Night fell.
Distant tents flickered with light.
An unusual silence hung in the air.
The guarding soldiers subconsciously kept their distance.
They gazed up at the starry sky, their expressions solemn.
"Hey, we..."
A relieved Millelith on patrol passed by.
"Ahem!"
Before any greeting could be exchanged, their eyes were stopped.
Someone understood, and froze on the spot.
Lady Yuheng was in a very bad mood.
Run, run quickly!
"?"
The newly arrived Millelith scurried away dejectedly.
They turned their heads, watching their colleagues working overtime in the night breeze.
As they offered silent condolences, they couldn't help but feel bewildered.
Lady Yuheng had been in good spirits earlier today.
Why was she like this again now...
Inside the tent.
"..."
Qin Yu sighed silently.
He looked up at the aloof girl sitting opposite him.
Keqing was buried in her work at the desk.
In the distance, a plush toy sat.
It was the Raiden Shogun plush toy Qin Yu had given her.
She was thus cast aside in a corner of the desk, tragically abandoned.
Qin Yu understood.
Keqing was angry with him.
Simply put, he had messed up.
As for the specific reason for his blunder...
"..."
Sensing Qin Yu's gaze, Keqing raised her head.
The girl's perfect face was now frosted with cold.
"Hmph."
Keqing snorted softly, her gaze flicking to Qin Yu's side.
There sat an exquisite girl, like a doll.
She was also the direct cause of Qin Yu's downfall.
The puppet, Sandrone.
She looked over too, her smile elegant.
The gazes of the two women collided in the air.
In that instant, they understood each other's thoughts.
"..."
Keqing's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, then she looked away.
Sandrone's lips curved into a slight arc.
"My partner, what are you thinking about?"
She raised her small hand, tidying the bangs on her forehead.
She was meticulously dressed, exquisite and charming.
She looked at Qin Yu, blinking as if innocent.
But her azure eyes held a hint of provocation.
My partner...
Did you enjoy seeing me after I dressed up?
Qin Yu glared at her.
Ignoring Sandrone, he slowly rose.
Leaning down, he propped himself on the table and moved closer to Keqing.
Keqing's pen tip paused.
"Keqing."
Qin Yu took out a hairpin and said softly.
The girl before him pursed her lips, remaining silent.
Qin Yu sighed softly.
He reached out and picked up the plush toy from the side of the table.
"!"
Keqing's eyelashes fluttered, her gaze subtly shifting to the plush toy.
Qin Yu tucked the hairpin into the plush toy's embrace.
He pushed it towards Keqing.
"You've been working for so long, take a break."
"..."
The gifts they had exchanged for each other, quietly snuggled.
The plush toy holding the hairpin was surprisingly fitting.
Keqing stared at the plush toy for a long time in silence.
Her cold gaze flickered slightly.
Suddenly, with a snap.
She slammed her pen onto the table and raised her face.
Staring at Qin Yu, she said in a low voice:
"After working for so long, it's time to handle other matters."
"Keqing?"
Qin Yu opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
Keqing, a little flustered, needed to be appeased.
Suddenly, a cool night breeze blew in from outside the tent.
The lamplight swayed for a moment.
To Qin Yu's surprise.
Keqing didn't immediately turn to him.
Instead, she glared at the doll girl.
A chill began to condense around her.
Qin Yu realized it was best for him to remain silent for now.
"Hehe... my partner."
Sandrone smiled faintly.
She gently clasped Qin Yu's finger, her posture obedient.
"From now on, you just need to watch."
This was a "tacit understanding" between the two women.
Qin Yu glared at her and sat back down.
Keqing frowned, "What are you doing to Qin Yu!"
The doll girl who suddenly appeared was clinging to Qin Yu.
Not only was she seriously hindering his work.
She was even hugging and cuddling here.
Truly shameless.
She had to bring Qin Yu back to Liyue to work overtime!
"Doing what?"
Sandrone rested her chin on her hand, tilting her head.
"Just a very normal snuggle."
As she spoke, she looked at Qin Yu and smiled intimately: httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
"We're already used to doing this, aren't we?"
Qin Yu's expression darkened, wanting to deny it.
But upon reflection...
The doll girl clinging to his hand was indeed something he had grown accustomed to.
When had it started?
Seeing Qin Yu's silence, Sandrone's lips curved slightly.
My partner...
It's a little too late to realize now.
"!"
Their exchanged glances stimulated the "Keqing cat" present.
Keqing gripped her pen and said coldly, as if on reflex:
"It's just shaking hands, so I also...!"
Before she could finish speaking.
"Eh—"
Sandrone said with surprise:
"But, you're just ordinary pen pals, aren't you?"
"I..."
Keqing's small mouth parted, and she was stunned for a moment.
The puppet girl's words hit a nerve.
Keqing slowly lowered her head, her small hands clenching.
Under the lamplight, the tips of her ears turned slightly red.
Indeed, they were just ordinary pen pals.
But something felt off.
It shouldn't be like this...
"Holding hands between pen pals would be quite strange, wouldn't it?"
Sandrone's voice rang out ethereally.
She stared at Keqing, lost in thought.
"I..."
Keqing bit her lip, seemingly suppressing something.
The redness on her ear tips was rapidly spreading.
Suddenly, Sandrone thought of something.
She covered her small mouth, her face a picture of surprise:
"You don't possibly like Qin Yu, do you?"
*Bang*—!
Before the words had even fallen, a dull thud echoed.
Keqing slammed the table with both hands and shot to her feet.
"Keqing?"
Qin Yu was startled and looked up at the girl who had lost her composure.
In the flickering firelight, Keqing was staring intently at him.
Her beautiful face was already flushed crimson.
She glared at Qin Yu and said with a trembling voice:
"I, I don't like Qin Yu at all!"