Chapter Text
It was the end of this school year, the week before summer break, and all the students were more than ready to rush out of the classroom after taking their history final. There had been chatting and cries of delight for the little break from schoolwork they had, at least until the students got their final results back and could be officially sent away to God knows where over the summer.
Zhongli rolled his eyes as the students finally went out the door, the crowd thinning in trickles until the room was empty, save for himself.
He was not a stranger to ogling students, the cat calling, and the not-so-subtle flirting in class. He could see the way eyes would follow his figure through the halls and in his lectures, and more than once had students try multiple attempts at getting into his pants, albeit all in vain when they were later suspended or expelled out of the school. Being a teacher in general wasn’t an easy job—he knew that—but his eye captivating beauty was a blessing and a curse.
They would pay attention, yes they would scribble about in their unit lectures-meant to follow along and make notes-but what use was it when he collected them all and saw lewd drawings of himself and fantasy scenarios instead of describing the wars and brutalities of humanity?
And may the Gods in Celestia above purify the things his eyes witnessed every school year…
Sighing for what seemed the upteenth time that day, he swiftly marked yet another failed test from this years finals. It had been completed by one of the endlessly horny teenagers in his third period class, hinting on every single question to ask her out.
Not to mention the temptation to tear the paper into scraps when she started to rant about her times in bed and personal “assets” instead of giving a detailed answer of what equipment was used and made during the Archon war, long ago, and the role they play in society now as benefits in this modern world.
And don’t get him started on the date portion next to her name…
Why must teenagers nowadays be so damn horny he mused to himself.
He had gotten one too many sexual jokes made about him, both to his face and behind his back. And, once again, Celestia please release and purify all sorts of dirty, filthy fantasies kids these days make up. Zhongli himself wasn’t sure that he had even seen the worst of it all.
If only there was a way for him to put an end to all this...
Marking an F on yet another paper, he quickly kept his train of thought going as he mindlessly corrected papers from his master key worksheet, sighing at how some kids will probably be seeing him back another year after all...
Not of much use anyway when someone marks all D’s on their multiple choice, he groaned to himself as he marked grade after grade.
Maybe I can just send them off to another history teachers class, and they'll at least put in more effort...
Do these kids even care if they fail nowadays? Honestly, back in my day-
Light knocking roused him from his state of internal musings as he looked up to see who might need his help this time.
And no, that didn’t mean sexually, god damn it.
He was met with a pair of big purple-blue eyes peeking outside the door frame. Wide as always, with light eye bags underneath - so slight a detail they could almost be mistaken for eyeshadow. Though he had seen his former student in much worse situations and looking even more haggardly than she was now, he could still see how Ganyu worked herself to the bone no matter what she was faced with.
With long white-blue hair tucked into a semi-messy loose ponytail, and always being modestly dressed, she had worked rigorously in all of the subjects he taught in her classes, and was the perfect model of a student. She was kind, softspoken, compassionate, and always present, giving her homework in on time with no funny business of asking when he was free any day. She had worked so hard, in fact, that when she asked Zhongli to help her write a resume and other possible places she could go with an accountant and secretary worthy degree, he personally told Principal Ningguang about her, and she was immediately recruited as her right hand woman.
Even now, Ganyu has never been suggestive to anyone in the school, always keeping a work place ethic and almost always seen burying her head in piles of paperwork, whether it be the finance of the school, complaints, maintenance, any manner of things to keep the school in order was always in paper sheets on her desk. The only time she hasn’t been spotted doing anything but work is crashing at her desk, dead asleep, or going to the office lounge to get more coffee. There was that certain special glance at her purple haired co-worker, Zhongli mentally dismissed that. He often pitied how under appreciated anyone is of her work, and brought it up to Ningguang many a times, as well as the girl herself.
“Teaching is also thankless work, no?” Ganyu had replied with that cotton-soft voice of hers, gentle like a dove, and sounding as if the words themselves were woven from the clouds above. “As a teacher, you only get to see your students grow for a short while, and teachers are never shown how they could’ve influenced their students in the far future…” She would always trail off on any sort of extra thought or response, and Zhongli could see in her eyes how she surveys the situation and thinks about her next sentence. But before any words could come out of her mouth, she would almost startle herself to reality with a sharp jolt of her head, excusing herself and muttering a reminder that she has a deadline to meet or some paperwork to fill out for the next day, lightly apologizing at the little disruption as she flits off to where she is needed.
