Keqing's slender fingertips brushed across Qin Yu's lips, leaving a luminous sheen.
Evaluation: D
"How does it look?" Keqing asked, stepping aside.
Qin Yu's gaze fell on her reflection in the mirror, or rather, on her lips.
She pursed her lips slightly, feeling the unique texture of the lip balm.
Satisfied, Qin Yu nodded. "It's fine, but my lips aren't chapped, so do I really need it?"
Keqing casually replied, "But there's no harm in wearing it, right? Besides, I just wanted to try it out."
Qin Yu blinked in surprise. "Try it out? If you wanted to try it, why didn't you just try it on yourself?"
Though... this isn't so bad either.
Keqing's face suddenly flushed red, and she cleared her throat. "I happened to find a promising new product. My friend said the quality is excellent, so I thought I'd let you try it too."
Really? Qin Yu couldn't shake the feeling that Keqing's reaction was a bit off.
But even if Keqing had ulterior motives, Qin Yu wouldn't mind too much at this point.
After all, she had a woman by her side who was always scheming, constantly trying to get her to accept more... unspeakable things.
Even if she didn't want to adapt, she had already ended up this way.
Qin Yu wanted to sigh, but just then, Keqing spoke again.
"Qin Yu."
As she spoke, Keqing handed Qin Yu the small round box containing the lip balm.
Qin Yu understood immediately—Keqing wanted her to apply it too.
But that familiar itchiness stirred within her again. She thought, This would be a perfect chance to tease Keqing.
She knew it wasn't good to tease someone she liked so often, but reason was often trampled by emotion, making it easy to get swept away by intense feelings.
This old habit was probably impossible to break.
But Keqing and the others seemed to enjoy it too, so it wasn't really a problem.
Giving in to her impulse, Qin Yu accepted the small round box, stood up to offer her seat, and as Keqing settled down at the vanity, she said nonchalantly,
"Keqing, close your eyes."
"Close my eyes?" Keqing asked, puzzled. "Is that really necessary?"
Qin Yu, unwilling to reveal her ulterior motives, insisted, "Of course it is."
"But why would I need to...?"
And there was something strangely familiar about this.
Whenever Qin Yu was up to something, she always betrayed a slight change in her usual demeanor. Keqing, ever perceptive, picked up on this immediately, thinking, Is she going to tease me again?
Oh well. Keqing obediently closed her eyes.
Qin Yu sighed in relief. Good girl. No need for questions or arguing. Just do as you're told.
Before carrying out her mischief, Qin Yu's gaze drifted to Keqing's long eyelashes. A sudden urge to touch them flashed through her mind, and before she knew it, her fingertips were lightly brushing against the delicate lashes.
The lashes fluttered slightly, and Keqing's cheeks flushed crimson, but she kept her eyes closed. "Qin Yu? My mouth isn't up here."
"I know. I'm not blind," Qin Yu murmured, her voice low.
Despite her words, her hand didn't stop.
Sometimes stroking, sometimes teasingly lifting the lashes, Qin Yu muttered, "This is... kind of interesting."
Evaluation: C-
Keqing felt the strange sensation, her eyelids trembling slightly. "Really? What's so interesting about it?" she whispered.
"I don't know."
Keqing was momentarily speechless.
"How can it be interesting if you don't even know why?" she asked, exasperated.
What a nag, Qin Yu thought to herself, inwardly retorting. Yet she couldn't help but marvel at the strange warmth stirring within her.
Even the most mundane actions became intriguing when Keqing and the others were involved. Perhaps this was why she found herself wanting to tease them from time to time.
And it wasn't just eyelashes; Qin Yu felt an equal curiosity toward other parts of them.
As for why this was, Qin Yu didn't delve too deeply into the question.
After all, there was nothing inherently wrong with it.
Of course, she would never voice these thoughts aloud, at least not yet.
Even if she were to express her feelings proactively, she would need to carefully choose what to reveal and when, ensuring they didn't take advantage of her openness.
Her mischievous impulse intensified, and seizing the opportunity, she gently blew a puff of air.
Evaluation: C+
"Ah! Wait, Qin Yu, do you even want to apply this?" Keqing demanded, her face flushed crimson as she opened her eyes.
