The desert starlit night was serene and beautiful.
In the night wind, the creaking tent, which had been shaking and vibrating for an unknown amount of time, finally quieted down.
Qin Yu threw on the clothes he hadn't fully put on yet, feeling refreshed as he lifted the flap and stepped out.
After all, he had just discussed a project worth hundreds of millions with his secretary inside, so it was normal to be in a good mood.
"Water... and a towel..."
Qin Yu rubbed a few messy hickeys on his shoulders and neck, preparing to clean up the traces left after the battle.
His secretary's lipstick was really good.
Just as Qin was humming a tune and recalling some joyful scenes.
"Qin Yu."
A lazy and tired call came from inside the tent, tinged with a hint of displeasure.
The tent had been left ajar at night, and the wind blowing in was quite cold.
"Ahem, sorry."
Qin Yu turned his head to look behind him, and also let down the flap.
On the bed inside the tent, Yelan, who had just finished dressing, sat on the edge of the bed with her legs apart.
In the dim light, a pair of beautiful, smooth, and fair legs, with black stockings removed, lay by the bedside, their curves graceful.
"Hmph, where did that domineering spirit from earlier go?"
Yelan ran her fingers through the stray hair on her shoulders, her raised eyes now filled with more tenderness and charm.
Of course, there was also lingering pleasure.
The slight aching sensation remained clearly in her mind.
This feeling could make her mental power more focused and maintain her sharp intuition.
After all, with Qin Yu around, even the most painful wounds would be healed.
So...
She had focused a bit too much.
"It was just playing around."
Qin Yu scratched his head and explained with a hint of helplessness.
His secretary had some rather peculiar hobbies, even to the point of addiction.
In short, those who know, know.
Those who don't, can't be told too explicitly.
"I understand~ So, shall we try again next time we work overtime?"
Yelan pursed her seductive lips and said with a smile.
She was very satisfied with this project worth hundreds of millions.
She could have him invest more in her personal projects in the future.
"You're not planning to leave?"
Qin Yu leaned against a pillar and asked softly.
If he didn't confirm, he always felt that the charming and elegant secretary would slip away the next moment.
Although, after discussing a project worth hundreds of millions, she couldn't run away anymore.
The consequence of disobedience would be like that ornamental fish lady, being carried back to the tea house for a severe punishment.
"Mm... I will still be active in Liyue in the future."
Yelan muttered, staring at her toes, which were playfully intertwined.
Intelligence work naturally could not be neglected.
She would return to the Jade Chamber sooner or later, to once again become the "idler" under the Ministry of Civil Affairs.
To protect Liyue, so that it would not be caught off guard by foreign invasions like it was five hundred years ago.
All foreign threats must be nipped in the bud.
This was the answer Yelan had reached after meeting Qin Yu.
Of course.
"Do you want to open a tea house in Liyue too?"
Yelan smiled charmingly.
As her boss, he had to travel back and forth across the Seven Nations.
After all, he signed several projects worth hundreds of millions a day, my busy man.
"...Okay."
Qin Yu chuckled and agreed.
Just right, he was planning to take the girls to Liyue for a couple of days.
If they were tired, they could just sleep. No problem.
...
After some idle chat, Qin Yu left the tent.
"Speaking of which, it seems a bit too quiet around here."
He murmured, becoming secretly vigilant.
He felt like he had forgotten someone.
Wait a moment.
The thought had barely crossed his mind.
*Rustle rustle—*
The grass not far away suddenly began to sway.
The next moment, a blurry shadow darted out.
Lumine, as nimble as a small wildcat, instantly rushed behind Qin Yu.
"?"
Just as Qin Yu was about to turn his head, his body stiffened.
Something hard was pressing against him.
"Stop right there, don't move."
The girl's stern voice sounded behind his ear, her tone fierce.
"Why do you all always like to target my kidneys?"
Qin helplessly said, raising his hands in a Fontaine salute.
Can't you change the spot next time?
If something goes wrong, all our happiness will be gone!
"Hmph, stop pretending to be stupid."
In the moonlight, Lumine circled out from behind Qin Yu, her eyes filled with shame and anger.
She felt something was off between the two of them when they were rolling the dice.
Don't think she didn't know what happened in the tent just now.
Confess honestly, was it intentional!
"Speak quickly!"
Lumine's finger poked at Qin Yu, and as if still not appeased, she instinctively tugged at Qin Yu's collar.
Inadvertently, those strawberry marks were exposed to the air.
A bit awkward.
"?"
Lumine's eyes widened, and her small face instantly turned red.
Even as a maiden who had not experienced such things, she now understood.
Her small, tender hands, with nowhere to go, retracted as if shocked by electricity.
