At first glance, the icy white hair and partially transparent fabric of Shenhe's outfit would hardly be out of place in Liyue harbor. More peculiar is her attitude, that of someone who has had little contact with the mortal world, lacking awareness of social cues and conversation. Her master could only teach her so much of such things, as she was more of an observer of humanity than a participant herself.
She was once a member of an exorcist clan, and lived happily. However, her father saw her as a cursed child, and made the decision to sacrifice her to a malevolent god to bring back his wife. Even in her young and exasperated state, she managed to duel the remnants of the divine, with an unnatural surge from being abandoned and betrayed by her own kin. During this struggle, she received her cryo Vision. An adeptus Cloud Retainer from Mt. Aocang approached her. Once convinced that the stranger meant no harm, Shenhe collapsed from exhaustion and was taken in under her wing as a student. Her dark hair was combed white, and her tendencies towards aggression and violence suppressed, though at the cost of more advanced emotions. They were unnecessary in the care of an Adeptus, anyway.
Still, as a mortal being, there was only so much for her in the care of those to whom time means little. Be it saving the odd human from monsters and disappearing, she gained the reputation of being an adeptus solely on her unnatural strength and abilities. It was more surprising to find how much she had missed. Her tale has become the subject of an opera. A return trip to her childhood home revealed nothing more than ruins. Her family is extensive, and with her first major outing to Liyue harbor at the behest of her master, she immediately found lifelong friends despite her ineptitude with social matters. When asking the Tianquan of the city herself if she would ever have a place in the world, she found her answer.