As usual, Zhongli, consultant to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, was browsing the market for interesting finds when he came across a curious object.
It was a cube with a golden-yellow exterior, supposedly found by a merchant on a beach in a foreign land.
When turned to different sides, it made different sounds, like a music box full of mystery.
After buying the music box and taking it home, Zhongli had a dream that night.
Welcome to the Child-Raising Simulator. Together with a suitable collaborator, you will nurture children scattered throughout time and the sea of stars, helping them grow into the people you hope they will become.
The first one could indeed be called a child, but more accurately, it was a lion cub.
The second was certainly a human child, with short golden hair, born and raised in the desert.
The third was a foreign race with feathered ears, who seemed to have a younger sister around the same age.
As the young ones he cared for gradually grew up, Zhongli discovered an unexpected fact that nevertheless made perfect sense.
That is, apart from the first one, all his collaborators were the young ones themselves.
And after meeting the "mastermind" who had tossed the "music box" into Teyvat, he would eventually set foot in the world where they truly lived.
Theme: Growing up is difficult and sharp-edged.
