Chapter summary: In which Ganyu greets Kaeya's group

...

"St- stop."

Kaeya feels his heart clench painfully as he stares into those eyes even as he ignores the word that sounded like a plea and shrugs off the adeptus' hold.

Erratic heartbeat thunders in his ribcage like a drum as the dragon - Morax - before him roars in anger at his action.

He raises the spear and finds himself being engulfed by golden light. The light eventually converges at his right eye.

Only then does he realize that he is looking at the world with both his eyes uncovered.

The moment the golden light disappears, he hears the distinct sound of glass breaking-

Kaeya gasps and scrambles to get out of the bed, he stumbles towards the toilet as he rips away his eyepatch. He slumps forward and thrusts his palms towards the sides of the mirror on the sink to support his body.

He tries to steel himself to stop the trembling raking through his body. Exhaling shakingly, he slowly raises his head to stare into the reflection of his sealed eye.

The seal is flashing violently.

The key to breaking the seal. He is sure that's what his dream is trying to tell him. He needs that polearm.

He knows that the jade spear belongs to Xiao, like how he somehow knows that that ruin is in Liyue.

Xiao is a yaksha who has signed a contract with the supposed dead Geo Archon. So Morax was the one who sealed his eye? He's always thought that his eye was sealed by Barbatos.

If the one who placed the seal on his eye was Morax… then the start of this series of nightmares could be explained. Maybe something did happen to the Geo Archon and he had to fake his death because of it. And whatever that something was in turn weakened the seal on his eye.

The meeting he had with the yaksha replayed in his mind.

If Xiao's polearm was used as something like a sealing stone, then the adepti, or the yaksha at least, would have known about his identity before Zhongli introduced them to each other in Wangshu Inn.

But the green haired adeptus didn't say anything that night. The yaksha even devoured his dream to allow him to have a dreamless sleep. And the offer that Zhongli gave him… does that mean the adeptus does not have any issue with his heritage? Or is it because Morax sealed his eye, they think that he's harmless and decide to leave him be?

If the immortals of Liyue won't do anything to him as long as his eye is sealed…

If he just leaves the seal as it is… can he just continue his life as a semi-normal person? It looks to him that both Barbatos and Morax are fine with the presence of a sinner in their nations anyway…

And if that's the case… could he… maybe it is alright for him to confess to Zhongli… ?

But… even so, he needs to at least let the man know of his heritage first...

The part about the consultant not being an adeptus is actually a bit disappointing, yet at the same time a relief. He kind of wanted Zhongli to be an adeptus. If the brunette is an adeptus, then that would mean the man had known about his heritage right from the start… but then if the consultant is an adeptus who is loyal to Morax…

He knows that his dream is a prophetic one, but what if it's absolute? Must he really break the seal? Or would he get into some kind of situation that requires him to break it?

He doesn't really have the desire to kill the supposed dead archon, not if it's going to make all the immortals of Liyue become his enemy… Maybe that's why his brother called him a traitor at the start of the dream…

Speaking of which, was Morax the one who killed that brother of his?

He and the other members of his family had never been close, what with the prophecy and his eye making others look at him more as a tool than a kid.

If he's still a kid, he might want to avenge his brother due to some kind of misguided familial 'love' he had for his family.

But now…

Master Crepus and Diluc, and everyone in Mondstadt, and also Zhongli, have shown him what real love is, and he has no desire to repay the love he is showered with by killing their beloved archons and plunging the world into chaos.

He doesn't mind being called a traitor by his blood relatives, not when his real family is in Mondstadt, even if said family doesn't want anything to do with him now…

But… if the events in his dream are inevitable…

.

When they arrive Luili Pavilion for their breakfast appointment with Xingqiu, apart from the bluenette himself, another boy of similar age with wild pale blue hair is sitting beside him.

Both boys stand up from their seats to greet them. "Good morning, Mister Zhongli, Kaeya and Childe. I hope you don't mind my dear friend Chongyun joining us for the day."

