Zhongli found pleasure in the most mundane and routine things. Such as his morning coffee or his afternoon tea. There were always new various coffee beans he had yet to try as well as nostalgic flavors of tea that greeted him like old friends. He found that being a professor was a rewarding occupation. He came to the university early and prepared for his class day. Getting to meet new students each year made excitement bloom in his heart like oolong pearls blossoming in hot water. This year was no different.

Seeing the enthusiasm of youths brought joy and fulfillment to Zhongli.

As usual, the first few weeks were filled with students overflowing with questions. Zhongli patiently answered them, happy to see so many young students filled with curiosity. Curiosity always made Zhongli excited. He loved watching the faces of his students as their minds were opened to new ideas and fresh views of the world. It was why Zhongli decided to take on an occupation to broaden the horizons of others while also broadening his own view. No question was too small for Zhongli. All questions were valid. If a student needed to repeat a question then Zhongli believed he did not do a thorough job explaining. He would try his best to reexplain in different ways until the student came to an understanding.

Even if some questions were clearly pranks or 'trollish' as the latest modern linguo labeled it, Zhongli took his time to learn and understand how to appropriately answer them. After all, Zhongli understood that it was him who was behind on the times and he should try to adjust accordingly. Life should be about evolving with the times instead of being stagnant. Once one grew too complacent and stopped learning, that was when erosion began.

Zhongli found much contentment with his life. He was surrounded by bright young people and teaching them while being taught in turn. He truly believed that he was living as both a part of history and a part of society. He hoped by doing so, he could enrich his own life as well as others. It was indeed a satisfying retirement for someone like 'him.'

Although he does his best to get to every single student and their questions, there were times when he failed to do so. One particular student caught Zhongli's attention.

Liyue University was well known for its economics, commerce, and law. It was still nowhere as famous as the Akademiya in Sumeru. Thus, most of its students were Liyuean with few neighboring countries such as Inazuma and Mondstat. To find anyone from as far as Natlan or Snezhnaya was quite rare. Among the sea of dark hair, a bright orange flash of ginger stood out like a carrot in a field of young, dark bamboo shoots.

Not to mention, this particular carrot decided to sit front and center, the desk that the most studious and arduous students tended to occupy. Zhongli always noticed and remembered his students but he was particularly fond of any students who sat in that spot. Repetitive history had proven to him that the student who sat at that desk was always the most engrossed in his lessons.

It wasn't at all surprising when he noticed that particular carrot head poke out amongst the crowd during his office hours. Even though Zhongli tried his best to get through everyone's questions, he couldn't. That ginger boy always lingered until the end but never forcefully pushed himself to the front of the crowd for his turn.

As the days went by, Zhongli noticed him more and more. The fact that the young man always sat in the same spot meant he must come early enough to secure that seat before anyone else could take it. He was either too polite or too shy to push through the other students during office hours. Zhongli mentioned that an email was fine a few times out loud to the group but he never got any emails and the young man continued to come each day but left with his question unanswered.

Zhongli couldn't help but be concerned for his student. The young man was definitely one of the most passionate students as he brought a kamera after the first day. Zhongli was pleased to see that. Not many went to the length of recording Zhongli's lessons. Or perhaps it was an indication that the young man did need more hands-on help.

So after a few weeks, Zhongli decided to take the matter into his own hands. He came early to class and waited as he sipped his tea and reviewed his materials.

Sure enough, the young man with fiery orange hair was the first to enter his class. Zhongli couldn't help but smile. It really did make his heart bloom with happiness to see such eagerness in a young man.

When realizing that the question was regarding the formation of the Chasm, Zhongli completely understood. Of course, a young foreign boy would have difficulties with this topic. The formation of the Chasm also required an extensive vocabulary of the various rocks along with tectonic movements. It would be very difficult for someone to read and understand without the background information children who grew up in Liyue received. Zhongli made a mental note of this for the future.

The young man must be shy, Zhongli decided as he watched the student stammer through his question and blush. He never raised his hand to speak either. The ginger had a handsome face so he was surely a head-turner for many people his age. Though his clothes weren't tight it was obvious that he had an athletic body. A shy, handsome young man… Zhongli found his idiosyncrasy rather cute.

After class Zhongli sat in his office to draft the first text of the semester based on the materials they've covered. He wasn't fond of pop quizzes as he was a firm believer that some people need more time to soak in information. He also preferred essay questions over multiple-choice tests. It may take him longer to grade but he loved reading everyone's different ways to approach the same topic. He was deciding which prompt he should use for the quarterly test. He had so many passionate and enthusiastic students this year as well so Zhongli felt proud as he mulled over his choices for the essay topics.

There was a polite knock on the door which interrupted Zhongli's thought process.

"Come in."

Zhongli looked up and smiled as he saw awkward carrot hair poke into the room followed by that cute, nervous face. Ah, was it already that time?

"...Thank you for lending me your time, Professor." The young man entered and closed the door behind him.

What a polite and courteous young man! It was so refreshing to see such a humble young student these days.

