Chapter 233: Venti's Thank You Gift
Hearing this, Zhongli's hand, which had been as steady as a rock, paused almost imperceptibly.
He raised his eyes to meet Hu Tao's expectant gaze, then lowered his eyelids again, resuming his work.
His tone remained as unruffled as ever. "With all due respect, Director, my excursions were all at the invitation of fellow chat group members. They were to assist with urgent tasks or participate in group activities. Time was short and affairs were numerous, so I did not... have the opportunity to promote the parlor's business."
"Ohhh? Is that so?" Hu Tao drew out the syllable, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized him. She was clearly not satisfied with his answer, but for the moment, she couldn't find any holes in his logic.
Zhongli, seizing the moment while she was pondering, continued smoothly, "Since you have also joined the chat group, Director, I imagine that with your intelligence and quick wit, there will be many opportunities to personally travel to other worlds and promote the business yourself. There is no need to be concerned with temporary gains or losses."
As he spoke, he made a move to put away the World Rune and stood up. "I still have some questions about mechanics that I need to discuss with Xianyun. Director, if there is nothing else, I will take my leave."
However, before Zhongli could take a single step, a remarkably fresh breeze suddenly wafted in through the window, carrying with it the faint, rich aroma of wine.
The scent of wine arrived before the person.
Immediately following, a light knock sounded at the door, accompanied by a familiar, lilting voice. "Good evening, dear friends~ Do you mind if a bard from afar pays a visit this late at night? I've brought carefully prepared gifts, you know~"
Seeing this, Zhongli sighed inwardly. It seemed he wouldn't be leaving just yet. Still, as long as he could avoid the Director's persistent questioning about "otherworldly business expansion," dealing with this uninvited bard was not entirely unacceptable.
He turned and walked over to open the door. Sure enough, it was Venti, holding an ancient-looking wooden wine bottle, his face beaming with a warm smile.
"Please, come in." Zhongli stepped aside to let him enter.
As soon as Venti stepped inside, his gaze swept across the room. He first greeted Hu Tao with a grin. "Oh, Director Hu is here too!"
Then he looked directly at Zhongli, raising the wine bottle in his hand. "My main reason for coming is to thank you, Mr. Zhongli, for speaking up for me in the chat group earlier. It's thanks to you I was able to join that interesting little club. So, I specially brought a thank-you gift!"
He placed the wine bottle on the table with a soft 'thud,'a hint of pride on his face. "Ta-da~ Look! This is the'Anemo God's Brew' that I've treasured for many years! It has a rich taste and a long, lingering aftertaste. One of my absolute favorites! How about it? Is that sincere enough for you?"
Hu Tao, watching the two of them and the obviously valuable bottle of wine, couldn't help but cross her arms. She adopted a deliberately sour tone. "Hey, hey, Venti, isn't this a bit much?"
"How come every time you visit Liyue, you make a beeline for our parlor's consultant? And you bring him gifts every single time? Could it be that I, the seventy-seventh Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, am so insignificant in your eyes?"
Faced with Hu Tao's slyly smiling jab, Venti quickly waved his hands, his face breaking into his signature, harmless grin. "How could that be, Director Hu! How could I possibly forget a gift for you? Look—"
Like a magician, he pulled an exquisite glass bottle from who-knows-where. Inside, a clear, tempting liquid sloshed gently.
"Ta-da~ See? This is a special non-alcoholic drink just for you! Personally mixed by Miss Diona, the ace bartender of our Mondstadt's Cat's Tail tavern!"
"You wouldn't believe it, but the drinks she mixes are priceless in Mondstadt! The reservation line stretches all the way from the tavern door to Springvale!" he declared, describing the scene with vivid gestures. To enhance his persuasiveness, he deliberately rubbed his nose, feigning a look of lingering fear.
"And, as you know, I'm a little… allergic to cats. Sigh. But for this special drink, I bravely ventured into the 'cat's den,' enduring a storm of sneezes at the Cat's Tail, and only managed to get it with great difficulty! The sincerity and sacrifice contained within… I don't need to say more, do I?"
Hu Tao watched his exaggerated performance and couldn't help but let out a giggle. She took the special drink with a smile, examining it in her hand.
"Alright, alright. Seeing as you're so sincere, and you've prepared 'tributes' for both Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's consultant and its director, I'll be magnanimous. I won't dwell on the fact that you only have eyes for the consultant!" She winked playfully, then put the drink away.
Changing the subject, she put her hands on her hips and looked Venti up and down. "However, you came all the way to our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor in Liyue instead of lounging in some Mondstadt tavern late at night. Surely it wasn't just to deliver gifts and chat, was it?"
"Is there perhaps some 'important matter' you need to discuss with our erudite consultant?"
Although she had long known about Zhongli and Venti's sealed divine identities through the chat group and their past interactions, in her heart, they were still the consultant who spent his days idly strolling and occasionally running up a tab, and the irresponsible, liquor-loving bard. She had no intention of ever changing how she treated them.
At the same time, she keenly sensed that Venti's late-night visit most likely meant he had something important to discuss with Zhongli—something that probably involved the kind of troublesome divine affairs that sounded like a headache just to hear about.
"Hehe, Director Hu is truly as intelligent and perceptive as they say!" Venti praised, still smiling. "I do have a small, impolite request…"
"Stop!" Before Venti could finish, Hu Tao raised a hand in a 'pause' gesture.
"This Director isn't interested in your 'important matters.' I'd rather go back and see what new and interesting things have been added to the chat group's gacha pool than listen to you two speak in riddles."
"Or maybe I'll think about how I can get to the worlds of Stelle, Lumine, and Belle to promote our Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's long-established, complete, and fairly priced 'one-stop' service! After all, the seventy-seven-generation legacy of our parlor is more than just talk!"
As she spoke, she waved her hands at the two of them with a decisive motion. "Alright, you two can slowly discuss your divine affairs. This Director is going back to 'expand the business'! Consultant Zhongli, remember to be on time for work tomorrow!"
Before her words had even faded, she turned, flitting out of the room like a nimble butterfly and leaving the space to the two most ancient gods of Teyvat.
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