Genshin Impact: One Hundred Confessions? Just a System Task

Page 46

“We operate until winter and wouldn’t stoop to such petty tricks. You Liyue Seven Stars don’t need to worry about things that are going to happen all the time.”

This statement is tantamount to admitting that there was no special conspiracy behind the personnel transfer, at least not for the time being.

Then, the woman turned her gaze to Yichen.

"May I have your name?"

Yi Chen immediately straightened his back.

"Reporting to Lady Rosalind! My name is Yichen, and I come from the Knights of Favonius!"

He paused, seemingly feeling that a simple self-introduction wasn't enough, and then extended a very enthusiastic invitation.

"Ms. Rosalind, if you ever come to Mondstadt, be sure to let me know! I'll treat you to a meal! I know all the good food in Mondstadt!"

The woman did not respond, but simply turned and left, quickly disappearing into the depths of the camp.

Seeing that the ladies had all left, the young master realized that staying would only make him look foolish, so he could only glare at Yichen resentfully, then, leaning on his cane, he limped away as well.

Ke Qing watched as the two executors of the Fools left one after the other. In particular, the troublesome "lady" was so easily neutralized by Yi Chen's inexplicable "fan talk" that she even indirectly made a guarantee. Her tense nerves finally relaxed, and she breathed a long sigh of relief.

Although the process became strange and full of unexpected developments, the result was ultimately good, avoiding a direct conflict, and the Fatui were able to take a step back in a roundabout way.

Keqing turned around and looked at the guy beside her who always managed to create "surprises," feeling much more relaxed.

"Alright, that's settled for now. Let's go eat, I promised you."

Upon hearing about food, Yi Chen immediately perked up, but clearly there were still more important "tasks" to complete.

He followed closely behind Ke Qing, his eyes gleaming, and began to bargain:

"I'm eating well! Lady Keqing is the best! Um... during dinner later, can I... um... confess my love to you eight times?"

"Adding to the previous two, that makes a perfect ten! What a wonderful meaning!"

Hearing his outrageous request and seeing his serious expression as if he were planning something important, Ke Qing couldn't help but laugh out loud again.

She's become somewhat immune to Yichen's bizarre thought process and obsession.

"Great!"

Yi Chen cheered immediately, already mentally planning the order and lines for his confession during the meal.

Seeing his overjoyed expression, Ke Qing's mood brightened as well, and she led him toward the restaurant.

Chapter 33 There Should Be No Expectations

The two chatted along the way and soon arrived at the popular Wanmintang.

The familiar aromas of cooking and food waft over, making one's mouth water.

Ke Qing was clearly a regular here. She ordered a dish of golden shrimp balls and then handed the menu to Yi Chen.

Yichen didn't stand on ceremony and ordered three more meat dishes that looked very substantial.

While waiting for all the dishes to be served, Yichen looked around.

Although the surrounding diners were noisy, their seats were relatively quiet.

So he lowered his voice, leaned closer to Ke Qing, and asked in a serious, low voice:

"Keqing, is it okay now?"

His gaze didn't seem to be asking if he could confess his feelings; it was more like he was asking, "Can we proceed with the demolition mission now?"

Ke Qing was picking up her teacup when she heard this and paused. Looking at his sneaky yet serious expression, she almost burst out laughing.

She suppressed a laugh, lowered her voice as well, and nodded, matching his strange demeanor: "Okay. But..."

She put her index finger to her lips, making a "whisper" gesture.

"Keep your voice down, don't disturb others."

Yi Chen nodded solemnly, indicating that he fully understood.

Then, he took a deep breath and obediently leaned over, bringing his ear close to Ke Qing's.

His warm breath, accompanied by his deliberately lowered yet incredibly clear and earnest voice, seeped into Ke Qing's ears like a subtle electric current.

"I like you."

"I like you."

"I like you."

He repeated it eight times in quick succession, each time clearly audible, his warm breath spraying unreservedly onto Keqing's sensitive ears and neck.

Ke Qing, who was initially in a playful and amused mood, froze instantly when the first "I like you" entered her ears with a warm breath.

She could clearly feel Yi Chen's body temperature as he approached, smell his clean, fresh scent from his recent bath, and hear his deep, earnest, and repeated confession... like feathers constantly tickling her auditory and tactile nerves.

A strange, tingling, electric-like sensation quickly spread from her ears throughout her body, causing her to involuntarily tense up.

My cheeks and ears felt like they were in a steamer, turning red and burning uncontrollably and rapidly, and even my heart skipped several beats!

She could even feel her fingertips tingling slightly.

When Yichen finally finished reciting it for the eighth time, he sat back down with a sigh of relief and a satisfied smile on his face, as if the mission had been successfully accomplished. What he saw was Keqing, who looked as if she had just been taken out of a steamer, steaming from head to toe, with even the tips of her ears bright red.

Yi Chen tilted his head in confusion and asked, completely oblivious to the romantic gesture.

"Hmm? Keqing, what's wrong? Why is your face so red? Are you feeling unwell?"

Ke Qing was made even more embarrassed by his blunt question, wishing she could bury her face in the teacup. She hurriedly shook her head, her voice trembling.

"Ahaha...no, it's nothing! It's just...it's just a bit hot in this shop! Yes, it's a bit hot!"

"Drink water if you're hot! Drink plenty of water to cool down!"

Yi Chen immediately offered very practical advice, and picked up the teapot to refill Ke Qing's almost full teacup, then warmly pushed it towards her.

