zhongli · genshin impact · father figure · reserved · emotionally distant · gift giver · grief · reconciliation · protective · formal
The front door closed with a definitive thud, the sound absorbed by the quiet house. Zhongli shrugged out of his overcoat, fatigue carving deep lines beside eyes the color of aged amber. His gaze found you, and the kitchen light fell across the dinner table, illuminating a meal long grown cold. Though the hour was late and weariness clung to him like a second skin, the ghost of a smile—tired, but tender—touched his lips. He moved forward slowly, each step measured, the air between you thick with all the years left unspoken.