At 8 PM, Shenhe arrived at the Jade Chamber as promised.
Baiwen gestured, "Miss Shenhe, this way. Lady Ningguang and Lady Keqing are waiting for you."
Following Baiwen, Shenhe reached a room.
As she pushed the door open, Ningguang and Keqing were indeed waiting inside, but the air hung thick with an unspoken tension, heavy and palpable.
Keqing's expression carried a hint of unease. Seeing Shenhe arrive, she took a deep breath.
"You're here."
Shenhe nodded. "Good evening."
"Good evening," Keqing replied, recalling the information Ningguang had shared. "I never imagined even you would confess to Qin Yu," she sighed.
"Even me?" Shenhe asked, puzzled.
Keqing looked surprised. "...So you don't know yet? Ningguang and I both confessed to Qin Yu, and she accepted both of our confessions simultaneously."
So that's how it is, Shenhe thought.
No wonder Qin Yu had asked her how she would feel if two close friends confessed to her at the same time. It turned out Keqing and Ningguang had already declared their feelings to her back then.
A slight tightness settled in Shenhe's chest.
But then she remembered her decision to pursue with Qin Yu a "relationship beyond all relationships," and Qin Yu's desire to forge such an unbreakable bond with her.
Their hearts had already resonated, their feelings mutually conveyed.
The rest was of no consequence.
"So?" Shenhe pressed.
Keqing frowned slightly. Why did Shenhe seem so unmoved by this situation?
Though, to be fair, it was always difficult to discern Shenhe's true emotions from her expression alone.
Keqing exhaled, flicked her ponytail, and said, "Neither Ningguang nor I could accept that the person we love would be in love with someone else. Qin Yu even said she couldn't choose and wanted to be with both of us."
She shook her head.
"I can't do that," Keqing said, stroking her bracelet.
She wanted to "bind" Qin Yu to herself.
"Neither can I," Ningguang added.
She wanted to possess her completely.
"So Qin Yu must choose. Who does she truly love? You want to be her lover too, don't you? Then we're rivals now, but—the victor will be decided soon," Keqing declared earnestly.
Ningguang nodded. "Indeed."
The victor and loser of this game would be revealed tonight.
What if Qin Yu still insisted on accepting their affections equally?
That was unacceptable. Tonight, she would have to choose between them.
But... what if Qin Yu rejected them both? As Ningguang pondered this, the memory of Qin Yu's devastated expression after being questioned flashed through her mind, and a wave of discomfort washed over her.
She had never seen Qin Yu like that before—so fragile, as if she might shatter at the slightest touch.
Restless, she twirled her pipe, patiently waiting for the opportune moment.
Just then, the door opened.
"Qin... Yu?" Keqing blurted out, startled.
It wasn't Qin Yu who entered first, but Ganyu. Qin Yu followed closely behind, entering the room.
Ningguang narrowed her eyes slightly, murmuring, "Oh?"
She hadn't expected Ganyu to arrive at this moment, let alone with Qin Yu.
Could it be...? Ningguang's thoughts were interrupted as Keqing asked, "Ganyu? Do you have something to tell us?"
Ganyu glanced at Qin Yu beside her.
Is this okay? Qin Yu nervously returned the look, but Ganyu's reassuring smile dispelled most of her anxiety.
When Ganyu noticed Shenhe standing by the wall, her eyes widened in surprise.
Shenhe too...? But perhaps it wasn't so strange, considering how close she and Qin Yu appeared to outsiders—they even lived together.
I wonder what she thinks of all this.
No matter. Just stick to the plan.
In response to Keqing's question, Ganyu simply took Qin Yu's hand and, under the varied gazes of Ningguang and Keqing, declared:
"I love Qin Yu too. That's why I'm here to join!"
Uwah, she actually said it! Qin Yu's face flushed crimson, her ears burning hot.
Evaluation: SS (Ganyu)
Keqing asked blankly, "Huh?"
Ningguang frowned.
She had already suspected as much, and now it was confirmed.
If this was a game of chess with three players—initially only two were present, and the missing third had finally arrived—then Ganyu was the unexpected fourth, barging into the game in a way no one could have predicted and making the situation even more convoluted.
And she had come with Qin Yu.
