Qin Yu, upon hearing Lysieltine Caroline’s words, couldn’t help but sit up from the sofa, straightening her back, her expression gradually turning serious.
“Lysieltine, what exactly is it?”
Lysieltine didn’t answer Qin Yu’s question, instead, she stared at the departing back of Luo Shangyu.
Only when Luo Shangyu’s footsteps disappeared behind the screen of the side hall did Lysieltine turn her head and look at Qin Yu earnestly.
Their eyes met, and Qin Yu saw her own reflection in Lysieltine’s light blue pupils.
Being stared at by Lysieltine, Qin Yu felt a little intimidated and tentatively asked, “Uh… Lysieltine? Is… there something?”
“Qin Yu,” Lysieltine asked seriously, “what is your relationship with Luo Shangyu?”
“Eh?” Qin Yu was stunned.
She hadn’t expected Lysieltine to ask such a question.
“We’re just friends.” Qin Yu looked at Lysieltine’s serious gaze and answered.
“Really?” Lysieltine leaned closer to Qin Yu, pressing further.
“Uh…” Qin Yu felt Lysieltine’s warm breath and instinctively shrank her neck back, “We really are just friends! Best friends!”
“Heh.” Lysieltine chuckled softly, pulled out a newspaper, and tossed it in front of Qin Yu.
“Take a look at this yourself.”
Qin Yu took the newspaper with a face full of confusion.
The newspaper’s date was 21st November, 12575 of the Qianyuan Calendar—today’s paper.
This morning, since Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu had to receive Lysieltine’s group, they hadn’t had time to read the paper.
The headline on the front page read: “Xu Feng’s Coup Fails, Crown Princess Takes Swift Action.”
Qin Yu read the article.
It recounted the process of Xu Feng’s failed coup, the sentencing of its members, and showcased the powerful strength and decisive leadership that Qin Yu and Luo Shangyu displayed in quelling the rebellion.
Finding nothing unusual, Qin Yu continued flipping through the newspaper.
The second page was about Qin Ling announcing the Crown Princess acting as regent and Qin Yu’s changes to official appointments.
Qin Yu still didn’t see any issue.
“It’s not there!” Lysieltine interrupted, using her hand to flip the newspaper directly to page six.
Qin Yu saw the headline: “Secrets the Regent King and the Crown Princess Can’t Avoid,” and her heart skipped a beat.
Could this be another gossip piece, like the previous news about Lysieltine and Saintess Saint Lumia Kriat?
Looking at the title of page six, “Tales of Curiosities,” then at the disclaimer at the end: “This report is based on personal conjecture from facts; its authenticity is debatable.”
‘Bu Hao!’ Qin Yu cursed inwardly, ‘Sure enough, this is a gossip article about me and Luo Shangyu!’
With a sense of dread, Qin Yu braced herself and began reading the article.
“…According to sources from the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess and the Regent King share the same bed.The Crown Princess has openly hinted in public that her relationship with the Regent King is extraordinary. Even more sensational, according to guards of the Eastern Palace, the Crown Princess was once pinned to the ground by the Regent King and personally admitted to being the submissive one. However, the Crown Princess and the Regent King have never publicly clarified their relationship.”
The article was just over a thousand words, but its content was explosive—though largely true.
Qin Yu really had shared a bed with Luo Shangyu, a fact well known among the palace maids, guards, and eunuchs.
But in public, Qin Yu had only said that she and Luo Shangyu were best friends—how did that become “an extraordinary relationship”?
Qin Yu didn’t understand—must be something they learned in journalism.
What made Qin Yu’s head hurt even more was that the matter of her being pinned to the ground by Luo Shangyu and forced to admit she was the submissive one had actually gotten out!
Qin Yu thought back—’there hadn’t been anyone else in the Wuyan Arena that time! How did this spread?’
After finishing the article, Qin Yu felt her mind was in a jumble, her cheeks slightly flushed.
She raised the newspaper high, trying to use its width to cover her face and avoid Lysieltine’s gaze.
“Qin Yu, aren’t you going to give a straightforward explanation?”
Lysieltine smacked the newspaper down onto Qin Yu’s lap, revealing her blushing face.
“Uh…” Qin Yu stammered, “I… I…”
“No need to hide anymore.” Lysieltine propped her head on her hand, resting her elbow on the armrest where Qin Yu was sitting, staring at her sincerely.
“…” Qin Yu looked into Lysieltine’s eyes—she had never looked at her so closely before.
Lysieltine’s long eyebrows trembled slightly, the fine fibers in her light blue irises clearly visible.
Qin Yu scooted back a little on the sofa, trying to avoid Lysieltine’s candid gaze.
“Uh… Actually… I…” Under Lysieltine’s honest gaze, Qin Yu finally couldn’t hold it in and revealed her secret, “The night before last…”
“So, your relationship with Luo Shangyu really isn’t just as simple as friends?”
“Mm.” Qin Yu’s face was crimson as she stared at her feet.
“Looks like she rejected you?”
“She just said becoming lovers was a bit sudden, that doesn’t count as a rejection!”
“Then why don’t you bring it up again?” Lysieltine pressed.
“Because…” Qin Yu didn’t know what to say.
In her past life, Qin Yu had just been an innocent high schooler with no experience in love; after crossing over into the fantasy world, she’d lived behind high walls with no one to teach her about romance.
