Down the Same Path [(Y/n) x Genshin Impact] (Prologue!)

Chapter 5

  "Let's head to the tea house now. I think we both need a cup of tea." Zhongli said, bringing my thoughts back to him.
  I frowned, looking down. "I should have stayed home. The people of Liyue hate me."
  "The people of Liyue have judged you unfairly. Although what I ask must be hard for you, why don't you try to forget what happened and enjoy yourself today. You certainly seemed excited to go to this tea house." He said, eyeing my carefully picked outfit and hair style. My face flushed as I realized I had overdressed. Zhongli wore something similar to his normal attire, while I had gotten excited and wore something completely out of the ordinary for me. No wonder the public had gotten so worked up today. I was especially dressed up today.
Seeing me flustered made Zhongli chuckle, and I took in the sweet sound of his voice. My shoulders slowly dropped, and a calm feeling washed over me. For some reason, looking at the man before me seemed to help me ease my nerves, and it wasn't long before the two of us were walking to the beautiful tea house.
  "I've never actually been here..." I admitted as we neared the place.
  "I see. I come here because I find the quality of tea here superior to any other place in Liyue. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as you do." Zhongli's eyes twinkled, and I turned away to keep from blushing. This is the first time seeing him so enlivened, and it left a funny feeling in my chest.
  Zhongli opened the door for me, and I silently gasped as I stepped in. Rotund tables the color of maple trees dotted the tea house. Ornamented rugs were spread on the floor, and dimly lit lanterns gracefully hung from the ceiling. Paintings and tapestries of Liyue's history lined every wall. Someone with a heavily ornamented uniform walked up to us and plastered on a smile.
  "Hello Mr. Zhongli! I see you've brought a guest today?" The woman said, eyeing me carefully.
  "Yes I have. I'll have my usual spot please."
  We followed the woman to a table in the corner, partially shielded from everyone else by a dazzling curtain. Zhongli invited me to sit, and he took the seat across from me. Two other women brought two jars of what appeared to be honey and sugar while the lady from before set a plate of biscuits in front of us.
   "What tea would you like Mr. Zhongli?" She turned to him and smiled. "Perhaps a sweet glaze lily tea? Or if you're in the mood for something a bit more savory, you could try our perfumed violet tea. It's my personal favorite." She leaned closer to him, twirling a finger around her long, raven hair.
  "Ah, I think I'll just have quinxin flower blend." He smiled politely, oblivious to the obvious advance the woman was making. "And what about you, (Y/n)?"
  "I think I'll have a simple black tea." I responded.
  "If you're worried about the prices, I'm paying anyway so it'll be fine. I'd much rather have you enjoy yourself than worry about prices." He said in a low voice, smiling a bit.
  "In that case, the sweet glaze lily tea sounds nice." I nervously said.
  "Alright." The woman replied, but all the warmth to her voice was gone. Her smile seemed to tease me, and I could have sworn she glared at me before turning around and leaving.
I looked around, lightly tapping my fingers on the table. Behind Zhongli, a large tapestry showed an unfamiliar scene. I squinted at it, trying to make sense of what was going on. Two figures seemed to be communicating, both depicted as celestial beings. One, I recognized as Rex Lapis, characterized by his golden, glows my arms and long hair. He was a familiar figure for the people of Liyue, their archon and protector. The other one however I didn't recognize.
A smaller figure floated from the ground, wings outstretched. Two turquoise braids emitted a soft blue light. Was this an acquaintance of Rex Lapis?
(Ok imagine the tapestry as those cutscenes in Genshin impact talking about the archons. They're almost like mosaics and you can't see their faces lol)
"Mr. Zhongli?" I surprised myself by asking. He turned to me and hummed softly, coaxing me to go on. "Do you know who that is?" I pointed at the tapestry behind him, and he turned to look as well.
"Ah, it seems to depict one of Rex Lapis and Barbatos's interactions. Both are part of the seven, and as their area of rule is quite close, it's said they were on good terms with one another."
  "But Barbatos is-"
  "The anemo archon and protector of Mondstadt."