Beware of Liyue Women (Genshin Impact)

The next day...

"Qin Yu..."

"Ahaha, sorry, I have something to take care of..."

The day after that...

"Qin Yu..."

"Let's hang out again sometime soon, okay?"

And the day after that...

"Qin Yu..."

"Just give me one more day! I promise!"

By now, Shenhe was certain Qin Yu was indeed avoiding her. She believed Qin Yu's words were sincere, yet she couldn't ignore her evasiveness.

This left her utterly perplexed.

Why is she avoiding me? Shenhe wondered. It doesn't seem like fear... Could it be... embarrassment? Every time, Qin Yu would blush and run off, but Shenhe sensed no aversion in her words or reactions.

This was all well and good, but Shenhe still couldn't understand why Qin Yu was acting this way.

Had she done something wrong?

If so, Shenhe desperately wanted to reconcile with Qin Yu and restore their friendship to what it once was. She couldn't bear the thought of this hard-won, precious bond fracturing.

But how could she do that? This became her next dilemma.

Qin Yu's reasons were unlikely to be shared verbally. Shenhe had no intention of pressuring her for answers.

Yet without knowing the reason, how could she resolve the situation? Or would simply expressing her feelings suffice? Burdened by these doubts, Shenhe wandered through Liyue Port.

Originally, she had intended to find Qin Yu, but Qin Yu was still avoiding her.

The thought stirred a restlessness within Shenhe, far stronger than anything she had ever experienced before.

She couldn't guarantee she could maintain control unless Qin Yu returned to her side immediately.

What should she do...?

"Yo, isn't that Shenhe?"

Hearing a familiar voice, Shenhe snapped out of her thoughts and looked up.

Hu Tao and Yanfei approached with curious expressions.

"Hello," Shenhe greeted them.

Hu Tao rubbed her hands together energetically. "Hey there! What's got you standing around here all glum? Trouble brewing? Don't forget Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's special discounts for new and returning clients—"

Yanfei decisively interrupted, "Good morning, Shenhe. What are you up to?"

"Yanfei, that's just plain rude!" Hu Tao teased.

"I don't think pitching Wangsheng Funeral Parlor's services to Shenhe would be very effective anyway," Yanfei muttered.

How did she even realize Shenhe was feeling down? She hasn't shown any expression at all, Yanfei wondered, puzzled.

"Everyone's a potential client, right? But never mind that—what's going on?" Hu Tao asked, her hands on her hips, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

Yanfei smiled. "If it's a legal matter, leave it to me."

"Wow, you're promoting your services too!" Hu Tao exclaimed.

"Ahem..." Yanfei coughed lightly, her cheeks flushing slightly.

Shenhe glanced at the two women. Hu Tao and Yanfei are both close friends of Qin Yu. Perhaps they could offer some advice to help me resolve this situation, she thought.

With that in mind, Shenhe stated bluntly, "Qin Yu is avoiding me. I... I don't know what to do."

"Qin Yu is avoiding you?" Yanfei asked in surprise.

"Fishy Treasure is avoiding you?" Hu Tao's eyes widened with intense interest.

At that moment, Yanfei's thoughts seemed to slow to a crawl.

Even though the possibility is vanishingly small—practically zero—please don't let this escalate into a civil dispute, Yanfei sighed inwardly.

How did she manage to make even Fishy Treasure avoid her? What on earth did she do? Hu Tao was brimming with curiosity.

"What did you do?" Hu Tao couldn't resist asking.

"I don't know," Shenhe replied, shaking her head.

"How does she feel about you? Or rather, how do you perceive her feelings toward you?" Yanfei asked, wanting to analyze the situation carefully as she formulated her questions.

"I don't know," Shenhe repeated, shaking her head again.

Though Shenhe seemed embarrassed, Yanfei couldn't be certain of her true feelings. It was crucial not to rely solely on her subjective impressions.

This matter was too important for carelessness, so Shenhe's answers remained cautiously guarded.

How can she know so little? Yanfei sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration. If she can't answer any of my questions, how can I possibly analyze this?

Perhaps she needed a different approach.

"When did this start?" Yanfei asked.

Shenhe thought to herself that she didn't see Qin Yu every day. Uncertain of when Qin Yu had started avoiding her, she answered simply, "I don't know."

