"Zhongli, what are you staring at the water for?"
As soon as Su Bai pushed open the door of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, he saw Zhongli sitting at a table drinking tea. On the table were five cups of water and six candles. Not understanding what was going on, Su Bai was startled.
"Hey, Zhongli, what are you doing so late at night? Even if you're not creeped out, what if you scare little Klee?"
Su Bai picked up one of the cups and downed it in one gulp. But Zhongli remained seated, lost in thought. Seeing that Zhongli wasn't responding, Su Bai took the sleeping little finch from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"Zhongli, if you see Klee tomorrow morning, ask her to give this little finch to Qiqi. Consider it a little gift from me."
Su Bai gently stroked the finch's head. The finch wriggled its body and turned its rear toward him, clearly saying, 'I'm sleeping soundly, don't bother me.' This caught Zhongli's attention.
Zhongli lifted the finch from the table and cradled it in his palm, gently stroking it. The finch wasn't shy. It found a comfortable spot in Zhongli's palm and settled down.
"This little finch has quite a spiritual nature. Having it accompany that child is a good thing."
As he spoke, a thick stream of adeptal energy slowly seeped from Zhongli's palm, gently altering the finch's physical constitution. This gave the finch a faint chance of becoming an adeptal beast. Whether it would truly become one still depended on its own fate and fortune.
Zhongli felt somewhat guilty toward Qiqi. After all, the immortals bore some responsibility for her becoming what she was. So being able to compensate Qiqi in this way would help ease his conscience.
"Speaking of which, Zhongli, what were you thinking about just now? You looked so serious—I thought you were contemplating some great philosophy."
"It's not philosophy, just... how to divide five cups of water among six people?"
Zhongli pointed at the six candles on the table. As Rex Lapis, even though this was a test he was giving Liyue, he still wished for perfection. Yet no matter how he thought about it, he couldn't find a solution.
"That's easy."
Su Bai picked up the cups and placed one between each pair of candles. The water was now distributed in the gaps. Zhongli looked confused. Seeing that the usually omniscient Zhongli didn't understand, Su Bai grinned.
"I think you understand what I mean, don't you? Well, I'm off to sleep."
"Young friend Su Bai, I have some excellent tea here. If you like it, you're welcome to take some."
Zhongli pulled out a bag of tea leaves. He had long noticed Su Bai eyeing his tea with ill intent, but considering the quantity was limited, he hadn't offered any. He hadn't expected this young fox to trick a bag out of him this way.
"Haha, Zhongli, don't be so polite. But as the saying goes, an elder's gift should not be refused. So I won't stand on ceremony."
With a whoosh, Su Bai stored the tea leaves in his Vision's subspace. He had been craving this tea ever since that first cup in the morning. Now that he had it, he could share some with Xiao when he visited tomorrow. Xiao had definitely never tasted tea this fine.
"May I ask what the meaning is in your arrangement of the cups?"
Zhongli tapped the table, pulling Su Bai back from his daydream. Su Bai looked at the cups on the table and said plainly.
"Oh, I just arranged them randomly. Surprised, aren't you? Hahaha."
"Young friend Su Bai, you don't think I'm too old and weak to fight, do you?"
"Cough, cough. Just joking, just joking."
Zhongli didn't take Su Bai's words to heart. Though this little fox was unreliable, the fact that he had placed the cups that way meant he had his own thoughts. Gathering diverse opinions wasn't a bad choice for the conflicted Zhongli.
Thinking of Barbatos's suggestion—showing up with a pile of Starconches, asking for wine—Zhongli's expression grew complicated. That good-for-nothing had suggested turning the water into wine and drinking it all himself, leaving none for the six people. With that in mind, Zhongli thought it better to listen to Su Bai's idea.
"Alright, alright, I'll tell you."
"By arranging the cups this way, the contradiction that should have been yours becomes an internal conflict among those six people."
"At that point, you just play dead and watch the show. The problem solves itself. I don't understand why you were so confused about it."
Su Bai's casual tone made something click for Zhongli. He was right. Once he was 'dead,' how to choose and what to sacrifice would be matters for the Liyue Qixing to consider. What did it have to do with him? He just had to watch.
"I didn't expect you to have such insight, young friend Su Bai."
"It's nothing. Compared to you, this is just petty cleverness."
Su Bai remained humble in the face of Zhongli's praise. After all, Zhongli was one of his elders. Even though Zhongli didn't get angry at jokes, Su Bai still showed humility when praised—even if everything Zhongli said was true.
"Well, I'm going to rest now. You should sleep too, Zhongli."
Seeing Zhongli lost in thought again, Su Bai shook his head. Looked like another person was going without sleep tonight. Sleeping was one of life's greatest pleasures. Why couldn't Zhongli appreciate it?
The night passed without incident. As Zhongli pondered, the sky over Liyue Harbor began to brighten. The rising sun, just peeking above the sea, streamed through the window onto Zhongli's face. After a night of contemplation, he finally let it go. Since he had resolved to usher in the age of humanity, he should just play the role of Zhongli well. Secretly interfering would betray his original intent.
"Sigh... I only hope you don't disappoint me."
Zhongli walked to the window as the sun rose over the sea. Gazing at this vibrant sunrise, he thought of Liyue about to enter the age of humanity. Perhaps only by entering the age of humanity could Liyue remain as vibrant as the rising sun.
"Good morning, Uncle Zhongli! I'm going out to play. Tell Sister Hu Tao I won't be back for lunch."
Ever since she found a playmate in Qiqi, Klee no longer slept in. She stuffed two Mora Meats bought by the Wangsheng employees into her bag and headed off to find Qiqi.
Remembering Su Bai's instructions, Zhongli handed the little finch from his palm to Klee. After tidying her clothes a bit, he patted her little head.
"This little finch is a gift from Su Bai to Qiqi. Tell Qiqi this little bird isn't afraid of the cold in her body and can be kept as a pet. Oh, and remember to feed it some wheat every day."