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“Alright… I guess its time to open up the flower shop for today.” Ajax said, unlocking the gate.
Ajax hates flowers.
Well, he does want to get flowers for Tonia, since her birthday is around the corner.
Why didn't he just buy flowers from a random shop? He is filthy rich after all.
Childe did promise Tonia that he'll give her a very special bouquet of flowers on her birthday. Big brothers always keep their promises.
Which means that he’ll be stuck in Liyue for about 6 months. IN A FLOWER SHOP.
Ajax would have to hold in his thirst for bloodshed for a while then.
Lucky Her Majesty allowed me to stay here.
Tasked with the assignment to steal the Geo Archon's gnosis, Childe had to stay in Liyue and steal the gnosis and avoid suspicion
Thus, he was forced to work under a flower shop. And boy did he regret it.
Ajax stepped into the flower shop.
The overwhelming scent of fresh flowers swept over him as the bell of the shop jingled.
He had somehow always detested this smell.
All I need to do is get the Gnosis, some unique and special flowers from all around Liyue, and go back to Snezhnaya.
Yup, I can learn how to stay in this fucking flower shop.
“Welcome, welcome. How may I help you today, kind sir?” a lady asked.
“Oh, actually, I’m here to get a job. I believe my job application was sent in about 2 weeks ago?” Ajax said politely.
“Hmmm… let me check. I think I have the job application somewhere… ah! Here it is! So your name is Childe? What a unique name. Just like the soft, delicate flowers in my shop.”
The Tsaritsa must have submitted my code name. How smart of her.
“Yes, that is indeed my name. May I ask what your’s is?”
“It’s Ying’er. I’ll give you a tour of the place first. Plus, the shop only opens an hour later. The first hour is usually spent packing special orders. After the tour, you can tell me which jobs you prefer.”
“Okay, thank you.”
Ajax walked around the place with Ying’er
“These here are three different kinds of Silk Flowers. I genetically modified them with the help of an alchemist from Monstadt. Haha, I wonder when Timaeus will come back to Liyue…”
“Anyways, don’t let ANYONE touch these or I’ll personally murder you myself.”
As if you could, Lady Ying’er.
“Of course. I’ll guard it with my life.”
After some walking around, Ajax decided to choose to work at the counter.
“Wonderful! I’ll leave it in your capable hands, Childe!”
“Thanks, ma’am.” Ajax bowed slightly.
Ying’er soon disappeared and Ajax was left to wait at the counter.
Waiting for customers is so boring!
Ajax spent the next 30 minutes lounging around before someone finally decided to come in.
A man with a long dark brown ponytail stepped in.. From what Ajax could see, the tips of his ponytails stone golden brown in colour, enhancing his already handsome features. He walked regally and gracefully, many would have mistaken him as a royal.
Oh and his eyes.
His eyes were the most beautiful things Ajax had ever seen. They shone like little sparkles. Yellow Cor Lapis eyes pierced through him as if windows through his soul.
Heart racing, Ajax thought
Oh fuck, you're hot.
The man smiled at him.
Ajax felt his heart doing somersaults. His heartbeat was as if going in a million beats per second.
"I would like a bouquet of glaze lilies please." A deep but kind voice resonated from the man's mouth.
Wow.
Ajax could not help but stare agape, looking all like the bumbling idiot Scaramouche said he was.
At that thought, Ajax straightened and fumbled,
"Coming-right u-up, sir!"
The man chuckled softly. “You don’t have to call me sir, you can just call me Zhongli.”
Ajax thought he could die right there and now. His cheeks coloured a rosy pink hue. He quickly turned away, not wanting the pretty man, now known as Zhongli, to find out about it.
His hands moved to where the flowers were but he couldn't find where the glaze lilies were.
Come on, it's this time you fail me!!
Zhongli must have sensed Ajax's panic (even a pea brain could, let alone a guy who looked so smart), as he pointed to the next shelf and there they were, the glaze lilies.
"T-Thanks…"
"No problem.”
Ajax took the glaze lilies on the shelf and wrapped them up. He tied it with a little bow before passing it to Zhongli who took the bouquet.
“It’s 2000 mora.”
Zhongli fished out his wallet and opened it, presumably taking out his mora. However, a shocked expression overcame him.
“What’s wrong?” Ajax asked, concerned.
“It seems to me that I have forgotten to bring mora. I apologize for wasting your time.” Zhongli bowed and turned his back on the shop.
Oh…
“No, wait! You can take it for free.”
Zhongli paused.
“Really? It seems like you need the money.”
Please, I’m rich but you don’t know that.
Ajax shook his head and exclaimed.
“It’s fine.”
"Thank you…?"
"It's Childe."
"Thank you, Childe." Zhongli smiled.
Oh what's this feeling…like butterflies in my stomach…
Childe turned his head and there was a note on the table.
Curious, he went to see what it wrote.
Let’s have another conversation next time.
-Zhongli
He smiled.