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Lantern rite festival, an annual celebration for the people of Liyue to celebrate to their hearts’ content. Yet, a large festival needs its own proper preparations before it begins. With only half a day left, people from the harbor have gathered its men to quicken the pace of the preparations.
With the help of the Traveler and their floating companion, the lantern rite festival would soon begin its commencement.
Despite the upcoming festival, the people of Liyue harbor have continued their day-to-day lives without a haste. One of them is a man with an exceptional range of knowledge and perception, a consultant of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and the very man who was once the Geo archon. Zhongli.
With the help of a good scented tea served by the third-round knockout, Zhongli has regained his focus back to himself. With the crowd's chatter, birds chirping and the alluring scent of the newly cooked dishes from the wanmin restaurant had almost wavered him back. Almost.
“Hey! Isn’t that Zhongli?”
A squeaky voice caught his attention. Oddly familiar as it may seem.
The sound of faint footsteps slowly became louder as they came closer has made him halt from his leisure tea time.
With a simple turn of his face from his side, he faced the infamous outlander of a traveler and their floating companion. How reminiscing.
“Ah Traveler and Paimon, it’s you.”
The Traveler gave him a wide friendly smile, Paimon however had shown such a wide wave with her small flimsy arm.
“Hello Zhongli! We just came here to say hi!”
Zhongli hummed as he showed the other two a small bright smile, “How considerate, I am delighted to see you two again.”
“U-huh! We came back to Liyue to celebrate the lantern rite festival! Paimon can’t wait to taste the delicious new dishes from Wanmin Restaurant!”
The traveler turned to face Paimon, Paimon seemed offended by this gesture.
“Oh right, how about you Zhongli? Are you going to celebrate it with someone?”
Zhongli’s expression shifted to a faint surprise as he heard Paimon’s concern about him. He himself wasn’t sure about the answer on this one. Somehow, it was as if all the answers in his head had vanished in an instant.
“I- I have no idea. However, I would be fine on my own.”
Paimon and Traveler had exchanged looks with their face furrowing before they looked back at Zhongli.
“Aww, isn’t that kind of lonely? If you want you can come with us! I’m sure Traveler doesn’t mind, right?” Paimon insisted. The traveler nodded.
Zhongli shrugged his head, “A kind offer, however I have to pass this time unfortunately. Instead why don’t you two enjoy it in my stead. I would be delighted to hear more stories from you, dear Traveler.”
“Hmm, alright then! Paimon would save some of the delicious dishes and give it to you by the end of the day, Zhongli! Uh oh- but Paimon might get too distracted and eat it instead.”
Zhongli chuckled, “I would be looking forward to your festive adventure then.”
“Mhm! Then, we’ll be right back, Zhongli!”
With this, Traveler and Paimon soon left the place, leaving Zhongli by himself.
Grabbing the cup with his hand and putting his other hand below it, Zhongli softly smelled the wafting aroma coming from the tea he was savoring from before. With a small sip and a low relieving sigh, an wandering voice interrupted him once again.
“Mr. Zhongli! There you are!”
Zhongli glanced at the owner of the voice. A familiar redheaded young man approached him without a haste. An overwhelming flowery and bubbly aura radiating from the same man. Zhongli almost lifted his arm to shade himself from the blinding light.
“Childe, what do I owe the pleasure?”
“Huh? Wha- I said this a plenty of times already but please don’t be so formal to me, Mr. Zhongli.” Childe lowly sighed.
“Oh? Well then, why are you here Childe?”
“Since I have some time to waste before I come back from working, I was hoping we could hang out for a while.” Childe grinned as he let himself in and sat beside him.
Zhongli’s gazes followed the other before he had taken another sip from his cup of tea. Soon after, he had put the cup down by the table and spoke a few words.
“I would like that.”
Childe maneuvered a bright smile, he leaned his elbow on top of the table and rested his chin to his palm. He turned to glance and faced Zhongli’s way before he had gave a small nod as an agreeing gesture.
“Oh right, I happened to meet the Traveler earlier. They seemed to be in a hurry yet they decided to greet me otherwise. It is great that the Traveler hasn’t forgotten about me in a way.”
“Oh? Why would they forget you in the first place? You’re Mr. Zhongli, without you they wouldn’t be able to move forward to their search for their long lost sibling.”
“You flatter me, Childe.”
“But it’s true, you’re a great person Mr. Zhongli. Archon or not, you still give off an impact to others. That, of course, includes me as well.”
“Oh? How so? How did my well-being impacted such an esteemed harbinger such as yourself?”
“Well, I’m not great with words to be exact but Mr. Zhongli has taught me how it is to live for myself. Although you really didn’t tell me about it in a literal sense, I could tell just from being with you.”
