Several days after Qin Yu resolved to confess the truth to Yanfei, she seized the opportunity when Yanfei mentioned having to leave to handle a case, insisting on accompanying her.
As Secretary to Tianquan Ningguang, who oversaw the drafting of Liyue's laws, Qin Yu possessed a comprehensive understanding of the latest legal statutes. She seamlessly filled the role of Yanfei's assistant, lacking nothing in her competence.
This greatly eased Yanfei's workload.
"You've been a tremendous help! I could have managed alone, but with you here, we've doubled our efficiency and cleared everything effortlessly!"
Excellent! First impressions secured! Qin Yu thought, clenching her fist inwardly.
A direct confession might be too abrupt. She needed to prepare Yanfei first.
And so far, her plan was proceeding flawlessly, perfectly.
"Alright, as a token of my gratitude for your assistance, let me treat you to lunch!"
"Sounds wonderful."
However, on their way back to Liyue Harbor...
"Hold it right there, ladies."
At the sound of the voice, several men and women brandishing swords and knives emerged from the forest, encircling the pair.
Bandits? Qin Yu warily drew her Combat Pistol, simultaneously initiating Data Collection on the uninvited guests.
The rapid surge in the Data Collection rate revealed their relatively weak combat capabilities, despite their surprisingly high-quality equipment—far beyond what typical bandits would possess.
Yanfei sighed knowingly. "Oh dear, another one of these again?"
"Again?" Yanfei sighed. "As Liyue's foremost legal expert, I've occasionally attracted unwanted attention from those who want to 'teach me a lesson.' It's rare, but not unheard of."
So this is a thing? Qin Yu thought, her anger flaring. She couldn't tolerate such threats.
"Hmph, now you know. If you don't stop soon, you'll regret it—"
[ Data Collection Rate: 100% ]
Now. Causality Calculation!
The enemy's future actions were instantly calculated. Qin Yu immediately deployed four Satellite Components, which fired a series of non-lethal beams at the predicted locations.
There was no dodging, no blocking.
In less than ten seconds, the group that had surrounded them lay unconscious on the ground.
They didn't even finish their sentence.
Qin Yu scoffed inwardly. Anyone who dared to offend her and her friends deserved this fate. If not for her plan to hand them over to the Millelith, she would have ended them outright.
How to ensure one's safety?
Simple. Eliminate all enemies.
Yanfei blinked rapidly, snapping out of her daze. "Wow! They all went down in the blink of an eye! I didn't even get a chance to act. Thanks! You're amazing!"
She wasn't this strong at first, Yanfei marveled.
"No need to thank me," Qin Yu replied with a gentle smile. "I just wanted to protect you, Yanfei."
But a little extra praise wouldn't hurt, she thought.
Evaluation: D
Just wanted to protect me? Yanfei's thoughts raced. The word "just" implies that Qin Yu had only me on her mind... only me?! And she even seemed a little flustered. I really am an important friend to her...
Her face flushed, her heart pounded, and she blurted out:
"You're very important to me too..."
The conversation took such an unexpected turn that Qin Yu, completely baffled, could only chuckle awkwardly, thinking Yanfei was still her usual self.
Well, this unchanged side of her is something I'm already used to.
"Ahaha... I-I see."
I really want to know what goes on in Yanfei's head most of the time, Qin Yu thought. It's fast, sure, but when we're alone, her thoughts sometimes jump all over the place.
Is this how all clever people are?
Yanfei crouched down and fished out a letter, reading aloud, "'Quickly dispose of that annoying legal expert'..." Good, now we have the evidence. Let's go find the Millelith.
"So careless, carrying the evidence with them," Qin Yu remarked.
"Ha ha, not everyone is good at scheming. Besides, this saves us a lot of trouble," Yanfei chuckled.
After summoning the Millelith to handle the remaining formalities, Qin Yu and Yanfei returned to the law firm.
"Whew—I'm exhausted... Let's rest for a bit. Oh, right, Qin Yu, you said you wanted to practice your acting. I don't have any plans later, so I can spend all the time you need helping you!" Yanfei said, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
I wonder what else Qin Yu might do to me.
...Wait, is this a weird way to think? Yanfei suddenly felt troubled. She couldn't shake the feeling that the more time she spent with Qin Yu, the stranger she became.
And I even had that dream about kissing her before...
Yanfei thought, a little embarrassed, as she smoothed her hair. Even though I don't find any of this repulsive, the more these strange thoughts persist, the more I wonder if something's wrong with me.
Qin Yu, flustered, stammered, "Well... this..."
Should I tell her? Or wait for a better moment?
Perhaps wait for a more opportune time—no, no, no! I can't think like that! Qin Yu shook her head vehemently. She knew that the more she indulged herself, the less progress she would make.
Now's the time! There's no other choice!
Having mentally burned her bridges, Qin Yu took a deep breath, strode up to Yanfei, and grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Yanfei!"
"Yes?!" Yanfei, utterly bewildered, responded reflexively.
What's happening? I don't understand.
Qin Yu continued urgently, "I have something very important I need to tell you!"
Something important?
"H-how important is it?" Yanfei asked, stunned.
"It concerns my entire life."
A life-altering matter!
Yanfei hadn't expected such a serious topic, but seeing Qin Yu's earnest expression, she knew it was no joke.
Life is full of major events: birth, aging, illness, death, marriage, career—who knows which it could be?
