All along the way, Liyue Harbor was as bustling as ever.
Pedestrians thronged the streets.
The entrance of the Wanwen Bookhouse in particular was packed with a long, winding line.
And among the crowd there was no shortage of familiar faces.
Take, for instance, that legal expert with horns on her head, a code of law slung at her waist, in the middle of passing judgment on a young man who had cut in line.
Fang Qiu, holding Tingyu, listened in from the side with no small interest.
The young man had merely jumped the queue, yet that legal expert was reeling off one count of guilt after another against him.
Added all together, it nearly came to a sentence of a year or more.
It frightened the young man into trembling all over; with a thud he dropped to his knees and began to repent.
There were also Xingqiu and Chongyun.
The two of them, however, were fairly near the front of the line, chatting away happily, and hadn't noticed her at all.
Going over to say hello would be rather a hassle, so Fang Qiu simply carried on toward the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
She made her way all the way to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
In front of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the young undertaker girl was sitting on the long bench before the hall, utterly engrossed in a book.
Hu Tao, meanwhile, was seated beneath the osmanthus tree, also reading.
Sanmi was curled up into a ball, nestled at Hu Tao's side, looking to be sleeping quite soundly.
A gust of wind swept by.
Fang Qiu couldn't help but shrink into herself, hugging Tingyu tightly, which drew a spell of displeasure from the Tingyu in her arms.
Holding Tingyu, Fang Qiu walked up behind Hu Tao.
She'd assumed Hu Tao would notice her the moment she drew near, but to her surprise, even when she had come right up behind her, Hu Tao still hadn't realized she was there.
Had she fallen asleep?
Fang Qiu was a little puzzled.
Falling asleep in such a dangerous spot?
What if she were to topple straight off?
Even with Hu Tao's sturdy constitution, she'd surely get hurt, wouldn't she?
And so she reached out and gently patted Hu Tao on the shoulder, softly calling, "Hu Tao, you..."
Before she could finish, Hu Tao turned her head, and Fang Qiu's words came to an abrupt stop.
A line of clear tears was brimming over, sliding down Hu Tao's cheek and dripping onto the back of her hand.
Their eyes met.
Was it sorrow? Was it joy?
Fang Qiu froze.
She had never seen Hu Tao cry before—not even with the Your Lie in April she'd written earlier, nor while watching the film of Sword and Fairy 1.
This was the very first time she'd seen Hu Tao weep.
"Hu Tao... are you all right?"
For a moment Fang Qiu was a little flustered, and hurriedly asked.
"Eh? Was I crying?"
Looking at Fang Qiu's flustered, concerned gaze, Hu Tao too wore a look of bewilderment.
A cold wind blew, and drops of rain began to fall.
Then, in the space of just a few breaths, it turned into a downpour, and before long the two of them were soaked through.
"Director—uh, Miss Fang Qiu, when did you get here? No, that's not the point—it's raining, hurry over and take cover!"
The young undertaker girl's call rang out from behind.
The Tingyu in her arms also let out a sound of discomfort.
"Let's take shelter from the rain first."
Fang Qiu let go of her hold on Tingyu, then reached out a hand toward Hu Tao.
"Mm."
Hu Tao placed her hand in Fang Qiu's and, following along, trotted with her into the main hall of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
As for Tingyu and Sanmi, they had long since darted into the hall.
No sooner had they stepped inside the hall than there came a tremendous "boom" from the heavens.
Winter thunder rolled.
Then the torrential rain came pouring down in sheets.
Although the sky had been overcast for quite a while, this rain came on very suddenly.
"What a heavy rain—and thunder in winter, no less, which is rare. I wonder if something's happened with that Raiden Shogun over in Inazuma."
The young undertaker girl took out two towels and handed them to Hu Tao and Fang Qiu, glancing at the sheeting rain outside the window as she spoke.
"Thank you—though it was perfectly fine when I left the house."
Fang Qiu took the towel the young undertaker girl handed over, wiping at her slightly dampened white hair while voicing her thanks.
Yet her gaze came to rest on Hu Tao.
Just now... had Hu Tao been crying?
Or was it just rain that had fallen on her face?
"You two chat for now. As it happens, I saw earlier that it looked like rain, so I had someone prepare hot water. I'll go get things ready—brew you a pot of tea, and while I'm at it, draw a nice bath in a wooden tub for you both."
The young undertaker girl said, "After all, if you don't warm yourselves up after getting caught in the winter rain, it's all too easy to catch a chill. A few days ago, that old gentleman who passed away was just—uh, that's inauspicious, never mind, you two talk."
With that, she walked off into the back hall to boil the water.
The icy rain had seeped into her body, and Fang Qiu suddenly felt herself trembling faintly, as if her body were beyond her control.
"Fang Qiu, are you all right?"
Hu Tao asked.
"I'm fine, just a bit cold."
Fang Qiu gently shook her head as she spoke.
Hu Tao raised a hand and beckoned; her Pyro Vision glimmered faintly, and a flame butterfly fluttered its wings into the air, coming to rest before Fang Qiu.
