"Come here for a hug~(^～^)"
Zhongli: "..............."
Just how drunk does one have to be to mistake themselves for the Traveler...
Gazing at Ying, who was clinging to him like a kitten and wouldn't let go, Zhongli couldn't help but gently stroke her soft, slightly shortened hair, explaining with a hint of helplessness.
"I am not your sister, but if you have any grievances, you can tell me about them."
"Heehee~ Lumine, you're the best... "
As soon as she spoke, Ying could no longer resist the overwhelming drowsiness and gradually fell asleep...
"Hoo..."
Seeing Ying fall unconscious, Zhongli moved her to the sofa nearby. Looking at her sleeping form, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"This girl, when she's drunk, she's just like the Street Chief, utterly unmanageable."
Just as he spoke, Venti, who had been peeking in from the doorway, with his head sticking out, looked at Zhongli with a mischievous grin and said,
"Ahaha~ I saw a side of the old man that's rarely seen."
Hearing Venti's teasing, Zhongli gave him a calm glance.
"Are you prepared to be kicked away?"
Upon hearing this, Venti immediately retracted his head a little and said jokingly,
"Cough, cough, cough... Old man, how can you repay kindness with enmity? Look, if it weren't for me, she wouldn't be able to act so affectionately towards you, would she~"
"You poet, as eloquent as ever."
Zhongli shook his head, not pursuing the matter further. He simply sat back in his original seat and took a sip from the teacup on the coffee table.
"Heh heh~ It's truly touching that the old man still remembers how I used to be."
Saying this, Venti walked in with a smile, not forgetting to bring the two bottles of fine wine that Zhongli had placed on the floor earlier.
After a few more drinks, Venti glanced at Ying, who was sleeping in the distance, and sighed slightly.
"Days like this, where I can leisurely chat with an old friend, are quite rare..."
"Mhm..."
Hearing Venti's somewhat melancholic words, Zhongli hummed softly. After a moment of silence, he added,
"If you have time, you can come by more often in the future. Occasionally, I'd like to hear your poetry."
Venti was stunned for a moment, then immediately broke into a smile.
"Ahaha~ Since the old man wants to listen, I naturally have to oblige~"
"Speaking of which, I really don't know how poetry is viewed in Liyue, but as the greatest bard in Mondstadt, I'm sure I'll make them fall in love with poetry~ (^_^)"
Zhongli chuckled softly, looking at Venti's confident face, and couldn't help but sigh.
"Before, I would spend a lot of time contemplating the erosion that time brought. Even after resigning as the Geo Archon, I would occasionally still think about it..."
"But from today onwards, I don't think I'll worry about it anymore, because I've found a cure for it."
"Oh?!"
Venti, naturally aware of Zhongli's troubles with erosion, turned his head in surprise, raising an eyebrow.
"Really? Really? Tell me quickly~"
Zhongli smiled, glanced at Venti, then looked towards the girl sleeping peacefully and contentedly on the sofa in the distance, and slowly began to speak.
"It's..."
"The time spent with you all... "
………………………………
"Mmm~"
Ying opened her eyes hazily, shaking her head in discomfort. Every time she drank, she felt as if she had fallen into the clouds, the whole world becoming illusory and ethereal.
"Sigh... I didn't expect to get so drunk so easily. It seems I can't drink anymore."
Muttering to herself, Ying slowly got up and looked at the vast grassland before her, scratching her hair in confusion.
"Strange... Wasn't I eating with Venti and Zhongli? Where is this place..."
Thinking this, Ying patted her forehead hard.
"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!"
"It's not a dream?!"
"Hehehe..."
A pleasant laugh reached Ying's ears. Although it was beautiful, it was so sudden that Ying was startled and quickly looked around warily.
"What the heck?! Who's laughing? A ghost?"
"Hmm... While not exactly, in a way, it is a bit like it."
A crisp voice echoed in her ears. Ying immediately turned around, finally discovering the source of the sound.
Looking at the figure that suddenly appeared before her, Ying blinked and pinched her chin in confusion.
"Uh... a little loli?"
"Hello. According to your terms, you usually call me... hmm... Lesser Lord Kusanali?"
"But I prefer the name Nahida more. (^_^)"
Seeing this little loli smilingly say these words to her, Ying stepped forward and placed her hand on her forehead.
"Hmm... she doesn't seem to have a fever... Could it be a mental problem?"
"Hahaha~ It does seem a bit like it."
Nahida knew her words lacked credibility, so she didn't argue with Ying. Instead, she directly reached out and took Ying's wrist.
"I apologize in advance. The first time receiving it might be a bit uncomfortable."
"Huh? What do you mean... Ugh?!"
Ying instinctively asked, but before she could finish, a large amount of memories that didn't belong to her suddenly flooded her mind. It was a peculiar sensation, as if she had watched countless long movies in an instant.
When the fragments stopped flashing, the discomfort in her body also ceased. Ying spent a great deal of effort to piece together a rough understanding of those countless moments. Looking at the little loli before her again, she couldn't help but feel sympathy, but more so, confusion.
"Why... why did you want me to know all this?"
"Why..."
Nahida paused slightly, her gaze towards Ying now filled with a touch of apology. After a while, she slowly spoke.
"Before that, I must apologize again. I am truly sorry for having secretly looked into your past experiences without permission."
Ying waved her hand dismissively.
"Ah~ It's fine, it's fine. You've already shown me those things. Being confined in a dark room all alone, and finally encountering something new, if it were me, I would peek too."
Hearing Ying's words, Nahida couldn't help but show a hint of a smile.
"Hmm... Actually, my abilities have been restricted. Normally, I should be almost unable to communicate with people living in Teyvat. I don't know why I could observe you, or even suddenly be able to contact you."
"However, it was precisely because I saw your experiences that I felt the desire to approach you. Although it might sound a bit selfish, perhaps only you would be willing to get involved in this matter that has nothing to do with you. "
"And willing to help me, a god who appears untrustworthy, and who, despite asking for your help, might not be able to offer you any assistance... an unqualified god..."