Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Celestic Town ended up being a worthwhile visit. Childe hadn’t been the only tourist there, though he was the only one that got a private tour through all the ruins. He had felt the eyes of other tourists on him, likely simmering with jealousy that Childe had his tour guide all on his own. Zhongli knew the history of Sinnoh like the back of his hand. He told Childe stories about the volcanic creature Heatran, the Lunar duo and foremost, the lake guardians. The more Childe knew about Sinnoh’s history, the more he started to worry.

“What happens when they’re gone?” Childe had asked.

“The guardians?” Zhongli had frowned, rubbing a gloved hand over his chin. “As I mentioned, they are created to calm and control Dialga and Palkia if necessary. Without them, a spat between Time and Space will likely have disastrous results. However, there hasn’t been a sighting of them in decades. They avoid people and will remain in slumber until they’re needed.”

It all has been over a week ago. While it wasn’t his assignment, Childe brought this information to the Fatui. It would’ve been easier without Zhongli, but the man was like a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe. Childe couldn’t get rid of him. Zhongli, still worried about Childe’s wellbeing, had promised to go with him wherever he went. So they spend the last week on the road, walking to Veilstone City.

Childe entered Northland Bank first, Zhongli trailing behind him. It was an actual bank but also a facade for the Fatui hideout here in Sinnoh. Hidden behind a well-established name, nobody blinked an eye at the foreigners that worked there. Their money was handled well, and that’s all they cared for.

While not having visited before, he had been in contact with the hideout before. The lady behind the desk was called Ekaterina if he recalled correctly.

“I would like to make a withdrawal.” Childe handed Ekaterina a letter. It contained his intel about the ruins and the lake guardians.

Ekaterina checked the letter, raised an eyebrow briefly before closing it and hiding it underneath the counter. She offered him a small smile. “Since it’s the first time here in Sinnoh, I require some paperwork from you, mister Childe.”

“I’ll be waiting outside,” Zhongli announced. He had been awkwardly lingering behind Childe, clearly unsure what he was supposed to do.

“I’ll catch you later.” Childe watched Zhongli leave the building, leaving him and Ekaterina alone.

“I thought you were supposed to find the champion.” Childe wasn’t surprised to hear that Ekaterina had been briefed on Childe’s mission, nor the shift in attitude. “Not flirt with strangers.”

Childe shrugged. “I haven’t had much luck. It seems that truly nobody knows who the new champion is.” Admittedly, Childe hadn’t been looking too much into it, with Zhongli stuck to his side the whole time.

“It doesn’t explain the eye candy.”  Ekaterina’s grin was almost feral. “He’s a very good looking man. Do you think he knows more?”

“About the champion? No.” Childe propped his elbows on the desk. “But he’s influential. People adore him. He has a large network and vast knowledge about Sinnoh’s history. Everything in that letter comes from him.”

“You’re the Harbinger here; you probably know what you’re doing.” Ekaterina didn’t sound too convinced.

“I do need to withdraw some money,” Childe said.

Ekaterina only raised an eyebrow at Childe’s request. After some paperwork, she returned with Childe’s money.

“I’ll make sure your information will be sent to the Tsaritsa,” Ekaterina promised. “Now, your boy toy is likely waiting for you.”

Childe grimaced. “Please never call him that ever again.”

Ekaterina grinned. “I can’t promise anything.”

Putting away his money, Childe left the bank. Zhongli was sitting on a bench, ankles crossed and reading a book. Childe had seen him reading the book the last week. From the cover, it looked about the fossils of Hoenn. It sounded like a boring read, but Zhongli seemed to like it.

“I’m done,” Childe announced.

Zhongli finished scribbling something in the margins of his book. After tucking a pencil between the pages, the book disappeared into his bag. “Did you get your money?”

Childe nodded. He let Zhongli take the lead, unfamiliar with the big city. Veilstone was large, exceeding in size from both Oreburgh and Canalave. The primary building material was stone. Everywhere he looked was stone, from garden walls to tall buildings—the large warehouse towered above the dainty shops, colourful flashes of light drawing in the customers. You could buy there anything you needed for your journey, from tents to Pokéballs to hiking equipment. It was the hub for any traveller.

“Did you know that most of the city was carved out of rock?” Zhongli asked. As usual, he launched into an explanation before Childe could say anything.

