The next morning, Qin Yu woke up with a dull headache.
"Ugh..."
She pressed her forehead and took several deep breaths until the discomfort eased slightly.
I had such a strange dream last night.
In the dream, she had been drinking several glasses of wine in the living room. Keqing arrived, and they talked for a long time. Then... Hmm... why would I have such a bizarre dream?
I'm not that kind of woman.
First, I should take a shower to clear my head.
Qin Yu slowly got out of bed, retrieved fresh loungewear from the closet, and hurried to the bathroom.
As she unbuttoned her shirt, she suddenly realized she was still wearing the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor uniform.
Ah, I forgot to return it.
"Hu Tao didn't ask for it back yesterday, and I completely forgot."
Let's give it a sniff.
Qin Yu lifted her arm and sniffed—a faint smell of alcohol.
Wait, alcohol?
As she quickly unbuttoned her shirt and stripped off her clothes, Qin Yu frowned. Did I drink last night? I did... but only in my dream, right?
But... was it really just a dream?
As she hurried past the living room, Qin Yu didn't notice the coffee table. But if everything in her dream had been real, there should still be wine bottles and glasses on the table.
I have to check!
Panicked, Qin Yu rushed out of the bathroom in nothing but her blue underwear and into the living room.
The coffee table... was empty. No wine bottles, no glasses—just a small fruit basket, also empty.
"It was just a dream after all!"
I knew it! There's no way I would have kissed Keqing.
Qin Yu thought to herself, That's my childhood friend, and we're both women! When we were kids, she even... she even saw my embarrassing attempt at drawing a map.
Though they hadn't seen each other for several years, she knew her younger self all too well.
The chance of us kissing is less than one percent!
What a bizarre dream.
Feeling relieved, Qin Yu turned to head back to the bathroom.
Then she glanced over at the trash can.
Lying inside was an empty wine bottle.
"......"
Ha ha, how strange! Why is there a wine bottle in my trash can? Did I drink it earlier and forget to throw it away?
She checked the label.
Morning Dew Winery Special Reserve, it read.
She glanced again.
Morning Dew Winery Special Reserve. Naturally, the label hadn't changed.
S-still not certain! Qin Yu's heart pounded. Maybe the bottle just... grew legs and walked in here?Impossible! That's absurd and terrifying. But reality isn't always what we expect.
Unless there's more proof.
Qin Yu couldn't stop worrying. After all, this concerned her first kiss and her future relationship with Keqing.
Qin Yu immediately walked over to the sofa and sniffed.
Hmm, no smell. As expected. Do I look stupid? It's actually a bit nauseating.
"No other evidence."
Excellent! This makes it impossible to deny the possibility that last night was just a dream. As for where the wine bottle came from, who cares? Maybe it grew out of the trash can itself.
Qin Yu nodded repeatedly.
"Alright, time for a shower... Hmm? What's this?"
Before her gaze could fully shift, Qin Yu noticed a faint, unusual color on the sofa.
She pinched it between her fingers and examined it.
A strand of hair.
Purple.
Speaking of purple hair, there's only one person who could have entered her room.
Is this for real?
Qin Yu's gaze shifted away unnaturally, her expression stiffening.
Wait, this could have been left behind much earlier.
If I looked around, I might even find some of Shenhe's hair. What's the big deal?
Don't make such a fuss.
Qin Yu thought this perfectly logical explanation made her mood improve considerably. She casually tossed Keqing's hair aside.
Returning to the bathroom, she took a long, relaxing shower before finally brushing her teeth and washing her face.
Speaking of yesterday... Qin Yu's spirits sank slightly.
But humans are remarkably adaptable creatures. The weight of her emotions today was no longer as heavy as it had been yesterday.
It was, in fact, easier than she had anticipated.
If she continued living like this, her future self, looking back on yesterday's events, would definitely no longer feel so distressed.
There will still be sadness, won't there? Qin Yu thought, exhaling softly.
After washing up, Qin Yu gazed at her reflection in the mirror.
Her fingers traced the softness and elasticity of her lips. If it had been a dream, the sensation had been far too vivid.
The mingled, intertwined heat, the slightly damp warmth, the plush softness radiating heat—all these sensations coalesced into a profound sense of satisfaction and comfort.
