In the week that followed, Qin Yu would visit Hu Tao once to complete this "training."
Though she initiated these visits, they had agreed on another rule:
Come at least once a week.
Combined with their previous agreement of "at least two hours per visit," the arrangement settled into one visit per week, each lasting two hours.
This was the absolute minimum.
But even if this minimum was violated, it wouldn't be a major issue... No, there would still be consequences.
"If you don't come next time, I'll kiss you a hundred times! If you still don't come, I'll kiss you in public!"—these were Hu Tao's exact words.
Qin Yu would rather die than let that happen.
Though it sounded like coercion, it was more of a constraint.
"Because I know you'd stop coming if you were in a bad mood," Hu Tao explained. "When you're being your true self, there's bound to be friction, and you'll definitely overthink it."
"If you mind, you won't come. And if you don't come, we'll revert to how things were before. So, let's make a promise now: no matter what happens, you'll come once a week. But don't treat it like work, okay?"
Qin Yu was puzzled. Do I seem so unreliable? Even she couldn't answer that with certainty.
Hu Tao's insistence was actually a good thing.
They say that once you take a cat outside for a stroll, it becomes restless indoors. Once it discovers the fun of the outside world, everything it used to take for granted becomes dull.
The small world of its home becomes unbearable.
Qin Yu didn't feel like a cat at all.
Stepping out of one's comfort zone was troublesome, demanding effort and energy, with no guarantee the changes would be desirable. Even if you climbed to new heights, you could still plummet like a roller coaster, straight into the earth's core.
Just taking that half-step forward had already exhausted her.
Of course, the main reason was that Hu Tao, the pervert, had kissed her despite explicitly saying no kissing was allowed. Even thinking about it now left Qin Yu feeling irritated.
But at least this time seemed okay. Hu Tao hadn't shown any signs of disgust.
Still, navigating a new relationship required mutual exploration. Calling this a "transitional period" felt rather apt.
This first day with Hu Tao was just one chapter in this transitional period.
More chapters would need to be added to determine where this path would lead.
Upward or downward?
But Qin Yu wouldn't allow it to descend. The moment she sensed any warning signs, she would sever the relationship... How to handle Hu Tao after that would be another matter entirely.
After all, Hu Tao seemed quite dissatisfied with her "magic."
"I said I needed a breather, but it hasn't helped much," Qin Yu muttered as she poured the vegetables into the wok.
Her worries sizzled like the ingredients in the wok, all jumbled together. No matter how she stirred with the spatula, they remained trapped inside.
Of course, letting them spill out of the wok would be even worse.
We can't waste food! Qin Yu's thoughts leaped to this conclusion as she glanced at the clock.
It's almost time.
On this new weekly rest day, Qin Yu planned to prepare an afternoon meal for Keqing.
She had initially wanted to surprise Keqing, but unlike Ningguang, Keqing's schedule was incredibly tight.
Deliberately keeping the meal a secret in the name of surprise could easily lead to an awkward situation.
"Ah, I've already eaten... and I need to personally inspect the work site next. I'm sorry."
Forced to eat alone in bitter resentment, Qin Yu could only add to her weight.
That simply won't do!
So, during their "chance encounter" with Keqing that morning, Qin Yu had told her about the lunch plan.
"You're making lunch for me? Wonderful! I'm really looking forward to it, especially since your cooking is so delicious. I'll be in my office at noon—just come straight over," Keqing had replied with a smile.
Hmph, just wait and see.
Actually, Qin Yu had recalled another fragmented memory that morning: Little Keqing had always loved Golden Shrimp Balls. That's why she decided to make them this time.
However, this lunch was primarily intended to care for Keqing's health. While fried foods are undeniably delicious, they're not ideal for regular consumption.
Difficult to digest, prone to causing stomach problems, and so on... An occasional indulgence is fine, but frequent consumption requires caution.
That's why the soup Qin Yu prepared was the most crucial element.