“Mr. Zhongli, are you okay?” Her gentle, sweet voice muses Zhongli from his thoughts, eyes focusing on his former student in front of him. “All of the other teachers have mostly left, save for Ms. Ningguang, Ms. Keqing, and I as well…”
The teacher raised his eyebrows just a bit, then frowned as he looked at the nearest clock. Had it really been that long since school was out? Grimacing, he gave a soft smile to Ganyu, easing the distressing look of anxiety and sleepiness on her face.
“Thank you for catching me before everyone else had left, Ganyu.” He quickly took his stacks of tests to be graded, and started to put them in his satchel. “If you hadn’t have told me everyone was already gone, I would surely have missed a full night of sleep.” Chuckling lightly in his deep baritone voice that everyone seemed to swoon over, he packed his bag and let his gaze sweep over the papers to face the blue-haired girl. “Speaking of which, you look like you could use a good nights sleep yourself, Ganyu. If you don’t rest, you won’t be able to work as efficiently.” Taking his now sorted stacks of paper he had arranged while talking, he quickly put them in his bag and slung them over his shoulder, all in one swift motion of practice, looking ready to go in less than a matter of minutes.
Almost whimpering lightly at the prospect of, what he presumed to be, not being able to help Ms. Ningguang with her work, she gave a soft sigh. “I can try, Mister Zhongli, but you of all people know how much my work means to me! I can’t just leave it for hours on end to rest…” She replied almost frantically, her eyes going wide with a sort of panic. “I can’t let Ms. Ningguang and Ms. Keqing down, so if I’m given paperwork to do I have little time to stop and-“
“Ganyu”
The pastel-blue haired girl let out a small gasp of surprise at the voice behind her. Turning around swiftly, she met golden eyes and a soft smile.
The lady behind her was none other than the principal she worked so dedicatedly for, and with her hands on her hips in an authoritative position. Ningguang was a woman whose very presence almost demanded respect, with her tall stature and white silk-smooth hair flowing down her back, like threads from a loom ready to be spun. She held herself like a regal person of royalty almost, with a stern, soft edged voice, with mountains of information and connection at her fingertips. She could be the one lady who ruins your entire lifetime seven generations in a row, or be the best thing that happened to you for years to come. Thankful for her morals, Zhongli was glad she was appointed to this school with the sense of helping rather than hindering.
And the fact that she has to restrain herself when dealing the full amount of damage she could if someone ticks her off…
“Lady N-Ningguang! I-I’m al-almos-“
“Ganyu,” The principal cut the little girl off again, eyes glowing with a doting affection for her, like on gazing at a small child. “Do you know how many hours you have devoted to that paperwork in a week?” Her soft golden eyes held Ganyu’s gaze for a moment, yet no trace of anger was found even through her stern tone.
“You work a fifty five hour week on average, ever since you joined three years ago, and still clock in day after day with that tireless energy of yours.” The white haired lady stepped up to the secretary, and gave her a small shoulder pat.
“It is mandatory, as of now, that any employee that is decreed as overworked must get a full work week off on paid leave so that they may restore their strength. And you, my dear Ganyu, have shouldered at least twice your weight and more in your years under me.” She gave Ganyu a soft smile, and raised her hand from her shoulder, moving up to pat her on the head. “You are well deserved of at least a week of paid time off, if not more.”
Opening her mouth as if a sort of excuse could come out, Ganyu was floundering for some sort of line that could keep her to her strenuous work. But, even before Ganyu could speak out again against the principal, Ningguang tutted, shooing her away though the door. “Now! I don’t want you complaining, dear child, and if you step foot into this school again after you leave, I am afraid I will have to personally see to adding another week of paid leave off for you, understand?” A stern gaze to the younger, and Ganyu was muttering apology and quick goodbye before running off, probably to gather all the paperwork she could take during her paid leave, at least to work on at her home.
