Beware of Liyue Women (Genshin Impact)

"Well, I should head back now."

On the main road, Qin Yu bid farewell to Shenhe. Despite the day's chaotic events, it was finally coming to an end. Why does something always happen whenever I try to rest?

As Qin Yu pondered this, Shenhe spoke:

"Actually, you're welcome to stay at my place tonight. I wouldn't mind at all."

I would mind, Qin Yu thought to herself. If I stayed at Shenhe's, who knows what might happen? My disheveled appearance would be on full display.

"I appreciate the offer, but I'm already here and can get back quickly. No need to worry," Qin Yu said with a smile.

Since Qin Yu insisted, Shenhe nodded reluctantly. "Alright... Should I escort you into the city?"

"No, no need. Ah, it's not that I don't want to spend more time with you, Shenhe, but it would get too late. Besides, I'm staying at the Jade Chamber now, so I can't unilaterally decide whether you can stay overnight..."

Of course, if I asked Ningguang, she'd probably agree.

But really, staying over was out of the question. One night might lead to another, and it was best to nip that possibility in the bud.

Fortunately, Shenhe didn't press the issue. "I understand. Good night."

"Yeah, good night. I had a wonderful time today! See you next time!"

"Me too," Shenhe replied.

I figured as much, Qin Yu thought, sighing inwardly. She couldn't help but recall their earlier kiss on the cheek, her gaze flickering momentarily before she shook her head, dismissing the pointless thought.

It was just a cheek kiss, she reasoned. Nothing wrong with that. Let's just consider it a purely innocent gesture.

"Well... I'll be going now."

"Safe travels," Shenhe replied.

Qin Yu suppressed a sudden, inexplicable pang of wistfulness, forced a smile, waved goodbye, and turned to leave.

Shenhe watched her retreating figure until it vanished into the distance, then lifted her gaze to the faintly visible lights of Liyue Port.

If I could truly integrate into human society, she wondered, would I have more opportunities to see Qin Yu? But perhaps that's just wishful thinking.

Regardless of her ill-fated destiny, she had long grown accustomed to the company of mountains, rivers, birds, and beasts. In nature, things were simple and clear, unlike the baffling complexities of human affairs.

Still, if the opportunity arises, perhaps I could give it a try...

"For now, I'll just let things take their course," Shenhe murmured.

Back in her room at the Jade Chamber, Qin Yu collapsed onto her bed without even changing her clothes.

Ah, I'm exhausted.

The mental fatigue was overwhelming, perhaps the worst Qin Yu had ever experienced. It had seeped into her body, making her unwilling to lift even a finger.

But it was late, and she had work tomorrow. After a quick shower and brushing her teeth, she needed to get to sleep immediately.

She went through the motions of bathing and brushing her teeth like an automaton. Then, Qin Yu lay back down, closing her eyes.

Sleep... wouldn't come!

Her mind was exhausted, but her body felt wide awake.

She figured it was because she had already slept at Shenhe's place earlier. Though drowsy, she couldn't drift off; instead, her thoughts raced relentlessly.

If only I could erase all of today's memories...

Tch, I specifically told her not to get me a gift, yet she insisted, and such an extravagant one at that...

What exactly did she do while I was asleep?

Tossing and turning, unable to find rest, Qin Yu's mind replayed every detail of the day with maddening clarity. The more she tried to sleep, the more frantic her thoughts became. At this rate, she wouldn't fall asleep before dawn!

Then she'd have to endure high-intensity work with dark circles under her eyes and a body on the verge of collapse.

Yet the more desperately she tried to sleep, the more elusive it became.

"Ah! I can't take it anymore!"

Qin Yu conjured her Anesthetic Rifle, pressed the muzzle against her chin, cradled the stock, and tied a thin string around the trigger and her toe.

That woman is really... Qin Yu muttered to herself as she gave the string a sharp tug with her foot.

The string tightened, the trigger snapped, and the anesthetic dart struck her chin, sending her head lolling sideways into unconsciousness.

What a perfect sleep aid, Qin Yu thought as her last thought before losing consciousness.

The next morning, Baishi came to wake her up again.

"Time to get up, Qin Yu. Time for work."

Qin Yu drowsily opened her eyes to find herself curled up, clutching the Anesthetic Rifle, half the blanket dangling off the bed, her stomach completely exposed. Her sleeping posture was utterly undignified.

