"Mmm..." With a low, mumbled sound, Qin Yu slowly opened her eyes.
"Good afternoon, Qin Yu. Did you sleep well?" Ganyu asked, lying on her side nearby.
Qin Yu mumbled a groggy response, wondering if she was still dreaming.
As her consciousness gradually cleared, she realized Ganyu was lying beside her and jolted awake in shock.
"Waaah?! How did I end up sleeping with you?"
Ganyu looked puzzled. "Didn't you lie down here yourself?"
"Eh? Me? Ah..."
That's right, I did.
Qin Yu tapped her head, her sluggish brain finally snapping into gear as she recalled the events before falling asleep.
She had prepared a makeshift bed for Ganyu and then lain down beside her to sleep.
I was supposed to scare Ganyu, but I'm the one who got spooked instead.
Feeling both embarrassed and ashamed, Qin Yu was about to speak when she saw:
Evaluation: S
Evaluation: SS-
Huh?
Why am I getting evaluations now?
Did Ganyu do something while I was asleep? Qin Yu's mind raced with wild speculation.
What could she have done? Something strange?
But she quickly dismissed the thought, convinced Ganyu wouldn't do anything like that.
Ningguang, on the other hand, might.
Even with these thoughts, Qin Yu couldn't shake her unease.
This was her first time sleeping with Ganyu, and any unexpected occurrence felt impossible to ignore.
Sister Ganyu, did you do anything while I was asleep?—Should I ask her that?
The question seemed rather abrupt and nonsensical, especially asked at this moment, as if Qin Yu were hoping Ganyu had done something to her.
Still, I can't help but be curious.
Qin Yu continued to let her imagination run wild. Did she stroke my hair? Or maybe... She couldn't resist touching her lips.
This small, conspicuous gesture sent Ganyu's face flushing crimson.
"I-I didn't do anything!" Ganyu stammered defensively.
Oh?
Qin Yu feigned confusion. "Sister Ganyu, what are you talking about? 'Didn't do anything'? Why would you suddenly say that? Could it be that while I was asleep..."
Ganyu realized her reflexive denial had dug her into a deeper hole.
The more I deny, the deeper I dig myself in. She lowered her voice. "I couldn't resist stroking your hair... that's all."
Then why were there two Evaluations?
Suspicious.
"Really?" Qin Yu leaned closer, her gaze piercing.
Ganyu shifted back a step, her gaze flickering nervously. "Of course it's true."
She's not telling the whole truth.
"Just that?" Qin Yu asked, her voice skeptical, yet a part of her felt vaguely disappointed if that was all.
"U-um, yes, only... that. Or... Qin Yu, did you wish I had done something else?"
Qin Yu instinctively wanted to answer "No," but the situation felt eerily familiar.
Ningguang often used this kind of rhetorical question to seize control of the conversation.
She couldn't just deny it outright.
So she said, "Mmm."
"Eh?"
This wasn't how Ganyu had anticipated things would go. Did Qin Yu actually want her to have done something else?
What exactly does "something else" entail?
"So, Sister Ganyu, did you do anything else? If you did... I'd be really happy."
Screw it! Qin Yu thought recklessly. I don't actually feel this way.
But driven by her curiosity, she forced the insincere words out.
Evaluation: SS+
I didn't actually mean that, stop popping up!
Happy? Ganyu's heart pounded. Did Qin Yu also want...?
After agonizing over her words, she finally stammered, "I did do something else."
"What was it?" Qin Yu asked eagerly.
Unable to express the truth verbally, Ganyu could only reenact it through action.
She raised a slender finger, pressed it against Qin Yu's lips, then brought it to her own before lowering her gaze and falling silent.
Qin Yu felt a surge of warmth coursing through her body.
"Sister Ganyu, did you... kiss me?" Qin Yu stammered, her mind racing.
Ganyu's eyes widened, and she quickly protested, "I didn't! I didn't do that. I just... used my fingers like I did before..."
Fingers? Qin Yu reflexively pressed her hand to her skirt before realizing what Ganyu meant.
It was the same thing Qin Yu had done to Ganyu while she was sleeping—just an indirect kiss using their fingertips.
