She had never truly considered Qiqi's thoughts. To her, the little zombie was merely a suffering soul in need of deliverance—someone she intended to release, not someone with her own desires worth acknowledging.
"You're right. I was too hasty."
She didn't know how Qiqi became a zombie, nor had she ever tried to understand why the girl clung so desperately to life. She knew nothing of her past, her experiences…
But she knew one thing: this couldn't continue.
Before, she could ignore what she had never seen. If she didn't understand, she wouldn't care.
But now that she had witnessed Qiqi's condition firsthand, felt her unwavering will to live—how could she pretend nothing had happened? How could she go back to how things were?
"Don't worry. I won't send you to the afterlife now."
She crouched down, putting on what she thought was a warm and friendly smile—only for Qiqi to recoil in fear, shrinking behind Jiang Bai.
Her expression darkened as she shot a glare at Jiang Bai.
I should have been the one to rescue her earlier! she fumed. If I had, she'd be clinging to my leg instead!
Jiang Bai wanted to retort, Director, do you have any idea how much of a psychological shadow you've cast over her?
But considering his own safety, he wisely kept his mouth shut.
Instead, he crouched down and gently reassured the terrified Qiqi as if coaxing a small animal. "Don't be scared, don't be scared. If she says she won't send you off just yet, she really won't."
"R-Really?" Qiqi stared at him blankly.
Her voice was slow, dazed—even the way she spoke carried a kind of sluggishness.
Few people ever crouched down to speak to her. Without fail, adults always looked down at her from above, forcing her to tilt her head back to see their towering faces.
This small act—meeting her at eye level—gave her a rare sense of respect and safety.
"It's true! I promise!" Hu Tao raised a hand, as if ready to swear an oath to the heavens.
Qiqi was still wary of her, but after glancing between Jiang Bai and Hu Tao, she reluctantly gave a small nod.
"How long have you been here, Qiqi?" Jiang Bai asked.
"Qiqi… forgot. Qiqi came to gather herbs… then got stuck."
Jiang Bai glanced at the bamboo basket on her back. The herbs inside were already curling at the edges, their uppermost leaves dried and brittle.
It seemed she had been out for quite some time.
"Director, what should we do? Send her back?"
He could only teleport himself—he couldn't take others with him.
Hu Tao hesitated.
If they took her back, it would delay their journey. But if they left her here, who knew if she'd get stuck again?
Right now, the only option was to bring her along.
"Let's take her with us for now. Once we're back, I'll have a serious talk with Baizhu. If he's not taking proper care of her, we'll bring her back to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor!"
Because of Qiqi's childlike appearance, they instinctively treated her as a child.
They weren't familiar with the situation at Bubu Pharmacy, and Baizhu had been taking care of Qiqi for a long time. They couldn't just take her away on impulse.
Besides, given Qiqi's deep fear of death, she probably wouldn't like Wangsheng Funeral Parlor at all.
Qiqi remained silent, only tightening her grip on Jiang Bai's sleeve.
Even though the decision had been made, Jiang Bai still wanted to ask for her opinion. "We're heading to Huaguang Forest to look for something. What about you? Do you want to come with us?"
"Qiqi will come. Qiqi wants to gather herbs."
Perhaps because her vocal cords had degraded after becoming a corpse, she spoke very slowly. Fortunately, both of them had the patience to wait as she carefully finished her sentence.
"Did Baizhu send you out to gather herbs?" Hu Tao puffed out her cheeks, fists clenching.
"No. Qiqi wanted to gather herbs herself." Qiqi was someone who remembered kindness. Even though she disliked Hu Tao, she didn't want anyone speaking ill of the person who had taken her in.
"Qiqi is bad at everything… Qiqi only knows how to gather herbs."
Even though Mister Bai had taken her in, she didn't want to do nothing. She wanted to contribute in whatever way she could. That way, she could feel… alive. That she had value.
After hearing her answer, Jiang Bai and Hu Tao exchanged glances.
Hu Tao sighed. "Why do you want to live so badly? Life is so exhausting…"
Qiqi frantically shook her head, staring at Hu Tao with a mix of fear and determination. "Qiqi wants to live. Qiqi doesn't want to die. Living is not exhausting."
Her resolve was so firm that even the hardest of hearts would soften.
And Hu Tao, despite her usual attitude, was no exception.
At the very least, they needed to learn more about her past before making any decisions.
With that thought in mind, Hu Tao's voice gentled. "Do you remember how you became a zombie?"
Qiqi reached into her pouch and pulled out a small notebook.
She flipped through it from front to back, then shook her head in confusion. "Forgot… not written in notes."
"Qiqi only knows… Qiqi was sealed in amber. Escaped. Met Mister Bai."
Jiang Bai curiously leaned over to look at her notebook.
The handwriting inside was neat, the pages densely packed with text.
Clearly, her memory was so poor that she had to write down everything important, ensuring she wouldn't forget.
"You write everything in here?"
"Mm. In book. Read every day… won't forget."
"Can I take a look?"
"Mm." Qiqi handed it to him without hesitation.
She liked this warm person.
Jiang Bai flipped through the pages, with Hu Tao peering over his shoulder.
There wasn't much recorded inside—most of it was related to herbs.
Descriptions of medicinal plants, harvesting methods, preparation techniques…
Detailed illustrations accompanied the entries, making it easier to recognize the herbs.
Beyond that, the first few pages contained some simple stretching exercises, a few commands, and various reminders.
As for her origins…
There were only a few brief lines mentioning how she had broken free from the amber that trapped her, wandered into the mountains, and was eventually taken in by Baizhu.
"This isn't much information, but at least it's something."
Hu Tao tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If she was sealed in amber… then that must've been at Mt. Hulao."
Liyue's only large amber deposits were found there—nowhere else.
"There should be clues in that area. And since it's already one of our destinations, we can ask Mountain Shaper about it while we're there. He should know something."
Since Qiqi had been given an Adeptus name, the other Adepti likely knew about her.
If they could consult one, they might finally uncover the truth of her past.
Qiqi didn't particularly care about her past.
For her, forgetting painful things was a blessing.
If she couldn't remember, then she wouldn't feel sad.
But she also didn't object to Jiang Bai and Hu Tao investigating her origins.
If it meant that this annoying, overly enthusiastic woman would finally give up on sending her off to the afterlife…
Then that would truly be for the best.
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T/N: Qiqi is so cuteee!