Dinner for two

„Are you sure, you have your money with you?" Paimon asked for the nth time. She was worried, knowing that the man in front of her was always forgetting about paying – forgetting about bringing money with him – and she knew what his goal today was.
"Don't worry, I have it with him."
As proof, Zhongli showed her his wallet, which was filled to the brim with money.
"I am more worried that you've forgotten to tell her to come here."
Paimon placed her hands on her hips and pouted.
"Paimon did her job! So, pay Paimon! Where is my food?"

Without a warning Paimon was pushed into another room – without her promised food!
"Hello?"
A soft female voice could be heard.
Zhongli turned around to greet his guest – his wallet already back in his pocket.
Lumine stood there without saying any further words. She never had been someone who talks a lot. She was more the kind of person that would listen to other people talking. Zhongli greeted her and they sat down on the table, which was already full with different kind of dishes and some tea.

Although they knew each other for quite some time now and had eaten with each other more than once, this time Zhongli didn't know what to do or what to say. He didn't want to bother her with his knowledge of Liyue's history and culture – that was something he did all the time, so she probably was already annoyed with him. Unfortunately, he had nothing else to offer. Small talk was not his strong side – and it wasn't Lumine's either. So they sat there in silence, starring at the dishes in front of them until Zhongli finally got himself together and at least poured some of the tea into Lumine's cup.
"Thank you."
She took the cup up and took in the nice smell of the tea before taking a sip from the cup.
"It tastes good. It is sweeter this time."
"Yes. Since you complaint about the tea being too bitter last time, I let them make the original recipe this time."
"The original recipe?"
Zhongli let out a soft um.
"An old friend of my invented this tea. They made tea out of everything they could find in nature. Some teas had very interesting flavors. However, this one was the first they had made on their own. The reason why it is nowadays made bitter, is the ingredient which had made it sweet. The sweetness original came from a rare flower that needed many years to grow. Such ingredients should be used wisely. So, when this tea finally got around in Liyue, it was often without the rare flower."
"I see. Then, which one do you like better?"
"I have no preference. It all depends on what dishes are served with the tea."
Lumine nodded in understanding. She still didn't like her tea bitter no matter what food was served, but she accepted Zhongli's way of doing things and his taste. He was a strange fellow anyway.

A short moment of silence followed, before Lumine asked: "Mr. Zhongli, is there a specific reason, why you always smell at your tea and food before eating it? I've never seen anyone else doing it so far."
She wasn't from around here – not from Liyue and not from Teyvat – so she was not sure about the customs of Liyue.
"Oh, that? That has many reasons. For one, I like the feeling and expectation it gives me. When it smells nice, I assume it also will taste nice. Also, all those different flavors bring back memories. If I just slugged down everything, I would miss out on those memories and on the thrill of anticipation."
Lumine nodded in understanding and finally started to place some of the food on her plate. Honestly, she wasn't hungry at all. As per usual she had helped out the adventures guild and encountered many enemies on her way to carry out her duties. This time however, she had stumbled upon something that exhausted not only her body, but also her mind. All she wanted was to sleep. But when she reached her sleeping quarter of the night, Paimon had told her to come to the Liuli Pavilion. How was she supposed to turn her only friend down?

Zhongli has also noticed her tiredness. Even when Lumine never was a hyperactive person, to him it was still obvious that she was exhausted. The way she spoke. The few bits she put on her plate. The little of leaning forward. The heavy eyelids. He saw it all, yet he had no clue what to do. Was his effort now going to waste? He should have asked her personally, instead of sending Paimon. He should have talked to Lumine first instead of surprising her.
"How was your day? Did anything special happen?"
From Paimon he had learned that such simple questions could sometimes bring him the answer he was seeking without overwhelming the other person – so far it had helped him indeed a few times, when talking to the people of Liyue.
"Nothing special."
Lumine's voice was thin. Even when Zhongli appeared to not pick up subtle hints, he was in no way stupid. He knew that something was wrong with her. Usually her voice was soft but strong, even when she was tired. The first and only time so far he had heard her voice being thin, was during a moment in which she could not hold herself back from missing her brother. It was quite obvious that something was bothering her; that something had happened to her that had exhausted her mentally. Yet, he didn't dare to pray. Instead he decided to pick up some of the food and placed on her plate. Only a small potion at a time and everything he gave her something he told her about the dishes origin – when it was invented and by whom and way, how the recipe had changed over the years and what its good points were. Being physically exhausted was easy to cure by just taking a rest, but mental exhaustion wasn't so easy to heal. Rest was always a good idea, but could only do so much.
Lumine didn't complain about his doing, although she wasn't hungry. All Zhongli gave her were small bites. It would be rude to dismiss him and his good intentions.

