Back to the surface

Risky

Believe it or not, here comes a new chapter. Sorry for the long time you guys had to wait //D

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Zhongli tried on his new clothes and thought about which version he should tell his friends when they asked him how the date had gone. In case he told them the truth, Xiao would surely say "I knew there was something wrong with him" or something similar. But he didn't want to look like an idiot in front of the others. They would surely pity him and all that... but he didn't see himself as a loser in the situation. Childe - whatever he was supposed to think of the host - had not treated him badly, on the contrary he had saved him. Still, it was probably better to draw a line under all this. Only whether he could forget him so easily, Zhongli didn't know.

Suddenly, his phone rang. For a moment he wondered if it was Childe, but realized the caller was Xiao. Hesitantly, he answered it.

"Yes, Xiao, what is it?" he asked, waiting.

"Hu Tao told me that you're dating that weird guy now. Now I don't know what you didn't understand about what I told you... but fine and all, your choice. Just don't ask me for help again if anything goes wrong," Xiao said on the other end, sounding largely annoyed. Zhongli had actually wanted to keep him out of everything, but now he had caught wind of the situation after all. How inconvenient...

"Dating? I went out for coffee with him once, nothing more - a completely trivial matter," Zhongli explained calmly.

"So... wait, what?" asked Xiao confusedly, "so... it's nothing serious?"

"No. I guess Childe isn't exactly... my type for it," Zhongli tried to explain the situation, but already feared Xiao would ask more questions about the matter.

"Oh. Hm... Zhongli... you're not just telling me this now because you know I don't approve of your... relationship or whatever there is, are you?" replied Xiao skeptically.

"Nono, what are you thinking?" replied Zhongli, "No, really. I realized on the date that it's probably better if it stays at one night with him..."

"Oh really?" asked Xiao in surprise, "I really didn't think you were the type for that. I thought you were into that one. Well, who knows what it's good for..."

"Xiao. Anyway, it's better for you, of course...well... I have my worries now about how to end things," Zhongli muttered, sighing heavily.

"Yes, very simple. Finish writing him 'I'm afraid we're not going to work out, take care and just don't call me again,'" Xiao advised him.

"If only it were that simple..." muttered Zhongli, trying to change the subject to something else. Xiao, who didn't particularly wanted to be around other people anyway, and yet was happily dating Aether, which surprised Zhongli to the highest degree, probably wasn't the very best relationship counselor.

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Childe was getting ready to go to work at the variete again when he was stopped in his tracks by none other than Pulcinella.

"How gorgeous you look today, I envy your clients ..." the latter said with an amused undertone.

"What's so funny about that?" asked Childe, clearly miffed. It bothered him that he had recently give in to sleeping with him again and that he was playing with him in every way.

"That they'd be jealous of me if they knew what I did to you," Pulcinella countered, grinning broadly and moving closer to him.

"Oh...all but one," Childe retorted provocatively before he could touch him.