Can't Stop Loving You | Childe x Zhongli | Genshin Impact [COMPLETED]

Arc 4: Chapter 38: Dinner at Wanmin

Friends... Tartaglia had been thinking about that for a long time. Just friends... Well, he supposed he could build it up from there again. He was still a little awkward from the impulsive move he made. Childe hoped that he hadn't scared Zhongli off with that. He just had to kiss him one last time.

Finally, he decided that he might go and ask Zhongli out for dinner. It was around dinner time and Wangsheng Funeral Parlor should be closing up by then. Tartaglia made his way over, dodging past Fatui members that might recognize him. He noticed that there weren't many fatui members around, probably because of the lack of harbinger to guide them around. Childe had no desire to go back anyway. Not after they betrayed him.

He spotted Zhongli comforting a young mother and her small daughter, who didn't seem to understand what was going on.

"What am I going to do..."

Zhongli gently squeezed her shoulder, "everything will get better. He's in a better place now."

"Why did it have to happen to him... why... I miss him."

Zhongli sighed quietly. Only if he could answer that question. "He'll always be with you. In your heart."

The young mother sniffled softly as Zhongli tried his best to comfort her. Being left behind is never easy, he knew that best. Then he noticed the orange head coming over and managed a small smile.

The young girl noticed him as well and ran over to him. "You look like daddy... but he doesn't have blue eyes. Who are you?"

Tartaglia looked down at her, seemingly a little surprised. He hadn't seen many Liyue people with orange fluffy hair like his. Her wavy ginger hair and large, innocent, blue eyes reminded slightly of his own deceased brother. Childe crouched down so he could look directly at her. "What is your name?"

"Yingyue."

"Okay Yingyue... I'm not your dad." Tartaglia said gently. He had overheard the conversation and wanted to help out. Losing a loved one is never easy. He knew that too. "But, he asked me to give you this."

Childe took her hand and placed a small pendant in the shape of a glaze lily. He was going to give it to Zhongli at first but he thought that it'd be more fitting to give it to the young girl. "He said keep it with you."

"Okay..." The young girl looked at the pendant curiously, gently touching the petals of the glaze lily.

Zhongli found himself staring at Tartaglia. The gentleness from him was unexpected but not unfamiliar. It was quite charming. Zhongli liked the kind and gentle nature. He couldn't help but feel that perhaps it was a reason why he trusted him. The young mother finally pulled away, wiping away her tears. Life had to go on and she had to move on. "I'll be going now... Thank you so much for everything. Ah Yue, come over here."

Zhongli snapped out of it and nodded. "You're welcome."

The young girl obeyed and skipped over, taking her mother's hand as they both made their way back to their home.

Childe straightened up and turned to face Zhongli. "I, ah, actually came to ask you if you wanted to eat dinner with me. Xiangling's cooking at Wanmin Restaurant today." He offered.

"Sure. My work here is done for today."

"Let's go." Tartaglia grinned. Although he knew that Zhongli probably would have agreed to the offer, he was still a little nervous about what happened on that stormy night. By the looks of it, Zhongli wasn't too bothered.

Zhongli's heart rate increased at the sight of  Tartaglia smiling. He couldn't help but to feel like he wanted to spend more time with his new friend.