That night, Qin Yu stood in her new bedroom and switched off the light.
Waaah!
Terrified, she immediately turned the light back on.
Phew...
She switched it off again.
Waaah!
On again.
Phew...
"Ugh, this feels like I'm playing some kind of prank. This isn't a game," Qin Yu muttered to herself, sighed, and collapsed onto the bed.
By now, she had recalled her past, understood the reason for her fear of the dark, and even personally vanquished the Fiend that had haunted her past, bringing closure to that chapter of her life.
She had naively assumed that conquering her past would banish her fear of the dark. Yet, things remained unchanged.
Perhaps her body had simply ingrained that primal fear.
The only saving grace was that, knowing Shenhe was in the house, even with the lights off and without activating her Skill, her fear wasn't as overwhelming as before. It had lessened somewhat compared to before.
Maybe I can overcome this eventually?
Qin Yu mused absently, turning to glance at the wall.
Shenhe was right on the other side of the wall.
If Shenhe slept with me, I wouldn't be afraid of the dark anymore... Qin Yu thought, burying her face in her pillow and letting out a long, drawn-out "Aaaah—"
No, I can't be thinking like that. Sharing a bed with Shenhe? There's no need for that.
The only reason they had shared a bed before was because there was only one bed.
Now that they had moved into a new house with two bedrooms and two beds, there was no need to sleep together anymore. If they still slept together despite the lack of necessity, the nature of their arrangement would subtly change.
"We had no choice" and "It's not necessary, but we could" are fundamentally different.
Qin Yu felt a slight pang of regret.
If Shenhe absolutely insisted on sleeping with me, I suppose I could allow it once or twice.
But she would never actively invite her.
Wait, why am I even thinking about this?
She felt her rhythm had become completely chaotic.
This was likely because someone else was living with her, throwing her rhythm off. The house's quiet environment only amplified this, forcing her to focus even more intensely on her own thoughts.
Restless and agitated, Qin Yu tossed and turned in bed for a while before finally getting up and leaving the bedroom.
Without realizing it, Qin Yu had wandered to Shenhe's bedroom door, but she snapped back to her senses a moment later.
How did I end up here?! Qin Yu startled.
I'm already here versus I shouldn't disturb her—Qin Yu's mind wavered between the two options.
Before she could decide, Shenhe's voice called out from inside:
"Qin Yu?"
Hearing the voice, Qin Yu fled back to her own room without a second thought.
Opening the door, Shenhe peeked out, looking left and right, but Qin Yu was nowhere to be seen.
Could it have been my imagination?
Shenhe fell silent for a moment. It was strange. Living with Qin Yu was a joyous thing, yet whenever she was alone, her mind felt restless, making it difficult to clear her thoughts even while meditating.
Is my cultivation lacking, or is there another reason? Shenhe couldn't tell.
But she knew what to do in such moments.
I hope I'm not disturbing her. Thinking this, Shenhe approached Qin Yu's bedroom door and gently knocked.
"Qin Yu, are you asleep?"
"S-sleeping! No, not asleep! What is it?"
"I wanted to talk to you. Would that be okay?" Shenhe asked.
Talk? Just talking should be fine.
Qin Yu agreed, "Sure, come in. The door's unlocked."
Shenhe turned the knob and entered the bedroom.
Qin Yu was sitting on the bed, reading a book. When she saw Shenhe, she offered a slightly unnatural smile, her cheeks tinged with a faint blush, perhaps from the cool night air.
Shenhe noticed the book in her hand was upside down.
Why is the book upside down? Shenhe wondered. She didn't understand, but her Master had once told her about ancient martial artists who practiced their techniques in reverse. Maybe reading a book backward was also a method, so she didn't dwell on it.
"Aren't you going to sleep, Shenhe?" Qin Yu asked, setting the book aside.
"Not feeling sleepy yet."
Shenhe sat down on the edge of the bed and immediately took Qin Yu's hand.
"W-wah!? What are you doing...?" Qin Yu's face flushed crimson almost instantly.
Weren't we supposed to just talk? Why is she making physical contact?
Slightly puzzled by Qin Yu's dramatic reaction, Shenhe said, "Actually, I don't know why, but my mind feels restless here. Being near you helps me calm down."
"Here?" Qin Yu asked in surprise.
"Mm."
Qin Yu grew uneasy. "Are you uncomfortable here?"
"Not exactly. Perhaps I just haven't fully adjusted to living with someone else yet," Shenhe replied.
Just like me! Hearing Shenhe say this made Qin Yu feel inexplicably relieved.
I never imagined Shenhe would feel this way too. I thought I was the only one. This is wonderful.
"What about you?" Shenhe suddenly asked.
"Eh? Ah, I-I'm fine, of course."
Although the fact that she was "just like Shenhe" brought her a sense of reassurance, actually saying it aloud was another matter entirely. It was a little embarrassing.
Despite what she had said, Qin Yu, under Shenhe's unwavering gaze, stammered again, "It's true, I am finding it a little hard to adjust."
"Is that so?"