He had stopped minding it. It was very useful that Zhongli was incredibly talkative. While he did ask Childe questions about his own life, he didn’t expect Childe to fill in the silence. It was safer this way.

They passed the Pokécenter, and Zhongli suddenly halted. “I almost forgot. I’ve to grab something.”

Childe followed Zhongli inside the Pokécenter. It was pretty crowded inside, the announcement board filled with advertisements about demonstration battles held in the gym within a few days. The gym leader himself would be there, too, showing off his skills. Childe wondered if he could sneak in and observe. He had checked out Eterna city’s gym leader before. She had been fairly unremarkable; admittedly, the demonstration had been for kids.

He listened in to a few teens talking, the mention of Morax catching his attention. The discussion mainly was the teens boasting about their skills and how easily they would beat him.

“I heard he’s a foreigner; that’s why he won. Lady Ningguang had never seen his Pokémon before,” a girl said, pouting a little.

“But that wouldn’t make sense; he must have gotten all gym badges here in Sinnoh. Lady Ningguang could’ve watched the matches beforehand,” a boy said.

“But what if they aren’t recorded?” another boy said, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “I mean, this Morax is very secretive. What if he doesn’t even exist?”

The girl frowned. “But why to lie about it?” she asked.

“Haven’t you heard what happened in Hoenn?” the first boy asked, now catching up with what his friend was saying. “They say that the Fatui defeated Barbatos; he even disappeared afterwards. Some people think they kidnapped him!”

It had been the plan to kidnap Barbatos. At least, that was what the rumour mill had been saying. But for reasons unknown—Signora was likely too embarrassed to admit she had failed—the champion had escaped their clutch. It wouldn’t have been a problem if he hadn’t alerted the authorities. It had made their mission in Sinnoh so much harder, with all eyes on them.

“Thanks for waiting,” Zhongli said, appearing out of thin air.

“Hmm?” Childe looked away from the teens. Zhongli was holding a Pokéball in his hand. From the looks of it, there was already a Pokémon inside.

“A Pokémon?” Childe asked.

Zhongli nodded. “Let’s go somewhere else.”

Without regard for personal space, Zhongli placed his hand on the small of Childe’s back. He was being steered out of the Pokécenter, and soon, they even were leaving the city. There were a dozen or so trainers present on the grassy field. Some of them were holding battles; others were practising moves or strategies. He was surprised that there were no more training facilities within the city if everyone was forced to practise in the wild.

“You might have noticed that I have quite a network,” Zhongli said, stating the obvious. At times, Childe wondered who didn’t know Zhongli.

Childe just nodded.

“Often, people ask me to rehome Pokémon. Not all of them are fit to be released back into the wild, but not all mesh with their trainer.” Zhongli held the Pokéball up to the sun. “According to its previous owner, this little fellow requires an experienced trainer, someone it can look up to and respect. It was meant as a starter Pokémon but wasn’t fit for it.”

At times, Childe wondered how Zhongli still had time for him. It sounded as if the guy had a hectic life. He helped out Oreburgh City in any way he could. He was the director of the museum, which couldn’t be an easy job. He also spent a lot of time researching, reading and Childe recalled he helped out the exploration guild. Not to mention that he was a full-time father. Yet, he was casually strolling alongside fields with Childe, just having spent a week on the road with him.

“Already found a home for this guy?” Childe asked. Maybe it was someone here in Veilstone City, though Zhongli hadn’t mentioned anyone by name from this place.

Zhongli shot him a shy smile. “I was thinking maybe you if you would have him.”

Childe tended to select the Pokémon he used carefully. Most were chosen because of their convenience, like fliers, teleporters or ride-Pokémon. A few were accidental catches, like Pastila his Emolga. She was neither a good flier nor a strong Pokémon. But he had gotten attached to her and brought her along wherever he went. It turned out that she was also great at making him look harmless.

“You don’t have to say yes,” Zhongli reassured him. “Maybe meet first and then figure it out?”

Zhongli handed him the Pokéball. Childe looked at it, trying to figure out what the Pokémon inside was. He was fairly up-to-date with the Sinnoh wildlife, but he didn’t quite recognise this orange blob.

He let out the Pokémon. Standing on two feet, the Pokémon didn’t even come to Childe’s waist. It looked like an orange water creature, with a yellow band around its neck, a pointy face and two tails that swept lazily. It had its little arms crossed and glared up at Childe.

