Beware of Liyue Women (Genshin Impact)

"You don't understand her? What do you mean?" Qin Yu asked, just to be safe. It would be awkward if she misunderstood.

Sure enough, the woman behind her sighed. "I'm talking about the friend I mentioned last time."

"Did something happen?" Qin Yu asked.

Every action has a cause. If this woman felt she no longer understood her friend, there must be a reason. What could it be?

Wait, I can't show too much interest. Qin Yu rubbed her cheeks, suppressing her nosy curiosity, picked up her glass, and took a sip of her drink.

After a moment, the woman behind her murmured:

"She calls my colleague 'Master'."

Pfft! Cough, cough... The shocking revelation nearly made Qin Yu choke. She was stunned.

Master? Could she be involved in some kind of... unconventional work? Or was it just a peculiar game? No, the word "just" didn't quite fit. This was anything but ordinary...

[Long-Lost Friends Calling Their Colleagues "Master"!]

It sounded like the kind of bizarre plot you'd find in some niche genre.

"Excuse me, is your colleague male or female?" Qin Yu asked.

"Female."

The real world was truly strange.

Wait a minute—I'm the one who's called someone "Master" before! Qin Yu thought, cringing. But that was just the effect of a Skill! She felt her face flush; it must be the alcohol.

If it weren't for that Skill, she would never have called Ningguang "Master."

So everything was perfectly fine.

Qin Yu exhaled, her tone a little stiff. "Ah... that's really..."

"Awful."

I knew it!

"I admit my colleague has her merits; she's an excellent person. But why would she call her 'Master'? I can't wrap my head around it. I can't figure out the reason."

"Maybe... it was just a slip of the tongue?" Qin Yu murmured.

"How do you accidentally call someone 'Master'? No, wait—has she called others that before? And gotten so used to it that it just slipped out..."

I've found her blind spot! But if that's really the case... wow, what a fickle woman. She's nothing like me at all.

I'm completely devoted to eating, drinking, and sleeping!

Though I suppose there's not much to be proud of there.

Just then, Qin Yu felt a dark aura emanating from behind her, sending shivers down her spine. She faintly heard a woman muttering behind her.

"Should I talk to her about this? When did she become like this..." With each muttered word, it felt like drops of ink were falling. Qin Yu realized she'd said the wrong thing.

I need to fix this. Fix this... hmm... how exactly? Fix this. Or... not? Ahaha...

In times like these, the only option is to change the subject.

"R-right! Is that why you can't understand her?"

"...While my colleague has her flaws, I admit her excellence attracts attention. It's not surprising my childhood friend would be drawn to her—though I still don't understand why she calls her that."

So they're childhood friends.

That makes me feel even worse. The childhood friend, reunited after a long absence, suddenly calling my female colleague "Master"... If that were a story, it would be quite sensational.

Qin Yu felt a pang of sympathy. This woman's situation must be difficult.

But why does it feel so incomprehensible?

"Another colleague of mine," the woman continued.

Another colleague? What a chaotic department. Qin Yu took a sip of her drink, trying to stay calm.

"My childhood friend calls her 'Sister,' even though they're not related at all."

...Huh? Is that it? I thought there'd be something more scandalous. That's perfectly normal, isn't it? Qin Yu often called older female colleagues "Sister" herself.

What's so strange about that?

"Is something wrong with that?" Qin Yu asked cautiously.

"Not really."

Then what's the issue? Tell me something more interesting... no, more relevant!

"When they were children, my colleague met my childhood friend once. My colleague received a gift from her."

"What happened then?"

"My childhood friend had forgotten all about it, but then suddenly remembered."

"They weren't particularly close—their connection was actually quite superficial. Yet my childhood friend was willing to call her 'Sister,' just like she used to when we were kids. I don't really understand what made her do that."

Qin Yu listened intently, pondered for a moment, and then wore a genuinely puzzled expression.

Is there something strange about this?

"Is it really that odd?" Qin Yu asked, bewildered.

Am I the one with the skewed perspective, or is it her?

"It's not exactly strange. It's just that I've known her since we were little. Her family and I watched her grow up. Even though we lost touch one day and she forgot about me..."

"At least I still understand who she used to be."

"But now... I can't quite grasp what she's thinking anymore."

Ah, I see.

So that's what's going on.

In short...

"So, you're jealous?"

Keqing's body tensed slightly at the woman's question from behind.

Her words were like a sharp blade, effortlessly slicing through the layers of polite conversation to expose the murky, indistinct emotions beneath.

Jealousy. Envy.

Am I... jealous? The thought caught in Keqing's throat, threatening to burst forth.