"Nice to meet you. I am Chongyun." With the almost timid way the boy sounds, Kaeya has a feeling that unlike his outspoken friend, Chongyun is more of a shy kid.

After another round of introduction, breakfast that Xingqiu ordered before their arrival is served. Just like the previous days, Kaeya is amazed at the varieties of dishes Liyue has to offer.

The ingredients used are mostly the same, but with the combination of different spices and the various cooking methods, Liyue does offer a much wider range of delicacies than Mondstadt. Or maybe it's just because he has been eating Mondstadter food for so long that any new type of cuisine would make him feel that way.

When breakfast ends, it's finally time for Zhongli to depart for his work. An unfathomable emotion wells up in Kaeya as they bid the man goodbye after the consultant promises to rejoin them for dinner.

Now that he thinks about it, this is the first day he's to spend without Zhongli's company since they first met. The last day of the Windblume Festival didn't really count as they had still seen each other both in his office and Angel's Share.

And he wasn't in love at the time.

He chides himself internally for that particular train of thought. He really needs to find a way to stop thinking of the other man this way. He should make use of this chance of spending the day apart from the consultant to try to quell his feelings for the man.

"So Kaeya, I know this is your first time coming to Liyue Harbour, but is there anywhere specific you want to go today?" Xingqiu asks.

He hums thoughtfully. "I am thinking of buying some souvenirs for my friends in Mondstadt."

"You want to go shopping then." Childe grins. "So I guess it's time for me to carry out my promise of 'paying for all your expenses'."

.

Spending time with Childe and the two teens is more fun than he first expected.

True to his observation, Chongyun, who comes from a famous clan of exorcists, an occupation that he would have scoffed at before coming here, because apparently ghosts and zombies are a common thing and exorcist is a real occupation in Liyue, is really shy, he flushes easily whenever he speaks or is spoken to.

While Xingqiu, for all his maturity and politeness he has shown since they first met last night, is also a brilliant and knowledgeable lad when he not only narrates about the various shops they pass by, but also offers his own insight when Kaeya asks about the internal affairs of Liyue Harbour off-handedly.

A brillant, knowledgeable and cunning young man. For Kaeya notices how Xingqiu has deflected the probing questions by Childe in such fineness that Kaeya feels like he is looking at his mirror self when he was trying to extract information from his target.

But in spite of the maturity the young gentleman carries himself with, he still has a side of mischievousness. As evidenced by the way he would try to play pranks on his shy friend. Not the bully-type pranks, but the light-hearted ones that are only shared between the best of friends.

It reminds him of his own childhood that had come and gone a little too fast for his liking. It reminds him of Diluc and himself when they were young. It reminds him of moments that he knows he would never experience again, even if, by some miracle, Diluc decides to forgive him.

He shakes away his depressing thoughts to focus on the present.

Their unlikely group of four has gained quite a number of curious glances from the residents of the city. Kaeya notes that some of those glances are in fact wary looks directed at the Fatui Harbinger.

But Childe doesn't seem to mind at all, in fact, he looks like he is having the time of his life playing his game of wits with Xingqiu, embarrassing Chongyun, but taking care to never cross the line to make the young exorcist uncomfortable, and striking up inane yet interesting conversations with him.

When he asks the Harbinger about the man's treatment of Chongyun, Childe's eyes light up in a way that somehow makes his dull eyes, where light keeps bouncing off of, brighter as he talks about having a brother with similar age as Xingqiu and Chongyun.

He then remembers Aether telling him that Childe loves his family very much.

When he mentions that, the man starts talking about his family happily. Even Xingqiu and Chongyun are interested in the stories the Harbinger tells of his family.

Childe is really very different from the other Fatui Harbingers he's had the misfortune to meet before. Straightforward is a fitting word to describe him. It is also clear that the man loves his family very much, as evidenced by the joyous expression the Snezhnayan is wielding when he talks about his family.

It is not his business, nor does he want it to be, but he feels curious about the circumstances that lead the man to become a Fatui Harbinger. Though he never voices his question. It may seem weird, but he respects how Childe never asks any personal question of him and never pushes when he skims over questions that were too close to overstepping this fine line they have drawn since they first met yesterday morning.