Cooling and detoxifying, it was also highly nutritious, promoting well-being while alleviating fatigue. Its subtle sweetness was perfectly balanced, making it ideal for Keqing, who often worked late into the night.
Qin Yu watched the Golden Shrimp Balls emerge from the wok, nodding in satisfaction.
"Perfect."
Qin Yu savored another spoonful of the soup.
"This is perfect too."
But one final step remained: delivering it to Keqing.
After packing the meal and soup, Qin Yu made her way to Yujing Terrace. She knocked on Keqing's office door, and a prompt "Come in" echoed from within.
Pushing the door open, Qin Yu entered the room. Keqing's gaze shifted from her desk to the doorway.
"Oh, it's you. I was just wondering when you'd arrive," Keqing said with a smile.
"So I came at just the right time?" Qin Yu asked.
"Exactly right," Keqing nodded, rolling up the blueprints on her desk and setting them aside.
"Just leave them on the desk?" Qin Yu confirmed.
"Yes. By the way, have you already eaten, or were you planning to join me?" Keqing glanced at Qin Yu, secretly hoping she'd choose the latter.
Qin Yu chuckled. "Of course, I'll join you."
This way, she could conveniently earn some Points. Of course, the real reason—wanting to share a meal with Keqing—was too embarrassing to admit, even though saying it would be better. It was a matter of the heart.
Keqing's eyes lit up slightly. "Alright," she said, relieved.
Evaluation: D
Under Keqing's expectant gaze, Qin Yu opened the lid. A rich aroma wafted out, and Keqing gasped in surprise at the golden-yellow delicacy inside.
"These are... Golden Shrimp Balls?"
"Mm-hmm. I remembered how much you loved these when we were kids. And this version is a soup—I know you sometimes work late into the night, Keqing. Drinking this soup can help relieve some of your fatigue and replenish the nutrients you lose from staying up so late..."
How about that?!
Qin Yu looked at Keqing with unwavering confidence, thinking she would finally start praising her. Instead, she saw Keqing's eyes shimmering with tears.
What's going on? Qin Yu panicked. "D-do you not want to eat this?"
Keqing snapped out of her reverie and gently shook her head.
"No, it's just... it reminded me of something."
"What is it?" Qin Yu asked, puzzled.
Why can't I remember this?
Seeing Qin Yu's continued confusion, Keqing took a deep breath.
"You used to make these when we were little," she said, separating the two tiers of the lunchbox and setting out Qin Yu's portion. She paused for a moment before continuing.
Qin Yu couldn't help but wonder when she had ever made Golden Shrimp Balls during her childhood.
Guided by Keqing's words and the emotions reflected in her expression, fragments of memories gradually surfaced from the depths of Qin Yu's mind.
-
"Qin Yu has prepared a gift for you today," teacher said with a kind smile.
Young Keqing blinked, confused. "A gift? What kind of gift?"
"Well... Qin Yu, you should tell her yourself."
Teacher gently tugged at Little Qin Yu's arm, who was hiding behind her. The little girl shook her head repeatedly, silently conveying her reluctance.
"Qin Yu, you need to tell her yourself. I didn't prepare the gift. Come on, hurry up," teacher sighed, giving her small hand another tug.
"But..."
Unable to see Qin Yu, Little Keqing shifted her feet to the other side, asking, "But what?"
Slightly startled, Little Qin Yu hastily darted to teacher's other side, using her body to shield herself from Keqing's gaze, but remained silent.
Left with no choice, Little Keqing continued to move, trying to catch a glimpse of her. But Little Qin Yu kept dodging, the two girls circling the teacher endlessly.
"You're making my eyes spin! Qin Yu, just tell her. No one's going to laugh," teacher said helplessly.
"...It's really bad," Little Qin Yu mumbled.
"What's really bad?"
"The ball."
"A ball?" Little Keqing looked even more puzzled.
"Mm... Edible."
"An edible ball?"