Clearly, she had learned about this through Qin Yu... Ningguang's eyes flickered as numerous conjectures flooded her mind.
Seeing Qin Yu's flushed cheeks, a wave of displeasure surged through her.
Keqing snapped out of her shock, stunned. "Are you serious?"
"Yes..." Ganyu replied, her face slightly flushed.
"To think something like this could happen... Even Ganyu... Well, no matter. What we need to do remains unchanged," Keqing said, suppressing her unease and striving to remain calm.
Ningguang closed her eyes in agreement. "Indeed."
Ganyu released Qin Yu's hand and stepped aside. Ningguang, Keqing, and Shenhe moved closer to Qin Yu.
Keqing and Ningguang first scrutinized Qin Yu's expression.
She seems to be fine now.
Relieved, Keqing said, "Qin Yu, you've already made up your mind, haven't you? About who you want to spend your life with... Don't worry, whoever you choose, no one will hold it against you."
Qin Yu, still stunned by Shenhe's presence, was brought back to attention by Keqing's voice.
"Really? No resentment at all?" she asked.
"None at all."
They might struggle to accept it at first, but they'll come around eventually... probably.
The thought that Qin Yu might not choose her—that the most important person in her life would spend her days as someone else's lover—brought Keqing a heart-wrenching pain, as if her soul were being torn in two.
Ningguang felt the same way.
But they could only choose one.
After a moment of silence, Ningguang spoke, "Make your choice."
"Me, Keqing, Ganyu, or Shenhe."
Bathed in the gazes of the four women, Qin Yu exhaled softly.
No matter how many times she was asked, her answer would always be the same.
With a hint of nervousness but unwavering resolve, Qin Yu declared, "All of you. I choose all of you. Whether it's Ningguang, Keqing, Ganyu, or Shenhe, I... I want to be with the people I love, the people I care about."
She's saying it again!
Keqing couldn't contain herself any longer. "Qin Yu, you know how we feel!"
"I know," Qin Yu replied.
"Then why do you keep saying things like that? Do you think such an answer can reciprocate our feelings for you?" Keqing asked, her emotions tangled.
Ningguang remained silent, her gaze fixed on Qin Yu.
You've disappointed me again, Qin Yu. Do you truly love us? Qin Yu dreaded hearing these words from Ningguang. She had barely endured them once, and she wasn't sure she could bear them a second time.
Under Ningguang's intense gaze, Qin Yu felt a growing unease.
Yet, even so, her resolve remained unshaken.
"For me, the most important thing is our relationship," Qin Yu said.
"Relationship?" Keqing asked, puzzled.
"Yes. I want to stay with you both forever, to maintain this connection. No distance, no separation, no break—that's all I want."
Keqing struggled to comprehend. "So you accepted our confessions just for that? I don't get it. How could such a thing ever happen? The so-called 'barriers'—at least for me—"
Recalling her earlier anguish, Keqing fell silent.
Things she could do before, she could no longer do now.
Touches she could once freely give Qin Yu were now forbidden, as if an invisible barrier had sprung up between them.
Keqing vaguely grasped Qin Yu's reasoning.
Still...
"Are you sure this is the right thing to do?"
"It's the only way," Qin Yu replied.
Keqing crossed her arms, her expression growing even more complex. "Unbelievable... at least consider how we feel."
"...I'm sorry, but this is the only way."
Keqing looked away, now understanding Qin Yu's intentions. Though she couldn't agree with them, she couldn't ignore them either. Her mind swirled with confusion, torn between conflicting emotions.
Come to think of it, Qin Yu has always valued relationships so deeply since childhood... Keqing fiddled with her bracelet.
Chained together. Always together. Forever.
Qin Yu had been saying such things since she was a child.
In the end, Keqing chose silence.
It was only then that Ningguang spoke. "Qin Yu."
"Ah..."
Hearing Ningguang call her name, Qin Yu remembered Ningguang's earlier doubt. The color drained from her face, and her fingertips grew cold.
"Ahaha, what is it? Ah... I, um..."
The fleeting, bright smile crumbled like crushed petals, piecing together into Qin Yu's wavering, conflicted expression.
