"Old Hu! Old Hu!!"
Urgent shouts echoed through the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
The sound hit Hu Tao like a bolt of lightning, exploding in her heart.
She trembled, then sprinted toward the source of the noise like a whirlwind.
The hall was already surrounded by staff, who instinctively stepped aside to make way for her.
Elliot looked nothing like his former self. His face was gaunt, cheeks sunken, and deep wrinkles carved through his features. The years had marked him in what seemed like a single day. He no longer resembled the warm, handsome man she knew—he looked like someone else entirely.
Hu Tao froze on the spot.
Her pupils trembled violently.
She stared at him in disbelief, her mind going blank. She had no idea what had happened.
Why did Grandpa suddenly look like he'd aged ten years overnight?
Was she dreaming?
A terrifying nightmare?
"Let me... cough... cough, cough... let me talk to... Little Tao... alone..."
Hearing this, the staff exchanged glances, then quietly withdrew, leaving only Hu Tao behind.
Seeing her stunned expression, Elliot closed his eyes and tilted his head to the side, lying still on the cold floor—completely motionless, like a lifeless body.
Hu Tao's eyes widened. She took slow, hesitant steps toward him, murmuring softly.
"Grandpa... Grandpa..."
When she reached him and knelt down—
Elliot suddenly opened his eyes, sat up with a jolt, made a funny face, and shouted, "Ha!"
"Wah!!"
Hu Tao yelped and fell back onto the floor, stunned.
"Hahahahahahaha! Scared you, didn't I?!"
He laughed like a mischievous old rascal, completely amused with himself.
Hu Tao blinked, then finally cracked a smile.
But before they could enjoy the moment—
Cough! Cough, cough!
He clutched his mouth and began coughing violently.
"Grandpa! Grandpa!"
Hu Tao rushed to support him. But when she saw the bright red blood spilling from his hand, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
A single, crystalline tear fell onto the back of his withered hand. Only then did Elliot's coughing subside.
"Little Tao... send me off, okay?"
He forced a smile—weak and strained—and lifted his trembling hand to wipe the tears from her cheek.
"No, Grandpa... don't go... don't leave me..."
She clutched his hand tightly, tears streaming like an endless tide.
"Be good... Little Tao, you should smile more. You're really... so beautiful when you smile..."
"I will, I'll smile... Little Tao will smile lots... Just stay a little longer, okay? I'll do whatever Grandpa says..."
She smiled through her tears, her voice shaking.
"In the days to come... after Grandpa's gone... make sure to eat well... and don't sleep in the coffin too much... it's cold, you'll catch a chill..."
"Being your grandfather... has been the greatest joy of my life..."
As his voice faded, the hand he had lifted fell for the last time.
His eyes closed peacefully.
And the gentle smile on his face didn't fade.
This time, his head slumped for good.
"Grandpa...? Grandpa?!"
Hu Tao's eyes widened. She shook his body again and again.
"Grandpa... this is just another joke, right?..."
"Come on, get up and scare me again... move a little... please move..."
"Look, Grandpa... Hu Tao's smiling... hehe... you always said my smile was pretty, right? So please, just open your eyes... look at me..."
"Grandpa... Grandpa... move, please... don't leave me behind..."
"Please... don't go... Grandpa... Grandpa..."
"GRANDPA!!"
Her anguished scream echoed across all of Liyue.
...
Far off in the distance, on a tree branch...
A tall man watched quietly.
"Another soul worn away…"
He clutched a small wooden cube in his hand.
Only when night fell did he vanish from the tree.
...
A few days later.
Liyue Harbor, Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Rain drizzled from the cloudy sky. The sun was hidden behind dark clouds. One by one, somber faces filed through the parlor doors.
As per Elliot's final wish, Hu Tao would be the one to send him off.
It was also her first time hosting a funeral.
The staff watched with bated breath.
"Hu Tao's still just a kid... can she really handle something this important?"
"Sigh... poor girl."
"I'm worried it won't go smoothly. She's always been such a mischievous little rascal. A solemn funeral like this... I don't know if she's ready."
"I don't get what Old Hu was thinking... My son's about her age. If he could just stand up there without shaking, I'd be thanking the gods..."
"Exactly. Kids like her should still be playing, not carrying such a heavy burden... I'm worried."
It wasn't just the staff—nearly everyone in Liyue was filled with doubt.
To them, Hu Tao was a quirky, poetic troublemaker. Hardly someone capable of bearing such responsibility.
But they were all wrong.
Hu Tao conducted the funeral with the highest honor.
The ceremony was solemn, grand, and flawless. Each step was executed with grace. Not a single misstep.
The gentle rain traced down her face, creating ripples as she walked.
Her pace was calm and steady as she ascended the steps to the gravestone and placed the final white candle gently at its base.
Closing her eyes, she clasped her hands together.
Two crystal-clear tears slipped down her cheeks.
At that moment, a warm hand gently stroked her hair.
She opened her eyes slightly—and in her hands, she now held two vivid flower petals.
In that instant, it felt like she was walking hand in hand with Grandpa down a path lined with plum blossoms.
In her mind, she saw his warm and gentle smile.
"They're wrong. Little Tao's not an orphan."
...
"Soft hands, yellow-tinted wine, two orioles sing among green willows..."
...
"Be good. Grandpa's not dying anytime soon."
...
"You... don't ever do that again."
"Were you worried, Grandpa?"
"Yes, very worried. You can't go getting lost again."
"I'm sorry, Grandpa. Little Tao won't do that anymore..."
"Good girl. As long as you're okay."
...
"Don't be scared. Grandpa's here."
"Don't worry. Grandpa will handle them soon."
"How was that, Grandpa? Awesome, right?"
...
"Hahahahaha! Gotcha, didn't I?!"
"Be good... Little Tao, smile more. You're really... beautiful when you smile..."
...
Hu Tao, still holding her grandfather's hand, gradually faded away.
In the end, she transformed into a fiery red butterfly and flew off into the sky.
When Hu Tao came back to herself—
The candle had already burned out, and the gloomy skies had cleared.
"Grandpa…"
As the funeral finally ended, everyone let out a breath of relief.
And they all realized something—
Hu Tao was more than worthy of leading the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
She shattered every doubt with her own strength.
...
That night—
Hu Tao packed some food, water, and a fire starter.
And quietly, with a purpose known to no one but herself—
She set off on a journey.