Little Keqing's face scrunched up in bewilderment. After a moment's hesitation, Little Qin Yu finally revealed herself and led Keqing to the kitchen.
"This," Little Qin Yu pointed to a stool.
"This?"
"You'll understand if you stand on it," Little Qin Yu said, her face flushing red.
Confused, Little Keqing climbed onto the stool and looked down. Several "balls" lay in a pot on the stove. Though they looked rather dismal, she immediately recognized them as Golden Shrimp Balls.
"Is this the gift?"
Little Qin Yu lowered her head, embarrassed. "Um... no, it's not. This is a gift for Teacher. Don't eat them."
Teacher sighed, looking helpless.
"Hey, don't be like that. I don't mind at all... Did you make these yourself?" she asked, confirming.
"..."
Little Qin Yu chose to remain silent.
Finding herself at a loss, the Teacher patted her head and said, "After hearing you say you really liked Golden Shrimp Balls, she went out to buy ingredients and made these herself. I was so surprised."
"I see... Golden Shrimp Balls are indeed quite difficult for a child to make," Little Keqing said, trying to reassure her.
"You're a child too!" Little Qin Yu protested.
"W-well, that's true..."
Little Qin Yu glared at her for a moment, then grew anxious. "Anyway, don't eat them, okay? I'll make them better next time. It's all Teacher's fault for rushing to tell Keqing so soon."
"It's not about how well you make them, but the thought that counts," the Teacher instructed.
"Then, Teacher, would you dare give these to someone else?"
"I dare you," the Teacher said, then muttered, "Not that the other side would dare anyway."
Little Keqing gazed at the Golden Shrimp Balls simmering in the pot. She hopped off her stool, grabbed a pair of chopsticks from the utensil box, and climbed back up.
"Huh? You're going to eat them?" Little Qin Yu asked, surprised.
"Of course I'm going to eat what you made! That's what friends do!"
"But what if it makes you sick...?"
Little Keqing turned, a confident smile on her face.
"Don't be silly! I practice swordplay—I'm tough as nails. Anyway, I'll just try a bite. If it's good, who knows? Maybe you could become a great chef someday!"
"A great chef..." Little Qin Yu murmured, then shook her head. "Sounds too troublesome. I don't want to."
"You..." Little Keqing and Teacher sighed in unison.
"What's so troublesome about it?" Teacher asked.
"Making food for a whole bunch of people is exhausting."
The Teacher facepalmed. "It's 'a group of people,' not 'a whole bunch of people.'"
Little Keqing's face flushed red. "Then... how about just making it for me?"
"Alright, Keqing and Teacher's suggestions are fine. It's not a bunch of people, after all."
"It's a group of people!" the Teacher corrected.
Having Qin Yu's approval, Little Keqing's face lit up with a radiant smile. This unchanging dynamic was exactly what she desired.
"Then, I'll eat."
"Mmm..."
Little Keqing picked up one of the shrimp balls with her chopsticks, popped it into her mouth, and chewed.
"Mmm... Hmm? The taste is surprisingly decent, though some parts are a bit burnt," she remarked.
"Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? I'll have a few more."
Watching Little Keqing devour the shrimp balls one after another, Little Qin Yu's face filled with awe.
"All gone! Thank you, Qin Yu. Such a unique flavor," she exclaimed.
"In a bad way?"
"You probably meant 'negatively,' but I meant it positively. I love Golden Shrimp Balls. Though the flavors vary slightly depending on the chef, they're generally the same, that's what I always think whenever I eat them. But yours... yours are different."
"Different?" Little Qin Yu asked, puzzled.
Little Keqing hopped off her stool and smiled. "Mhm, it's different. 'This is Qin Yu'—that's what I think when I taste it."
"I don't get it. Don't use words I don't understand."
"Well, that's what happens when you don't study properly! Your comprehension skills are lacking."