Qin Yu felt her feelings for Luo Shangyu were a little blurry, seemingly already past the boundaries of friendship.
That time at the Changning King’s Residence, facing ninth-rank false god Zhao Zhuang, Luo Shangyu risked her life to save her—they were already comrades who’d been through life and death.
During the beach volleyball match at Amonkote Bay, her bond with Luo Shangyu deepened.
When facing the Yang Brothers’ coup, Luo Shangyu and she worked together perfectly to quell the rebellion…
After all these experiences, Qin Yu felt she and Luo Shangyu could no longer be separated.
When she was alone and had no one by her side, it was Luo Shangyu who, like sunlight in winter, warmed her heart.
All these thoughts clogged Qin Yu’s heart, making it impossible to say why she shouldn’t try again.
Was it because she didn’t know Luo Shangyu’s true feelings?
Was she afraid that if Luo Shangyu refused, even their friendship would be gone?
All her words condensed into three as she spoke, “I’m afraid…”
“Afraid of being rejected?”
“Mm…”
“Do you think Luo Shangyu likes you?”
“Well…” Qin Yu thought back on all their moments together.
Luo Shangyu’s gentle words, her warm embrace, her sincere gaze…
And… and that time!
At the Changning King’s Residence, facing Zhao Zhuang’s pursuit, when Luo Shangyu swore to protect her to the death—those green eyes shone especially bright in the darkness.
When Zhao Zhuang was about to finish her off, Luo Shangyu threw herself in front of Qin Yu, using her own flesh and blood to shield Qin Yu from a fatal blow.
What kind of feeling would make someone do that?
“I think she likes me.” Qin Yu’s voice wasn’t loud, but it was firm.
“If that’s the case, what are you afraid of?” Lysieltine said, “Just like me and Saintess Saint Lumia Kriat…”
Lysieltine began to share her own experience.
***
Saintess Saint Lumia Kriat pulled Luo Shangyu out of the side hall and onto the square of the Eastern Palace.
“They might need some time, let’s take a walk!” Lysieltine suggested.
“Sure, where would you like to go?” Luo Shangyu asked.
Both being innate light-element mages, Luo Shangyu and Saintess Saint Lumia Kriat found each other especially congenial.
“Let’s go to the Imperial Garden!” said Saint Lumia Kriat.
“No problem!” Luo Shangyu, relying on her last visit’s memory, led Saintess Lumia through the rear palace toward the Imperial Garden.
The two strolled through the Imperial Garden; the myriad flowers had faded, and only a few blooms stood bravely in the cold wind.
“This is a replica of the Yongchang Bridge. Even though it’s a replica, it was still built by the original designer. It’s stood for a thousand years without collapse…”
Luo Shangyu introduced the garden’s sights to Saintess Lumia one by one.
Late autumn blending into early winter, the flowers withered, the scene was desolate, tinged with an end-of-the-world feeling.
They walked and paused, touring most of the Imperial Garden before finding a pavilion to rest in.
“I didn’t expect the Imperial Garden to have such a refined charm in this season.” Luo Shangyu sighed.
“Mm, worthy of a thousand-year garden. The Chengji Empire’s Imperial Garden is truly unmatched in our time,” praised Saintess Lumia.
“By the way, how did you become the Regent King?” Saintess Lumia asked.
“Well, it’s a long story.” Luo Shangyu began telling the story of how she became the palace commander and what came before and after.
“That day, after a thousand years in seclusion, I felt a little bored and decided to come out and find something interesting, to try living among ordinary people.”
Luo Shangyu’s thoughts drifted back to that morning: “I heard the Crown Princess was recruiting guards, requiring only that applicants be fifth-rank or higher mages—no imperial examination needed—so I decided to give it a try.”
“And you were selected just like that?”
“Mm, that’s how it went. Looking back now, I think applying was a great decision. I met Qin Yu—for the first time in my long life, I met someone I liked.”
“Oh?” Saintess Lumia put on a curious face, prompting Luo Shangyu to go on.
“By rights, Qin Yu and I should have a superior-subordinate relationship, but she never acted like a superior. Instead, she was very close with me, treating me as a friend and showing me a lot of respect.”
“Qin Yu is cheerful and sunny, a bit clingy, seems a little airheaded, but has a bit of pride—always stubborn in her words.” Luo Shangyu’s face was full of happiness, “And she’s a perfect cuddle pillow!”
“Do you really see yourselves as just friends?” Saintess Lumia interrupted Luo Shangyu’s daydream.
“Of course! I would give up anything for her!” Luo Shangyu declared with determination.
“Eh, wait?” After all, Luo Shangyu had lived a thousand years—she finally caught the hint hidden in Saintess Lumia’s words.
“Actually, she did bring up taking it further…” Luo Shangyu revealed what happened the night before last.
“Is that so?” Saintess Lumia nodded.
“Luo Shangyu, you really need to be more proactive! You can’t say you don’t understand Qin Yu’s feelings—she already took the initiative. If you don’t accept, won’t you be breaking her heart?”
“I don’t think I really rejected her?” Luo Shangyu felt a little guilty, worried she’d hurt Qin Yu’s feelings.
“The key here isn’t what you think, it’s how Qin Yu feels—how will she take it!” Saintess Lumia patted Luo Shangyu’s thigh.
“You’re the top in the relationship, shouldn’t you be the proactive one?”
“When I was with Lysieltine, here’s what I did…” Saintess Lumia began telling her own story…