Neither Yanfei nor Qin Yu had anticipated Hu Tao's sudden appearance at this moment, let alone such an earth-shattering declaration.
So, we're sisters now just because we like the same person? What kind of logic is that? Has she been following us this whole time? Qin Yu couldn't help but grumble inwardly.
In response to Yanfei's questioning, Hu Tao simply smiled and replied, "Yup!"
"You're kidding, right? This can't be real..." Yanfei stared in disbelief.
Yet, upon further reflection, it wasn't surprising that others would be drawn to Qin Yu.
Still, what did Hu Tao mean by "sisters"? Shouldn't those who like the same person be rivals, not allies?
Is this some kind of code?
Sisters... does that mean "fratricide"?
Is she declaring war?!
It was never imagined things would escalate like this. Why Hu Tao had appeared at this moment was no longer important; what mattered now was how to proceed.
Yanfei considered Hu Tao a close friend.
Though Hu Tao's eccentric personality often led her to do and say things that others found incomprehensible, she was fundamentally a good person. Yanfei cherished their friendship and wanted to preserve it.
Yet now, they had become rivals for the same person.
This truly feels like "fratricide," Yanfei sighed inwardly.
However, since it was a fair and reasonable competition, there was no need to back down. The winner's crown would go to whoever proved most deserving.
Yanfei replied earnestly, "Alright, I accept!"
"Huh?" Qin Yu exclaimed, utterly astonished.
Hu Tao chimed in, equally surprised, "Wow! Yanfei, you're so magnanimous and reasonable! That's exactly what I like about you, Director!"
"From now on, you'll call me Sister Hu Tao, and I'll call you Sister Yanfei. We'll each use our own titles, but since we're both sisters who adore Fishy Treasure, let's make it a habit to travel together in threes—flanking her from front and back, encircling her from left and right—leaving Fishy Treasure utterly flustered! What do you say?"
Yanfei stared blankly, "Huh?"
Evaluation: D (Hu Tao)
"What's with all this 'flanking from front and back' and 'encircling from left and right' nonsense! Stop being weird!" Qin Yu said, a blush creeping up her cheeks as inappropriate thoughts flashed through her mind.
Hu Tao squeezed in beside Qin Yu on the other side and sat down.
"Ooh? What's got you so worked up, Fishy Treasure?" Hu Tao teased, her eyes sparkling mischievously.
"I should be asking you what you're thinking about," Qin Yu retorted, annoyed.
"Hmm~ I have no idea!" Hu Tao feigned innocence.
Qin Yu couldn't resist tugging at her cheek. Hu Tao only laughed harder, leaving Qin Yu utterly exasperated.
Her cheeks felt soft when pinched, but her skin was as thick as stone.
Moreover, no matter what Qin Yu did to her, Hu Tao seemed to find it amusing.
Yanfei, witnessing their close interaction, hadn't even had time to feel jealous before she suddenly grasped the meaning behind Hu Tao's earlier words.
The three of us together?
Yanfei's mind raced. "According to the current Liyue Marriage Law, bigamy is a crime—it's illegal!"
Hu Tao waved her hand dismissively. "We'd have to get married first, wouldn't we?"
"Can't argue with that..." Yanfei sighed, pressing a hand to her forehead.
"Therefore, we haven't violated any laws!" Hu Tao declared with righteous conviction.
Qin Yu said helplessly, "You're just twisting logic."
"Aiya, this is perfectly sound logic, not twisted at all!"
"For example, a man could have eight hundred girlfriends without marrying any of them. Since they're not married, it's not bigamy, so he hasn't broken any laws."
"Sure, others might disapprove, but if no one's being harmed and all the girlfriends are genuinely happy and fulfilled, what does it matter what anyone else thinks?"
"Besides," Hu Tao continued smoothly, expressing her personal view, "we're all going to end up buried in the ground anyway. Why bother obsessing over such trivial matters?"
Qin Yu couldn't help but marvel once again at Hu Tao's silver tongue.
"If someone actually managed to have eight hundred girlfriends, people would just think he's outrageous and impressive," Qin Yu retorted, mocking the hypothetical example.
Then she added, "And wouldn't it be better to be devoted to just one person?"
"Fishy Treasure, you're hardly in a position to say that!" Hu Tao teased, poking Qin Yu's cheek with a laugh.
"I-I know!"
Qin Yu was painfully aware of her own greed.
