Beware of Liyue Women (Genshin Impact)

These days, Qin Yu viewed her Adventurer's Guild quests less as part-time work and more as a way to pass the time.

This was largely because she had no real interest in pursuing a deeper career as an adventurer.

Many adventurers relished venturing into dangerous lands, risking life and limb to push their limits and hunt for treasure.

But Qin Yu had no such ambition.

Qin Yu had no desire to venture into dangerous places, nor did she feel any need to push herself to her limits. As for treasure... ever since her last encounter with the so-called "Treasure of the Treasure Saint," her expectations in that regard had dwindled to nothing. Despite considering herself an adventurer, she lacked the true spirit of one. Accepting quests from the Adventurer's Guild was merely a passing whim.

The quest was simple enough: eliminate a cluster of Hilichurls in a certain area to prevent them from harming others. While there was some danger involved, it was still within acceptable limits.

As the Hilichurls rapidly closed in, Qin Yu raised her StG44 and unleashed a barrage of bullets. Thanks to the enhancements from her Human Transformation, handling firearms had become effortless. Even the recoil from sustained fire posed no challenge to her enhanced physique.

The moment her magazine emptied, she drew her Combat Pistol and executed a one-handed 9mm Iaijutsu. By the time the slide locked back on the empty chamber, all the enemies lay vanquished. There hadn't even been any need to deploy her Armament Platform.

Excellent, she thought. Energy saved.

Qin Yu swiftly reloaded her weapon, activating her Wave Detection to scan the surroundings. Only after confirming that no monsters remained did she finally relax completely.

"Time to pack up..." Qin Yu's gaze suddenly fell upon a treasure chest inside the large tent.

This had likely been an adventurer's camp before the Hilichurls overran it. The presence of tents wasn't surprising, but a treasure chest? What could be inside?

Qin Yu approached the chest, glancing around for anything suspicious. Finding nothing amiss, she remained cautious, keeping her gun raised in one hand as she opened the lid with the other.

It was empty.

"Nothing at all." Relief mixed with disappointment. Someone must have emptied it long ago.

"Seriously? They left an empty chest behind, just to get my hopes up for nothing."

"Might as well head back."

As she turned to leave, a voice called out:

"Qin Yu?"

It was Shenhe!

Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat. What was Shenhe doing here? Not that it was unusual to find her in the wilderness, but the timing couldn't have been worse.

Qin Yu wasn't mentally prepared to face Shenhe yet.

She knew it was childish, even more so than a child's reaction, and that she was being unfair to Shenhe. But sometimes, things just couldn't be helped.

Just give me a few more days!

For now, she couldn't meet Shenhe... she had to hide. Spotting a treasure chest behind her, Qin Yu desperately jumped inside and slammed the lid shut.

At the same time, she activated both her "Optical Camouflage" and "Vampire Magic Eye" skills.

The chest was pitch black. While the skills couldn't completely suppress her fear of the dark, they significantly alleviated it.

Activating her "Wave Detection" skill, an invisible pulse radiated outward through the chest, pinpointing Shenhe's location just outside the large tent.

She was so close! If Qin Yu had hesitated even a moment longer, she would have been caught.

I shouldn't have left the tent in the first place, Qin Yu thought with deep regret.

You won't find me here...

"I heard the sound of her weapon earlier. Could she have gone far already?"

That's right.

"We need to catch up to her."

Huh? Why? We're not in a hurry to meet.

"It's been so long since I last saw her. I wonder if she's alright."

I'm fine!

"This overwhelming desire to see her... I've never felt anything like this before."

Evaluation: D

She really wants to see me that badly? Ugh, hiding here feels even worse now. Couldn't she wait a little longer? But then again, if she hadn't suddenly kissed me back then, none of this would have happened.

Lost in thought, Qin Yu shifted her crouching position, accidentally bumping her head against the treasure chest with a soft thud.

"Hmm?" Shenhe's sharp ears immediately picked up the faint noise.

She slowly approached the chest.

Wait, don't come this way! Go over there, go away! Qin Yu panicked, yet a strange sense of anticipation fluttered in her heart.

"The chest... could there be something inside? That noise I heard earlier might not have been my imagination."

Shenhe decided to open it.

As she lifted the lid, Qin Yu held her breath and froze, maximizing the effectiveness of her Optical Camouflage.