Feeling the warmth radiating from the butterfly, only then did Fang Qiu feel much more comfortable.
Beside them, Tingyu and Sanmi hopped up onto the table too, basking in the warmth.
After a good while, the chill in her body gradually receded.
Hu Tao held a towel, gently dabbing at the pages of the book.
The downpour just now had soaked the book as well.
Fang Qiu took a look—in the story on the pages, Gin's whole body was glowing with a firefly light, slowly dissolving away.
He opened his arms toward Hotaru Takegawa.
"Come, Hotaru, I can finally touch you."
Hotaru Takegawa came forward with a smile and embraced Gin.
But after only a brief embrace, Gin completely faded away.
Hotaru Takegawa held the clothes that still retained Gin's warmth, kneeling on the ground and weeping.
So it was reading up to this part that had made Hu Tao cry.
Three seconds of embrace, to be remembered for a lifetime.
Just as Fang Qiu was thinking this, Hu Tao, her back to her, paused in the act of wiping the pages and asked, her expression somewhat downcast, "Fang Qiu, if two people are fated to be unable to form a bond, isn't it better to give up from the very start?"
Hearing Hu Tao's words, Fang Qiu couldn't help but be taken aback.
Did she mean Gin and Hotaru Takegawa?
She had meant to ask about it, but then she noticed that Hu Tao's body was trembling slightly.
With Hu Tao's constitution, there was no way she'd be cold enough to shiver from this bit of rain—much less with a fire butterfly right there giving off heat.
"If it were me, even if in the end we couldn't form a bond and I were left battered and scarred all over, I still wouldn't regret meeting the other person—whether as Gin or as Hotaru Takegawa."
Fang Qiu thought it over and, deciding not to press further, said softly.
If she were Hotaru Takegawa, she most certainly wouldn't regret meeting Gin.
Even if this memory were to become a scar in her heart that could never heal.
"Is that so."
Hu Tao's tone relaxed quite a bit.
And at that moment, the young undertaker girl came out from the back hall carrying a pot of water.
She quickly brewed Fang Qiu a cup of hot tea; one sip of it down, and Fang Qiu instantly felt her body grow a good deal warmer.
"Miss Fang Qiu, I've got the bathwater ready. You and the Director should go have a good soak."
The young undertaker girl said, "I'll go prepare a change of clothes for you both."
"Mm, Hu Tao, let's go."
Fang Qiu nodded.
Even having drunk hot tea and warmed herself by the fire, if she didn't take a bath, with her constitution she'd easily catch a chill.
"Mm."
Hu Tao nodded.
Just as they were about to set off, the young undertaker girl paused mid-step and said, "Oh, right—Director, Miss Fang Qiu, I accidentally overheard your conversation just now, and I've read just about enough of the book too. Before you go take your bath, might I share my own thoughts?"
"Please do."
Fang Qiu smiled as she spoke.
Hu Tao cast her gaze over as well.
"The way I see it, bonds that truly cannot be formed are few in this world. In Liyue, the legends of immortals and mortals falling in love are beyond counting, and many of them have become cherished tales. Even though their lifespans differ, just as Miss Fang Qiu said a moment ago, they don't regret having met. Cases like Gin and Hotaru Takegawa really are bonds that cannot be formed—but apart from such untouchable ties of fate, most obstacles, I think, aren't really a problem at all."
The young undertaker girl said with a smile, "Speaking of which, a few days ago I saw two girls pledge themselves to each other for life by the sea. I don't think that counts as a bond that cannot be formed, does it? Miss Fang Qiu, do you think they count as a bond that cannot be formed?"
Hearing the young undertaker girl's question, Fang Qiu's pretty face—slightly pale from the cold—couldn't help but flush with an alluring, bashful red.
For some inexplicable reason, she once again thought of that woman author from her past life who'd been kept by her gorgeous, wealthy roommate.
And the photo she'd sent over of herself and that gorgeous, wealthy beauty sleeping together.
Fang Qiu gave a light cough and said, "It doesn't count as a bond that cannot be formed—as long as there's love, that's enough."
No sooner had she said it than the plot of Junior Sister, Go Easy, Senior Sister Hurts came flooding before her eyes once again.
Thinking of the plot in that book, and whether or not it was the cold air seeping into her, Fang Qiu only felt her legs go a little weak, unable to stand quite steadily.
"Thank you, Miss Fang Qiu, for clearing up my confusion."
The young undertaker girl smiled and said, "All right, you two hurry off to your bath—the water will be getting cold soon. Oh, and I also had someone prepare some Glaze Lily petals for you, which have a calming effect."
As she said this, she even gave Hu Tao a wink.
Hu Tao's face flushed red too, and after a couple of words she dragged Fang Qiu off as though fleeing, running all the way to the back courtyard.
Fang Qiu followed behind Hu Tao the whole way, somewhat out of breath; Hu Tao noticed her odd state too and hurriedly slowed her pace.
