Qin Yu froze for a few seconds, stunned by Hu Tao's words. When she finally recovered, she immediately replied:
"No way."
Hu Tao was likely just acting on a whim, her curiosity piqued by the idea.
Qin Yu had no intention of indulging her.
"You're just curious or find it amusing, right?" Qin Yu pushed Hu Tao off her lap and picked up her book again.
Hu Tao snatched the book away.
"Wait..."
Before Qin Yu could finish speaking, Hu Tao pressed down on her shoulders.
"So, if I were to ask you seriously, you'd say yes?" Hu Tao asked, her eyes sparkling with mischievous curiosity.
Seriously? Qin Yu thought. Even less likely. The idea felt inherently strange. Besides, Hu Tao would never genuinely want a formal relationship like that.
Qin Yu sighed. "Absolutely not."
"Then what do you want me to do? No matter what I say, you'll reject me, even though it's just for a day. And considering your work schedule, it would really only be an hour or so. You can't even give me that? That's just mean!" Hu Tao pouted dramatically, puffing out her cheeks in mock indignation.
Qin Yu felt a little embarrassed. No matter what, she simply couldn't accept this.
"Why do you suddenly want to do this?" she asked, changing the subject.
"A close acquaintance of mine recently fell in love."
Ah, that explains it, Qin Yu thought, feeling she understood now. "So, you're curious about what it feels like?"
"You really get me!"
Hu Tao mused thoughtfully, "Look, when you survey modern poetry and drama, a lot of it revolves around love, right? As Director, I'm exceptionally intelligent, well-read, and deeply empathetic."
Qin Yu hummed indifferently, "Oh."
"Don't give me that skeptical look! Anyway, even as Director, I don't know everything. If something doesn't interest me, I just let it pass, paying it no mind."
Hu Tao continued, "But lately, I've been really fixated on this. Unless I figure it out, it feels like slimes are crawling all over me, it's so uncomfortable."
Qin Yu still wasn't particularly interested. She was indeed curious about romance, but only out of casual curiosity—the kind she'd forget in a blink. It wasn't like Hu Tao, who felt she needed to experience it firsthand.
"So I thought, 'Why not just try it out once?'" Hu Tao said playfully.
"Mmm-hmm..."
"Fishy Treasure, aren't you even a little curious?"
Qin Yu immediately replied, "Not at all."
"But you really like kissing! How strange..." Hu Tao frowned slightly, puzzled by this contradiction.
Heat flushed Qin Yu's cheeks as she insisted, "I never said I liked it. I told you earlier, it was just a thank-you gift—I was just going along with what you wanted to do."
"Well, you certainly nailed it, then. You completely satisfied me."
Qin Yu, growing slightly irritated, said bluntly, "I'm going home."
"Hey, hey, hey! Wait a minute! Don't be mad, I'm just complimenting you!" Hu Tao pressed down on Qin Yu, preventing her escape.
Fortunately, Qin Yu wasn't like a real fish—she didn't wriggle and squirm when held down. She just needed the gesture. As soon as Hu Tao said that, she quieted down.
"You said you wanted to go along with me, so..." Hu Tao thought of a good way to phrase it.
Qin Yu remained silent.
Hu Tao said somewhat shyly, "Then, could you humor me just one more time? I promise you won't be disappointed!"
Qin Yu still didn't respond, casually playing with her hair.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" Hu Tao asked.
"That wasn't a real compliment earlier," Qin Yu steered the conversation back to their previous topic.
Hu Tao quickly understood her meaning. "I'm sorry for making you angry," she apologized.
Only then did Qin Yu's displeasure dissipate.
"Sigh, forget it... Even though you said that... Are the people you know male or female? I want to ask first," Qin Yu said.
"She's female."
"And her partner is?"
"Male."
Qin Yu pointed to herself. "And I am?"
"Fish."
Don't tease me, Qin Yu thought, unable to resist nipping Hu Tao's finger.
"I get it now! You're a cat!" Hu Tao exclaimed with a mischievous grin.
Then her expression shifted slightly.
"Ouch—stop, stop, stop! That hurts! I'm not a real peach, you know. Biting me won't make juice come out, only blood!" Hu Tao yelped, much to Qin Yu's amusement.
It's good that you admit you were wrong.
But seeing the clear bite mark on Hu Tao's finger, Qin Yu felt a pang of guilt. She brought the finger to her lips, covering the throbbing pain with her warm, moist breath.
Hu Tao's face flushed crimson, her heart pounding as she kept stealing glances.
"...Even if you want to try, Hu Tao, wouldn't it be better to try with a woman?" Qin Yu said, hoping to dissuade Hu Tao from the idea.
"I don't care if it's a man or a woman," Hu Tao replied casually.
Come to think of it, they had discussed this topic before.
Now Qin Yu was at a loss for how to dissuade Hu Tao.
Seeing Qin Yu's hesitant expression, Hu Tao pondered for a moment, deciding to try a reverse psychology tactic.
