Autumn Bamboo Shoots [Zhongli x Reader]

Part 3

"Good evening. Are you here for Mr. Zhongli?"

"Hi. Yes, I am."

"I'll call him for you. A moment, please."

The ferrylady disappeared inside the parlor once again, and just a minute later, Mr. Zhongli came out followed by her.

"Y/n, it's good to see you."

"It's good to see you too."

"Let's go, shall we?"

Just like every night, the city lights were shining bright and you could hear the sound of the waves slowly hitting the rocks. The only difference was that, today, you weren't experiencing that alone.

"The harbor really is a beautiful place at night. I can never get used to it" you sighed, relieving all the stress from the day.

"It really is. But it wasn't always like this, you know? In the past, it was harder to find beauty in this place."

"I wonder if the people will say the same in two thousand years."

"Would you like to be here to find out?" Mr. Zhongli asked, stopping right before the city gates.

You pondered on what to answer for a while. It was a simple question with only two options to reply with, but somehow, you felt like it wasn't just that.

"I think...there are some things that we're better not knowing. This is the time the gods chose for me to live on, so this is the time I should enjoy." you started "If I were to fall asleep and wake up in another era, there would be no way I could handle it. I think that's the reason why we all die at some point. The gods let us experience what we need to experience and then takes our souls away to replace them with new ones and repeat the process."

"Is that how you see it?"

A small smile grew on Zhongli's face. Then, his feet started moving againand you followed him behind.

"Also, you can just call me Zhongli. I want you to feel comfortable around me, y/n."

"Then, Zhongli, do you usually come outside the city at night?"

"Sometimes, yes. Though the danger is greater, the mountains drown in a sea of stars are very attractive."

Noticing your silence, Zhongli tilted his head to the side, enough to be able to see your face.

"I'm sorry if this is boring to you. I don't really go out with other people apart from work. I'm afraid I don't know how to entertain you."

"Don't worry. It's not boring at all. It's just... It's my first time coming outside at this hour. I'm quite nervous."

"Ah, that's right. You don't have a Vision, do you? If something were to attack you... I'm sorry, you'll just have to trust me once more."

"Once more?"

"At the restaurant. I left without paying."

"Well, it's not like I could just hunt you down like some sort of ghost."

"Haha!" Zhongli laughed.

You've seen him smile and let out small chuckles, but this was the first time you heard him laugh. It sounded so genuine and...melancholic.

"I'm sorry. You reminded me of an old friend."

"An old friend?"

"The previous boss of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor." he replied "Her name was Hu Tao. She was the boss when I started my job there, and when she parted, I was the one to replace her. She was such a playfully child. Ah... There are some things we only realize when it's already too late."