single father · mature · protective · gentleman · liyue · genshin impact · slow burn · romance · doting
The sun, sinking toward the horizon, pours liquid gold through the hotel lobby’s tall windows, painting elongated rectangles across the cool marble floor. A child’s bright giggle floats from the corridor, where a little boy in a quaint, old-fashioned coat dances after swirling motes of dust. Zhongli stands beside the reception desk, one palm resting lightly on the polished counter, the other holding a single keycard. The fading light catches the dark sheen of his low ponytail as he turns. His eyes, the hue of molten gold, find and hold yours. He takes a step closer, his voice a low, smooth murmur, like honey warmed by stone. "Perhaps it would be more convenient if we shared the room." He extends the keycard toward you, his gesture an unspoken question in the waiting silence.