For Archon's Sake

Fine Dining

Hu Tao raised an eyebrow as Zhongli hummed a folk song she had heard no one save for her grandparents sing in a long time, the consultant shuffling his paperwork into a neat pile in the middle of his desk. He was... grinning. And... singing. She had seen polite smiles, irritated smiles (of which she was often the receiver of), quiet laughter, and maybe a sardonic chuckle (again, of which she was often the receiver of). But she had never seen his face as lit up as it was today. She let him pour himself a freshly steeped cup of black tea and sip it before she started her inquiry.

"So! Did you two finally have sex?" She asked brightly.

Zhongli spewed said tea all over the floor, which thankfully was hardwood. Hu Tao had witnessed too many messes and accidents in her lifetime to dare order carpet for her place of work. Zhongli was a mess of muttered apologies and stuttering words as he fished a handkerchief out and tended to his spill. "Hu Tao, I beg you to have more discretion in your opening statements when initiating conversation with a coworker." The girl rolled her eyes as she flopped into her chair. "I just wanted to know how you were progressing, given all the heavy lifting I had to do. It's hard not to be invested in something I was basically responsible for! If I hadn't intervened-"

"Then you would have been correct to do so. I do not believe I requested matchmaking services from you, Hu Tao. That is not your area of expertise." Hu Tao squinted. "Did...did you just attempt a joke ?" Zhongli sighed as he tossed the handkerchief into the trash bin. "Is that not allowed... boss ?" Hu Tao clapped her hands giddily. "Oh, I like him now. This is great. Beyond great actually, maybe he'll finally get that giant stick out of your-" "I have work to do," Zhongli said quickly, waving her off. "Please excuse me." She blew a raspberry at him as he carefully placed the organized documents into his work bag. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!" She crowed as he strode out of the office.

Hu Tao slumped back into her chair, grinning mischievously. I should have asked him if he was in charge during their little activities. Then I would've had an extra customer today.

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Childe was having the time of his gods damned life, and for once it wasn't from hearing the crunch of someone's nose as he smashed it in.

His new orders had come in. He was to stay in Liyue and carefully monitor the Fatui ranks in case the Qixing decided to respond to the absolute mess of an international scandal he was (somewhat) responsible for. And that was fine, that was good. He liked...staying here even as he quietly missed his home. It definitely wasn't because of a certain ex geo archon either, though Childe was beginning to like the tranquil walks to his house every other morning and the cool morning breezes that came with them. Zhongli would serve him a plate of freshly cooked breakfast and a different cup of tea each visit, explaining the different notes the blends had, the conditions they grew in, and what region they hailed from. Childe knew better than to stop him from rambling, and he found that he didn't want to. Hearing about the teas Liyue nobles favored could help him in the work he was doing here for the Tsaritsa.

Or so he tried to tell himself.

He didn't let himself dwell on his dilemma too much as the tailor in front of him held up the most gorgeous sample of silk he'd ever seen. It was a bloodred crimson, thin strands of gold twisting through it to create a shimmering finish whenever it moved. The tailor was explaining that he only had a limited amount of it left, but if Childe wanted the material then he could reserve it for him. "You'll look absolutely lovely at the Lantern Rite festival! But, there is the matter of the reservation. I have two others bidding each other for the rights to it, as they don't want to be seen wearing something another has-"