Strangers suddenly approaching and claiming to be her Aunt and Uncle—could these be the same couple Baiwen and the others had mentioned earlier?
So, they came over as soon as they saw me alone, huh? Tsk.
Faced with the couple's overly familiar remarks, Qin Yu responded awkwardly but politely, "I'm sorry, but I don't recognize either of you. You must have mistaken me for someone else."
"It's perfectly normal for you not to remember," the woman sighed. "After all, who remembers things from when they were just born?"
"When we first met you, you were just a baby," the man added. "We moved out of Liyue Harbor soon after, so it's understandable you wouldn't recognize us."
Hmph, so they're going with this angle? Qin Yu thought.
Truthfully, even the faces of my own parents have grown hazy.
"Is that so? Then why are you suddenly seeking me out? What's this about?"
"We've been away from Liyue Harbor for far too long. Your recent rise to fame caught our attention, and the name Qin Yu sounded familiar. After making inquiries, we confirmed it was indeed you. We never imagined your family would suffer such a terrible tragedy..."
Qin Yu remained inwardly unmoved.
"We were very close to your mother. When we heard the news, we rushed here to check on you. Poor child, you must have endured so much..."
As the woman spoke tearfully, she reached out to pat Qin Yu's head.
"Don't touch me!" Qin Yu snapped, her anger flaring. Her eyes instinctively turned fierce, startling the woman, before fading back to their normal composure as if it were all an illusion.
"I haven't suffered at all," Qin Yu said with a faint smile. "I had a wonderful mother, so there's no need to pity me."
The woman sighed in relief. "That's good to hear..."
Seeing this, the resentment in Qin Yu's heart burned even hotter.
Suddenly appearing, suddenly claiming to be relatives, suddenly acting concerned... How infuriating! Do they think I'm stupid? Qin Yu sneered inwardly, determined to see what they would do next.
"Yes, exactly! I'm doing perfectly fine! If you two have nothing else, please excuse me."
"Wait."
Hook, line, and sinker.
Qin Yu feigned confusion. "Is there something wrong?"
"Actually, we have a rather delicate request. Please grant it, for the sake of your mother's sister."
"Hmm... It depends on what it is. Tell me first."
The woman and man exchanged glances.
"Well, our daughter—your cousin—recently fell gravely ill. The medical expenses are astronomical! Our combined salaries simply can't cover them..."
Ah, here comes the money talk. This has to be a scam, right? Qin Yu thought casually.
"How much do you need?"
"Five million Mora..."
Whoa, that's steep!—all the more reason I won't give you a single Mora.
Qin Yu considered calling the Millelith, but if she couldn't prove they were scammers, they could easily brush it off with some excuse.
Time to expose them further.
Qin Yu smiled sweetly. "Hmm... I'd like to ask, are you truly my relatives?"
"Of course we are."
"Then please write your real names on this paper. I'll ask Lady Ningguang to have the relevant authorities investigate through their connections." Qin Yu tore a sheet from her notebook.
"You doubt us?" the man asked, feigning hurt.
"Yes, there have been many scams like this recently. As someone close to Lady Ningguang, I naturally need to protect myself. Or... is that something you can't do?"
The woman sighed deeply and took the paper and pen.
Huh?
"Alright, go ahead and investigate. We really are your Aunt and Uncle," the woman said, her face betraying no trace of unease.
Strange. They haven't slipped up at all. Is this just a bluff? Or are they just trying to stall for time before making a run for it? Qin Yu wondered as she took the paper they had written on and glanced at the two names.
Her surname came from her biological father, while her biological mother had a different surname. Yet this woman's surname did indeed share the same character as Qin Yu's.
"You can go check first. We'll wait here for you."
"Okay."
Qin Yu temporarily withdrew from their sight.
Troubling Ningguang with something like this was out of the question; she was merely bluffing to intimidate them. But since they appeared so confident, she wanted to see if their confidence was genuine.
After observing them briefly, she realized they hadn't moved an inch.
How odd.
Could it be that they really are my relatives? Qin Yu mused. Hmm, it's not impossible.
Even if they were relatives, that didn't mean they wouldn't try to swindle her out of her inheritance.
Ultimately, Qin Yu felt no particular emotional attachment to relatives.
They were simply strangers bound by blood.
Since the chances were high that they were indeed her relatives, Qin Yu decided to approach the matter from a different angle.
With this in mind, she returned to the couple.
"Next, take me to see your daughter," Qin Yu said.
"Uh, well... the journey is long and would take up a lot of your time. Just lend us the money. Don't worry, we'll keep our word and definitely repay you!" the man said nervously.
Gotcha! Qin Yu thought.
She shook her head. "As you both know, Liyue is the Nation of Contracts. If you wish to borrow such a large sum of money, it's only proper that we sign a formal contract."
