You Always Catch Me~ (yantao)

3-Encountering Congzi

A few days pass...

''Da ta da! Da ta daaa~'' Hu Tao hummed to herself whilst sweeping up the floor of the parlor. It was closing time and the sky had begun to grow dark; millions of little stars glowing and shining brightly. 

There was a knock at the parlor door and Hu Tao turned to it confused, ''Who is at the parlor this late?'' She asked herself.

She went up to the door and opened it, revealing Congzi standing right there. Hu Tao distanced herself and said, ''What the hell are you doing here Congzi? You know you're not supposed to go near me as per the contract.'' Hu Tao was curious and had a rising gut feeling in her stomach.

''Oh, don't mind that for now, Hu Tao.'' She sounded serious but playful, in a nasty way. Hu Tao's gut feeling rose from the pit of her stomach.

''Spit it out.''

''I've seen how much time you have spent with Yanfei. Tell me, how have you done that? Tell me everything you know about her.'' Hu Tao's stomach churned.

Did Congzi like Yanfei? Why else would she want to know this.

''I can't help you, sorry. Please leave my parlor at once.'' Hu Tao was now serious, and gave Congzi a death stare.

''You cannot stop me. Tell me everything you know and I will leave you alone as promised. Plus I won't tell Yanfei about this interaction.'' Congzi stated, fury dancing in her eyes. Hu Tao panicked but quickly shut the door and locked it in Congzi's face and tried to continue sweeping so she could forget her issue.

It was the next day and Hu Tao had made a ''Ghostly March'' by accident whilst trying to make a vegetarian abalone to gift to Zhongli.

''Silly ghost,'' muttered Hu Tao as she tried her best to take off the ghost that was consuming the dish. Hu Tao quickly gave up and just chucked the dish to the side and went outside of the parlor. As soon as she stepped out of the parlor, reminders and flashbacks of what happened yesterday occured in her head.

''Good morning, Hu Tao. Need anything?'' Zhongli asked as he saw Hu Tao staring at the ground in the doorway of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. 

''Aiya no, heh. I'm alright! Good morning to you too Zhongli!'' Hu Tao quickly said and lifted up her head, waved and walked away.

''What will I do? I feel as if Congzi definitely likes Yanfei... but does she stand a chance? Does anyone stand a chance against Yanfei?'' Hu Tao mumbled to herself as her ghostly friend wrapped itself around Hu Tao's leg with a sad expression.

''Meep meep?'' The ghost asked sadly.

''I'm alright, don't worry about me.'' Hu Tao mumbled to the ghost and the ghost vanished, probably to appear again later as he saw Chongyun walking through the street.

'Eugh' was the sound Chongyun made as he walked past Hu Tao, and Tao saw that he had ran out of his cold ice pops. Hu Tao chuckled to herself and went to Yanfei's usual table at Yuijing terrace to talk.

''Huh?'' Hu Tao gasped as she saw Congzi sitting at the table instead of Yanfei.

''What?'' Congzi replied with a smirk.

''Where's Yanfei?'' Hu Tao questioned, suspiciously.

''She went out bamboo shoot picking for her grandma's famous bamboo shoot soup. You really know nothing about Yanfei, huh? Everybody knows that on Monday's is when bamboo shoots grow the freshest. Plus she asked me if I could take care of her papers,'' Congzi replied, yawning menacingly.

''Oh.'' Escaped from Hu Tao's mouth.

''I really do know nothing about Yanfei... what kind of girlfriend would I be if I didn't even know when she would go out to do her dailies?'' Hu Tao began to overthink. Congzi saw this and continued,