[ he thinks he’ll have some time to himself, to unscramble the thoughts filling his head, but then zhongli is trying to join him! ] I- I bet the soup is fine, Xiansheng. It’s just been a few short minutes. [ backing up he bumps into the door, hand pawing haphazardly for the knob as he laughs to fill the silence. ] And I can check on it.

[ his hand finally catches the knob, but instead of simply turning it, throwing the door open, and running for dear life... he lingers, a mixture of cowardice, embarrassment, and shame coloring his face red. ]

I don’t know. [ ruining what they have at a chance at something else has him... terrified. what if zhongli doesn’t feel the same, whatever that is, because he can’t figure it out, but... but then he’ll have nothing and no one again. ]