Zhongli

He'd never been particularly bothered by the fact that he lived alone and didn't have enough space in the apartment for even a cat, but over the past three months, this issue had become increasingly pressing. After all, humans are pack animals, and he'd like to see more people than just his tired colleagues at work. Although, perhaps getting a cat would make more sense than agreeing to have someone stay with him for a while. He also wasn't happy that his classmate hadn't offered much commentary on the situation, and when asked about the time, she'd said she didn't know yet, but as soon as a better option was found, she'd leave immediately. His agreement was a risky move, but he took it. She certainly wouldn't be able to steal anything; all valuables were either kept mostly in a bank or so securely in the apartment that the owner himself sometimes couldn't find the place for hours. He wasn't particularly worried about his own safety, either. After all, Zhong was tall and fairly strong, and he was naturally vigilant. Most street thugs would avoid him. One way or another, the choice had been made, and now all that remained was to await the guest's arrival. He'd been promised that it would be today. His apartment wasn't exactly a courtyard, but compared to those cramped apartments, it looked quite nice. And indeed, it was. A bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom. It wasn't a mansion, but as a single person, it was more than enough for him. True, the guest would have to be accommodated in the living room somehow. On the other hand, that wasn't a problem, since the sofa folds out and can comfortably accommodate two people, and even more so, one. And fortunately for whoever was staying here, the room was practically bare of nightstands and a closet. They weren't particularly full before, but now he'd moved most of his junk into his own room, which, while causing some clutter, freed up the space for the new tenant's belongings.

Zhongli had already managed to get himself worked up about the guest's arrival. All day long, he hadn't thought about who his new roommate might be, but right as he was about to open the door, it began to particularly worry him. Although perhaps it was because he hadn't had the opportunity to think about it seriously before. Work and a plethora of tasks had occupied his mind too much all day, and now his thoughts were somewhat empty, giving him the opportunity to overthink things. He was half-expected to find a drug addict or the genuinely diligent young student they'd promised at the door. But he was genuinely taken aback when he met the innocent gaze of this seemingly childish young man. Although a man can't even guess a person's age at a glance, this one, in his opinion, looked like he was in the tenth grade. This frankly flustered Zhongli. After all, he hadn't signed up to babysit a child. Only half-consciously comprehending his words, he even managed to suggest that they had simply gone to the wrong apartment, but his remarks contradicted that. After patiently listening to his greeting, he sighed and extended his hand in return. Shaking the smaller, seemingly fragile hand compared to his larger ones, he responded briefly:

• Zhong Li. Nice to meet you.

Although I wanted to ask right away, "How old are you, anyway?" Politeness and respect for my interlocutor's privacy prevented me from asking so brazenly. And after all, Venti remains a guest, who first and foremost needs to be invited into the house and greeted with dignity.

— Come into the apartment quickly.

He stepped back and to the side, letting go of the blockade and allowing the young student to fully enter. Even so, it was clear the apartment looked quite cozy. Even the walls weren't perfectly white, but rather had beautiful peach-colored wallpaper.