“Hmm, so you have concluded that by means of a metaphor?”
“I guess you could say that.”
“What an odd way to put it.” Zhongli chuckled as Childe awkwardly laughed with him.
“Oh right, have you ate yet, Mr. Zhongli?”
“Not yet as far as I remembered, I only came here not too long ago.”
“Oh then great, it’s my treat!” Childe childishly grinned.
“Alright then, suit yourself.”
Childe giddily hopped out from his seat as he hastily ran back to the Wanmin restaurant, simply to order the best dishes they are able to serve as of the moment. With the long wait as well as Childe’s dropping patience, Xiangling has popped out from the other side of the counter handing a tray of the best dishes she had cooked for them.
“Here you go! All cooked and freshly made by yours truly!” Xiangling shone a bright grin as Childe reciprocated the same expression.
“Thank you Xiangling, oh uh and here’s the payment.” Childe grabbed a handful of mora from him as he grabbed the tray and ditched out.
“Huh- oh wait- You forgot your change! Oh well, guess it’ll be on my tab then.”
Childe came back to their seats as he put the dishes on top of the table. The enticing scent of sweet and chili wafting through the air had made the two hungry. Hence, they soon grabbed their dish utensils and ate.
“Uhh- chopsticks…”
Zhongli chomped a piece of meat from the end side of his chopsticks as he glanced at the other.
“It won’t be for long, Childe, you will soon adapt to Liyue's gastronomy.”
“If there would come a time like that.” The redhead sighed.
“It will, if you are willing to do so, Childe.” A smirk swerved from Zhongli’s expression. Childe was speechless.
“I- uh- would you look at that Mr. Zhongli, I guess my free time is up unfortunately. So uh- I’ll just- please excuse me.” Childe hurriedly stood up from his seat as Zhongli glanced to see the other with a flushing red expression. In confusion, Childe suddenly ran away from him until he couldn’t see the figure of the other.
Once again, Zhongli was left with no one but himself, a good scented tea and a couple of messy plates that once held the greatest dishes.
He couldn’t understand why Childe suddenly left in a hasty way, did he perhaps bore the other with his attempt to create a small talk? Either way, he hoped it wasn’t the case.
Walking down the bridge not far from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the Traveler along with their flying companion, Paimon had spotted a familiar redhead running past them. Instead of a small greeting, Childe seemed to be so occupied by his own world that he didn’t seem to see them walk past him.
“Hey traveler, wasn’t that Childe earlier? I wonder what got him so flustered.” Paimon spoke as she turned to face the traveler.
A concerned expression was drawn from the Traveler’s face.
“Well, whatever it is, it's none of our business. Let’s go Traveler!” Paimon smiled as the traveler turned to face her flying companion and nodded in agreement.
Running and running until his legs passed out from exhaustion, Childe stopped from his tracks as he reached the Yujing Terrace of the Liyue Harbor. Gasping for air to breathe, his chest thumped like a raging drum ringing from his ears. His face heated up like the seething heat from a summer season, painting his face with pink roses.
“What was that…” Childe mumbled to himself. Lifting his arm as he grasps the chestplate of his clothing.
“Am I… Am I sick? Why do I feel so… weird.” Childe added as his eyes searched from a far, only for his gazes to land on a certain building. The Bubu pharmacy.
“There’s only one way to find out.”
Childe gathered enough strength to move forward as he made his way towards the staircase of the Bubu Pharmacy.
“Uhm… Qiqi doesn’t understand. Qiqi thinks it’s just a common cold.” The person from the other side of the counter spoke.
“That- It can’t be a cold, is it? If it was, I would've been getting a severe headache right?”
Qiqi turned her face to the side, a gesture of confusion was plastered across her expression.
“I’m sorry… I don’t think Qiqi can help you, Childe.” Qiqi looked down, a gloomy aura started to darken around her.
“N-no it’s fine, Qiqi.” Childe tried to talk her out of it as Qiqi looked up to him and nodded soon after. Childe let out a relieving sigh.
“My, aren’t you being too hard on my employee, Childe.” A voice interrupted them. Childe turned to face his back as he saw the owner of the Bubu Pharmacy, Baizhu.
With an arm crossing each other, leaning his back from the doorway of the building, Baizhu greeted him with a small friendly smile.
“I- I didn’t mean to do that. I’m sorry Qiqi.”
“It’s okay, Qiqi is fine. Qiqi was just confused.”
“Now now, what is it that you came to bother us all the way here, sir Childe?” Baizhu spoke, humming.
