Though Qin Yu remained uneasy about the white shadow, she relaxed somewhat after not sensing anyone's gaze on them for the rest of the journey.
A small pile of fallen leaves lay before the Teacher's gravestone. Qin Yu picked up a nearby twig and swept them away.
As she prepared to light incense, Qin Yu noticed the numerous small sticks crowding the incense burner.
Have we burned this much incense before? she wondered, puzzled, but soon a hypothesis formed in her mind.
Keqing must have been here.
Keqing and Qin Yu were childhood friends. Back when they were young, Keqing must have received a lot of care from their teacher, so it wouldn't be strange for her to come here to sweep graves and offer incense.
But given that Keqing had only watched from afar during the funeral, it seemed she deliberately came at a different time while their relationship was still strained.
Things were different now.
They hadn't fully reconciled to their former intimacy, but there had been a significant improvement since the beginning.
Qin Yu couldn't help but touch her bracelet, thinking it would be nice to invite Keqing to sweep graves together in the future.
As for Shenhe... although Qin Yu hadn't actively sought out her past, Shenhe had shared the story of her parents. Should Qin Yu invite her along as well?
Well, that's a matter for the future, Qin Yu thought.
"Let's light the incense," Qin Yu said.
"Understood," Hu Tao replied.
Hu Tao retrieved the prepared incense sticks, ignited them with elemental energy, and handed one to Qin Yu. She lit her own as well.
A Vision really is a convenient thing, Qin Yu mused.
Holding the incense, Qin Yu bowed in reverence, then inserted the sticks into the incense burner. As the familiar scent of burning incense filled the air, she closed her eyes and bowed several more times.
"Shall we burn the paper money?" Hu Tao asked.
"Mm."
This was just a detour, so she could only do a few simple things.
After burning the paper offerings, Qin Yu bowed a few more times. Noticing Hu Tao doing the same beside her, she felt a peculiar sense of awkwardness.
This is the first time I've ever brought someone to visit my family's graves, Qin Yu thought, marveling inwardly. And it's Hu Tao, of all people...
As Qin Yu pondered this, Hu Tao's gaze met hers.
"All done already?"
"Mm, since we were just passing by."
Hu Tao hesitated, a rare moment of uncertainty, before asking, "Aren't you going to say anything to your family?"
Despite saying she should, Qin Yu surprisingly had nothing she wanted to say.
She simply wanted to remain silent.
The only words she could offer were superficial platitudes about finding a decent job—the truth, the things she couldn't say aloud, remained locked within her heart.
I lied to protect myself... It's even harder to admit such a despicable truth to my mother than it was to Keqing or Shenhe.
If she could hear me, would she be angry?
The mere thought made Qin Yu reluctant to speak.
Even if she did say something, her voice would only echo here, never reaching the ears of those who had long departed.
After Teacher closed her eyes and fell into eternal slumber, Qin Yu's relationship with her came to an end.
Just as Hu Tao had said, you might be alive today, but tomorrow's fate remains uncertain. Qin Yu believed this fragility was a fundamental reason why human relationships were so fragile.
Still, to maintain her persona, Qin Yu offered a few words:
"I've been doing well lately," "I've made some good friends," "Keqing and I have reconciled"... The more she spoke, the more she felt silence would be better.
Silence seemed to create an inexplicable connection. You don't need to speak; my presence means I'm doing well—was that the feeling? Qin Yu mused absently.
But her "magic" wouldn't allow silence.
After rattling off a string of hollow words, Qin Yu exhaled softly, feeling a heaviness in her chest.
"Alright, Hu Tao, do you have anything you want to say?"
"Hmm~ If I had to say something, it would be something like, 'Your daughter is mine now!' Can I say that?" Hu Tao smiled faintly.
Ha? What's with "Your daughter is mine now!"? It sounds so strange. Friends don't talk like that. Or has Hu Tao awakened something she shouldn't have?
If that were true, it would be far too awful, Qin Yu thought to herself, but she maintained a polite smile. "That might not be the best approach... While I appreciate your concern, wouldn't it be better to say, 'I'll continue to be her friend'?"
"Oh, of course! That goes without saying!" Hu Tao replied casually.
Then there's no need to say strange things like, "Leave your daughter to me," either! It feels a bit creepy.
Evaluation: B
What could possibly be worth raising the evaluation this time? I don't get it, Qin Yu thought irritably, twisting a strand of hair between her fingers.
Just stop saying weird things!
Perhaps Qin Yu's thoughts had somehow transmitted to Hu Tao's mind like a telepathic wave, or perhaps Hu Tao had already realized her comment was inappropriate and had just blurted it out to lighten the mood.
Hu Tao simply said, "I'll take good care of Fishy Treasure."
When have you ever taken care of me?
After leaving the cemetery, Qin Yu spent the entire walk thinking about her teacher.