Childe raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. “You think you’re scary?” he asked the Pokémon.

It made a huffing sound, trying to look even meaner. It was too cute to look mean.

“It’s a Buizel,” Zhongli said. “I thought it might fit in with your team. I’ve seen you use mostly water and electric types.”

It was true. Childe somehow was attracted to these types of Pokémon. They were fast, resilient and tended to be very useful.

“It’s a little menace if you ask me.” It seemed that the Buizel took that personally, glowering at Childe.

Childe looked back at the little thing, keeping his face passive and almost cold. Over the years, he had learnt different means of bonding with his Pokémon. Sometimes, they immediately latched on to him. Other times, he knew that he had to earn their respect. But seeing as he was the boss, they had to earn his respect. He liked that Buizel didn’t budge, keeping up his defiant stance. He understood why this one wouldn’t make a good starter Pokémon, but Childe already liked him. He had personality, and he looked darn cute.

“Impress me,” Childe said. He walked over to a larger area of grass. He unclasped Pastila’s ball from his belt. “And you’ll get the respect you want.”

***

The poor Buizel didn’t stand a chance. It was a fierce little thing, but Childe could read its moves from miles ahead, and Pastilia had a type advantage. Childe crouched in front of the Pokémon, rummaging through his berry pouch, searching for a Sitrus berry. He offered it to the Buizel, who looked at him grumpily but ended up accepting it.

“You have the right spirit,” Childe started. “But you need to learn how to hone your skills. You might not be able to ever defeat Pastilia, but that’s because she’s trained with me. If you trust me, I’ll make sure you can defeat everyone here in due time.”

He held out his fist, waiting for the Buizel to mull over his words. The Buizel huffed but pressed its fist against Childe’s.

“Welcome to the team. I’ll call you Laska, now, Zhongli.” Childe got up, stretching his legs.

Zhongli looked up from his book. Childe still hadn’t quite grasped what kind of person Zhongli was. He forgot something as important as money, but he remembered to bring a blanket to sit on. Admittedly, Zhongli’s clothes looked too expensive to get dirty, which was the exact reason why Childe wanted to make them dirty.

“Would you mind helping me out with some training?” Childe gestured to the Buizel.

“Sure.” Zhongli took off his coat and vest, leaving him in a black dress shirt and slacks. He might be the best-dressed traveller Childe had ever seen.

Zhongli had brought his Vibrava along, which was a little odd. Why did he need a Vibrava when he had a well-trained Flygon? It was convenient for training; Childe didn’t want to put up poor Laska against a fully evolved dragon. It hadn’t escaped his notice that Zhongli had a strong team. There were Flygon, Steelix and Gastrodon. While he hadn’t seen the Garchomp, Childe figures the aforementioned Gible must have evolved by now. While not overly balanced, they were all strong Pokémon.

He kept an eye on Laska during the practice battle. Childe offered the little guy advice, complimenting him when necessary and scolding him when required. He needed to build trust with this Pokémon, and that requires time and mutual respect. If Laska couldn’t respect Childe’s advice, they were going to butt heads. But his eyes kept wandering over to Zhongli. There was something off about the man, but Childe couldn’t put his finger on it. He carried himself as an experienced trainer, someone who was confident in his choices. Childe had seen many young trainers blunder their way through battles, faking their confidence. But how did a well-accomplished trainer end as a museum director?

Childe got smacked with a handful of sand. He couched, wiping the grains from his eyes.

“You’re okay?” Zhongli called.

Spitting out a wad of sand, Childe wiped the sand off his cheeks. “I’m good.”

He made sure that Laska splashed Zhongli, giving the man a good soak. Even soaked, the man looked regal. However, there was a twitch of annoyance on his face. A couple of minutes later, Zhongli’s Vibrava redirected the water to hit Childe. Laska seemed to enjoy Childe’s suffering.  Childe was already regretting his choice.

As dinner time came around, Zhongli called it a day. Childe was grimy, soaked and cold. The night air had gotten a little nippy, and the clouds blocked out a lot of the sun’s warmth. His clothes clung uncomfortably to his frame. He had left spare clothes in his room, which meant he would be stuck like this for a while.

He wrung the water out of his hair and clothes as best as possible. He saw Zhongli unbuttoning his dress shirt, shrugging it off onto the picnic blanket. Childe tried to be as subtle as possible with his staring. The man wasn’t rocking a six-pack as he suspected. Zhongli looked like someone who loved good food but didn’t slack on exercising. His love for exploration also showed, with several old scars running across his chest.