The lid swung open, and Shenhe's figure appeared in Qin Yu's vision, framed by the sunlight streaming in from outside. Dazzled by the sudden glare, Qin Yu squinted.

Ugh, this is awful.

Shenhe suddenly leaned in close, startling Qin Yu, whose eyes widened in fear. Her heart pounded in her chest, and no matter how hard she tried to hold her breath, she was on the verge of gasping.

Qin Yu endured for another two seconds before letting out a faint, involuntary exhale.

The wisp of breath brushed against Shenhe's face, sharpening her gaze.

There was a living creature right before her eyes.

This was completely unexpected. In an instant, Shenhe's hand shot out and seized Qin Yu's arm, which she had instinctively raised in defense.

"A human? Who are you? Why didn't you reveal yourself?"

Wait, this feeling...

Shenhe's wariness gradually gave way to confusion. The arm she held felt strangely familiar.

Trusting her instincts, she slowly released her grip and gently touched the back of Qin Yu's hand.

Slender fingers radiating a familiar warmth, coupled with that unique sense of comfort—Shenhe could never mistake this unmistakable sensation. The last traces of confusion and vigilance vanished completely.

"Qin Yu."

Now that she had been discovered and her hand was still being held, there was no point in hiding any longer.

Qin Yu deactivated her Optical Camouflage.

Shenhe saw Qin Yu, her face flushed, avoiding her gaze.

Evaluation: C-

"So you were here all along. Why were you hiding in the box?"

It's all your fault for suddenly showing up! Qin Yu thought, mortified. Ugh, this is so embarrassing. It would have been fine if I hadn't been discovered, but to hide and still get caught...

I just want to jump into the sea.

I don't want to answer, but I can't just stay silent.

Even though I didn't want Shenhe to see me, the fact remains that she wanted to see me. I need to explain myself somehow.

But of course, I'm not going to tell her the truth.

"Ahaha... I-I was just playing hide-and-seek with you!" Qin Yu stammered. "I hid when I heard your voice to see if you could find me. I didn't expect you to actually do it! You're amazing."

It wasn't a complete lie. At least the part about hiding when she heard Shenhe's voice was true.

But even if Shenhe knew Qin Yu was lying, she would believe her. Of course she'd accept this explanation. Besides, this might be the first time Qin Yu had ever played hide-and-seek with anyone.

"That was quite amusing," Shenhe said candidly.

What's so amusing about this? Qin Yu grumbled inwardly.

"So, my prize is Qin Yu?"

"...Huh?"

"The prize for my victory."

Evaluation: C+

Qin Yu felt heat rush to her face and ears.

Impossible! Who said I'm your prize?!

"N-no, that's not it," Qin Yu stammered.

"That was just a joke."

"Huh?"

Shenhe's expression remained unchanged. "My Master told me that a well-timed joke can ease the tension."

But sometimes it just makes things more awkward.

Shenhe's Master was truly something else. Even when giving gifts, she offered bizarre advice. Is she really an Adeptus? Are Adepti actually like this? Qin Yu felt a pang of disillusionment.

"Ahaha..." Qin Yu forced an awkward but polite laugh.

"Still, I'm glad I found you. I've been wanting to see you again. How have you been lately?" Shenhe asked.

Evaluation: B

Couldn't you at least show a little more emotion? Qin Yu thought, twirling a strand of her hair.

"I-I'm fine. What about you, Shenhe?"

"As always."

Hmph... "As always," huh? So Shenhe hadn't been even slightly flustered by the kiss? Was Qin Yu the only one feeling foolishly embarrassed about it? The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became.

"Aren't you coming out of the chest?"

I don't want to.

"Ah-um..." Qin Yu reluctantly crawled out of the treasure chest.

"Do you have any plans for later?"

"No."

"I do. I'm sorry, but I have to leave now... Let's hang out again next time, okay?"

"Okay," Shenhe replied decisively, without a moment's hesitation.

Hmph, not even a second thought, Qin Yu thought. But maybe that's for the best. If Shenhe had seemed hesitant, I wouldn't have known what to do. I still want some time to myself.

She would seek Shenhe out again when she was ready.

"See you later!"

"Alright, see you next time."

Qin Yu waved goodbye and hurried away.

Shenhe watched her retreating figure, a strange feeling stirring within her, tightening her chest like a clenched fist.

It feels like Qin Yu's been avoiding me. Am I imagining things? Shenhe wondered.