"Fortunately, my friend is a renowned legal expert. She can draft a contract that satisfies both parties." Qin Yu smiled brightly and warmly.
The woman protested anxiously, "Don't you trust your Aunt?"
"As the saying goes, 'Even close siblings keep clear accounts.' Even if you truly are my relatives, we still need a contract. Or are you afraid to sign?"
Realizing they had reached a dead end, the couple glanced around. Seeing that the street wasn't deserted, they immediately abandoned all pretense and dropped to their knees, kowtowing repeatedly.
"Please help us! Our daughter, your cousin, desperately needs money!" the woman shouted.
"You can't just stand by and let her die!" the man bellowed.
The commotion drew a crowd of onlookers, who stopped to watch.
How shameless! Qin Yu clicked her tongue, her anger growing.
They were likely her relatives, but they had come only for money—a stark contrast to Shenhe's family.
The thought that Shenhe might already be at the Main Family's estate, enduring the relatives' polite but probing inquiries, only fueled Qin Yu's rage, making it burn even hotter.
Qin Yu, her anger reaching a boiling point, forced a smile. "Fine, I'll lend you the money. But let's sign a contract first."
The pair suddenly fell silent.
"Liyue is the Nation of Contracts! Even with Rex Lapis gone, that hasn't changed! If you're truly desperate to save your daughter, why hesitate to sign a contract? Could it be that your love for her is worth less than a piece of paper?"
"Little Yu makes a good point."
"Exactly!"
"Why are they suddenly so quiet?"
Qin Yu calmly stated, "Or could it be—you're just trying to scam me out of my money?"
"What?! How dare they!"
"Gasp! They dare try to scam Little Yu? I'll kick them into the harbor!"
Seeing the crowd easily siding with Qin Yu, the couple panicked and scrambled to their feet, ready to flee.
But as they turned to run, the Millelith appeared before them, blocking their escape.
"You two, come with us."
The captured pair glared fiercely at Qin Yu, spitting out, "You jinxed your own parents to death!"
Lashing out in anger when their plan fails? Classic, Qin Yu thought.
With this, the whole ordeal was finally over. How disgusting.
Qin Yu sighed, calmly responding to those who rushed over to check on her while feeling utterly drained.
Enough is enough.
Returning to her room like a zombie, Qin Yu collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow.
Glancing sideways, she saw Shenhe's pillow still lying there.
Sensing the faint lingering scent on it, Qin Yu suddenly felt a wave of relaxation wash over her. But the thought that Shenhe might already be back at the Main Family plunged her heart into an endless quagmire, slowly sinking.
A childhood memory flashed through her mind:
"You jinxed your own parents to death! Who would ever take you in now?"—Recalling this fragmented, hateful memory, Qin Yu buried her face deeper into the pillow, pulling the blanket over herself until she was completely cocooned.
Whatever. It doesn't matter anymore.
"I'm so tired..." she murmured, breathing in the stuffy air under the blanket. Closing her eyes, she whispered, "I'm so tired..."
Sleep now.
When I wake up, I can be the cheerful, beloved Qin Yu again.
Then Qin Yu had a dream.
"Ah, it fell..."
Little Qin Yu watched the wooden blocks collapse and burst into tears.
Young Shenhe sat across from her, silently observing.
"I'm sorry, Shenhe. I'm so clumsy."
"..."
"Why aren't you saying anything? Do you think I'm a nuisance?"
"...Mm."
"E-eh... Shenhe, do you hate me now?"
Little Shenhe lifted her head, paused for a moment, and then spoke:
"Qin Yu."
Qin Yu's consciousness drifted between sleep and wakefulness.
"Mmm?" she murmured in response.
"Qin Yu?"
I could swear I heard Shenhe's voice. Is it just a hallucination? Qin Yu's mind worked with the sluggishness of rusty gears, while her body felt utterly drained.
She slowly opened her eyes, her blurry vision gradually focusing on a familiar silhouette.
It gradually sharpened.
Shenhe was sitting by the bed, gazing at her with a gentle expression.
"Shenhe?" Qin Yu rasped.
"Mm."
Could this be a dream? How could Shenhe be here? She was supposed to be at the Main Family... But if it's a dream, then anything goes. After all, it's just a figment of my imagination.
Qin Yu slowly sat up and immediately wrapped her arms around Shenhe.
"Don't leave me..."
Without hesitation, Shenhe returned the embrace and softly replied, "Mm, I was just about to ask you to stay by my side forever."
A surge of joy and warmth flooded Qin Yu's heart. She felt like she could hold onto Shenhe forever. Since this was a dream anyway, she saw no reason to let go.
This feels so good...
Evaluation: D+
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