Zhongli put on a soft-looking sweater. The logo of Oreburgh City’s museum was printed on the back. It looked like something Childe could steal and walk around in. The logo disappeared as he put his coat on. How could this man forget his money but pack spare clothes, a picnic blanket and poffins in all flavours?

Childe rubbed his arms, trying to bring some warmth to them. It was a twenty-minute walk to the Pokécenter; he would survive. However, he wanted to steal Zhongli’s sweater. Only a few guys were tall enough where Childe could steal their clothes.

“You’ll catch a cold like that,” Zhongli remarked, obviously noticing Childe’s shivering.

“I can handle the cold,” Childe said defiantly. “I grew up around the snowy parts in Unova.”

Zhongli sighed. He shrugged off his coat and draped it around Childe’s shoulders. The coat was heavy and smelled strongly of earth and dirt. It was a little tight on Childe, but not so much that he feared ripping it.

“I know a good restaurant in the area,” Zhongli said, acting as if it was normal to give coats to near strangers. “We can get freshened up and go there.”

Childe just sighed. How did Zhongli make everything feel so easy? Almost everyone he knew was on their toes around him, always slightly on edge. The ones that didn’t feel that way tended to flounder around him, unable to match wits. But here was Zhongli, who seemed immune to Childe’s teasing, who knew where to stop prying and let Childe be.

***

Dinner was a quiet affair. Childe was exhausted; the days had been long, and the hot shower had made him drowsy. It was that they served less than staller food at the Pokécenter, or he would have just grabbed something and stayed in for the night. But Zhongli knew his food and had offered to pay. It helped that Zhongli was great company.

Zhongli was picking at his food, picking up a piece of fish before dropping it back into his bowl. It reminded Childe of his youngest brother being forced to eat his vegetables, as if picking it up made it miraculous disappear.

“Not hungry?” Childe asked, pointing his chopstick at Zhongli. He flicked rice all over the table.

“Not a big fan of seafood,” Zhongli admitted, dropping another piece back in the bowl.

Being an adventurous eater, Zhongli just had asked the waitress to surprise him. It had backfired.

Childe tried to pick a piece of meat and watched it slowly slip from between his chopsticks. He quickly stuffed it into his mouth. “Just feed it to your Pokémon,” he mumbled.

Zhongli stared at him, his amber eyes unnervingly bright. Childe hid his mouth behind a hand, chewing on the piece of meat. The next time he visited Sinnoh, he would bring a knife and fork.

Not-so-subtly, Zhongli released his Lileep from its ball and hid it under the table. Then he started to fling fish pieces to the Pokémon, who caught it since Childe heard no splashing sound from wet fish on the stone floor.

Still halfway to go with his dinner, Childe pushed his side-dish towards Zhongli. He might as well eat something, and Childe wasn’t too big on greenery and spicy sauces. Zhongli accepted the dish, offering him a small smile. This man was unfairly gorgeous. It was surprising that he didn’t have a partner yet, even if he had a son. Children weren’t a dealbreaker for Childe, so there surely were others who wouldn’t mind.

They were nearing the end of dinner when Zhongli’s phone rang. While Zhongli seemed to know many people, Childe had noticed his phone rarely rang. It must be important, seeing the creased between Zhongli’s brow as he accepted the call.

Childe listened in, trying to figure out who was calling. The voice on the other side sounded boyish, but it was hard to tell with phone calls. Most words were gibberish, but Childe made out ‘problem’ and ‘Eterna City’. Zhongli seemed to grow increasingly worried; his lips pressed together tightly.

“I could come,” Zhongli offered. He shot Childe an apologetic look.

The ‘no, I’m fine’ was a little too loud and shrill. Childe had a gut feeling that this might be Zhongli’s son, though the man also seemed to be the type to come to anybody’s aid if they asked. He did so with Childe, despite barely knowing him.

“Give miss Yanfei a call,” Zhongli said. “She can help you out.”

Childe didn’t hear what the caller said, and then the call ended. Zhongli sighed, pocketing his phone.

“I apologise. My son ran into some trouble and wasn’t sure what to do.” Zhongli explained.

