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Bells.
Are those bells she’s hearing?
Hu Tao looks up from where she’s almost sprawled across her office table, face planted on the surface. The humidity inside Wangsheng Funeral Parlor is starting to eat her up from the inside. Maybe she’s even hearing things now, pining for the certain sound, waiting for a particular person to show up around the corner.
Her heart starts to sing, shoulders lifting in an attempt to look composed and expectant, only to be let down when not- Yanfei peeks from outside the sliding doors. It’s only a parlor employee, eyes widening when she sees Hu Tao scowling from behind the desk.
She had every right to be annoyed, she thinks. It’s her birthday and Yanfei hasn’t come around to visit her yet.
“Uh… Director Hu?” The employee asks, straightening up and scratching the back of her head. “Is there something I can do for you?”
Hu Tao lets out a breath, relaxing once again into her chair, waving the employee away with a small smile. “No need. I was just wondering when I’ll get to meet Fan Er’ye as a customer. He can be a VIP, don’t you think?” She says it rather thoughtfully although her thoughts were everywhere but the really old owner of Heyu Tea House.
The employee looks rightfully horrified and scuttles away after a little bow.
Maybe Hu Tao should go outside, breathe some fresh air, maybe even visit Yanfei in her office. Being the most sought after legal adviser in Liyue could be overwhelming although Hu Tao herself had never had too much of a reason to ask for some counseling. Despite almost every citizen in Liyue thinking about how unorthodox Hu Tao seemed as the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Yanfei was always there to tell them a piece of her mind.
Though it drags on quite a while when she does, she must say.
Hu Tao basks in the sunlight as she walks along Feiyun Slope, eyeing potential customers along the way, nothing but business marketing strategies crowding her thoughts as Liyue continues to thrive under the watchful glow of the Qixing.
Children run to-and-fro, chasing each other around the bulletin boards, climbing up and down the stairs, chided by nearby grown ups to stop before they could end up tumbling down. Merchants and traders line the busy walkways, calling after customers and tourists alike, selling wares, gems, antiques, fans, and street food. The Millelith eye her surreptitiously, stealing furtive glances like they’re expecting her to burden them once again with her shenanigans or, as what Hu Tao would like them to call it, “advertisement”.
It’s generous to have a wonderful day and on her birthday, and she’s not about to let anyone ruin it before she could take her girlfriend out for lunch.
But when she gets there, instead of being able to launch herself into Yanfei’s arms, she’s stopped short by the sight of two people huddled closely. They seem to be whispering intensely, Yanfei’s hands all over the place as she explains the pros and cons of having this much of a big order, although for who and for what, Hu Tao has no idea. She recognizes the man as a merchant though but she can’t quite recall what he sold.
“Mr. Zhang,” Yanfei begins in that voice of hers, borderline resigned yet still trying her best to make her clients understand what she’s trying to convey, “The contract states that the customer should be able to receive a specific number of xiao lanterns in exchange for a particular sum. What you are doing is falling short of what was written and agreed on.”
Hu Tao’s heart soars as she watches her girlfriend from afar, looking beautiful as always with her pink, flowy hair and cream antlers, the bells attached to her little bookcase chiming with every movement of her hips. Her hat is starting to fall askew and although she has yet to say hello, or even politely interrupt the conversation, Hu Tao reaches over and fixes it for her.
Yanfei stops talking immediately, surprised and looking like she was about to berate whoever did it. But the moment she sees Hu Tao, she melts into a smile; soft, sweet, reminding Hu Tao of the beauty of the fields in Guili Plains.
“Director Hu,” Yanfei’s voice softens, turning away from the merchant after asking him to give her a few minutes before they can start the discussion. He relents and takes a seat by the door while Yanfei and Hu Tao remain where they are.
“How are you, my moonlight?” Yanfei cups Hu Tao’s cheek before pulling her close and planting a kiss on her forehead. They’re nearly the same height and yet Hu Tao feels as if she’s touching the clouds and reaching for the sun with her bare hands.
Hu Tao leans in, resting her head against Yanfei’s shoulder, the irony of their colors not even getting past her. She loves it when Yanfei calls her moonlight . The hairs on her skin would stand on end, and the butterflies in her stomach would flutter in devastatingly beautiful chaos.
“Come have lunch with me, Yan-yan! It’s my birthday today! The people in my office have made themselves scarce, even Zhongli. That man’s always out, I know that, but at this time of the day, I don’t think Childe is even awake yet.” Hu Tao pouts, well aware that it always works wonders. “Please?”