"It is my pleasure." Zhongli smiled at him. "Please, make yourself comfortable."

Although he said this and lifted his hand to gesture toward the sitting area, the sofa was occupied with stacks of books. In fact, his office room looked more like a museum storage room. Every wall had a bookshelf which had multiple layers of books stacked on top of each other. Zhongli also used novelty items as book ends so there were small statues, fans, cups, bottles, globe of Teyvat, a scale, tea pots and other unusually shaped objects cluttering the shelves, making it look even less organized. Every corner had a vase or statue and more books were stacked on top of or next to them. Even on the window sill were a variety of books, potted plants, and other strange items that didn't quite look like they belonged with the rest. However, the office did not smell dusty as Zhongli often opened the windows for fresh air. Not to mention, the lovely glaze lilies by the window gave a nice scent that wafted through the room.

Zhongli was quite proud of his office. It wasn't a clutter to him but a collection.

The young man took his time, scooting closer to the sofa. Then he picked up a few books to carefully stack them all in one corner and sat down.

Zhongli checked his teapot and luckily it was warm and still had plenty of tea to share. He got up to sit next to his student on the sofa with his book and the pot of tea. He poured the young man a cup then opened up the textbook.

"I hope I am not being presumptuous by saying that I hope you are not in a hurry." Zhongli looked over at the young man.

"N-no! No, I…no." The young student clutched the front of his shirt as if that could somehow stop his stuttering. How adorable.

The student lifted up the teacup to sip only to pause right before drinking it.

"This is… a flower tea. I've never tasted something like this. It doesn't taste like green or oolong?" He asked as he took a whiff of the sweet and gentle aroma.

"Correct. It is an osmanthus flower tea. I'm quite fond of it as of late." Zhongli was quite impressed. A foreign young man who appreciated Liyuean tea. He couldn't help but find him interesting.

The student blew a bit before sipping it. Zhongli watched calmly as his student appreciated the beauty of the delicate tea.

"It's… delicious." The young man seemed to be in awe.

"Thank you. I grew and dried those flower petals myself."

Zhongli couldn't help but brag. It was rare for him to have someone to share a simple cup of tea with. He didn't have enough to share with the hoards of students who flooded his office hours and those moments were too chaotic for a delicate flavor such as this. He was happy to receive such a compliment.

"You have a garden?" The young man quickly glanced at the window which only had glaze lilies.

"Ah, not quite. At home, I have a small balcony. It's not really even a balcony as there's no space for me to step out but it is enough for a few planters. I have a few flowers."

"That's incredible…"

"It is nothing really. It's as simple as sunlight, water, and care." Zhongli felt a faint flush in his heart. He could feel his heart bloom just a little with happiness that someone appreciated such a small gesture. It had been a while since someone had…

Zhongli decided to put a stop to that train of thought.

"I know you've been trying to meet with me for some time now," Zhongli confessed, still feeling quite guilty that he didn't reach out sooner. "In my efforts to make myself approachable to all, I've made it difficult for you to speak over the crowd."

An unfortunate side-effect. But Zhongli wished to remedy this. A private lesson should suffice for a student as passionate about learning as this young man. A good professor should be available to all.

"I…" The young man spoke up before pausing. He hesitated before choosing his words carefully. "Well, it is just the first few weeks and everyone probably had more important questions than mine…"

"Nonsense. No questions, especially related to the lesson, are unimportant." Zhongli shook his head. "Your questions are as valid as others. Please, do ask me as many questions as you need until you reach an understanding." Zhongli insisted. Such a shy student should be encouraged to speak up, Zhongli was sure of it.

"You are a transfer student, correct?" Zhongli asked as he started flipping the pages of the textbook.

The young man nodded. "Yes, Snezhnaya."

"Ah." Zhongli nodded.

That would explain his hair color and his complexion. Zhongli had a feeling but it was nice to have a confirmation. He could hear the young man quietly sip his tea and enjoying it. It was pleasant.

"How are you adjusting?" Zhongli couldn't help but ask another personal question.

He was also a firm believer that a teacher should not just be a guide for knowledge but also for the soul. It would trouble him if this young man wasn't adjusting well to the culture here. Snezhnaya and Liyue were quite different even in the most mundane daily routines.

"It's…going." The young man replied.

'Going. It's going.' Zhongli repeated in his head. That was no good. He turned to give the young man his full attention as his eyes gazed over him seriously.

"I would like you to feel comfortable in coming to me in the future. You have my ears."

The timid young man and an international student. Zhongli would have to keep his eyes on him. He probably had a hard time relating to others in this foreign land. Zhongli felt ashamed that he had assumed that due to the young man's handsome looks, he wouldn't have any problems fitting in here. Due to Zhongli's long years, he had forgotten what it was like being this boy's age. He too was once young, just out of puberty and entering into adulthood. Everything was uncertain for him as well. Not quite an adult and yet expected to be one. He remembered how it felt to be a hatchling in a world of adults. And to be so far from home - Zhongli felt the tug on his heartstrings.