It was something unclean!
"Uh, so you know everything."
Qin Yu felt a little awkward, then looked at Lumine with a hint of helplessness.
What a cat-girl maid, eavesdropping outside.
Was it intentional or accidental?
"I... I was just passing by...!"
Lumine bit her lip lightly and instantly deflated.
The cat-girl maid, who had intended to arrest Qin Yu and question him, instead became the one with less confidence.
"Ahem... In any case, let's go rest... Goodnight?"
Qin Yu looked at Lumine, who was silent, and tentatively waved his hand.
He was truly sorry for what happened tonight.
"..."
Lumine did not respond, only lowering her head.
Her eyes slightly cast down, she stared at her slightly soiled skirt hem.
*I was meticulously patrolling, confirming there were no monsters around.*
*But in the end, I'm still alone.*
*Like a complete idiot.*
Lumine slowly clenched her fists.
The inexplicable anger turned into inexplicable unwillingness.
She just wanted to find her brother and cuddle with the cute girls.
But what happened?
She didn't find her brother, and all the girls were taken away by someone.
She was unwanted, and now she was so disheveled.
*Bang—!*
She suddenly raised her head and punched Qin Yu.
"I'm going to expose what you did in the basement to everyone right now!"
The maid was determined to take Qin Yu down with her.
"Wait, we can talk about this, don't get agitated."
Qin Yu, seeing Lumine pulling out her communication device, instinctively grabbed her.
Harmony and love, harmony and love!
"Let go of me!"
Lumine naturally refused, struggling with all her might.
As they pulled and tugged, a physical contest was unavoidable.
But once the balance was broken...
A suppressed whimper, accompanied by a dull thud, was heard.
In the moonlight, two figures stumbled and clung to each other.
"!"
Qin Yu and Lumine stared at each other, both stunned.
Who was it that first stepped on a pebble and almost fell is no longer important.
The two of them felt each other's breath, mere inches away, and fell into thought.
The atmosphere quietly turned tense.
"Lumine, I didn't mean to."
Qin Yu was the first to break the silence, explaining in a low voice with a look of sincerity.
He was a proper gentleman.
However, as soon as he spoke, he sensed something was wrong.
"?"
Lumine's body stiffened, as if in disbelief, and her eyes slowly widened.
Both of them looked down.
Someone's hands, as if drawn by magnetism, had moved along Lumine's graceful curves and landed on her soft waist.
Caught red-handed, there was no room for denial now.
"Ah, this."
Qin Yu watched as Lumine's beautiful face turned from pink to red, then to black, and finally, like a little wildcat, she bared her fangs, sweat beading on her forehead.
With the beauty in his arms, it truly triggered a conditioned reflex.
Soft and gentle, it was indeed comfortable to hold.
Ahem, no.
They had been together for a long time and had developed a good rapport.
Who could refuse a beautiful cat-girl maid like Lumine?
"Lumine, please let me argue first!"
Qin Yu said in a low voice, trying to placate Lumine, who was about to puff up her fur.
Yelan was nearby, and if she made any strange noises...
An extra dessert after a late-night snack wouldn't be so easy to come by.
"...Let go!"
"You promise not to move first."
"Let go quickly!"
Lumine raised her hands and pushed Qin Yu's chest with all her might.
The well-developed heart under his chest was beating erratically with their silent struggle.
That patch of white, reflecting the bright moonlight, was indeed dazzling.
The moon tonight was truly big and round.
*Hiss.*
He hadn't expected the maid to have such generous assets.
"Where are you looking?!"
Lumine realized and her small face instantly turned red. She quickly hugged herself.
She feigned composure and raised her chin, threateningly waving her small fists.
There was no one else here, so even if the maid beat up her employer, no one would know!
"Release your hand, what are you going to do?"
Qin Yu asked.
"Naturally, to expose your true face."
Lumine snorted.
If she could defeat this bad guy, all the girls in the tea house would be hers to take care of.
Then they could cuddle every day and make him furious!
"Then I can't let you go."
Qin Yu shook his head, looking unconcerned.
For some reason, seeing Lumine so angry and annoyed was quite amusing.
"You... Why do you only bully me!"
Lumine stamped her foot and blurted it out in a fit of desperation.
As soon as the words left her mouth, she quickly shut up, her eyes filled with shame and anger.
The fierce tone she had intended did not instill any deterrence.
What she thought was a powerful accusation turned into a spoiled complaint like a young girlfriend's.
So embarrassing.
What was happening to her?
"As a cat-girl maid, isn't it strange if the employer doesn't bully you?"
Qin Yu smiled slightly, trying to fool her with a serious tone.