The tour itself is also superb. Xingqiu, as the second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, is able to point out the shops with higher quality merchandise. Childe, also a foreigner who had also been to Liyue before, makes good suggestions when it comes to buying souvenirs.

Kaeya is surprised to learn from Xingqiu that apparently Liyue's culture is to slash price when making a purchase, and when he makes a comment on how Zhongli had done the exact opposite, Childe lets out a boisterous laugh and tells him that Zhongli is just special in his own way.

Xingqiu frowns. "Did Mister Zhongli make you pay for him because he forgot his wallet?"

"He did forget to bring money on some of the days. But he did have his wallet on him when we went to shopping and used his own money to buy-"

Please take this earring as a token of thanks for showing me around.

These are my Windblumes to you.

"-stuff." He finishes lamely while trying to push back those particular pieces of memory.

Childe hums thoughtfully. "I never imagine I would ever hear Xiansheng using his own money to buy," he pauses, curls his lips to show his teeth and grins at him like a predator, "stuff."

He tries to will the flush he feels creeping up his neck to go away. Xingqiu, a boy too matured for his own good, seems to have caught on, but before the boy could say anything to tease him about it, and he swears that's what the bluenette with that mischievous penchant is going to do, if that glint that passes over his eyes is any indication, Chongyun speaks up.

"I am glad to hear that Mister Zhongli is finally able to correct his bad habit."

Bless the young exorcist and his innocent soul. He doesn't want to even imagine what would happen if he's left alone with these two- these two beasts.

.

Xinyue Kiosk, as always, is full of patrons during lunchtime. As the most authentic restaurant for Yue cuisine, the internal furnishings of the restaurant are extremely grand compared to a family restaurant like the Wanmin Restaurant. Due to its high reputation, it is rather expensive to dine in this restaurant and it always has a three-month wait list.

Though none of this matters when you have one of the Fatui Harbingers in the group.

"If it's just you and Xiansheng, I doubt you would be able to dine here." Childe comments after they followed the seater to a room he reserved just this morning and got seated. Ah, the perks of being a faithful servant of Her Majesty.

"Because of the three-month wait list that Chongyun just mentioned?" Kaeya asks.

"Nah, Xiangsheng has quite a lot of connections, if he wants, I am sure he could find the right person," he gestures towards Xingqiu, "like our little Feiyun master here, to help him make a quick reservation like I did this morning."

"It's true that most of the wealthier groups in Liyue have a continuous reservation for at least one of the rooms in renowned restaurants such as the Xinyue Kiosk and the Liuli Pavilion, but the restaurants also have tables for walk-ins. I would have helped if Mister Zhongli asked, but I am sure Mister Zhongli would rather queue up outside than to trouble others for this." Xingqiu says.

He laughs. "True, other than my mora, Xiangsheng almost never asks for any favours from me. But I wasn't talking about that," he picks up the menu and passes it to Kaeya, "you will see what I meant once you read the menu."

The knight takes the menu with a raised eyebrow and starts reading its content. Soon the bluenette also starts chuckling.

"I see. Almost all the dishes in this restaurant have seafood in it." Kaeya says in amusement.

"Does Mister Zhongli hate seafood?" Chongyun asks.

"More like scared of it." He answers with a smirk.

"Is that so?" A gleam of something passes through Xingqiu's eyes. "Ah, but it's better to not get on Mister Zhongli's bad side, not that I have seen him angry at anyone else before."

"Oh Xingqiu, it's fine, go for it." The knight says with a smirk, amusement dancing in his visible eye.

"What?! No, Xingqiu, you aren't seriously thinking of pranking Mister Zhongli?" Chongyun asks his friend nervously. "And Kaeya, please stop encouraging him!" He squeaks.

He laughs loudly at that. Spending time in this mismatched group is really fun, though still not as fun as a full blown battle against strong components.