"She was your mother, right? I think I remember now," Hu Tao said, waving a small stick she'd picked up along the way.
"Well, she wasn't just my mother," Qin Yu said, even she wasn't sure why she was saying more than necessary. Perhaps it was because Hu Tao was the only one around.
"She taught at a private academy. After adopting me, she had both a teacher's side and a mother's side, but to me, her role as a teacher left a stronger impression."
"She sounds like a wonderful person," Hu Tao said with a smile.
And yet such a wonderful person raised a villainess.
Ha—no, I can't laugh. Sigh... Hearing Hu Tao's words only deepened Qin Yu's melancholy.
Just then, a voice called out.
"You two, please wait!"
The unfamiliar voice caught their attention. Turning around, they saw a young man hurrying toward them.
Wow, we actually ran into someone else on Wuwang Hill.
"Can I help you?" Qin Yu asked.
"Excuse me... pant... I wanted to ask... pant... if either of you... pant... have seen the Adeptus of Wuwang Hill?"
In an instant, Qin Yu's mind flooded with question marks.
Wuwang Hill. Adeptus. She recognized both words, but couldn't quite connect them.
Wuwang Hill... Qin Yu glanced around at the eerie landscape.
Adeptus... Shenhe immediately came to mind. She was the only one who truly embodied the aura of an Adeptus: strikingly beautiful, with an exquisite figure and an ethereal, otherworldly presence—though that was largely due to the Red String and her lack of common sense.
Putting the two together, Qin Yu wondered if Shenhe had come to Wuwang Hill.
Or could it simply be an Adeptus from the underworld?
An Adeptus from the underworld... Qin Yu found the combination of words absurdly amusing. Just then, Hu Tao asked with keen interest, "What kind of Adeptus would be at Wuwang Hill? Are you talking about us?"
The young man quickly clarified, "No, no! I didn't mean you at all!"
Good. He's not trying to hit on us.
"Then is it a woman with white hair?" Qin Yu asked tentatively.
If it's Shenhe... The thought made her suddenly uncomfortable.
It was perfectly normal for someone to develop feelings for Shenhe. After all, she was stunningly beautiful and irresistibly alluring; it would be stranger if no one was drawn to her.
Not that I like her like that... at least not romantically.
She wasn't that kind of woman, neither straight nor gay. If pressed to define herself, Qin Yu would consider herself "bed-sexual"—a comfortable night's sleep was her ultimate pleasure.
Yet even the mere thought of someone being attracted to Shenhe filled Qin Yu with an unbearable discomfort.
A strange, inexplicable frustration burned within her, leaving her restless and agitated.
Therefore, his answer had better be no.
Fortunately, the young man shook his head. "No, no."
Phew... Qin Yu let out a long sigh.
Not it, good. Good? Is that a good thing? Shouldn't it be a good thing if Shenhe could find her own happiness? At least it would be better than staying with me, right?
"Then what was it? I don't get the impression that Wuwang Hill is the kind of place where you'd find an Adeptus..." Qin Yu asked.
The young man scratched his head.
"Don't laugh at me, okay? I saw a really beautiful woman earlier, but she was glowing with this ethereal white light. I figured she must be an Adeptus. Just... not quite like the 'White-Haired Adeptus' from the legends..."
White light? And he still thinks she's an Adeptus? Has this guy been eating some weird mushrooms?
White light...
Speaking of which, the white shadow I saw earlier also seemed to emit a faint white glow, like a ghost.
Could there really be a ghost in this place? Qin Yu tensed up, glancing around nervously to confirm nothing unusual was nearby before finally relaxing.
Hu Tao nodded enthusiastically. "Mm-hmm, mm-hmm! And then what happened? Did you fall in love with that Adeptus?"
"Yes, it was love at first sight. That's why I wanted to ask you two if you've ever seen her."
Perhaps the "Adeptus" he's talking about is that white shadow, Qin Yu thought, and that shadow might be a ghost. I should warn him.
Before Qin Yu could speak, Hu Tao interjected, "We haven't seen her, but Director, seeing how anxious you are... hmm, alright! Let's help you!"
Huh? Why would we help him?
"Hu Tao, this—"
Hu Tao covered Qin Yu's mouth with a smile. "You go that way, and I'll go the other way. How's that?"
"Ah? Ah... okay! Thank you both! I'll go check over there right away."
The young man scurried off, his face beaming with excitement.
Qin Yu pulled Hu Tao's hand away and couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't we just tell him to leave Wuwang Hill?"
"Do you think he'd listen obediently?"
That was true. He didn't seem the type to accept such advice easily.
Hu Tao planted her hands on her hips and continued, "So let's 'help' him first. We'll wander around for a while, then regroup and say we didn't find anything. We can suggest he might have imagined it. After all, Wuwang Hill is full of rumors."