Childe just nodded along. He figured that Zhongli greatly cared about his son, which was a quality that he found wildly attractive. Though he wondered what the son of such a gentle, refined man could be up to. Eterna city wasn’t known for its high level of crime.

“I hope he’ll be fine.” Childe finished his meal. “You’re ready for the bill?”

Zhongli nodded and took out his wallet. At least, he tried to. The blank look on his face told Childe enough.

Sighing, Childe took out his wallet and started to count the bills. Maybe the Pokécenter food was a better idea. It at least was less expensive than Zhongli’s taste in restaurants.

***

One of Zhongli’s favourite places in Sinnoh was Solaceon town. While he had no direct ties to this place, he always felt at home there. It wasn’t a tourist hotspot, the people were friendly, and he was free to explore the ruins. His exploration license made sure of that. The ruins haven’t been explored much due to the population of Unown that lived there. Zhongli knew perfectly well that they were innocent, so he didn’t fear them.

Bubu, a freshly hatched Swinub, was dozing on his lap. Zhongli was brushing her; the bristles were soft enough that it wouldn’t harm the baby. He had been planning to pick her up sooner, but Childe happened. He had no idea where the young man was. When saying goodbye, Zhongli hadn’t been able to find a single excuse for why Childe should stick around. The man clearly was wary of him, probably suspecting that Zhongli had alternative motives to spend time with him. He had noticed the way Childe stared at him, trying to figure him out. He had let him go off to Sunyshore, wondering if he was doing the right thing.

“Did you know that Swinub’s are usually used for exploration?” Zhongli told Bubu. The Swinub made a snorting sound in her sleep. “They’re built for the cold, so they aren’t bothered by it. Because they have such a keen sense of smell, they’re able to find food underneath thick layers of snow. They also have been able to pick up the scent of humans, finding the spot where they’re snowed in.” Zhongli rubbed his knuckles on the top of Bubu’s head. “That’s probably going to be your job.”

He kept brushing Bubu, the motion soothing and easy. The last thing he wanted was for his mind to wander. He had been tasked to keep an eye on whatever important Fatui would show up. It had been Childe. Zhongli figured that this was Tartaglia, the eleventh of the Eleven Fatui Harbingers. He wasn’t what Zhongli had expected. He was charming, good looking, clever and very much human. Though the clever part was debatable.

Bubu snorted loudly and wiggled her body. Zhongli sighed and continued his brushing. Things would’ve been much easier if Childe had been a woman, married or much younger. Zhongli didn’t have the iron grip on his emotions as he wished he had.

The peacefulness was broken by people yelling. Zhongli glanced in the direction of the noise, seeing two teens leaving the town. Zhongli had picked a bench on the outskirts on purpose, knowing that most people would just leave him alone. The people here were always kind to him, but he needed time to think and figure everything out.

Zhongli finally understood their shouts, picked up the familiar name. Xiao. It wasn’t a common name, and the teens seemed to be his son’s age, if not a little younger. Zhongli wondered if these were the friends Xiao had made. Xiao always had it about a girl named Lumine, a fierce battler, and a boy named Venti. Xiao often complained that Venti spent most time goofing around and singing.  

The girl had short, blonde hair with long bangs and amber eyes. There were white and blue flowers pinned in her hair. She wore a primarily white dress, beat-up sneakers, and she held a Marill in her arms. The other teen was a bit taller than the girl. He was dressed like an eccentric musician, wearing green shorts, a white blouse and a half-cape. It looked like he wore something green on his head. He had short, black hair with long, braided sides that were coloured a vibrant blue.

The teens had spotted him. The girl took the lead, taking long strides to reach Zhongli. “Good morning, mister,” she said. Her voice had a slight lilt to it. “We’re looking for someone. Could you maybe help?”

Bubu whined, but Zhongli ignored her. “Have you called the police?”

“I…” the girl looked at her friend, who was panting a little from catching up with her. “No, not yet.”

The two teens shared uncomfortable looks with one another. If these were Xiao’s friends, they probably worried about what happened in Eterna City. Xiao had sounded quite spooked during the initial call but never had told Zhongli much after.

“What does he look like?” Zhongli asked.

The boy had a very expressive face. His eyes, which were a startling blue-ish green, lit up. His voice was gentle and a little high-pitched. “Oh, that’s easy. He’s about this tall.” The boy held his hand up to his forehead. “He always looks grumpy, has dark hair and amber eyes.”