"Absolutely not!" But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to say it.

The heart doesn't betray itself. Joy is joy, sorrow is sorrow, indifference is indifference... They can be concealed, but never faked.

Keqing had to admit it: she was indeed a little jealous.

Qin Yu couldn't remember their shared memories, yet she recalled Ganyu, whom they had only met once.

Truthfully, Keqing envied Ganyu. At the same time, she loathed herself for feeling that way.

"...I suppose there's a little truth to that," Keqing conceded.

The moment she spoke the words aloud, she felt her face flush with heat.

"But..."

She quickly regained some composure.

"That's not the whole story."

Jealousy was present, but it probably only accounted for thirty percent of her feelings. The remaining seventy percent? Disappointment? Confusion? Some indescribable mix of emotions that defied easy categorization.

"We've known each other since we were children. Half of my childhood was spent with her, and I imagine hers was similar, with the other half devoted to her foster mother."

"I knew exactly what she liked, what she hated, and how she felt about everything. I understood her completely... and she understood me just as well."

Keqing took out a toy ring, her voice gentle.

"But I've realized that I only know the little girl she used to be, the one I grew up with. I can't comprehend her thoughts and feelings now. The person I know is just that small child..."

"All I have left is the past."

When Qin Yu heard this, her first thought was surprisingly, "How wonderful."

She still had a past. She could still see her childhood friend.

What about me?

My only family member is long gone. My childhood friend threw away the treasure I cherished and can't even remember our memories together. I don't even know where she is now.

I did meet Ganyu once, but it was just a fleeting encounter.

The two people who knew my past best are both gone.

All I have is the present.

Sigh... Qin Yu gently shook her head, dispelling her wandering thoughts. She should be saying, "Then let's try to spend the present together!"

"The present?"

Qin Yu smiled. "Yes. I don't think it's good to wallow in sadness like this. Since you don't know her as she is now, why not try to understand her? I believe she would welcome your efforts."

"Even if she's forgotten you, the bond between you must still linger in her heart... right? After all, you were practically family."

Family? Do I even deserve that title anymore?

I had resolved to stay away, to spare her the pain of remembering. Yet here I was, tempted to break that vow, letting my emotions guide me.

I couldn't make sense of it. It felt as though I couldn't even understand myself.

Both Ganyu and Ningguang disapproved of my decision. Am I truly making the wrong choice?

Still, even without me, Qin Yu had found new friends.

Wasn't it logical to sever the ties of shared memories, thus preventing the pain of recalling painful times?

She hadn't completely forgotten her past; she still remembered the time she'd spent with her adoptive mother.

What she lacked was friendship. But Qin Yu had now regained that missing piece.

...My head hurts a little, Keqing thought, pressing her fingers to her forehead.

Probably because of my cold, her thoughts grew increasingly muddled. I can't focus.

Keqing sighed. "Thank you for sharing all this with me, but I need some time to think..."

Qin Yu inwardly winced, realizing she might have spoken too freely.

"Then I'll take my leave for now. Of course, I won't forget the free meal. If we happen to meet here again, I'll treat you next time."

Qin Yu forced a smile. "Ahaha, it's alright. I was just rambling anyway."

"No, I can tell you're genuinely invested in what I'm going through. Thank you."

The sound of a chair scraping against the floor came from behind.

She's really leaving, Qin Yu thought. She probably won't come back. After all my rambling, she might even be annoyed.

When did I become such a chatterbox?

But it was just a fleeting encounter. If fate brought them together again, they would meet; if not, then so be it. Once the thread of connection was severed, there was nothing to be done.

Fortunately, neither knew the other's name or face, which minimized the emotional impact.

Still, as Qin Yu sipped her drink, it tasted as if it had absorbed the lingering tension from earlier. She couldn't quite savor its flavor anymore.

Wait a minute... Qin Yu's brow suddenly arched.

Come to think of it, didn't she just unload a torrent of grievances and then bolt? That seemed to be exactly what had happened.

That woman actually ruined my drink and then ran away! Qin Yu grew inexplicably angrier with each passing thought, though her expression remained unchanged. Silently, she raised her hand.

"Another one, please."

On the house, you said? Don't mind if I do.

Of course, she couldn't overindulge, despite the offer. After all, the drink still contained alcohol.

I don't want to go home tipsy, Qin Yu thought.

The bartender placed another "Sea and Sky Horizon" before Qin Yu.

Leaning her cheek against her hand, she stared into the glass at the two distinct layers of color. Sky. Sea. The hues were clearly separated by a delicate line.

The sea...