[Once Yelan left, you started planning your next move. If nothing unexpected happened, Ningguang would be elected as the next Tianquan.]
[By connecting with Yelan, you had essentially secured a link to the Liyue Qixing.]
[From here on, you needed to find a way to leverage their influence, slowly tightening your grip until the Fatui were eaten away piece by piece. But before anything else, you had to bring Chenxi back to Liyue.]
[Only then could you move without fear or distraction.]
[You were still thinking through your plans when the door suddenly swung open and Hu Tao burst into the room like a little whirlwind.]
[The moment she rushed in, she glanced around anxiously. When she saw you were alone, she finally let out a breath.]
["Where's that woman?"]
["What woman?" You flicked her forehead. "She has a name. It's Miss Yelan."]
["Hmph. So you're calling each other by name already?" Hu Tao muttered unhappily.]
["Miss Yelan just placed an order with us. She wants us to hold a funeral for her friend."]
[Hu Tao picked up the order list sitting beside you and skimmed it.]
["Intermediate package. A funeral like this can be handled by the other undertakers."]
[You took the list back from her hands.]
["No. I'll be the one overseeing this one."]
[This funeral gave you the perfect excuse to meet Yelan a few more times and get a better feel for how she operated.]
[And beyond that, the deceased had died because of you. For your own reasons, you wanted to send him off yourself.]
[You would make sure he left this world with dignity and walked the path of reincarnation properly.]
[Hu Tao wasn't thrilled. In fact, she didn't want you interacting with Yelan at all.]
[And since you were already the highest-ranked advisor at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, there was no reason you needed to personally oversee a funeral of this tier.]
[In her mind, there was only one explanation for why you insisted—because of that woman named Yelan!]
[Hu Tao cupped your face in both hands, gently forcing your gaze away from the list and onto her.]
["Did you fall for Yelan?!"]
[You stared at her serious expression, both amused and exasperated.]
[Sure, you did want more contact with Yelan, but absolutely not for that reason.]
["What nonsense are you talking about? I've only met Miss Yelan twice. How could I possibly like her?"]
[Hu Tao studied your expression carefully. When she realized you were telling the truth, she finally relaxed.]
["Good…"]
[You lightly brushed her hands off your cheeks. "What do you know about liking someone? You're still just a kid."]
["How could I not know? I'm really smart."]
[She looked straight at you, her tone suddenly formal and earnest.
"I like you, :( ! Wait for me to grow up, okay?"]
["When I'm older, I'll definitely be waaaaay better than Yelan!"]
[Her hand drew a huge circle in the air to emphasize her point.]
[Better…?]
[You suddenly understood what she meant.]
[You tugged gently at her soft, youthful cheek, sighing. "So our Hu Tao's reached that age already? Don't worry. When you grow up, you'll be a gorgeous beauty with a killer figure."]
[Hu Tao felt the brush-off in your tone and raised her voice.]
["Don't treat me like a kid! I mean it! I really like you!"]
["Alright, alright, I got it."]
[Hu Tao had always been childish—her impulses came as quickly as they went.]
[You didn't take her words too seriously.]
[Picking up the order list, you headed out to prepare the ritual items.]
[Hu Tao stomped after you, fuming.]
["Hey! Don't ignore me! How can you trample on a maiden's feelings like this?!"]
What a nightmare.
Kael did a quick calculation. The version of himself in the life simulation and Hu Tao were four years apart.
He was eighteen now, which meant Hu Tao was only fourteen…
Judging from the way the story was unfolding, Hu Tao would probably end up as the heroine of this simulated lifetime.
Tragic.
Still, Hu Tao was just a kid at the moment. There was no chance he would lay a hand on a little girl.
But as the simulation progressed, Hu Tao would get older…
And with how close they were now, their bond might eventually turn into love someday.
[Age 19: Your cooperation with Yelan is going extremely well.]
[The intel you collected was selectively handed over to the Fatui.]
[You fed them enough benefits to keep them satisfied, never enough to make them suspicious, and always within a range you could control.]
[With your intelligence, Yelan dismantled several Fatui strongholds, dealing heavy losses to them.]
[The Fatui began applying pressure, demanding you find a solution quickly.]
[You felt the timing was perfect. A chance to return to Snezhnaya was finally within your grasp.]
[You went to find Yelan.]
["After working together for so long, you should've seen my sincerity by now, right? It's your turn."]
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Next Target 50PS :)