Sighing, Ningguang turned her attention to Zhongli, and her gold eyes glazed over with a sense of return to her strict position, assuming authority over her teachers once more and stripping away all former sense of motherly affection. This is the Ningguang he knew, full of respect for others and demanding of it for herself, and giving a sense of awe at her genius and quick wit solutions.
As for her part to play the motherly figure to her younger, more anxious ,and in this case, overworking, subordinates; there were only to be seen by few who were given the privilege. Zhongli, Ganyu, and close friends namely.
“Now, Morax, I’m sure your aware that also includes you as well, since you have some paid leave stored up for time off, you know.” Her voice was no longer softened at the edges—this was the steel cut blade of a voice she spoke with when getting down to business.
The man nodded, sighing his response to his superior. “Yes, I’m planning on maybe taking a break and asking Mr. Azhdaha to substitute for me a week into the beginning of next school year.” He looked up to the lady, and saw the approval of his plan shining in her eyes.
“Well, seeing as this year is wrapping up, we might as well talk about next years plans now.” Pulling up a students seat and motioning for the other to sit as well, she started talking. Zhongli could only guess that it meant he would be staying at the school for a little while longer, so he sat back on his seat, setting his packed satchel to the edge of his desk.
“You know about Fatui, right?”
Those were the first words out of her mouth, eyes scanning over his for some form of recognition for the name, or a glint of emotion at all. He remembered how calculating those eyes were, looking over for any sort of hesitance that could mean a lie, a single twitch that could mean anxiety, even the different pace of breathing that could mean any sort of emotion coming to the surface from a single question. That’s what those eyes were, and he looked straight at them with full up confidence that the had nothing to hide.
How could he?
He was stubborn as stone in all the time he had been hired by Ningguang, never showing more than his nonchalant expression daily, eyes almost emotionless save for the little fragments of light that could show he was alive and at least breathing. Some had said he was like a robot, all input and output and bits of operation orders that he would live by, the same routine each day. Others said he just needed the right spark to light a fire inside him again.
Even now, he showed no emotion as he closed his eyes and brought his hand up to his chin, assuming his usual thinking position, lightly humming as he remembered facts from the back of his mind. “I have heard the name, it is well known globally. If I remember correctly, the company was founded a while after the Archon War, 37 years after if my memory doesn’t fail me. Started in Sznesnaya by the Tsaritsa, or earlier known as the Cryo Archon after assuming her previous mentors position during the Arhcon war, she sought a way of power for her helpless country, wishing for a future consisting of more than just fishing and ice. The Fatui company would be a way for her to make money while buying and selling goods, as well as-“
“Yes yes yes, your knowledge of history has yet to fail you again I see.” The principal hummed, leaning back on her seat while looking him straight in the eye. “Yes, word has it that the Tsaritsa has been sending her eleven children to gain more connections around Teyvat, you see…” Her eyes glinted as if there was some sort of hidden meaning to this sentence itself, even if it might just be truth.
Leaning in closer to share her vital news, Zhongli placed his hands underneath his chin in a sort of thinking position again and mirrored her inteterest in the coming news. Ningguang simply continued, not bothering to point out his position change. “You can certainly start to expect a certain harbinger here soon, sent by the Tsaritsa herself, and,” she grinned with the last statement, a glance to the door securing that nobody had entered the room still, “she has put him directly under your specific care.”
Smiling, she put on a disposition too cheery for it to give away what she really felt with her words.
“I hope you can handle a little rascal like him…”
And after standing up, giving him a little finger gun with her hand, she laughed all too playfully and sauntered very unlike herself out of the room, her laughter ringing through the hallways merrily, and almost tauntingly.
He had caught onto the message she gave him, and grinned as he stood up once again and gathered his things.
Ah, thought Zhongli, then everything has already begun to fall in place…
Sweeping the room with his gaze one last time, he turned off the lights and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.
Maybe I’ll talk to Azhdaha about covering for me next week and take an early summer…
If one could see his face as he swiftly walked through the school campus to his gray Honda, you would almost mistake him for a wild animal with his feral smile.
A smile of a hunt beginning, the promise of a horn to blow soon, and the anticipation of what could be a chase…