Inside the tent, the air was silent.
Keqing, the cat-like girl, was flustered.
"Keqing, you..."
Qin Yu's eyes widened in surprise.
The sudden turn of events left him momentarily speechless.
This was such a textbook example of tsundere speech...
"Wait, wait a moment, I didn't..."
Keqing realized what she had done and instinctively grabbed a nearby plush toy.
She glared at Qin Yu, her gaze threatening.
"From now on, you're not allowed to speak!"
Qin Yu: "..."
He smiled helplessly and silently raised his hands.
Keqing, the cat who wanted to bite, was rather cute.
But it was best not to provoke her for now.
"Oh, really?"
Sandrone propped her chin with her small hand, a slight smile on her lips.
What an interesting reaction.
Your vulnerability was written all over your face.
The doll girl had completely mastered the tsundere Keqing.
"You..."
Sandrone's gaze made Keqing even more agitated.
She hugged the plush toy and explained in a low voice:
"Qin Yu and I are just ordinary pen pals."
"Then there's no need to hold hands."
Sandrone's tone was one of regret, a perfectly placed jab.
"!"
Keqing took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling.
She's just a doll girl who recently met Qin Yu...
Qin Yu couldn't possibly do anything to you!
Thinking this, Keqing hugged the plush toy tighter.
"You call yourselves companions, but do you have one?"
"What?"
Sandrone's smile gradually faded.
"This plush toy, Qin Yu gave it to me."
Keqing raised her chin and held up the toy.
The General plush toy was fluffy and warm to the touch.
Keqing liked it very much.
The Geo Archon plush toy:?
"It's just something... lacking in skill."
Sandrone chuckled, dismissing it as a toy for young girls.
"Do you have one?"
"?"
...
Inside the tent, the atmosphere remained tense.
The topic of conversation between the two women had shifted to...
Whether Qin Yu preferred plush toys or mechs.
Keqing and Sandrone both looked at Qin Yu.
"Qin Yu, you like plush toys, right?"
Keqing held up the toy in her hand and said earnestly.
Qin Yu: "..."
He looked at the fierce-looking Keqing.
Then at the equally fierce-looking General plush toy.
These were the two Electro Archons of Inazuma and Liyue.
He absolutely had to like them.
Preferably one on each side, wouldn't that be nice.
Just as Qin Yu was about to nod,
"My partner's favorite is machinery."
"Especially transforming machinery."
Sandrone raised her chin and glanced at Qin Yu.
Her sparkling blue eyes hinted at something.
Qin Yu: "..."
He understood Sandrone's hint.
If he agreed and admitted to liking transforming machinery,
Sandrone would be able to get him an Eternal Dragon Beast toy.
Eternal Dragon Beast, Qin Yu had heard Sandrone mention it.
It was a dragon-shaped combat mech from Khaenri'ah.
Please, it was so cool!
Qin Yu admitted he liked it very much.
"Can I have both?"
"No!"
Both women said at the same time.
"..."
Qin Yu looked at the two women and shook his head helplessly.
It was already past closing time; he couldn't let them continue arguing.
Just as he was pondering how to end this,
"Report, Lord Qin Yu!"
From outside the tent, a samurai rushed in urgently.
However, as soon as he stepped into the tent, he was met by the gaze of three people.
"Uh..."
The samurai sensed the lingering atmosphere and froze.
He had a feeling he had come at the wrong time...
"It's you."
Qin Yu looked over instinctively, his eyes lighting up.
It was the same samurai who had previously ruined his teasing.
He had been the one to complain about Qin Yu ruining the mood and was punished by scrubbing the deck.
He never expected to reappear in this way.
This time, he had been a great help.
"Lord Qin Yu..."
The samurai tentatively looked at Qin Yu.
He had finally returned to land.
He had hoped to perform well and change their impression.
What if he accidentally stumbled upon something again!
"What is it?"
Keqing crossed her arms, her face returning to its calm expression.
The samurai's sudden appearance probably meant there were new results from the sea exploration.
When it came to work, she immediately entered her professional mode.
"The defenders were destroyed during the exploration."
"There are sea monsters!"
The samurai delivered the intelligence.
After his report, the tent fell silent for a moment.
Especially Sandrone, her eyes turned icy.
The mechs she had built with Qin Yu were in trouble.
Naturally, her mood was extremely poor.
"You can go down for now."
Qin Yu waved his hand, signaling the samurai to leave.
The samurai breathed a sigh of relief and quietly retreated.
Fortunately, he didn't have to scrub the deck this time; he had been overthinking.
There were two women here, and the atmosphere was harmonious.
Lord Qin Yu couldn't possibly be involved with both of them at the same time.
The samurai had completely departed.
"Monsters tainted with the aura of a god..."
Keqing frowned, picking up a pen and marking the sea chart.
She hadn't expected the salvage operation to encounter trouble.
