Shenhe realized that the liquid dripping off her knuckles was not blood, but was instead soy sauce, and that which lay broken under her hand were not bones, but porcelain. That was when she re-emerged from her hazy bloodlust and remembered that she had been standing at the bar of a street-side food vendor in Chihu Rock. And now all eyes around her regarded her with shock and fear. Again.

Shenhe hadn't even gotten her order of tea yet, but she did not delude herself into thinking she was going to get it now. She left her payment on the counter, left extra for the damages, and left the vendor. She could not remember what it was that stirred her violent tendencies this time, but she did not endeavor to investigate.

The murmurs of the crowds became a dull buzz in Shenhe's ears, while the sun bled into the red-painted wood of the buildings. Despite the vendors hawking their wares to every passerby, she felt that they did not address her as she walked past. It made her feel like a solitary snowflake passing through at the start of spring.

All that Shenhe had wanted was to enjoy a drink in a social setting. She didn't necessarily need to talk with anyone, just to be around people and to be one of them. But she now felt very distant to this idea, both mentally and literally, as went northeast, through Feiyun Slope, out of the harbor, and hiked up the mountain path where the wind drowned out the sound of people.

Just as she considered returning to Cloud Retainer's abode to brew a bitter tea of Qingxin, Shenhe noticed a tall, dark figure walking down the mountain path, opposite of her. She recognized him as the same time he recognized her.

"Mr. Zhongli. Hello," Shenhe greeted politely with a respectful nod. It was the only polite gesture she managed to get the hang of.

"Good afternoon, Shenhe," he responded and returned her nod. "It is good to see you."

Zhongli was a close friend of her master, and she had seen him dine with the other adepti. He seemed to be an ordinary man, though he spoke as if he was much, much older than he looked. And he surely wasn't very ordinary, since not many people were close friends with adepti. Then again, she was a human raised by an adeptus, so who was she to talk?

"It is a rare sight to see you outside of Mt. Aocang," Zhongli commented, getting her attention. There was nothing mocking in his gaze, and instead a slight curiosity as he asked, "Were you headed to somewhere in particular?"

"Back to Mt. Aocang," she answered coarsely. "I was getting tea. Or, am getting it."

Shenhe didn't like small talk. She felt uncertain what was too much or too little to say. She hoped to just be on her way. However, for better or for worse, her answer seemed to pique Zhongli's interest.

"So, you have not had anything to drink yet? I should like to offer a recommendation."

Shenhe was hesitant, but curious. She asked, "Is it along the way?"

"It is a bit of a walk, over in the city of Mondstadt."

She didn't stop herself from scoffing, "That seems like far more than 'a bit of a walk.'"

Unfortunately, Shenhe didn't catch her rude tone before it was too late. However, Zhongli, as with most things, was unfazed.

He simply responded, "That may be so, but I would still say it is worth the extra mile. The tea I had there was nothing short of exquisite."

As untrained in social interactions as Shenhe was, she knew enough that any praise from Zhongli was well-earned. Even still, the thought of traversing to a new place for a potential repeat of what happened in Chihu Rock seemed far less-appealing.

Shenhe glanced away, with her eye drifting to where a lone crane stood at a cliff's edge, preening. She answered, "I'm…not sure if I am feeling up for being surrounded by unfamiliar faces at this time."

There was a knowing glint in his eye like Cor Lapis hidden in the rocks.

He said to her, "But I believe there would be at least two familiar faces there for you."

Shenhe looked surprised and wary, "What do you mean?"

He answered, "The Traveler and Paimon are working there as bartenders in-training. They were actually the ones to serve me my tea. I'm sure they will still be there, should you decide to go."

Shenhe felt her heart skip, and it almost spooked her. She remembered how kind and patient they both were with her. Those two were the first people that Shenhe felt she could call her friends, and she didn't realize how much her heart ached to meet with them again.

"…Where did you say this place was?" Shenhe asked.

"It is a tavern called Angel's Share. Allow me to provide you directions," Zhongli said and went into great detail. Perhaps more than needed, but as long as it got Shenhe to the right place, she was okay with that.

"Thank you, Mr. Zhongli," she said, her gratitude genuine. Shenhe did, however, forget to give a proper goodbye as she hurried off. Zhongli didn't mind. He smiled lightly as she left. All the while, the solitary crane on the cliff took flight, to join with a flock that flew by.

END


CatCrescent: This might be the shortest thing I've written so far. It was all inspired by one line that Shenhe said during the event, where she mentioned that Zhongli gave her directions. I got really curious thinking of how that interactions might've looked like. When I was playing the event, I really wasn't expecting Shenhe of all people to appear, but it turned out to be really sweet.

If you guys haven't partaken in the event yet, I highly recommend it! It's very fun and has a lot of fun character interactions in it.

Also, it appears that Shenhe is not yet an available character tag in FanFiction. Once it is available, I'll update the story.