She craved the affection of Shenhe and the others, yearning to stay with them forever... Fully conscious of her own selfishness, she refused to relinquish this desire—a far cry from true devotion.
But it didn't matter.
This was all she wanted, and she couldn't live without it.
Still, being called out by Hu Tao made Qin Yu feel a bit awkward. She snapped back:
"I'm just stating the common sense of the world," Qin Yu said.
"But you're not following it," Hu Tao retorted casually.
Qin Yu grew increasingly awkward. If she were alone with Hu Tao, she could have continued the conversation, but Yanfei was also present.
She glanced at Yanfei, who stood beside her.
Yanfei wore a dazed expression, her brain seemingly overloaded.
Hu Tao leaned down, propping her cheek in her hand. "Yanfei?" she called, waving a hand in front of Yanfei's face.
"Did she short-circuit?" Hu Tao asked incredulously.
"No way!" Yanfei covered her face and took a deep breath. "I'm just... finding it hard to think. Ah—no, what's going on? First, I confessed, then you suddenly jumped in, and then... wait, what?"
She paused thoughtfully.
"Hiss..." she hissed, drawing in a sharp breath.
With an incredulous expression, Yanfei asked, "Hu Tao, are you saying that... the..."
"Let's all eat fish together!" Hu Tao grinned mischievously.
What do you mean by 'eat'?
"Share Qin Yu?" Yanfei finally blurted out the question.
"Mhm, that's right," Hu Tao replied.
Upon receiving confirmation, Yanfei stood up, pacing back and forth in agitation. How could something like this even happen?! she thought.
Not competition, but sharing.
"Wait a minute," Yanfei suddenly realized.
She quickly asked, "Hu Tao, have you already become lovers with Qin Yu?"
"Not exactly," Hu Tao replied.
Huh? Not exactly? Yanfei grew even more confused.
"Whether we're lovers or not doesn't really matter," Hu Tao declared confidently. "I like Fishy Treasure, and Fishy Treasure likes me. Isn't that enough?"
Qin Yu felt a flicker of warmth hearing this, but Yanfei likely wouldn't see it that way.
Evaluation: C- (Hu Tao)
"Isn't that just dating?! You're just playing with words!" Yanfei retorted.
Qin Yu turned to Hu Tao. Is that really how you feel? Do you still want to be lovers?
"Aiya, I already said we're not dating!" Hu Tao shook her head, dismissing the matter as unimportant.
Yanfei slumped back into her seat, massaging her temples.
"This is... utterly unbelievable and unacceptable. A trio traveling together..."
Hu Tao grinned mischievously. "To be precise, it's six people, actually."
"...Huh? Six?"
"Remember the people who came to rescue Qin Yu? Excluding Yelan, of course," Hu Tao said tersely.
Feeling Yanfei's gaze, Qin Yu suddenly grew anxious and uneasy.
This look, just like the ones she had seen from Ningguang and Keqing before, was a complex mix of disappointment, desolation, heartache, and astonishment... utterly bewildering.
Yanfei sighed, rubbing her temples. "How could this happen..."
"Oh, by the way, it seems like they've all accepted it," Hu Tao added casually.
"Eh? Is that so? But... I can't accept it."
Yanfei's response was hardly surprising. Just because others had accepted it didn't mean she had to.
Still, Qin Yu's emotions churned like a turbulent sea. She frantically racked her brain for a solution to this predicament.
"So, what do you plan to do?" Hu Tao asked.
Yanfei folded her arms and fell silent for a moment.
"First, let's hear Qin Yu's thoughts on this," Yanfei said with a subtle edge to her voice, her curiosity piqued by Qin Yu's perspective.
"Ah... um."
After Qin Yu explained her reasoning to Yanfei, Hu Tao beside her suddenly understood.
So, that's how she sees it...
Yanfei knew that Ningguang and Keqing had already accepted Qin Yu's actions, but she hadn't known Qin Yu's true feelings until now.
Now that she understood, she could see why Qin Yu had acted the way she did.
Yanfei tried to put it into words: "For you, the most important thing is our relationship. Status doesn't matter to you at all..."
"Yes, exactly."
"I never wanted to leave you, Qin Yu. This time is no different."
This meant... Qin Yu still held a glimmer of hope.
But Yanfei immediately added in a low voice, "If status doesn't matter to you, then let's just pretend... let's pretend nothing happened today. From now on, we can still be good friends!"
Yanfei's response made Qin Yu's chest tighten.
"I don't want any distance between us."
"I promise there won't be any!" Yanfei replied instantly.
