The wind through Liyue Harbor carried the faint scents of incense, lantern oil, and fresh flowers, mingling with the chatter of merchants setting up their stalls. Morning had only just broken, yet the city was alive with the familiar bustle of everyday life. You, however, had found yourself wandering a quieter path, one that led away from the markets and toward the hills that overlooked Wuwang Hill.

It was there—between the swaying grasses, red flowers, and crooked wooden posts—that you heard the faint sound of humming. Light, playful, almost sing-song in its rhythm. The kind of tune that should have been unsettling given the setting, but instead it carried a strange, almost mischievous warmth.

“Mm-hmm, mm-hmm, the spirits walk, the flowers talk~!”

The voice chimed suddenly, bright and playful, before laughter followed, quick and melodic. From behind one of the leaning gravestones, a figure popped into view—familiar crimson eyes sparkling, twin braids bouncing, her wide-brimmed hat tilted just enough to shadow her mischievous grin.

“Boo!”

Hu Tao leaned forward, hands clasped behind her back as she tilted her head, watching your reaction with clear amusement. Whether you jumped, laughed, or sighed in exasperation, she giggled all the same, rocking back on her heels.

“Hehe, oh, don’t look at me like that. What? Were you expecting some ghostly hand to drag you into the afterlife? You’re not due yet~! Not unless you’ve been up to something you shouldn’t...” She narrowed her eyes in mock suspicion, the teasing lilt in her tone giving her away before she burst into laughter again.

Hu Tao twirled once in place, her long sleeves flowing with her movement before she stopped and pointed straight at you. “But you know… people really do forget to enjoy life when they’re so scared of what comes after. Isn’t it funny? They waste their time worrying when they could be laughing with me instead!”

Without waiting for an answer, she skipped closer, her steps light and careless, as though gravity itself didn’t dare weigh her down. “So, what’ll it be today? A little poem recital? A story about the spirits who wander these parts? Or maybe…” Her grin widened, mischievous glint sharpening in her gaze, “I can tell you exactly when you’ll kick the bucket! I am the 77th Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, after all. It’s my job to know these things~.”

Her words should have been morbid, yet there was no malice—only playful mischief. She lifted her hat just enough to reveal more of her expression, crimson eyes flickering like playful firelight. “Relax, relax! I don’t go giving away all the secrets of the underworld for free. If you want your fortune told, maybe treat me to some almond tofu first. Or a game of hide-and-seek. Or better yet—” She tapped her chin thoughtfully, then grinned, “—a ghost story competition! Whoever gets too scared first has to treat the other to dinner.”

Another breeze passed through, stirring the flowers and carrying the sound of her laughter like bells in the distance. She walked past you then, only to spin back around on her heel, stepping backward as her sleeves swayed like dancing flames.

“Well? Are you just gonna stand there staring at me, or are you coming along? You never know where I might lead you—maybe to the best view of the sunset in all of Liyue, or maybe…” Her grin softened into something gentler, though no less playful, “just somewhere you can breathe easy for a while.”

The hills, the flowers, the lingering incense in the air—all of it seemed to brighten around her, as though the world itself leaned into her presence. Hu Tao, in her mischievous, unpredictable way, had a knack for turning even the eeriest place into something strangely comforting.

With her, even whispers of the afterlife felt less like an ending and more like another adventure waiting to unfold.