After returning to her room, Qin Yu aimlessly flopped onto her bed and rolled around.
Nothing to do...
If she had gone out for a late-night snack with Baiwen and the others, she wouldn't be so bored right now. But she had chosen not to go.
The reason? Mainly because she was worried about Ningguang.
Although Qin Yu was curious about who Ningguang was meeting, she was even more worried about her physical condition. Mental well-being didn't necessarily mean her body was healthy too.
With the Rite of Descension approaching, Ningguang had a lot on her plate.
If she gets sick again... I really don't want to have to take care of her, Qin Yu thought, her mind racing.
That's right, it's not about being curious about who Ningguang is meeting. It's just that if I'm not here, no one will take care of her properly, Qin Yu reasoned to herself as she got out of bed.
"I'll make some vegetable juice."
Vegetable juice is good for health.
Qin Yu usually considered the body's nutritional needs when cooking, striving to make Ningguang's meals flavorful, visually appealing, and nutritious. But a little extra vegetable juice couldn't hurt, right?
If Ningguang got sick, caring for her would be a hassle, so preventing illness was crucial.
As expected of me, truly perfect.
As Qin Yu turned toward the kitchen, a sudden thought struck her: If Ningguang isn't here, what's the point of making it now?
I wonder if she's already left...
Who could she possibly be meeting? Qin Yu couldn't stop thinking about it as she approached Ningguang's room to check.
Taking a deep breath, Qin Yu knocked on the door.
"Lady Ningguang, are you there?"
"Yes, what is it?"
She's actually here! Surprised, Qin Yu replied, "N-nothing much, just thought I'd make you some vegetable juice. I wanted to confirm you were in."
Has it been half an hour already? Why hasn't Ningguang left yet? Does it really take this long to prepare? I don't understand... Qin Yu felt deeply puzzled.
But at least she was still here.
Making vegetable juice wouldn't take long.
"Is that so..." Ningguang's voice came from behind the door.
Then the door opened.
"Come in."
Huh? Why? Did I say I was going to make vegetable juice? Why is she asking me to come in? Qin Yu didn't understand Ningguang's intentions, and a flicker of anxiety crept into her heart.
But refusing to go in would be awkward... Ugh, guess I have no choice.
Qin Yu sighed inwardly, muttering a reply as she stepped into Ningguang's bedroom.
Ningguang closed the door and gestured for her to sit.
"Excuse me..."
"Sit down first. There's something I want to discuss with you."
Discuss with me?
Still completely bewildered, Qin Yu sat on the bed. Ningguang sat beside her, closing the physical distance between them.
The proximity reminded Qin Yu of Keqing's kiss, her body flushing slightly as she involuntarily tensed up. Just then, Ningguang's hand, as always, brushed through her hair.
Even this simple touch of Qin Yu's body filled Ningguang with contentment.
But when she saw Qin Yu fidgeting with her bracelet, Ningguang couldn't help but sigh softly.
Don't just touch me without saying anything! Qin Yu, wanting to break the silence, blurted out, "Didn't you say you had someone to meet?"
"Didn't you say you had something to take care of?" Ningguang countered.
Qin Yu felt a twinge of embarrassment.
Because that was a lie. There was nothing to handle. She'd been rolling around in bed just moments ago.
"Why did you stay?" Ningguang pressed.
Qin Yu didn't want to answer. This was a matter of the heart.
"There's no real reason," she said.
Ningguang chuckled. "Care for a game?"
"Huh?"
"I told a lie too. I have no one to meet."
Ha? Qin Yu was genuinely surprised that Ningguang would deceive her, feeling a momentary surge of annoyance.
Fine, let's play then. You're probably bored anyway, right? Let's see how much I've learned! Qin Yu resolved to channel her irritation into strategic fervor.
"Alright, I accept. But please use the Eighth Edition rules."
Ningguang looked surprised. "You've already learned them?"
Hmph, indeed. I studied hard for this.
Qin Yu smiled. "Because I want to catch up to you, Lady Ningguang."
"Ah, I see. Your sincerity pleases me greatly," Ningguang replied with a smile.
Evaluation: A
This is exactly what I was waiting for. All my hard work paid off.
"I accept. Of course, merely mastering the Eighth Edition doesn't mean you've caught up to me. I'll give you the latest rulebook to study in your spare time."
Qin Yu forced a dry laugh. "I'll do my best!"
The eighth edition was already incredibly complex. What was the latest version again? In the twenties, wasn't it?
Even more complicated? Oh, heavens...
But for the sake of earning Points, she had no choice but to try her best to learn it.
Qin Yu sat at the table, waiting for Ningguang to bring out the chessboard, pieces, and other necessary props.
"By the way, simply playing a game would be rather dull. How about this: let's make a wager. If you win, you can ask me to do anything you want; if I win, the same applies—I can ask you to do anything."
It sounded fair enough.
However, this was Qin Yu's first time playing against Ningguang using the eighth edition rules, putting her at a distinct disadvantage.