At the end of the evening, Lumine looked a bit better – still tired, but at least not as sad and sick as before. Listening to Zhongli's smooth voice and eating all those delicious food had done her very well. However, now she needed her bed and a good and long sleep even more. She had gotten up with the sun and had a long day behind her. Fortunately, Zhongli had no intention of prolonging their stay. To the contrary, it was him that asked her, if she wanted to go home now – home a word so painful and yet so sweet. She had no home here, for she was just a traveler from another world.
"Lumine, let's go home."
His voice so full of warmth – it remember her of her brother. How many times had she heard her brother saying "let's go home"?
"I have no home", was the answer she wanted to give, but didn't.
"You can stay at my place. There are more than enough empty rooms."
Thinking about it, she had never asked about Zhongli's home. How could someone, who seemed to have no money even have a home – especially a home with a lot of empty rooms, on the other hand someone without money also should not be able to dress so well.
"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli, but I will find a place to stay for the night. Well, I should search for Paimon first."
"Why? My home is big enough for you and Paimon."
He knew that her place to stay for the night was at best a tent somewhere out in the wildness – at worst she would sleep out in the open without any kind of protection. Was such a "place" better than his home?
"Um, well... I don't want to cause you any troubles."
"You could never cause me any troubles. Furthermore, I would not offer you my place, if I thought of you as troublesome."
For a moment Lumine thought to herself. Zhongli was indeed not a man that spoke words of courtesy without meaning them. When he offered to take her in than he meant it.
"Paimon probably would love to stay at my place full of food..."
Yes, Paimon would love to stay at a place, where she could eat day and night.
"Honestly speaking, I would love, if you could stay at my place forever."
"What?"
"I meant to say, that I hope, you will stay with me forever."
Silence. Absolute silence.
"Why?"
"Why? Because I like spending my time with you. You are very open minded and also seem to be able to deal with who and how I am. I may be very well versed in matters of the past, but I have trouble with understanding the present. Most people are amused by that, but feel annoyed every soon when they have to deal with me for longer. Yet you never pushed me aside. You listened very well to my words and helped me to understand the present that I know not much about. I hope, we can continue to understand and support each other for all those years ahead of us. And I hope we could do so by calling each other husband and wife to show each other and others how much we mean to each other. Well, this is only how I feel and I understand if this is not the case for you."
While talking Zhongli pulled out a tiny box from his pocket and placed it on the table next to Lumine's place.
More silence followed. More silence and more color on Lumine's cheeks.

Was this what one could a confession? Was Zhongli confessing to her? No, this was probably what one called a proposal, right? He brought a ring and a ring was only needed for a proposal. At least that was what the women in town had told her.
"Um... I... I... um... I do have to find my brother."
"We can look for him together and after we found him the two of you can stay at my place. As I said, I have many empty rooms."
He had no intention of tying her down or stop her from her quest to find her brother. Although he had never lost a brother, he had lost many dear friends. If there was a way to bring them back, he would also immediately set out to get them back, but differently than Lumine's brother his friends were dead and the dead could not return.
"Do not worry, you don't have to give me an answer now. Take your time and think it through. Though, you should decide now, whether you want to spend the night at my place."

That night Lumine had the best rest ever since she woke up in Teyvat. Paimon on the other hand neither got sleep nor her promised food.