Maybe I went a little too far, Qin Yu thought, feeling slightly embarrassed and flustered. "Alright, I'll apply it now."
"No..."
"Hmm?"
Keqing averted her gaze. "...Nothing."
The thought that Qin Yu might stop teasing her left her feeling strangely reluctant.
With this bittersweet feeling of "almost having something," Keqing closed her eyes once more.
Soon, she felt Qin Yu's fingertips tracing her lips, leaving behind the unique thickness of the lipstick. At the same time, her heartstrings were plucked, sending a peculiar, indescribable tingling sensation rippling through her.
Keqing was about to speak when the words were cut off in the next instant.
Realizing what Qin Yu had done, the tips of her ears flushed hot. Without hesitation, she cupped Qin Yu's face and pressed forward.
Evaluation: B
Keqing and Qin Yu locked eyes for a few seconds before Keqing took Qin Yu's hand and led her to the sofa. There, she cupped Qin Yu's face once more.
Evaluation: A-
Evaluation: A+
Keqing touched her now-moistened lips and murmured, "I just put it on."
Qin Yu, however, felt a twinge of disappointment. She had hoped to see Keqing startled, but instead, Keqing had responded so passionately without a moment's hesitation. To Keqing's self-talk, Qin Yu merely twirled a strand of her hair and said:
"Mine too."
Evaluation: S
A deep blush still lingered on Keqing's face as she fidgeted with her ponytail. "Well, there's no need to wear it in this weather anyway. I was just testing it out, so it doesn't matter."
"But you, Qin Yu—were you just trying to see me get startled again?"
Keqing's words only deepened Qin Yu's dissatisfaction.
Qin Yu turned her face away. "Though you don't seem even slightly scared."
"It's not that I'm not scared at all," Keqing murmured.
Qin Yu's ears twitched, catching Keqing's words. She leaned forward eagerly.
"Really?" she asked, her eyes shining with anticipation.
Of course it's true, Keqing thought, but her reaction was more complex than mere surprise.
Instead of admitting it directly, Keqing stubbornly insisted, "Though it was only a little bit."
Tsk. Qin Yu felt instantly disappointed. What was the point of only scaring her a little? This hardly counted as a successful prank.
But her dissatisfaction vanished the moment Keqing wrapped her arms around her.
"Qin Yu."
"Hmm?" Qin Yu replied, her expression softening.
Keqing hugged her tightly and whispered, "I love you."
Evaluation: SS-
The racing heartbeat sent a faint blush across Qin Yu's skin. Keqing's direct confession left her momentarily speechless. She finally managed to stammer, "I-I... I also..."
But then she abruptly changed her tone. "Wait, don't always say things like that."
"But shouldn't these feelings be spoken aloud?" Keqing argued, her face flushing crimson. "It's hard to say, but if something needs to be said, it must be said."
"Even so..."
"Don't you like it, Qin Yu?"
Another one of these questions. How annoying.
Qin Yu could never bring herself to say anything else. She could only gently bite Keqing's shoulder.
"Qin Yu?! Why did you suddenly bite me?"
"...This is my answer."
"Huh?"
Qin Yu pouted. "If you don't understand, just forget it."
Keqing tried to decipher Qin Yu's sudden, gentle bite. Though the pressure had been light, it had left a faint mark on her shoulder, making her feel unaccustomed to the sensation.
It was as if she had been branded as Qin Yu's possession.
Keqing's eyes widened in realization, and she blushed bashfully. "Of course I understand. I have no intention of running away."
"I know."
And even if you did run, I wouldn't let you get away, Qin Yu thought to herself.
"I won't let you leave me either, Qin Yu," Keqing added.
"...Mhm."
Their gazes met once more, and Qin Yu pulled Keqing into a tight embrace, their breaths intertwining once more.
"After tomorrow afternoon..." Keqing murmured between breaths.
A moist, heated voice.
Evaluation: SS
"I haven't made any plans..."
A gentle fragrance.
Evaluation: SS+
"Would you like to go for a stroll... together?"
Absolutely captivating.
Evaluation: SSS-
"...?" Keqing finally managed to utter the last syllable, preventing Qin Yu from swallowing it whole.
Qin Yu's eyes sparkled as she chirped excitedly, "Yes!"
Keqing felt Qin Yu was reverting to her childhood self.