It did sound like Xiao. “Did you try calling him?”

The teens blinked, looked at each other, and groaned. The boy ruffed the back of his head, agitating the green hat he wore. The hat made a squealing noise and uncurled. Zhongli stared in astonishment when he saw a Shaymin climb down the boy’s head and settle down in the crook of his neck.

“I forgot my phone,” the boy admitted, smiling sheepishly.

“My phone battery has died,” the girl said. The Marill made an affirmative noise.

Zhongli wanted to ask questions, mostly about how they befriended a Shaymin. But right now, this wasn’t his priority. What if Xiao was kidnapped by the Fatui? He would have to tell Ningguang that things were going very wrong. She has promised that Xiao will be safe.

“Do you have his number?” he asked. Both teens shook their heads.

He knew that Xiao didn’t like to make their relationship obvious. Zhongli was well known in Sinnoh, and Xiao didn’t want to be in the spotlight and have people be nosey. In the past, Zhongli had gotten questions about his love life, his son and why he resigned from his gym leader position. Thankfully, he wasn’t interesting enough anymore, but Xiao’s distaste for fame had stayed.

“Give me a moment.” Zhongli looked up Xiao’s number and pressed the call option. He held his phone up to his ear, making sure that his friends wouldn’t hear. After the fourth ring, Xiao picked up.

“Did you forget money again?” Xiao asked, sounding grumpy.

“Not this time. I have two distraught teens standing in front of me, looking for someone named Xiao.” Zhongli noticed that his son’s friends were trying to listen in. “You can’t just disappear. Usually, you tell someone if you need some time alone.”

Xiao remained silent for a long while. He probably was trying to find the right words, finding a hole in Zhongli’s logic. A sigh eventually followed. “Did these two really go look for me?”

Zhongli looked at the teens, who were eyeing him hopefully. “Yup, I heard them shouting from all the way out of town.”

“What are you even doing there anyway?” Xiao asked.

Bubu made another whining noise, butting his free hand. “Had to pick a Swinub.”

“Of course,” he heard the resignation in Xiao’s voice. “Do they know”

Zhongli chuckled. “I didn’t tell them anything; that’s all up to you.”

“You guys do have the same eyes!” the boy said.

“Venti,” the girl hissed, shoving the boy. The boy stuck out his tongue.

Zhongli was proud to realise he had been right in assuming that these two were Venti and Lumine. They weren’t quite what Zhongli had imagined, but it was good to see that Xiao had caring friends.

“But where are you? Your friends are worried.”

There was a brief pause, then Xiao sighed. “In the ruins.”

Zhongli let his head fall back, letting out a sigh. It wasn’t surprising; Zhongli had done the same thing in the past. When it got all a little bit too much, he would disappear to somewhere quiet and abandoned.

“You want to come yourself, or should I bring your friends?” Zhongli asked.

“It probably takes you an hour to get here, so I have plenty of time to prepare,” Xiao muttered. “Please don’t tell them anything embarrassing.”

The call ended. Zhongli pocketed his phone and got up. He tucked Bubu in the crooked of his elbow. The Swinub was trying to snuggle up with his armpit, which was fine. When he was done, he would swaddle her in blankets and let her sleep.

“So, how well do you know the ruins here?”

The teens stared at him in confusion. “Not at all,” the girl, Lumine, admitted.

Zhongli clapped his hands. This wasn’t as different as giving museum tours. “Great, follow me.”

The teens followed him, looking confused. “Mister, why are we going to the ruins?” Lumine asked.

 “Because Xiao is there.”

“Xiao is hiding away in abandoned ruins?” the boy, Venti, asked in disbelief. “Aren’t there ghosts?”

“Maybe he scares them away,” Lumine whispered.

“The ruins aren’t haunted. The only Pokémon that live there are the Unown. They tend to avoid people, so I don’t expect them to bother Xiao much.”

He saw the kids’ eyes glaze over as he started to talk about the ruins. The few questions they asked were easily brushed off, and Zhongli led them into the ruins. The teens walked a little closer to him. Venti almost grabbed his coat. Zhongli found Xiao pacing around a room, his Ninjask zooming around. Zhongli watched the teens rush ahead. Venti pulled Xiao in a side-ways hug, Lumine joining him on the other side. Though he clearly looked flustered, Xiao didn’t push them away, even hugging them back. He wondered if she would be proud.