"Oh... just indirect, then."
Qin Yu inexplicably felt a twinge of disappointment.
At that moment, Ganyu sat up, the blush still lingering on her cheeks. "Alright, we've slept long enough. It's time to get up."
"...Five more minutes wouldn't hurt, right?"
"Eh? Qin Yu, do you still want to sleep?"
Qin Yu averted her gaze. "No, I've had enough sleep. I just meant... let's chat for a bit longer. It's hard to jump straight into work as soon as we wake up."
At least give me some buffer time to transition smoothly into work mode.
Ganyu smiled softly. "Alright, let's chat for a while then."
"Mm."
Qin Yu sat up and ran a comb through her hair.
Ganyu then expressed her gratitude. "Thank you, Qin Yu, for setting up the floor mattress for me and carrying me over to sleep here."
Receiving Ganyu's gratitude brought a faint joy to Qin Yu, though she didn't let it show on her face.
"Did you sleep well?" Qin Yu asked casually.
"Very well. I wonder if it's because... you were sleeping beside me. I felt so relaxed."
Qin Yu gently pressed down on Ganyu's head as she combed her hair, saying, "Me too."
It seems I sleep more soundly when someone else is sleeping beside me.
"Did you have any dreams?" Qin Yu asked knowingly, teasingly.
Ganyu suddenly fell silent.
I did... and it was quite the dream. Even though it doesn't mean anything, I can't possibly tell Qin Yu about it.
After all, she was the subject of the dream.
"N-no, not at all. What about you, Qin Yu?"
"I'm not telling."
Ganyu pouted, muttering, "That's not fair!"
Seeing Ganyu's reaction only amused Qin Yu further.
"But if Sister Ganyu lets me touch her horns, I'll tell you," Qin Yu teased with a smile.
She probably won't agree anyway. She refused last time too.
"Ah, if that's the case... alright, you can touch them."
Ganyu agreed without much hesitation.
Qin Yu stared in astonishment.
Then, feeling embarrassed, she couldn't help but wonder, Why is she letting me this time? She always refused before.
"Are you sure, Sister Ganyu? You've always refused before," Qin Yu asked, unable to contain her curiosity.
The fact that something previously forbidden was now permitted was undeniably a change. And she had always been keenly sensitive to shifts in emotions and relationships.
"Mmm, it's okay... because it's you, Qin Yu," Ganyu replied, her voice growing softer with each word.
Ganyu's response didn't truly answer Qin Yu's lingering questions. She wanted to press further for an explanation, but she knew this opportunity might never come again.
So Qin Yu gently set down the comb and placed her hand on one of Ganyu's horns, carefully stroking it.
Compared to Yanfei's horns, Ganyu's felt slightly harder, yet the texture was still exquisite—smooth with a subtle, barely perceptible grain.
"Mmm..." Ganyu closed her eyes, her expression relaxing.
The physical warmth of Qin Yu's palm combined with the psychological comfort of being touched by her created a profound sense of ease.
This feels so good, Ganyu thought, her mind and body floating in contentment.
She wanted more.
Ganyu followed this longing and placed Qin Yu's other hand on her other horn.
She's being clingy again, Qin Yu thought, but since it was Ganyu, she didn't mind and continued silently stroking Ganyu's horns.
When her hand grew tired, she gently withdrew it.
The comfortable sensation abruptly ceased, and Ganyu immediately leaned forward, pressing her hands against the bamboo mat as she lowered her head and whispered:
"Just a little longer... just a little longer..."
Still more? Qin Yu wondered. Why does the older sister always act so clingy towards the younger sister?
Sister... Qin Yu suddenly realized she had never formally asked Ganyu if she truly considered her a younger sister.
But asking made her uneasy.
What kind of sister would indirectly kiss her younger sister with her fingers?
Moreover, touching Ganyu's horns, once forbidden, was now permitted.
Could she be seeing me as something else entirely? A lover? Lovers... please, not that again... Qin Yu sighed inwardly.
"Then, Sister Ganyu, would you answer a question for me?" Qin Yu seized the opportunity to make her request.