“Oh, baby,” Yanfei looks apologetic as she meets her eyes. “I… I really can’t leave this client alone right now. This will take a while and I’m afraid I won’t be able to meet you at the proper time. You know me, I always stay true to my words. I don’t want to keep you waiting.”
Oh. So the trick didn’t work, Hu Tao thinks.
Her heart plummets, but just a little bit. It’s not the end of the day, anyway.
“I’ll find you after, okay?” Yanfei promises, planting yet another kiss on her forehead before saying, “Now, I’ll have to go and sort this out. I love you, see you later baby.”
And with that, Hu Tao finds herself making her way to Wanwen Bookhouse, trying not to feel too defeated. She skips along the steps, watching a group of kids talking animatedly about Guhua swordsmen and the Crux Fleet pirates. She overhears one talking about hillichurls, mages, and even ruin guards, the likes of which Hu Tao knew weren’t mere tales to be told during playtime.
Heading to Wanwen and finding Jifang behind the counter bought a sense of nostalgia back to her, remembering the times when her grandfather (the 75th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor that time) would bring her over on every morning of her birthdays to buy her a book of her choice. Growing up, she had always been interested in the supernatural and the unusual, bringing over titles that talked about the different funeral rites in every culture, tall tales of monsters, and even books about the afterlife and what came next.
Jifang gives her a smile as she drags her feet across the wooden floor, hands brushing along the red railings, wondering if she could coax Jifang to allow her to set up one of her promo posters along with casket coupons (buy 3, get 1 free is a really great deal, if she says so herself).
“Director Hu!” Jifang calls out as she approaches. “What brings you here today?”
“Oh, nothing!” Hu Tao smiles, eyeing the display shelves behind. Maybe something will interest her today, just enough to keep her preoccupied while waiting for Yanfei.
“Any particular title you’re into these days?” Jifang presses.
“Hmmm. It’s a good thing you asked! I was thinking of getting a copy about the funeral rites in Inazuma. Do you have a copy of it?”
Jifang looked a little too jovial to be shaking her head at her question. “Sorry, Director Hu. I believe we just sold out that book yesterday!”
This day is not getting any better.
“Oh, well, that’s fine. By the way, has Master Xingqiu been around the bookstore today?” Hu Tao asks, the breeze threatening to whisk her hat away and her hand seizes upwards to straighten it out.
“Ah, yes! I saw him by the tables earlier. He was with that blue-haired boy with a popsicle. They seemed busy.”
Hu Tao wanted to groan inwardly but no matter! She’ll drag those two out for lunch or even for tea. She just wants some company on her birthday. Even if it means being in the presence of those two lovebirds.
Hu Tao skips all the way to the tables and she spots Chongyun and Xingqiu, different shades of blue glinting under the sun. They’re bent over scrolls of paper, ink splattered across the table and smeared on their hands. Some spots have even landed on Chongyun’s immaculate white pants and sleeves, streaks of it found on Xingqiu’s legs and yet their focus is unbreakable.
Hu Tao sneaks up from behind them, crouching low and popping up right from behind the half-wall. “Yo! Afternoon, you two! Would you like to grab some tea with me?”
“For what?” Chongyun asks, munching on his blue popsicle, eyes following the...are those strokes or squiggles?
“Aiyah! It’s my birthday!” Hu Tao exclaims. “What is that?”
Xingqiu looked up for a moment, probably to check who spoke, and went right back to writing. She has to say… she can barely understand what’s written on it.
“I see Miss Yanfei isn’t with you?”
“She’s busy with a client which is why I’m asking the both of you to come with me. I may be the director of a funeral parlor and an expert on death but celebrating the day I came into this world shouldn’t be too hard, should it?” Hu Tao claps her hands. “I’ll treat both of you to Wanmin. Or do you want Wangshu Inn? Anywhere else in particular?”
Chongyun makes a face. “No, thanks. Xiangling’s been on my tail about eating her new spicy dish. Xingqiu’s the only one who can take it, but I can’t. It’ll throw my energy off balance.”
“Yun-yun, it wasn’t even that bad.” Xingqiu boops him on the nose, leaving a smear of ink on the tip. “Also, so sorry Director Hu but we’re busy right now. We need to finish this by today so we can ship it to Inazuma. Apparently, a book I wrote has become somewhat popular there so the publishing house needs a poster from me as a promotion piece.”
