After several days of serving as Lady Ningguang's personal maid, Qin Yu's holiday finally arrived.
On the eve of her break, Qin Yu lay in bed, pondering a persistent question:
"Just how do I achieve an S-rank evaluation?"
She had already earned A+ grades multiple times, but according to the System, the highest possible rank was SSS+.
Just how close do I need to get to reach that level?
Technically, it wasn't strictly necessary to achieve an S-rank or higher. She could simply accumulate experience gradually and eventually master the entire skill tree.
But having already taken a shortcut to become stronger, the temptation to push past this barrier and advance further was irresistible.
She couldn't figure it out.
Qin Yu hugged her blanket and rolled around in bed, sighing deeply.
Do I need to change my strategy? In other words, reinvent myself? But the persona I've cultivated is already near perfection—there's hardly any room for improvement.
Create another one? People would think I have multiple personality disorder.
"Time for a change of pace. I'll read a novel."
Qin Yu, completely stumped, decided to put the matter aside for now. She propped herself up, reached for the book on the desk, barely managed to grab it, and flopped back onto the bed.
The novel was titled Tachibana Uchimura. The title sounded bizarre, but she'd heard good things about it.
"A thrilling ride—a solid nine out of ten!"
"This book brought tears to my eyes. Perfect for young women!"
Though she wasn't particularly interested in novels, she'd be bored out of her mind if she didn't read something.
Alright, let's see what all the fuss is about with this supposedly great novel!
Qin Yu placed a bowl of cookies beside her pillow, carefully rolled onto her stomach, propped the book against the headboard, and settled into reading. She held the book with one hand, pinched cookies between two fingers of the other, and shoved them into her mouth. When it was time to turn the page, she used her pinky finger.
"So the main character is a woman."
That means it's probably a story aimed at women. There's bound to be a few handsome guys popping up...
"But why are all the characters women?"
That's actually pretty rare.
Tired of lying on her stomach, Qin Yu rolled onto her side to continue reading.
"Are the main character and her friend a little too close? Holding hands and hugging... but they're girls, so maybe it's normal? Yeah, definitely normal."
If it's not normal, then I'm the one who's weird.
Intrigued, Qin Yu flipped to the next page. After reading a few paragraphs, she fell silent, her delicate face flushing crimson, her eyes wavering with shock.
Thud! She slammed the book shut.
"T-they actually kissed! Is this... Why does Liyue even have novels like this? Ugh, if I'd known, I never would have bought it. I'm not that kind of woman!"
No more reading. Nope.
Qin Yu placed the book on her pillow, took her empty bowl to the kitchen, washed it and her hands, then returned to bed.
She stared at the ceiling for a long time, her heart fluttering with a restless feeling, like a feather tickling her skin.
Before she realized it, her hand had drifted back to the book beside her pillow.
Ah, my hand! Why aren't you listening to me?!
"Ah, my eyes! You're not listening to me either..." Qin Yu muttered. "But one more glance can't hurt, right?"
Ugh, how weird! Why did they have to write it in such detail? She stole another peek. Ugh, still so strange! But also... kinda hot... Her cheeks burned crimson as she couldn't help but keep flipping through the pages.
Turns out, a person's thoughts and instincts can sometimes clash.
Despite telling herself she couldn't keep reading, Qin Yu ended up finishing the whole thing.
Thank goodness tomorrow... no, it's already today. Thank goodness I don't have work today, or this all-nighter would definitely mess me up. Qin Yu sighed and placed the book back on her desk.
Satisfied.
But she still couldn't calm down. How was she supposed to fall asleep like this? With no other option, Qin Yu pulled out the unfinished A Step-by-Step Guide to Bridging the Distance Between Same-Sex Individuals: Volume Two! from her drawer.
Some fluff literature should do the trick.
As expected, the more Qin Yu read, the sleepier she became.
How did this author even get a second book published? Eighty percent of it is pointless filler, ten percent is cheesy little stories with no style, and the remaining nine percent is just their own commentary on those stories.
