“Neo, let’s go on a date.”
The Fatui Harbinger codenamed [Damselette] drifted silently to Neo’s side like a wisp of smoke, softly inviting him.
“Please forgive me for refusing, Lady Columbina. I still have my own work to attend to, so I don’t have time to go on a date with you.”
Dressed in a military uniform, Neo stood with his hands behind his back and solemnly refused the girl named Columbina.
“What? Please…”
Columbina moved closer, grabbed one of Neo’s arms, and shook it while acting spoiled.
“No! Unless… you become my girlfriend.”
Neo pulled his arm back with a serious expression.
“Okay, as long as Neo is willing to go on a date with me, I’m willing to do anything~”
Columbina clasped her hands over her chest, then moved closer to Neo and slowly rose onto her tiptoes.
“Ehehe… huh?”
Just as Neo was grinning foolishly, something poked his face.
“You… honestly. How can you sleep so soundly in broad daylight? What were you dreaming about that made you smile so happily?”
Seeing Neo wake up from his deep sleep on the lounge chair, Hu Tao withdrew the finger she had been poking him with and asked curiously.
“Ahem, it’s nothing, nothing. I just fell asleep because I was troubled by not being able to find a job in Liyue these past few days.”
Neo quickly coughed lightly.
There was no way he could tell her what had happened in his dream.
Ever since he met Zhongli that day, Neo had temporarily settled down at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
But it wasn’t appropriate to keep eating and drinking for free at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, and the ten million Mora Tartaglia had given him would eventually run out anyway.
After all, ten million Mora in Teyvat looked like a lot, but in reality, it wasn’t all that much.
Even Paimon’s normal monthly food expenses cost the Traveler 300,000 Mora.
After thinking it over and over, Neo felt that aside from joining the Adventurers’ Guild, he didn’t seem particularly suited for any other job.
Because he couldn’t keep working for long.
Once the Traveler came to Liyue, no matter what job it was, it would have to take a back seat.
“Who looks for a job by lying at home without moving? You’re obviously just slacking off~”, As she spoke, Hu Tao cheerfully walked over and sat down at a nearby table.
“Can’t be helped. I really couldn’t find a job, so I could only stay at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor and sponge off you…”
Neo sighed helplessly, then took a sip of tea from the thermos he had been holding ever since lying down on the lounge chair.
During the entire process, his position on the chair hadn’t changed at all.
“Why, you little Neo, are you saying that the Director of this funeral parlor looks old?”
Hu Tao, who had just sat down, raised her eyebrows unhappily.
“I never said that. More importantly, Hu Tao, are you taking the day off today?”
“Hehe, as the Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, of course I can work whenever I want.”
Hu Tao proudly picked up the teapot containing the tea Neo had brewed and poured himself a cup with what remained inside.
Neo had already gotten used to using a thermos.
Since he didn’t want to get up to make tea while lying down, even though there was perfectly good tea ware available, he insisted on pouring the tea into his thermos and drinking it while lying down.
“Really…”
“Speaking of which, this tea is pretty good. Hu Tao, where did you buy it?”
Neo took the teapot from Hu Tao after she had poured herself a cup and planned to add some more hot water.
“Oh, this is the adepti tea the consultant keeps in his collection. I secretly took some to drink. You absolutely mustn’t tell anyone.”
Hearing Neo’s question, Hu Tao warily glanced around, then held one finger in front of her mouth and explained in a low voice.
“…”
Neo could only immediately shut his mouth, glance around guiltily, and nod repeatedly.
He had already brewed it several times over the past few days.
“Speaking of which, the Director came looking for you because there’s one more important thing I need to tell you…”
After drinking a cup of tea, Hu Tao finally explained to Neo.
She reached into her sleeve, took out a piece of paper, and spread it open.
Under Neo’s puzzled gaze, Hu Tao slapped the paper onto the table with a smack, then pushed it toward him.
“Neo, which do you choose, marrying the Director or giving the Director one hundred million Mora?”
She pushed the paper in front of Neo, a mischievous smile appearing on her face.
“Of course it’s one hundred million Mora!”
Neo’s eyes lit up, and he answered without hesitation.
He had been worrying about money, and now he could get one hundred million Mora for free.
He wouldn’t even need to work anymore.
“Did you hear what I said? I said give this Director one hundred million Mora.”
Seeing that Neo seemed not to have understood, Hu Tao raised her eyebrows and repeated it word by word.
“…?”
“Then may I ask this Director, which do you choose, marrying me or one hundred million Mora?”
Hearing Hu Tao’s words, Neo couldn’t help tilting his head before asking her in return.
“Hmm…”
“It should be one hundred million Mora, I suppose. At least that’s something tangible.”
Faced with Neo’s question, Hu Tao thought about it and still didn’t go against her conscience.
“Then there you go. Anyway, let me see what this is first. What made you suddenly ask me a question like that…”
Neo looked curiously at the piece of paper Hu Tao had pushed over.
Taking a closer look, it turned out to be a contract.
Neo immediately picked it up and read the contents, discovering that it was an IOU in the form of a contract.
It read…
[Borrower Peter borrows 100,000,300 Mora from the seventy-fifth Director of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Both parties agree on a maximum repayment period of fifteen years.]
[Before the debt is fully repaid, Peter’s son Neo will be lodged at the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor as collateral. If Peter fails to ■■■■ return, the debt shall be inherited along with the estate by his son Neo.]
[If the debt is not fully repaid before the final deadline, his son Neo shall, according to the contract, ■■■■ marry into the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor to offset 90,000,000 Mora in full.]
[Contract witness: ■■]
Some of the words on the contract had been deliberately covered up, but Neo could still understand its general contents.
This was the contract his biological father in this world had signed when he used Neo as collateral with the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
Neo had been placed in the care of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor at the age of four, and he was already eighteen this year, a year and a half older than Hu Tao.
Of the fifteen-year period stated in the contract, only about a year remained.
“…”
“Whoa… damn, so Hu Tao, you and I were betrothed as children!”
After reading the contents of the contract, Neo was silent for a moment before speaking with a shocked expression.
“Ew~ What betrothal? I’m gonna hit you. Besides, didn’t you choose one hundred million Mora? Are you going back on your word now?”
Hearing Neo’s words, Hu Tao drew back her neck in disgust, then clenched both fists at her waist and said to Neo.
“Fine. A gentleman’s word is his bond. It’s just that one hundred million Mora really is a bit difficult to come up with.”, As Neo spoke, he scratched his head and continued looking at the contract in his hand.
His gaze lingered on the name written on it for a long while before Neo folded it up and returned it to Hu Tao.
“But it doesn’t matter. I’ve already thought of a way to make money.”
“Don’t worry, Hu Tao. Before the final repayment deadline a year from now, I’ll definitely pay the Mora back.”, After thinking for a moment, Neo spoke to Hu Tao with a serious expression.
He didn’t think Hu Tao would forge a contract like this to deceive him, so he believed the contract was real.
However, he had already thought of a way to make money.
It was just that this method couldn’t be carried out in Liyue right now.
He would probably have to wait until the main storyline progressed to Inazuma.
It shouldn’t take more than a year.
After all, the Traveler had no reason to stay in Liyue for a whole year without going to the other nations.
This wasn’t a game where you had to wait for the next version update.
“…”
Seeing that Neo looked serious and didn’t seem to be joking, Hu Tao was slightly lost in thought for a moment.
Just then, a delivery worker’s voice suddenly came from outside.
“Hello, is this the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor? There’s a package with payment due on delivery. Please come out to sign for it and make the payment.”