"Really?"
Even though we've already set our relationship on a different path...
Can feelings that have already changed truly return to how they were? Qin Yu didn't believe it, and deep down, Yanfei didn't have any confidence in it either.
Yanfei crossed her arms and sighed. "Of course it's true. What else can we do? I don't know... Accepting something like this is hard. I like you, Qin Yu, and that's exactly why it's so difficult."
"What others think is their business. I just can't get past this myself."
"Anyway, I'm leaving now. I need to go back and sort out my feelings."
Yanfei said, rising to leave. Qin Yu reacted faster than she could think, immediately hugging Yanfei.
Evaluation: S (Yanfei)
Yanfei's body trembled. Surprised and conflicted, she whispered, "Qin Yu..."
"For me, you've become everything," Qin Yu whispered. "So, I won't let go."
Yanfei, flustered, stammered, "Even if you say that..."
She took a deep breath.
"Do you realize how selfish you're being?" Yanfei challenged.
"I know, but I'll do anything. Anything at all. All I want is for our relationship to have no barriers, to be strong enough to last forever."
Yanfei lowered her gaze. "Then what about my feelings?"
"I'll work hard..."
Yanfei said, "It's not about whether you're trying hard enough. So many people adore you. Even if I accepted, what if you changed your mind in the future?"
"I'm not your childhood friend, nor am I particularly interesting. I can't match Ningguang's wealth, and though I'm a half-adeptus, I'm otherwise no different from ordinary people. Compared to the others around you, I'm... rather ordinary."
Each word Yanfei spoke left Qin Yu deeply astonished.
Is this what Yanfei truly thinks?
Is this the main reason she can't accept me?
Yanfei continued slowly, "Qin Yu, you know I'm a legal expert. I've seen countless cases of vows sworn ten years ago turning into bitter enmity a decade later."
"The instances where two people fail to last a lifetime are countless. And in your case... to be frank, I—I can't trust you."
It wasn't disappointment, but an inability to trust.
For Qin Yu, emotional distrust and rejection were the most devastating blow.
She understood that Yanfei's skepticism was perfectly reasonable, yet her fingertips grew cold, and her mind went blank.
Hu Tao sensed the danger. Qin Yu was clearly not the type to accept this situation. To someone who valued emotions so deeply, such skepticism was intolerable.
But before Hu Tao could intervene, Qin Yu asked, "Then how can I make you believe?"
"...I don't know. Just as you seek an unbreakable bond, so do I. But that can't be proven with mere words."
Yanfei continued, "Emotions are fickle, always changing. How can you prove they'll remain constant? Especially given your... circumstances."
If it were just the two of them, Yanfei might not have thought this way. But the reality was far more complicated.
At that moment, Qin Yu released her grip. Yanfei couldn't help but wonder if she had given up. Giving up would be for the best, she thought. Even if we can't be lovers, we can still be good friends.
Maybe.
Just as Yanfei was thinking this, she saw Qin Yu pull out a familiar pistol and aim it at her own side.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Yanfei exclaimed in alarm.
Qin Yu's eyes dimmed as she said, "I'll prove it... my feelings, everything... Don't doubt me, don't deny me..."
Just not that.
"Stop."
Hu Tao's stern voice brought both Qin Yu, who was about to pull the trigger, and Yanfei, who was about to stop her, to a halt.
"Aiya, Fishy Treasure, doing something like this isn't good. Put the weapon away."
"...Sorry." Qin Yu's mind cleared slightly, and she holstered the Combat Pistol, falling silent.
Love... Forget it. Whatever.
Hu Tao nodded, placing one hand on her hip. "If you really want to prove yourself, there's actually a way."
"A way? What way?" Yanfei asked, while keeping a close eye on Qin Yu, who was rubbing her face as if suppressing something that was threatening to surface.
It's okay, I'm fine, Qin Yu told herself, and the self-protective persona that had almost emerged receded back into the depths.
"First, let's find a place to rest properly and clear our heads," Hu Tao suggested.
Qin Yu had no objections, nor did Yanfei. They found a nearby teahouse, reserved a private room, and went inside to wait.
Before long, Hu Tao returned.
"Everything's ready! Time to start writing!" she announced, placing paper, pens, ink, and other supplies on the table.
"Writing?" Yanfei asked, puzzled.
Hu Tao smiled brightly. "Exactly! Since ancient times, Liyue has been the Nation of Contracts. If we want to prove that Qin Yu would never abandon you, this is the only way."