Ningguang pursed her lips, realizing how harsh her earlier doubt had been toward Qin Yu. She had hoped Qin Yu would understand her feelings and accept her love.
But instead, she had merely demanded Qin Yu choose between them.
This wasn't surprising, yet she hadn't even bothered to understand Qin Yu's reasons, dismissing her feelings and questioning her affection, ultimately leading to this outcome.
Still, her desire to possess Qin Yu—to prevent anyone else from touching her the way she did—was undeniably genuine.
Keqing must feel the same way, and Shenhe and Ganyu likely share similar sentiments to some extent.
Therefore...
"Choose, Qin Yu."
Qin Yu shuddered violently.
Love, choice, estrangement, severance, departure...
"I just..."
I just want to stay with someone who can truly enter my inner world.
I don't want a fragile relationship like love.
But Keqing and Ningguang do.
If I don't give them what they want, they'll doubt me.
Doubt means my feelings will be questioned, possibly denied, rejected, or even hated... The blood that had welled up from my heart surged again, choking Qin Yu's breath and voice.
At that moment, Ganyu said:
"I can accept it."
Ganyu's voice pulled Qin Yu back to reality.
"No matter what, I want to be with Qin Yu. So, I can accept her doing this," Ganyu said softly, stepping forward to embrace Qin Yu face-to-face.
Evaluation: SS+ (Ganyu)
Keqing was too stunned to speak.
Ganyu can actually accept this?! This is...
Ningguang was equally astonished, her suspicions solidifying in her mind.
Ganyu is here to upset the board, to disrupt this "game of chess."
Ganyu whispered in Qin Yu's ear, "It's okay, relax a little. Remember what we talked about? I'm on your side."
Ganyu's gentle words calmed Qin Yu.
At the same time, she remembered their earlier conversation.
-
"Let me join you too."
".....Huh?"
Join? Does she mean...?
No, no, not like that... A strong sense of resistance welled up in Qin Yu's heart, shaking her recently calmed mind. She felt on the verge of collapse, as if Ganyu's next words could shatter her fragile composure.
As Qin Yu instinctively clutched Ganyu's sleeve, Ganyu, sensing her thoughts, said:
"No, I don't want to be like Keqing or Ningguang."
"Huh? Then..."
Ganyu said earnestly, "I want to help you."
"Help me?"
Confusion clouded Qin Yu's face.
She had never imagined Ganyu would say such a thing. She would have been content if Ganyu had simply listened to her and not grown to dislike her after hearing her story.
Yet Qin Yu still felt a mix of relief and warmth as she replied, "No need, Sister Ganyu. I'm already so happy that you're willing to share this burden with me."
"But... you can't accomplish what you want to do, can you?"
Qin Yu stammered, "Well, that's..."
"I have my own selfish reasons too," Ganyu admitted.
Selfish reasons?
Ganyu lowered her head and asked, "If you choose one of them, Qin Yu, then... will I still be able to hug you?"
"I... I don't know. Probably not."
Maybe even her cohabitation with Shenhe would eventually be called into question, forcing her to move out.
All her relationships with Shenhe and the others would change.
Ganyu let out a soft breath, lifted her face, and said, "From now on, I also want... want to hold your hand like this, hug you, and... and even... snuggle..."
Both Qin Yu and Ganyu blushed crimson.
Evaluation: SS-
She really loves to snuggle, even though I'm so much younger than her.
But... I want a little of that too, don't I? Qin Yu thought.
"This is my selfish desire, which is why I want to help you." Ganyu's cheeks remained flushed, but her eyes shone with earnest resolve.
"I... I understand, but how do we do it?"
Ganyu nodded. "When I said I wanted to join you earlier, I meant I would participate as the fourth person 'in love' with you, Qin Yu."
"E-eh? Could it be that Sister Ganyu really...?"
"N-no, not like that! Ah, what I mean is... I don't dislike you, but it's not romantic love," Ganyu hastily explained.
Qin Yu's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, relaxed again.
That's good.
Ganyu continued, "Simply put, it's just acting."
"Acting?"
"Exactly. It means—I-I just have to pretend to be in love with you, Qin Yu," Ganyu said shyly.
Ah, I see. Just pretending, then.
That's a relief, even if it's still a bit embarrassing.
