Red Blossoms [Genshin Impact Hu Tao angst ]

Chapter 2

A while ago......

Zhongli P.O.V.

I was talking a walk outside, when hearing noises in the bookstore. Standing outside, I heard voices of  Hu Tao's friends, Chongyun XingQiu and Xiangling .

"Xiangling.....it's about time you tell Hu Tao about how she hurt everyone....."

"'Chongyun, don't say it like that.....she's annoying but she's nice!"

"But she hurt everyone.......you know, even the little girl working at Bubu Pharmacy.."

"I think her name is Qiqi, what did Hu Tao do to hurt her?"

"You don't know? Rumors has it that Hu Tao wants to bury Qiqi......"

"How could she do such a thing.......Xingqiu, any thoughts?"

"If your asking what I think of her......although there are all sorts of rumors about the way she works, but I think that if you really want to understand someone, you have to find out what their really after."

"Either way, she should know she flips everyone off.......its going on for too long and someone needs to tell her about it..."

The door creaked opened, and there stood Zhongli. "Hey Zhongli, where have you been all day?" Hu Tao questioned as he sat down. Zhongli took a deep breath. It was about time she knew that she hurt everyone. 

"Hu Tao. You betrayed everyone."Zhongli said, solemn 

"I never betrayed anyone..... I tried to help them. That's what I did, I helped many people." The young funeral director protested, upon hearing the words of her fellow co-worker.

"But you hurt them." Her Co-worker stated bluntly.

Hu Tao was staring at the consultant, her life being sucked out of her."W-wait, but im not a tratior,I helped everyone-yea thats what I did!"

"But you hurt them." Those words echoed in her mind. Hu tao was in denial while the consultant just stared dully at her in disappointment.He couldnt believe what he heard from her friends,but he couldn't just let it slide either.

Did I really hurt them? The funeral director questioned herself over and over again. Did I really...

Hu tao hung her head low, her mind whirling while she resisted the urge to break down in tears in front of her co worker. Her body trembled, and she started sweating.

Zhongli couldnt bear to see his co worker like that, but he knew he couldn't help her either as it was the bitter truth his boss had to know about her own annoyingness. With the most careful tone, he asked tenderly, "Master Hu? Are you-"

"NO!"

Hu tao trembled and shouted with a painful expression on her face, refusing to surrender and cry. Zhongli  was suprised, no, shocked that Hu tao acted like this, but it was not unexpected.

Hu tao picked herself up, her words laced with pain "I have to go..." She turned her back and dashed out of the parlor trembling, her hand covering her face as she went. A glimpse of her tear filled eyes could be seen by zhongli as he saw his coworker run.

With a heavy sigh, he sat back down on a nearby stool. It was the painful truth that Hu tao had to know about herself, and yet zhongli still felt a pang of gulit as he saw hu tao run off. He knew he was bad at explaining things in the more emotional side, and after all, he knew he couldn't do anything about it.

"Sigh....I'll let her be for a while, let her cool down and process this information, while in the meantime...." Zhongli looked at the ferrylady standing by the door, looking utterly confused, "It seems that I will be taking care of the parlor business for a short time."