The next day, Qin Yu remained preoccupied with Hu Tao's rehearsal. Taking advantage of a lull in her work, she headed to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Feel my rhythm, carve a hole in your heart, your blood no longer flows, let me send you to the underworld right away, rawr!"
The voice reached her before she even saw Hu Tao.
It's... kind of rhyming, I guess. But are these lyrics really okay?
Qin Yu grumbled inwardly, yet her curiosity compelled her forward. She soon spotted Hu Tao.
Two other young women stood beside Hu Tao: Yun Jin, whom she already knew, and another with dark skin and black hair, holding what looked like a guitar.
So rock and roll!
As Qin Yu marveled at the instrument and the group's attire, Hu Tao noticed her.
"Oh! Isn't that my favorite Fishy Treasure? You came to see me!" Hu Tao's eyes lit up as she scampered over, grinning widely.
Evaluation: D (Hu Tao)
With others present, Qin Yu smoothly shifted into professional mode, flashing her standard polite smile.
"Hmm, I was just curious about your rehearsal process. Am I interrupting?"
Hu Tao waved her hand dismissively. "Not at all! In fact, you've come at the perfect time. We were just missing an audience like you!"
I came at the wrong time after all..., Qin Yu muttered inwardly.
Yun Jin approached, her face beaming with a smile. "Good afternoon! I didn't expect to see you here, Qin Yu."
"Oh? You must be the Qin Yu that Yun Jin and Director Hu Tao have been mentioning so often lately," the rock 'n' roll girl said, sizing Qin Yu up with keen interest.
"Ahahaha, is that so?" Qin Yu chuckled awkwardly.
Yun Jin nodded. "Indeed. I hold you in high regard. As for Hu Tao..."
"Fishy Treasure and I are inseparable! We're so close, right, Fishy Treasure?" Hu Tao nudged Qin Yu's side with her elbow.
Evaluation: C- (Hu Tao)
Qin Yu's cheeks flushed slightly as she mumbled in agreement, then leaned close to Hu Tao's ear.
"Did you tell your friend about... us?"
Hu Tao's ear tingled from Qin Yu's voice and breath. Raising an eyebrow, she wore a smug expression.
"Guess?" she said playfully.
Qin Yu tugged Hu Tao's cheek, murmuring with slight annoyance, "I'm not guessing."
Evaluation: C+ (Hu Tao)
"Aiya, it's nothing to worry about! I just said our bond was as inseparable as glue, like fish and water, like dirt and a coffin, like... well, you get the idea. They just ended up saying things like, 'Wow, your friendship is really deep!'"
Qin Yu breathed a sigh of relief.
What Hu Tao might actually say wasn't really a big deal, but it was still best to give her time to mentally prepare.
Hu Tao chuckled. "Our friendship is incredibly deep—so deep you can practically taste it!"
"That's so gross."
"But it's true! You tasted peach, and I tasted fish."
The more Qin Yu listened, the more uneasy she felt. She whispered, "Stop talking."
"Alright, alright, I'll stop. Anyway, don't worry. Even if I were to say something, I'd consider your feelings first. After all..."
Hu Tao cupped her hand over her mouth, leaning closer to Qin Yu's ear. Her lips parted slightly, and a warm, moist breath whispered into Qin Yu's ear.
"I love Fishy Treasure the most, you know?"
Evaluation: B (Hu Tao)
A strange sensation followed the whisper. Qin Yu's face flushed crimson as she hastily covered her ears and pulled away.
Evaluation: A- (Hu Tao)
She desperately wanted to glare at Hu Tao and give her a piece of her mind, but with an outsider present, she had to suppress the urge.
Knowing Qin Yu was wearing her "mask" and unable to express her displeasure, Hu Tao feigned innocence with a deliberate smile. "What's wrong, Fishy Treasure? Did I say something inappropriate?" After all, Qin Yu couldn't do anything about it now.
"N-no..."
Ah, really?!
Just as Qin Yu's irritation began to simmer, Yun Jin exclaimed in surprise, "I knew you two were close, but I never imagined you were this close..."
Though Yun Jin hadn't overheard their conversation, the palpable sense of exclusivity between them was... Yun Jin's comment prompted the rock 'n' roll girl beside her to nod in agreement.
Hu Tao grinned triumphantly. "Alright, let's get back to business. First, let me introduce you. This is Xinyan, she loves rock 'n' roll."
"Just call me Xinyan."
Qin Yu paused, expecting the System to pop up with a notification like "Target updated."
But nothing happened.
That's fine, she thought. I don't need it anymore. Having Shenhe and the others is enough.
"I can tell," Qin Yu replied frankly.
She refrained from mentioning the rock 'n' roll stereotypes that flashed through her mind—smoking, drinking, womanizing...
"Fishy Treasure, do you like rock 'n' roll?" Hu Tao asked with a smile.
"Ah-hmm, I like Queen," Qin Yu replied.
"Queen? Is that a band name? But if you like it, that's great! Because what we're performing at the Lantern Rite is a rock 'n' roll and rap fusion!" Hu Tao exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
Remembering Hu Tao's lyrics, Qin Yu found them so "novel" that she didn't know how to respond.