Currently, Qin Yu serves as Secretary to Ningguang, so her career is already smooth sailing. Birth, aging, illness, and death are also far removed from her immediate concerns. Could it be marriage, then?
Yanfei's mind raced, growing increasingly anxious.
I need to hear this properly, she thought.
"Tell me," Yanfei urged earnestly.
Qin Yu stammered, "Before I say anything, um... I want you to be mentally prepared. This might not make you very happy."
"Of course! If you're not happy, just tell me straight. I'll... I'll figure something out."
Mentally prepared? Might not make me very happy? Yanfei mused. There aren't many things that would upset me, except maybe troublesome work like civil disputes.
But this probably isn't about work...
If I had to guess, it's probably marriage... Qin Yu's getting married?! The thought burned through Yanfei's mind like wildfire.
She imagined Qin Yu's future wedding, with herself as a bridesmaid, witnessing everything firsthand.
Qin Yu deserved happiness, and Yanfei knew she should be celebrating with her. Yet no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't muster any joy.
"Who is it?!" Yanfei blurted out.
Qin Yu stared back, bewildered. "Eh? What?"
Why can't she understand me? Yanfei wondered.
"Y-you're getting married, right?" Yanfei stammered, flustered. "I want to know who it is! Do I know them?"
Ha?!
Qin Yu had no idea she was supposedly getting married. This was clearly a misunderstanding on Yanfei's part.
But how had the misunderstanding even arisen?
"No, no, I'm not getting married," Qin Yu replied hastily.
If it wasn't marriage, what other major life event could it be?
Wait, Qin Yu wanted to tell me something... Could it be...? Does she... have feelings for me? Yanfei's thoughts raced. If that's true, what should I do?
A woman with another woman... it's not impossible, but I have no romantic experience and I'm completely unprepared for this.
Confused, Yanfei blurted out, "Let me think!"
What do you need to think about? No! I won't allow it! I've cut off all my escape routes and planned to confess everything right now. You can't refuse to listen! Qin Yu thought frantically.
"No," she said firmly.
"Then I'm willing to..."
"Eh?"
"Hm?"
Why have we been talking at cross-purposes this whole time? Qin Yu sighed inwardly and forcibly steered the conversation back on track.
"Please let me explain. I... uh... the person I usually am isn't the real me. It's all an act, a persona I've been playing—someone cheerful, lively, and enthusiastic."
She stammered, but pressed on with her explanation.
"I did it because I didn't want to be disliked, but it's true that I've been deceiving you. I'm sorry, Yanfei. And I want to be my true self around you from now on..."
After speaking, Qin Yu paused, glancing at Yanfei's reaction.
Yanfei remained silent, her gaze fixed intently on Qin Yu.
How is she taking this? Qin Yu wondered anxiously. She wanted to urge Yanfei to speak, but realizing the legal expert was likely either deep in thought or gathering her composure, she dared not interrupt.
In moments like these, silence was acceptable, but maintaining eye contact was crucial.
Eye contact was a demonstration of sincerity.
Resisting the urge to look away, Qin Yu met Yanfei's gaze, holding her breath as she waited for Yanfei's final response.
Acceptance or rejection?
Hatred or indifference?
After what felt like an eternity, when Qin Yu was nearly suffocating from holding her breath, Yanfei finally replied with a simple:
"Oh..."
"Huh?"
Just... that? A simple "Oh," and nothing more?
What a flat reaction!
While the neutrality was a relief—at least she wasn't hated—Qin Yu couldn't help but press further:
"Yanfei, you don't find it... repulsive?"
"Even if you put it that way..."
Yanfei frowned slightly, then sighed resignedly. "I don't even know what to think right now. If someone suddenly came up to you and said, 'I'm not who I am!'—what would you think?"
"That..."
That would be very confusing indeed, Qin Yu thought awkwardly.
"But I want to thank you for telling me all this. Even though I can't fully process it yet, you must have put a lot of effort and resolve into being so honest with me!" Yanfei said with a radiant smile.
Warmth surged through Qin Yu's chest and welled up in her eyes.
Just as Yanfei had said, she had indeed mustered immense resolve, her heart pounding with fear moments before. To have Yanfei understand this so clearly moved her deeply.
Qin Yu lowered her head and murmured softly, "Mhm... I'm sorry."
Evaluation: C
Yanfei exclaimed in surprise, "Are you crying?"
"N-no," Qin Yu replied, her voice slightly hoarse.
This threw Yanfei into a panic. She hadn't expected Qin Yu to cry—what should she do? After a moment of awkward fumbling, Yanfei recalled how Qin Yu had once kissed her eyelid.
Coming to her senses, Yanfei found herself cradling Qin Yu's face, leaning close to the corner of her eye. Her lips brushed lightly against the corner of Qin Yu's eye, taking away a tear.
Evaluation: B-
A bit salty, Yanfei thought. This was the first time she had tasted someone else's tears, and they tasted almost identical to her own. The slight salty tang brought a blush to both their faces.
"Yanfei, just now..." Qin Yu struggled to find the words.
Yanfei awkwardly averted her gaze, stammering defensively, "I-I just wanted to cheer you up!"
"Thank you," Qin Yu said with a sincere smile.
Evaluation: B+
Yanfei's face flushed even hotter.
"Don't be polite, there's no need for formalities. Besides, I'm quite satisfied too..." she blurted out instinctively.
"Huh? Satisfied?"
"I mean—ah, no, that's not what I meant to say... Anyway, let's get back to the main topic! I've already digested most of it," Yanfei hastily corrected herself.