It had been one mounth since Childe first arrived in Liyue. During those four weeks, the Fatui had worked every morning and even a few afternoons, managing the bank's affairs and interviews with colleagues. During his free time, however, he had not yet managed to move from the capital. He had waited a long time to free himself from commitments to follow Zhongli on his tours around Liyue, and finally that moment had arrived.

It almost seemed to Zhongli that the boy had lived in their city for a lifetime. He had become so used to meeting him for lunch every day that he could no longer remember what it was like to have a meal without him fighting with chopsticks, making jokes, and pleasantly breaking the rhythm of his days. Fortunately, he had already managed to take him to the mountains just behind Liyue and took him to listen to some storyteller in the evening.

A couple of times, Chongyun, Hu Tao, Xinyan, Xiangling, and Xinyan had joined them for lunch. Even Ganyu had wanted to meet him, accompanying them on a walk near her workplace. By now, for the people of Liyue, seeing Childe by Zhongli's side became expected. Whether it was to invite him to drink tea or bring him a new book to read, to take a break after work or simply listen to him talk...Childe had relaxed more and more in his presence, and had abandoned the initial, secretive formality of inviting him to spend time together.

Often during their conversations, he forgot where he came from or no longer paid attention to the information that could leak to him about Snezhnaya. He was carried away so easily by their conversations that he felt light-headed. He began to give in to the happiness he felt while being welcomed by his smile as soon as he approached. Childe treated him like an old friend, as if talking to him were simple and enjoyable, even allowing himself to joke. Zhongli couldn't help but realize how comforting he found it as well.

"There you are! I have already ordered a plate of seafood, one with clams. No need to thank me."

When Zhongli heard Childe say that after a long half-day's work, he couldn't help but frown. Childe's ironic tone was evident, but the very idea of finding himself in front of such a dish horrified him. He loved his Liyue more than any other place in the world, but he couldn't deny that it had a huge flaw. Its proximity to the ocean brought foods that he just didn't like. Mainly, of course, seafood.

"I will throw myself from this balcony if that is true," he said, the hint of a sarcastic smile curling his lips as he sat down at the table with Childe. "I get the impression that I shouldn't have told you about my feelings toward seafood."

"So you'll throw yourself into the sea and find more seafood." Childe laughed, shaking his head, before pretending a serious expression. "You will never get rid of it. You are condemned to an eternity of clams and mussels."

"Sounds worse than a death sentence." Zhongli took the menu of the day, pleased to see that mint rolls were listed. "I must find something you cannot stand to eat, to make us even."

"Oh, really? I didn't think you were the vindictive type. I will have to be careful around you," Childe joked. His eyes squinted in an effort to decipher the menu, and then became illuminated by a mocking expression. "But I've got bad news. I really eat everything. In Morepesok, they have the worst food. Nothing much grows during the winter, and we always end up warming what we find." He shrugged carelessly before adding, more fiercely. "Borsch, however, is good. Don't get me wrong. I'm eating very well here in Liyue, but our borsch...."

"How do you prepare it?" Zhongli asked, genuinely intrigued, as Childe finished finding the dish to order from Xiangling. Childe talked about himself—his habits, his past—more than he realized, letting little details leak out in the midst of his conversations. Perhaps because he was now in a foreign land, he inevitably felt nostalgic and praised the positive traits of his culture and experiences in Snezhnaya, talking about them with ill-concealed enthusiasm.

"You can do it by varying the ingredients according to the season. My favorite dish, however, is the one with beets, Smetana, which has harsh cream, boiled meat, carrots, and potatoes," Childe listed, and then noticed Xiangling out of the corner of his eye as she was leaning over to eavesdrop in on the recipe. "After a day of throwing snowballs, sledding, or skating, it's fantastic." He took a sip from his glass of water. "Where are you taking me today? Maybe somewhere we can try something new?"

Zhongli listened intently, taking a drink himself. He tried picturing Childe immersed in the snow of Snezhnaya, doing carefree activities like the ones he had described. Who did he go to have fun with? Who made him so happy? Perhaps his brothers or the friend he occasionally mentioned? What had happened to make him so different, so dark and melancholy, when he mentioned joining up at fourteen?