"A-ahem... And then?" Qin Yu asked awkwardly.
Ganyu took a deep breath.
"Then, I'll disrupt everything."
-
To illustrate, imagine two shops in the same industry, each bound by its own rigid rules that prevent them from fully meeting market demand.
If customers had only these two options, they would naturally continue their fierce competition, locked in a life-or-death struggle.
But once a third shop appears—one on par with the others but capable of fully satisfying market demand—the customers' choice becomes obvious.
Their competition shifts from merely each other to this game-changing third player.
Yet if adhering to their own rules prevents them from meeting market demand, they lose their competitive edge and can't possibly contend with the third shop.
To adapt to market demands, they must change themselves.
Failure to adapt means being eliminated.
Ganyu's plan operates on this very principle.
Of course, this strategy hinges on one crucial condition: that they refuse to abandon Qin Yu. If they choose to withdraw, the entire plan collapses and fails.
But I'll still be by Qin Yu's side, Ganyu thought to herself.
"Thank you, Sister Ganyu," Qin Yu murmured softly.
"Don't mention it."
Keqing had never imagined anyone could accept such a situation.
Though Ganyu is a half-adeptus, inherently different from ordinary humans, she still has a heart. If she truly loves Qin Yu, how can she possibly accept this?
"Ganyu, how could you possibly accept this?" Keqing asked, half bewildered, half anxious.
"...For me, being able to spend my life with someone I love, in happiness and contentment, would be enough," Ganyu replied. "Of course, that person would have to truly... truly love me in return."
As she spoke, a thought naturally arose in Ganyu's mind.
Following this thought, she asked, "Qin Yu... do you... do you like me?"
This... this is part of the act too?
Qin Yu's mind spun into chaos. Seeing Ganyu's pitifully earnest gaze and the hopeful tremor in her voice, she unconsciously blurted out, "Mm."
Ganyu's face flushed crimson, and she immediately regretted her question.
Despite her joy, she felt so embarrassed she wanted to hide.
Ningguang and Keqing exchanged subtle glances. They were astonished to witness this side of Ganyu, and even more so to hear Qin Yu's direct response in front of them.
Admittedly, Ningguang knew this was part of Ganyu's plan, but the sincerity in Ganyu's expression perfectly matched her words.
Ganyu was indeed their romantic rival.
Yet she had accepted Qin Yu's arrangement, allowing her to touch her.
This was something they couldn't achieve themselves.
Just then, Shenhe approached Qin Yu and embraced her from the other side.
Evaluation: D (Shenhe)
Whoa!?
Qin Yu jumped in surprise, completely unprepared for Shenhe's sudden embrace.
Ganyu, Keqing, and Ningguang were equally astonished.
"Shenhe?" Qin Yu couldn't help but call out.
Shenhe tightened her grip, her soft body pressing against Qin Yu along with her familiar, crisp fragrance. Seeing this, Ganyu also increased her grip, hugging Qin Yu tightly from the other side.
Sandwiched between the two sisters, Qin Yu found it hard to breathe.
So tight! They're hugging me too tightly!
Evaluation: C- (Shenhe)
Why does this evaluation keep popping up?!
"I don't mind either," Shenhe suddenly said.
Keqing froze, her voice rising in confusion. "Huh?"
Ningguang's expression was a mix of surprise and bewilderment. "Why? You live with Qin Yu and spend the most time with her daily. How can you accept this?"
Qin Yu herself wanted to ask the same question.
Shenhe actually said she doesn't mind... As she thought this, her gaze met Shenhe's.
"As long as I can spend my life with Qin Yu, I need nothing else."
Evaluation: C+ (Shenhe)
Simple, direct, and pure. With just one sentence, Shenhe answered the doubts in the others' hearts.
"Moreover, what Qin Yu and I pursue is the same."
Evaluation: B (Shenhe)
Qin Yu's eyes lit up with a radiant glow.
"Exactly! It's the same!"
"The same?" Ningguang asked, her voice laced with unease.
Everything happening now had far exceeded her expectations.
Qin Yu's expression clearly showed her joy and satisfaction at Ganyu and Shenhe's feelings.
Shenhe nodded. "It's a relationship that transcends all others, tighter and more enduring than any other bond. This is precisely what Qin Yu and I have been seeking."
