Chapter Text
The bus was late.
Zhongli checked his watch again. There was no doubt - it was twelve minutes past the designated time. The road was straight, so it was possible to see quite far down it. There were numerous other vehicles, as was typical at this hour of the morning, but no bus.
Zhongli clutched at his bag. If the bus were to arrive late, the rest of its journey would be compromised as well. He might not reach his workplace on time.
It technically was possible to walk to the office building. It was a fair distance, and Zhongli was not particularly athletic - quite the opposite - but the terrain was level, and there were adequate pedestrian walkways. However, in order to reach the building on time, he would have to leave now.
Zhongli checked his watch again, and then the road.
He made his decision. He would walk.
He wove his way out of the bus stop - it was quite crowded - and set off at as fast a pace as he dared. It was a humid day, and perspiration already was gathering upon his brow. He did not wish to arrive at work in an unpleasant state.
He reached the first junction, and waited until it was his turn to cross. As he started down the crossing, there was a roar, and a large vehicle passed him, blowing his hair askew.
It was the bus.
Zhongli hurried through the sliding doors just a minute before he was due. The air-conditioning was both a shock and a relief.
He bade good morning to the receptionist, attempting to keep his tone normal, and not at all out of breath. The receptionist lit up at the sight of him.
"You're on level fifteen, right? Won't you take this up to room one-five-zero-three? Thank you so much!"
Zhongli hastily juggled his bag in order to accept the package. The package consisted of a large cardboard box, and fairly blocked his view.
Zhongli did his best to conceal his dismay. He typically utilised the stairs to reach his floor, as the elevators tended to make rather alarming noises. Rumour had it that there was a dispute with the elevator maintenance company, and therefore the preventive maintenance had been delayed. Climbing the stairs did tend to leave Zhongli gasping for breath, his knees shaking and his sweaty hands clutching at the rail. Yet, despite the extreme inconvenience, at least the stairs did not contain him within a small chamber, nor did they shudder and screech as they crawled slowly up the building.
However, Zhongli now had a package with him. He was not certain that he could navigate fifteen flights of stairs while keeping it safe.
He- would have to brave the elevator.
Such foolishness. Were there not many others gathered in the lobby, waiting to use the very same device?
Indeed, Zhongli had to wait some time until there was an elevator that was sufficiently empty to fit both himself and his charge.
His arms rather ached at the end, once he had handed over the package to its recipient.
There always were a great many tasks to complete. Today, Zhongli's workload was higher, as the other data analyst was on leave. Jovian finally had saved enough funds to realise his dream of backpacking around Europe. He would be absent for the next three weeks. During this period, Zhongli would have to complete Jovian's duties in addition to his own.
Zhongli's dreams never had been so free-spirited. Once, he had hoped to pursue higher education with a view of achieving an academic position, at a university perhaps. If he had dared to cast his ambitions higher, it would have been to earn the right to append a "PhD" to the end of his name.
Neither of those dreams had come to pass. While his academic record had been exemplary, a family emergency had resulted in a lack of funds, and even the best available scholarship had not been adequate. Zhongli instead had applied for a data analyst position at a multinational corporation, and had remained in its employ ever since.
"Hey Qiang, check this out!" one of his coworkers called out to another. "Jovie just updated his insta!"
"Whoaaa, look at that! This guy!"
"He's having fun alright~!"
"This man is backpacking and still can buy cocktails?"
"Exchange rate, my dude. Hahaha, look at this one!"
"Damn, snorkelling too? Man's living the dream."
Zhongli lowered his head and attempted to focus on the spreadsheet before him.
It was good that his coworkers led happy, fulfilled lives.
It was good.
During his lunch break, Zhongli had to make a call to his bank.
It was the only time that he could make the call, as the bank's office hours would have ended by the time he reached his home, and the telephone line was not available on weekends.
"I apologise, may I ask what documentation is needed?"
"Please come down to our branch and fill up a "Change of Particulars," form," said the representative. "You may do so at any time during our office hours."
"I beg your pardon- there must be some mistake, I have not altered any of my personal details."
