So I'm back with another story. This time is my take on a subject that I rarely have a chance to be exposed to: romantic love.
It was truly a cold day. Snow started falling everywhere. On the streets, on the rooves. It was not six at the time yet the sky was already turning dark quickly. The light in the houses and on the street had already been up. The restaurants were extremely busy and full of people. Street food stalls had to bring out their snowproof coverings to prevent their goods from being ruined.
Among the people hurrying to go home or to find a place that provides shade against the snow, a little red figure rushed through them. The figure stopped at Wanmin Restaurant and displayed a shiny happy face as the smell of Jueyun chili sauce soaked into her nose.
"Oh it's you, Yanfei!" Xiangling greeted the girl with alacrity. "What can I getcha?"
"Do you have any table left?" Yanfei asked while hugging herself in quiver.
Xiangling turned back and looked around the restaurant. Seemed like no. It was packed with people, there were no spare seats left. Even with the extra sets of tables and chairs chef Mao bought before, the restaurant still ran out.
"I'm very sorry, but we are out of tables currently." The chef shook at Yanfei. "Would you mind a takeaway?"
"But-but, I'm so cold and a-achoo! And I n-need a shelter." She looked at Xiangling with begging eyes. "You don't wanna see me... die right here do y-aaa achooo!"
"Waiter! One stir-fried fillet at table three!" Some customer in the restaurant called.
"Coming right up!" Xiangling shouted back, then turned to Yanfei. "I will ask some customers if they wanna share a table with you, if there's none, I would get you a spare chair by the kitchen ok?" Without waiting for a response, the chef rushed back among the tables to prepare the food.
"A-Alright, but please be quick ~ achoo!" Yanfei replied, still shivering. She felt like she could die any time there.
Yanfei was wearing a thick red fur coat over a wool shirt and a long-sleeved shirt while her bottom was a pair of thick white trousers. She also had a black handbag. Despite all those clothes, she still shivered. She was not particularly adept in cold resisting.
Standing in wait was boring to death, so the advisor decided to turn around and take a look at the streets. Still no less boring. Snow kept falling, people kept walking in hurry, the sound of customers talking inside and the fragrance of hot, spicy foods drove her mouth drooling and her mind insane. Nothing was more depressing than waiting outside a restaurant in cold and hunger while having to smell the food. If only there was something to help her kill times. How about taking a law book out and skimming it? Thinking of that, she pulled out a book from her handbag and started reading.
Sigh, the cold made even reading unfun for her. Snow was such a terrible weather condition. Good thing no one was disturbing her during this hour. Right?
"BOO!"
"What the!"
Yanfei's heart almost leaped out of her chest. The sudden jumpscare caused Yanfei to jump back in retaliation and sit down immediately. Turned out it was Hu Tao, the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Yanfei thought it was a demon emerging from below.
"Where did you even come from?!" The legal advisor complained.
"Huh? I was right in front of you. How did you even get jumpscared right in the face?" Hu Tao expressed some surprise, although it quickly turned into a giggle. "Oh right, you are indulged in that book, pffft!." She noticed the book Yanfei dropped on the ground.
"Oh it's you, Director Hu." Yanfei stood up and picked her book up after she realized who it was. "What can I help you with?!"
She remarked that the Director was wearing a black coat and a pair of black trousers. Though they were warm clothes, they were nowhere near as thick as hers. Even with that, Hu Tao did not seem to be bothered by the cold at all.
"Are you waiting for a seat?" Hu Tao asked.
"Ah, yes." Yanfei replied. "Though it is too crowded right now so it seems like I would be waiting for a while, aaa chooo!."
"I see." Hu Tao smiled. "Oh, you don't seem to handle the cold very well. Since you are still at a very young age,..." The Director pulled out a black card and handed it to the advisor. "..., in case complicated situations arise, I have some discounts for you, ehehehe!"
Normally, people would not appreciate a death-related joke like that, but Yanfei thought it was just a harmless one. Yea, she thought so as she sneezed another time.
"Bwahahaha... If it is a discount from the Director herself, I shall not refuse it!" The legal advisor complimented as she accepted the card from Hu Tao's hand.
Hu Tao smiled as if she enjoyed it, her eyes squinted amusingly. Yanfei just smiled back.
"Hey, since you are so kind to me, I will also give you some discount too," Yanfei said. "Next time you come to seek my advice, you only need to pay half price, 90000 Mora an hour!"