"I don't see snow often. I admit that I would like to try walking in the mountains or in a forest on days when it falls thick and everything turns white. But here in Liyue, it is a very rare event," Zhongli said before quickly rummaging through the pockets of his coat to find, carefully folded, the map of Liyue that he had brought with him to show Childe the itinerary. Unfolding it on the table, he slid it over to him, indicating the points he proposed they visit.

"You told me you wanted to see the sea, right? And other interesting places. So, I came up with a plan," Zhongli explained, smiling at Childe's enthusiasm as the young man stood up, looking at the map full of expectations.

"Up here is Quince Village," Zhongli said, pointing to a spot on the map in the middle of several streams, the ground of which had been colored in different shades of green, yellow, and red. "A small, very picturesque village near the sea. There are fields of flowers as far as the eye can see and a walk near the shore with bamboo trees. From there, we can take a teleport to Mingyun Village, a mining town, from which we can reach the open ocean, to one of my favorite places," he admitted without hesitation.

Whenever he felt sad, sitting in front of the immensity of the ocean calmed him, as if the waves had the power to erase the melancholy from his heart like water on sand. Sometimes, he had managed to go there with Xiao, Ganyu, or even Barbatos who was the archon of Mondstadt, one of his long-time friends. He unfortunately had stopped showing up for some time, now in a long sleep. Every memory Zhongli had tied to the ocean had been positive, and Childe deserved to see a part of Liyue that he could keep in his heart when he got home.

"What's the name of your favorite place?" Childe asked while curiously observing the movement of his index finger on the map, already traveling to those places in his mind. The vivacity of his expression suggested to Zhongli that he would certainly appreciate it as he did.

"Yaoguang shoal. There are sand dunes as far as the eye can see, shells and clearings where you can lay on your mat and sunbathe," Zhongli replied. He used a relaxed tone without realizing it, recalling the memories of his time spent there. "There are also many trees, so you can take shelter in their shade, maybe read something, or have a cool drink. In short, it depends on what you like to do."

"It looks fantastic! And um...sure, I like reading. But are there enemies? To intersperse a little relaxation and adrenaline?" Childe asked. Despite his light tone, Zhongli doubted he was joking, considering how often he'd expressed a desire to engage in more reckless activities.

"If you go a little this way, there are ruin hunters: those flying, mechanical enemies," Zhongli replied, choosing not to lie to him. Certainly, he would not stop Childe if he was so convinced of what he wanted to do. From what little he knew of him, he realized that trying to extinguish Childe's reckless nature would be as unpleasant as putting out a brazier in a campground in the middle of the night.

"Alright, then. That'll give me a chance to train better with the bow!" Childe agreed, satisfied. "And I'll take my swimsuit with me, too, of course. I really want to go to this Yaoguang shoal now."

*****

"Are you not used to teleports?" Zhongli asked, surprised, when he brought Childe in front of one on the border between the center of Liyue and the first mountain paths.

"In Snezhnaya, you need a special permit to use them, otherwise everyone would move too easily all the time. It was a choice of the Tsaritsa. We usually move by other means of transport, like trains," he said, becoming thoughtful. Perhaps he was revaluating the way of life he had always followed. Or he was simply intrigued, judging by how eagerly he gazed at the blue light of the instrument they were about to use.

"Does your Rex Lapis not care about controlling what people do? Doesn't it bother him that you all go around...like this?" Childe asked after a few moments.

Like all the times he happened to be indirectly questioned by those who did not know his true identity, Zhongli did his best not to let his response betray him, determined to keep his facade. Certainly, the inhabitants of Liyue frequently mentioned their god, and the Fatui would probably do the same during their stay. For a moment, he had to try not to ask Childe directly what he thought of Rex Lapis. If he knew it was him, how would he behave?