They made their way to the room the young undertaker girl had mentioned.
With a "creak," they pushed open the door and went in.
Another girl dressed in Wangsheng Funeral Parlor attire was in the middle of pouring the last bucket of hot water into the wooden tub.
Then she scattered a dozen or so Glaze Lily petals into the tub.
"Director, the bathwater is ready."
the girl said.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Hu Tao nodded.
The girl then turned and left.
Fang Qiu, for her part, took a glance around the room.
This room was different from the one she'd seen before in the back courtyard, the one where the coffins were kept.
This room had an antique, classical charm, and the air was suffused with the faint, fresh fragrance of Glaze Lily.
Fresh, and delicately elegant.
Soon, however, Fang Qiu noticed something was off.
This wooden tub—there was only one!
Granted, the tub was very large, taking up considerably more space than a bathtub from her past life, and it was a good deal taller too.
But for two people, it was still a touch cramped, wasn't it?
"How about—Hu Tao, you bathe first?"
Fang Qiu said hesitantly.
"How could that do? In weather this cold, we should bathe together. Your body is so frail—if you caught a chill, that'd be real trouble."
Without even waiting for Fang Qiu to speak, Hu Tao seized Fang Qiu's hand and headed toward the bath tub.
Watching Hu Tao's retreating figure, Fang Qiu couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
Hu Tao right now seemed to be in a much better mood.
But she didn't get the chance to dwell on it, because Hu Tao had already pulled her up to the bath tub.
"Hurry and take off your clothes."
Hu Tao said.
"Mm."
Fang Qiu hesitated for a while, then could only nod and begin to undress.
Feeling the assault of the slightly chilly air, even though the bath tub was right before her eyes, Fang Qiu still couldn't help but shudder, her body wracked with a fit of shivering.
"I'll help you in."
Hu Tao steadied Fang Qiu from behind, having her step onto the stool, then move her legs and gently step into the bath tub.
From ankle to knee, from knee to thigh.
The water only submerged up to this point.
Fang Qiu gently sat down, and in an instant her whole body was swallowed up by the hot water.
Fang Qiu couldn't help but give another little shiver.
She really wanted to close her eyes and enjoy it properly.
Just as Fang Qiu was enjoying herself, Hu Tao stepped into the bath tub too.
Since she was facing Fang Qiu, her view took in everything at a glance, and apart from the fresh fragrance of Glaze Lily, a faint scent of plum blossom also wafted over.
Hu Tao sat down gently across from her, her pretty face flushed crimson as well, and Fang Qiu's whole body suddenly went a little stiff.
Hu Tao, however, chuckled softly and casually picked a topic to chat with Fang Qiu about.
The stories Hu Tao told were extremely interesting, and as they talked on and on, Fang Qiu's tense feeling gradually melted away.
But after holding one position for too long, Fang Qiu naturally wanted to shift a little.
Only, before she had the chance to move, Hu Tao moved first.
And no sooner had she moved than Hu Tao felt her foot touch something soft.
"Eep."
Fang Qiu couldn't help but let out a soft cry, and her pretty face, which had just returned to normal, flushed red in an instant.
And at that moment, a knock came from outside the door.
"Director, Miss Fang Qiu, the clothes are ready. Is it all right for me to come in?"
The young undertaker girl's voice rang out.
"Come in."
Hu Tao gave Fang Qiu an apologetic glance, then said.
Fang Qiu gently nodded, indicating she didn't mind.
Soon the door was pushed open.
The young undertaker girl walked into the room, cast a glance at Fang Qiu and the Director in the bath tub, set the towels and clothes on the table to the side, then turned and left, gently closing the door behind her.
After soaking for a while.
Fang Qiu, supported by Hu Tao, stepped out of the bath tub.
After drying her body with a towel, Fang Qiu realized that what the young undertaker girl had prepared for her was not her previous clothes, but a Wangsheng Funeral Parlor uniform.
Fang Qiu tried putting it on and found that the garment, surprisingly, fit her just right.
Seeing Fang Qiu's puzzled look, Hu Tao smiled and said, "This is something I asked Sister Ying'er to make on the side, back when we went over to her place together that time. How is it? Fits well, doesn't it?"
"Mm."
Fang Qiu nodded.
Neither too loose nor too tight—just right.
And it wrapped her up nice and snug.
Looking at Fang Qiu dressed in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor garb, Hu Tao couldn't help but take a few extra glances, and praised her: "Fang Qiu, you look even prettier in the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor uniform."
"Don't talk nonsense."
Fang Qiu turned her head away, a little shy.
Once dressed and her appearance tidied up, they walked out of the room together.
Outside, the rain was still coming down in a clattering rush, the air cold, the sky a sheet of gloom.
"Speaking of which, as it happens I bought Miss Ningguang's Liyue Millennium. Let's play it together for a bit."
Hu Tao, not minding the weather in the slightest, a smile at the corners of her mouth, tugged Fang Qiu along the corridor, heading toward the front hall.
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