"You will need to fill up a "Change of Particulars" form in order for us to process your request, sir."
"I- Please, this is regarding a deposited cheque. The amount has not appeared in my balance and-"
"Sir, you will need to submit a "Change of Particulars" form in order for us to process your request."
"Please-"
The handset was plucked from Zhongli's hands.
"Hello there! I would like to be transferred to a manager," the thief said into the receiver. "Immediately, if you please."
"Mr- Mr Morenov!" Zhongli whispered urgently, and tried to take back the handset.
The man had the audacity to shoot Zhongli a wink as he held the handset out of reach. "Ahh, Ivanovich! It's Dmitrievich, how are you? ...And the children? ...Ah, good, good! Listen, I would like some help with a small affair..."
Zhongli watched, dumbfounded, as the newcomer proceeded to sort out the entire issue with the aid of the bank manager who, apparently, was a personal friend of his.
"...And done!" His saviour set the handset back in the cradle. "Just let me know if they give you any more trouble, Zhongli-xiānsheng."
Zhongli did not quite know what to say. "I- I am very grateful, Mr Morenov, do not doubt that, but-"
The blond sighed in an over-dramatic fashion, slumping against Zhongli's desk and throwing a hand over his eyes. "Xiānsheng, what would it take you to start calling me Ajax?"
It was difficult not to smile at his antics. "So says the one who insists on addressing me as "Xiānsheng.""
"That's different! It's an affectionate term!"
"It means "Mister.""
"Xiānsheeeng," Ajax whined, and then his expression shifted into a grin. "I have something for you!"
"For me?" Zhongli could barely hear his voice over the sound of his heartbeat.
"Ta-daa~!" Ajax held out a small box. Emblazoned on the side was the logo of a very exclusive pâtisserie.
"I got you a cake! Happy birthday!"
Oh. Oh.
Zhongli, very carefully, accepted the gift. "Thank you... Oh, thank you so much."
"You're welcome! And in return..." Ajax's expression shifted. "...perhaps try not to overwork yourself? It is your birthday."
"I will try."
Ajax held his gaze for a moment, his grey eyes unreadable- he bounded up, energetic as ever. "I have dinner with some boring people today, but let's catch up while I'm still in this city! Hmm, tomorrow is a holiday... The second?"
"I will look forward to it," said Zhongli, and he meant every syllable.
Ajax grinned. "Day after tomorrow it is! See you, Zhongli-xiānsheng!"
He waved as he walked off, no doubt to make someone else's day better.
Zhongli's certainly had improved. He smiled down at the precious box in his hands. Ajax was so nice to him, so very kind, he always made time for Zhongli-
-and he had a girlfriend, whom he adored.
Zhongli shook his head to clear it of foolishness. His break was almost over, and he would have to return to work shortly.
He allowed himself one last affectionate glance at the cake box, as he placed it inside the office refrigerator.
Zhongli had managed, through careful prioritisation, to complete all of his tasks on time.
He would be able to leave on time today.
He started to close down the various applications, preparing to shut down his desktop-
There was a sudden series of noises. Zhongli looked up, startled.
His line manager, Ms Wu, had just walked in, a stack of files in her hands. "Where is everyone?"
The office, indeed, was empty.
"Oh...they must have left early." His coworkers often did leave fifteen minutes early.
Ms Wu clicked her tongue. "This is urgent... Zhongli, this isn't in your JD but there's no one else. I need all those entered into the fixed assets database ASAP, or finance is having my head. I have a dinner to get to."
She dropped the files and walked out without waiting for a response, already thumbing her mobile phone.
Zhongli stared at the tall stack of files.
"Oh..."
Zhongli's body felt stiff. He had finished entering all of the data.
He was certain that he had not made any errors. His vision was blurry at the moment.
He was quite hungry as well. He had not had any dinner.
Zhongli suddenly remembered the cake that Ajax had left for him. He- he could have it now. There was no one in the office, so the pantry must be quite peaceful.
The cake box was gone.
