[Ding! Your favorite The Mishearing Maniac has started streaming!]
A crisp chime rang out, and the citizens of all seven nations were forcibly dragged into the livestream.
[Shōgetsu Ryōma]: Oh? Being forced into a stream? That's new!
[Keqing]: Aaaah! I'm drowning in paperwork—don't just pop up like that! (freaks out)
[Chongyun]: You'll get used to it.
[Lisa]: So~ who's getting meme'd today? (rests chin on hand)
[Arataki Itto]: Hah! Gotta be me this time!
[Sucrose]: Voluntarily asking to be memed… Oni-kind truly are incomprehensible creatures.
[Xiangling]: Yeah, I'd rather not get "remixed" again.
[Mona]: Deeply relatable!!
[Itto]: You don't get it—those edits make you look epic! Like Emperor Ye himself!
[Gorou]: True… but all I remember are the "Milky-Scented Slash" and "General Headbutt"!
[Beidou]: Hahaha! Don't forget "Wifey Face" and "Can't Cook"!
[Kaeya]: How about remixing Diluc? Give him a prize; poor guy's been through enough! (reeks of wine)
[Diluc]: Charles, escort this drunkard out. (￢＿￢)
[Yae Miko]: I want to see my dear Shogun's next fan edit~ Great art will be rewarded~ (～￣▽￣)～
[Ningguang]: Excuse me, do you sell Intertwined Fates here? @The Mishearing Maniac
[The Mishearing Maniac]: Those usually drop from edits or quiz events. Between the two, editing has about a hundred times higher drop rate. ┐(￣ー￣)┌
[Ningguang]: Got it. Thanks for the info.
[Raiden Shogun]: I request… a fan edit! @The Mishearing Maniac
[Xingqiu]: Oh boy, she's addicted now?
[Kaeya]: Classic case. Alice calls that Stockholm Syndrome.
[Kujou Sara]: General! Why would you degrade yourself so?!
[The Mishearing Maniac]: Pay-to-feature, thank you! o(′^｀)o
But Bai Hao didn't even look up at Ei's request.
You think I just give in because you asked?
Tonight's spotlight belongs to Zhongli!
[Raiden Shogun]: Sara, transfer one hundred billion Mora immediately! @Kujou Sara
[Kujou Sara]: Y-yes, General! Right away! (runs off in a panic)
[Ding! You've received a tip of 100 billion Mora from Kujou Sara!]
[The Mishearing Maniac]: What a generous boss! I'll bump your edit up the schedule! o(￣︶￣)o
[Xingqiu]: Money really can make ghosts dance, huh?
[Paimon]: Hey! Watch your mouth!
[Itto]: Who's dancing for money now?!
[Bennett]: A hundred billion tip?! So that's the financial power of a national ruler…
[Dori]: Ooooh~ I love rich clients! No bargaining, just mountains of Mora to corrupt my pure lil' heart~ heehee~♡ (grinning)
[Tighnari]: My heart… actually hurts… (clutches chest)
As everyone chattered, the new fan edit began playing in the stream.
Title:Zhongli: Da-Da-Da!
The screen opened on Mondstadt—right in front of the Knights of Favonius Headquarters.
Zhongli stood there with Klee's cherubic face, smiling mischievously up at the viewer.
"Hmm? Are you here to play with Zhongli?"
He made the universal "pay up" gesture with an empty hand.
"Then, you'll be on lookout duty, okay?"
"Zhongli" tilted his head cutely, then trotted down the stairs in a wobbly, old-man sort of shuffle.
"(^▽^) Hehe, let's go~!"
He leapt, hands raised high like he was praising the sun.
The background exploded into white petals and clovers, the screen shimmering with glittering effects.
Text popped up on both sides of him:
Name:Zhongli!
Alias:The Penniless Street Rascal!
In smaller letters below:
Frequent diner at Wanmin Restaurant and Xinyue Kiosk.
Known throughout Liyue as the Archon of IOUs!
[Cloud Retainer]: Pfft—! (spits blood)
[Mountain Shaper, Moon Carver, Xiao, Ajio, Madame Ping]: PFFFFT—!! (collective nosebleed)
[Shenhe]: Master! Are you alright?!
[Ganyu]: Th-this… oh dear… (rubs horns awkwardly)
[Noelle]: Who… who is that supposed to be?
[Xingqiu]: Isn't he the consultant from the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor—Zhongli?
[Childe]: HAHAHA! Zhongli, look! You're famous now! (slaps table wildly)
[Xiangling]: Why does Mr. Zhongli's face look so soft and adorable?!
[Xinyan]: Gotta say… kinda cute though.
[Hu Tao]: HAHAHAHA! I can't believe that old fossil can make that face! My ribs—help! Hahaha!! (slamming desk)
[Zhongli]: .........
[Lisa]: Wait, isn't that Klee's voice?
[Klee]: Wow! I'm on-screen too?! O(∩_∩)O
[Kaeya]: Klee's face, Klee's voice, and a tall man's body… what in Teyvat's name is this patchwork monster?! (laughing hysterically)
[Albedo]: Sounds exactly like something Alice would do… (chin rub)
[Gorou]: Pfft! The way he twitches going down the stairs—it's so cursed!
[Bennett]: So weird… but… I can't stop watching…
[Kujou Sara]: "Frequent diner, Archon of IOUs"? Hmph. Just like that Arataki Itto! (arms crossed)
[Itto]: Lies! I always pay! …Eventually… sometimes… when Shinobu drags me there… (voice fades)
[Kuki Shinobu]: Mm-hmm. "Occasionally." (facepalm.jpg)
And thus—
The "Zhongli: Da-Da-Da!" meme exploded across all seven nations.
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