Am I a rain woman? But this never happens when I'm out alone. Could Shenhe be a rain woman? No, that doesn't seem right either.
Could it be that we're both half-rain women, and together we form a complete one? Come to think of it, my name, "Qin Yu," sounds like "请雨" (Qǐng Yǔ)—"requesting rain"... Am I really a rain woman?
Lost in these absurd thoughts, Qin Yu hurried back to their rented room.
"You didn't get wet, did you?" Qin Yu asked.
"No."
"Good..."
Getting soaked could lead to a cold, even though Shenhe possessed extraordinary strength and a unique constitution. Who knew if she might "win" that particular prize?
If she caught a cold, Qin Yu would have to travel all the way to take care of her.
Besides, Shenhe's clothes, when soaked, would probably be... indescribable. Qin Yu's cheeks flushed slightly as she shook her head repeatedly, banishing the strange thoughts. She pulled out her key and unlocked the door.
"Come in."
After Shenhe entered, Qin Yu followed her inside. Closing the door muted the sound of the rain slightly. Qin Yu switched on all the lights in the living room and glanced out the window.
Wow, it's so dark already. It feels like the rain's only going to get heavier.
If it wants to rain, let it. I just hope it clears up soon. Otherwise, things will get even more complicated.
No, it's already a problem now. What should I do? I just ate, so I'm not hungry, and there's still some time before evening.
How to pass the time had already become a problem for Qin Yu.
Might as well ask Shenhe.
"Shenhe, are you hungry?"
"No."
That figures.
Why is it raining for no good reason? Qin Yu couldn't help but inwardly complain. There was nothing to do inside.
Ah, right! There's something I almost forgot.
Remembering the task she needed to do as soon as she returned to her rented room, Qin Yu retrieved her Machine Companion from her bag. After turning it on, she instructed it to record the day's housing usage data.
As previously mentioned, Qin Yu's rent payment relied entirely on her honesty. She had no intention of trying to cheat the system.
What needed to be paid, needed to be paid. Even with childhood friends, some things should be adhered to out of principle.
Besides, if Keqing found out later, she might be surprised and say:
"You actually kept such meticulous records of your usage? Impressive! I admire your dedication."
And her Points would increase as a result.
Perfect.
"What are you doing?" Shenhe asked curiously.
"Just recording some things. By the way, since you're not hungry, what should we do? It's raining outside, so we can't go out to play..." Qin Yu sought Shenhe's suggestion.
As soon as the words left her lips, Qin Yu suddenly recalled Shenhe's usual response to such questions. Surely it won't be that again, will it? She felt a sudden wave of unease.
But the question had already been asked.
"I don't know."
Shenhe gave an answer nearly as unhelpful as "meditate." Unexpected, yet entirely predictable.
If Qin Yu had been asked the same question by Shenhe, she wouldn't have had an answer either.
Surprisingly, being with Shenhe meant there was surprisingly little to do.
If it were Ningguang, she might be playing chess if she had no work to attend to. Yanfei would simply chat endlessly, always finding plenty to talk about and never getting bored. Keqing was similar—even just chatting would keep her entertained. Hu Tao... well, imagining her in this situation was beyond comprehension.
This wasn't to say that being alone with Shenhe was dull, leaving them at a loss for activities.
How best to put it?
"Precisely because doing nothing with Shenhe is perfectly comfortable," there was "nothing pressing to do"—this phrasing seemed to capture Qin Yu's feelings more accurately. She wouldn't have felt this way before.
Still, Qin Yu wanted to do something to pass the time.
Her gaze swept across the room, casually searching for inspiration, but found none.
"What should we do..." she murmured.
"Must we do something?" Shenhe asked, puzzled. "I think doing nothing is fine."
"Well, you have a point... Never mind, I'll go make some tea. Wait here for a moment."
Perhaps because of the rain, the temperature seemed to have dropped slightly. Qin Yu wanted something warm to drink, so she went to the kitchen to make tea.
Returning to the living room, she placed teacups in front of herself and Shenhe and poured steaming tea into them. Then, she sat beside Shenhe, cradling her cup to warm her hands.
Outside the window, it was pitch-black, the rain drumming relentlessly.
Inside, the lamps glowed warmly. Qin Yu took a sip of her tea, exhaling the warm steam, and thought to herself that this felt remarkably like starting an early retirement.
Retirement. The future. Her earlier conversation with Baiwen and the others resurfaced in her mind.
What will the future hold? Qin Yu mused absently, leaning back on the sofa and gazing dreamily at the rain-streaked window, letting time slip by.
Seeing Qin Yu deep in thought, Shenhe remained silent, not wanting to disturb her.
