Great, problem solved! Qin Yu desperately wanted to say those words. For a fleeting moment, when Shenhe agreed, she did feel a flicker of relief. But alas, this was far from the end of their troubles.
The real challenges lay ahead.
First, there was the matter of where Shenhe would sleep.
Qin Yu's rented apartment had only one bedroom, and naturally, only one bed. Since Shenhe was staying overnight, she had to carefully consider her sleeping arrangements.
Sharing the bed? Absolutely not! That's not an option.
But with only one bed, someone would have to sleep on the floor or the sofa... Hmm... Wait, no, there's something even more pressing than that.
It was time for a bath.
Having traveled a long distance early this morning, Qin Yu had naturally worked up a sweat. A bath was essential. Even if she hadn't been sweating, she would still have wanted to bathe.
But... Qin Yu stole a glance at Shenhe.
Shenhe, ever perceptive, caught the look and tilted her head slightly in confusion.
Qin Yu quickly forced a smile to smooth things over, then sighed inwardly, even more troubled.
Shenhe definitely hadn't brought a change of clothes, let alone underwear.
There were spare clothes and underwear in the closet, but would the underwear fit? Qin Yu glanced down at her own chest, then covertly compared it to Shenhe's.
Maybe... probably... no, definitely not.
But wait, I remember buying some larger-sized underwear on sale before.
Back then, she had been swayed by the low price, convincing herself they would "come in handy someday when I grew." She never imagined that day would actually come.
Of course, Qin Yu would have much preferred if they didn't need to be used.
Even though it had never been used, Qin Yu still felt uneasy about lending—no, giving—it away (with no intention of ever getting it back).
But she had no choice.
She couldn't let Shenhe wander around the house in just her outer robe.
While it was comforting that they were both women, that didn't mean Qin Yu was comfortable with this situation.
"Shenhe... do you want to take a bath now?" Qin Yu asked, trying to keep her voice steady.
But the very act of trying to sound calm felt subtly awkward and even a bit gross, as if she were hinting at something unspoken.
Perhaps the best approach was to act like nothing had happened.
Phew... Qin Yu thought, I need to regain my composure. Precisely because this is an unusual situation, I need to react with normalcy!
"Aren't you going to sleep?" Shenhe asked.
Qin Yu's carefully constructed composure shattered instantly.
"Huh? Uh, well, we went out this morning, right?" Qin Yu stammered, flustered. She didn't want to sleep yet—she hadn't bathed or figured out the bed arrangements.
"Mm, thank you for being with me."
That's not what I wanted you to say!
Qin Yu forced a strained smile. "Ahaha, don't mention it. What I meant was, since we already went out, shouldn't we shower before bed? So, I was wondering if you wanted to go first."
"What about you?"
"Me? I'll shower later," Qin Yu replied.
Shenhe pondered for a moment, then nodded slightly.
"Then I'll go first."
The thought of showering in Qin Yu's home stirred an indescribable, delicate emotion within Shenhe. Though she had clearly stated she would go first, her body remained rooted to the spot, still seated.
Qin Yu then quietly confirmed, "The clothes..."
Ugh, why are you whispering? Don't make it sound like you're hiding something! Speak up!
Heeding her inner voice, Qin Yu deliberately raised her voice. "Yes—!"
Too loud!
Overwhelmed by the awkwardness and frustration of the situation, Qin Yu nervously fidgeted with her bracelet before reverting to a whisper:
"Did you bring any?"
"No."
Ha, figures!
...Sigh. Qin Yu finally realized she was losing her composure. The more she tried to confirm things, the more she fixated on the fact that she would be spending the night with Shenhe, throwing herself into a panic.
Trying to appear nonchalant is only making things worse!
This was the first time anyone had stayed over at her place since she'd grown up. Though technically, it wasn't even her own home.
The only saving grace was that Shenhe wasn't the type to dwell on such things.
"...You seem nervous," Shenhe suddenly remarked.
Why do you care?!
Startled, Qin Yu crossed her arms and replied calmly, "There's no such thing! I'm as normal, calm, and perfectly fine as ever—not a single problem, oh!"