After they finish ordering lunch, which mostly consists of seafood, like Crystal Shrimp, Golden Crab, Fullmoon Egg and Golden Shrimp Balls, he changes their discussion topic to their afternoon activity.

"I suggest going to the wet market." He says. "This is the only day for us to go to places with marine products." He finishes with a wink.

The knight chuckles. "Sounds like a good idea. How about you two? Are you fine with this arrangement?"

"But you are the guest here…" Chongyun mumbles.

"Well, given this new piece of information about Mister Zhongli, wouldn't it be better to persuade him to go there with us tomorrow?"

He really likes this mischievous streak of the Feiyun lad.

"Xingqiu!" The young exorcist gasps.

Kaeya chuckles. "As much as I would like to agree with you, I think we should cut him some slack. In return, let me tell you the story about how a certain adorable kid managed to get Zhongli to come fishing with us in Mondstadt."

They laugh along as the knight tells them of Klee, a girl who likes to fish by throwing bombs into the lake, of how she used her adorable puppy eyes to make Xiansheng relents and the subsequent events leading to the normally reserved man letting out an 'unmanly' squeal. Even Chongyun, the shy boy who gets nervous so easily, is laughing along with the rest of them.

The food they ordered arrived in the middle of Kaeya's storytelling.

And after the knight finishes, he expresses his interest in this fish-blasting that this cute girl called Klee loves to use. He then proceeds to tell the others about his hobby of ice-fishing.

It feels really nice to talk to others like this.

Back in Snezhnayan, he is either the big brother of a huge family or the superior that people admire but don't dare get too close to. During his last stay here, his only friend was the consultant, who later turned out to be the Geo Archon who had been lying to him the whole time. The only other person he could call a comrade is Aether, but the blond is a traveller and hard to meet up with.

When he received the mission to befriend Kaeya and found that the man is a captain of the Knight of Favonius, he cursed Signora and Il Dottore for making his job harder than it already was.

With the bad blood between the Knight of Favonius and the Fatui, he thought he would need to get close to the knight through the consultant, even though the second part of his mission is to intercept the Geo Archon from doing whatever it is that affects Her Majesty's plan.

But Kaeya chose to talk to him over the archon for the majority of yesterday for some weird reason. And today, with the absence of the consultant and the addition of the two kids, he finds that he quite enjoys the 'befriending' part of his mission.

But getting too close to his target is never a good idea.

He doesn't really mind being hated by the 'friends' he makes during missions if that's what the endgame of those missions entail. He had been there and done it before. All he cares about is whether he can complete his mission and if he can get a good fight out of it.

The reactions of Aether and Zhongli were unexpected. And, even though he tells himself he doesn't need it, having someone he can call his comrades even after his mission ends actually feels quite nice.

With the abyssal power he can feel from Kaeya, he could only hope that the endgame of this mission wouldn't involve a certain crazed doctor who likes to perform human experimentations.

.

Lunch was superb. He doesn't want to sound like he's complaining, but he's glad that he could try out the seafood dishes of Liyue Harbour, something he would not be able to do if Zhongli is here. He's sure the sweet man wouldn't mind him ordering seafood for himself, but it would feel extremely awkward if it's just the two of them… especially since the portion of most dishes in Liyue is quite large as the Liyuen culture is to share the dish with others.

The stroll along the wet market is also quite an experience. He wonders if the other markets in Liyue are also so lively. Maybe he could ask Zhongli to take him to another one on a later day, the consultant did mention that they could go shop for groceries together then go to his home-

He immediately puts a stop to that particular train of thought. He doesn't want to suddenly get flustered and teased by Childe and Xingqiu again. And he doubts that would still happen with Childe's addition to their group anyway…

When they are about to finish their tour of the wet market, Xingqiu suddenly pauses. "Oh, it's Miss Ganyu."

Kaeya follows the teen's line of sight and finds a young woman with long blue hair, the shade of blue is similar to Eula, but they are still of a different hue, leaning against the railings facing the sea. On her head are a pair of stylish dark red headdresses with bright markings on them. The contrast in colour brings out the blue shade of her hair quite well.

