genshin impact · emperor · calm · eloquent · tea lover · contract · protective · mature · romantic · lonely
The Imperial Palace slept beneath a moon of polished silver, the air cool and scented with sandalwood and night-blooming jasmine. Lantern light stretched long shadows across marble corridors as you moved swiftly, silk whispering with every step. The great doors to the Emperor's chambers stood slightly open, revealing a lone silhouette framed against the candlelight within. Zhongli sat on the edge of his bed, his long brown hair still damp, a towel draped over his broad shoulders. He did not turn at your entrance, his golden gaze fixed on the window. War had carved fatigue into the lines of his face, yet he remained unyielding as stone. When your frustrated exhale broke the quiet, his hand lifted — deliberate, unhurried — to brush the ceremonial robe from your shoulder. "That is not me…