Hu Tao was about to argue when she spotted a figure running along the slope. Speak of the devil.
“Fine.” Hu Tao humphs. So much for dragging these two boys out for lunch. “I’ll go and ask Xiangling to have lunch with me instead. Good luck with that!”
As the boys wave at her with her departure, Hu Tao meanders down to Chihu Rock, heading for Wanmin Restaurant. The area is bustling with adventurers milling around the Guild, children playing tag, hungry workers and merchants lining up to buy some lunch in the neighboring restaurants, and patrons occupying the outdoor seats of Yanshang Teahouse.
“Hello, Chuyi!” Hu Tao chirps as she draws closer. “Busy day today? I can see lots of people heading inside your building. Pray tell, what is inside?”
Chuyi, the hostess, laughs good-naturedly at the director’s insistence. “You’ll have to pay to find out, Director Hu. That’s always been the rule.”
Hu Tao grins. “Perhaps you can tell your patrons about my ongoing promo--”
Chuyi shakes her head. “Please take your business somewhere else, Director Hu. I do not think our customers would appreciate being hounded about death while eating some lunch. You have a great day, okay?”
Why are they always pushing her away? Funeral rites are an important aspect of their culture and in Liyue, no one can do it better than the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. It’s not like Hu Tao isn’t aware of what people say behind her back, even if Yanfei blocks the rest of it as much as she can. It doesn’t mean she wants to be morbid all the time. Death is part of the natural process of life and if living can be such a milestone, why can’t death be the same?
“Hello!” Hu Tao squeals as she jumps out from behind, causing Xiangling to jump in fright as she rounds the bend from Wanmin Restaurant. In hindsight, doing that probably wasn’t a good idea, seeing her favorite blue-haired chef almost dropping a crate of fermented plum blossoms.
“Director Hu!” Xiangling whines. “How many times do I have to ask you to stop doing that? Gouba doesn’t appreciate it for one second and neither do I!”
“But my dear, little Xiangling… it’s fun! You scare so easily. Perhaps you can think of this as your birthday gift...to me!” Hu Tao pats Gouba as he mills around Xiangling’s legs. “Are you two free for lunch today? Yanfei has a client, Xingqiu and Chongyun are busy, I don’t even know where Zhongli is, so I’m here!”
Xiangling’s face falls and there it is again, Hu Tao thinks. That apologetic expression as if they genuinely feel bad for turning her down again.
“My dad and I received a huge order today so I have to help him out. Plus, it’s lunch time and it’s already busy as it is. Sorry, Director Hu.” Xiangling hoists the crate into a more comfortable position. “But thank you for these plum blossoms the other day! Would you like to eat some vegetarian abalone? I can cook that for you for your birthday.”
Dejected, Hu Tao shakes her head. Why does it feel as if everyone is avoiding her today? Has she done something unusual again? Well, more than usual, she supposes.
“No matter! I just remembered I need to fix an order of our caskets with a supplier. I shall head over there right now.” She pats Gouba again, albeit a little hesitant in case he suddenly decides to toast her. “Goodbye and good luck!”
She doesn’t even hear Xiangling saying goodbye anymore, heading yet again up the harbor and back to Feiyun Slope. The crowd has dwindled down to no more than a few patrons and merchants, the sea of people thinning out this early afternoon.
As the sun danced along the eaves of Liyue Harbor, Hu tao felt a chill run down her spine. Up ahead, a tiny figure wanders aimlessly, lost in thought, eyes vacant. Her purple braids trail behind her, the distinct skip and the ease in her steps telling Hu Tao she has yet to spot the director. Hu Tao decides against chasing Qiqi across the Harbor and takes a detour instead, catching a last glimpse of the zombie child reaching up to another figure to probably ask for directions.
The trees dance as the leaves sway, the birds sing as the wind whistles, and the chatter and bustle of Liyue all meld into a mixture of nostalgia. She suddenly remembers the first time she met Yanfei as she’s passing by the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, seeing a vivid memory of the two of them gathered around the benches outside. There weren’t many disputes that Yanfei had to sort out for Hu Tao as opposed to some by other customers of the past who felt like they were slighted by the funeral director.
Bells.
