Beware of Liyue Women (Genshin Impact)

Arriving at the bar, Qin Yu quickly scanned the room. It was fairly empty, and the corner booth was unoccupied.

Perfect.

She walked up to the bar. The bartender glanced at her and casually asked, "The Poet?"

Huh? He remembers me? Impressive memory... Qin Yu returned a polite smile and said she wanted to try something different. The bartender recommended the bar's new specialty.

"Sea and Sky Horizon," he said.

The price... Whoa, expensive!

But it was a rare night off. One drink wouldn't hurt, right? This wasn't frivolous spending, Qin Yu reasoned with herself as she ordered. She quickly settled into her usual corner booth.

With time to kill, Qin Yu pulled The Citrus Within from her bag...

Wait, no! How could she read that in public? She quickly shoved the book back in and took out a collection of short stories instead, flipping through it absently.

I heard the author of The Citrus Within has a new book out. I wonder if the bookstore has it in stock yet.

It's not that I'm particularly interested in romance stories between women; I just like the author's writing style.

Still, if someone saw me reading this kind of book, they might get the wrong idea. Explaining myself would be a hassle, so it's best to be discreet.

A while later, the bartender brought over a new drink.

Qin Yu closed her book and gazed at the drink with admiration.

The "Sea and Sky Horizon" lived up to its name. The glass was divided into two distinct layers: the upper layer resembled a clear blue sky, while the lower layer mirrored the crystal-clear sea. The two layers remained separate, divided by a sharp, defined line.

Qin Yu took a small sip and exhaled slowly, relaxing into the moment.

A refreshing sweetness spread across her palate... It felt as if she were actually witnessing such a beautiful vista, leaving her mind utterly refreshed and at peace.

The quality of this drink certainly justified its price.

Truly wonderful.

Just then, Qin Yu suddenly sensed someone sitting down behind her.

"Long time no see," a woman's voice said from behind.

I actually ran into her!

Qin Yu was surprised. Liyue was such a vast place; she never expected to run into someone she'd met casually again. But if someone frequented this bar often, encountering others was bound to happen eventually. It was only a matter of time.

She wondered if the woman remembered their previous agreement. If she offered to treat, Qin Yu could have another drink.

But I couldn't just blurt it out.

What if she thought I was trying to take advantage of her? That would ruin my carefully cultivated image! Even with our backs turned, unaware of each other's identities, I still needed to be cautious.

Still, a subtle hint couldn't hurt, right? Just a little nudge.

"Yes, it's been a while since we last... well, since that time," Qin Yu said with a smile. "Ah, though 'meeting' feels like a strange word for it. Anyway, good evening, it's been too long."

I never expected to run into her again.

Even Keqing couldn't help but marvel at this strange twist of fate.

She had simply come here during her break, intending to enjoy a drink and ponder some matters in peace.

Yet, here she was, encountering the same woman from before.

Keqing felt no aversion. Although she had initially wanted to be alone, this unknown woman inexplicably made her feel comfortable, so chatting with her wouldn't be a problem.

Come to think of it, I think I promised to treat her last time... Keqing remembered as she heard the woman's voice behind her.

I almost forgot! How careless of me.

With a hint of apology, Keqing patted her chest and smiled. "If I remember correctly, I said that if we met again, the next drink would be on me."

"Thank you, one drink is fine."

"No, tonight, whatever you have is on me."

If I heard correctly, did she just say 'everything's on me'? So she's a rich woman after all!

Well, in that case, I won't hold back.

Even so, I shouldn't overdo it. Two drinks should be enough. Drinking too much wouldn't be good... and what if she was just being polite? If I took her at her word and ordered a bunch of drinks, I'd feel terrible if it made her uncomfortable.

I need to show some restraint.

"Ahaha, thank you... But why are you saying this all of a sudden? Are you in a particularly good mood?" Qin Yu asked curiously.

"No... my mood isn't exactly great. I just remembered how valuable the things you told me last time were, and I wanted to offer a proper thank you."

Why does this sound so much like something that twin-tailed woman would say? Does she have a similar personality? Eek.

"Cough, cough—" The woman behind Qin Yu suddenly coughed a couple of times.

"Are you okay?" Qin Yu asked.

"Haa, y-yes, I'm fine. I think I just caught a chill and got a cold."

Her voice did sound a bit nasal and hoarse, making it sound slightly unfamiliar.

Why would she even come out for drinks when she's sick? She should be at home taking a hot bath and getting some rest!

At that moment, the bartender served the woman's drink. To Qin Yu's surprise, it was the same "Sea and Sky Horizon" cocktail she had ordered. Hearing the clinking of the glasses, Qin Yu found it oddly fascinating that they had ended up with the same drink twice in a row.

No, this isn't the time to dwell on that.

"I think you should rest if you have a cold," Qin Yu said gently.

Please don't give it to me.

If Qin Yu caught a cold later, she'd blame it on this night.

"Don't worry about it," the woman replied.

Huh? I'm just trying to be nice, and you're brushing me off?

Qin Yu shook her head slightly. Since the woman insisted, there was nothing more she could do. Still, to maintain her persona, she felt obligated to press the issue a little further.

"A lot of people think they're perfectly fine, but they actually have hidden health problems. These little things build up until they suddenly explode one day... I still hope you'll take care of yourself. After all, we're drinking buddies."

"And yet we don't even know each other's faces or names?" the woman chuckled, amused.

"That's true," Qin Yu admitted.

It feels more like we're online friends. But we're right here in the same place, just sitting back-to-back. Does that even count as online friends? If not, what should we call this?

"This new drink is really good."

Qin Yu nodded in agreement. "I feel the same way. It's like witnessing the true beauty of the sea and sky horizon—the azure sea and the clear blue sky..."

"Like parallel lines," the woman behind her murmured.

Right, parallel lines...

Huh?

The woman sighed. "The sky and the sea stretch endlessly to the horizon, converging into a single line at the edge of our vision. But in reality, they never actually touch, do they?"

That's obvious... Ah, wait. This melancholic vibe—is she bringing up that topic again?

The one about her friend.

Ugh, they still haven't made up? We talked about it so much last time.

Did none of my advice sink in? Or is she just not very good at this? Qin Yu wondered silently.

Somehow, hearing her say that made her drink taste a little melancholy too.

Oh well, since she's treating, I'll indulge her. Though I'm also a bit curious myself... Qin Yu leaned back in her chair, settling in to listen like she was about to hear some juicy gossip.

"Is something the matter?"

The woman behind her remained silent for a long moment, as if hesitant.

But in the end, she spoke up.

"I don't think I understand her anymore."

Hiss—Qin Yu had a premonition that this conversation wouldn't be easy.