Song: I was made for loving
Singer(s): Tori Kelly ft. Ed Sheeran
_______
The cold water glistened and shone beneath the monotone golden eyes, his gaze glistened toward the flowing river, a cold evaporation exhaled from his nostrils. Flowers which stood as fresh as it first bloomed stood and grew out of its sprouts from the harsh snow.
Zhongli's eyes averted toward the flowers, the beautiful qingxin showed off its pure colour like the white lotus. The tombstone carved into ancient letters read clear: "Y/n, Tian Laohu."
"It's a habit for me to bring in some flowers during my visits一even if you're now a beautiful person as your reincarnated life." Words fell from the lips as the gaze no longer fell onto the tombstone.
"Cry because they've withered, but smile because they came and gave you light," he reminisced. Each memories that were supposed to be burried deep in the golden heart scattered and ran as however it wanted.
Years had passed since the God of Contract broke off the dark seal and let the wandering spirits ascended or descended一maybe it had been a few years since he last saw the h/c haired person sitting by the ashes on the fresh green grass.
The wind playfully blew against Morax's face, the wind also swayed his long hair to where it blew, maybe to the south west.
"..." Morax's eyes grew wide, clearly reflecting the shine in his golden irises, for what his sight landed on a humming person.
The ribbon from what seemed to be an old flag was on their hand, the crystalized e/c irises fell upon the craved tombstone name. Somewhat a genuine smile plastered against their gentle face, unlike the time where they had to face the Celestials.
"Forgive me for going out without any traces after around two years or so. I'm here to pay my respect to the deceased." From the formal attitude that they would pull, it slowly sounded more casual and less threatening.
Morax didn't utter a word, the fondness in his eyes somehow softened from the calm yet freezing demeanor he usually pulled. Y/n's finger tips crawled and touched the tombstone, eyes glistened as if they were reminiscing what was left within the burned estate.
A pure white light scattered from their figure, radiating as a whole around their body by their left side一it was brighter in the dark. "Lao Quankang... head of the family, it's been long."
Did they know the Lao?
Instead of any response, the sound of the howling wind came to their ears instead, cold night breeze blew against their face一the colder the breeze blew, the more the light in their eyes dimmed.
"Y/n."
No response came from the h/c haired person, it was as if they were lost in thought. "Y/n."
Again, no response came.
A name on the tip of his tongue desired him to speak, and call out the name, yet一what name was it...?
"Lao L/n Y/n."
"Oh, yes?"
... Morax never once expected for them to respond, but the gentle voice finally rang to his ears一instead of the happiness and cherry like, this one sounded less gentle, more like an assertive statement rather than a repsonse.
But, what kind of name fell from his lips, and to think they would respond it一"I'm bad at keeping secrets, am I not?"
Y/n stood up, though their legs were like noodles, but they still stayed as if they finally regained their soul back. "Thank you for letting my family pass and broke the dark seal."
They lifted their arm up to the sky一sound as if the ray of sun exploded across Tevyat echoed across Morax's ears. The light beamed up to the sky, the colour of gold and pure white intertwined against each other, the huge ray of light moved to the west.
A cold liquid fell on top of the long brunette hair belonged to Morax, his golden eyes watched as the snowflakes danced along the land of contract. Sound of dancing and cheers somehow rang aloud in the cold lonely air.
From where the sound came from?
It's only the two of them in the burned estate. The lights dimmed back below Y/n's delicate palm, their eyes no longer reflected the intensive light一the e/c irises owner turned to look at the adeptus.
"Cheerful wishes echoed above the Tevyat.
Where hopes and cheers can't be ignored.
Here, where you witness, Rex Lapiz,
I'm Lao Y/n, the Tian Laohu."
So to where the cold cry blew, that's where the said blessing goes. And to where a cry for help echoed, wealth will soon bestow upon them.
Morax's eyes wandered lower, the feet of a human changed into the pure white tiger, the crystal human-like eyes changed its form into a tiger's.
Somehow, the slight discomfort attacked his chest, tightening and scattered the perfectly balanced pieces.
"As ordered from the Celestia, and as a form of kindness you've given to me, this tiger won't regret giving the adeptus their head."
****
The sound of the droplet that rippled together in a bucket full of water. The voice of children ran along around in the cold autumn, as the snow covered the roofs. Tips of Y/n's fingers were close to the definition of 'numb' but not quite.
The white fog exhaled as they let go of their breath, even the warmth of their noodle cup couldn't keep their hands warm. "Xiexie¹, A yi²!"
The middle aged woman smiled with the warmth radiated from her lips, welcoming the h/c haired person sincerely. "Mei guan xi³, eh... Y/n," the woman called gently.
The called person raised their eyebrow, e/c irises turned to look at the curious black eyes. The woman scoothed closer to the, eyes glistened to the confused crystalized e/c ones, slowly she hushed her voice and softly spoke, "Who's the man that always drops by your store?"
"Uhm, which one? There's Guan Xiansheng, Bai xiansheng, the Gui family, and一"
"Gosh, you don't have to show off that hard, Y/n." A sweet chuckle rang across Y/n's ears, somehow flustering both of their hearing senses一the heat crept up to them as soon as they realised their words. The middle aged woman spread her famous smile, and maybe glamoured with excitment.
"The man that seems to be in his twenties...! He visits your store often, a
...regular or an important customer?"
Sooner or later, a shade of hazel like the pillar stones they once saw, flashed before their trance. "Oh, Zho一"
"Y/n!"