"The yellowish orange colour of the leaf from sandbearer trees would have complimented your hair quite perfectly."

He almost groans as another piece of memory about Zhongli replays itself in his mind.

"-secretary to the Liyue Qixing." He manages to catch the last part of Xingqiu's words once his mind returns to the present.

They follow Xingqiu to where the secretary is leaning against the railing of the harbour.

"Miss Ganyu, a pleasure to meet you here." The boy begins with a tone that people his age don't usually use but somehow fits the teen quite well.

Ganyu slowly turns around, not at all surprised by Xingqiu's greetings.

"Oh hello there." The secretary gives their group a once-over before settling her gaze on him. "Have we met before? You look kind of familiar."

He blinks, he is sure he has never seen this young woman before, so maybe she's asking about the others? But then why is she looking at him?

Xingqiu sighs. "Miss Ganyu, have you forgotten about me already? I am Xinqiu, second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, we last conversed after your meeting with my father two weeks ago." Xingqiu asks.

Ganyu smiles at Xingqiu. "Of course I remember you, Xingqiu. I also remember your friend here. Chongyun, right?"

"It is an honor to be remembered by one of the fabled adepti that protects Liyue." Chongyun bows respectfully.

An adeptus? This girl…? Now that he takes a closer look, he could see that the dark red protrusions from the sides of her head are actually horns and not hair ornaments.

The adeptus, Ganyu, turns towards Childe and frowns. "Aren't you the Fatui Harbinger who-" she pauses and shakes her head before looking at the man again, this time with slightly hardened eyes. "I hope you are not here to cause trouble again."

The ginger head chuckles. "Don't worry, that's not what I am here for. I promise that if any trouble arises during my stay here, it wouldn't be caused by me."

Kaeya raises an eyebrow at the reply. Is this man for real? That doesn't sound reassuring at all.

Ganyu simply gives a curt nod to acknowledge Childe's words and shifts her gaze towards him.

Wait, if she's an adeptus, then-

His thoughts are cut off when Ganyu tilts her head to the side and starts to speak. "You never answered my question, have we met before?"

His mind comes to a halt. So she was indeed directing her question at him just now. Was she also there when Morax sealed his eye? Is that why she thinks he's familiar?

"Oh I remember!" He can see recognition lights up in those heterochromatic eyes that must be another non-human trait of the adeptus.

He suppresses the urge to frown. He thought there's some hidden rule of not talking about his heritage in front of others for the adepti? Or is it just Xiao who had enough tact to keep it under wraps? If Ganyu is really going to-

"My, look at how much you have grown. I am so happy to see you growing up into such a fine and handsome young man." Ganyu suddenly beams at him.

What?

Apparently he's not the only one baffled at those words. For he can see the others watching their exchange with wide eyes out of the corner of his eye.

His brain is still thinking up a reply when Ganyu continues. "Why are you with Xingqiu and the others? If you are not with Re-"

"Ganyu! There you are!" Another voice calls out, cutting off the adeptus.

Kaeya turns around to locate the source of the voice and sees another young woman with long salmon pink hair and a large red and black xiezhi hat on top coming towards them. And, now that he knows what to look for, he could tell that she is another adeptus by the pair of cream coloured… antlers? on the side of her head.

Are there really so many adepti in Liyue Harbour that it's so easy to come across not just one, but three of them, if Gouba counts, in just two days?

"Hello Yanfei, are you looking for me?"

The newcomer, who is now identified as Yanfei, sighs. "Did you forget our appointment?"

Ganyu rests a finger on her chin as she looks at the distance thoughtfully. "On legal matters? I thought we finished reviewing all our contracts last month?"

"It seems you have really forgotten about our afternoon tea appointment with Granny."

The blue haired adeptus claps her hands together. "Oh! Afternoon tea with Madame Ping sounds nice. It's been quite a while since I last visited her." She exclaims.

Yanfei lightly shakes her head, a tiny smile playing on her lips. She turns towards them.