"So, such matters are irrelevant."
"Shenhe..." Qin Yu murmured.
Shenhe gazed at her with tender eyes.
Keqing felt her head spin, instinctively pressing her hand to her forehead. "Oh heavens..."
Was there even a choice to be made? Could there be a choice? If they continued to compete, how could they possibly surpass Ganyu and Shenhe, who seemed completely unfazed by Qin Yu's actions?
Their chances of winning had already dwindled to zero.
No, there's still a chance.
If they could change Qin Yu's mind after this... or rather, this was their only chance.
Of course, they could also choose to give up.
But they couldn't.
Just as Qin Yu couldn't abandon them, Keqing and Ningguang couldn't abandon Qin Yu.
They could either accept things like Ganyu and Shenhe, or continue competing to the bitter end.
Could they simply disregard everything like Shenhe and Ganyu? Impossible.
The only choice left was to keep competing.
And to achieve that, to seize this opportunity, they had to abandon any pretense of Qin Yu making a real choice this time.
If they insisted on Qin Yu making a genuine choice now, they would undoubtedly lose.
Ningguang and Keqing both realized this.
Though it was hard to accept, Keqing sighed, "I never imagined it would come to this. How can she possibly choose now?"
"She can still choose," Ganyu suddenly declared.
"Eh?"
Ganyu's expression turned serious. "She can still choose, right? Regardless of the outcome, Shenhe and I will never waver in our feelings or decisions."
"Even after this," she added.
Shenhe responded, "Mm, it won't change. Never."
Ningguang realized Ganyu was referring to their plans for the future.
Instead of competing openly, they would secretly vie for "votes" in Qin Yu's heart.
Even if they truly won Qin Yu's heart, Shenhe and Ganyu would remain by her side, inseparable.
No matter what, they could never completely possess Qin Yu unless she abandoned Shenhe and Ganyu.
But Qin Yu would never do that.
Shenhe's importance to her was undeniable, and now it was clear that Ganyu held a significant place in her heart as well.
If Qin Yu were to abandon even these two sisters who loved her so deeply, there was no guarantee she wouldn't abandon them too.
Moreover, they wouldn't even love such a Qin Yu.
It was a dead end.
Withdraw? Impossible. Utterly impossible.
Keqing knew she was already deeply entangled: the moment Qin Yu caught up to her, when she chose to reciprocate Qin Yu's feelings, when they locked themselves together again...
Ningguang felt the same.
When Qin Yu stayed by her side, when she chose to remain with her, when she said she wanted to keep up with her, when she wished for her to always be happy...
They couldn't give up, yet they could never completely possess Qin Yu.
There was only one path forward: acceptance.
Yet facing this outcome, both Ningguang and Keqing remained silent, deeply weary.
Qin Yu had hurt their hearts, and they had hurt Qin Yu's heart in return. Even so, both sides still yearned to fulfill their desires: to be with them/to be with Qin Yu.
The final result was what stood before them now.
Ningguang gazed at Qin Yu and slowly asked, "Do you simply want to be with us?"
"Yes..."
"In a romantic sense?"
Qin Yu's heart fluttered, but this time, Ningguang wasn't questioning her sincerity—merely seeking confirmation.
Slightly relieved, she replied, "I... I don't know."
Upon reflection, she realized she had only accepted Keqing and Ningguang's confessions because she didn't want to create distance by rejecting them.
Ningguang's skepticism wasn't entirely unfounded, but it still caused Qin Yu pain and anguish.
"How long do you want to be with us?"
"Forever... always... I don't want us to ever be apart."
At that moment, Ganyu and Shenhe released their hands. Qin Yu stepped forward, reached out, and took each of their hands in her own.
Keqing looked at Qin Yu with a complex expression before finally smiling wryly.
"You... you haven't changed a bit since you were a child."
Ningguang closed her eyes, answering with silence.
Neither of them let go of Qin Yu's hands, but neither did they squeeze them back. Just like their chaotic emotions at that moment, they were at a loss for what to do.
"Let me think about it for a while," Ningguang finally relented, taking a step back.
"Me too," Keqing added.
With their replies, the "Lover's Choice" came to an inconclusive end.