"First hilichurl fell ill, second came to see~ Third bought the medicine, fourth brewed the tea~ Fifth hilichurl-whoa!!!"
Humming a little tune, Hu Tao strolled leisurely back to the shop. An officer she knew had referred two more clients to her today.
Just as she'd always said, the police really needed the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's support. Hu Tao felt increasingly certain that befriending the officers had been a wise decision.
Her sunny mood turned cloudy the moment she entered the lobby and saw the wind whistling through the ceiling.
"Zhongli, what happened here? What did you and Wade do in here while I was out?!"
The man sat upright in his chair, leisurely sipping his tea. There wasn't a trace of embarrassment or panic on his face.
Hu Tao demanded an explanation, but she didn't get the answer she wanted.
Zhongli casually raised his eyes to the girl at the door. "Nothing much. Mr. Wade and I merely sparred a little."
"Sparred?"
Hu Tao raised her eyebrows, eyeing Zhongli suspiciously.
"Yes."
Zhongli nodded and gently blew into his porcelain cup, clearing the froth from the surface of the tea.
"Since when did you two become such good friends while I was away that you could even spar together?"
Hu Tao was dubious, but Zhongli looked so matter-of-fact that he didn't seem to be lying.
"What did Wade do to upset you?"
To Hu Tao, Zhongli had the temperament of an old man. He spent his days listening to opera and drinking tea, good-natured and patient. Aside from being a little too free with his money, he was quite a gentleman.
Sometimes, when she got mischievous, no matter how far she took her jokes with Zhongli, he would only smile faintly or shake his head at her with tolerant resignation.
Normally,