"Kin? Shenhe, are you referring to... seeing a ghost?" Qin Yu asked, forcing a smile.
"No."
That's right, it's unlikely.
So, does that mean... relatives?
"Are they relatives?"
Shenhe nodded. "Yes, they're from the Main Family. Do you remember my family is an Exorcism Clan?"
"Of course I remember. They're from the Collateral Branch, right?"
"Mm. Just recently, I ran into someone from the Main Family while leaving the city. He said my Exorcism Arts bore similarities to the Main Family's Mystic Arts, asked for my name, and recognized me when I answered casually."
Actually, around noon, Baiwen and the others had suddenly called Qin Yu away to handle urgent work, forcing her to temporarily part ways with Shenhe. As soon as the work was finished, Shenhe had rushed over, eager to talk.
If there hadn't been work to do back then... No, that's not the right way to think about it.
This is actually a good thing! Shenhe previously said her ties with her blood relatives had been severed, but now she's found distant relatives.
Qin Yu clapped her hands, her face lighting up with a genuine smile. "Wow, isn't that wonderful? What happened next?"
"The Main Family seems to know about my past. Everyone in the Main Family knows my name, so they recognized me."
After all, it was such a tragic event. The Main Family must have learned about it afterward, Qin Yu thought.
However, Shenhe's sudden mention of this likely wasn't just to report the news. As Qin Yu pondered this, an unsettling premonition arose.
"Then he said that the elders of the Main Family wish to meet me and invited me to gather with them at the family's residence," Shenhe said flatly.
Her words landed in Qin Yu's heart like a stone, sending ripples through her composure.
Gather together.
With blood relatives.
Relatives... family...
"I-Isn't that wonderful?! You came to talk to me about this alone?"
Qin Yu clasped her hands behind her back, letting her "magic" manipulate her facial muscles into a perfect arc, piecing together a suitable smile.
If that's all, let's end this conversation here.
There's nothing more to discuss.
"Not just to talk to you."
Behind her back, Qin Yu's hand clenched tightly around the other, her heartbeat slow and heavy.
"I... this is the first time something like this has happened to me. I thought all my family ties had been severed, but it turns out they still exist, and the Main Family wants to meet me."
Shenhe looked genuinely perplexed. "I don't know what to do. That's why I came to ask for your opinion, Qin Yu."
My opinion?
Why are you asking me? Can't you make your own decision? Qin Yu lowered her head, her fingertips growing slightly cold.
She didn't want to answer any questions about this matter, but she knew she had no right to refuse. If Shenhe was troubled, she had to help.
"Shenhe, do you want to meet the Main Family?" Qin Yu asked.
"...A little," Shenhe replied.
"Then try visiting them! It's a rare opportunity!"
Hearing Qin Yu's answer, Shenhe's mind gradually cleared.
As Qin Yu had said, such opportunities were rare, so there was no harm in taking a look. If any problems arose, they could be resolved directly.
"Alright, I understand. I already know the address. I'll pay them a visit later," Shenhe said.
After a subtle silence, Qin Yu smiled. "Mm! I think that's great! Hehe, a daughter of the Collateral Branch becoming an Adeptus and learning their arts—they'll be so shocked they'll lose their teeth when they hear that story!"
Shenhe was bothered by Qin Yu's inexplicable silence.
But more than that, she wanted to know something else.
"Qin Yu, you..."
"Ah, I actually have important work to do next! So, I'm sorry I can't keep you company, Shenhe, but I had a wonderful time this morning. Thank you."
Shenhe had wanted to invite Qin Yu along, but since Qin Yu said so, she had no choice but to give up.
"Understood. Let's go somewhere together again next time."
"Mm!"
Qin Yu knew Shenhe wanted to invite her along.
But how could she possibly accept? What connection did she have with Shenhe's family? Absolutely none.
They wanted to see Shenhe, not her.
Most importantly, she didn't want to witness Shenhe getting along well with her Main Family relatives.
Hiding her true feelings deep inside, Qin Yu left the rented apartment with Shenhe.
"Well, I'm off then! If anything happens, remember to come find me. I'll always support you, Shenhe," Qin Yu said, waving goodbye.
Shenhe sensed a subtle unease about Qin Yu.
But she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Her cheerful tone, bright smile, and unwavering concern remained unchanged.
Dismissing it as her own misperception, Shenhe nodded. "Understood. Don't push yourself too hard either."
"Ahaha, that's impossible!"
Qin Yu turned and hurried away without looking back. Shenhe watched her figure recede into the distance, thinking that since she had some free time now, she might as well pay an early visit to the Main Family.
As a woman who could lie as easily as breathing, Qin Yu's claim about having important work was, of course, a fabrication.
Qin Yu deliberately chose a route Shenhe was unlikely to take. After glancing around a few times and confirming with her Skill that Shenhe wasn't in the area, she finally plopped down on a bench.
"Sigh..." Qin Yu sighed.
Shenhe's relatives, huh?
I never expected this.
Objectively speaking, it's probably a good thing, right? Not all relatives are awful. The fact that they knew about Shenhe's past and still wanted to see her suggested they were decent people.
True enough. If they were truly wicked, the Exorcism Clan would probably have been exorcised themselves by now. They can't be that bad.
Will the Main Family want Shenhe to return?
If Shenhe returned to the Main Family, she wouldn't have to travel all the way to Liyue Harbor so often. We could see each other much more easily.
We wouldn't even need to live together.
And back with the Main Family, she might meet people even better than me.
Maybe Shenhe only said things like "I really can't live without you" because she doesn't have many friends.
Our friendship has reached this point, and she considers me someone important, probably just because I was the first person to reach out to her.
I just got here early.
The more Qin Yu let her mind wander, the more her head swam and her heart grew restless.
"...Let's go back," she said, standing up.
Shenhe must have already gone to see her Main Family members and wouldn't be coming to the rental apartment. Qin Yu wasn't in the mood to do anything; she just wanted to crawl back into bed and sleep.
Just then...
"Qin Yu!"
An unfamiliar voice caught her attention.
Turning her head, she saw a middle-aged couple rushing toward her, their faces beaming with smiles.
Strangers.
Qin Yu instantly raised her guard. She had a mental catalog of most people in Liyue Harbor, but these two weren't among them—yet they were calling her name with such warmth.
Forcing a polite smile, she asked, "Excuse me, what business do you have with me?"
"You... don't recognize us? I'm your Aunt! And this is your Uncle!"
Qin Yu's wariness intensified a thousandfold.