"Using the stage as our golden wok, we'll crank the atmosphere to maximum heat—da-da-da-da..." Hu Tao sang again, clearly reveling in the moment.
At least Hu Tao's happy, Qin Yu thought.
After listening to Hu Tao and the others for a while, Qin Yu felt a pang of hunger. She bid them farewell and returned to the streets to find some snacks.
Just as Qin Yu was passing Yanfei's law firm, she suddenly heard Yanfei's cry from inside:
"Ouch!"
Startled, Qin Yu hurried forward. Finding the door ajar, she pushed it open and stepped inside.
"Yanfei? What happened?"
Yanfei was crouched on the floor, taking deep breaths.
"I stubbed my toe on the corner of the desk..."
That does sound awful, Qin Yu thought, relieved it was nothing serious. I thought something had happened to her.
Come to think of it... Qin Yu glanced around and noticed a broom and dustpan leaning against the wall. Books, files, and miscellaneous items were piled haphazardly together.
"Yanfei, are you cleaning up?"
Yanfei slowly stood up and nodded.
Seeming to have recovered some of her spirit, she smiled sheepishly. "I was planning to give the place a thorough spring cleaning. After all, the Lantern Rite is about bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new! But I never found the time until today, so I decided to give the place a proper scrub!"
"I see."
Yanfei knew Qin Yu had come to check on her. Feeling her heart warm, she couldn't help but wish they could spend more time together.
Trying to persuade her, she blurted out, "Qin Yu... could you maybe... help me out?!"
Evaluation: D
Damn, I sounded too eager.
Just as Yanfei was regretting her impulsive request, Qin Yu casually replied, "Sure, I can."
"Eh? Really?"
"Of course," Qin Yu teased, "we wouldn't want Yanfei to stub her toe again, would we?"
Evaluation: C-
Yanfei's face flushed red as she shyly protested, "Aiyo, please don't bring that up again!"
"But you're a half-adeptus. Shouldn't you be immune to pain from stubbing your toe?"
"Well, this might sound disrespectful to the gods, but I bet even Rex Lapis wouldn't feel nothing if he stubbed his toe!" Yanfei insisted earnestly.
That's impossible, right?
As they chatted, Qin Yu and Yanfei cleaned the law office together.
"Do we need this?"
"Yes, yes, we do."
"What about this?"
"That too!"
Qin Yu eyed the dust-covered equipment skeptically. "Are you sure we need all this? If it's just clutter, we should toss it now—unless it's something hard to replace."
"Um... I think we might use it someday. Maybe!" Yanfei said uncertainly.
Which probably means we'll never use it, Qin Yu muttered inwardly. Still, since Yanfei insisted, she simply cleaned everything meticulously and let it go.
Watching Qin Yu's swift, efficient movements as she transformed the dusty office into a spotless space, Yanfei marveled at how Ningguang's maid truly possessed extraordinary abilities. Yet, a strange stirring began to stir within her heart.
"It just feels..."
"Hmm?" Qin Yu, finding her hair a nuisance, casually pulled out a hair tie and secured it in a ponytail.
Yanfei blushed and said, "It feels like we've become a married couple."
Evaluation: C+
Qin Yu froze, stunned.
"You're letting your imagination run wild," she said, turning away to hide her slightly flushed cheeks.
Yanfei, far from being embarrassed, seemed even more delighted. She added sheepishly, "Hehe, if we're being accurate, wouldn't it be 'wife-wife' or 'woman-wife'?"
"Does it even matter?" Qin Yu asked, exasperated.
After cleaning up, Yanfei brought out the steeped tea and cookies she'd stored in the cabinet to serve Qin Yu.
Sitting beside Qin Yu, Yanfei gazed at the newly refreshed room and couldn't help but reminisce.
"Time really flies. I still remember our first meeting so clearly. I waited ages before you finally opened the door."
Qin Yu took an awkward sip of tea, remembering how she'd been rushing to get ready.
"Hey, Qin Yu?"
"Hmm?"
Yanfei twirled her teacup and asked, "Didn't you once say you pretended to be someone else because you were afraid of being feared and hated? Now... do you still feel that way?"
Qin Yu wasn't sure why Yanfei had suddenly brought this up, but she could give a definite answer.
"No, I don't anymore."
Even if I were disliked, I'd find a way to win you back.
"I see. That's good to hear."
"Only then can we truly say there's no distance between us. I'm relieved because dwelling on this constantly would have put unnecessary pressure on both of us."
"I... I've grown accustomed to this way of life now, and to my relationships with you, Qin Yu, and Shenhe. I finally have the mental space to decide what I want for the future."
Yanfei clasped Qin Yu's hand and smiled. "And that direction is—I want to continue spending joyful days with you, Qin Yu!"
Evaluation: B
Joyful days.
Those words struck Qin Yu's heart instantly, for they echoed her own deepest desire.
She couldn't help but embrace Yanfei tightly, whispering, "Me too."
Evaluation: A-
The Lantern Rite marked a fresh start. Feeling Yanfei's warmth, Qin Yu silently prayed that all her future days would be spent together with everyone.
And then, the Lantern Rite arrived.