Zhongli searched again. He was quite sure that he had placed it on the lowest shelf. Where could it have-
He glanced to the side, and saw it.
The cake box, with its unmistakable logo.
Half-crumpled, and stuffed into the garbage bin.
There was only a smear of icing left on the cardboard, and one or two crumbs.
Someone had eaten the rest.
Zhongli trudged towards the landing.
At this hour, the staircases were armed under a security system, so there was no other option. He would have to take the elevator down.
The elevator arrived. The doors made a creaking noise as they slid open.
Zhongli stepped inside. The particular elevator he was in serviced the basement levels as well; it had buttons for "B1", "B2", and "B3."
Zhongli pressed "1." The doors closed, thankfully without any notable noises.
The elevator descended. It felt rather slow.
At around the eighth floor, there was a little "clunk" noise. However, there was no other change, and the elevator kept descending.
As the fourth floor passed, there was a little metallic sound on the roof, as if something small had dropped and bounced off the top.
The elevator continued descending.
The number on the display changed to "1."
"Door opening," came the announcement.
There was a pause.
The doors slid open.
Zhongli stepped towards the landing-
-The elevator dropped.
The edge of the landing rushed up, there was a crack-
There was intense pain, pain like nothing else-
There was nothing.
The sun was warm on his face.
The sky- oh! The sky was so blue. There were a few clouds, bright and fluffy, drifting serenely.
Was that the scent of grass? It felt as if there was grass all around him, lovely and soft.
Zhongli sat up suddenly.
Where was he? There were no buildings in sight. Under that brilliant blue sky, tall grasses swayed gently. Wildflowers were in bloom, forming sprinkles of colour amidst the green stalks, and wafting a gentle fragrance upon the breeze. Above the grassland rose a few trees and low shrubs. In the far distance stood karst-like mountains, serene and immutable.
Oh, where was he?
-He remembered. The elevator. The fall. The pain.
He was dead. He was dead.
Was this...reincarnation? The afterlife? Or simply a dying dream?
Oh, what was he wearing? These were not his clothes. They were beautiful and intricate. There were gloves over his hands, with an exquisite gemstone on the back of each. There were rings on his thumbs. Zhongli never had owned any rings before.
He was seated on the ground, amidst grasses of an unfamiliar species. What if the ground sullied the fine clothes, or the grass left stains on them? He hastily stood up and dusted himself down.
...What was that on his back? He twisted his body in an attempt to view the item over his shoulder.
There was a very large gemstone, hanging from a heavy chain. There also was-
-His hair. It was his hair. Zhongli caught hold of it, and drew it over one shoulder. The tail was long and silky, and slipped over his fingers like water. Each strand been dyed with great care, such that the amber tips smoothly transitioned to black along their lengths. Zhongli never would have grown his hair to such an audacious length. Certainly, he never could have afforded to colour it so.
This strange world already had granted him so many gifts. Zhongli was fearful of what it might expect of him in return.
...It would be best if he expediently found some shelter. Water and food would be ideal, too. The weather might be pleasant now, but if clouds were visible in the sky, rain might not be far.
To Zhongli's relief, it was not too long before he found a stream. The water was clear, and perfectly reflected the rocks and reeds that lined the banks of the stream. Small fish could be seen, darting between pebbles as they searched for food.
Zhongli had no receptacle he could use to store water; he would have to find one soon. For now, he simply would refresh himself.
He leaned over the stream, cupping his hands-
-He froze at the sight of his reflection.
He touched his face. The reflection touched its own.
He- he was pretty now. Gone were the pudgy cheeks, the short nose, the squinting black eyes. He now had a slim face, high cheekbones, a slender nose, gold eyes-
-His hair too, had been attractively styled. A portion of his fringe fell over the bridge of his nose, and two more sections framed his face, the tips dyed with the same care as the tail - and the eyelashes too, long and subtly dusted with amber. There was a little makeup; red eyeliner had been applied with a precise hand. A diamond-shaped stud earring glittered in one ear.