Yet her body felt completely refreshed.

That was a great sleep! She remembered the System also offered an "Anesthetic Pistol." If she ever had enough Points, she could exchange for it. If she couldn't sleep, she could just shoot herself in the head.

Though that might look a little weird to others, she mused.

Lost in her random thoughts, Qin Yu replied, "Okay~ I'm up!"

Just a few more days until this job is over... Heh heh, Qin Yu thought smugly as she headed to the bathroom. Then I can finally go back to sleeping as much as I want!

Come to think of it, I got an S+ evaluation yesterday.

Might as well take a quick peek while I'm here.

Qin Yu opened her interface and nearly spat out her toothbrush in shock.

"10... 100,000 Points..."

While some of it was from her accumulated savings, she had never seen such a massive sum before.

After her initial surprise, Qin Yu couldn't suppress a triumphant grin.

Yes! Heh heh, just as I expected of myself.

With 100,000 Points, she could easily max out all her basic skills. Still, it was far short of the astronomical costs for those truly outrageous abilities.

Yet Qin Yu felt like something crucial was missing from her current combat capabilities.

What could it be? she pondered while brushing her teeth.

"Mmm... ptoo... Ah!" Just as Qin Yu spat out the water, inspiration struck. She realized exactly what she lacked most:

Damage!

Revolvers, Anesthetic Rifles, Double-Barreled Shotguns, StG44s... These were all light weapons, versatile enough for various situations, but their firepower was simply insufficient.

In fact, Qin Yu often struggled when facing multiple enemies alone, especially when elite foes were among them.

After washing her face and combing her hair, Qin Yu pondered.

She needed a weapon or skill that could instantly turn the tide of battle. Her current skills focused primarily on stealth, mobility, and detection, with a healing ability as a backup.

Her survival capabilities were decent, but her damage output was severely lacking.

Now that her survivability was reasonably assured, it was time to acquire a lethal skill. Otherwise, if she were ever forced to confront truly powerful enemies and couldn't inflict meaningful damage, she'd be in deep trouble.

Game over.

However, there were so many offensive skills to choose from that Qin Yu had no idea which one to pick.

A weapon? Exchanging for a heavy-firepower weapon would certainly be practical, but considering future development, it would be wiser to select a skill with greater potential for growth.

Leaving the bathroom, Qin Yu unbuttoned her pajamas and slipped them off.

The young girl in the mirror had skin as white and luminous as milk. Though her chest wasn't as ample as Shenhe's, it formed a graceful curve that complemented her figure.

Qin Yu flashed herself a smug smile in the mirror. When it came to cuteness, she was confident she could outshine anyone.

Wait, no time for narcissism... Besides, true beauty lies within.

Sighing, Qin Yu opened her wardrobe and changed into the uniform she wore while working for Ningguang.

Putting on the uniform brought a subtle shift in her mindset, as if she were armoring herself. Though she still struggled to get used to the black stockings...

Armoring?

As Qin Yu closed the wardrobe door, she suddenly remembered a skill she'd seen earlier—one with immense potential for development and undeniably capable of unleashing devastating firepower. She'd been quite envious of it at the time.

She immediately opened her Skill Tree and quickly scanned through it.

"Found it."

This... this is perfect! I'll take it!

With 20,000 Points remaining, she decided to save them for now, using them as needed later.

At last, she possessed something worthy of being called her "ultimate move."

The thought made Qin Yu even more cheerful. If her work today wasn't too demanding or complicated, it was sure to be a wonderful day.

-

Baishi: "Here's today's schedule, Lady Ningguang. You have five tasks to complete."

Ha?

Ningguang nodded gently. "Understood. Stay focused, Qin Yu. Today might be a bit more tiring than usual."

This is definitely going to be more than "a bit more tiring"!

Qin Yu maintained a polite smile while inwardly complaining bitterly: "Understood, Lady Ningguang. Please take care of yourself as well. I'll be by your side if you need anything."

"Excellent," Ningguang replied with a smile, clearly pleased with Qin Yu's words.

"Ah, I almost forgot, there's one more thing—" Baishi hastily scribbled a few more lines onto the schedule.

Qin Yu's smile stiffened.

Baixiao: "Lady Ningguang, the intelligence reports have been compiled. Today is the optimal time."

Qin Yu's eyes glazed over.

Baiwen: "Lady Ningguang..."