Hu Tao had heard the bells before Yanfei had entered the conversation that day, heard the bells as she talked, heard the bells as she moved and got a copy of her legal codices out, heard the bells as the sun shone past the leaves and played along the strands of her pink hair, bringing out beautiful shade of her green eyes, heard the bells as Hu Tao thought:
Oh.
But there might never be a more mortifying moment in comparison to their first official conversation without a third party. The moment the customer had stormed off, Yanfei had turned to her with a knowing look on her face.
“You do know murder is illegal, right?
And Hu Tao, without fully knowing where her response had come from, replied with an, “Are you sure?”
Bells.
That’s how Yanfei’s laughter sounded to her ears.
Laughing at the memory, Hu Tao continues to skip along the stretch of Feiyun Slope, nearing Third Round Knockout when she sees yet another familiar figure in the distance. His slouching was unmistakable as much as his mop of red hair, talking to someone Hu Tao fails to recognize immediately from afar. She’s certain it’s not her consultant, though.
“Ah, Childe! Just the person who I wanted to see!” Hu Tao squeals as she catches up. “You’re such a lovely sight!”
Childe gives her a quizzical look, stopping mid-sentence. He reminds Hu Tao of those fishes in one of those ponds, blubbering for words that he just can’t quite come up with. Has he ever been this speechless? Why does he look hesitant?
“Director Hu!” Childe nervously laughs, awkwardly reaching out to pat her on the shoulder. Upon realizing what he had just done, he stares, horrified, at this hand. “Didn’t mean to do that. You just surprised me there…ha ha ha….”
Hu Tao squints at him, sensing a change of aura around this man from Snezhnaya. “Are you ill? Do you feel fine?” She lights up. “Perhaps you might want to avail an early discount for our fune--”
This time, Childe lets out a more genuine laugh. “Director Hu, please stop trying to kill me. I’m fine. I’m just…” he looks at his companion. “Ah Ekaterina! This is our esteemed Director Hu of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, who I’m sure…you remember. Of course.”
She waves at Ekaterina before turning back to Childe rather accusingly. “Now, have you seen Zhongli anywhere? You’re always together.”
Childe stares at her vacantly. “Zhongli?”
Hu Tao stares at him.
His face lights up. “Ah, xiansheng! Aha-ha-ha, silly me. I don’t know where he is. I have to go somewhere although, where that was again I suddenly cannot remember Ekaterina do you remember where--”
Ekaterina looks calm and composed. “We were off to see the trainees, sir.”
Childe looks at her, bewildered. “Trainees? What trainees?”
Ekaterina looks equally bewildered and exasperated. Her expression is pained when she says, “Trainees of the new season, Master Childe.”
“Right. I absolutely didn’t forget.”
Ekaterina stares at him hard and Childe seems to be doing the same thing. Hu Tao isn’t quite sure what’s happening. Some kind of secret Fatui communication?
“Sir…” Ekaterina says, finally. “I-I’ll go see Nadia if we can reschedule their arrival.” She turns to Hu Tao. “Have a lovely day, Director Hu.”
As she ventures off, Hu Tao zeroes in on Childe again. But before she could let out another word about his rather suspicious behavior, he claps his hands together loudly. “Another thing I forgot! Look at me, so forgetful. I had a date planned with xiansheng today! I must be off now! Lovely to see you again, goodbye, Director Hu!”
Hu Tao doesn’t know whether she would laugh or cry at this point. Why does no one want to spend her birthday with her? She thinks back to the harbor’s little jiangshi but she knows she’d only be seen as a threat and she’d be off before Hu Tao could even get within a radius of five meters. She used to understand why Qiqi hated her but it especially hurts more right now that she doesn’t have anyone around.
The sun is still high, so she finds herself travelling a bit and ending up on Wuwang Hill, the familiarity of the gloomy sky and the foreboding sense of the afterlife a comforting blanket over her. A group of hillichurls have made camp a little far off from where she’s sitting, legs dangling over the edge of the cliff. Down below, fireflies lit up the waterfalls, the rush of the stream where the Oceanid lived giving her a sense of tranquility.
Maybe she’ll stay here for a while.
Maybe the spirits will be better company.
***
By the time she’s back, the moon has cozied itself up in the sky, bathing the whole Harbor in its luminescence. The streets of Liyue have lit up with nearly dizzying brightness, lanterns upon lanterns lighting up one after the other, leaving the whole place with a soft glow that Hu Tao yearns to touch. She meanders towards her stone lions by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Whiskers and Mittens looking all-imposing against the dark backdrop of the sky.
