With that, Fang Qiu exhaled softly and stepped forward, preparing to push the door open.
However, just as she was about to push the door, a faint, indistinct sound suddenly rang out from behind it.
Dry, hoarse.
It sounded a bit like those old radios from her past life; listening to the voice, it seemed to be a woman.
Hearing this voice, Fang Qiu felt the hair on her body stand on end, goosebumps rising all over.
"Eldest... sick... look, Third... brew... Fifth... died... carry."
Amidst the silence, the raspy, blurred voice echoed intermittently, and Fang Qiu's hands instantly felt ice-cold.
However, she remained calm.
According to the horror movies she had watched in her past life, at a time like this, you must absolutely never open the door to look.
Curiosity kills the cat.
Opening the door at this moment would likely reveal a pale, ghastly face.
Turning around and running was the only rational solution.
Just as Fang Qiu was about to turn and run, the door was suddenly shoved open.
The sudden turn of events gave Fang Qiu a fright; she instinctively stumbled back two steps. She had intended to launch an attack, but after retreating those two steps, she tripped over something unknown, her feet slipped, and she fell backward.
Stabilize her stance first, or launch an attack first?
Fang Qiu decisively chose the latter.
Just as a mist of ice instantly rose around Fang Qiu and she prepared to attack, her hand was suddenly grabbed by someone.
It's over!
Just as she was seized by panic, she saw Hu Tao's beautiful, worried face. The one holding her was none other than Hu Tao.
Seeing it was Hu Tao, she hurriedly suppressed her attack.
But at the same time, she completely lost the chance to adjust her balance.
And because Hu Tao had reached out unprepared, she tumbled toward the ground along with Fang Qiu.
To prevent Hu Tao from getting hurt, Fang Qiu hurriedly wrapped her arms around her, then fell heavily onto the floor.
...
Meanwhile, the female undertaker of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, who was standing at the entrance wondering why the door she had left ajar was now closed, heard the startled cry from inside and hurriedly ran all the way to the back of the hall.
As soon as she reached the hall, she saw her own Director lying between the legs of a white-haired woman, with her right knee pressed against... and her beautiful face buried in the white-haired woman's chest.
Their clothes were in disarray.
If not for the fact that the white-haired woman was currently knitting her delicate brows, clearly injured, she would have thought her Director and this white-haired woman before her had crossed the line into that kind of preference.
However, having said that, even though the white-haired woman was clearly injured, she bit her red lip tightly and did not cry out in pain.
"Fang Qiu, are you alright?"
Hu Tao climbed up from Fang Qiu's body and asked hurriedly.
"I'm fine."
Fang Qiu gently shook her head and, with Hu Tao's support, stood up from the ground.
Hearing Fang Qiu say she was fine, Hu Tao finally bent down to pick up the Director's hat that had fallen to the side and placed it firmly back on her head.
"What happened?"
The undertaker asked.
Thus, Hu Tao told the undertaker what had just happened.
It was only through Hu Tao's answer that she understood.
It turned out Hu Tao was in the room fiddling with a gramophone she had scrounged from the market. After recording a self-composed Hilitune, it wouldn't make a sound when played back, so she had given it a few knocks.
The result was that it only emitted broken, intermittent sounds.
Then, just as she was planning to find the shopkeeper for a refund, she happened to bump into Fang Qiu.
Fang Qiu also shared her own mental journey just now with Hu Tao and the female undertaker.
It turned out... the undertaker had merely gone to the restroom.
"Director, you should take Miss Fang Qiu upstairs to see if she's injured. I remember you should still have some bruise medicine in your room, right Director?"
The female undertaker thought for a moment and said.
"Mmh."
Hu Tao nodded, turned to look at Fang Qiu, and said, "Let's go, follow me upstairs."
"No need for the trouble, I'm fine."
Fang Qiu smiled, shook her head, and said.
"No way, what if it's a scrape and leaves a scar? That wouldn't look good."
Hu Tao immediately said.
Fang Qiu wanted to retort that she couldn't see it anyway, but seeing Hu Tao's expression that brooked no refusal, Fang Qiu could only sigh.
"Alright."
The structure of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor wasn't too complex; on the other side of the main hall was a wide staircase leading to the second floor.
Hu Tao's room was on the second floor, and it was very simple.
It contained just some furniture for daily use; like the hall on the first floor, the decor was very classical.
However, the lighting on the second floor was quite a bit better than on the first.
"Sit."
Hu Tao pointed to a chair nearby, then turned around and began rummaging through chests and cupboards looking for medicine.
"We haven't even confirmed there's an injury yet, have we?"
Fang Qiu said, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"This is called being prepared for a rainy day."
Hu Tao said, "If you're not hurt, I'll just put it back."
Just as Fang Qiu sat down, Hu Tao placed bottles large and small onto the table beside her.
"Do I need to take off my top?"
Fang Qiu asked.
"Mmh."
Hu Tao nodded.
Since she had already bathed with Hu Tao before, Fang Qiu didn't have much to be shy about.
However, while taking off her clothes, Fang Qiu indeed felt some pain in her back.
Soon, she had taken off her upper garment. After removing her clothes, Fang Qiu realized that the skin on her back had been scraped.
"Hu Tao, how is it? Is there a wound?"
Fang Qiu asked.
"Although there's no open wound, there are bruises. Fang Qiu, I'm sorry, I caused you to get hurt."
Looking at the two streaks of purple bruising on Fang Qiu's slender and snow-white back, Hu Tao couldn't help but purse her lips, her spirited eyes full of self-blame.
"I was the one trespassing in a private residence; I'm already thanking the heavens you didn't call the Millelith to arrest me."
Fang Qiu chuckled softly, "Then I'll have to trouble Director Hu to apply the medicine for me."
"Mmh."
Hu Tao nodded, turned to make a selection, took out the bruise medicine, applied the liquid to her own hands, and slowly raised her hands toward Fang Qiu's slender, snowy back.
Hu Tao felt very strange.
Even though she had bathed with Fang Qiu before, she didn't feel anything back then.
Yet for some reason, ever since being protected by Fang Qiu last time, she felt strange, her heart feeling stuffy.
Looking at Fang Qiu's fair skin, she only felt her heartbeat accelerating.
Although the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor was usually pleasantly cool, she felt her cheeks burning.
Not just her cheeks, but her whole body seemed to be slightly heating up.
"Hu Tao, what's wrong? No need to worry about being heavy-handed, I can handle it."
Fang Qiu smiled and said.
"Mmh."
Hu Tao's response made Fang Qiu panic for no reason.
Mmh?
What does "Mmh" mean?
She doesn't actually lack control over her strength, right?
Hu Tao is a girl who can smash a Hydro Slime to pieces with one strike of the Staff of Homa; can her own fragile back withstand a pinch from her without regard for severity?
Just as Fang Qiu's thoughts were running wild, Hu Tao's palm, moistened with the slightly cool liquid, was gently placed onto her back.
Feeling the temperature of Fang Qiu's body transmitted through her hand, Hu Tao's body couldn't help but tremble slightly.
After a momentary daze, Hu Tao gently exhaled and began to rub.
________________________________________
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