"Sorry for pulling Ganyu away when you were chatting. Xingqiu, Chongyun, … Childe, the Eleventh Fatui Harbinger, right? And…"

"Kaeya, Cavalry Captain of the Knight of Favonius in Mondstadt, here to visit Liyue for leisure." He is glad he can have the chance to introduce himself. He wonders if this adeptus also knows about him, and that she was actually doing some damage control because of Ganyu's slip.

"Oh, a fellow captain of Eula? Is this your first time to Liyue? I am Yanfei, a legal advisor." She fishes out a card and gives it to him. "Here's my business card. Come look for me if you are ever in need of any legal advice. I offer a very generous discount for first-time customers and-" she pauses and gives him a sheepish look, "sorry, work habit."

"It's alright." He says. "It just tells me how passionate you are at your chosen occupation." He pockets the name card. "Though I doubt I will need any legal advice while I am in Liyue, I will keep your card, thanks. So you know Eula? And yes, it is my first time here."

Yanfei nods. "She saved me once and we've kept up correspondence ever since. And don't be so sure that you won't need any advice from me. Liyue is a nation of contracts. It's actually more often than you might think for tourists to accidentally overlook or misinterpret a term or two when signing contracts, both on paper and verbally, be it an honest mistake or a well-laid trap by some less than savory merchants. Even locals sometimes find themselves ending up in some kind of feud due to the terms in a poorly drawn contract."

He whistles. "You sound like an expert in this field."

"Yanfei is one of the best legal experts in Liyue Harbour. Both Qixing and the Feiyun Commerce Guild have been using her service since a long time ago." Xingqiu says.

She winks at Xingqiu. "Thanks Xingqiu. Sorry that I can't stay to chat, please send my regards to you father." Then to Ganyu. "Let's go, Ganyu, don't make Granny wait too long."

"Wait." Childe suddenly speaks up. "Miss Ganyu, I am curious about what you said about Kaeya just now, so you know him since he was a child?"

He raises an eyebrow at the Snezhnayan, what is he playing at?

"Oh, is that so, Ganyu?" Yanfei turns towards her friend. "You know this gentleman from Mondstadt? But he's never been to Liyue before… did you happen to have met him in Mondstadt before?"

Ganyu blinks twice at Yanfei before shifting her gaze towards him, an intense look of concentration falls over her.

A while later she covers her mouth with both of her hands and gasps with wide eyes. "I am so sorry, you just look so much like another kid one of my friends once took care of that I mistook you as him."

"Forgive Ganyu, she's always been quite forgetful." The legal consultant adds.

"It's fine, don't worry about it." He waves dismissively. He is a hundred percent certain now that most of the adepti in Liyue know of him and are under some rules, or maybe a contract, seeing as it's Liyue, to just leave him be.

Ganyu smiles at him. "Kaeya, is it? I hope you enjoy your time in Liyue."

.

Zhongli rereads the new funeral arrangements he just drafted.

When Hu Tao said that this client is quite demanding, he didn't think it would be this demanding. One of the most treasured customs of Liyue is the tradition for their rituals and ceremonies. What this client wants, although still abides to the tradition, is a bit bizarre even for him.

But even so, he agrees wholeheartedly with Hu Tao when the young director instructs her staff to respect their clients' wishes and not insist on any particular form of funeral.

"Some clients want nothing more than a peaceful ceremony, some opt for a more lively style of event. There are also wealthier clients who would request a funeral arrangement of the most pompous kind. The services we provide have to be tailor-made according to the clients' needs."

It is precisely because of this attitude of the normally playful girl, coupled by her dignified and solemn side whenever she gets down to business, that he knows Hu Tao, despite her young age, would be able to shoulder the heavy responsibility of leading the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor just like her predecessors.

Hu Tao could easily become someone he enjoys working with, if only she could contain her eccentricity better and stop pranking and making fun of others that much.

He sighs tiredly when the door to his office is barged open and the predictable director saunters into his room with a mischievous grin.

Predictable, because he knows Hu Tao wouldn't just leave him alone after what she saw in Wuwang Hill, like a certain annoying bard.