Would he have been so friendly, would he have avoided him, or would he have looked at him with a mixture of detachment, awe, and respect, as his followers have? He couldn't know and, in his heart, he preferred it to be so. It was not at all unpleasant getting closer to humans, to be treated as their equal and not as someone irremediably different, lonely, and distant. Although aware that he was living a half-lie, he was not ready to break away from it.

"Rex Lapis is a God who does not like to interfere with mortals a lot. Indeed, he hasn't for many years," Zhongli replied, trying to be as vague as possible while maintaining a firm tone. "He monitors the situation from above and gives us protection."

"Yes, I noticed that he is not very present, compared to our Tsaritsa. Yet everyone is so grateful to him and keeps saying that he saved them and made their city safe forever. They love him very much, hm?" Childe observed.

Zhongli feel a slight twinge of emotion. He hadn't necessarily sought gratitude or admiration when he found Liyue, once his former kingdom had been attacked by the other cruel gods purely out of greed for power. He had limited himself to following instinct, a sense of concern for those small, fragile humans he wanted to protect, thus founding Liyue Harbor. Only then was his heart at peace, and he was able to make sense of the death of Guizhong, the friend he had reigned with so many centuries ago, who had taught him to love his people. For him, what he had done was the bare minimum, but hearing even a foreigner say that humans were so grateful to him couldn't help but stir his emotions and memories.

"He did his best, I think," Zhongli agreed, trying not to get lost in those thoughts anymore, hinting at a smile.

"And you...can you trust someone like that? Even if you don't see him? Childe ventured to ask, looking him in the eye.

"You ask a very good question," Zhongli replied, trying to buy time to think up an answer. "But...yes. I can. Look around you. The port is always ready to welcome new people, the mountains never crumble, the sea is always clear, the houses have survived for centuries and centuries.... All of this does not stand alone. We don't talk to him often, it's true, but we see him in all he has done for the world around us. It's like when you feel the heat of the sun even without looking at it directly," he said, noticing how Childe was eagerly listening to his words.

Zhongli wasn't so naïve as to think that, being a Fatui, Childe wasn't writing that information down, perhaps to use for the benefit of his people. But part of him seemed genuinely impressed. "He is here for us, even if it shows in a different way. Reading the history books, or even just listening to the tales in the city, or traveling through the ruins, I discovered that before Rex Lapis arrived, this area was smoke and ash, war and destruction. Now it's a city full of people who are living happily."

"Yes, I remember you explained to me that Xiao lived here before Rex Lapis changed things," Childe recalled, cracking a smile. "Well...I think I understand what you mean. However! You are very wise, you know that?"

"And you are exaggerating," Zhongli replied with a half-smile, and then pointed to the teleport. "Are you ready?"

"I'm always ready," Childe grinned, putting his hands on it.

As a whirlwind enveloped them, all Zhongli saw was a white light. He felt the ground beneath his feet soften and then disappear as he felt like he was collapsing into space. Soon, they would be taken away from there, on the first leg of their trip.

Qingce Village was as beautiful as Zhongli remembered it, or perhaps even more so, with the summer sunlight illuminating the flower-filled fields and pools of water that surrounded it. As soon as the teleport had brought them to that area, Childe's eyes widened at the suspension bridges over the falls and rivers, pointing to the area where the houses were built.

"This place..." said the young man, his smile broadening. "It's too cool. Do you come here often? Is there a lot of people?"

"It is actually called 'the village of retirees' in the city," Zhongli admitted, amused. "There are mainly elderly people who have come here to enjoy the tranquillity and the beautiful landscape. I come here from time to time to stroll or shop, especially to a tea shop. If Hu Tao knew, she would have a new excuse to call me the old decrepit, I suppose," he said with a short laugh. "But yes, I like it a lot, too."

"I'll keep it secret, then," Childe said, winking at him, before adding, "All right, retiree?"

"Let me point out that there are several meters between the bridges and the river below," Zhongli retorted sarcastically in response to his provocation. "It would be a shame if I accidentally pushed you in."

"Ah, your vengeful side surprises me again!" Childe laughed, crossing his arms over his chest and looking at him more carefully. He then backed off a couple of steps to observe the vision he had embedded in the back of his jacket. "You will be able to fight, too, if you have the vision of the geo.... You never told me anything about it. What do you use your power for?"