“I- I’ve been feeling weird and oddly warm lately. I thought I was sick so I tried asking if there’s a remedy to cure that. I’m guessing, there isn’t, is there?”
“Hmm, could you explain it in more detail?”
“Oh uh- It just happens for a small while and then it’ll vanish so suddenly. I thought that was all, but whenever I’m with him It just comes back again. It has to be a sickness, I the Tartaglia has never felt this way before.”
“Hmm, I see.” Baizhu nodded as he lifted his arm and rested his chin between his index and thumb finger.
“To me it seems you are sick, but don’t worry dear customer it is nothing too severe.” Baizhu smiled.
In unison, Childe and Qiqi looked at him with a confused expression.
“Rather, your symptoms seem to be quite familiar to me. So, listen up Childe.”
“Okay, I’m listening.”
“You’re in love, Childe.”
“Oh so I’m in love- wait… WHAT?!”
Baizhu smiled at him as he walked towards his way and stopped right in front of Childe. He lifted his hand as he patted the other’s shoulder, Childe looked at him with such a funny dumbstruck expression.
“That can’t be, surely there’s a more logical reason to that r-right?”
“What’s more logical than that? You told me what is the cause of your sudden strange symptoms and that is when you’re with that certain person. If not, then maybe you really are sick. Although, we are not a clinical expert so you have to get diagnosed with more professional people.”
“I just- I don’t understand. Me? To him ? It almost looks impossible.” Childe mumbled to himself.
“Now then, hand it over.” Baizhu spoke, interrupting his train of thoughts.
“Hand what over?”
“Your payment of course, I didn’t consult you for free now do I?”
Childe was taken aback by the sudden straightforwardness before he finally give in and gave a few hundred of mora.
“Now then, please come by again, Childe.” Baizhu said as he waved a slight goodbye. Qiqi waved in a slow gesture as Childe sighed and walked away from the building.
Childe walked in such a slow manner, it’s almost as if he was too speechless about the reason why that strange symptoms kept bothering him. He sighed longingly before his eyes spotted a familiar common green clothing. A clothing that is very popular for the adventurer’s guild to wear.
An idea struck his mind, there was one person who could help him. A kind of person who had helped the Liyue harbor to live through a catastrophe. Of course, it was none other than the traveler.
Without too much time to waste, Childe had gone his way through the adventurer’s guild and requested a VIP quest for solely the traveler themself. Katheryne accepted the quest in exchange for a payment fee. Childe didn’t hesitate to empty his pockets as long as his message got across the traveler.
It wasn’t for long before the traveler and Paimon had visited the adventurer’s guild after their long work of helping the people of Liyue into finishing the final touches of the harbor.
“Heya Katheryne! We came here to check up on any news lately!” Paimon exclaimed.
“Oh perfect timing, Traveler and Paimon. There’s a special request just for you.” Katheryne smiled as a greeting.
“A special request? That’s kind of weird, don't you think? So uh Katheryne, Who is it from?”
“Hmm let me see.” Katheryne looked down by her table as her eyes searched for a specific name. “Ah there it is, the requester was none other than sir Childe.”
“Childe?! Ooh, somehow Paimon gets a bit chilly. I wonder what Childe wanted from us…” Paimon muttered out.
“Traveler, do you think Childe wanted us to give him back the bag full of mora he lended us before?! Paimon already spent it all on Xiangling’s new special dishes!”
Traveler spoke this time, “I don’t think that's the case.”
“Well, either way we should go check on the Northland Bank whether Childe is there this time.”
The traveler nodded to Paimon, the two soon left the adventurer’s guild after Katheryne had told them. “Ad astra abyssosque.”
“Hmm, Traveler, what do you think is the reason why Childe wanted us to help him?” Paimon asked as they both walked towards the Feiyun Slope.
The Traveler lifted their shoulders up and down, gesturing an ‘I don’t know’ gesture.
“Paimon just hopes it’s nothing bad.” She gulped in anxiety.
Arriving by the doorstep of the Northland Bank, Vlad came to greet them outside the doorways.
“Oh, you must be the traveler. Sir Tartaglia is waiting for you inside.” Vlad greeted them.
“Now Paimon is getting more nervous, if something bad happens please don’t leave Paimon.” Paimon shivered in fear as she talked beside the Traveler.
Vlad, not waiting a single second, had opened the doors for them. Without any hesitations, Paimon and the Traveler had gone inside the said bank.
They were soon greeted by a tall slender figure facing in their direction with a desperate look plastered from his face. Paimon and Traveler had taken aback from this scene as they both exchanged glances and concerned looked at Childe with wide eyes.
“C-Childe? What happened to you?” Paimon asked.