Hu Tao smirked. "Sure, my honor. I appreciate your sincerity." She then turned to look at the street. "This is a successful business, don't you think?"
"A-choo!" Yanfei sneezed again but she managed to nod and give a short reply. "Yes, you can say that again."
"Sigh, you are a very rare person who accepts my offers, and I don't even talk to you often... Aiya, only if people are eager to understand."
"They don't know what they are talking about." The advisor said. "A lawful business is a righteous one. You are not doing anything wrong. You provide Liyue with a necessary service. When people don't understand something, they choose to fear it, but when presented with something I don't understand, I will brave it. That is why I can learn by heart all the laws of the seven nations, something that can bore people to no end... Achoo!"
Hu Tao nodded in amusement. "Right? They don't understand it, because they make no effort to! You are very different." She smiled. "First you accepted my business, now you showed me some understanding as well."
"Achooo- Ahem, Uh, My parents always wanted me to live free and happy." Yanfei said. "For me, happiness is meeting interesting people, doing interesting businesses, knowing where to go and which path to choose. My take is that, your business is as righteous as any business out there, you have a right that no one can revoke or violate. So, remember, don't be upset, choose the path you deem as the fittest! A-aa-choooo!"
Yanfei sneezed so violently that she fell down on her bottom with a thudding sound. After the sneeze, she breathed heavily to take in the oxygen she needed. One, two, three breaths. Four breath. Five breath. Inhale. Exhale. Sigh.
Hu Tao gave Yanfei something that looked like a brown pill. "Take this. It clears out your windpipe and bronchi."
The advisor quickly grabbed the pill and swallowed it. She felt the itch on her nose reduced gradually and her breath returned to a normal pace like before the snow fell.
After Yanfei had gathered enough energy to stand up, she said to Hu Tao. "Thanks, I feel much better now. Ahem. Though, you could have just let me potentially become your client and pretend you can not do anything about it." Yanfei giggled.
The Director smirked. "I wouldn't do that. I don't want to be misunderstood in this important business. With my reputation, they probably would turn the suspicion on me. Not something I want. Furthermore," She smiled. "your talk has fascinated me a lot. I think you are an interesting person, even though we seldom meet, so I won't let you die on me."
"Take this." Hu Tao handed a black pouch to Yanfei. "Herbalist Gui gave me these pills in exchange for some qingxin flowers I randomly picked on the mountains. But I think you need it more than me."
"Oh, thanks a lot!" Yanfei appreciated the medicine. "You are so kind."
"Think nothing of it." Hu Tao fanned her hand. "It is of no use for me, I would end up giving it to someone else anyway." She paused a bit. "Now, allow me to depart. I hope that we will meet again."
Hu Tao slowly walked backwards and then turned around to go away.
"We will meet again, Director Hu!" Yanfei called loudly.
"Just call me Hu Tao!" The Director turned her head to shout back. Without saying further, Hu Tao quickly disappeared into the crowd.
Yanfei smiled to herself thinking about the conversation she just had.
Her attention then turned to the pouch the Hu Tao gave her.
"AHHHHH!"
The scream was so loud that chef Mao had to run through the tables in his restaurant to check the outside.
Turned out it was Yanfei, sitting on the ground and trembling in fear. She was shiverily attempting to move away from something that looked like an opened pouch. A huge deal of people on the street and inhouse were paying attention to her. The chef quickly ran to check on Yanfei. Some people came to help as well.
"Are you alright?" Asked Mao.
"Th-That thing..." The advisor looked at the pouch with terrified eyes. She shook her head continuously. "No, take that thing away from me!"
Chef Mao demanded to check on the pouch to see what frightened her to that point. A woman handed it to him. Hmmm. He looked at the content of the pouch.
Ahhh. He understood.
Seeing what was in the bag. He could not help but burst out in loud laughter.
"Yanfei, these are not bedbugs, they are medicinal pills decorated to look like insects!"
Yanfei froze with a dumbfounded look on her face. She had just embarrassed herself in front of everyone, hadn't she? The advisor did not even react when chef Mao placed the pouch back into her hand. The chef had to use all of his force to pull the poor girl up.
He sighed. "Seems like it was given by Director Hu right?"
"Anyway, I have a table ready for you, please come in." Chef Mao did not wait for an answer before inviting the advisor in. He knew too well there was only one person who could do that.
Yanfei nodded blankly as she followed the chef inside.
Poor Yanfei, she had just fallen victim to the prankster for the first time.