"Drink up, drink up!"

Keqing: "..."

She looked at the glass of water in front of her, which was almost overflowing, and then glanced at Yichen's pure and expectant expression that seemed to say, "Drink up, I care about you." That familiar, helpless, and funny feeling welled up inside her again.

That idiot...!

She silently shouted in her heart.

In the end, Ke Qing obediently picked up the glass of water and sipped it slowly, trying to use the cold tea to suppress the burning heat on her face and her still chaotic heartbeat.

After taking a few sips, she glanced at Yichen again, only to see that he had completely forgotten about the little incident earlier and was craning his neck, staring intently at the kitchen with anticipation and longing, muttering to himself.

"Why aren't the shrimp balls ready yet... They smell so good..."

Looking at his profile, so focused solely on the food, Ke Qing felt her heart skip a beat again, even though it had just calmed down a little.

What a complete idiot.

I can't get angry at all...

After finishing their meal, the two strolled slowly back to Yuehai Pavilion along the bustling street.

The afternoon sun was warm and cozy, casting long, thin shadows of the two people that occasionally overlapped.

Ke Qing lagged slightly behind, watching Yi Chen walk along, enthusiastically examining the novelties on the roadside stalls.

This relaxed, even somewhat leisurely atmosphere was something she rarely experienced on a daily basis.

This feeling of walking alone with a man...

Ke Qing turned her head slightly, feeling the gentle breeze on her face, and a strange feeling quietly passed through her heart.

Surprisingly, it felt pretty good.

There was no pressing official duties, no scheming or backstabbing; I simply walked along, listening to the words of those around me, sometimes naive, sometimes inexplicably sharp.

Perhaps... it's just because the guy next to me is Yi Chen.

She looked at Yichen's profile, which was free of any gloom, and came to this conclusion.

Because he is simple and pure enough, you can't help but feel relaxed when you're around him.

Soon, the outline of Yuehai Pavilion came into view.

Ke Qing stopped in her tracks, composed herself, and resumed her capable demeanor as Yu Hengxing.

"Alright, I have to go inspect the port this afternoon, so I won't go in. See you tomorrow."

"See you tomorrow!"

Yi Chen immediately turned around, gave her a big smile, waved vigorously, and prepared to run into Yuehai Pavilion as usual to start his afternoon work.

Ke Qing's voice suddenly came from behind him, calling out to him.

There seemed to be a hint of... barely perceptible hesitation in that voice.

Yi Chen turned around in confusion, looking at Ke Qing who was still standing in the same spot.

"What's wrong? Is there anything else?"

Ke Qing pursed her lips slightly, seemingly too embarrassed to look him in the eye, and softened her voice.

"It's just...tomorrow...you'll still..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but her eyes, sparkling with a hint of expectation, and her slightly flushed cheeks were enough to express her unfinished thoughts.

Will you confess your feelings to me again tomorrow... like that?

After the impact of the whispered words during lunch and the subtle feelings that quietly grew during the walk, Ke Qing found herself actually... starting to look forward to the "regular routine" tomorrow morning.

This unfamiliar sense of anticipation made her feel a little shy, yet she couldn't help but want to ask for clarification.

Yi Chen was taken aback when he saw Ke Qing's expression, which was completely different from her usual decisive and efficient demeanor and was filled with girlish shyness and expectation. Then he gave her an extremely gentle smile, as if he understood something.

"Of course not!"

The shyness and anticipation on Ke Qing's face froze instantly. The little seedling of "anticipation" that had just quietly blossomed in her heart was shattered with a crack.

No... I won't anymore?

Did you give up because you thought I would definitely refuse?

Or is it because... he thinks I hate him?

A wave of immense disappointment and an indescribable sense of grievance washed over Ke Qing, leaving her momentarily stunned and even forgetting how to control her expression.

However, Yi Chen was completely unaware of her sudden emotional fluctuations. After saying "Of course not," he said goodbye to her again.

"Bye-bye! I'm off to work!"

After saying that, he turned around decisively without any hesitation, jogged into the gate of Yuehai Pavilion, and his figure quickly disappeared into the depths of the corridor.

Ke Qing was left alone, standing there by herself. The afternoon sun shone on her, but she felt no warmth at all.

The surrounding hustle and bustle of the city seemed to be separated by a thin film, becoming blurred and indistinct.

She looked in the direction where Yichen had disappeared, feeling a void in her heart.

It's only just begun to feel... a little different...

Ke Qing pursed her lips tightly, took a deep breath, and tried to suppress the inexplicable grievance and disappointment, forcing herself to regain her composure.

Oh well... this is for the best... I shouldn't have had any expectations in the first place...

She told herself this, turned and walked toward the port, but her steps were much heavier than when she came.

Chapter 34 Pleasing

Meanwhile, Yi Chen was hiding in a deserted corner of a corridor in the Moon Sea Pavilion, excitedly rubbing his hands together and frantically calling out to the system in his mind.

[System! System! Emergency call! The ten confession missions have been successfully completed! Quick! Quickly draw the prize for me!]

【okk~】

[Ten-pull gacha begins now!]

In Yi Chen's mind, a cool virtual gashapon machine seemed to appear, spinning wildly, accompanied by various exaggerated sound effects and lights.

[One more look and I'll explode: What the hell are you looking at? Come out and fight me one-on-one! Still looking? I can't take it anymore, I'm going to blow you up!]

Effect: You can use self-destruct on someone when they look at you a second time.