"I understand," Hu Tao said, feigning disappointment. "If you're not willing, that's fine. I'll just ask Yun Jin instead—"
Before she could finish, Qin Yu immediately grabbed her hand.
"I-I didn't say I wasn't willing!"
The words blurted out before Qin Yu even realized what she was saying.
Hu Tao jumped in surprise. While the reverse psychology had worked, the reaction was far more intense than she'd expected. But seeing the desperate look on Qin Yu's face, she couldn't help but feel delighted.
"Really? You were so against it just a moment ago," Hu Tao teased, her face beaming.
Cornered, Qin Yu couldn't back down now.
She forced herself to say stiffly, "I changed my mind, so..."
Still harboring some pent-up frustration, Qin Yu turned to clutch Hu Tao's sleeve.
"There's no need to look for anyone else."
Hu Tao's face flushed even hotter. She couldn't quite grasp what this feeling was, but she found Qin Yu utterly adorable in that moment. She could only stammer in response.
"Oh..."
Qin Yu suddenly felt drained. She sighed and asked, "Do you have any ideas?"
"Hmm?"
"Like... how we should actually do it."
Hearing this, Hu Tao regained a bit of her composure and pondered for a moment.
"Just do what we usually do, I guess?"
It was immediately clear that Hu Tao hadn't made any plans or preparations whatsoever.
"Then Hu Tao, do you even know what people usually do?" Qin Yu pressed.
"Hmm~ Sss... I don't know. Fishy Treasure, do you know?"
How could I possibly know?! Qin Yu stammered, "If it were in a novel, I might have an idea. But... isn't that pretty much how it is anyway?"
"How is it?"
An unspeakable scene flashed through Qin Yu's mind. She hastily shook her head to banish the intrusive thoughts.
No, no, not like that.
"Just... going out and having fun, stuff like that," Qin Yu said uncertainly.
Hu Tao's eyes lit up in realization.
She immediately grabbed Qin Yu's hand, her excitement soaring. "Then let's go out and play!"
"E-eh? Wait, no! I can't!"
"What's wrong?"
Had Hu Tao forgotten already? Qin Yu had no choice but to explain again, "I can only maintain my original form in private, remember? I can't do it outside."
"Ah, that's right."
Qin Yu thought Hu Tao would give up, but she laughed again. "It's fine, right? You're used to it by now, aren't you?"
"I'm just used to staying here," Qin Yu replied.
She couldn't bring herself to go out without her "mask."
Even if I want to experience what it's like to be social, I don't necessarily have to go outside, Qin Yu thought, nodding to herself in agreement. I can experience it indoors too.
"But you can't stay like this forever, can you?" Hu Tao said calmly.
Hu Tao's words struck Qin Yu's heart.
That's right.
She could no longer bear it. She longed to reveal her true self to Shenhe and the others, hoping they would accept her and grant her everything the persona possessed.
Her mindset had shifted, and things she could once do easily were now changing.
Hu Tao laughed again. "Besides, you can just act as usual outside, right?"
"As usual?"
"Exactly. Treat everyone else as usual, and when no one's around us, you can switch back. It shouldn't be too difficult for you, right?"
In theory, it was possible, and it didn't sound unreasonable.
Qin Yu, however, lacked experience and remained uneasy.
"I don't have much experience..."
"Then gain some! Don't worry, I've got your back. I already told you I'll help you disguise yourself. You have to trust me," Hu Tao said, confidently patting her chest.
Encouraged, Qin Yu felt a flicker of confidence.
Yet she remained hesitant, her anxiety still lingering. "But—"
"Ugh, no more 'buts'! Have some faith in yourself!"
"Even if you say that..."
Qin Yu's really stubborn about this, Hu Tao thought. But we need to overcome this eventually. Procrastinating won't help.
Hu Tao wished Qin Yu could live well and leave this world without regrets—though death seemed distant for them now, Hu Tao had already made up her mind about it.
After a moment's thought, Hu Tao had an idea.
"You said your disguise is your 'magic,' right?" Hu Tao asked.
Why bring that up now? Qin Yu was puzzled but nodded anyway.
"Yeah, that's right..."
"Then I'll cast a spell on you too! That way, you'll definitely be able to do it," Hu Tao declared.
Qin Yu was completely bewildered. "What?"
"Don't ask questions. Just close your eyes first."
Is she going to do something weird again? Qin Yu wondered, but she obeyed anyway, closing her eyes. She quickly felt Hu Tao's breath on her face.
Evaluation: SSS-
For a fleeting moment, their lips overlapped before parting.
Qin Yu opened her eyes and touched her lips. Was Hu Tao just using this as an excuse to kiss me?
The thought irritated her, but when she looked up, she saw Hu Tao's radiant smile.
"Alright! I've given you my magic. You'll definitely be fine now. Let's go!"
What on earth is this? Qin Yu wanted to retort, but Hu Tao's smile and that fleeting kiss seemed to have imbued her with some kind of energy, making her feel much more relaxed.
It's like I really was enchanted.
A warmth spread through Qin Yu's chest, and she nodded slowly.
"Okay..."
There's no harm in trying.