"A question? Of course. Tell me what's troubling you, and I'll do my best to help," Ganyu replied, slightly puzzled but still agreeing.
She then adopted a pose that seemed to say, "Please touch me."
Having secured her consent, Qin Yu secretly sighed in relief and continued to gently stroke Ganyu's horns.
What would happen if I bit them?
The fleeting thought flashed through Qin Yu's mind. After considering how to phrase her question clearly, she parted her lips slightly and asked:
"Sister Ganyu, what do you think of me?"
"Hmm?" Ganyu responded airily, as if half her mind were still immersed in the soothing sensation of having her horns stroked.
Qin Yu stammered, "I mean... what kind of person am I to you?"
"Ah..." Ganyu understood her meaning.
"You're very important to me," Ganyu answered without hesitation.
Qin Yu's heart fluttered with joy, but this wasn't the answer she was seeking.
"In what way important? Like family, or... something else? To me, Sister Ganyu, you're like my own sister, but I don't know how you see me."
Qin Yu withdrew her hand, and Ganyu looked up at her, studying her face.
So Qin Yu really does see me as her sister, Ganyu thought. No wonder she called me "Sister" so casually before.
"To me, status doesn't matter at all," Ganyu said candidly. "I've told you before, as long as I can be with you, Qin Yu, I'm perfectly content. But... having a younger sister like you feels wonderful."
Qin Yu's eyes lit up. "So you mean...?"
"Mm-hmm," Ganyu smiled gently. "If you want, I'll be your older sister."
Qin Yu couldn't resist throwing her arms around Ganyu.
"Wah?! Qin Yu?"
"Sister," Qin Yu said affectionately, her voice tinged with playfulness.
This was exactly what she had longed for.
Ganyu's expression softened as she returned the hug, whispering, "Mm, I am your older sister now. But even so, it feels like I'm always the one being taken care of by you in our daily lives..."
Does that even make me a proper older sister? Ganyu wondered anxiously.
"I don't mind at all," Qin Yu said.
"Qin Yu, could it be you really enjoy taking care of others?"
Qin Yu had never considered such a thing.
Love? Not exactly. It was just that Ganyu was one of the people she cared about most.
Being able to take care of them gave her a sense of being needed. If she couldn't care for them, Qin Yu felt she would feel uneasy.
"I just want to take care of you all," Qin Yu murmured softly.
Ganyu couldn't help but mutter, "I see... but if that's the case, am I still considered the older sister?"
"It's not like age dictates who takes care of whom," Qin Yu countered.
"Ah, you're right. Just like Yaoyao, even though she's younger, she's always taking care of everyone around her," Ganyu said with a smile.
Qin Yu suddenly bristled with dissatisfaction. "Yaoyao and I are nothing alike."
Ganyu sensed Qin Yu was sulking. Did I say something wrong?
But before she could figure it out, Qin Yu released her hand, her expression conflicted, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.
"Um, Sister Ganyu, there's something else I want to tell you. I hope you'll hear me out," she said earnestly, her voice tinged with nervousness.
"Ah, go ahead. I'll listen carefully."
Now was the perfect opportunity to reveal the truth.
Qin Yu took a deep breath and confessed, "I've actually been pretending all along, acting like someone with a completely different personality."
Ganyu gasped in surprise. "Is that so?"
"Yes, I did it because I didn't want you to hate me, Sister Ganyu, but I still lied to you... I'm so sorry. I want to tell you the truth and continue being with you as my true self."
Qin Yu thought it should be fine, because it was Ganyu.
But until the result came, she still felt a twinge of nervousness.
After listening, Ganyu asked, "Can you tell me... did you have a dream just now?"
"Eh?"
A dream?
Qin Yu nodded. "Yes, I was."
"And in your dream... was I there?"
Qin Yu didn't really want to answer that question, but under Ganyu's gaze, she blushed and reluctantly admitted, "Y-yes, you were."
She had indeed dreamt of Ganyu earlier, though she couldn't quite remember the details—only the lingering warmth remained.
Ganyu's heart swelled with joy. So Qin Yu had dreamed of her too!
"I actually dreamed of you too, Qin Yu," Ganyu said.
