"Ah, the esteemed Yuheng has graced us with her presence! My humble abode is truly honored," Hu Tao said with a grin, placing a cup of hot tea in front of Keqing, who was slightly out of breath.
"Please don't call me Yuheng. Just call me Keqing."
"Alright~ So, Miss Keqing, are you here to book our funeral services?"
"Hmph, I don't need that kind of service," Keqing snorted, dismissing Hu Tao's suggestion.
"Hehe, don't be so hasty. How about buying a package for your subordinates or assistants? With the workload you Yuheng stars demand, who knows when it might come in handy?" Hu Tao didn't give up, instead switching tactics to continue promoting her funeral packages.
Even though Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was no longer short on funds, Hu Tao couldn't shake her habit of pushing her services. As she put it, "Even a mosquito is a piece of meat."
"Thanks! No need!" Keqing replied through gritted teeth, her face darkening as she firmly rejected the offer.
"What a shame," Hu Tao shrugged, then a sly glint appeared in her beautiful plum-colored eyes.
"So, Miss Keqing, what brings you to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? Surely not just for a cup of tea?"
"Ahem, actually, I wanted to ask you about someone," Keqing cleared her throat, her expression slightly awkward.
"Go on," Hu Tao, who had never seen Keqing like this, was instantly intrigued.
"Yun Fan. The Yun Fan who stayed at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and left a year ago."
"Yun Fan?" Hu Tao seemed to catch a whiff of something unusual. "He's a distant relative of Zhongli. Why are you asking about him?"
"That's none of your business," Keqing replied bluntly, without hesitation.
"Fine, fine, if you don't want to say, I won't press. Since you're a friend of mine, I'll be generous and tell you," Hu Tao pretended to sigh helplessly. "You're in luck. Yun Fan returned to Liyue Harbor just a few days ago. But he went out with Zhongli this morning. If you have time, you can wait here for a bit."
"Hu Tao, want to join us for lunch outside? Little Griseo wants to eat fish," a voice called from outside Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. The familiar tone made Keqing pause, and she instinctively turned toward the sound.
"Well, what a coincidence! Look, isn't that Yun Fan?"
"Hu... uh," seeing that Hu Tao didn't respond, Yun Fan simply walked in. But when he saw Keqing talking to Hu Tao, he was also stunned.
Hmm... logically speaking, Keqing should be swamped with work right now. Why is she here? Did she come to collaborate with Hu Tao? Or...
"Yun Fan, this is Miss Keqing, the famous Yuheng. She came specifically to see you. Why don't you two chat?"
Keqing remained silent, standing still. In her mind, Yun Fan was slowly overlapping with the figure she remembered.
"Well... alright," Yun Fan didn't refuse. He had no reason to. "Then, Hu Tao, could you take Griseo to Wanmin Restaurant? Order whatever you want today it's on me."
"Hehe, I'll take you up on that," Hu Tao took Griseo's hand, smiled at Yun Fan, and then left.
Yun Fan and Keqing stood facing each other, neither speaking. The atmosphere in the parlor grew awkward.
"It's been a while, Keqing," Yun Fan finally broke the silence, carefully choosing his words. Since she had come to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor specifically looking for him, it meant she had likely figured everything out.
"Yes, it's been a while... Master," Keqing's words confirmed that the man before her was indeed her master, "Fan."
Keqing's feelings were complicated. Why had her master, who was so handsome, refused to show his true face back then? And when he left, he had promised to come find her when he returned to Liyue Harbor. Why hadn't he?
"Just call me Fan. I'm not used to being called 'Master,'" Yun Fan shook his head.
"Alright, Fan."
"If you have questions, ask them. Keeping them bottled up isn't good for you," Yun Fan said. He had been gone for a year, so she probably had a lot on her mind.
"Hu Tao said you returned to Liyue Harbor a few days ago. Why didn't you come find me? And... you're the Divine Sovereign, right? Why didn't you show your true face when you were teaching me?" Keqing clenched her fists, staring intently at Yun Fan.
"The time wasn't right. I planned to reveal myself during Liyue's great calamity. Meeting you now is an accident. As for why I didn't show my true face, I was injured during a spar with Morax and didn't want to scare you," Yun Fan made up an excuse on the spot. He had planned to reveal himself when Osial broke free, but who would have thought Keqing would track him down... Wait.
Yun Fan raised an eyebrow. How did she know he was the Divine Sovereign? Aside from the Fatui and the adepti, no one in Liyue knew. Eliminating the Fatui as an option, did the two birds and a deer tell Keqing?
"A great calamity? Liyue is facing a great calamity?!" Keqing immediately latched onto the keyword, ignoring Yun Fan's explanation.
"What kind of calamity?" Keqing stepped forward, grabbing Yun Fan's hand, her voice urgent.
"I can't say. The heavens' secrets must not be revealed," Yun Fan said mysteriously, refusing to answer.
"Not even for your disciple?" Keqing put on a pitiful expression, her eyes "filled with affection" as she looked at Yun Fan.
"No."
Keqing exhaled, clenched her fists, and looked up at Yun Fan's handsome face, which wore a faint smile.
"Master."
"Hmm?"
"You're such a jerk!"
"..."