Chapter Text
When Yanfei first saw her again, she almost didn’t believe it. Two light brown ponytails, a flash of red, the unmistakable scent of fresh plum blossoms. Then there was that laugh. The laugh that no matter how much Yanfei tried to forget, it would still appear in her dreams as a bittersweet memory time and time again. Yanfei whipped her head around, scanning the streets, trying desperately to get another look of her. But alas, the other had disappeared into the crowds, the people around her preventing her from getting another look.
Hu Tao .
The thought of seeing her again filled the pink-haired adeptus with happiness. Who wouldn’t be happy to see their lover again, after such a long time? But beneath the happiness lay a layer of uncertainty. Gosh, how long has it been since she last saw Hu Tao? A century? A millenia? More? Would Hu Tao even know who she is? Well, none of that really matters. All that mattered to Yanfei was the fact that she was here . She was back. The most important person in her life was once again roaming the streets of Liyue.
Yanfei didn’t have time to chase after her though. For she had a client was waiting for her and she was already running late. The people pushing past her further reminded her that she had much to do that day. Yanfei muttered a string of curses under her breath as she turned back around and began pushing through the crowds once again.
That night, Yanfei burst through the door of her apartment. “Ganyu, you… you won’t believe who I saw.” Her eyes were shining with excitement. The other adeptus looked up from her laptop, where she had been typing away. She flashed her a questioning look, motioning her to continue. Yanfei was about to open her mouth but something in her stopped her from doing so. Her smile dropped and her gaze turned hesitant, unable to tell the other about her encounter. The topic of reincarnation had always been a sensitive topic between the two of them, since both had lost their lovers to time. Ganyu, who had lost Keqing first, was now doubtful that she would ever see her again. And now that Yanfei saw Hu Tao… How was she going to tell her?
“Yanfei? Are you alright?” A hand was placed onto her shoulder and Yanfei blinked. When did Ganyu even leave her seat? She nodded slowly. “Who did you see?” She probed gently and Yanfei released the breath she hadn’t even realised she’d been holding in. She had to tell Ganyu, who else would also remember Hu Tao other than her?
“It’s Tao, I…I saw her today, on the streets.”
“You…what?” Ganyu paused, her expression contorting into something now unreadable. Yanfei winced internally. Ganyu opened her mouth once, before closing it again, as if she was trying to find the words to say. “Are...are you sure it was her? Are you certain?” Yanfei nodded, of course she was certain. She’d never mistake Hu Tao.
“Did you talk to her?”
“No, I just managed to get a glimpse of her as we passed each other.”
“It could’ve been someone else…” The older adeptus’ voice was filled with reluctance. Yanfei now knew what the unreadable expression on Ganyu’s face was. Reluctance. Of course, Ganyu would never allow herself to foolishly get her hopes up over such a thing anymore, much less Yanfei. But Yanfei was desperate.
“Someone that looked exactly like her? Who smelt just like her? Someone who’s laugh sounded exactly like hers? I heard her laugh, Ganyu, I heard it.” Yanfei’s voice broke and she felt herself at the brink of tears because gosh darn it she missed Hu Tao so much and the person that she saw had to be her... or Yanfei wouldn’t know what to do anymore. She sank to the floor slowly, her hands in her face.
She felt hands on her again, except this time they were patting her back slowly. “Alright, I’m..I’m sorry. I just… had to check… you know?” Ganyu’s soft voice rang through her ears. Ganyu’s touch was as soft and gentle as it always was, and that only made Yanfei cry ever harder. She suddenly wished she didn’t care about that stupid client, who ended up wasting her time, consulting her for something that he ended up solving on his own anyways, and had just pushed past the crowds to catch up with Hu Tao.
Through her hiccups, she whispered. “It has to be her.”
Yanfei then felt Ganyu’s arms envelope her in a hug. They stayed like that for a while, before Ganyu spoke again. “I know, and we’ll find her again. I promise.”
“You’ll help me find her?” Yanfei broke apart from the hug and looked at the other, slightly shocked by her words.
“Of course.” Ganyu wore an almost comically determined expression on her face, a rare sight to see from the usually serious adeptus and Yanfei couldn’t help but laugh. Ganyu’s expression softened again after hearing the younger adeptus laugh. “I’m serious, though, we’ll find her again and I’ll try my very best to keep a lookout for her on the streets too, in case I pass her. You can count on me.”
Yanfei smiled, rubbing the remainder of her tears away. “Thank you, Ganyu.”
It turns out that Yanfei didn’t need to search high and low for Hu Tao. One might call it fate when Hu Tao pranced her way into the adeptus’ office the very next day.
“Your honour, I want to file a lawsuit.” Yanfei almost fell out of her chair as the door banged open and a young woman with a bucket hat far too similar to the hat that Hu Tao used to wear barged into the room. The sweet scent of plum blossoms filled Yanfei’s nose as the young woman in front of her leaned over her table. Yanfei had to hide her giggle, before adjusting her posture and putting on a more serious expression. This was exactly how they met, over a millenia ago. To think that the same thing would happen again.
“A pleasure to meet you too, Miss…?”
“Hu Tao, head funeral consultant and next in line to be CEO at Wangsheng Corps.” The other woman stuck her hand out and grinned. Yanfei felt her heart skip a beat. The grin, the name, the resemblance. It was Hu Tao. If Yanfei wasn’t certain before, she was definitely certain now.
“Miss Hu, I am Yanfei. It’ll be a pleasure doing business with you.