"I see. You came to visit me to deliver something, but then night fell before you could leave, forcing you to stay here."
"Exactly!" Qin Yu said awkwardly.
It wasn't entirely a lie; only two out of four statements were true - "I came to deliver something" and "I had to stay."
She arrived just before noon, and it was barely past noon when she got here. After waiting here for several hours, she still couldn't bring herself to say those words.
Waiting a little longer is considered virtuous, but waiting this long might make people think there's something wrong with you.
"Overbearing woman" - she'd heard this term in her previous life. It described someone who gives others a sense of heaviness. She definitely didn't want to become that kind of woman.
An overbearing woman only makes people respect her from a distance. Instead, she wanted to be a "light woman."
Not a flirtatious woman, but the opposite of an overbearing one - someone who gives others a sense of ease. Only by maintaining a comfortable distance can you keep the proper space for affectionate touches.
Showing your serious side only makes people feel burdened.
Expecting others to accept your serious side? Keep dreaming. Don't they have their own lives? Their polite attitude and basic concern are just courtesy. If you overdo it, hm...
Less emotional entanglement, more affectionate touches - that's the right path!
So no matter what, Qin Yu would always choose the most effortless approach to conversation.
"Then this man and another woman came here and attacked you. To defend yourself, you counterattacked and defeated them," Shenhe said.
"Yes... Actually, I didn't want to do it, but..."
They died well.
Qin Yu paused before continuing, "But if I hadn't, I would've died."
That much was true. They had looked like desperate fugitives; to cover their tracks, they might well have killed her. Of course, Qin Yu had been the one to attack first.
But no one knew the truth anyway, and those who did were long dead.
This explanation should work, she thought. Logically sound, emotionally perfect. Kill them or die herself.
Yet Shenhe only replied with a flat, "Mm."
...That's it?
"As long as you're unharmed, I don't care about the rest."
Heat flooded Qin Yu's face. This woman... After all that effort to explain, was that really what she thought? And not a single objection! Absolutely incomprehensible.
And that "As long as you're unharmed, I don't care about the rest"? How could she say something so shameless with a straight face? No embarrassment at all?
Qin Yu twirled a strand of hair. "So... that's how it was? You really don't mind?"
"No."
"But I made such a mess of your room..." Qin Yu said awkwardly.
Her nonchalance only made Qin Yu feel more guilty.
"It's fine. I'll clean up later. What do you want to do? If you're going back, I'll take you; or would you like to stay here tonight? I'll wake you tomorrow."
"Take me home!"
Staying here would mean risking someone seeing her sleep face - absolutely not. Besides, Qin Yu wasn't confident she could maintain her act all day. Any slip-up could be disastrous.
Shenhe nodded. "Alright, shall we leave now?"
"Ah, no. Let me help clean up first. I did make the mess after all." Qin Yu scratched her cheek.
Wait, they were cleaning up corpses! How could this conversation sound so normal?
After a while, the cleanup was complete. Shenhe even retrieved a dusty lamp.
Lamps could gather dust? Qin Yu couldn't help asking, "Um, don't you use this lamp at night?"
"At this hour, I'm already asleep. No need for it."
So early! Even earlier than children's bedtime!
"Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise," Shenhe added.
There was no way to refute that.
Qin Yu planned to deliver the Mora-filled chest to the Millelith along her route. She'd simply leave the corpse to guide them to the location for confirmation.
"Oh, Qin Yu, what's this?" Shenhe had noticed the lunch box on the table earlier but only now asked about it.
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat. Forcing a smile, she said, "Ah... that's the thing—"
"'To Shenhe: This is my specially prepared dish...' For me?" Shenhe had somehow picked up the note pressed beneath the box.
Wah, this woman actually read it out loud!
"Ah ha ha, yes, it's for you. Didn't I say earlier that I came to deliver something? This is it!"
"The box?"
Why would she think that? Is the box the dish? Qin Yu mentally complained, her face showing confusion. "The box isn't the dish, is it?"
"...This is a joke."
It's a joke... Should I laugh now?
Shenhe's face remained impassive. "Master told me that to have a pleasant conversation, occasionally telling a joke is acceptable. Jokes can ease tense atmospheres, but judging by your reaction, what I said probably doesn't count as a good one."
It was indeed terrible.
But she couldn't say that directly.
Qin Yu smiled. "That's not true at all! Your thoughtfulness makes me happy, so you should tell more jokes in the future. Practice makes perfect—let me think. How about I set a goal for you: to make me laugh?"
Shenhe murmured, "A goal, perhaps that's not bad."
Then she nodded.
"I understand. I won't disappoint your expectations. My goal is to become a master."
No, no one expected you to become a joke master.
Shenhe glanced at the lunch box. "Can I open it?"
"Please!"
Shenhe carefully opened the box and blinked. Both the quantity and presentation exceeded her expectations. Even cold, it looked quite appetizing.
"The first layer is vegetables, the second layer is rice. But it's already cold. If you want to eat now, I can heat it up for you. Food is best eaten hot, you know."
"Can you?"
"Of course. Just a moment. Do you have a pot?"
"I do. Someone I saved before forced it on me, but I've never used it."
Is that even possible?
Shenhe found the pot. Thankfully, it was only dusty and hadn't rusted. However, this room had no stove or cooking facilities, so they'd have to make a rough campfire outside.
After washing the pot, Qin Yu used her upgraded strength to steady it.
"You've grown stronger since before," Shenhe said.