Zhongli had often heard himself ask that question, of course. Not even in human form could he hide his power linked to the element of Geo, so he had limited himself to passing it off as a vision similar to the ones that so many other citizens received from the gods—powers usually bestowed on the bravest and most deserving people. Often, he remained vague in his answers and certainly did not dream of showing his power in the most complete form. Like any God, he possessed skills with which he would be able to reduce any human being to crumbs. Even a reckless human like Childe.

"I can easily read the history of stones, make geo element constructs, and fight using my element. They have taught me since I was a child," Zhongli replied, reciting the same lie he had become accustomed to telling humans. Though, it was not entirely false. The powers he had decided to show were the ones just described to Childe.

"Fight? I must challenge you to a duel, then, absolutely!" Childe suggested without thinking twice. "What type of weapon do you use?"

"This is certainly not the right place. We cannot disturb the peace of the elderly." Zhongli smiled before stopping and reflecting on his words. He couldn't deny that fighting with the Fatui was an irresponsible idea. But at the same time, he was curious to see Childe in action and to find out how he came to achieve such a high rank in the Fatui while being the youngest of them all. The light that lit Childe's gaze whenever there was talk of combat had something sinister and dark about it, and yet tremendously alive and enthusiastic at the same time. Zhongli wanted to know more about how he acted on the battlefield and why the desire to fight flowed so strongly in his blood, like a lifeblood sustained him.

"We can try later, perhaps. I use a spear, by the way," he added, noticing Childe's expression becoming immediately intrigued, with his eyebrows raised slightly and eyes increasingly wider.

He had a gentle face, well-drawn and softened by a handful of freckles on his nose that scattered like stardust across his cheeks and upper lip. Yet, his blue irises often reminded him of the dark depths of the ocean when he got lost in his thoughts.

"Do you throw it? Interesting. Yes, I would say it suits you! It's a weapon I've tried, too, you know. I've changed quite a few, actually." Childe smirked, starting to walk around the village, over a sloping bridge suspended above a river and several terraces. The leaves of the trees had turned yellow with the summer heat, reflecting their golden light on the water at their feet, which lapped against the stony shore. "Sword, broadsword, and then bow, which I'm the worst at and so now I use it the most."

"So you like challenges, then?" Zhongli speculated, following him. He looked around, perceiving a feeling of peace as they plunged into the trees, alongside bamboo plants and their green robust trunks protected by their shadow.

"You bet! The weapon that I prefer most of all, however, is the one I created with my vision of the hydro: two daggers made entirely of water that I conjure at will," Childe added with some pride.

As he watched him speak with such enthusiasm, Zhongli began to realize why he hadn't turned down his invitation to fight, and why he was increasingly intrigued by his behavior. While someone else would see something disturbing in Childe's attitude, he saw it sparkling of life. And he was fascinated.

"You shouldn't reveal your tricks to your future opponent so soon, though," Zhongli mocked him with an amused snort.

"As if that's enough to beat me. I'll test you! Come on, let's see! Let's see who is faster. Come on!" Childe challenged him, rushing for the suspension bridge which wobbled under his quick step.

Zhongli shook his head and ran after him without another thought. He wondered, amused, what Xiao would say if he saw him racing a Fatui in a remote village in the middle of the mountains. He would have been shocked, absolutely, but not as shocked as Zhongli was. Childe was the first for whom his steps moved almost by themselves, who made him smile without even realizing it. Zhongli couldn't help but bask in the pleasant feeling of having someone he could joke with, someone who tested him. But most importantly, someone he could spend time with.

Notes:

Hello everybody, how was your week? <3
Childe and Zhongli finally start their trip, while their relationship evolved. I really hope you liked this chapter, I'll be always happy to receive comments if you'd like to discuss about it or ask me any questions <3
Sorry for my long descriptions..I must say I share a great love for Liyue's landscapes with Zhongli :'D Liyue is SO BEAUTIFUL and Qingce village is one of my favorite corners of the map <3