"Oh, for heaven's sake," Yanfei muttered under her breath.

How can I help if she knows nothing?

Hu Tao suddenly raised her index finger. "I have a plan!"

"Oh? A plan?" Yanfei asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Why don't we just grab Fishy Treasure, sneak up behind her, and blow in her ear until she blurts out what's on her mind? Then we'll know exactly what's wrong and fix it in a flash—happy ending for everyone!"

Blowing in her ear? That... doesn't sound right. Yanfei's face flushed, and she shook her head vigorously. "Absolutely not! Kidnapping is illegal, and as a legal advisor, I can't let you break the law."

"You really know your stuff," Hu Tao agreed with a nod.

"Of course! I'm Liyue's top legal expert," Yanfei replied with a proud smile.

Hu Tao winked mischievously. "Then you must know how to achieve our goal without breaking any laws, right?"

"Naturally... Wait! Exploiting loopholes is still wrong. Sigh, the conversation's gotten off track. The point is, we can't break the law! This plan won't work. Let's think of something else."

Hu Tao clasped her hands behind her back, grinning. "I was even thinking that if we actually went through with that, I'd prepare a coffin for you to transport her in."

"Even if we did that, Qin Yu would be furious," Yanfei pointed out.

Hu Tao, however, was curious to see what Qin Yu's truly angry face would look like.

Shenhe's problem couldn't be ignored, and Hu Tao thought she might even get to see an interesting side of Qin Yu. With this in mind, Hu Tao's enthusiasm surged.

She turned to the silent Shenhe and said, "To put it bluntly, you two just need a chance to talk."

"You're right, that seems to be the core issue," Yanfei exclaimed, suddenly enlightened.

Qin Yu had a wonderful personality, and Shenhe deeply valued their friendship. If they could just sit down quietly together and have a proper conversation, they were bound to reconcile.

Yanfei was struck by how insightful Hu Tao's words were.

Shenhe pondered this. She agreed that Hu Tao had pinpointed the root of the problem, but now a new question arose:

How could she get Qin Yu to talk to her?

Yanfei mused thoughtfully, "But how do we get Qin Yu and Shenhe to sit down and talk? Shenhe, does Qin Yu run away whenever she sees you?"

"Yes," Shenhe nodded.

This only deepened Yanfei's curiosity. What could have happened to make someone as kind-hearted as Qin Yu act this way?

Dislike? That seems unlikely. Embarrassment? That's possible. Did Shenhe do something to embarrass Qin Yu? I'm dying to know... Yanfei couldn't help but speculate.

No, the immediate priority was to help Shenhe.

First, Qin Yu needed to be willing to talk to Shenhe. If she ran away the moment they met, how could they ever communicate?

This was the perfect moment for a friend to step in, Yanfei decided.

"I'll try to persuade her," she said.

"How?" Hu Tao asked curiously.

Yanfei scratched her cheek, sounding uncertain. "Just... have a good conversation?"

Even she found her own suggestion unconvincing.

Reflecting on her past interactions with Qin Yu, Yanfei felt even less confident. Qin Yu was an enigmatic woman whose every word could send her thoughts spiraling into bizarre daydreams.

Yanfei knew her tendency to overanalyze things all too well.

But things were different with Qin Yu. Yanfei's overthinking went into overdrive, often veering into bizarre territory.

So, perhaps... maybe... she wouldn't be able to handle Qin Yu.

In fact, Qin Yu would probably effortlessly manipulate her instead.

Seeing Yanfei's growing lack of confidence, Hu Tao pondered aloud. "Fishy Treasure is actually quite shrewd. Here's what we can do: Yanfei, you lure her out, and when the time is right, we'll switch you with Shenhe."

"With this plan, even Fishy Treasure will have a hard time escaping. What do you think? Let's discuss it."

Yanfei ran the scenario through her mind, finding it highly feasible.

"I think it's a good plan. What about you, Shenhe?" Yanfei nodded enthusiastically.

"It works. Thank you."

Hearing their unanimous approval, Hu Tao smiled contentedly.

"Alright! Operation Fishing begins immediately!"

"You're really going with that name?" Yanfei exclaimed in surprise.

In the distance, Qin Yu shivered inexplicably.