Hu Tao, sensing enough time had passed, returned to Qin Yu's side.
By the time she arrived, Qin Yu had already finished speaking with Teacher.
"How did the chat go?" Hu Tao asked with a grin.
Qin Yu's eyes were slightly red and swollen, but she forced a smile. "Ahaha, pretty good."
"Mm, pretty good," Teacher nodded.
"I see. If you don't mind me asking, what are your plans now? Will you go pursue your heart's desires?" Hu Tao asked, crossing her arms, her interest piqued.
Teacher replied evasively, "Sort of."
"Then I don't need to worry about anything," Hu Tao said.
Her real wish probably isn't just "seeing the world," Qin Yu thought to herself as Teacher spoke up beside her:
"Exactly. Don't worry about me, Qin Yu. Go back with your friend."
Go back? Back where? To a house where no one is? Qin Yu felt a deep-seated resistance.
"Can't I stay a little longer?" she murmured.
"Don't try to sweet-talk me."
Who's sweet-talking? Qin Yu secretly pouted and said, "I'm not! It's just... we finally get to see each other again. There's still time, right? Can't we talk a bit more?"
"No. Your mother is going to travel the world."
Travel the world, huh? Qin Yu sighed inwardly and made a face in her mind.
Hmph! Suit yourself.
Being rushed out like this, Qin Yu had no choice but to leave. Teacher's message was clear. She took a deep breath, feeling a sudden chill.
"Then Hu Tao, let's go?" Qin Yu said with a small smile.
"Okay."
Just as the words left her lips, Teacher suddenly called out, "Wait! You're Hu Tao, right? Come here for a moment. I have something to say to you."
"Huh? Me?" Hu Tao pointed at herself in surprise.
"Yes, you."
Qin Yu pointed at herself in disbelief. "What about me?"
"You get out of here."
"Waaah, that's so unfair!" Qin Yu muttered, trying to hide her disappointment. "I get it already."
I'm her daughter, so why can't she tell me? Why does she have to talk to Hu Tao instead? Is she asking her to take care of me? I'd rather she didn't.
Hu Tao taking care of someone—that's just... bizarre.
Even though Hu Tao was a good person, Qin Yu simply couldn't associate her with "taking care of someone." In fact, it would be a miracle not to be driven mad by her outrageous jokes.
As Qin Yu stewed, she tried to blend into the background, remaining perfectly still.
"Don't loiter here," teacher snapped.
Qin Yu shrank back, her neck hunching. "I-I'm not!"
"Then leave. I won't be talking to her for long."
Really? Qin Yu remained skeptical.
But what mattered more was: "Will... we see each other again?"
"Of course. But first, you need to live your own life well. Understand?" Teacher smiled brightly.
"...Mm."
Qin Yu forced a calm smile, desperately trying to hide the overwhelming loneliness and disappointment threatening to spill over.
Seeing Qin Yu like this, teacher couldn't help but sigh. "You've grown up so much—a graceful, elegant young woman. Remember when you used to cling to Keqing, wiping your snot and tears all over her clothes?"
"That was ages ago!" Qin Yu said, embarrassed.
Despite what the Teacher said, Qin Yu only had a hazy impression of the memory.
"Teacher... can't you tell me everything?" Qin Yu asked hesitantly, clutching her arm.
"No. But I believe you'll remember eventually... By the way, where's the toy ring you exchanged with her?"
"Here."
Qin Yu pulled the toy ring, still hanging around her neck, out from under her collar.
"You still have it? Keep it safe now. Don't lose it again."
Lose it again? Had she lost it before?
Lose it... A sharp pain shot through Qin Yu's head. The hazy memory began to take shape, but it felt just out of reach, impossible to recall clearly.
"Alright, you can go now."
Teacher's voice snapped Qin Yu back to reality. After a moment's hesitation, facing the Teacher's unyielding gaze, she slowly nodded and stepped away.
She walked slowly, glancing back several times.
But in the end, she faded from view.
Hu Tao remembered that Qin Yu could turn invisible, but she probably wouldn't use it at a time like this. It was the first time she'd seen Qin Yu so obedient and docile.
Normally, Qin Yu was quite compliant, but that was because... well... Hu Tao sighed inwardly before asking aloud:
"Do you have any instructions for me? As a friend of Fishy Treasure, this Director will fulfill them perfectly, as is my duty! Wangsheng Funeral Parlor guarantees your satisfaction!"
Teacher smiled. "Just wanted to have a chat with you."
"Is that so? Then go ahead, I'm all ears. If you want to know how she's doing, I'll tell you everything, down to the last detail! But once you're satisfied, you'll disappear, right?" Hu Tao asked earnestly.
"You saw through me?"
"After dealing with so many people, I've heard my fair share of truths and lies. You could say I have some experience now. But I don't understand—why would you deliberately lie?" Hu Tao asked, genuinely puzzled.
She knew Qin Yu's mother had lied.
"I think your real final wish must be..." Hu Tao trailed off, hesitating.
The Teacher replied frankly, "I just wanted to see my daughter one last time. 'Will she be okay without me?' That thought haunted me, and it's what turned me into a ghost."
The reason she had chosen to erect her grave near Wuwang Hill was twofold: she had lived near this area in life, and... she feared that if she became a ghost, she wouldn't be able to resist watching over Qin Yu.
Distance dampens impulse.
This was also why she didn't want Qin Yu to visit her grave. But Qin Yu hadn't been as obedient as she'd hoped.
"Just as I thought," Hu Tao nodded.
"The reasons for lying... There are many things people can't bring themselves to say truthfully. I'm already dead, and the dead shouldn't burden the living."
Teacher sighed. "That's why I hesitated when I first saw you. I never imagined you'd find me instead."
With this explanation, Hu Tao understood completely.
It was indeed an unspeakable truth. No matter how reluctant she was, she couldn't show it. After all, the living and the dead were forever separated, and the dead couldn't linger to accompany the living.
How truly heartbreaking, Hu Tao thought.
"Speaking of which, may I ask you something?"
"What's the matter?"
Hu Tao asked earnestly, "I've never heard Fishy Treasure mention her father. Did you raise her alone?"
"Yes. And...?"
"Why alone?" Hu Tao persisted, her curiosity piqued. "Normally, people would find someone to marry and share the responsibility, right?"
Teacher fell silent for a moment.
"Qin Yu lost her biological parents when she was very young. Even though I adopted her, 'adoption' itself carries a certain weight, doesn't it? Besides, she was incredibly bright from a young age, and undeniably adorable."
As she reminisced, Teacher sighed helplessly. "Perhaps it was because of these reasons that she was bullied by other children before meeting Keqing."
"One time, they taunted her, saying, 'If your mom gets married and has her own kids, she'll abandon you!' She came home crying, asking if I would ever replace her with a biological child. I promised her I never would."
"But a promise is only as good as the actions that back it up."
"To prevent her from dwelling on such fears, I've never sought marriage—it's as simple as that. As her mother, I couldn't break my word. It might sound a little foolish, though."
Teacher smiled sheepishly.
Hu Tao shook her head, admiration evident in her voice. "No, no, I'm truly impressed."
"Hmm... Well, that's good. If I had married someone else, they would undoubtedly want biological children, even when I was already older."
After a moment, Teacher added, "These truths must never reach Qin Yu's ears. She would overthink everything. I've never seen her as a burden or a nuisance, and I hope she doesn't think of herself that way either."
"Actually, Qin Yu wasn't always this withdrawn," she continued.