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Walking down the street of Liyue harbour proved to be fruitless, as Zhongli was nowhere to be seen.
This ! Was starting to grate on the bellicose spirit that was Childe. At first, he tried staying hearty to the people while asking about his whereabout but, at some point, even they started avoiding him because of his dark expression.
By the end of the day, he sat at the tea house sighing in disarray. Head hanging back on the backseat, arms crossed and looking at the ceiling, expecting more from this day, yet disappointed by its outcome. He listened with one ear only to the storytelling entertaining his gasping audience of another tale of the great gro lord, closing his eyes, Childe's thoughts wander to his last encounter with said lord and how thrilled he was by Zhongli's answer to his threats and other childish banters.
"...he sits beside her on Mt Aocang..."
Jerking at this, childe listened more carefully to the story this time.
"... the lady in blue smiles clear at the lord in yellow. Both lord and lady used to spend time together together. The lady in blue sat in the north, looking forth toward the lord in yellow and the lord smiled back. The lady in blue watches him come sit in front of her and, once again, mocks his disheveled state, advising against his warlike temper that makes him act on impulse. The lord in yellow complains about her hiding the view by sitting in front of him advising him to leave him if it is to make fruitless comments. For all answer, the lady in blue keeps drinking her wine before throwing it on the lord's face musing that she is to share it with him instead. The lord looked back and the lady ignored his fire as the lord shared on his doubts of healing using wine. The lady in blue replies that it simply helps for the pain.
This contrast with the year 3700 from our time where the lady in blue went missing and the north seat became empty... "
Childe looked thoughtful, he hadn't moved from his seat gave his ear fully to the storyteller. He remembers the tale but some details hadn't stuck. He straightens on his chair and hums, the recent revelations on Zhongli's truth gave those stories another perspective. He had forgotten how many of those he had heard over the time. The harbinger stood up and walked away.
---
Feeling calm as the wind soothes his mind singing lullaby to his ears, the old man sitting by himself in the south seat, looks at the reflection in his beverage. Twisted as his hand moves slowly the cup. Zhongli looks up and admires the view stretching before him. A sudden shadow hid the sun from him.
"Haa ! Finally I found you ! You couldn't leave a note as to where you went ? I spent the entire day looking for you, old man."
The red haired smiled widely at the seated man, hands in his pockets. Zhongli sighed and puts a finger on his temple, feeling a drumming pulse awakening. Childe simply threw himself in the seat lazily facing the other man. Zhongli closed his eyes wishing silently for the other man to leave him alone again but not expecting much. Strangely the harbinger didn't start harassing him with his need for battle this time.
"What do you want, Fatui ?" Childe almost felt the cold of his motherland in that voice. Furrowed eyebrows, he thought of his answer.
"I... I think I suddenly realised that seemingly faraway legends were concrete history for someone I know."
Zhongli looked utterly confused. Childe laughed at the older man's reaction.
"Nevermind..." He adds and looks away, looking at the view far away, Zhongli turning to look the same way. "Can I take some of your wine ? I didn't think of bringing any with me."