Yunqin sprinted toward the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, the wind carrying the scent of Liyue Harbor's bustling streets past her. It whipped her ink-black hair into a chaotic mess, stray strands clinging to her sweat-dampened temples.
Her mind was consumed by a single thought: Find Zhongli. Her pace quickened with every step.
Soon, the iconic gates of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor came into view.
The doors were open, and Hu Tao paced back and forth at the entrance, muttering to herself. The frustration in her voice was palpable.
"The offerings for the Rite of Parting need to be chosen... The fragrant balms... The musicians need to be invited again and again... Rex Lapis's funeral can't have a single mistake, or the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's reputation will be ruined."
Hearing footsteps, Hu Tao looked up.
When she saw Yunqin, panting and out of breath, her tense expression softened into a lively smile. "Well, well! Isn't it our little Adeptus disciple? What brings you to the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to see me?"
She dusted off her hands, though there was no dust on them, her tone laced with a deliberately exaggerated grievance—the pent-up frustration of having no one to talk to, finally finding an outlet.
"Finally, someone to talk to! If I have to deal with all this any longer, I'm going to lose all my hair!"
Yunqin rushed over and steadied Hu Tao's arm. Seeing the exhaustion from sleepless nights etched beneath her eyes, she couldn't help but ask with concern, "Hu Tao, have you been sleeping poorly these past few days?"
"You have no idea!" Hu Tao sighed deeply, pointing at the mountain of paperwork piled up inside. "Rex Lapis's Rite of Parting is no ordinary affair."
"Rex Lapis was Liyue's guardian deity. The ceremony must befit the status of 'Rex Lapis,' reflect the solemnity of the God of Contracts, and adhere to the customs of both Adepti and mortals..."
Seeing Hu Tao's worried frown and the downturned corners of her mouth, Yunqin sighed in sympathy and gently patted the back of her hand in comfort.
But then, remembering her own "life-or-death" emergency, she quickly looked up, her eyes filled with urgency. "Right, Hu Tao, where's Mr. Zhongli? I have something extremely urgent that I need his help with! If we wait any longer, it might be too late!"
Hu Tao raised an eyebrow, leaning closer to Yunqin with a mischievous glint in her eye. She lowered her voice conspiratorially. "So urgent? Don't tell me one of your friends suddenly kicked the bucket? Don't worry, for old times' sake, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor will give you a 20% discount—and I'll even throw in a full set of paper effigies!"
"No, no! Absolutely not!" Yunqin shuddered violently and waved her hands frantically, her face instantly draining of color.
The words "kicked the bucket" and "funeral" were the last things she wanted to hear right now.
She was terrified that if Hu Tao asked any more questions, she'd accidentally blurt out the truth about "accidentally killing Venti."
Seeing her jumpy reaction, like a bird startled by a bowstring, Hu Tao couldn't help but laugh. She reached out and ruffled Yunqin's hair. "Just teasing! Look at you, scared pale."
Her playful expression vanished, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "The last time I saw Mr. Zhongli, he was with Traveler Lumine. I overheard them saying they were looking for 'someone who smells very fragrant.'"
"They might be at Scent of Spring, consulting with Ying'er. You should check there—you might run into them."
"Scent... Scent of Spring?" Yunqin repeated blankly, her expression stiffening.
Half a month ago, she'd heard that Scent of Spring had released a new perfume with the scent of Qingxin flowers. She'd wanted to buy it as a gift for her Senior Sister, Ganyu.
But the moment she'd stepped into Scent of Spring, Ying'er had seen right through her.
Ying'er had teased her with a smile, "Are you secretly crushing on some young man? Planning to spritz on some perfume before you go see him?" A few playful words were all it took to make Yunqin blush and her heart race.
In the end, she'd clutched her head in embarrassment and fled Scent of Spring without even daring to glance at the perfume bottle again.
Even now, just thinking about it made her ears burn.
The thought of Ying'er's witty, direct nature—her uncanny ability to pinpoint people's hidden thoughts—sent a shiver of dread down Yunqin's spine.
She tugged on Hu Tao's sleeve. "Hu Tao, can you come with me? I... I'm a little scared of Sister Ying'er..."
A flicker of hesitation crossed Hu Tao's eyes. She glanced down at the mountain of paperwork piled on the stone table, then back at Yunqin's pleading expression.
"I'd love to go with you, but I still haven't finished the arrangements for the Rite of Parting..." she began, her cheeks flushing slightly. Her gaze darted away as her voice grew softer. "Besides... the last time I went to Scent of Spring, Ying'er teased me too. Now I'm a little scared to see her myself..."
Yunqin could only let go of her sleeve with a sigh.
She took a deep breath and gave herself a pep talk. "It's just a trip to Scent of Spring! What's the big deal? I'm a disciple of the Adepti—am I really going to be scared of a little scene like this?"
Easier said than done. When she actually stood at the entrance of Scent of Spring and saw Ying'er chatting with Lumine and Paimon, she couldn't help but shrink back, wishing she could hide behind the nearby pillar.
Ying'er's gaze, however, was like an auto-targeting system, locking onto Yunqin almost instantly.
She waved, her voice clear and tinged with teasing. "Little Sister Yunqin, what brings you to my humble shop today?"
"Oh~ Could it be you missed me and came for a grand, passionate date? If so, I'm very much looking forward to it."
Yunqin's face flushed crimson from her ears down to her neck. Just as she was about to stammer out an explanation, Paimon's voice cut in, "Yunqin? What are you doing here?"
Lumine turned, surprised, and walked over. "Did you sneak down from Mt. Aocang again? Do you need us for something?"
Yunqin nodded eagerly, about to speak.
But Lumine and Paimon grabbed her by the wrists and pulled her forward.
Dragged along by the two, Yunqin had no way to escape. She could only bite the bullet and face Ying'er, her lips twitching as she stammered out a greeting barely louder than a mosquito's buzz: "H-Hello, Big Sister Ying'er..."
Ying'er watched her, hands trembling with nervousness, a smile dancing in her eyes. She deliberately leaned closer, letting her fragrance drift to Yunqin's nose—a blend of rose and mint, fresh and clean yet subtly alluring.
Her voice dripped with teasing. "Oh my, why is our little cutie so shy today?"
"Was it because you regretted not buying perfume last time and came back for it? Or perhaps... you're using the Traveler as an excuse to see me? If so, I'll have to change into something stunning to give you a truly unforgettable evening."
With just a few sentences, Yunqin's face turned so red it looked like it might burst. She wished she could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
Even Lumine looked a little embarrassed, while Paimon zipped behind her, peeking out from over her shoulder.
After the playful banter, Ying'er seemed to decide it was time to stop and finally steered the conversation back to the main topic.
Knowing the plot of this story segment, Yunqin deliberately kept quiet, feigning ignorance to prevent "certain people" from noticing anything amiss.
She even disguised her every thought, a flawless performance made possible—if anyone were to ask—by her Emotion Points and the System.
Ultimately, the group decided to head to Wanmin Restaurant to brew the perfume balm.
Along the way, Yunqin recounted the events at the foot of Mt. Aocang to Lumine and Paimon—from her "chance encounter" with Venti to waking up and "accidentally" obliterating him.
Lumine and Paimon's eyes widened. They exchanged a glance before turning back to Yunqin, their pupils filled with shock. "You're saying... you completely annihilated Venti?"