A deeper voice rang across their ears, turning their head slowly revealed a ginger headed man walking towards them. "Is your shop closed? I was searching for you but you weren't there," the voice chimed in.
A small brisk of blizzard flew passed by the howling wind instead of the breeze of sweet autumn. "Ah, Ninhao⁴, A yi," Childe greeted, he moved the oceanic eyes to the middle aged woman's black ones, smiling like a rose. That's how Y/n described Childe's smile一like the rose with thorns.
"Ahem, isn't there something you want to tell me?" The language fluently changed from the tip of their tongue. From the Liyuean shifted to Kamerian language right away, it sounded too fast for non-native speaker as if their tongue spitted many unrecognizable words.
"You really like to show off your skills, don't you? I'm just here to pay you a visit and drop by a letter," the ginger head chimed with a small hint of playfulness in his voice一alerting the hostile h/c haired person.
"When are you going to reply to your own family? It's time to look the truth in the eyes⁵. Don't you think it's a bit rude to go neither head nor smelt⁶?"
The paper was at the tip of his fingers, a bit crinkled as if the sender used a lower quality paper for a letter. Deep in his voice was the odd tone no one could decipher other than the Y/n and Childe, a brief silence devoured along with a slight tension arousing.
Y/n's eyes fell back to the paper. "Y/n," the man called once again, snapping them out of the silly trance.
Instead of the friendly smile they always had to muster, a mischievous smirk lifted one side of their cheek. "We're speaking idioms now? It's nice of you to give me advice and help me, but my only advice for you is to have one's hand in one's lap⁷."
One idiom.
Childe's oceanic eyes reflected amusement but rather hostility as soon as the eyes landed on the blizzard e/c gaze一sound of the glimmering crystals echoed in his ears oddly.
Despite the affable and closure assurance they always radiated and beamed with the smile, all turned into the freezing ice despite the fact the autumn breeze blew cold, but not as cold as the crystal e/c irises.
"It seems like you push off to one's sense⁸... as expected of an outsider, meddling one's business. I suggest to sit down tight, you're tongue is well hung⁹ despite being a random person."
Three idioms.
Fascinating despite not being a Snehzayan nor speaking in a tongue of one in daily basis. His lips wouldn't part, resembled they were enough to seal his lips and made sure no gaps were seen.
"...Fascinating, you beat me with the idioms despite being a Liyuean. So the rumors were true."
****
The sound of the autumn's breeze brushed against their soft hair, blocking part of their sight of a rusty old building stood still一the bell that always blew the unwanted spirits away no longer rang nor echoed in their ears.
Pieces of memories no one could decipher what was it, even they couldn't do so. The crinkled letter on their hand, both tips of fingers carrased it as soft as it could jusy like an archaic paper which could tear any second.
"Evening, Y/n."
The called person turned their head to the deeper voice, just by the sound of the footsteps managed to relax the tensed muscles. "Xiansheng... evening to you as well."
"What brings you here, xiansheng?" Y/n asked despite not wanting to know. Their eyes glistened back to the rusty small building that was supposed to be a shrine.
Zhongli glanced at the h/c haired person, the way he caught a glimpse of their frightened yet一huge desperations reflected clearly on their crystalized e/c irises. The way their heart beat loudly in the cold air of fall season, the way their fingers intertwined and fidgeted with each other couldn't be left unseen.
He gazed back to the building, joining with whatever they were seeing. Hesitantly, Zhongli raised his arm to the sky and landed on Y/n's head as if he's casting a spell一maybe he's blessing them.
Now the frightened e/c eyes were replaced with confusement but more at peace, they gazed up with curiosity piqued within their glimmering eyes.
"There's no need for you to fret over with me, an old tale will ring and echo but the will to break free can't be broken. Speak and share if you feel the burden you can't hold yourself. That's what Rex Lapiz's friend once said to him."
It had only been a month since they met, but something deep within Y/n's heart told them it'd been hundreds of years.
"I apologize if I spoke too much, but if you wish, I can leave."
Y/n felt the cold air as soon as Zhongli took back his hand, somehow left them a hole in their chest. A small giggle rang aloud as they looked at the building peacefully. "Just do as however you like. I don't mind the company."
****
¹Xiexie (谢谢) = thank you
²A yi (阿姨) = aunty
*In most part of Asia, we call an adult lady aunty and adult man uncle. They don't have to be part of the family to be called Uncle or Aunty.
³Meiguanxi (没关系) =No problem (used when someone says thank you)
⁴Ninhao (您好) = Hello, but the Nin (您) part refers as 'you' to an older one as a sign to show respect.
⁵to look the truth in the eyes (смотреть правде в глаза) = a russian idiom that means to face something or to face the truth.
⁶neither head nor smelt (ни слуху, ни духу) = to go missing.
⁷have one's hand in one's lap (сложа руки) =to sit idly, do nothing
⁸pushed off to one's sense (сбивать с толку) =to confuse
⁹tongue is well hung (язык хорошо подвешен) = talkative
I'm
Finally
Back!
Ahhhh, I just finished my exams! Feels so good to be able to write this一I held this chapter for a month and continued writing in between my breaks. Enough about me, how are you all?
I don't know how to use the Russian Idioms (I'm not really familiar so if there's a mistake, please tell me!) Thank you for coming and read this. I hope I can have the motivation to continue Melliflous too T^T.
Anyways, thanks for coming and read this (it's a bit long) and I wish you all a nice day!