"Y-You scoundrel! Why are you staring at me like that!"
Shenhe felt a strange sense of guilt under Luo Qing's direct gaze. But then she quickly caught herself—she was here for revenge, after all. What was there to feel guilty about?
Her frustration mounting, she lifted her spear higher, the tip almost touching Luo Qing's face.
Luo Qing couldn't help but find her reaction adorable. What a stubborn girl, he thought with a smile.
"So, Miss Shenhe, how do you plan to get your revenge?"
"I...!" Shenhe hesitated, then coldly declared, "We're going to fight again!"
"A duel?" Luo Qing shook his head apologetically. "I'm sorry, Miss Shenhe. The Northland Bank has been very busy lately, and I have a lot of responsibilities. I just don't have the time for a duel right now."
"If you refuse, don't blame me for getting rough right here!" Shenhe threatened, sounding almost desperate as if she'd actually make good on it.
"Miss Shenhe, I'm the official representative of Snezhnaya in Liyue, and this is the Northland Bank. If you attack me here, you'd risk causing a diplomatic incident~" Luo Qing said casually, confident she wouldn't act on her threat. Even if Shenhe did try something, with his Time Zero ability, she wouldn't be able to touch him.
"I..." Shenhe faltered, unsure. She wasn't well-versed in political matters, and Luo Qing's words made her worry that the situation was as severe as he suggested. Her raised spear wavered, and she seemed uncertain whether to lower it or not.
"Then... when will you be free?" she asked, her voice quieter.
"Hmm, that's hard to say." Luo Qing glanced around. A crowd had gathered, drawn by the sight of a young woman confronting a man with a spear in the middle of the street—a scene far too unusual to ignore.
"Miss Shenhe, there are too many prying eyes here. How about we go inside and talk?"
Shenhe hesitated, but seeing the crowd growing larger, she reluctantly nodded and followed Luo Qing into the bank.
Once inside, she no longer brandished her spear. "Give me a specific time," she demanded.
"Sorry, Miss Shenhe, I really don't know," Luo Qing replied.
"If you won't tell me, I'll just follow you until you're free!" Shenhe said, her tone cold and resolute.
"Uh...?" Luo Qing was taken aback. "Does that mean you'll even sleep next to me when I rest, Miss Shenhe?"
"..."
[+1 Frustration Value from Shenhe]
"You rogue!" Shenhe's cheeks turned pink, and she angrily raised her spear once more, forgetting they were inside the Northland Bank.
As soon as the spear came up, the bank's guards went on high alert, gripping their weapons and preparing to intervene.
Luo Qing waved them off, signaling that everything was under control. "Miss Shenhe, how about this—when I finish my work, I'll come to find you, and we'll have a fair duel. If I lose, you can do whatever you want with me. How about that?"
"Do you mean it?"
"I swear it."
"...Fine. I'll be waiting for you in Liyue." Shenhe summoned an ice talisman, tossing it to Luo Qing. It contained her current address.
"I hope you don't go back on your word."
With that, she cast one last icy glance at him before swiftly exiting the bank.
Luo Qing glanced down at the ice talisman in his hand. As soon as he committed the address to memory, the talisman disintegrated into frost.
He sensed the curious stares from the people around him. Looking up, he saw that everyone in the hall had paused their work to watch him.
"What are you all staring at? Get back to work!" Luo Qing snapped, waving them off. Spotting Natalya and the others leaning over the balcony above, obviously eavesdropping, he frowned and headed upstairs.
As soon as he reached the second floor, Natalya rushed to ask, "Hey, Lord Luo Qing, who was that girl? How do you two know each other?"
"Don't ask questions you shouldn't," Luo Qing replied curtly, darkening his expression. He was already annoyed that they had been snooping.
"Oh, come on! It's just a question!" Teresa chimed in with a mischievous grin. "Did you do something to her, Lord Luo Qing?"
"I did not, and stop making things up," Luo Qing said firmly.
"Oh, you totally did! That girl's eyes were practically shining! You must have done something to her!" Teresa insisted, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"..."
"It was just a little waist grab. Is that really such a big deal?" Luo Qing muttered defensively. He'd carried Shenhe around for a while and happened to hold her by the waist.
In Snezhnaya, when he had pulled a similar move with Yekavon, a handmaid with a slender waist, she hadn't made such a fuss. She only got mad because she didn't make the cut for his selection.
"Well, that's Snezhnaya for you," Teresa nodded sagely. "But this is Liyue! The girls here are super conservative! They'd blush just from holding hands!"
"And that girl looked like the cool-but-warm type. If you get close to her heart, she's bound to show her softer side! Lord Luo Qing, you're in trouble!"
"Is it really that serious?"
Luo Qing was starting to doubt himself. Teresa spoke with such conviction that he began to question his actions.
"Absolutely! Sure, she's all cold and says she wants to duel you, but that's just her way of trying to get to know you better and figure out who you really are!
She might seem hostile now, but if you show her a little care and attention, she'll fall for you, bit by bit. Her hate will turn into love, and she'll start depending on you," Teresa explained passionately.
"Really?" Luo Qing was skeptical.
"Really! If you need some tips, I can help you win her over," Teresa offered slyly.
"No, thanks. I'd rather handle it myself," Luo Qing declined with a shake of his head.
Then he paused. Teresa had been locked up in Guyun Stone Forest for so long—when did she get so knowledgeable about relationships?
"Have you been in a relationship before?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Nope," Teresa replied with a shake of her head.
"Then how do you know so much?"
"From reading all the light novels published by Yae Publishing House! They cover this stuff in great detail!"
"..."
"Go play somewhere else," Luo Qing said, pushing Teresa aside. He felt ridiculous for ever considering her advice.
Who in their right mind would develop feelings just from being carried around?
That only happens in novels!
---
T/N: FRICK I just realized it was Anxiety Value for a bit... UGHH WHY DO I TRANSLATE THESE PAST MIDNIGHTTT
Future me here I actually fixed the ones I spotted hehe already.