"Your name is… Ajax, if I'm remembering correctly?" Zhongli asked.

He had looked at his student roster. Although it was a list, it was the only name that stood out as non-Liyuean and non-Inazuman.

"Childe." The young man replied and then his eyes widened as he quickly backtracked. "Ah! I mean A-Ajax is fine."

"Childe?" Zhongli asked faintly amused. "Is that a nickname?"

"Ah… kind of…" The young man who just called himself 'Childe' looked as if he wanted to crawl into a hole.

"Childe like… a young master? What a peculiar nickname." Zhongli asked to confirm. He didn't mean to tease and he wanted to be respectful but he couldn't help but feel so comfortable around this student.

"It's just a weird nickname I picked up back at home…" The young man named Childe, fidgeted and looked away.

"Mm. Then I will call you 'Childe' if that is what you like." Zhongli simply agreed. Then he looked back to the textbook in his hand. "How have the lessons been for you? I know you record them. Is listening or visuals your method of learning?"

"I, well. Truthfully, I am not very good at history. It usually goes over my head. I had a tutor back at home for history and math." Childe explained. Zhongli nodded.

"I see. Thank you for telling me." Zhongli was relieved that Childe could confide in him on this. "What is your major? Or an interest of yours outside the classroom?"

If he knew what Childe liked, then perhaps he could try to use that as a way to reach him with the lessons.

"Martial arts is my interest but…" Childe replied and it confirmed Zhongli's hypothesis regarding this young man's well-formed body. Nice muscles but not too much. Just the right amount.

Childe continued, "There's really no major for something like that." He laughed ruefully.

"My… family, you could say, they sort of want me to do business so… I'm a business major. For now."

"Hmm, I see." Was it a complicated family problem? It was always unfortunate to see when a youth was unable to pursue their dream due to their parent's self-interest. Zhongli's heartstrings were tugged again

But… martial arts and business. Both of these could relate to ancient civilization in plenty of ways. Though the student didn't sound too enthusiastic about business, many things could still happen. The future was a strange thing.

"I've always had a particular interest in ancient civilizations." Zhongli shared as he sipped his tea once more.

"Although people call them 'ancient', to me, they are like revisiting old friends. They are like memories that are with you that you revisit once in a while fondly. They never quite go away as they are part of you. So, ancient civilizations… are something that is not so distant. They've always been there. One just has to pick up a book and revisit them as they never truly disappeared."

Although the formation of the Chasm was pretty far from martial arts or business, Zhongli would try to find a way. Starting with the passage that Childe had difficulties with.

"So, in this particular paragraph," Zhongli finally started his lesson. "It is explaining how 6,000 years ago a star fell from the sky. The star, or rather, the meteorite, was made up of a particular alien ore and its contact with our air and our rocks caused an explosion so deep, along with the impact, moved these tectonic plates…"

Zhongli tried to explain the paragraph instead of simply reading it out loud. It was a thick and verbose paragraph. Zhongli tried his best to simplify the passage. "Does this make sense?"

The young man stared at him for a moment. "I… um, I think so."

Zhongli's eyes grew thoughtful. "Would it be more beneficial if you recorded me?"

Childe looked as if he would have a heart attack. Zhongli couldn't help but chuckle at such an honest reaction. "I do not mind. If you need to record or take notes to help you learn so be it."

Childe's eyes flickered downcast. "I did not bring my kamera."

"Mm, I see. Then the next time we meet, if it is alright with you, we should record more. Is it my voice that you need or…?"

"V-voice…" Childe replied. Zhongli smiled. "Then we shall meet again and let's record it properly. But for now, let's go over the material to see if you understand."

Childe nodded. Happy to oblige, Zhongli continued his explanation as he tried to simplify his words for his students. Childe didn't ask questions. He listened intently though. From time to time, Zhongli would pause and ask, "Does this make sense?" and only then would his student answer yes, no, or ask a short question to reexplain some things.

Zhongli noticed that Childe was leaning closer and closer and then suddenly he jerked himself upright.

"Ah, I should head back. You probably have a lot of things to do and… I think I understood most of it…"

Zhongli blinked in surprise. They were getting along splendidly, he wasn't sure what made his student abruptly end the meeting. He looked up from his book and noticed that it had gotten darker outside.

"...Ah, I will not keep you. Enjoy the rest of the day."

"Thank you for the tea." Childe gulped down the rest of the cooled tea, much to Zhongli's amusement, before he took his backpack and hurried out.

Perhaps he was hungry. It was close to dinner time and Childe was still a growing boy. No matter, Zhongli thought they made excellent progress.

Zhongli closed the book and stood up. It was time for him to go home as well.

'That was close!' Childe thought to himself as he rushed out. He was charmed by his professor's beautiful voice. It was musical with a certain tempo and flow… and his lips! The way those lips moved and he couldn't help but stare as he inched closer and closer… almost wishing to taste such delectable…

Childe sighed as he came to a stop from his mad dash out of the building. He leaned against a tree.

He knew that tonight, he was going to bust his nut thinking of Zhongli and what happened today.