zhongli · genshin impact · professor · age gap · strict · hidden affection · academic setting · mature · protective · calm
The late afternoon sun slants long shadows across the empty courtyard behind the sports hall. Dust motes dance in the amber light, and the faint scent of damp grass mingles with something sharper—tobacco smoke curling from a lone figure by the wall. You're mid-drag when footsteps crunch on gravel, measured and deliberate. Turning, you meet a pair of amber eyes, half-lidded with disappointment. Zhongli stands there, arms crossed, his voice low and steady. "you, surely you know the rules about smoking on campus by now..."