Whose- whose body was this? It could not be one meant for pitiful, unlucky Zhongli. His heart rate was increasing and spots were appearing in his vision. Nausea rose up and caught the back of his throat, his body snapped forward in a retch and his hands scrabbled at the ground. He was afraid, so afraid-
Something leapt out at him, and he cried out as his body reflexively rolled out of the way.
It was- Zhongli could only think of tāngyuán, if the glutinous rice dumpling was the size of a small car. It was blue and white, in a pattern suggestive of frost, and studded with blue gems.
It had eyes. Glowing blue ellipses regarded him for a moment.
It leapt at him, and somehow Zhongli managed to roll away again, his hands covering his face. There had been a rush of freezing wind as it had passed by.
The creature rotated, fixing those elliptical eyes on him.
Clearly it meant him harm, and Zhongli could not think why. He had done nothing to this creature. It bounced towards him, once, twice, gathered itself for an attack, and Zhongli felt terror rise in him, he scrambled back, attempted to regain his feet-
The creature leapt-
"Watch out!"
There was a burst of flames. It was too hot and bright, the heat scorched Zhongli's face. He threw up an arm in a futile attempt at protection. His eyes squeezed shut as light flared before them.
The heat subsided as quickly as it had appeared. Zhongli cautiously lowered his arm.
The creature was gone. The ground was scorched, but there also were small puddles of a clear, viscous substance.
A young woman knelt nearby. Zhongli watched, dumbfounded, as she scraped the contents of a puddle into a bottle.
"Hmm..." She lifted the bottle, apparently to check the level. "Yup, that looks like enough! Oh hey there, you okay?"
Zhongli could only shake his head, mute.
"Aiyoh, what's a posh-looking guy like you doing out here, anyway? There's monsters about, y'know? Are you trying to die? Oh, but if you are-" the young woman's eyes lit up, "-you should invest in a coffin beforehand! Save everyone the trouble later on!"
Zhongli found his voice. "I- I do not wish to die." That much was true. "Please...what place is this?"
"The Guili Plains, of course!" The young woman placed a hand on a cocked hip. "Did you hit your head or something?"
"I...may have," Zhongli admitted. "In which region are these "Guili Plains," please?"
"Umm, Qiongji Estuary?" The young woman frowned at his confusion. "Sorta between the Bishui area and the Sea of Clouds? North of Mt Tianheng? Uhh... Liyue?"
Zhongli could only shake his head at each unfamiliar name.
"Not even Liyue?! ...Ohh, I think I know what's going on!" The young woman bent over to look Zhongli in the eye- she had odd pupils. They resembled glowing flowers.
"I think..." She twirled around, then pointed at him. "...You've lost your memory!"
"I...suppose..."
"Well, you can't just stay here and get turned into slime chow. You should head back to the harbour and see if anyone recognises you!" The young woman grasped Zhongli's hand as she spoke, and hauled him upright. It appeared to cost her little effort; she must be very strong indeed.
"Say, if you can't find anyone who knows you, do you think you'll need a job? I need someone to do the filing 'cos the other guy quit, said the office was haunted. Well duh it is, what'd he expect? By the way, my name is Hu Tao!"
Everything had happened very quickly.
Hu Tao - Director Hu, Zhongli supposed was the correct form of address - the Director had chivvied Zhongli all the way through the grassland, and then through some sort of historic city, with rickshaws and bullock carts and guards with spears, and no cars or traffic lights whatsoever- until at last they had reached a building that she apparently owned. She had declared him her employee, handed him some very official-looking documents to sign with a brush - somehow, he had remembered enough of his childhood calligraphy lessons to write legible characters - and then had all but dragged him to another building, shoved him into an apartment that she asserted was now his, and left him with a bag of what sounded like coins, and an admonishment to report to work by the "sìchū" hour the next day.
Zhongli was now alone in an apartment that he, apparently, need not share with anyone. There was a dining area, with a round table surrounded by four chairs, a long cabinet, a standing lamp, and two more drum-shaped stools. There were three doors leading to various rooms: a kitchen, a bedroom with an adjoining bathroom, and what appeared to be a study. A short flight of steps led to a sunken living room, which had another standing lamp, a two-seater couch, a pair of armchairs, a decorative folding screen, and a tall display cabinet. One wall of the living room was occupied by a series of sliding doors, beyond which a balcony was visible.
