"By 'past,' do you mean... where you used to live?" Qin Yu asked.
"Yes."
Then why not just say "my former home"?
And this invitation was so sudden.
Last time, she took me to meet her master. This time, she's taking me to see where she used to live... Come to think of it, I still don't know how Shenhe joined the Adeptus Sect.
After a moment of silence, Shenhe added, "I really hope you'll agree."
Agree? Qin Yu felt a flicker of unease. It wasn't that she feared any danger from going with Shenhe.
It wasn't that she feared danger; rather, she sensed that this trip would irrevocably alter something.
Looking back, Shenhe had always done this kind of thing: disrupting Qin Yu's routine, forcefully intruding into her "territory," and, with an impassive yet earnest demeanor, utterly confusing her thoughts without the slightest awareness.
She was an utterly unreasonable woman.
But this time felt different. Qin Yu's intuition told her so.
"Why do you want me to go there?" Qin Yu asked softly.
If there wasn't a compelling reason, she wouldn't go.
"...Because it's very important to me," Shenhe replied.
"How important?" Qin Yu pressed.
"It concerns my entire life."
Whoa, that's heavy, Qin Yu thought.
The last time Shenhe had said something like that, the result had been... Qin Yu recalled the "gift" Shenhe had once prepared for her. While she felt a pang of nostalgia, the unease in her heart only grew stronger.
Still, if it was such a crucial matter, she had no choice but to accept.
"Then I'll agree!" Qin Yu forced a smile.
Hearing Qin Yu's decision, Shenhe felt relieved.
After all, it was a sudden and presumptuous invitation. Even someone as kind-hearted as Qin Yu might have felt troubled by it.
"Thank you, I'm really happy."
If you're not happy, I'll be angry, Qin Yu thought, secretly pouting.
The moment she agreed, Qin Yu felt like she had crossed a point of no return.
To avoid regretting her decision, she asked, "By the way, where is it? Is it far?"
"Not too far. I'm not sure of its exact location on the map, but I know the way. We should be able to go and return within a day."
It's that close?
That's actually a good thing. If it were further and required a day or two, we'd need a long holiday to make it work.
"Then I'll rely on you to lead the way, Shenhe," Qin Yu said with a smile.
"Alright. What time shall we go the day after tomorrow?"
"Let's go in the morning."
"Understood. I'll come find you then," Shenhe replied.
Wait, I won't be sleeping at my rental apartment by then!
Qin Yu quickly reminded her, "Just come to Yujing Terrace, Shenhe! You remember where Yujing Terrace is, right?"
"I remember."
"Good."
I'll have to wake up early, even though it's supposed to be a rest day... Qin Yu sighed inwardly.
"It's getting late. You should go back and get some rest," Shenhe said with concern.
Indeed, she was so exhausted that she could probably fall asleep within ten seconds of hitting the bed. But part of that exhaustion stemmed from Shenhe's sudden invitation.
Qin Yu felt uneasy again.
What will happen next?
Yet, as always, she kept these unspoken emotions hidden beneath a composed smile, nodding to accept Shenhe's concern.
Qin Yu clasped Shenhe's hands, smiling gently. "You should get some rest too. Good night!"
A tightness settled in Shenhe's chest, a feeling she recognized as reluctance to part.
If we lived together, this heavy feeling wouldn't linger.
Strangely, beneath the gloom, a different emotion bloomed—the realization of Qin Yu's place in her heart.
Experiencing this feeling is something my former self couldn't have imagined, Shenhe thought.
"How strange," Shenhe murmured involuntarily.
Huh? What's strange?
"Qin Yu."
"Hmm?"
"...Good night. Sweet dreams."
Why does it feel like she's so reluctant to part? It's not like we won't see each other again.
Qin Yu smiled. "See you later."
Gently waving, Qin Yu watched Shenhe leave. Shenhe glanced back once, hesitated, then awkwardly waved goodbye in return.
Only when Shenhe's figure vanished completely did Qin Yu exhale in relief.
The matter of cohabitation had been temporarily put aside, but as long as Shenhe harbored the thought, Qin Yu felt utterly at a loss.
Ningguang always called Qin Yu pure, but Qin Yu believed that Shenhe was the truly pure one.
This had little to do with common sense. From beginning to end, Shenhe had simply followed her own feelings, pouring her heart and soul into the relationship she cherished.
It's like she only has eyes for me... Qin Yu thought, her cheeks flushing crimson before she immediately recoiled from the thought as disgustingly conceited.
Yet she couldn't deny that Shenhe's affection for her was overwhelmingly heavy.
Heavy precisely because it was pure.
So heavy that it threatened to crush the persona Qin Yu had carefully crafted—the mask she wore.
Of course, she could simply put a stop to it.
A simple "I don't like this" would suffice. Shenhe would never do anything Qin Yu disliked and would surely obey.
But Shenhe had done nothing wrong. Qin Yu couldn't bring herself to say such a thing.
Nor could she forgive herself for uttering such words—it would be unforgivable.
She had told Shenhe from the start: do whatever you want. This persona was created for her, after all, designed to never elicit her displeasure.
It will only leave Shenhe with beautiful memories.
And... I don't want to be hated.
"Let's go back."
Qin Yu took a gentle breath; the night air was slightly cool.
Returning to the Jade Chamber alone, she showered, brushed her teeth, and changed into her pajamas before lying in bed, her thoughts scattering endlessly.
Is Shenhe already asleep?
If we lived together, I could check... Wait, what am I even thinking? Let's think about something else. Like, if we were living together, Shenhe would definitely wake up early—I told myself to stop thinking about this!
Ugh, I can't stand this.
It's all Shenhe's fault for saying such nonsense. I can't think about this anymore. What if I dream about Shenhe?
Just go to sleep.
And so, the night passed.
"Wake up, sleepyhead! Wake up, sleepyhead..." The Machine Companion played the alarm Qin Yu had recorded herself.
"Time to wake up, Qin Yu~" Baishi knocked on the door.
So noisy.
Qin Yu sat up, her face a mask of listlessness.
She had dreamed about Shenhe last night. Though she couldn't remember the details, the dream had felt... quite pleasant? Of course, it wasn't anything explicit.
I'm not that kind of woman.
"I really want dumplings..." Qin Yu mumbled.
Dumplings? The word triggered her memory, and hazy scenes from her dream floated back into her mind.
In the dream, Shenhe asked, "Do I put this on the wrapper?"
"Mm-hmm! Just put the explosives on top and we're done!"
...Explosives?
Wait, what kind of dumplings are these?! In my dream, Shenhe and I were making dumplings with explosives?!
What an absurd dream! But there's no helping it.
After all, it was just a dream.