Uwaaa, "calm and composed."
After all that fuss, Qin Yu felt utterly exhausted.
"Is that so?" Shenhe paused, then continued with an expression as placid as a still pond, making it impossible to gauge her nervousness. "I... feel a little restless."
Huh?
Qin Yu was slightly bewildered by Shenhe's words. Was Shenhe actually nervous too? This didn't sound like reassurance.
But that made things even stranger.
It felt as if something had been mixed into the air with that sentence, seeping into her skin. The subtle itching sensation made Qin Yu deeply uncomfortable, and she couldn't help but mentally grumble,
Why are you nervous?
No matter how flustered Qin Yu became, she hoped Shenhe would remain her usual self.
Otherwise, the atmosphere would become unbearably stiff.
Though it was understandable for Shenhe to feel this way—after all, she likely hadn't stayed overnight at someone else's home before.
Breathing in the heavy, almost stagnant air, Qin Yu resolved not to let this awkward tension linger. She proactively took Shenhe's hand.
"How about this?"
You'd better calm down immediately, Qin Yu muttered inwardly.
Shenhe's expression softened. "Much better now."
You are the one who is truly my Red String, Shenhe's earlier words flashed through Qin Yu's mind, causing her body temperature to rise slightly.
Shenhe only felt the warmth radiating from Qin Yu's hand, which had become even warmer. Though puzzled, she didn't dislike the sensation.
Because... Shenhe murmured softly, "It's very warm."
Qin Yu hadn't felt particularly flustered until Shenhe said that. Suddenly, she recoiled her hand as if shocked by an electric current.
Enough. I can't take it anymore.
Deciding to retreat for a while, Qin Yu said stiffly, "Since you didn't bring your clothes, I'll lend you some of mine. Ah, of course, ones I haven't worn much! Don't worry."
"I understand. Thank you."
"No problem."
Qin Yu stood up hastily. "I'll go find them now. You can... find something to do in the meantime."
Just don't follow me.
Fortunately, Shenhe didn't follow this time, merely nodding slightly. Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief and hurried into her bedroom, opening the wardrobe.
Where did I put them again?
Qin Yu didn't have many clothes, and most of them were in her room at the Jade Chamber. But her memory was a bit hazy.
Clothes she rarely wore easily got forgotten in some corner, only to be rediscovered later with a bemused "When did I even buy this?"
Not here... Are they in the bottom drawer? Qin Yu squatted down to continue searching.
Meanwhile, in the living room, Shenhe pondered, Qin Yu said I could do whatever I like, but what should I do? Her gaze swept across the room, eventually landing unintentionally on something beneath the coffee table.
A book.
Curious, Shenhe pulled it out and examined it.
[Hand-in-Hand Guide to Closing the Distance Between Same-Sex Individuals Volume 4!]
"This book..."
Though mostly fluff, it surprisingly contained some genuinely valuable insights. However, as far as Shenhe knew, the price of this volume far exceeded its actual worth.
She hadn't expected Qin Yu to buy another volume in the series. What could have prompted her to continue reading this?
After a moment's thought, Shenhe opened the book and skimmed through it casually.
On one page, she came across a line that caught her eye:
"To truly bridge the gap between you, the most important thing is to be completely open and honest! That's why inviting the other person to bathe together is an excellent choice!"
Be completely open and honest. Shenhe thoughtfully set the book down.
Her Master had also mentioned that maintaining cherished relationships requires mutual honesty and sincerity... Could it be that there's more than one way to be completely open and honest? If so...
Shenhe pondered silently.
Just then, Qin Yu returned.
"Shenhe, try these clothes on and see if they fit," she said with a gentle smile.
Shenhe turned to look at Qin Yu.
Wh-why is she staring at me without saying a word again...? Qin Yu suddenly felt nervous and uneasy, her gaze flickering away as heat rose to her face.
"Qin Yu, I wanted to ask you..."
"Hm?"
"...Can we be completely honest with each other?"
"....Hm?"
What does she mean?