Genshin Impact ship pairings

Tartaglia has been in Liyue for a long time, and as the executor of Winter Solstice, he must return home to report for duty.

Several days before his departure, D'Artagnan pestered Zhongli to teach him calligraphy. D'Artagnan laid out a large sheet of paper covered with characters and asked Zhongli to teach him how to write them one by one.

Zhongli, with a very good temper, laid out the writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table, and had Dadalia sit beside him. He then handed them to Dadalia one by one, according to the words in the book.

D'Artagnan wasn't a native of the country, and although he studied diligently with Zhongli, his calligraphy was always a mess. Hooks, horizontal strokes, left-falling strokes, and right-falling strokes—each one gave D'Artagnan a real headache.

As the saying goes, a bad pen is worse than a good memory. After discovering that he couldn't remember those complicated characters no matter what he did, D'Artagnan decided to use repeated practice to make his hand remember how to write.

The resilient D'Artagnan never gives up. He has gone through a lot of training, and this is just another kind of training. He is fully capable of handling it!

So when Zhongli entered the study again, he saw a little kitten with ink all over its face and body.

When D'Artagnan heard Zhongli enter the room, he looked up and gave Zhongli a bright smile. However, the ink smeared on his face made him look a little comical. Zhongli smiled, coughed lightly, and then asked D'Artagnan.

"May I ask what you are doing, young master?"

D'Artagnan looked at Zhongli's smiling face with a bit of confusion. He was, of course, unaware of the ink stains on his face, which he had inadvertently touched when he was frustrated while practicing calligraphy.

Upon hearing Zhongli's words, Dadalia stood up and looked around, finding the place quite messy, with scraps of paper he had written on scattered around. Turning his head again, he noticed that he still had some ink stains on his clothes, making him look disheveled.

After realizing the situation around him and on himself, D'Artagnan touched his head somewhat awkwardly and said to Zhongli, "Sir, I didn't mean to make such a mess. I'm sorry."

Zhongli looked at D'Addarja, the ink on his hand smearing onto D'Addarja's orange hair as he moved. He took out a clean handkerchief and gently wiped the ink from D'Addarja's face. At the same time, he said to D'Addarja in a gentle tone, "It's alright, a mess can be cleaned up. But how is your handwriting practice going? Do you need my help?"

Tadalia obediently lowered his head, letting Zhongli wipe his face. Hearing Zhongli's question, he was somewhat excited and wanted to say something. However, remembering that Zhongli was still wiping his face, he restrained himself and waited for Zhongli to finish before sharing his thoughts.

Zhongli knew Tartaglia well; he could tell what he wanted to do just by looking at his movements. There wasn't much ink on his face; he could wipe it off quickly.

D'Artagnan could feel Zhongli's fingers moving the soft handkerchief across his face. It was a strange sensation, but D'Artagnan didn't dislike it. He had always loved Zhongli's fingers; they were warm and smooth as jade, and felt delicate to the touch. When they touched his face, it felt like a warm piece of jade was being pressed against him.

After Zhongli finished wiping, he removed his hand. Dadalia immediately went to the table where he had just written, took out a piece of paper, and held it up for Zhongli to see.

"Look, sir, this is the most calligraphy-like I've ever written so far."

Zhongli looked at the character '长' (long) in front of him. It was indeed much better than the messy writing on the ground. Although there were some minor flaws, it was still worthy of praise. Looking at Tadalia, who would wag his tail if he had one, Zhongli smiled and praised him: "Young Master, your calligraphy has already achieved some success and deserves praise."

D'Artagnan was even more delighted upon hearing Zhongli's words. His azure eyes sparkled like luminous stones shimmering in the sunlight—exactly the kind of eyes Zhongli admired. Seeing D'Artagnan's recent dedication to calligraphy, Zhongli suddenly felt a surge of curiosity. Why had D'Artagnan suddenly decided to learn to write? Zhongli voiced his question.

D'Artagnan was taken aback at first, then smiled and told Zhongli, "It's a secret, but you'll find out soon enough. I promise you'll be very surprised."

"I see," Zhongli understood somewhat. It was the surprise the mortals had mentioned. It seemed he should have something to look forward to. Zhongli didn't ask any more questions. He kept his expectations in his heart, but he would often accompany D'Addarja and help him write.

Zhongli watched as Daddariya would sometimes be elated by a successful piece of writing, and other times dejected by a single mistake. Zhongli found Daddariya's changing expressions amusing, and he even skipped several days of going to Sanwanbuguogang to listen to Tian Tiezui's stories, all to keep Daddariya company.

Time flew by, and soon it was time for D'Artagnan to board the ship back to Winter. Before his departure, Zhongli came to see D'Artagnan off. Standing at the port, Zhongli felt a sense of loss.

The wind at the harbor was a bit strong, causing Zhong Li's clothes to flutter gently, catching D'Artagnan's eye and stirring a strange itch in him. D'Artagnan was still wearing the same clothes, the gray fabric gleaming in the sunlight, the sleeves rolled up, revealing a hint of his toned abs. His eyes gleamed as he stared intently at Zhong Li.

A subordinate handed D'Addariya a coat, which he needed to wear when returning home. D'Addariya took the coat and then walked over to Zhongli, handing him a box.

Zhongli picked up the box and noticed it was very light, wondering what was inside. Thinking back to D'Artagnan's tireless calligraphy practice a few days ago, an idea began to form in Zhongli's mind.

"Is this where you wrote your words?"

Hearing Zhongli's words, Dadalia was a little disappointed. His tone was aggrieved, "Sigh, how did Mr. Zhongli know? I thought it would be a surprise. Would Mr. Zhongli like to open it and take a look now?"

Upon hearing this, Zhongli opened the box in his hand, and sure enough, it contained a piece of paper. However, only a few words were written on it.

May our happiness last forever, and may we never forget each other.

Zhongli read it aloud, his tone slightly surprised. Then he heard Datalia's voice: "Well, sir, did you not expect me to write this?"

“I will be gone until winter this time, and it will be a long time before I return. Don’t forget me, sir, and I will not forget you either. When I come back, we will be together again, okay, sir?”

The ruthless warrior from Zhidong always managed to charm Zhongli with her coquettishness. Zhongli looked at the handwriting before him; it wasn't perfect, but these simple ink marks had left an imprint on his heart. Zhongli reached out and touched Dadalia's cheek. Dadalia's blue eyes gazed at him, stirring a certain attraction within Zhongli.

"I won't forget, I'll wait for you to come back."

Zhongli made a promise to D'Artagnan, and he saw the instant joy on D'Artagnan's face. Then came the ship's call; it was time to depart. D'Artagnan hugged Zhongli tightly one last time, unwilling to let go. Only after repeated urging from the ship and Zhongli's pleas did he finally leave. Before departing, D'Artagnan gave Zhongli a final, reluctant kiss.

Zhongli saw D'Artagnan off, clutching the box in his hand. He watched the waves carry the ship away. D'Artagnan continued waving to him from the deck until his figure blurred into the distance. Zhongli smiled and quietly departed.

Lasting joy, never ending; enduring affection, never forgotten.