Only that remaining one percent was even remotely useful.
Tch, ripped off again... Qin Yu clicked her tongue, deciding she'd use the book as kindling when she ran out of firewood.
Then she noticed a sentence: "If you're struggling to take your relationship to the next level, try something bold you've never done before!"
Hmm? Bold... Could it be?!
Qin Yu's mind instantly leaped to kissing, and her heart began to race.
Who would actually do something like that?!
She slammed the book shut, tossed it onto the table, and burrowed under her blanket. Of course, she left the light on. If someone were sharing her bed, she might consider turning it off, but alas, she was alone.
I'm a little envious of the heroines in novels...
"...Ah, I forgot to brush my teeth."
The next morning, Baishi woke her up early, asking if she wanted to work overtime.
Qin Yu refused, earning her a shocked look.
"Really? Time spent by Lady Ningguang's side is precious. Don't you want to seize this opportunity?"
Who wants to spend time with that woman? Qin Yu thought. If you want to work overtime, go ahead. I have my own things to do.
"No overtime!" Qin Yu declared. "Unless there's a hefty overtime bonus, then maybe I'd reconsider... but not today."
"Um, I have something important to take care of..."
"Alright," Baishi nodded. She and the other secretaries had witnessed Qin Yu's recent hard work, so she accepted the explanation without further questions.
Still, I should make breakfast for Ningguang. She seems a bit tired... Qin Yu tied her hair into a single ponytail, went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast, informed Baishi, and then decided to head out.
After changing into casual clothes, Qin Yu left the Jade Chamber.
Her destination was Shenhe's cottage.
Qin Yu was curious about what that woman had been up to lately. The last time they met, Shenhe had refused to explain why she was venturing into the city alone, leaving Qin Yu puzzled to this day.
But before Qin Yu could even leave the city gates, she spotted Shenhe.
She was in the city alone again!
Shenhe's gaze drifted across the storefronts, her eyes lingering on each display. Was she looking for something specific? Should Qin Yu approach her?
If I helped her find what she wanted, my Evaluation would skyrocket. Maybe I could even deduce her purpose from that.
The plan was tempting, but when Shenhe seemed to sense Qin Yu's presence and turned her head, Qin Yu startled and quickly hid.
"...It's just a cat."
Qin Yu looked up to see a domestic cat perched on the roof's edge.
Shenhe paid it no further attention and continued walking toward the next shop.
Thank you, kitty.
"But what is she really up to?"
"I'm just as curious, Fishy Treasure. Do you think she's buying a gift for someone?"
"For whom?"
"I don't know."
"Is that so... Hmm?"
Did someone just respond to me?
Qin Yu was about to turn around when a sudden weight settled on her back. A pair of arms wrapped around her neck, and Hu Tao's warm breath tickled her ear, sending a shiver down her spine and making her knees feel weak.
[Evaluation: D]
She knew exactly who it was.
"Hu Tao... please stop teasing me," Qin Yu whispered.
"Teasing? This is just This Director's special way of greeting people!" Hu Tao retorted.
Who greets people like this?! Qin Yu grumbled inwardly.
And could you please get off me?
"Um, why are you hugging me...?" Qin Yu asked.
"Hmm? Because I felt like it! What's wrong with girls hugging? Besides, I'm not heavy. And why are you being so formal with me even when we're alone?" Hu Tao poked Qin Yu's cheek with her index finger.
Huh? You wanna bet I'll bite?
Qin Yu sighed, exasperated. "Treasure... is this enough?"
"Are you really that reluctant? Fine, I'm in a good mood today, so I won't hold it against you."
"Good mood? Why?"
Hu Tao leaned closer to Qin Yu's ear and whispered softly, "Because I got to see Fishy Treasure, of course."
Qin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and her ears burned crimson.
Why say something like that out of nowhere? Aren't you embarrassed?
[Evaluation: D+]