"I've encountered people who break contracts before," Yanfei said.
"Then let's specify penalties in the contract—what happens if it's violated," Hu Tao suggested, planting her hands on her hips.
"'Can this really prove anything?' you might be wondering. But you've already said that feelings are ever-changing. They're one thing today, but could be different tomorrow."
"And since feelings are invisible and intangible, there's no way to prove whether they'll last."
"Still, we should start by gauging intentions. To gain trust, you must first attempt to trust... So, tell me what you want the other person to promise, and I'll draft the contract accordingly."
The Contract's Terms
Qin Yu and Yanfei exchanged glances. Though they hadn't expected things to turn out this way, Qin Yu's resolve remained unchanged.
If this is what it takes to earn Yanfei's trust in my feelings, then let's make a contract.
"I will stay with Yanfei forever."
Yanfei's expression grew complex. "What if you break the contract?"
"Then... my life is yours to dispose of."
Yanfei was shocked again, but then sighed. "I don't need that. Just now, why do you treat your body so carelessly?"
"Yanfei, you are everything to me now."
That's precisely why.
Qin Yu lowered her head. "If I were separated from you, if there were any distance between us, then I..."
The rest went unsaid, yet Yanfei understood perfectly.
She could feel the immense weight of Qin Yu's feelings—heavy, yet undeniably genuine. All Qin Yu wanted was to be with them.
Yanfei found herself at a loss for words.
"Finished?" Hu Tao asked.
"Mm-hmm," Qin Yu nodded.
Yanfei sighed. "There's nothing else to say."
"Then let's sign it."
Hu Tao handed over the drafted contract, but despite being called a contract, it merely reiterated what Qin Yu had just said—deceptively simple.
Without hesitation, Qin Yu signed her name.
When it was Yanfei's turn, she stared intently at the sole clause of the contract.
If Qin Yu promises to never abandon me, could I accept that? Yanfei scrutinized her own heart.
Feelings are fickle things. One day they might be one way, the next day entirely different—wavering, unpredictable, and therefore impossible to prove eternal through any means.
Not even a contract could guarantee it.
A contract is merely a binding agreement, a solemn promise between parties to adhere to specified terms, with consequences for breach.
We need contracts precisely because we lack trust, using rules to bind each other and safeguard our interests.
But was such a contract truly necessary?
Yanfei recalled the emotions she had sensed from Qin Yu earlier, then, through relentless self-reflection, found her answer: I love Qin Yu. I can't let her go.
With a long sigh, Yanfei put down the pen. "I won't sign," she declared. "It's unnecessary."
Qin Yu's heart tightened. Yanfei scratched her cheek and continued, "I'll trust you, Qin Yu."
Evaluation: SS- (Yanfei)
"Eh?"
Yanfei smiled. "Your feelings are so strong, they're impossible to ignore. As for the future... we'll have to wait and see what happens. I'll trust you, but whether that trust lasts depends on you."
Evaluation: SS+ (Yanfei)
Qin Yu froze for a moment, then joyfully embraced Yanfei.
"Mhm!"
Yanfei's face flushed crimson, but she stammered, "So... about what happened earlier... please don't do that again."
"I won't," Qin Yu said, feeling a bit embarrassed but still speaking her truth. "As long as you both believe in my feelings... and of course, I'll make sure you do."
In the end, Yanfei accepted.
Feeling both relieved and wistful, Yanfei remembered that they hadn't officially started a relationship. She couldn't resist asking, "Qin Yu, can you say you like me? You know, you didn't properly respond when I confessed earlier, so I want to hear it now!"
It wouldn't hurt to just say it.
Qin Yu whispered, "I like Yanfei."
Yanfei's heart fluttered. "Then... are we lovers now?"
Lovers... Qin Yu's feelings were complex. But if Yanfei wanted a romantic relationship, she would accept it. She nodded gently.
"Great!"
"Yay!" Hu Tao chimed in, wrapping her arms around Qin Yu from behind.
Hu Tao's sudden embrace startled Qin Yu momentarily. Smiling, Hu Tao exclaimed, "Happy ending for everyone! Happy ending for everyone!"
She leaned close to Qin Yu's ear. "Is Fishy Treasure ready?"
"Huh? Ready for what?" Qin Yu asked, flustered.
Hu Tao exhaled a warm breath, sending shivers down Qin Yu's spine as she whispered, "We're all alone in this room, no one to interrupt, no one to see... so—it's time for some mischief!"