Walking back, although they weren't exactly downcast, it was clear that neither of them was in high spirits.
After all, this trip yielded no results, though they had mentally prepared for that.
However, Hu Tao was clearly more concerned than Stelle. Her face was full of doubt, and she was silently pondering the whole way back.
"That doesn't make sense. If the deceased wasn't Hua Chu, how could she cross the boundary so quickly and go to the destined place?" Hu Tao kept repeating this sentence throughout the journey.
The boundary is the dividing line between life and death. Many of the deceased linger here, either because they have a very strong attachment to the present world, or because they have some unfulfilled wish.
Many people who die naturally do so, not to mention those who die accidentally.
If the corpse found by the Millelith was merely a substitute for Hua Chu, how could she have no attachment or regret for this world? There should be at least some, right?
This truly baffled Hu Tao.
"Indeed, things aren't that simple." Stelle shrugged helplessly, seeing Hu Tao's expression.
If they could meet the deceased girl and ask everything clearly, the truth would naturally be revealed. Unfortunately, things were not that smooth, and they still had to conduct other investigations.
"It seems we'll have to investigate from other angles. Besides, Lumine has also gone to the Millelith, so there might be some other clues."
"Sigh, it can only be so." Hu Tao sighed.
Wuwang Slope is very close to Stone Gate, which means it's very far from Liyue Harbor. Stelle and Hu Tao also spent a long time getting here.
Walking for so long, only to find no valuable clues, was indeed somewhat disappointing.
"But Hu Tao, if we go back the same way, won't it be a bit too slow?" Stelle suddenly stopped, looked at the cliff nearby, and then said to Hu Tao.
"Hmm? But there's no other way here. If we don't go back the same way, are we supposed to go down this cliff?" Hu Tao asked confusedly.
However, Stelle actually intended to do just that. Wuwang Slope is at a high altitude, and going back the same way would ultimately be a waste of time.
She waved to Hu Tao, who obediently walked in front of her, looking at her with confusion.
"I have a Wind Glider. I can just fly down from here." Stelle took out her Wind Glider.
She had already used the Wind Glider to carry people more than once and was incredibly skilled at it.
"So that's how it is. That makes things easier," Hu Tao nodded, then extended her hands to Aether.
Aether then naturally picked Hu Tao up by the waist.
Hu Tao was very light. Among all the girls she had held, she was probably among the lightest.
Could it be because Hu Tao had too little flesh in certain places?
Aether couldn't help but glance down at Hu Tao's chest.
"What are you looking at?" Hu Tao wrapped her arms around Aether's neck, resting her head on her shoulder, and couldn't help but rub against her.
"Nothing, I just think you should eat more in the future," Aether smiled, leaning down to gently kiss Hu Tao on the lips.
"This Director doesn't have such a big appetite, and besides, gaining too much weight would affect my movements," Hu Tao knew what Aether meant, but she didn't really care much about her current state.
Unless in the future, she and Aether could have a child… but that was probably impossible no matter how she thought about it.
"Alright, it's time to go," Aether held Hu Tao, glanced down, and leaped.
----
Stone Gate is the dividing line between Liyue and Mondstadt. The constant stream of people coming and going here is endless, and as a result, many vendors have seen business opportunities and set up stalls to sell things.
Aether and Hu Tao happened to land near these stalls.
Anyway, it would take a long time to return to Liyue now, so they thought it would be better to have a cup of tea first and then continue their journey.
Unfortunately, Hu Tao couldn't use the Teleport Waypoints like her, otherwise, having already activated the Teleport Waypoints near Liyue Harbor, they wouldn't need to spend so much time on the road.
"Boss, two cups of hot tea for us!" Hu Tao sat down and called out to the owner of the tea stall.
"Coming right up, please wait a moment, esteemed guests," The stall owner was an old man of considerable age, whom others called Uncle Zhou.
The tea stall's name was Big Bowl Tea, and as the name suggested, the two cups of hot tea Hu Tao ordered were eventually served as two large bowls.
Hu Tao was dumbfounded, regretting for a moment why she hadn't just asked for one cup.
She didn't know when she would finish these two large bowls.
"Today was a bust… No, not entirely a bust. At least there's still a chance that Demoiselle is alive," Aether rested her hand on her head, looking at the large bowl of tea in front of her, feeling a headache coming on.
"There's a possibility. Besides the body found at the water source in Feiyun Slope, I don't recall any young girls from a prominent family dying recently," Hu Tao nodded, taking a sip of tea.
Her Wangsheng Funeral Parlor almost monopolized Liyue's entire funeral industry, so if a young girl passed away, they would most likely come to her for the funeral.
But it couldn't be too absolute; almost monopolized wasn't completely monopolized after all, and perhaps some people, for various reasons, wouldn't hold a funeral, but just hastily bury the deceased.
"Miss, please don't say that. Once we leave Liyue…"
"But, I will be a burden to you."
Aether's ears twitched slightly. She couldn't help but turn her gaze, looking curiously at the table not far away.
A young man and woman were sitting together, looking flustered and exhausted.
She didn't have a habit of eavesdropping on others' conversations, but her ears were too sensitive, and the two people weren't sitting too far away.
Even though their voices were very low, they still reached Aether's ears.
What these two said made her curious. Something about everything being fine once they left Liyue, as if they had done something guilty in Liyue.
And that girl…
Aether's brows slowly furrowed. How did this person look more and more like the description of Hua Chu she had inquired about earlier?
"Hu Tao, have you ever met that Demoiselle from De'an's family?" Aether couldn't help but turn to Hu Tao and ask.
"Ah? No, that Demoiselle doesn't go out much normally. It seems not many people in all of Liyue have seen her," Hu Tao shook her head.
Otherwise, they wouldn't have had to ask others for a description of Miss Hua Chu's appearance.
And even then, it might not be accurate.
"Then, look at that…" Aether straightened up and subtly pointed with her hand towards the table not far away.
"Hmm?" Hu Tao looked over in confusion, then her eyes widened slightly.
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