“Huh? Oh did I surprise you two?” Childe spoke before he sighed. “I- I’m just feeling strange lately. I’m sorry you have to see me like this, Traveler.”
“Forget that, why do you look like that Childe? And why did you commision us in the first place?”
“It’s a long story, but I need your help.” Childe told them. Paimon and the Traveler looked at each other. “Of course there would be a reward.”
“Then sign us up!” Paimon exclaimed, the Traveler looked at her with a furrowed expression.
“But Childe, how do we make sure you won’t do the same thing you did to us before?” Paimon crossed her arms.
“Well, I swear in my name I won’t harm you or the traveler during this commission. Are you happy?”
“Very so.”
“Anyways, moving on. What is the commission about, Childe?”
“Don’t worry, it won’t be hard. I’ve heard you two were busy helping the people of Liyue with the preparations for the latent rite festival. I just need you two to help me out with… Mr. Zhongli…” Childe murmured the last part.
Paimon and the Traveler looked at each other then back to Childe. “With who? Can you repeat that, we didn't hear it quite clearly.”
Childe looked at them as he took a deep sigh, taking all his courage to tell them. “With Mr. Zhongli.”
“Zhongli? I thought you two were already friends in a way. Don’t tell me, you two got into an argument?!”
“It’s not like that, Mr. Zhongli and I are perfectly in a friendly relationship. But uh… that’s the point. The problem.”
“What do you mean?”
“Anyways, I just need you two to help me out with Mr. Zhongli during the commencement of the lantern rite festival.”
“But-” Paimon was interrupted by the traveler as the traveler shook their head.
The traveler spoke, “Leave it to us, Childe.”
Childe swerved an appreciation of a smile, “thank you, traveler.”
“Now that’s all settled, please invite Mr. Zhongli to this exact location. The terrace beside the liyue harbor’s toy shop. Make sure Mr. Zhongli is there before the lantern rite festival begins.”
Traveler nodded in an understanding.
“You have my thanks, comrade. As for the reward, I’ll give it to you after you successfully finish it.”
“You can count on us.” The traveler spoke before they had dragged their flying companion outside.
After the traveler had walked a mile far away from the Northland Bank while dragging their dear companion, Paimon had finally been given a chance to speak her mind this time.
“What’s up with that? It’s strange how Childe is ordering us to lead Zhongli to the terrace. Do you think he’s planning something we don’t know?” Paimon gasped. “We need to report it to Zhongli this instant!”
The traveler shook their head in disagreement. “I trust Childe.”
“Hmm, uhh well if you say so. Let’s go to where Zhongli is before the lantern rite festival begins.”
Arriving back down at the harbor, The traveler along with their companion had spotted a familiar dark brown of a hair sticking out from a crowd. In an attempt to call out for the other, the two had suddenly got interrupted by passerby’s walking across and in front of them.
“Oh no, what are we going to do, Traveler? We might be too late to call out for Zhongli at this rate!”
Traveler instead of replying back to Paimon had pushed through from the crowd with a simple sneak and sly movement. Paimon shook her head as she followed the traveler around. Soon enough, they both managed to catch up with Zhongli’s pace.
“Zhongli, we’ve been looking all over for you!”
Zhongli glanced his eyes to the side before he had turned around to face them both, gasping for air to breathe through.
“Ah Traveler, Paimon, how can I be of help this time?”
“What in the world are you even doing here? The crowd is terrifying!” Paimon kicked her legs around, gesturing a frustrated expression.
“Oh, my apologies then. I wasn’t expecting you to look for me at this time of the day. The festival is about to begin, shouldn’t you two be leisurely enjoying it instead?”
“Oh we wish, but enough of that chit chat. A very special client has commissioned us for a quest at the last minute. That client told us to tell you what He said to us, he needs you at the terrace beside Granny Shan’s toy shop asap.”
“Oh? And who might be this ‘ he’ person you speak of?”
“Oh uhh- uhm- you shouldn’t be too concerned about that, Zhongli.” Paimon tried to avoid the other’s gaze as she tinkle with her own index fingers.
Zhongli sighed, “I’m guessing it's classified information then. Alright, after I finish with this fair trade I shall go to the exact spot your client has told you.”
The Traveler looked out from far beyond the sea as they saw how the sun was swiftly setting down to the abyss. Paimon, who had also notice it, has glanced back to Zhongli’s way as the man was busy talking trades with the shop owner.
“What are we going to do, Traveler?”
The traveler’s face suddenly lit up when an idea popped up from their expression. Paimon however, looked at them with mixed up confusion and worriedness.
The traveler walked towards Zhongli as they patted the man’s back to grab his attention. Zhongli, who happen to notice it, glanced his eyes from the side.