Before Qin Yu could get angry, Little Keqing quickly continued, "Even though it doesn't look or taste particularly refined, it's very delicate. And it has a warm feeling."
"Warm? That's probably just because the dish is still hot."
"No, that's not what I mean... How can I explain it... Forget it. Just know that it's actually not bad! That's all you need to know."
Little Qin Yu, flattered by the praise, couldn't help but ask, "Really?"
"Really."
"So... I'm amazing?"
"Amazing, amazing! So... make it for me again sometime?" Little Keqing said, her face flushed red.
"Mhm!"
And after that, Keqing...
had a stomachache all day.
-
Recalling this old memory, Qin Yu felt a mix of nostalgia and embarrassment.
She had assumed Keqing would be as energetic as ever after eating her meal. Instead, Keqing suffered a stomachache the next day—all thanks to Qin Yu's culinary disaster.
But this time was different.
The dish was a feast for the senses, and healthy too! Qin Yu's spirits lifted at the thought.
"I remember now! I really wasn't very good back then," Qin Yu admitted.
Hearing this, Keqing was overcome with nostalgia.
"Nonsense! Just like Teacher always said, what matters most is the sentiment behind it. I never expected you to go to such lengths—I was truly shocked at the time."
"Ahahaha..."
As Qin Yu averted her gaze, she couldn't help but wonder:
This memory is perfectly normal, so why did Keqing look so... sad just now? But I'm right here! Could she have been thinking about Teacher?
"Alright, it'll get cold if we don't eat soon," Keqing's voice pulled Qin Yu back to reality.
"Mm-hmm."
Taking the chopsticks Keqing offered, Qin Yu picked up a Golden Thread Shrimp Ball and popped it into her mouth.
Naturally, it was delicious.
"This is exquisite," Keqing remarked sincerely.
Right? This was meticulously prepared, after all.
Evaluation: C-
"How does it compare to before?" Qin Yu asked.
That was a silly question, she thought.
"The presentation and flavor are even better, but the delicate, heartwarming feeling remains the same. You truly haven't changed in some ways, have you, Qin Yu?" Keqing said with a smile.
That's exactly the answer I wanted, she thought inwardly.
Qin Yu's face flushed slightly, and she demurred, "Surely some things have changed, right?"
Evaluation: C+
"Where things have changed, there must also be things that haven't," Keqing said.
"Mm... the same goes for you, Keqing."
Qin Yu felt reassured by Keqing's unchanging qualities.
"This soup is excellent as well," Keqing praised again.
Being praised feels quite nice, Qin Yu thought to herself.
Evaluation: B
Come to think of it, I never realized I had unintentionally fulfilled that promise we made verbally, long ago, Qin Yu thought contentedly.
"I've kept my promise to you, Keqing," she said.
"Indeed you have," Keqing replied with a gentle smile.
As soon as the words left her lips, Keqing's mind drifted back to that day. But after the warmth of the memory, the present day loomed.
The two days were so close together.
So this was actually the second time she had tasted Qin Yu's Golden Shrimp Balls.
As Keqing thought this, her eyes grew slightly warm. The delicious flavors blooming in her mouth vaguely conjured up all the tastes from her first time eating it.
Different flavors, the same heart.
Keqing took a sip of water and couldn't help but glance at Qin Yu.
The things that had changed, the things that had remained the same—these qualities existed both in Qin Yu and in Keqing herself. And only they truly understood them in each other.
This realization brought Keqing a sense of peace.
The "shackles" on their wrists symbolized their unique bond.
Qin Yu and Keqing sought what remained unchanged between them, so they had shackled themselves together once more. Yet as Keqing gazed at Qin Yu, the pounding in her chest gradually grew more frantic.
So many things had changed.
Qin Yu's hair was shorter now, while Keqing's had grown longer;
Qin Yu had learned to drink alcohol, and so had she;
Yet many things remained unchanged.