Amazing. Is this really what it feels like?
Though books had described such moments, they couldn't truly capture the full experience. No, it was just a dream! Since it was just a dream, what's the point in dwelling on it?
Qin Yu rubbed her flushed cheeks.
With no particular plans for the day, she decided to do laundry and tidy up her room. Cleaning not only provided some light exercise but also helped clear the mental clutter along with the physical mess.
Truly killing three birds with one stone.
Before that, though, she needed to tell Hu Tao about the clothes.
Hu Tao would probably say something like, "The clothes? Just take them, don't worry about it!" But Qin Yu felt she still needed to mention it.
"Qin Yu quickly freshened up, changed into casual clothes, and headed to Wangsheng Funeral Parlor.
"Hmm? The clothes? Ah—right, I totally forgot about that!" Hu Tao chuckled.
"Ahahaha, I'll return them tomorrow afternoon, okay?"
"Can't you return them now?"
"Not yet," Qin Yu said awkwardly. "They haven't been washed yet..."
"Marinated, are they?" Hu Tao teased, stroking her chin.
Ugh, what a gross way to put it!
"Absolutely not!" Qin Yu exclaimed nervously.
But... Hu Tao's not wrong? No, wait! I'll wash them thoroughly later, I promise there won't be any lingering odors.
"Anyway, I'll wash them properly before returning them," Qin Yu said.
"You don't have to return them at all! Just keep them, we have plenty of clothes here anyway," Hu Tao waved her hand dismissively.
I knew she'd say that.
Qin Yu smiled. "Borrow and return, that's the rule!"
"True enough! Borrow and return, then borrowing again won't be a problem!"
Not that I'd need to borrow again.
Qin Yu knew she was utterly unsuited for working at Wangsheng Funeral Parlor. Even if she ever left Ningguang's side, she would never come to work here.
Hu Tao planted her hands on her hips and added, "Actually, you could have just returned them right away."
"No!"
"Or is there really some kind of strange smell?"
"No! Absolutely not!" Qin Yu shook her head vigorously, like a rattle drum.
"Really? Well, even if there were, I wouldn't mind."
I would mind.
Hu Tao nodded repeatedly. "Actually, a 'fishy' smell would make it even more special!"
"No, absolutely not."
I would never do something like that! What is Hu Tao even thinking? Qin Yu subtly took a step or two back.
"Ah, sorry if I scared you! Just kidding. I just meant that even if it smelled like sweat, it'd be fine. We'll wash it clean when you bring it over... Ahem, got it. Then bring it tomorrow afternoon, okay?"
Sweat? Ah... I think I misunderstood. Wait, it is sweat, isn't it?
Mm-hmm, no misunderstanding.
Hu Tao invited Qin Yu to hang out in her room, but Qin Yu, remembering past incidents, immediately refused. She had a feeling nothing good would come of it.
"How regrettable."
Blame yourself for always doing and saying such strange things! Qin Yu muttered inwardly.
Then she noticed Hu Tao staring at her thoughtfully.
What now? Qin Yu tensed up inwardly, but Hu Tao merely murmured, "Hmm, I'll think about it some more."
Think?
"Well, see you next time!"
"Ah, um..."
Qin Yu sensed that Hu Tao was plotting something again.
She felt a vague unease, but knew that even if she asked, Hu Tao wouldn't reveal her plans. Instead of fretting over it, Qin Yu decided to ignore it for now.
"Oh, right! There's something else I forgot to say," Hu Tao added.
"What is it?"
Hu Tao flashed a bright smile. "It looks like you're all right now. As Director, I'm relieved!"
Evaluation: D
Qin Yu hadn't expected such a sudden remark from Hu Tao and was caught off guard. Twirling a strand of hair between her fingers, she murmured, "Th-thank you for your concern."
"You're welcome, you're welcome!"
Qin Yu's gaze naturally drifted to Hu Tao's lips, watching them open and close with each syllable.
Wait, what am I looking at?! Qin Yu snapped out of her trance and shook her head vigorously.
Back in her room, Qin Yu finished washing the laundry, rested briefly, and prepared to start a thorough cleaning.
But before she could begin, there was a knock at the door.
"Who's there?"
"It's me... Can I come in if it's convenient?"
It was Keqing's voice.