Having understood Hu Tao's meaning, Qin Yu still felt something was off.
Hu Tao's reaction was remarkably calm.
"Is the 'Adeptus' he mentioned a ghost?" Qin Yu whispered.
"Maybe yes, maybe no. But it's probably related to that white shadow you saw earlier. Aiya, I didn't expect to be working on the way back."
"Working?"
Hu Tao tipped her hat, grinning proudly. "Exactly! Wangsheng Funeral Parlor doesn't just handle funerals; we also deal with paranormal events. If it's truly a ghost, as the Director, I can't just stand by and do nothing."
Qin Yu's anxiety began to fade, replaced by a flicker of excitement.
"Are we going ghost hunting?"
"Not exactly."
Eh—? Not catching a ghost? Qin Yu's excitement vanished.
"Even if it is a ghost, it's nothing to fear," Hu Tao explained. "As the Director, I need to maintain the boundary between life and death, and prevent outsiders from learning about the existence of ghosts."
There really are ghosts, huh?!
Qin Yu pointed at herself. "What about me? Am I not considered an outsider?"
"Of course not! You're my best friend, after all! Hehe. But I still hope you won't reveal the truth to anyone. You never know what might happen," Hu Tao chuckled.
It's true that things could become unstable.
But ghosts really exist... Ugh, just thinking about it makes me uneasy.
Wait, Hu Tao said so much...
"Does this mean I have to go with you too?" Qin Yu couldn't help but ask.
"Of course! You're scared, aren't you? Or would you rather stay here or go back? You never know... something might suddenly jump out at us on the way! Awoo!" Hu Tao stretched out her hands, opened her mouth, and pretended to bite.
"Wah!?"
The sudden roar startled Qin Yu, throwing her thoughts into disarray. A chill ran down her spine, but when she regained her senses and realized Hu Tao had deliberately frightened her, anger flared up.
Following her impulse, Qin Yu grabbed Hu Tao's hands and intertwined their fingers.
"I can bite too, you know!" Qin Yu retorted, her voice tinged with displeasure.
She bared her teeth, attempting to scare Hu Tao.
In truth, Qin Yu had bitten people before, and more than once. She felt confident in her ability... though the confidence was somewhat dubious, and the memory of those incidents filled her with embarrassment and awkwardness.
Hu Tao blinked repeatedly, as if startled.
Hmph, finally she realizes I'm not a woman to be easily manipulated... Wait, wait, wait, why is her face getting closer?
As Hu Tao inexplicably leaned closer, Qin Yu's cheeks flushed crimson. If this keeps up, our lips will touch!
"Hu Tao? What are you doing..." Qin Yu blurted out urgently, her breath mingling with Hu Tao's.
"Hmm? I thought you wanted to kiss."
Has your head been butted by a wild boar or something?
Evaluation: A-
"I-I didn't mean that," Qin Yu murmured.
Compared to Hu Tao's earlier words, this was even more terrifying. Could Hu Tao have actually awakened something she shouldn't have?
Perhaps even her palms were sweating.
Qin Yu tried to pull her hand away, and Hu Tao immediately released their clasped hands, bringing her a sliver of relief.
"But I heard dogs express affection by biting."
Why are you bringing that up? We're both humans, not dogs.
As Qin Yu grumbled inwardly, Hu Tao winked playfully.
"So a little mwah between us should be fine, right?"
We're humans, not dogs! It's a huge problem! Qin Yu felt a genuine unease about staying with Hu Tao, but she couldn't very well ask to return first.
Ugh, I'm so tired.
Why did Hu Tao have to turn out like this?
With these thoughts swirling in her mind, Qin Yu followed Hu Tao, searching for the "Wuwang Hill's Special Adeptus"—Hu Tao's own words, which carried a certain dark charm.
After a while, the pair finally spotted their target.
A woman radiating a faint white glow, her form somewhat ethereal... Qin Yu felt she closely resembled the white shadow she'd seen recently. It must be her.
And as she'd sensed, it was indeed a ghost.
Ghosts are real. Having witnessed it firsthand, Qin Yu couldn't help but marvel inwardly.
Thank goodness it's not one of those terrifying vengeful spirits from ghost stories.
Though she could only see its back, the figure felt surprisingly familiar and comforting.
Familiar? This strange sensation left Qin Yu confused and bewildered. How could I feel familiar with a ghost? Unless it's the soul of someone I knew in life...
And the degree of familiarity... it was remarkably similar to what she felt with Keqing.
Could it be...?
"Teacher?" Qin Yu called out tentatively.
"Hmm?" Hu Tao's face clouded with confusion.
The ghost paused, then turned around.
"You're... Qin Yu?"
The familiar face, the familiar voice—without a doubt, this was Qin Yu's foster mother.
The Wuwang Hill's Special Adeptus is... Teacher?!
"Wow!" Hu Tao exclaimed in shock.