I know, Qin Yu thought, twirling a strand of her hair, unsure how to respond.
Why is the conversation suddenly shifting to this? I was trying to confess the truth.
Ganyu took Qin Yu's hand and said, "Qin Yu... you've already entered my heart long ago. That's why I dream of you. And for you, Qin Yu... have I entered your heart as well?"
"Mm-hmm," Qin Yu murmured, lowering her head.
"Then there's no problem. Qin Yu, I understand why you did what you did. You don't need to apologize; you were just protecting yourself."
A warmth spread through Qin Yu's chest. "Sister Ganyu..."
"Yes, I'm your sister," Ganyu said with a gentle smile.
"...Thank you," Qin Yu replied, her laughter tinged with both embarrassment and heartfelt gratitude.
With this, she had finally come clean with Shenhe and the others.
Goal achieved.
Just as Qin Yu felt a wave of relief wash over her, Ganyu added, "Actually, there's something I've been wanting to tell you too."
"What is it?"
Ganyu's heart began to race faster. She wanted to share her true feelings, just as Qin Yu had done moments before. But her nervousness made her stammer, words failing her.
"Sister Ganyu?"
Ganyu took a deep breath, steeling her resolve. I have to say it!
Riding that surge of courage, she closed the distance between them in an instant and declared, "Qin Yu, I love you."
Qin Yu's eyes widened in surprise.
"I'm sorry for saying it so suddenly, but these are my genuine feelings," Ganyu said, retreating slightly, her cheeks flushed with shyness.
Coming back to her senses, Qin Yu was first flooded with joy and bashfulness, the sensations sweeping through her entire being. But then, the memory of Yanfei's recent confession resurfaced, followed by thoughts of Ningguang and Keqing, and a wave of unease washed over her, tightening her chest.
"What kind of relationship is it? Is it romantic love or...?" Qin Yu asked stiffly.
"It's not romantic love, at least I don't think it is."
Ganyu gently stroked Qin Yu's hand. "As long as we can share our innermost thoughts with each other like this, huddling together for warmth, I feel completely content."
Hearing this, Qin Yu completely relaxed.
"I... me too," she stammered.
Ganyu continued, "I'm telling you all this, Qin Yu, not because I want you to do anything. I simply want to reciprocate your sincerity."
Ganyu's fingers interlaced with Qin Yu's, their hands intertwining as she whispered, "You confessed your feelings to me and shared the truth hidden in your heart. I want to do the same, nothing more."
"Sister Ganyu..."
Qin Yu thought she needed to express herself too.
"My feelings are exactly the same as yours, Sister Ganyu," she conveyed subtly.
Ganyu's cheeks flushed crimson as she murmured happily, "Is that so?"
The warmth in her words seemed to raise the surrounding temperature. A ticklish sensation stirred deep within Qin Yu's heart, making her yearn to continue sharing their innermost thoughts.
She looked up at Ganyu, their gazes meeting.
Watery waves trembled in Ganyu's eyes. The more she heard Qin Yu's heartfelt words, the harder it became to restrain herself.
Slowly, she leaned closer.
Realizing Ganyu's intentions, Qin Yu leaned in as well, allowing their lips to meet.
Evaluation: SSS-
The physical contact made Ganyu feel as if their souls were merging. Murmuring Qin Yu's name, she intertwined their fingers again, softly drawing closer.
After repeating this countless times, Qin Yu, lying beside Ganyu on the bamboo mat, whispered:
"Sister, is that enough for now?"
"Just a little longer... a little longer... Ah, if you don't mind, could you also touch my horns?" Ganyu shyly requested before pressing closer again.
Qin Yu wanted to protest, but the sounds she could make couldn't form words, let alone sentences.
Yet she felt Ganyu's deep affection, and as this yearning for love was continuously fulfilled, she gradually lost herself in it, unable to resist. She agreed to every request Ganyu made.
Ganyu was the same. Her yearning was no less intense than Shenhe's; she relentlessly sought to delve deeper into Qin Yu's heart.
What kind of sisters act like this?
But, in the end, it didn't really matter.
Sister Ganyu.
My sister, Qin Yu murmured inwardly.
Evaluation: SSS