7 The childish Hu Tao

[About an hour earlier]

Xiangling, who was going around finding people that may take interest in the manga made by Igarashi, stopped for a moment and decided to walk slowly with Gouba beside her.

She intended to sell the mangas to her friends but when she thought about it again, not many of them has an interest in books, so she's just strolling around Chihu Rock in hopes of finding someone that does.

And at this moment, while she was walking down a road, a voice suddenly appeared which started her.

"Boo!"

"EEK?!" Xiangling jumped in fright instinctively and immediately looked behind her.

There, she saw a young girl that had a fair complexion and a petite build. Her eyes are a bright scarlet with white, blossom-shaped pupils, faded red makeup painted at the corners.

She has extensively long dark brown hair fading to crimson at the tips. Her hair is styled into two high twintails parted with a zig-zag pattern. Her bangs are side-swept to her left, the layers framing her face curled inwards and the layers behind curled outwards, two shoulder-length locks of hair in front of her ears left loose. She wears a black porkpie hat emblazoned with a wooden talisman, adorned with a red plum blossom branch in bloom, along with an indigo tassel tied in a looped knot.

She seems to be wearing a traditional red shirt with a mandarin collar, a brown coat with a darker collar and sleeve cuffs, and black shorts with gold accents. Her Pyro Vision is embedded at the back of her coat, along with long rectangular coattails, and golden brooches attached underneath her coat's collar and waist.

She wears a pair of mid-calf-length white socks, red straps with plum blossoms wrapped around the cuffs, along with low-heeled black dress shoes. Her fingernails are painted black, and she wears multiple rings. Her left hand has rings on the index, middle, and ring, while her right has the middle, index, and thumb. She wears a loose red bracelet on her right hand, though her long sleeves usually hide it

It was none other than the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, Hu Tao.

When Xiangling recognized the person that scared her, she calmed down a bit and breathed a sigh of relief. "Hu Tao, you have to stop doing that..."

"Lo ♪ Lo ♪ Lo ♪!!!" Gouba also said, showing off that he too was unhappy that he got jump scared.

Hu Tao giggled as she picked up and patted Gouba's head as she apologized "Hai~ Hai~, sorry about that, little Gouba~"

"Hey! How about my apology?" Changing asked as she saw Hu Tao only apologizing to Gouba.

It was not the first time Hu Tao had sneaked up behind her and scared her, it had been going on since they had met each other. But even so, she does not hold any grudges against the latter as she sometimes gives Xiangling some fermented plum blossoms, an ingredient for one of her dishes.

However, instead of apologizing, Hu Tao's attention went to the book Xiangling and Gouba were holding.

She stretched out her hand and snatched a book from Gouba's hand "Yoink~ Now, what is this~?"

"Hey, you have to pay for that to read!" Xiangling said

However, it was already too late. Hu Tao already opened the book and saw the first chapter. "Whoa... This is new~?"

Xiangling finally got a chance and immediately snatched the manga from her hand "Ah!"

"Hey, I was still reading that!" Hu Tao said as her reading was interrupted

Xiangling looked at her and made a mocking gesture as she said, "Then pay for it!"

However, just before the two young ladies were about to quarrel, even more, a soft and calm voice of a man resounded in between them. "Now, now, young ladies. What seems to be the problem about?"

The person then looked at Hu Tao and asked with the same calm and soft voice. "And you, director, please be more professional."

Hu Tao stopped quarreling with Xiangling and puffed up her cheeks as she replied, "Geez, Zhongli, it was our business. Anyways, what are you doing here?"

That's right, the person that stopped the both of them was Zhongli. Also known as Rex Lapis that is under the guise of the human name, Zhongli.

Zhongli looked at both of them and replied, "It is the matter of the mysterious person that is sponsoring us."

"Oh, you mean the sponsor that is giving us some private funds from Northland Bank? Have you found out who they are?" Hu Tao asked.

It was about a week ago that they suddenly received a notification from the Northland Bank that they are receiving some private funds from a mysterious sponsor. Though, none of the people in Wangsheng Funeral parlor knows who it is. Except for one person, of course.

Zhongli looked at Hu Tao and replied, "Unfortunately, no. Though, me and the Ferrylady had already made some speculation."

Hu Tao sighed and displayed her dissatisfaction. Zhongli ignored it and looked at what Xiangling was holding and showed his curiosity. "Excuse me, young miss. But what could be the book you are holding to make our director cause a ruckus?"

Xiangling gave a slight nod and started explaining. From how she first met the author of the book she was holding to now.

Zhongli stayed silent throughout the whole explanation. It was not only that after Xiangling stooped explaining that he expressed his thoughts. "I see. So this book that the person named Yunru is selling called 'Manga' caused this childish quarrel, eh?"

Xiangling and Hu Tai didn't deny nor accept Zhongli's speculation and just puffed their cheeks and pouted. "Humph!"

"*Sigh...*" Zhongli sighed once more.

He then leaned down at Gouba and picked up a manga. "Excuse me, old friend."

"Lo ♪ Lo ♪ Lo ♪" Gouba didn't resist and just gave the manga to Zhongli. Gouba even happily gave it as if he was giving something to an old friend that he can't remember. Though he can't remember, he can still feel the same feeling of talking to this old friend.

Zhongli then called for Ferrylady and said, "I'd like to add two of this book to our funds."

"Yes, Mr. Zhongli." Ferrylady replied as she wrote on her clipboard.

Zhongli then looked at Hu Tao and Xiangling and said, "Here. Now, The director can read the book whenever she wants and Miss Xiangling here can sell two 'Mangas'."

Ferrylady hurried over to Xiangling and handed two cheques with 20,000 Mora in each of them. Xiangling accepted it and gave another manga to Hu Tao.

Hu Tao didn't speak any longer as she headed back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor with Ferrylady. Zhongli, who had stayed behind, looked at Xiangling and apologized. "I apologize for the childishness of our director."

Xiangling waved at him and said, "No, no, it's fine. We often do these in the past..."

Zhongli nodded and also paid farewell to her.

After a certain distance away from anyone, Zhongli stood silently with both of his hands behind him as he silently muttered: "...'Your Name', huh..."

"A story of two people fighting against fate and their own memories..."

He then closed his eyes and stayed silent before finally muttering: "I might enjoy this book."

After that, he left.