"What the FUCK?" Hu Tao exclaimed, her eyes widening as she scrolled through the conversation between Xiao and Albedo. The disbelief on her face was palpable, and she couldn't wrap her head around the vile things Albedo had spewed about Xiao.
Ganyu, equally taken aback, couldn't fathom how Xiao endured such harsh words without sharing them. "You let him say all this to you?" Ganyu questioned, her concern evident as she grasped the severity of Albedo's hurtful remarks.
Xiao let out a heavy sigh, his frustration evident. "I've been wanting to apologize to Aether for some time now, but... this - fuck, it just intensified my feelings of guilt, and I honestly thought I deserved this treatment."
"Xiao, you should tell Aether," Ganyu insisted, her voice carrying the weight of concern. Recognizing the significance of honesty and open communication in their relationship, she continued, "Keeping this information from him could exacerbate the situation and create unnecessary complications."
Ganyu knew that concealing the things Albedo told him from Aether could have serious consequences for several reasons. Firstly, maintaining secrecy in a relationship as close as that between Xiao and Aether may lead to a breakdown of trust. Aether might feel hurt and deceived if he discovers that Xiao endured such negative behavior without confiding in him. Trust is vital for any relationship, and withholding essential information may strain and weaken their bond.
Additionally, Aether deserves to know the truth about how Albedo has been treating Xiao. It would be unfair to keep this information from Aether, especially when it involves someone they both interact with. Aether has a right to be aware of any negative dynamics that may affect their relationship together.
"Ganyu, I don't want to mess up Aether's relationships with others. Everything's all messed up. Aether won't talk to anyone - I get it, Ayato had a part in it too, but I just made things worse." Xiao blamed himself, feeling the weight of responsibility for the strained relationships. While Ayato played a role, Xiao acknowledged his contribution to the worsening situation.
But Hu Tao can't shake off the anger towards Ayato. Ayato did this; he was the one who sent the picture; he was... just so damn unbearable! Because of him, everything spiraled out of control, and Albedo, that piece of shit, only made things worse - it was them; they caused the mess! And... And if Aether has to direct his anger at someone, it should be Ayato and Albedo! They were the ones responsible!
"Mhm, okay, hand me your phone real quick," Hu Tao casually requested, as if she were brushing it off. Xiao, trusting his sister, handed over his phone without a second thought; after all, she was his sister, and he believed she wouldn't do anything suspicious.
Surprisingly, Xiao didn't seem to have any suspicions, much to Hu Tao's relief. It made her task a lot easier. Deceptively casual, she discreetly took screenshots of Xiao and Albedo's conversation, making her actions appear inconspicuous.
Hu Tao swiftly sent those screenshots to herself and, with meticulous care, removed the entire conversation and screenshots from Xiao's phone, including the recently deleted folder, leaving no indication for Xiao to discover her actions.
"Kk! Thanks!" Hu Tao handed Xiao's phone back to him. Xiao didn't pay much attention; after all, she didn't message Zhongli or anyone else, so what harm could it do? Perhaps she was just searching for something.
However, Ganyu appeared slightly suspicious, raising an eyebrow in confusion. The sudden request for Xiao's phone seemed out of the blue, prompting her to question Hu Tao's motives.
"It's uhm... late. Hu Tao and I are going to head back to our dorm. Will you be able to attend your classes tomorrow? Or would you like me to tell your professor you need to rest?" Ganyu asked, attempting to shift the conversation away from the earlier suspicious behavior she observed from Hu Tao.
"Probably," Xiao replied with casual indifference. The truth was, he likely needed to attend his classes, burdened by the numerous assignments their professor relentlessly doled out. "See you? Bye."
"Just bye?!?@?!? No thank you??? No GOOD bye???" Hu Tao exclaimed dramatically, earning an awkward chuckle from Ganyu as she gestured farewell to Xiao as she ushered Hu Tao out.
Despite her burning curiosity about Hu Tao's actions with Xiao's phone, Ganyu refrained from questioning her. The last thing she wanted was for Hu Tao to misconstrue her inquiries as a lack of trust.
Ganyu, succumbing to the exhaustion that lingered in her bones, collapsed onto her bed as soon as they returned to their dorm. Her typical bedtime is around 9 p.m. clashed with the late hour, a domain unfamiliar to her, unlike her night owl companion, Hu Tao, who could effortlessly navigate the wee hours of the morning. Ganyu's late-night ventures were typically reserved for urgent school tasks; otherwise, it was an early goodnight for her.
