ZHONGCHI STORIES

2

🔶💧

Where Childe doubts a gift to be genuine. He believes a gift from people (outside his family and the Tsaritsa) have ulterior motives.

Which brings him to his current predicament. Eyes blinking, staring at the offered chopsticks on his companion's hand.

"Mr. Zhongli, what is this?" Childe asked.

"For your training. If you want to fully experience Liyue's cuisine, start with these." His companion replied.

It was a long while before Childe, hesitantly, took the utensils from the other's hand.

"Alright, you're the expert, sir."

He nodded to the other, which was reciprocated with a small smile while a teacup was hanging by his lips.

The younger doesn't know if it was his lack of sleep from his late night paperwork, but he swears that small smile was a smirk.

–

Sitting down on his office chair, succumbing on the silent, peaceful night along with the small voices in his head, Tartaglia is staring intently on the rectangular, mahogany colored box in front of him.

He's suspicious.

He never receives a genuine gift unless it's from his family and the Tsaritsa herself. If he does receive one it's always expected that something else must be exchanged.

He knows this game.

That's how it's supposed to be, but judging from his lunch meal with the consultant, it didn't seem like it at all. Which confuses him to no end, questioning every single observation from that meal, speculating, theorizing.

And it all leads to one direction. More confusion.

Ruffling his head into a bigger bird's nest, he decided to let it be this one time. There's no use thinking about unnecessary matters when there are important tasks to accomplish.

Tartaglia sighed, glancing at the stack of papers on his left.

–

"Oh, I seem to have forgotten my mora–" was what Zhongli was about to say before he hears heavily compressed coins in front of him. His eyes following the sound, he sees a large pouch of money in front of him.

Childe, who was already used to the older man's antiques, always prepares extra money just in case for these scenarios.

"I'll pay." He worded.

After spending almost a year with the consultant – from business talks to casual conversation – he considers Zhongli a friend and no longer questions whatever gift the brunette gives him. Be it a small jewelry, or homemade cooked food sent to him when he is too busy for their meals.

He no longer questions it.

Throughout their time together, they have created a companionship to the point it's already common to see them together. Even being dubbed as Liyue's #1 duo.

The look both of them gave to Xiangling after hearing the title was priceless for the young'in.

Just from these little shenanigans, Ajax found home with Zhongli, found home with Xiangling, her father, and the cute lil creature who's always by her side.