Ningguang's chances of winning were much higher.
Ask me to do anything...? Strange images flashed through Qin Yu's mind, a blush creeping up her cheeks as she grew increasingly wary.
There's no way I can accept that!
"Lady Ningguang, this wager is a bit..." Qin Yu began diplomatically.
"Could it be that you don't think you can beat me?"
Duh, the experience gap is massive, Qin Yu grumbled inwardly.
I only won last time because I think Ningguang was going easy on me. But there's no way she'd do that again, right?
Ningguang calmly advised, "Qin Yu, never show weakness unless it serves a purpose. When you reveal weakness, others will see an opportunity to exploit you. If you have a plan, you can use this to your advantage and strike back decisively. But if you don't, never show weakness, especially when you have a chance of winning."
S-She's right... wait, no.
The issue wasn't about showing weakness or not, but about the proposal itself!
I almost got sidetracked. Qin Yu said, "No, I just think this agreement..."
"Would you do something inappropriate to me?"
"No."
"Do you think I would do something inappropriate to you?"
Yes.
Qin Yu suppressed her true thoughts and shook her head slightly.
Ningguang smiled faintly. "Then there's no problem, is there? Or do you still see an issue? If so, speak up. Expressing refusal, disapproval, or dissatisfaction is also important."
I feel like Ningguang is leading me by the nose, drawing me into her rhythm.
But there was definitely a problem.
Qin Yu phrased her objection diplomatically: "'Do anything'... I don't believe Lady Ningguang would actually do anything to me, but it's too vague."
"Hmm, then how about 'make the other person answer one question'?"
Such an obvious fishing hook. This must have been her plan all along.
"I think we should just play a simple game," Qin Yu said, ignoring Ningguang's bait and expressing her own preference.
"Very well, then let's do that."
Qin Yu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
This is good.
Yet as she thought this, she still felt uneasy. Come to think of it, had Ningguang been in a bad mood earlier? It was just a feeling, but if it were true, why?
Curious about the reason, Qin Yu asked, "Lady Ningguang, were you in a bad mood this afternoon?"
Ningguang glanced at Qin Yu. "A little."
So it was true, Qin Yu thought, her curiosity piqued. "Why?"
"Because of you..." Ningguang hesitated.
Me!? Did I do something to upset Lady Ningguang?
Qin Yu felt a mix of panic and worry. She couldn't bear the thought of Ningguang disliking her. If she had indeed done something wrong, she needed to find a way to fix it.
But first, she needed to know the cause of Ningguang's bad mood so she could address the root of the problem.
Her thoughts racing, Qin Yu nervously asked, "Please tell me, did I do something wrong?"
"...Let's begin," Ningguang replied evasively, arranging the chess pieces on the board one by one.
Qin Yu was taken aback by Ningguang's refusal to answer. Is it something she doesn't want to say? Is she being considerate of me? Either way, Qin Yu couldn't rest easy.
My persona is supposed to be flawless, incapable of causing displeasure, she thought. But what if Ningguang refuses to answer?
Qin Yu's gaze fell on the chessboard, and an idea struck her.
I'll have to take the bait.
"Lady Ningguang," Qin Yu said, "about our earlier agreement—the one where we can each ask the other a question—I accept."
Hook, line, and sinker, Ningguang thought. She had a question she desperately wanted to ask Qin Yu.
"Why did you stay behind?" It was a simple question, but Qin Yu hadn't given a straight answer earlier. If nothing was wrong, why hadn't she gone out for a late-night snack with Baiwen and the others?
Ningguang suspected this was just her wanting there to be something.
Even if she asked again, Qin Yu would likely give a similar answer.
So she had to resort to this—making Qin Yu agree to the wager.
But Qin Yu wouldn't have taken the bait if she didn't care about Ningguang's feelings.
Yet Qin Yu should have sensed the trap Ningguang had set.
Why did she still take the bait?
Ningguang asked, "Very well, but why did you change your mind?"
"I want you to always be in good spirits," Qin Yu replied earnestly. "If there's anything about me that displeases you, I'll correct it!"
Ah, so that's it. Ningguang understood Qin Yu's reasoning.
But her poor mood wasn't Qin Yu's fault, nor Keqing's. In fact, there was nothing Qin Yu needed to correct.
If she had to nitpick, there was one minor flaw—though not exactly a flaw—Ningguang wished Qin Yu would "correct":
Her lack of interest in Ningguang.
Ningguang had always wanted to touch Qin Yu—her face, hair, lips, hands... But now, she wanted the reverse: for Qin Yu to touch her in those same places.
She was even more interested in her.
She made a few requests of her.
The earlier emphasis on Qin Yu being in the bedroom, yet not needing to serve tea or snacks, was also meant to entice her to spend time with Ningguang.
Ningguang shook her head slightly at this realization.
If I win, I'll proactively tell Qin Yu what she wants to know.
Looking at Qin Yu sitting across from her, Ningguang couldn't help but think, She's truly adorable.
Evaluation: S-