She made no effort to change out of her cardigan or remove the white ribbons Hu Tao had used to tie her hair into low pigtails. The matching aesthetic seemed to be a favorite for Hu Tao, evident not just in their synchronized hairstyles but also in their coordinated social media presence. From matching on their messenger app with Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Chongyun (#gayfuckers), to matching on TikTok with Lumine, and even on Twitter with Venti and Childe (forming a chaotic trio), the theme of matching extended to various aspects of her life.
She even had a matching lock screen with Yanfei, emphasizing her love for matching. It was a pleasant surprise at how she didn't nervously stumble, asking Yanfei if they wanted to match, considering Yanfei was her crush.
Xingqiu officially dubbed them "girlloser x girlboss," given the stark contrast in their academic pursuits. While Yanfei excelled as an excellent student with aspirations of becoming a lawyer someday, Hu Tao... is just going to be Hu Tao.
Hu Tao reclined on her bed, adopting a stomach-down position as she contemplated the decision to download the screenshots she had sent herself. A mix of uncertainty and determination colored her thoughts as she weighed the pros and cons of her decision. Xiao had entrusted her with his phone, but if he wasn't going to take action, someone had to. She weighed the pros and cons of her decision.
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Dms - Hu Tao, Albedo
@Hu Tao: Listen here, you absolute piece of shit.
@Albedo: I'm sorry?
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Oh, fuck, fuck, FUCK! Hu Tao couldn't believe she hit send without thinking twice. WHY DID HE SEE IT SO FAST??? What the FUCK was she doing??? Panic surged through her as she hastily crafted an excuse, realizing she didn't mean to send it yet. She was just pondering it, and she meant to hit backspace, NOT send!
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Dms - Hu Tao, Albedo
@Hu Tao: AHHH, I'M SO SORRY!! I MEANT TO SEND THAT TO SOMEONE ELSE
IM SO SORRY, PLEASE FORGIVE ME
@Albedo: It's okay, no worries.
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Wha- HUH? Did he just... buy into her "meant to send it to someone else" excuse? Hu Tao was utterly dumbfounded. How did Albedo fall for something as ridiculous as THAT? Not that she was complaining; she didn't have to come up with another cover story.
Crisis averted! Great job, Tao, you 'genius' sister!
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"I meant to send that to someone else, my ass," Albedo scoffed at Hu Tao's feeble excuse. Could she really come up with anything better? Honestly, he wasn't that surprised-a pathetic excuse from a pathetic adult who still pulls pranks as if they were 13 to cope with their own trauma and live the childhood they never experienced.
But what did this reveal? It likely suggested that the pitiful, pathetic man-child Xiao whined to Hu Tao, begging her to solve all his problems for him. Like the useless piece of shit he is, he can't do anything on his own, can he? Always finding a way to screw things up, he's so incompetent that it's almost pitiful. He can't handle any of his problems independently, choosing instead to rely on others to do all the shit for him.
A waste of oxygen, pathetic, worthless, and undeserving of any sympathy, really.
Just how pathetic do you honestly have to be to be so undeserving of life?
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However, gossip has always been Hu Tao's guilty pleasure. Having close friendships with Venti and Childe, she believed she could confide in them, right? I mean, they're friends, after all. Friends wouldn't go behind her back or do anything to harm her or Xiao, right? She could trust them with this, surely.
After all, isn't it 'normal' to share such things with friends? They had their fair share of secrets and discussions, so this would just be another interesting addition to their repertoire. At least, that's what Hu Tao hoped, as she considered confiding in Venti and Childe about Xiao's situation.
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hot losers (REAL NOT CLICKBAIT, ones a twink tho)
@Hu Tao: hey baes <33
wow, you all have been SOOO IA
@Childe: We don't touch grass, so there's not much to talk about, tbh
@Venti: OH WAIT, CHILDE ACTUALLY ALMOST GOT INTO A FIGHT W LUMINE
just BARELY
@Hu Tao: DANG, FR??? WHEN???
@Venti: LIKE IDFK, I FORGOT
I DONT REMEMBER
@Hu Tao: LIKE 2-4 DAYS AGO OR SMTH???
@Venti: YEAH
Wait how'd u know
@Hu Tao: HELP??? I WAS WITH LUMINE ON THAT DAY??????
HOW COME I DIDNT KNOW
@Childe: It was very early in the morning </3
@Hu Tao: OHHH, makes sense
ANYWAY, I HAVE SOMETHING TO SHARE W YOU TWO
@Venti: TELL US
@Hu Tao: maybe its better i show you <3
@Venti: As in sending the screenshots or...?
@Hu Tao: ACTUALLY, WAIT
nvm, not yet </3
@Hu Tao: Still thinking abt it
@Childe: not you building up the suspense
@Hu Tao: BURN
@Venti: BRO, I WAS SO INVESTED
@Hu Tao: CRY ABT IT