She pats both of them in turns, thinking back to the times when she would frequent this place a lot just to visit who she deemed as the best felines in all of Liyue.
A guard comes up from behind her, his voice loud and booming. “You’re back here, Director Hu. I remember you told us these two are adults now and don’t need any visiting anymore.”
Hu Tao smiles, not even trying to hide how morose she felt while doing it. “I was hoping to get some birthday greetings from Whiskers and Mittens over here.”
The guard gives her a gentle smile. “Is that so? Happy birthday, Director Hu. May the archons continue to bless you.”
And with that, he goes back to his post and Hu Tao decides to go back home at last.
Before she could even fully open the door, she’s met with a flood of light and a cacophony of shouts and yells from the inside. A flurry of panic sets in thinking the whole place was on fire and that everything is burning to the ground. Are the spirits rioting? Seeking to wreak havoc? How did they have such physical bodies?
But when she opens her eyes and her vision adjusts to the glow of what she now realizes are xiao lanterns, she sees the display of people, now familiar faces, crowding right in front of her. A whole table of food had taken up the center area, her favorite dishes lined up one after the other, and a grinning Xiangling waving at her from behind it. To the side, she sees a hastily drawn poster with her face on it and butterflies with an equally concerning handwriting saying, HAPPIEST BIRTHDAY TO OUR DEAREST DIRECTOR HU. Holding it up were Xingqiu and Chongyun, laughing at the flabbergasted look on her face.
“I told you, you should have let me write it.” Chongyun quips.
“Shut up, Yun-yun.” Xingqiu fires back at the delight of everyone in the room. “And this is our gift for you, Director Hu.” Xingqiu hands her a thick copy about the Inazuman funeral practices.
“I thought Jifang ran out of copies?”
“Don’t worry. She was in it this whole time. How else would we have known what to get you.” Xingqiu smiles.
Hu Tao starts to feel warm inside, her cheeks flaming as she scans the room in bewilderment and awe, both emotions fighting for dominance. She sees Zhongli walking towards her with a bouquet of silk flowers, carefully picked and beautifully arranged, designed with paper butterflies amidst the petals.
“I do hope this brings you joy, Director Hu. It is time that we give back for all that you have done for us.” Zhongli throws in a rare smile to which Hu Tao almost bursts into tears.
Childe waves from behind him. “Sorry about earlier. I just had to get out of there or I’d have ruined the whole surprise.” He glances at the one person Hu Tao has yearned to be with the whole day. “Your girlfriend isn’t the most lenient, you know.”
Everyone laughs in unison at Childe and so does Hu Tao but her eyes have already been stuck on Yanfei right then and there. She stands there, grinning widely, holding a scroll of what Hu Tao probably thinks is the thickest one she’s ever seen in a while. She doesn’t know what it’s for but she thinks she’ll probably find out soon enough.
Yanfei opens her arms widely to catch a running Hu Tao, standing her ground even though they both physically felt the impact of when she hit home. She wastes no time and wraps her arms around her tightly, burying her face on the crook of Yanfei’s neck, feeling all of the worry and the sadness that had engulfed her throughout the day leave in wisps that were never to return. Her shoulders felt lighter as she held Yanfei tighter, the ease in her heart returning with every peal of laughter that came out the both of them.
“Were you surprised?” Yanfei whispers, planting a kiss on the top of her head. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” Hu Tao whispers back. She feels the tears rolling down her cheeks before she could even stop herself.
She was so happy. Her heart feels full at the sight of all these people who had come together to celebrate her birthday with her, who took the time to plan a surprise, moving in unison and in secret to keep it right under the nose of one of the nosiest people in Liyue. Although she isn’t at all too surprised with the outcome knowing it was Yanfei who oversaw everything.
Maybe the archons have really blessed her, huh.
Hu Tao finds herself standing in the middle of the place, Yanfei right in front of her, and the both of them under the watchful eyes of every guest. She doesn’t know what’s going on but it doesn’t take long for Yanfei to wave the scroll around.
“Please tell me she’s not going to actually read that--” she hears someone say before they’re cut off with Yanfei proudly saying,
“And now I’ll be reading my birthday message for my girlfriend. Baby,” she winks at Hu Tao who is now uncontrollably laughing at the dismay of everyone else in the room. “This is for you.”
And proceeds to unfurl a foot-long scroll.
Bells.
It’s all Hu Tao hears now.