Zhongli sank onto one of the drum stools, overwhelmed. He never could have afforded such a beautiful apartment on his own. To say nothing of the furniture! All of the pieces had been constructed out of an elegant dark wood that Zhongli feared was mahogany, with intricate openwork carvings, and lace-like woven seats for all the chairs. The flooring, too; the rooms had wooden floors, and the living room was fully carpeted, but the dining room appeared to be tiled in marble. Zhongli could feel the coolness of the stone beneath his socked feet.
The bag of coins was a heavy weight on his lap. Perhaps he ought to count them. Zhongli managed to regain his feet without stumbling. He drew out one of the dining chairs, taking care to lift it to avoid scratching the floor, and sat down at the table, and placed the bag before him.
There were a number of coins inside, all of a warm shade of gold. They were round, and had a curved three-cornered symbol stamped on one side. The other side was inscribed with four characters - "yán wáng tōng bǎo" - and a number that, presumably, was the denomination. Zhongli recalled that Director Hu had referred to the currency as "mora."
There were eight heavy coins marked "qiān," eighteen smaller coins marked "bǎi," and twenty thin coins marked "shí." Eight thousand, one thousand eight hundred, and two hundred - the sum was a total of ten thousand "mora."
Zhongli hoped that it did not constitute a very large amount. His stomach felt very tight.
...Oh. He was hungry.
The kitchen had a large wood stove constructed out of stone, a sink with a hand-operated water pump, and several wooden cabinets. One of the cabinets released a blast of cold air at Zhongli's face - it was some manner of refrigerator. However, the only items that Zhongli could find were a box of matches, a tin cup, and a lone cast iron pot. There was no food whatsoever.
Zhongli nervously thought about the city outside, of which he had obtained only a brief glimpse while being shepherded through it by Director Hu. He had no map, or any information indicating where to obtain a reasonably-priced meal. He knew no one.
Perhaps he would simply go without dinner. It would not be the first time.
No, no! He could not allow this - anxiety to control his life. He would go outside, and locate a food vendor, and purchase something for dinner.
Decisively, he put his shoes back on, retrieved the house key, and marched out the front door.
It was evening, and the town was bathed in shades of orange and gold. People were beginning to step out of their workplaces, their belongings in hand, bidding each other farewell. A lamplighter had begun his rounds; with a long pole, he brought down each lantern. The shade was unhooked from the top, causing it to collapse into the base; a lit candle was placed inside, after which the shade was raised again, and the now-glowing lantern was returned to the lamppost.
There were scents, too: smoke, and burning charcoal, and spices, and meat frying in oil. These appeared to originate from a street lined with all sorts of shops and stalls. Some vendors had permanent shops, from which they cried out to passers-by about the freshness of their produce or the quality of their dried goods. Other vendors had set up temporary stalls along the street, and prepared hot food over portable stoves. There were restaurants too, their tables already starting to fill with patrons.
Zhongli tottered down the street, overwhelmed. There were so many colours and shapes, so many scents, and there were the lights from the many lanterns and from the flames within the stoves. The vendors moved so fast, taking orders, preparing the food, passing it over, then turning to the next customer. There was so much smoke, Zhongli's eyes were stinging. The stalls had signboards, with what looked like listings of items and prices, but his vision was too blurry to read any of them.
"Zhōngyuán chop suey! Cheap and tasty chop suey!"
The voice cut through the cacophony, as clear as a bell. Zhongli seized upon it as if it were a lifeline, and followed it through the chaotic lights, through the fumes and the bewildering scents, until he came to a cart that had been set up between two buildings. There was a large stove upon the cart, from which tempting smells issued.
"Try our piping hot chop suey!" called the woman behind the cart. Then she noticed Zhongli. "Sir! Would you like to try some Zhōngyuán chop suey? It's hot and fresh from the oven!"
