Operation: Make Zhongli Smile Forever

Part 17 - Confessions (but not the ones you'd think)

Venti paced the living room as Hu Tao sipped her tea, one of many she had consumed that evening.

"Zhongli is such an idiot," the green bard sighed, tapping a finger to his chin as he walked back and forth, "I cannot believe how fucking dense he is." Hu Tao snorted.

"Mr. Zhongli is quite dense, yeah. What'd he do though?" the teen asked, placing her tea down and leaning backwards over the couch, throwing her arm over the backrest.

"Well rather what he didn't do," Venti groaned, "can I tell you something?" Hu Tao looked quizzically at the eccentric man.

"Do go on... I'm intrigued. It seems you know Mr. Zhongli well," Hu Tao prompted, twirling her hand in the air.

"Zhongli is in love with Childe. Like, deeply," Venti finally breathed out, face shockingly stern for how casual the conversation actually was. Hu Tao's crimson eyes lit up; she quickly clapped her hands together in enthusiasm.

"Ooh, ooh! Childe likes him back!" she piped up, bouncing up and down; Venti stopped walking and turned to her.

"Like, seriously?" he questioned, eyes wide and glaring at Hu Tao.

"Well, he said something along those lines, not directly. Just something about feelings he can't act upon," the teen explained, twirling some of her long hair in her fingers, trying to recall the conversation she had with the Harbinger.

"Celestia above, the situation's worse than I thought," Venti groaned, slumping himself on the sofa besides Hu Tao, "so they both like eachother but refuse to talk about it."

"Seems right," Hu Tao remarked, finishing off her tea, "do we meddle?" Venti's lips peeked up into a grin.

"Anything in mind, Miss Director?" he smirked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"We can lock them in a closet," she suggested, a maniacal grin already on her face, "it's worked before and it'll work again." Venti was about to ask for the example but decided against it; instead, he hummed gently and tapped his chin.

"I think that's too forward, too obvious. They'll know we meddled," Venti stated, still tapping his chin as he stared off into the distance. Hu Tao's grin faltered a little at the declaration.

"Hmmm... what else," the teen wondered, eyes still glowing in the candlelight, "what if we left little notes for them? I can forge handwriting!" Venti perked up a little.

"You know what, not even gonna ask why, but... that could work! Write subtle confessions from each party towards the other, and maybe they'll finally talk to each other and stop beating around the bush and maybe, maybe, my dear old Zhongli will finally get some!" Venti chuckled, suddenly very excited at the idea, alreading calculating how it would work.

"When do we start our mission, Mr. Venti?" Hu Tao smirked, tapping her fingers together. Venti counted on his fingers a little.

"I have an idea, how about we send Childe a gift as if from Zhongli? Something meaningful, unique, hmmm," Venti pondered, envisioning anything he could.

"How about an earring? Like a proper Liyuen one and not that ugly red thing he wears," the teen suggested, eyes sparking at her idea; Venti cackled.

"Yes, yes! And then you can leave him a note that's so obviously from Zhongli; we are actual geniuses Hu Tao," the bard exclaimed, throwing himself off the sofa and doing a twirl, cape flowing behind him in a flurry of green; Hu Tao laughed a little at this. Venti reached for his long abandoned tea beside Hu Tao's half empty cup.