Moreover, she didn't feel any need to speak. Even without a single word, she felt perfectly content.
In fact, she found this stillness quite pleasant—peaceful and comfortable. The steam from the tea seemed to permeate the entire space, bathing even the lamplight in a warm glow. As Shenhe gradually immersed herself in this tranquil atmosphere, Qin Yu murmured:
"Ah, it's really pouring now."
The rain intensified significantly.
Qin Yu sighed inwardly. This is absolutely terrible... No, wait.
I can't give up yet. Maybe the heavier the rain, the sooner it will stop.
Come on, heavens, cry harder! Just let it all out and be done with it!Ah, no, that's too much. If the rain blasts the house away, that wouldn't be funny at all...
While these meaningless thoughts swirled in her mind, Qin Yu suddenly felt a pang of hunger.
She had eaten earlier, but considering dinner, she hadn't eaten much. It was perfectly normal to feel hungry now.
"Shenhe, are you hungry?" Qin Yu asked.
"A little," Shenhe replied.
Qin Yu smiled. "Then let's start making dumplings right away."
"Alright, I'll help."
"Hmm... Shenhe, do you know how to make dumplings?"
"No. I don't usually eat them."
Just as I thought.
"Then I'll make them myself. You just relax and wait!" Qin Yu said, determined to make perfect dumplings to impress Shenhe.
She already knew what Shenhe would say—something about them being "very warm." The thought dampened her enthusiasm slightly, but she still wanted to make them flawlessly.
But after a moment's hesitation, Shenhe shook her head firmly.
"I want to make them with you," she said with surprising resolve.
"Eh?"
Why are you so insistent on this? If someone offered to help me wrap dumplings, I'd be thrilled!
Qin Yu didn't quite understand Shenhe's thinking, but since she was so determined to help, she couldn't refuse.
"Okay, then, Shenhe, you can make the dumpling wrappers. Do you know how?"
"No. Please teach me," Shenhe replied.
Sensing the seriousness in her voice, Qin Yu wasn't sure how to respond. Why so serious? I have my reasons, but what about Shenhe's?
Oh well, at least her eagerness to learn is admirable. A promising student.
"Then come to the kitchen. I'll show you."
This was a perfect opportunity to farm Points! Qin Yu considered herself quite skilled at praising others.
"That's right, just like that! Shenhe, you're learning so quickly!"
"These are perfect!"
"Great job! You're doing great."
But Shenhe's reaction remained unchanged, showing no emotion.
No surprise there. She's not Yanfei, after all.
And the Evaluation didn't improve. It was still at "SS" level. To reach SSS... Would I have to do something even more daring?
After much deliberation, Qin Yu decided to give up for now.
This feels too dangerous. Better skip it. My instincts tell me that this SSS-level Evaluation is trouble... even if the Points would be substantial.
Qin Yu exhaled and picked up the kitchen knife.
"Time to make the filling. Ah, Shenhe, you don't need to help."
Shenhe nodded, then hesitated for a moment. "Can I watch from the side?"
"Of course you can."
Just watching... That feels a bit strange.
Aside from feeling awkward being stared at the whole time, why did Shenhe seem so unusually "clingy" today? Was that the right word? I don't know. It just feels... off.
Let's think this through carefully.
This morning, we set out for Shenhe's former residence.
There, I learned about her past.
Shenhe lost her mother at a young age, and her father went mad from grief. During her childhood, she lacked the family love she deserved and even faced a near-death experience.
Recalling Shenhe's earlier dream about us being family...
Could it be...?
Qin Yu shook her head violently, trying to dismiss the absurd possibility. But the more she considered it, the more logical and plausible it seemed, making denial impossible.
If that's true, this is terrible.
Shenhe has connected me with her mother! The mere thought of this made Qin Yu's knife-wielding hand tremble. She was probably breaking out in a cold sweat.
Ugh...
Qin Yu became increasingly restless and agitated.
What is this supposed to mean?! She had no intention of being anyone's mother, sister, or even younger sibling. In fact, she wanted nothing to do with family in any sense.
Qin Yu glanced at Shenhe.
She's still staring... and her gaze seems so gentle? Could it really be what I'm thinking?
Absolutely not! I refuse to be your mom!
"Shenhe," Qin Yu blurted out involuntarily.
"What is it?" Shenhe replied.
Qin Yu's gaze fell back to the cutting board. She paused, her tongue twisting around the words before finally managing to say, "W-we're friends, right?"
"Yes. Good friends. I know," Shenhe replied truthfully, though she didn't understand why Qin Yu had suddenly asked.
Really?
"Just making sure you understand..." Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.