No matter how you looked at it, Lumine was not the type to be fierce.
"...Let go of me, I won't expose you anymore."
Lumine seemed to give up struggling, turned her face away, and snorted lightly.
Her whole body exuded an air of reluctant resentment.
"What? I'm old, I can't hear you—"
Qin Yu's lips curved slightly.
It sounded a bit like he was asking for a beating.
But...
Be polite, maid, and then ask me properly.
"You!"
Lumine took a deep breath, her face red, and said in a low voice:
"Let... let go of me, mas..."
Her melodious voice carried a hint of shame and anger, and the helplessness of being forced.
*Gulp, kill me now!*
"Alright."
Qin Yu revealed a smile of a successful prankster and, keeping his promise, released Lumine.
In short, thanks for the treat.
"Can I go now?"
Lumine mumbled, her head lowered.
The maid, holding her breath, was already planning her revenge for later.
Yes, starting with paying off her debts.
"It's still early, shall we take a walk together?"
Qin Yu smiled and extended his hand to Lumine again.
Let's go, my dearest maid.
You are not a traveler on your own.
You have Paimon by your side, and the warmth of everyone.
And, of course, me.
The Komore Teahouse is your eternal home.
"..."
Lumine's eyelashes trembled slightly, and she bit her soft lip.
Really, why is he suddenly so serious?
She couldn't even think about her future "revenge" plans anymore.
…
After a brief silence, a soft sensation entered Qin Yu's hand.
Lumine gently held Qin Yu's hand, her cheeks flushed, not saying a word.
In the quiet night, the wind accompanied the flowing water, playing a soothing melody.
Their eyes met again.
They both saw the surprise in each other's eyes.
It turned out that holding hands had become so natural, as if it was a matter of course.
When did this flutter from the depths of their hearts begin?
Qin Yu couldn't help but smile.
After so many experiences, seeds would inevitably sprout inadvertently.
Forget it, whatever.
"Let's go."
Lumine averted her gaze and said in a low voice.
She had intended to be more reserved, but quickly broke character, the corners of her mouth turning up.
The maiden's smile was like a flower blooming in the dead of night, stunning and beautiful.
Qin's eyes lit up.
"Don't make me laugh!"
Lumine got a little flustered.
"Hey, you were the one who couldn't help but laugh first."
"You're lying—"
The two chased each other, a bout of playful scuffling.
…
Unknowingly, they arrived beside a cliff.
"Ceasefire, let's rest for a while."
The two sat on a rock, gazing at the moon in the sky and chatting.
"Qin Yu."
"What is it?"
"Next, you're going to..."
"Mm, to retrieve the last Hydro power."
Qin Yu looked at the floating chess piece in his palm and murmured.
King, Queen, Rook...
This game had been planned for centuries.
Gathering the power of all gods, solely for the final "Ascension."
"Istara won't let you get the last piece easily."
Lumine's eyes were filled with worry.
Furina's eyes sealed the soul of the previous Hydro Archon.
Istara might join forces with the first Hydro Archon, waiting for an opportunity...!
"I know, Furina knows too."
Qin Yu sighed and put away the God's Heart.
Istara would likely resort to any means necessary and attack Fontaine City.
Throughout the long ages, she had, in the name of freedom, tempted too many nations.
As for their fates...
They were either buried in the snowy mountains of Mondstadt, or in the depths of Liyue's Chasm.
And in Khaenri'ah five hundred years ago.
Lumine's brother... died at that time...
"Promise me you'll come back together."
Lumine gazed at Qin Yu's profile and said earnestly.
Beneath the starry sky, the maiden's eyes twinkled, radiant.
It was the most beautiful sight in the world, and at this moment, it belonged only to Qin Yu.
"I don't want to make a promise like that."
Qin Yu shook his head and did not reply.
"I don't care, you promised."
Lumine rolled her cute eyes and extended her hand.
In her palm lay a pink orb, shining brightly.
"This is...?"
Qin Yu was stunned and instinctively picked it up.
"Acquaintance Card, if you are willing... please accept it."
Lumine twirled a strand of hair around her finger, glancing at Qin Yu as if casually.
Seeing him curiously holding the Acquaintance Card, her eyelashes trembled slightly.
Nervous, expectant.
It was her proof of establishing a beautiful connection.
Qin Yu was the first, and would be the last.
"Just one pink orb?"
Qin Yu smiled, "I won't agree so easily."
"Then ten should be enough!"
Lumine gritted her teeth and said angrily.
Ten pulls aren't enough to win you over?
She had saved up Primogems from so many commissions, don't be ungrateful!
"It should be at least one hundred and eighty pink orbs."
"Damn it—You have to promise me tonight!"