Zhongli looked up to see a mischievous "if you know, you know" smirk on Hu Tao's face. "And, consultant, you have no idea how detailed this book gets! Later on, they don't just watch lanterns and the moon. They soak in hot springs and bathe together, surrounded by mist... that scene, hehehe."
"There's also sharing a bed and being all intimate—oh my, it's so romantic and moving! And, and..." She lowered her voice, acting like she was telling a secret, but her voice was actually louder than before. "Those kinds of... those kinds of plots!! They're written so tantalizingly, so suggestive, it makes your heart race just looking at it! This author, Hanabi, is a master!"
"Cough, cough..." Zhongli seemed to choke on his tea. He cleared his throat, taking a sip to cover his reaction. Though his face remained as calm as ever, a hint of shock flashed through his Zhongli-colored eyes. "To think there would be such... exhaustive descriptions."
"More than that!" Hu Tao slapped her thigh. "This is just too satisfying!"
Clutching the book, she giggled. "This work is really good. The plot has its ups and downs, the emotions have layers—it's pure when it needs to be, and... cough, cough, it doesn't hold back when it needs to go deeper! This is too much fun! I have to go ask Ningguang if he really has an Alan under him, and if she's really this good at flirting!"
Zhongli was silent for a moment before gently placing his teacup back on the table with a crisp click. He looked at Hu Tao, who was still immersed in excitement, his expression somewhat complex.
"Director," he began slowly, his voice even deeper than usual. "The details of this book... are they truly as exhaustive as you say, far exceeding ordinary novels?"
Hu Tao shook her head proudly. "Of course! What book has the Director of WangSheng Funeral Parlor not seen? But this one is unique..."
"Precisely because of that," Zhongli interrupted her, a rare seriousness in his Zhongli-colored eyes. "I would suggest that the Director should avoid reading such materials."
Hu Tao blinked, her swinging leg coming to a halt. "Why? Such a wonderful book..."
Zhongli frowned slightly, as if weighing his words. "The plot of the book is certainly captivating. However, becoming too engrossed in it may affect one's character. Especially since the Director is still young and lacks worldly experience; if you solely pursue such... explicit descriptions, I fear it may disturb your mind and cause you to lose your true self."
He paused, and seeing Hu Tao opening her mouth to argue, he added, "Furthermore, the Director of WangSheng Funeral Parlor holds a special status. If outsiders were to learn that the Director spends all day studying such books, I fear it would affect the parlor's reputation."
Clutching the book, Hu Tao pouted. "consultant, you just don't get it! This is called drawing on a wide range of knowledge and studying the various aspects of the human world! The business of WangSheng Funeral Parlor needs to keep up with the times too..."
Zhongli shook his head gently. "For studying the human world, there are proper classics like the 'Customs of Liyue.' As for the 'conquest plans' recorded in this book..."
At this point, he paused, a hint of helplessness in his tone. "By universal rationality, true affection is found in sincerity, not in calculation."
Hu Tao blinked, then suddenly leaned in closer, smirking as she lowered her voice. "consultant, I think I understand now. You couldn't possibly be... embarrassed, could you?"
Zhongli's expression didn't change as he simply picked up his teacup and took another sip. "The Director is joking. I merely believe that a person as intelligent as the Director should understand that no matter how wonderful the plot of a book is, it is ultimately someone else's writing. The emotions of the real world are far more complex and unpredictable than those depicted in books."
"I don't care, consultant, you're definitely embarrassed!"
Zhongli did not answer directly. He simply took the book gently from Hu Tao's hands, closed it, elegantly brushed the cover, and then slowly placed it on the table.
"Director, I am going out for a while."
"Eh? Where are you going?" Hu Tao asked curiously.
Zhongli had already turned to walk out the door, his voice drifting back on the wind. "I suddenly remembered I have an appointment today. I shall return later."
Hu Tao watched Zhongli's departing figure, stunned for a moment before it suddenly clicked. She laughed so hard she rolled off the grand armchair, clutching her stomach on the floor. "Oh my! My good consultant! Are you blushing?!"
However, Zhongli did not go to an "appointment" as he had claimed.
Soon, when Zhongli's figure appeared in a private booth of the tea house he frequented, he had a book in his hand that was completely out of character for him.
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