyway?!" he demands. "Come on! Let me have one of your fancy swords!"
Tying off the bandage around Xiangling's thigh, Adeptus Xiao lets out a quiet scoff.
"Presumptuous," he mutters.
But Mr. Zhongli just sighs.
"Coincidentally," he grants, "I had been meaning to gift you a bow for personal use. Both so I may entice you to improve your archery skills, and also so I may persuade you to relinquish the anger you hold towards me. You may pick one out from the armory later."
"The only way to reconciliation is through fierce combat!" Childe declares. "Me and you! Outside in the courtyard! We resolve this with our fists!"
Lumine rolls her eyes, but again, Mr. Zhongli just lets out another sigh.
"As I've come to learn," he says wryly, "the last time you petulantly tried to kick me under the table when you thought no one was looking, you fractured your foot. I would much prefer that you not fracture your knuckles upon my person as well."
"Fuck you!" Childe cries.
And finally, Xiangling puts her face into one hand, and begins to laugh, and laugh, and laugh.
The rest of the afternoon had passed quite pleasantly over tea. Mr. Zhongli, Childe, and Adeptus Xiao had eventually disappeared off into the armory, leaving Xiangling and Lumine to chat by themselves, and by the time they had returned, Childe had been in much better spirits, despite sporting a split lip and a much worsened limp.
"You fought Zhongli with a broken foot?" Lumine asks.
"He fought me with a broken foot," Adeptus Xiao corrects. "He does not deserve the honor of crossing blades with Zhongli-daren." [1]
Despite the limp, however, Childe had been pleased enough that he had insisted on cooking dinner. Sitting around a wooden table in the kitchen, Xiangling had watched as he folded pelmeni, humming cheerfully to himself as Mr. Zhongli and the Traveller caught up on her most recent adventures.
Watching them, Xiangling can't help but notice how much more free Mr. Zhongli appears here, in privacy, away from the prying eyes of the harbor— more amused, more gently teasing, and also more indulgent. After dinner had been served, he'd burst into hearty laughter when Childe had pointedly served everyone except him, before reaching out to pat him patronizingly on the cheek.
"You are lucky that I find your petulance endearing," he had said fondly, as he patiently spooned himself a serving of the dumplings.
Xiangling is struck by a strange sense of familiarity then. Mr. Zhongli's laughter continues to ring in her ears as she eats quietly. It feels almost as if she's heard that laugh before. She looks up from her meal, looks into his eyes, bright like molten gold, and finds them familiar too.
She's seen those eyes somewhere before.
As the room dissolves into warm laughter and friendly conversation, however, she quietly lets the thought fade. The pelmeni is delicious, so after a moment, she just smiles, and digs in.