Eyes of Perception

Chapter 8

For a few seconds, Childe may have forgotten how to breathe. Has Zhongli always been this pretty? Don't get him wrong, he'd known Zhongli was attractive since the day he'd first seen him - no one could deny that the refined look of a funeral consultant was doing wonders for him - but seeing him like this, all dressed up with his hair framing his face so nicely, Childe was pretty sure that he was staring. A lot. Which was a problem, because staring at close friends, even if they were very pretty close friends, was very very awkward. 

It took entirely too much effort to snap his attention away from Zhongli. "Right. Let's, uh, let's get going. We don't want to be late."

Beside him, Zhongli hummed in agreement, and without thinking, Childe looped his arm with Zhongli's, an action that felt entirely too natural. By the time his mind caught up with his body, Zhongli was already leading the way to the harbor, the hand that wasn't linked with Childe's finding a place to rest on Childe's upper arm. (Childe's brain may have short-circuited. Even if it did, it didn't matter all that much - he wasn't capable of using it right now anyway, with Zhongli so close to him.)

He was faintly aware of the passer-by's staring in their wake as they walked, whispering to one another in hushed tones. Who could blame them, when Zhongli looked even more ethereal than usual? He was like a god among mere mortals, his presence enough to rival even that of the Tsaritsa's. Even on a daily basis, the funeral consultant would draw the attention of anyone beside him with as little as a wave. Now, even that wasn't necessary. Simply him being there was enough for everyone to stop and stare. How could people resist looking at Zhongli like that, as if he was the most beautiful person in all of Teyvat? How was Childe supposed to resist that?

No. No, no, no, he was getting distracted. He couldn't afford to fail his mission twice, and he couldn't risk ruining his friendship with Zhongli. Okay, so he was now aware that his closest friend was extremely pretty. That wouldn't change anything between them. Nothing at all. Zhongli's prettiness would not impact his friendship in the slightest. Archons, he was overthinking this.

He was overly grateful when they finally reached the boatman, partially because it's been way too long since he'd stepped onto a boat, but mostly because it gave him something else to focus on. A quick nod and exchange of words got them onto a small boat, and slowly, they made their way towards the grand ship. The boatman, Pinghai as Zhongli called him, steered the boat around until they'd gotten to the back of the ship, where a small dock allowed the both of them to step onto the ship without getting wet. Pinghai only gave them a strange look before heading back to the harbor, but Childe chose to dismiss it.

On instinct, he linked arms with Zhongli again, allowing the consultant to lead him through the many halls of the galley, showcasing each and every room they passed by. The debt collection itself would happen later that evening, around seven if the documents Ekaterina had given him were correct. Childe had wanted to arrive earlier, before the usual crowds flooded the ship, to scope out the zone and commit as much of it to memory, just in case the killer decided to make things difficult.

The walk around the ship confirmed a handful of things for Childe: one, holy shit the ship was for rich people and rich people alone. Two, it was... a club of sorts? From what he'd seen, there was a room on the ship dedicated to anything and everything, from historical chambers to bedroom that had been used for purposes Childe would rather not think about. And three, this was by far one of the most high-end locations in all of Liyue Harbor. This Luo Feng had to be loaded if even in debt he could afford a place on this ship.

Only after he was certain that he'd gotten at least a basic understanding of the ship's layout did he let Zhongli lead him to the deck of the ship, where several tables had already been set up, though only a few actually had occupants at them. Suddenly self-conscious, he tightened his hold around Zhongli's arm. What had Zhongli said before? That this was a gathering spot for professors and historians? This was no space for Childe. He didn't fit in, even in the slightest. Perhaps Zhongli had been right when he'd told Childe to stay silent when possible.