"That's all thanks to you, Shenhe," Qin Yu said honestly. Without Shenhe, she wouldn't have been able to use points to enhance herself.
"Me? In my memory, I didn't do anything. Could it be from meditation... Ah, I see. We should meditate more often from now on. After all, you seem to have aptitude for cultivation."
Ha? Again? More hours of motionless meditation? No way.
Qin Yu forced a smile. "N-next time, I swear!"
First, she heated the rice, then the dishes. It was a shame the flavors wouldn't be as perfect as they could have been—she couldn't possibly serve Shenhe the most exquisite meal. What a regret.
No, not really a regret... Qin Yu muttered to herself, warming the soup as well.
Wiping the sweat from her forehead, she poured the soup into the bowl she'd brought, placed it on the table, and sat across from Shenhe, watching her with barely contained excitement.
"What is it?" Shenhe asked, puzzled by the intense stare.
There was also a subtle emotion... though she couldn't quite identify what it was.
"Nothing! Just eat already!"
If it's good, I'll forgive you. Though the thought crossed her mind, Qin Yu couldn't help but feel uneasy knowing the dishes had been reheated and weren't as perfect as they could have been.
If it's bad... well, that's fine too.
Shenhe picked up her chopsticks, grabbed a piece of food, and put it in her mouth. Qin Yu watched, biting her lip and unconsciously holding her breath.
After taking a single bite, Shenhe paused.
Why did she stop?
"For me, my cultivation is still incomplete. Human food should only be tasted briefly - understanding its essence is enough. This way, it won't interfere with my cultivation. After all, lingering on such tastes is a form of distraction..."
I see.
It made sense. She was a cultivator after all, destined for asceticism. Food too delicious might indeed burden her path.
She had mentioned all her meals were medicinal herbs. Yet I'd gone ahead and prepared these dishes without thinking.
Shenhe must be in a dilemma now. Food prepared by a friend - neither eating nor refusing it would be proper. Truly a difficult situation.
What a fool I've been, Qin Yu thought, self-deprecating.
Well, let's look on the bright side. This is just a learning experience. I'll just avoid doing this again! I can't make her feel awkward or annoyed. Otherwise, who else would I turn to?
Hu Tao... Though that might be another option.
"Is that so? If you don't mind, let me have some too. I'm actually quite hungry."
Then I'll just eat it all. When asked, I'll just say "Eh heh, I accidentally ate too much~" and get away with it.
A smile always gets you through. That's how life works, no matter the situation.
Shenhe pondered for a moment. "In that case... I understand. Let's split it evenly."
"Huh? Split it?"
"Yes. Normally, savoring good food could hinder cultivation. But if I don't properly enjoy a meal prepared by a friend, I'd fail in my duty as a companion."
Hmph... Just a duty, huh?
Whatever. There are no real rules like "This is what friends must do" or "This defines true friendship."
No rules? No obligations.
And does my cooking only serve as some mandatory duty to you...? Ah, that's almost laughable.
Qin Yu smiled. "Alright then, thank you!"
Of course, even if I'm seething with dissatisfaction and don't want to say another word, I still have to respond with a smile. Thinking about it, I'm quite impressive! I'll surely achieve great things someday.
Shenhe sensed something off about Qin Yu's reaction. "What's wrong?"
"Hm?"
"You seem... um... your response feels a bit off."
You're criticizing my acting skills? Ha! What high standards.
"No, I'm very glad you could say that, Shenhe. Thinking about what one should do for a friend—this proves you cherish our friendship, doesn't it? So I'm very happy!"
A perfect answer.
Don't even think about questioning my acting.
Come to think of it, why should I be angry about this?
Shenhe is a mountain forest lady. Isn't it obvious that someone lacking common sense would have realized this long ago? At the end of the day, I was just being willful, feeling upset for no reason. It's me who's truly beyond remedy.
Forget it. It's too childish, Qin Yu thought.
"It's very delicious," Shenhe said.
What could I possibly say now?
"Here, half of it is for you."
I don't want to eat it at all.
"Although if I eat too much, I might still end up craving it later."
Then I won't eat it.
"For some reason, your cooking makes me feel warm."
Qin Yu's gaze involuntarily returned to Shenhe's face.
"This probably won't become a distraction in my cultivation, but how should I describe it? A different kind of wonderful feeling has come over me. I still don't quite understand. But if I put it into words, it would be— I want to keep eating this kind of food. I hope this won't be troublesome for you."
Qin Yu lowered her head. "It... it's not troublesome."
"If there's any difficulty, I can come to help."
"Wouldn't that be... very troublesome?"
Shenhe lowered her head slightly. "It's not troublesome at all."
"Ah... um..."
"I'm sorry," Shenhe added. "I'm not good at expressing myself."
I can tell.
What's going on? Is this woman toying with my emotions? Ha! First she says it's not proper, making me worry unnecessarily, then she says it's fine since it's me.
And that warm feeling—couldn't that just be from the food being hot?
Still, I want to keep eating. No problem there. As long as you're happy, the points will come. One meal could earn me a whole batch of points—couldn't get better than that.
But... tsk, this woman is truly inscrutable.
Shenhe blinked, her eyes taking in Qin Yu's image. For some reason, Qin Yu was twirling a strand of hair, a faint smile playing on her lips.
She seemed completely unaware of it.
The smile was natural, yet carried an enchanting quality. Just looking at it made one want to reach out and gently stroke her cheek—a truly endearing sight.
[Evaluation: A]