Zhongli managed to nod. "Yes- Yes, please."
"Coming right up!"
The woman retrieved a waxed paper box. With a practised hand, she arranged sliced cucumbers in a circle. From the oven, she retrieved three skewers, crisp and glistening, and laid them on the cucumber slices. A thick golden sauce was poured on top, and the dish was finished with a sprinkling of finely-diced green and red peppers.
"That will be six thousand, six hundred mora!"
Oh. Oh, good heavens. That was over half of all the money Zhongli had in the world. But he had made the order, and he would have to pay for it now. He reached into his pocket-
-He found nothing.
Because, of course, he had left his money on the table. He had become distracted, and walked off to the kitchen, and then left the house, and had not taken any of the coins with him. There were no credit cards here, or- anything. He had no way of paying.
"I- I am terribly sorry. I have- I have forgotten my money." His vision was blurring, and he took an unsteady step back, and now spots were starting to fill his vision. "I- I am so very sorry-"
Oh no, oh no, all that lovely, freshly-made, expensive food, and it would be wasted due to his own foolishness. The stallholder would be so angry, he could never come here again, he would have to go without dinner, he should never have left the house-
"I'll pay for it!"
Zhongli started, and blinked to try and clear his vision. There was someone-
-a tall figure, lean yet sure, as it reached over to pass something to the stallholder. Zhongli blinked again, and at last he was able to see.
Surely this was a gentleman, if a somewhat rakish-looking one. The sleeves of his fine jacket were rolled up to the elbows. The gleaming clasps had been daringly left undone, the panels falling apart to frame an enormous blue gemstone attached at the belt. A very beautiful and undoubtedly costly scarf was draped over one shoulder. An intricate red fascinator had been pinned over one ear, nestled in fiery hair. An earring in the shape of a silver dagger dangled above a wide, metal-tipped collar.
"Hey, Lǎobǎnniáng! Throw in a couple of mora meat sandwiches, won't you? Oh, and a takeaway cup of oolong tea, please!"
Somehow, Zhongli managed to rouse himself out of his stunned state. "Wait, one moment, please-! Please, I could not possibly-" He reached out in appeal. "I- I have- I do not- I-!"
A package settled in his outstretched hands. Zhongli only just managed to clutch at it, the precious food saved from a fall-
-he glanced up over the bag-
-he could look nowhere else.
His saviour's eyes were blue. The shade was so intense, so vivid that even the lanterns could not challenge those depths, as fathomless and enigmatic as the ocean.
Zhongli remained transfixed, even when the package crinkled and shifted from the force of this grip.
Then the gentleman winked, and the moment was broken. "Haha, it's just my good deed for the day. Enjoy!"
With that, the stranger turned and disappeared into the crowd, his scarf performing one final twist before it, too, was gone.
Zhongli carefully laid the bundle of food on the table. If rationed carefully, it might last him for a few days. The oolong tea, on the other hand, he would drink now. Perhaps it would settle his nerves.
Zhongli removed his thumb rings, and then his gloves, taking care not to pull on the gemstones-
-he froze.
His hands - there were luminescent gold veins running down the wrists and along the back of his hands. The colour of his skin acquired an amber tone along the length of each hand; his fingertips fairly glowed. His nails resembled cat's eye gemstones, chatoyant bands of cognac, white, and honey gliding back and forth across their surface with each movement.
Zhongli took off the intricate coat, and then the waistcoat, and the jewel-encrusted tie - oh heavens, there were sleeve garters as well - at last, he was able to remove his shirt.
His skin had gradients. Starting from his shoulders, the colour transitioned to a deep brown shade, before fading back to amber-tinted beige along his forearms. His torso was pale, but started to darken about his waist - he rolled up a trouser leg and pulled off a sock; there was the same dark-to-light transition from his thighs to his ankles. The veins too, they ran all over his body, the geometric pattern reminiscent of a circuit board, some lines bold and as wide as a finger, some as fine as a hair. The veins glowed in a warm shade of gold- like mora, they were the exact colour of mora.
What was he?