The girl looks at him slyly. "Zhongli, I never thought a dusty old man like you would have it in you. I mean, you only went to Mondstadt for several days, and you already managed to get yourself such an awesome boyfriend. Have you slept with him yet? I want little Kaeyas running around so I can start training them into future undertakers! Oh, I just want the little Kaeyas, feel free to keep the little Zhonglis to yourself."

He groans. "This is NOT how it works."

He thought he was prepared for the teasing that would be on par with the Anemo Archon, how naive he has been.

"Ehh, why?" Hu Tao whines. "Aren't you an adeptus? I thought adepti are able to do something like that?"

An eye twitch. "Just where did you get this idea from?"

"The part about you being an adeptus?" The girl shrugs. "It's not like you are actively hiding it. As for the other part…"

She takes out a book from the folds of her clothes and proudly thrusts it towards him. "Xingqiu bought this amazing novel from Inazuma and had his people ship it all the way here. It's one of the latest popular light novels published by the Yae Publishing House. Too bad Xingqiu didn't like it the moment he found out that the main protagonist is male and decided to give it to me."

He reads the title of the novel.

Life After I Got Impregnated By An Adeptus

He messages his temples as visages of a certain sly kitsune surface in his mind. Why is he always surrounded by people with a penchant for mischief who like to torment him? Even Yae, someone who's in another nation and one who he hasn't seen in ages, manages to find a way to give him headaches.

"Director Hu," he begins with a relatively serious tone, or as serious as one can get when facing the eccentric girl, "this is just a novel, none of the things mentioned in it is real."

Hu Tao blinks. "None of them are real? Are you saying that Ganyu is not a real adeptus? And what about the part where the adepti are beings that have been protecting Liyue since a long time ago? Are those also not true?"

"Well, that's…"

"So the things written in this novel are real then, right? Then you can-"

"No!" He growls out. "At least that part is not real."

"Bu- but! Are you reeeeaaally sure you can't?"

He stares at his boss impassively.

"Ehhh, you are such a killjoy…" The girl pouts. "I was really looking forward to keeping the little Kaeyas all to myself."

That pout is short-lived when it's suddenly replaced by a gleeful grin. "No matter, tell me all the juicy details! You didn't deny it, so does that mean you already slept with him? When is the wedding? You will invite me, right?"

"Please stop harassing your employees about their personal life." He says sternly.

"Ehhhh." The director whines again. "But isn't it a good thing for the boss to get to know more about their employees and help them out whenever they need it? Something about the importance of having a strong employer and employee relationship and whatnot. I am just trying to be a supportive boss here."

Another eye twitch.

"So, have you-"

"No." He growls out. "And he is not my 'boyfriend'."

She gasps. "Wait, are you saying that you two aren't even together yet? And that you haven't made any progress?! Not even a kiss?! Is that why you are in such a grumpy mood? This won't do, I am sure Xingqiu and I can come up with somethi-"

"Get out and go harass someone else." He punctuates each and every word to get his point across. "And no, I don't need your help."

Author's Note:

The one shot I mentioned in the notes of chapter 2-6 is posted in my AO3 account! Remember to check it out if you want some real ZhongKae stuff (well, I know I am dying for them to finally get together (+_+))

Hu Tao, such an amazing girl! She's even more awesome than Venti when it comes to annoying Zhongli }:‑)

And Yae, my new second favorite queen in Genshin after Hu Tao ( ∀ ) even if you don't have screen time in my fic, I am still glad at least your name can make an appearance in my fic and annoy the hell out of Zhongli (ノ^_^)ノ

Btw, I have good news and bad news. Good news (well… at least I think it's good news) is that I will post a short ZhongKae story in my AO3 account (emm... I noticed not much ppl are reading this fic in ... so I suppose not much ppl is interested in ZhongKae here... so...) during the ZhongKae week (23-30 Nov), an extremely short chapter per day. Bad news is that the next chapter will be out in 2 weeks' time due to this other story .