Omniscius [Genshin Impact]

75: Ode to the Glaze Lilies

Soleil hugged her arms, shivering slightly after being under the rain for too long.

She sneezed into her wrinkled hands. She sniffed and grumbled while she hugged herself, "How is it that these colds didn't come earlier? Tsk..."

"Is it getting worse?" Zhongli asked when he passed by her. Soleil sighed, "I don't know. Maybe."

"Oh. Wait just a moment longer. Tea should be ready soon," Zhongli said and walked past to tend to the teapot boiling atop a stove.

Soleil looked at it before glancing around. "I never expected Retainer to keep kitchenware on her mountain... It seemed unlikely," she muttered.

Zhongli chuckled faintly. "Contrary to her opinion on human craftsmanship, she likes to dabble and tinker with what she finds and incorporate it into her magnum opus," he said and removed the teapot from the set-up stove.

He held it gently before turning to Soleil, who was sitting at the edge of the mountain dangerously.

"Tea is ready," he said. Soleil glanced at him before moving away from the ledge and followed him to the stone table at the center of the lake.

Zhongli easily summoned a bridge for them to cross over and avoid the water. Soleil glanced at the three seats around the table and sat on Retainer's spot-hoping that the adeptus doesn't sass her for it too much.

Zhongli sat on his usual spot and poured the tea into the cups. He extended one to Soleil, who murmured her thanks and sipped the warm drink.

She sighed in comfort when the warm drink began to invigorate her cold body. Zhongli, too, sipped his cup in silence. None of them would say a word.

Zhongli looked into the contents of his cup, staring at the exhaustion clear on his face like the skies cleared of rain.

His chest felt heavy. He sighed inaudibly before looking at the sky. A group of birds flocked by.

At least the sky mourned for her, he thought. Everything else was at peace.

He glanced at Soleil, who never looked up and fiddled with the rim of her cup. Zhongli's lips thinned slightly, knowing he needed to address the issue eventually.

He scratched his cheek awkwardly before speaking. "So...how are you feeling?" he asked. Soleil blinked out of her trance and looked at Zhongli.

"Oh... I'm doing well," she replied shortly. Zhongli looked concern, "Stella stole your body. That couldn't have been good for you."

"And I got it back. It's fine," Soleil said. Then, she paled, "Uh-oh."

She hasn't come up with an excuse for her absence. Keqing's going to kill her when they see each other!

Soleil sighed. Xiao and Childe might come up with something.

They both left after Stella finally departed in peace. Childe had left quite in a hurry and Xiao had to leave to explain what happened to Ganyu's party.

That left Zhongli and her, and she knew it was because Zhongli had much to tell her. They chose to stay at Mt. Aocang, and Cloud Retainer was willing to give them room to talk.

Zhongli struggled with what to say first. He sighed, "Listen. Soleil..."

He trailed off when he saw Soleil was looking at the empty seat between them. Carved on it were the words 'Here sits Guizhong.'

"Stella... She was an avid fan of Guizhong, wasn't she?" Soleil said. Zhongli smiled wistfully, "She was... She once created a garden full of nothing but Glaze Lilies in the past and a library at its center, where she would read to her heart's content."