In an instant, cold sweat broke out all over her body, and she couldn't stop herself from trembling.
She thought of the ghost story Hu Tao had told her the last time they'd gone to watch Yun Jin perform — the one about the Knocking Ghost.
What was she supposed to do?
For a moment, Fang Qiu was completely at a loss.
Climb out through the window? But given the drop outside, with her physical condition, she'd probably splatter on the ground — at which point she wouldn't need to worry about whatever was at her door, and might just end up joining it as a fellow midnight door-knocker.
Well then. Maybe she should just fight.
What if ghosts in Teyvat took physical damage?
Just as the anxiety was threatening to overload her brain entirely, Hu Tao's voice rang out from the other side of the door.
"Fang Qiu, are you asleep?"
Huh?
That was Hu Tao's voice?
Fang Qiu's heart leapt with joy — but just as she reached for the door, her hand froze.
She hesitated, then leaned against the doorframe and asked Hu Tao several questions in quick succession. Only after Hu Tao answered every single one correctly did she finally pull the door open.
"Fang Qiu, are you alr—"
Hu Tao had barely started speaking when she saw Fang Qiu's face — pale, forlorn, on the verge of tears, the expression of someone who had just been pulled back from the edge. The words died in her throat.
Before she could finish her sentence, she saw Fang Qiu's knees buckle. Her legs gave out from under her, and she was about to crumple to the floor.
Hu Tao immediately flung the Staff of Homa aside and lunged forward, catching Fang Qiu head-on in a full embrace.
A delicate, refined fragrance swept into her nose.
Warm jade in her arms.
So soft. So sweet-smelling. The skin beneath her hands was impossibly smooth and tender — and then there was the particular sensation of Fang Qiu's chest pressing against her own…
But that fleeting, peculiar feeling dissolved just as quickly as it came.
Because she could feel Fang Qiu's body trembling slightly in her arms, and soft, muffled sobs reached her ears.
"It's okay, it's okay. Don't be scared. I'm here," Hu Tao said, gently patting Fang Qiu on the back.
Soothed by her words, Fang Qiu gradually calmed down.
Once she had, the color rushed straight to her face. Her fair, pretty cheeks flushed a warm, tempting shade of sunset orange — like drifting clouds set ablaze by the last light of dusk.
This was so embarrassing.
She'd actually cried in front of Hu Tao.
"Come in and sit down," Fang Qiu said softly, extricating herself from Hu Tao's embrace and wiping the tears from her face.
"Mm." Hu Tao nodded, picked up the Staff of Homa she'd tossed aside, and followed Fang Qiu inside.
It was only after Hu Tao stepped in that Fang Qiu noticed Sanmi had tagged along as well.
The little cat darted straight for Tingyu the moment she was through the door.
"She jumped onto my shoulder and refused to be left behind right as I was heading out. So I just brought her along," Hu Tao explained.
"Right — was there something you needed? And why did you bring the Staff of Homa with you?"
With Hu Tao there, the knot of fear and tension in Fang Qiu's chest had loosened considerably. She set out some snacks and tea for Hu Tao and asked.
At the question, Hu Tao recounted how she'd overheard Xingqiu and Chongyun's conversation and come straight over.
"Thank you, Hu Tao."
Fang Qiu was genuinely moved. But alongside the warmth, confusion still nagged at her — so she told Hu Tao everything she had seen at the riverside.
"So you're saying the little boy was leading the little girl toward the river, you noticed and intervened, and then the boy vanished in the blink of an eye?" Hu Tao rubbed her chin, brow furrowing slightly as she asked.
"That's right. I'm absolutely certain I didn't imagine it — and you just said that when Xingqiu and Chongyun went to ask the little girl, she confirmed there had been a boy there," Fang Qiu said with conviction.
She paused, then let out a slow breath. "Hu Tao, be straight with me — are there actually ghosts in this world?"
Seeing that Fang Qiu had the look of someone who wouldn't rest until she had the full truth, Hu Tao let out a small sigh. "There are, yes. Generally speaking, though, spirits don't have the ability to harm ordinary people. That little boy by the river was actually already on the more malevolent end of things…"
"Then why did you tell me before that there were no such things as ghosts?"
Fang Qiu asked.
"The Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's work isn't just about holding funeral rites. We also maintain the boundary between life and death — something a bit like the Ghost Realm in your Sword and Fairy series, actually. Part of that work is correcting the way ordinary people think about death and the supernatural. Put simply: the further away people who can't see the boundary are kept from it, the better," Hu Tao said, with a slightly helpless air.
"So for ordinary people, the best possible state is simply not knowing about spirits and ghosts — or believing they don't exist at all. Because even if they did know, it would only give them more to be afraid of."
Fang Qiu found it hard to argue with that.
Because, well, she had a point.
For normal people, knowing about this stuff really would just pile on the fear for no good reason.
It looked like she'd have to find time at some point to learn how to deal with ghosts herself.
Though — she hadn't expected the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to carry such a heavy responsibility. And to think Hu Tao actually hunted ghosts too.
"I'll head out to the riverside you mentioned in a couple of days and help that little boy pass on," Hu Tao said, taking a bite of a pastry.
"A couple of days? You're not going right now?" Fang Qiu asked.
"Chongyun's pure yang constitution would've scared that little spirit off the moment he showed up. It'll probably be a good few days before it dares come back out." Hu Tao spread her hands. "There was this wealthy socialite once — apparently well-connected enough to exchange a few words with the Liyue Qixing themselves."
Uh…
Exchanging a few words with the Liyue Qixing didn't exactly sound that impressive, actually.
She'd sat in a dessert shop with the Liyue Qixing and their head secretary just today.
But Fang Qiu didn't interrupt.
"Anyway, every night in that socialite's estate, strange sounds would start up. She was at her wits' end — brought in a whole parade of exorcist fangshi, not one of them did a single thing. Even I got called out for it. But by the time Zhongli and I arrived, Chongyun had already sorted it out. He hadn't done a single thing — just dragged a chair into the courtyard, sat there all night, and the whole haunting resolved itself. Sent me and Zhongli on a completely pointless trip," Hu Tao said with a wave of her hand, grinning.
"That guy's pure yang energy — yin and yang in perfect balance, a constitutionally pure yang body from birth. Ordinary spirits and demons take one look at him from a distance and bolt. If they're too slow to run, that's their problem — just being near him, that yang energy alone is more than any common spirit or demon can handle. Which is exactly why he's never once actually seen a ghost." She snickered. "A ghost-hunter who can't see ghosts. Ha. No matter how many times I think about it, it never stops being funny."
As if catching Hu Tao's infectious laughter, Fang Qiu couldn't hold back a chuckle or two herself.
But at the same time, she felt a genuine pang of envy.
Not being able to see ghosts — what a blessing.
Though, come to think of it.
Once she bought a new house someday, she could invite Chongyun to sit in the courtyard every now and then.
That way, she wouldn't have to worry about spirits or demons ever again.
She just didn't know what his rates were.
Then again, he was one of her fans — and on top of that, she apparently looked just like his young aunt. Surely he'd give her a discount.
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