Qin Yu was still as caring as ever, and Keqing had never abandoned her childhood ideals;
Qin Yu still loved to tease and act spoiled, and Keqing, just like when they were children, couldn't resist her charms;
And new changes had emerged as well.
A tightness settled in Keqing's chest, and she instinctively reached out to take Qin Yu's hand, seeking the warmth of her touch to alleviate this sudden discomfort. Qin Yu returned her gaze and clasped her hand in hers.
Change 1: She had grown to cherish Qin Yu's warmth.
Evaluation: A-
"What's wrong?" Qin Yu asked.
"Qin Yu."
"Hm?"
"Say my name."
Qin Yu was puzzled. Could it be that Keqing is being affectionate? Another one after Shenhe and Ningguang? But whatever, it's just saying a name.
"Keqing."
Keqing closed her eyes and responded softly, "Mm."
Change 2: She found Qin Yu's voice incredibly pleasing.
Evaluation: A+
Feeling Qin Yu's warmth brought a fleeting satisfaction, yet it only fueled her desire for more. This shouldn't be happening, Keqing thought, yet her mind flashed back to that drunken night.
Qin Yu's expression from that night remained vivid in her memory—impossible to forget.
Change 3: Qin Yu wanted to kiss her.
Keqing's heart pounded faster and faster. She looked up at Qin Yu, heat surging beneath her skin as a deepening blush spread across her face.
Change 4: At times, she felt an inexplicable flutter of affection for Qin Yu.
Evaluation: S
Keqing stood up and moved closer to Qin Yu.
Sensing an unusual glint in Keqing's eyes, one she'd never seen before, Qin Yu's heart tightened. She remembered the last time... it had been just like this. Could it be? she couldn't help but wonder.
Keqing leaned down, gently disentangling her hand from Qin Yu's grasp and bracing it against the armrest. Her other hand touched Qin Yu's chin. Their breaths mingled faintly.
"May I...?"
Change Five: She wants to kiss Qin Yu.
Evaluation: SS-
Qin Yu averted her gaze, her body tensing. She didn't say a word—neither accepting nor rejecting, neither liking nor disliking. This ambiguous attitude tightened the knot in Keqing's chest even more.
"May I?" Keqing asked again softly.
"...I... I don't know," Qin Yu stammered, her face flushed crimson, yet she looked utterly confused and bewildered.
This wasn't something childhood friends should do, Keqing knew perfectly well.
Qin Yu's earlier claim that "it's okay since we're childhood friends" was a flawed argument.
But she wanted to do it anyway.
Keqing slowly leaned in, and Qin Yu glanced back for a moment before averting her gaze. Just as Keqing thought she would be rejected, Qin Yu closed her eyes.
Taking this as tacit consent, Keqing pressed her lips against Qin Yu's.
Evaluation: SSS-
Keqing pulled back slightly, looking at Qin Yu's averted, blushing face. A wave of unprecedented happiness surged through Keqing, yet her own cheeks burned crimson, leaving her utterly flustered.
"Keqing."
"Hm?"
After a moment of hesitation, Qin Yu shook her head.
"It's nothing."
"Mm..."
Just moments before, a question had flashed through Qin Yu's mind: If Keqing knew the real me, would she still want to kiss me? She desperately wanted to know.
But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to ask.
If Keqing knew the truth and still answered "Yes," that would be bad.
Conversely, if she answered "No," that would be even worse. Far worse.
Given those two choices, Qin Yu would choose the former.
Wanting was better than not wanting.
But she didn't want to be forced into such a choice. Still grappling with her own identity, she wasn't ready to reveal the truth to Keqing, so she remained silent.
Yet her silence didn't mean the feeling wasn't there.
If Keqing wanted to kiss her again, Qin Yu thought she probably wouldn't refuse.
Because only in that genuine, undeniable warmth and softness could she temporarily escape these thoughts.
But too many times? That wouldn't do.
After all, she couldn't become that kind of woman.
Of course, Qin Yu would never tell Keqing any of this.