The traveler spoke, “Childe needs your help with Granny Shan.”
Zhongli, who happens to be interested in this, has finally faced the traveler.
“Childe? That’s odd, why would he need my help at this hour?”
Paimon finally interrupted this time with a lying excuse. “Oh uh- apparently we bumped into him earlier when we were on our way to the quest commissioner, yeah! And uh- he told us he needed your help if ever we came across you.”
Zhongli hummed as he listened to Paimon, Paimon tried to smile yet it became a sheepish nervous one instead.
“Very well, if you insist. I’ll head on to the toy shop and help out Childe. Are you coming along with me, Traveler?”
Paimon was about to say yes when the Traveler nudged her sides with an elbow, “oh uh no thanks, we’ll be fine.”
“Mhm, alright then. Until we meet again, Traveler.” Zhongli soon left them.
“What about the trade?” The shop owner suddenly spoke.
“Don’t worry, Zhongli will be back. Probably.”
Walking down the woodend pathways of the harbor, Zhongli watched from the side of his eye the sun completely setting away for the moon to take over. The sky was suddenly covered in dim clouded blankets as he finally reached the place the traveler was talking about.
Yet, when he had arrived at the place, there was no one but him and some things left by their owners. Suspiciously, Zhongli somehow got an eerie feeling from his surroundings.
As his eyes searched for any living soul at the place, he was soon greeted by a smiling fool standing not too far away from him. A redheaded lad with his slender yet well-toned fit body for a fighter. Childe.
“The traveler had told me you needed my help, how come you have to ask the traveler about that instead of finding me yourself.” Zhongli spoke.
“Comrade did? Oh well, I just don’t have any courage to tell you about that myself.” Childe took a step closer as he lifted his arm and scratched the back of his head.
“Courage? Did you need my help by means of training?”
“Training? No, no of course not. I’m pretty much still recovering from last time, I don’t want to repeat my same mistake.” Childe sighed, as he stood beside the other and leaned both of his arms by the railing of the terrace.
“I see, perhaps it is my consultation that you needed?”
“No, not really. But there is one thing that I want.”
“Oh? What is it then?”
“I need a listener, Mr. Zhongli.”
Zhongli’s eyes widened as he glanced beyond the sea, leaning his hand to the railings as a means of his standing support. Coincidentally, the lights from the street blinked open one by one giving off a warm cleansing effect.
It wasn’t for long when he had heard the faint cheers and screams of the people watching as the liyue adepti commenced the festival of its beginnings.
“To hear the people cheer with such joy during this very event has brought me much relief.” Zhongli muttered out a small hint of a smile drawn across his lips. “So, Childe. What is it that I need to listen for?”
“Oh right Mr. Zhongli, I-” The sound of explosion interrupted the redheaded lad as the very explosion shone glittering lights with its might.
Childe glanced to look at Zhongli’s expression when he saw the reflection of the fireworks from a mile beyond from Zhongli’s glowing eyes.
It wasn’t for long when people had one by one lit up their lanterns and let it be taken by the kind dancing breeze.
“Beautiful…” Childe muttered out as Zhongli glanced at him.
“So it does.” Zhongli responded.
Childe watched as Zhongli’s figure from within his eyes had shifted into something what people had been calling fondness. A pinking tint of roses budded form his cheeks as a tickling smile stretched across his lips.
“Yeah…” Childe whispered.
The drum thumps racing from his chest along with the fluttery and dream-like feelings running through his stomach had made him feel light and oddly warm. The sight of the other within his eyes has made his feelings even more surreal.
“I love you…”
Zhongli glanced at his way with an expression that he couldn't even decipher. Childe realizing his misslip has suddenly closed his mouth shut with his hand as he gazed at the stares of the other.
Childe suddenly let his hand down as he took a deep breath and and stood with his courageous might.
“I love you, Mr. Zhongli.” And so he confessed.
Zhongli smiled as he turned his whole body to face the redhead. His lips mouthed words as Childe listened with full ears. A smile hinted from Childe’s lips as it turned into a wide grin, he soon nodded at the end.
Along the opposite side of the liyue harbor, A trio had formed their little group as they sightsee the festival from their own spot. Up above, While eating fried radish balls and rice buns.
“It’s been awhile since we had seen Zhongli and Childe, do you think they fought each other? Oh Paimon hopes that Zhongli is alright.” Paimon gasped as she shrieked.
Xiao and the traveler looked at her before the two had exchanged looks.
Xiao soon munched the fried radish from the stick he was holding. Letting the Traveler speak about this one.
The traveler smiled, “We’ll just have to find out soon.”