Chapter Text
Hu Tao's POV
It was any other day, searching aimlessly for customers in need of service and trying to cure my boredom. Like everyday, nothing interesting happens, so I go to my favorite spot, which is at the top of Mt. Tianheng. Instead of the usual empty area, I see an unknown dark turquoise color haired male sitting at the edge of the mountain. His hair was swept back behind him, and two longer strands went down along the frame of his face. He was definitely the most beautiful person I’ve ever seen.
“Who are you?” I happily walk up to him, which the catches the male off guard.
He doesn’t say anything but his body language shows it all; glaring at me like I was a threat and stiffening, ready to fight.
“Haha!” I become more fascinated by his cold personality, “Lighten up a bit! I’m not going do anything.” I sit down beside him. He smelled really nice.
I stared at into his golden cat-like eyes, watching him coldly glower back at me.
“What business do you have with me?” He plainly states.
“I should be asking you that. I come here everyday!” I laugh at him, even more intrigued by his attitude.
“I hope you know who you’re talking to, mortal.” He replies, “I’m Adeptus Xiao.”
“Haha!” I laugh again, “That doesn’t matter! I’m already friends with an Adeptus! So we can be friends too!” I happily hum.
"I have no need for such trivial thing.” He suddenly gets up and starts walking down the mountain, resulting in me getting up myself to chase after him.
“Come on!! Friends aren’t that bad! You get company, and someone to talk to, and it’s also very fun!” I run in front of him to keep up with his pace. “You also seem lonely, so I think a friend is exactly what you need!” I pat him on the shoulder, causing him to flinch.
“Leave me alone. You’re just a nuisance. I don’t even know you.” He starts walking even quicker.
“Oh right!! My name’s Hu Tao! The Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!” I proudly state, only to be ignored by the cold-hearted male.
“I don’t care. Now leave me alone before I make you.” He stops and scowls at me.
“Look at you trying to scare me!” I laugh once again, though in truth, the glare made me internally die for a second, “you’re definitely someone that needs a friend!” I lean close enough to him for our arms to touch, and I happily hum beside him.
“Get away off me!” He embarrassingly tries to move away.
Cute.
He quickly gives up trying to push me away, and we both walk down the mountain together.
“Heyyy! Want to hang out again tomorrow?” I randomly bring up as we walked.
“Hang out? What sort of language is that?” He confusingly replies.
“PFT. Hahaha!” I couldn’t help but let out a huge laugh.
Gosh, he’s such a dork.
“Basically, let’s meet each other again! Are you busy?” I continue laughing. He awkwardly pauses before quickly gaining his composition.
“I’m extremely.... busy tomorrow.... so I have no time.” He turns his head away from me.
“Is Adeptus Xiao... lying?!” I pretend to do a ‘gasp’ right after.
“Okay fine... I am going to chat with a...” He hesitates for a second, “an acquaintance over lunch tomorrow.”
“Hahaha! So you do have a friend!”
“No! He’s just someone... who I’m indebted to.” His voice dies down slowly as he says each word.
“Really? I might know him! You’ll be surprised with my connections.” I wink at him and grin.
“He’s the geo archon.” Xiao huffs, “There’s no way you’d-”
“Ooh! Are you talking about Zhongli, that walking encyclopedia?” I laugh, “He works under me!”
“Funny. You should know you shouldn’t joke about a god.” He changes back to his cold glare.
“I’m not joking! Just ask him.” I innocently grin, “Oh yeah, where are you two going tomorrow then? I wanna come too!!”
“Hold on... does he actually work for you?” Xiao awkwardly mutters, not wanting to admit his curiosity.
“Hehe. That’s right! And I’m his boss! Zhongli knows like everything about the rituals and traditions, so it was a no-brainer to hire him. Hmm. Although I was surprised when I found out he was a god, and even more surprised when he told me he was Rex Lapis! Ooh! I totally remember him telling me about a grumpy little kid before! That’s probably you!” I rant on non-stop, laughing at the embarrassed jade colored haired male.
“Tch. Whatever, I’m only following him because he saved me before.” He jumps down the last slope of the mountain. “See you tomorrow... I guess.” he says before running off.
Xiao's POV
I was going to go to my usual spot in Wangshu Inn to empty my head, but I impulsively change my mind, wanting another scenery. I wander around the mountains near Liyue Harbor, until I find a nice flat area at the top of Mt. Tianheng, where I am easily able to watch over the city.
A few minutes after, my thoughts suddenly get interrupted by a cheery happy girl who yells, “Who are you?”
I look towards her, glaring.
She has a small figure and is slightly shorter than me, though she looks a bit taller because of her black hat that’s adorned with a wooden talisman. Long and wavy dark brown hair tied in a twin ponytail went down to her knees and a crimson color faded at the tips. What drawn me to her the most was her beautiful crimson colored eyes and blossom shaped pupils; I was almost caught staring before I quickly snarl at her.
Why is someone here? What’s she going to do?
I keep glaring in hopes that she would leave me alone. I’ve never liked company, and from first impressions, she was very talkative and cheery.-
I hated those kinds of humans.
I converse with her a bit to find out her name was “Hu Tao”, before deciding to leave, annoyed at the sound of her voice and her pointless chattering.
Surprisingly, she follows me, continuing to chatter on about friends and “hanging out” with me.
“Hahaha! So you do have a friend!” She laughs.
Her face annoys me way more than it normally should.
“No!” I quickly retort back, “He’s just someone... who I’m indebted to.” I say, my voice slowly dying down.
“Really? I might know him! You’ll be surprised with my connections.” She winks at me jokingly.
“He’s the geo archon.” even though I wouldn’t usually disclose such information, but I really didn’t want to continue talking with the girl, “There’s no way you’d-”
“Ooh! Are you talking about Zhongli, that walking encyclopedia? He works under me!” What!? That’s completely a lie. I couldn’t even believe she knew his mortal name.
“Funny. You should know you shouldn’t joke about a god.” I angrily glare at her for saying that.
“I’m not joking! Just ask him.” she innocently grins, “Oh yeah, where are you two going tomorrow then? I wanna come too!!”
Does she actually know Zhongli..?
“Hold on... does he actually work for you?” I awkwardly mutter, annoyed at my own curiosity about the girl as we continue moving down the mountain.
“Hehe. That’s right! And I’m his boss! Zhongli knows like everything about the rituals and traditions, so it was a no-brainer to hire him. Hmm. Although-” I stop listening to her as she rants on, “Ooh! I totally remember him telling me about a grumpy little kid before! That’s probably you!” What!? I’m not a grumpy little kid! How well does she even know him for them to talk like that..?
“I only talk to him because he saved me before in the past.” I reason with her, and also slightly with myself, “See you tomorrow..... I guess.” I awkwardly say as I jump down the last ridge of the mountain, heading back towards Wangshu Inn.
“Okay bye!!” She happily walks away in the other direction.
Thank goodness that was over...
That night, all I thought about was Hu Tao; her long dark brown ponytails, crimson red eyes, cheery voice, and also her smile. Her annoying idiotic smile was enough to keep me from falling asleep. Everything about her made me annoyed and angry; I never usually felt like this around any mortals. It was always a big emotional rift between me and a mortal, but for her, it was as if she was pulling me into the rift itself. Jeez. Why am I still thinking about her?