"But everyone feels that way at first, right? It's only the first day. We'll get used to it eventually—Shenhe did, and so will I..." Qin Yu continued, reassuring herself as much as she was comforting Shenhe.
Countless days still lay ahead.
Shenhe thought, her spirits lifting considerably. A sense of anticipation stirred within her, though her expression remained unchanged. Her tone, however, carried a hint of lightness as she replied, "Hmm, I'm very much looking forward to it."
Qin Yu lowered her head, idly scratching Shenhe's hand as she said, "There's no need to get too excited. It'll be very ordinary."
If Shenhe grew too expectant, Qin Yu wouldn't know what to do.
"There's nothing wrong with ordinary days. In fact, it's exactly the kind of quiet life I yearn for. Looking back on my past, merely surviving and having this simple life is more than enough. There's no need to chase after something 'extraordinary.'"
Shenhe let Qin Yu play with her hand as she spoke slowly.
Recalling Shenhe's childhood experiences, Qin Yu realized they shared some similarities.
Locked in a mountain cave, forced to fight enemies for survival, with no one to rely on but themselves—compared to that, being rescued was already the luckiest outcome in a sea of misfortune.
With this thought, Qin Yu pulled Shenhe into a hug.
"You're right," Qin Yu said. "There's nothing wrong with a peaceful life. Besides, too much excitement might scare me."
"Why are you hugging me?" Shenhe asked.
Ha? Qin Yu was taken aback by Shenhe's question. A little annoyed, she replied, "Don't you like it? I thought it was necessary."
"I don't dislike it, but what do you mean by 'necessary'?"
"It's just... knowing you were thinking about your past, I was a little worried," Qin Yu hesitated before admitting.
Shenhe understood she was being cared for, a warmth spreading through her body, but she shook her head.
"Don't worry about it. As I've said, that's all in the past. What matters to me now is the present and the future."
"I see."
So, all that worrying for nothing? Oh well, it doesn't matter.
Shenhe felt that familiar flutter of restlessness stir within her once more, finding it odd.
Why would I feel restless around Qin Yu? Moreover, this feeling seemed different from before—indescribable, yet unmistakably growing hotter against her will, each breath carrying a faint, restless heat.
Following this newly emergent emotion, Shenhe said, "Even if it's not necessary, I still want you to embrace me like this."
Evaluation: SS+
What nonsense is she spouting now?!
She's really pushing her luck, utterly unreasonable... Qin Yu grumbled inwardly, then, remembering this was a perfect opportunity to test the waters, cautiously voiced her true feelings:
"Stop saying such strange things."
Shenhe tilted her head in confusion. "Strange things? What's strange about it? I don't understand. Please explain."
"Aren't you even a little embarrassed, Shenhe?"
"Why would I be embarrassed?" Shenhe countered. "A sincere feeling loses its meaning if it remains unspoken. Isn't that the truth?" She fired back with a series of questions.
Ah, this is so annoying! Stop asking! Qin Yu, unable to withstand the barrage, blurted out, "I get it! I'll do it, okay?"
"You seem reluctant. If that's the case..."
"I didn't say I was reluctant."
"Really?"
Qin Yu mumbled sullenly, "Mm-hmm, I didn't say I was reluctant."
Shenhe nodded knowingly. So she is willing after all. She sensed a subtle difference in Qin Yu's reaction compared to usual. Could this be what she meant by "not being polite"?
Family members don't need to be polite to each other—Shenhe's belief remained unchanged.
Therefore, Qin Yu's lack of politeness toward her was actually something to be happy about.
No matter what, Shenhe would accept everything about Qin Yu, just as Qin Yu accepted her.
But if it's something to be happy about, shouldn't I smile? With this thought, Shenhe smiled at Qin Yu.
"I'm very happy."
You sure look it, hmmph.
Seeing Shenhe smile only made Qin Yu's mood darken further, though she didn't show it.
"Qin Yu."
"Hmm?"
Shenhe gently kissed Qin Yu's cheek, expressing pure gratitude and affection. Her gaze was soft, and though she didn't speak, Qin Yu could understand her thoughts and feelings in that moment.
Qin Yu, her face flushed, gazed at Shenhe before quickly averting her eyes.
Just for a moment? The thought flashed through her mind like an electric shock, and she couldn't help but shake her head.
What are you thinking? You can't think like that! After all, we'll be living together every day from now on. If such strange thoughts persist, who knows what might happen?
"It's getting late," Shenhe said, rising to her feet.
"Wait!" Qin Yu grabbed her hand, pulling her back down.
I didn't mean to call out to her!
Under Shenhe's questioning gaze, Qin Yu released her hand. "L-let's go shopping tomorrow, okay? We need to restock on groceries and daily necessities."
The excuse had come to her on the spot, but fortunately, Shenhe didn't suspect anything and nodded.
"Alright, we'll go together tomorrow."
"Mmm... good night."
"Good night."
Qin Yu watched Shenhe leave the room, pursing her lips.
She didn't even ask to sleep together... Well, whatever. I don't care anyway, Qin Yu muttered to herself, lying back down.
Time to sleep!