The last area had been occupied by a monster's nest.
The salvage fleet couldn't even get close.
As the Jade Chamber Star, she had to come up with a solution quickly.
Just as Keqing was staring intently at the sea chart,
Suddenly, a warm presence approached.
"It seems to be an uninhabited island."
Qin Yu came to Keqing's side, leaning in and whispering.
"You!"
Keqing's body tensed, and she instinctively hugged her arms.
Her professional demeanor instantly broke.
She pointed at Qin Yu and said fiercely:
"Why are you suddenly coming so close?"
She recalled her previous words to Qin Yu.
That she didn't... dislike Qin Yu...
Would she have been too harsh and made Qin Yu misunderstand?
Thinking this, Keqing, the cat, glared at Qin Yu.
She seemed even fiercer.
"?"
Qin Yu was taken aback. Was his move to step back serious?
"My partner..."
Sandrone looked over, her expression odd.
"So you like this kind of play."
"What are you talking about?"
Qin Yu's face darkened.
It was as if he was some pervert with ulterior motives.
He hadn't even done anything yet.
Bah, he hadn't planned to do anything in the first place!
He almost got sidetracked again.
"Is it okay if I just look at the sea chart?"
Under the gaze of the two women, Qin Yu said helplessly.
He took the sea chart and pondered silently.
"Hmm, if it's here..."
Keqing's eyes lit up.
Qin Yu looked serious and charismatic when he was focused on work.
He looked rather handsome.
He seemed quite reliable.
Thinking this, she said expectantly:
"So, what did you come up with?"
Qin Yu put down the sea chart and nodded silently.
"I didn't come up with anything."
"You're slacking off again!"
Keqing puffed out her cheeks and raised her hand to hit Qin Yu.
Keqing, the cat, was about to bite.
"Don't get excited, I was just joking."
Qin Yu reacted quickly, catching her wrist.
The warmth of their skin transmitted between them, and they both froze.
Keqing's whole body stiffened.
She had been touched by Qin Yu.
She wanted to draw her sword, but for some reason, she couldn't muster the strength.
In her shyness, there was somehow a hint of... anticipation?
"Sorry."
Qin Yu looked at the blushing Keqing and said softly.
"Let go."
Keqing silently turned her face away, her cheeks flushing.
She didn't dare to meet Qin Yu's gaze.
That feeling was too intense.
It made her heart flutter even more.
Qin Yu blinked.
"What did you say?"
As if he hadn't heard clearly, he leaned closer.
The wind outside the tent was a bit boisterous...
"Let go!"
Keqing, the cat, erupted and stomped on Qin Yu's foot.
Her small fists landed on Qin Yu's body, and she said fiercely:
"You're slacking off during work again!"
"No, I'd rather pet a cat."
Qin Yu stared at Keqing and smiled.
Keqing when she was angry was too cute.
He couldn't help but want to tease her a little more.
"You!"
Keqing realized what he meant, her small face turning red.
Cat, where is the cat?
Just as Qin Yu was about to continue,
"My partner, you're not being honest."
Sandrone said softly after finishing with the parts on the table.
"Hmph."
Keqing let out a light hmph and turned her face away haughtily.
She also shot Qin Yu a glare.
"Let's get back to business."
Qin Yu smiled helplessly, his train of thought suddenly interrupted.
"This matter of the sea monsters, I can handle it alone."
"You? Those are swarms of water-elemental monsters."
Keqing looked at Qin Yu, skeptical.
"My partner is very powerful..."
Sandrone propped her chin and smiled slightly.
"Let's go, let's go take a look at that sea area."
...
Late at night, the sea churned with undercurrents.
The moonlight seemed exceptionally bright.
Warships were gathered here.
In the distance lay the sea nest of the monsters.
The water-elemental monsters, tainted with the aura of a god, were extremely dangerous.
This should have been the case...
However, before this nest, there was a single, lone boat.
A young man stood there, slowly lowering his hand.
Under the moonlight, the coldness in Qin Yu's eyes gradually dissipated.
"Crack—"
The sea froze over, and all the monsters turned to dust.
They ceased to exist.
"This..."
Keqing stood by the ship, gently covering her mouth.
"My goodness."
The Millelith soldiers and the Tenryou Commission samurai stood stunned.
Such terrifying Cryo elemental power, enough to freeze the sea.
"Is it beautiful?"
"Kamisato Art: Repose."
Qin Yu smiled faintly and said softly.
Keqing's beautiful eyes flashed with brilliance, and she nodded slightly.
Was this ice and snow a landscape that Qin Yu was gifting her?
"It's beautiful..."
Qin Yu extended his hand.
"Let's explore the island ahead together, Miss Keqing."
"Mm..."
"My partner, you're so amazing tonight too."
Sandrone leaned on Qin Yu's shoulder and smiled.
"?"