"It's... it's fine."
The boy who used to bully her suddenly apologized, leaving Hu Tao flustered and unsure how to respond.
Panicking, she thought about running away—but then remembered what Elliot had told her: never be rude to guests. Her small feet froze, then stepped back.
Lost and unsure, Hu Tao's gaze fell on the mung bean cake in her hands. Hugging it tightly, she carefully ran over to a stone table, placed it down, and slowly opened the lid.
A rich aroma of mung beans wafted out, and the cake inside was topped with snow-like shredded coconut—it looked absolutely delicious.
"Go on, try it! My mom made it. It's really good!"
Ethan Chen had come over at some point. Seeing the stars in Hu Tao's eyes, he urged her to taste it.
Hu Tao glanced at him, then at the cake. She picked up a piece and slid the box toward Ethan Chen.
Ethan Chen blinked, puzzled by her action.
Seeing his blank expression, Hu Tao turned her head away with a proud little huff and explained, "Grandpa said good things should be shared with friends."
Ethan Chen's eyes widened. He lit up and exclaimed excitedly, "Wait—did you just say friends? Are we friends now?!"
"Hmph. That's only because Grandpa says, 'Admitting mistakes and changing is the greatest virtue.' So I've decided to forgive you." Blushing slightly, Hu Tao took a bite of the cake to cover her embarrassment.
"Mmh! Your grandpa is so wise! I get it now. From now on, we're friends!"
Ethan Chen grinned and picked up a piece of cake himself.
"So good!!" Hu Tao's eyes went wide in shock.
The delicate appearance didn't do justice to its amazing taste.
"Hehe, right?" Ethan Chen smugly rubbed his nose.
But just as he reached for another piece, Hu Tao suddenly snatched the box back and swiftly closed it up.
Ethan Chen: "?"
"Hu Tao... what are you doing?"
"It's so good, of course I have to save it for Grandpa," she said seriously, carefully restoring the box to its original state.
Ethan Chen awkwardly pulled his hand back and asked curiously, "Why do you talk about your Grandpa so much?"
"Because Grandpa is the most handsome, gentle, and amazing person in the world," Hu Tao answered without hesitation.
Ethan Chen paused, a little surprised by her answer.
Resting his chin in his hand, he pretended to think deeply, then said, "Now that you say it... that might really be true."
"Might be? Grandpa is!" Hu Tao crossed her arms proudly.
"Hey," Ethan Chen suddenly spoke again.
"Mm?" Hu Tao tilted her head in confusion.
"Actually... we bullied you because we wanted to play with you. But you were always alone and never paid attention to us, so we said those things... I'm really sorry. I apologize on everyone's behalf."
He bowed slightly, looking truly remorseful.
Hu Tao's eyes widened in disbelief.
"You guys... just wanted to play with me?"
"Yes. We're really sorry..."
Ethan Chen remained bowed at a full ninety degrees.
"I'm sorry too."
Hu Tao bowed back at the same angle.
Startled, Ethan Chen looked up—just in time to meet her gaze.
Hu Tao smiled softly. "Then we're even. From now on, we're friends."
"Mm!!" Ethan Chen straightened up, beaming.
"Then I'm gonna be your group leader, and I'll teach you how to write doggerel poetry!" Hu Tao announced cheerfully.
"Doggerel poetry? What's that?" Ethan Chen looked confused.
"Hehe, you don't know? Come on, I'll teach you."
With that, Hu Tao ran out of Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Wait for me!" Ethan Chen chased after her.
...
They soon arrived outside a restaurant.
"See those two guys drinking in there?" Hu Tao pointed inside.
"Yeah."
"Red hands, yellow wine, two orioles singing in the green willows."
Hu Tao mimicked Elliot's tone and cadence, reciting the poem with flair.
Ethan Chen wore the same expression Hu Tao had when she first heard it—his face a giant question mark.
"Doggerel poetry is all about improvising. You create it from your heart and speak it freely," she explained, striking a teacher-like pose.
"Whoa, that sounds awesome! I wanna learn!" Ethan Chen was instantly hooked by her energy.
"My Grandpa taught me. If you want to learn more, you'll have to wait until he teaches me, and then I'll teach you."
"Deal! It's a promise!"
...
From then on, Liyue gained a few self-proclaimed doggerel poetry experts.
Every night, a group of kids would hop and skip through the streets of Liyue, chanting their quirky rhymes in sing-song voices.
And leading the charge, of course, was Hu Tao, the rhymester.
Every time she learned new phrases, she'd hold lessons for her friends, proudly teaching them like a real teacher.
Her friends would nod along eagerly.
"People say doggerel has no substance—ha! What do they know!"
"Fairy Chang'e leans out of her tower, drawing endless gazes from below."
"Snow-white rabbits frolic in the sky, silver toads swim in the lake."
"Who cares if it makes sense or not—I'll be the First Emperor of Doggerel!"
The once gloomy and quiet Hu Tao had become cheerful and lively thanks to Elliot's unique poetic teachings. She turned into a mischievous little girl who even started calling herself the "Dark Alley Poet."
Every evening, the streets of Liyue buzzed with joy thanks to their antics...
Until about a week later, when Hu Tao saw her first funeral.
That day, Ethan Chen looked particularly downcast—the person being buried was his grandmother.
Seeing how sad he was, Hu Tao wanted to say something, but a staff member at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor stopped her.
It wasn't until she witnessed the entire funeral process that Elliot quietly came to her side.
"Grandpa... what does 'death' mean?"
"It means reincarnation."
"What's reincarnation?"
"It means that in the next life, I'll still be your grandpa, and you'll still be my granddaughter."
"Then... does that mean Ethan Chen's grandma went to find his grandpa, gave birth to his dad, and then his dad found his mom and gave birth to Ethan Chen?"
"Little Tao, you're so smart. You got it right away."
"Then... if it's such a beautiful thing, why are they all so sad?"
"Because reincarnation also means they'll never see each other again in this life. To meet again, they'll have to wait a very, very long time."
"Oh..." Hu Tao responded, half-understanding.
"Then... will Grandpa die too?" she suddenly asked.
"Yes. Everyone dies." Elliot smiled gently.
"But I don't want Grandpa to die... I don't want to lose you..."
"There, there. Grandpa's not going anywhere anytime soon." Elliot stroked her head softly, his voice warm and reassuring.