Qin Yu stared blankly into the distance, resigned to the inevitable addition of yet another task.

"Miss Ganyu's documents haven't been delivered yet."

What? That's all?

Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief, her smile regaining some of its natural warmth. This task clearly didn't require her accompaniment—thank goodness there wasn't a seventh chore.

Unexpectedly, Ningguang turned to her and said, "Qin Yu, would you mind fetching them from Yuehai Pavilion?"

Why me?! Qin Yu pointed at herself. "M-me?"

"What's wrong? Is there an issue?"

"Ah, no! I'll go right away."

Tch, no choice. A personal maid can never refuse her employer's requests. Still, it's just a simple errand, and Yuehai Pavilion isn't far from Yujing Terrace.

But Ganyu... wasn't she the blue-haired half-adeptus I met at the Jade Chamber?

As Qin Yu pondered this, Ningguang chuckled softly. "I imagine you two have much to discuss. There's no need to rush; the first official matter will begin in half an hour."

Much to discuss? Why would she say that? How strange...

"Understood. However, if Lady Ningguang requires anything, I will return immediately."

Ningguang nodded. Had Baiwen, Baixiao, and Baishi not been present, she might have responded more warmly. Still, Qin Yu's words pleased her.

Evaluation: D

Qin Yu's face inexplicably flushed slightly, and she clicked her tongue inwardly.

The evaluation reminded her of yesterday's events—no, no, no! A whole night had passed; she should have forgotten it by now!

But if an S-rank evaluation required a kiss on the cheek, what would future evaluations entail...? No, absolutely not! This was the Affectionate Touch System, not some Lesbian System.

That's right, isn't it?!

[Please judge for yourself.]

"You little brat..."

After Qin Yu temporarily left, Ningguang crossed her arms and lowered her head in contemplation.

The end of the first month was only a few days away, but Qin Yu's resolve remained unchanged. She still planned to resign as soon as she received her first paycheck.

How could Ningguang possibly change her mind? Even she felt a twinge of frustration, utterly at a loss. Qin Yu had revealed no exploitable weaknesses.

Even when Ningguang got close enough to make her blush, it didn't feel like a true vulnerability. To Ningguang, it seemed more like a trap—a trap designed to make others adore her.

Of course, Qin Yu herself was oblivious to this effect.

Ningguang wouldn't mind falling into this trap. The real challenge was turning the trapper into the prey. Now that was a vexing dilemma.

Observing the slight furrow in Ningguang's brow as she pondered, the three secretaries couldn't help but think:

Lady Ningguang must be preparing to reshape Liyue's business world once again.

-

Meanwhile...

"Hah!" Keqing hissed softly. Her sword flashed, moving with the speed of her shadow, and in an instant, the wooden post before her was reduced to a pile of precisely cut pieces.

Even a layman could glimpse the formidable power of Keqing's Yuheng Star swordsmanship from the smoothness of the cuts. For an expert, it was a clear sign of mastery.

Yet for Keqing, this was merely her morning warm-up.

"Not bad. I should use today to finish the work for the next few days," she said, satisfied as she flicked her ponytail.

Known for her decisive nature and unwavering focus, Keqing approached her work with the same efficiency-first attitude.

But...

Back in her bedroom, Keqing gazed at her reflection in the mirror, marveling at how the years had flown by.

She pulled out the toy ring she always carried and closed her eyes, letting memories drift back.

From the day Qin Yu's accident occurred, Keqing had thrown herself into swordsmanship training without a single day of rest. Every drop of effort had converged into a mighty river, shaping her extraordinary skill.

If Qin Yu were ever in danger again, Keqing was confident she could save her now.

Of course, Qin Yu was no longer the same. The little girl who used to cling to Keqing with affection had blossomed into a graceful young woman.

With a friend like Shenhe by her side, perhaps the possibility of danger had vanished for good. Yes, this is for the best, Keqing thought. As long as Qin Yu can live a safe and happy life, that's all that matters.

Opening her eyes again, Keqing exhaled softly. "After a brief preparation, I should head to Yuehai Pavilion. Time to tackle this work step by step."

Come to think of it, Ganyu had mentioned meeting Qin Yu once before that fateful day. Keqing wondered if Qin Yu remembered. Regardless, she was sure Ganyu would discreetly watch over Qin Yu, out of gratitude. Like Keqing herself, Ganyu likely didn't want Qin Yu to recall things she shouldn't.