Zhongli's POV
Hmm...
So that was Wriothesley.
Only after I got to my car did I fully snap out of my daze.
He hugged Neuvillette and Neuvillette allowed it.
From the little girl's words, It wasn't the first time either.
Yesterday was the 9th of the month, wasn't it? Then he should have met with Baizhu. That snakelike guy surely knows something.
Having realized this, I called Baizhu as soon as I got back to my office.
"Ah... Well if it isn't our local rich asshole?" Baizhu's voice sounded from the other end of the call.
"Snakelike bastard." I retorted.
"Piggybank."
"Grasshead."
"Elder brother." He said sweetly.
A shiver ran down my spine as he said that. It's cute from Neuvillette, but incredibly unpleasant from this guy.
And he knows that. I feel like I can sense that damned smirk of his through that phone.
"Neuvillette wants a boyfriend." I threw out.
"Sure and I'm getting married." He threw back mockingly.
"If it goes on like this, you might actually be the last one to do so."
Silence fell on both sides, but only for a few moments.
"Is it that Wriothesley guy? Tall, black hair with gray streaks, has quite a few scars, and comes with a kid?" Baizhu asked.
...
"You know him."
"We met yesterday. Didn't get too much time to talk in private before Neuvillette tossed me out with a warning though." He sighed.
"You don't seem all too surprised by the fact that I just told you that Neuvillette wants to date him." I pointed out.
My words were answered by yet another tired sigh.
"It can't possibly come as a surprise. Not when I know that Neuvillette not only let him stay at his house but also gave him a rough rundown of that incident."
Oh?
He told him about that too?
While it isn't a secret you should keep at the cost of your life, it isn't like he goes around advertising it.
"Neuvillette also had a pretty bad episode. Wriothesley apparently helped him through it. That's probably why he was a lot calmer even though this one was worse than usual."
Hmm?
"Neuvillette had an episode?"
It didn't show.
Usually, he is kind of out of it for another day or two and while most people don't notice, for someone who grew up with him, it becomes pretty obvious.
"Yeah, and a pretty bad one too. he actually wanted to use the sedative he has back home. He didn't do it in the end, but the intent was there."
Damn.
"That bad? What triggered it?"
"He tried to wake Wriothesley up and he in turn reacted to Neuvillette's touch rather violently. He lashed out and it ended with him being pinned to the bed and Neuvillette nearly choking him to death. As you might expect, Neuvillette didn't take choking his crush half to death all that well."
There was a short silence before he continued.
"If you called me to ask for my opinion of Wriothesley... it's not too bad. Just the fact that he managed to convince Neuvillette that lashing out at him when he randomly grabbed him without warning wasn't his fault is impressive."
"Oh, really? He managed to do something like that?"
"You should have seen it. He got a bit worked up seeing that bullet wound from last time on Neuvillette's shoulder and grabbed him. Neuvillette then proceeded to slam him down face-first onto the bed. After that, when Wriothesley told him that it wasn't his fault, he actually didn't protest. Shocking, really." Baizhu chuckled.
Shocking indeed.
Trying to convince Neuvillette that something isn't his fault is a most difficult and near impossible thing.
"Neuvillette also allowed him not only close but to initiate physical contact when he was in a vulnerable state. He fell asleep against his shoulder too, so that's another thing." He added.
Hmm...
He doesn't seem to be a bad guy.
But still...
"Would you mind looking into the guy? Neuvillette banned me from doings so." I asked.
My question was answered by an awkward laugh.
...
"Did you also-"
"I don't want to talk about it." He cut me off.
So he was banned from looking into Wriothesley as well.
"What do you think our chances are of bribing Sedene into doing it for us?"
"That depends on whether or not we want her to tell Neuvillette that we bribed her into doing it immediately after we ask, or if we want her to wait at least till the call ends." Baizhu said bluntly.
...
"The Fatui-"
"I tried that already. Flat-out refused. Apparently Arlecchino did it only to be glared at by Neuvillette. She then went and told the Tsaritsa who forbid everyone else from doing so." Baizhu cut me off.
Ugh...
Why does Neuvillette have to be so annoyingly thorough?
This is a complete lost cause then.
"Is the only thing we can do wait and see?" I sighed.
"If you find another way, do tell me. I have to go now or we'll miss our plane."
Plane?
"Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah. That conference I told you about a few months back, remember?"
Ah...
Right. That.
"Have fun with that." I grinned.
With how much he hates these conferences...
"And you have fun babysitting Neuvillette the day after tomorrow." He retorted.
"Excuse me?"
Babysitting Neuvillette?
"You didn't forget, right? Since the kids are coming over Friday, he is taking that medicine earlier." Baizhu clarified.
Oh...
"Oh oh."
"What 'oh oh'? Zhongli, you didn't forget about it right?" He asked again.
Well...
"It's been a little hectic... I'm kind of leaving the country tomorrow evening-"
"You are what?!"
"Calm down a bit, will you? Neuvillette doesn't really need a babysitter. We just hang around because usually, we have nothing better to do and Neuvillette is fun to deal with in that state." I pointed out.
"But Wriothesley is there-"
"He can deal with Neuvillette's antics this time then. Look at it as a test. If he can't even deal with this, there is no way he can date Neuvillette."
Not like we have any other way of figuring out what kind of person he is with Neuvillette banning us from going near him.
Neither of us is dumb enough to go against that ban.
And if Wriothesley can't, Neuvillette is more than capable of taking care of himself.
"Just in case, I'll talk to Neuvillette about it tomorrow. We have a... meeting. About my engagement."
"And you were making fun of me for the conference." Baizhu chuckled mockingly.
"Childe will be there. I can't possibly be that bad."
I hope.
I still hold some hope.
Hope that Baizhu shattered in an instant.
"Neuvillette is more than capable of taking shots at you while still smiling at your fiance-to-be. Something I doubt Childe would mind. On the contrary, I think your dear boyfriend will have the time of his life seeing you suffer." He laughed.
And with that, he ended the call.
...
I'm doomed.
Can I just not go?