[The outright admission to pain - a lot of pain - surprises him.

It shouldn't. The life Aether leads, the situations he inevitably encounters both as a traveler and as accidental (or purposeful) savior of each situation he wades through, none of it lends itself to comfort and rest. In his journey across Teyvat, Aether has certainly taken an injury or two that could result in long-term soreness. Perhaps for the rest of his life.

Baizhu simply did not expect him to admit it so easily. When he arrived looking otherwise healthy, it was sensible to put aside most illnesses or other odd maladies; for a few moments, with Aether sitting there, tired but not tense, he thought perhaps the discussion would not be about the traveler at all.

But he is so terribly familiar with how it feels. To ache all the time. To weigh one bad day, or several, against a "good day" that might leave a less practiced person bedridden, and do it with a smile, as he still has work to do, patients to see, immortality to attain.

So Baizhu looks at Aether over the top edge of his spectacles, serious, but not really grave.]

I see. Do you think you could describe the pain for me, then? Where it is, whether there are things you have done recently that may have made it worse.

[For just a second, a smile breaks the scrutiny, though it's gone again with his voice.]

I will also listen to things you have done that shouldn't have affected you, of course.