As the saying goes, "What you dwell on during the day, you dream of at night." After spending an unexpected night under the same roof as Shenhe, Qin Yu found herself inexplicably thinking of her foster mother.
In the days that followed, she occasionally dreamed of her foster mother as well.
Of course, most of these dreams faded into vague memories upon waking.
But unlike Keqing, Qin Yu didn't need dreams to vividly remember her foster mother.
To Qin Yu, she was both a mother and a teacher.
As a teacher—
Whenever Qin Yu caused a little trouble, her mother would first scold her sternly, then make her understand why such behavior was unacceptable. On ordinary days, she meticulously planned Qin Yu's homework and supervised her reading.
"Do I really have to study?" Little Qin Yu once asked.
"You don't have to, but then you'll never catch up to Keqing."
At this, Qin Yu would gaze at the toy ring on her finger, then reluctantly accept.
"Is studying... meaningful?"
"Yes. But its meaning is different for everyone. Didn't you ask Keqing about this?" her mother replied.
"I did ask her. I think her ideals are grand and impressive, but I still don't really understand..."
Hearing this, her mother smiled gently. "Then keep studying. Only by continuing to move forward can you truly understand yourself. You're a smart child; if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything."
As a mother—
When she adopted Qin Yu, she was around forty years old but remained single.
Although middle age had taken its toll on her skin compared to younger women, she remained remarkably beautiful. Combined with her refined, intellectual aura, it seemed impossible that she hadn't found a partner.
Yet, until her very last moment, she had never been in a relationship with anyone.
"Teacher, why don't you find a partner?" Qin Yu had once asked.
"I just can't find anyone," she had replied.
As if I'd believe that.
Qin Yu vividly remembered several men who had been smitten with her foster mother, expressing their feelings. But seeing how she almost always spent her time with Qin Yu, it seemed she hadn't accepted any of them.
Right, Teacher was also a big liar.
"Qin Yu, this is delicious! Don't believe me? Just try it and see."
She'd always say this whenever she made some questionable dish.
Qin Yu would always fall for it, only to end up pale and green, though fortunately the worst consequence was just a bout of diarrhea.
When I asked Teacher why she never found a partner to share her life with, she was definitely lying, Qin Yu thought.
Back then, she hadn't cared. Now that she did, the person she could have asked was long gone.
If I could see her just once more, maybe I'd finally understand.
But that was just wishful thinking. They say in this world that when people die with strong attachments, they become ghosts. Whether that's true or not, Qin Yu naturally had no way of knowing.
Perhaps Hu Tao would know? After all, the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor specializes in funeral rites.
Even if ghosts were undeniably real, Qin Yu doubted she would ever see her foster mother again.
Her foster mother had seemed utterly content when she passed away.
A person content with their life would have no lingering regrets. So even if ghosts existed, she wouldn't reappear.
These thoughts surfaced intermittently in Qin Yu's mind over the following days.
Qin Yu continued her usual routine of work and socializing, occasionally thinking about her foster mother.
And just like that, the first month of preparations for the Rite of Descension passed.
Only two more months remained until the formal ceremony.
The Rite of Descension had been performed by successive generations of the Qixing, and they had accumulated ample experience. Following established procedures and completing each task methodically was all that was required. As the saying goes, "When the time is right, the river flows."
However, while work proceeded smoothly, Qin Yu's personal life was far from problem-free.
"Little Yu, I haven't seen you around lately. I was starting to wonder if you'd grown indifferent."
"A kind and warm-hearted girl like you is a rare find. Don't ever abandon those qualities! No matter how busy you are with work, make sure to connect with others."
"Ah ha ha... I'm sorry, it's just that the Rite of Descension is approaching."
Lately, socializing with others had left her feeling drained, sometimes even suffocatingly suffocated.
The more others praised her "warm" self and criticized her "indifferent" self, the more agitated and uneasy Qin Yu felt.
But this wasn't about them.
Qin Yu was simply thinking about what Keqing's reaction would be if she ever decided to confess everything. Would Keqing say the same? Unlikely, but...
Even as childhood friends, even with their fates intertwined once more, bound to each other, Qin Yu still felt afraid and uneasy about Keqing's reaction.
The mere thought of it filled Qin Yu with a suffocating sense of disgust.
Moreover, she no longer understood what her true self was.
The persona she had created—"magic" and "crystal shoes"—had allowed her to shine brightly, earning her popularity and adoration. But it had also backfired, warping her own self-perception.
Truly, she had brought this upon herself.
Yet without the "crystal shoes," she wouldn't be loved. If she dispelled the "magic" and took off the "crystal shoes," everything she had achieved so far would be put to the test.
So she couldn't take them off, couldn't undo the spell.
She could only force her feet to fit the "crystal shoes."
Qin Yu rarely used to think like this... well, not rarely, but certainly not as often as she did now.
Perhaps when she slept with Shenhe... though she hated to recall it—it was practically a black stain on her history—she had probably already reached some kind of breaking point.
She had barely managed to slam on the brakes in time.
As Qin Yu recalled the scene of herself repeatedly whispering Shenhe's name, her ears burned crimson.
Ah, don't think about it! Thinking about this is pointless! But then, Shenhe had called her name so many times back then too... Qin Yu's body flushed with heat.
I told myself not to think about it!
"Ah, it must be the recent stress."
Today was a day off, so Qin Yu decided she needed to relieve some of that stress.
Where should I go?
Visiting Shenhe and the others was an option, but this time Qin Yu wanted to spend time alone. After pondering for a while, she suddenly remembered she hadn't been to the bookstore recently.
"I even forgot to buy the new book by the author of The Citrus Within!"
Ugh, what's wrong with my memory?
But now she had something to do. Let's go check out Wanwen Bookhouse!
With limited entertainment options and plenty of free time, Qin Yu often chose reading to pass the time.
Of course, if she came across any good professional books, she'd scan them into her Machine Companion's storage space for future reference.
Perfect. That settles it.
To lift her spirits, Qin Yu put on her newly purchased blue dress and tied her hair into a ponytail with the white ribbon Ningguang had given her earlier.
Hmm, not bad. Changing my clothes really does help.
Qin Yu nodded in satisfaction at her reflection in the mirror, grabbed her small bag, and headed out the door.
Gazing up at the clear blue sky, Qin Yu suddenly thought, Come to think of it, Hu Tao always looks so aimless during the day... And Wanwen Bookhouse is right on the bustling street.
I hope I don't run into her.
It wasn't that she disliked Hu Tao—well, there was a bit of annoyance, but it was nothing serious, just minor gripes. The main reason was... being alone with Hu Tao never felt peaceful.
Holidays should be spent peacefully!
With this thought, Qin Yu hoped to avoid Hu Tao as she headed toward Wanwen Bookhouse.
She hadn't walked far when a pair of eyes began following her.
"Hmm? Isn't that Fishy Treasure? What's she doing... Oh, right, it's her day off today," Hu Tao murmured thoughtfully. "Where could she be going?"
Regardless, anything feels more interesting when she's around. I'll follow and see what happens. With this thought, Hu Tao secretly trailed after Qin Yu, her curiosity piqued.