Chapter 26

Sleeping in the same bed as someone else was a double-edged sword some of the time. For one while sharing a large blanket you would always be sweaty due to the shared body heat of two people. Secondly, when you were sleeping beside someone you weren't in any form of intimate relationship... Things could be awkward when natural things happened.

So when I woke up with a bit of sweat on my body as my arms were wrapped around a soft warm form I just squeezed Keqing in my arms as my heavy eyes remained closed. But... As my brain fully woke back up I realized that it was Keqing in my bed.

Keqing only once slept beside me and that was the first time I was trying to sleep outside with that ghost woman outside fighting monsters during the night. So she used a large pillow to separate us so she could smother the sounds of horror coming from outside.

I slowly opened my eyes and yup my eyes saw Keqing's purple hair that was down straight instead of inside of her normal elaborate braids and little hair horns that almost looked like cat ears.

'Do I scream and blame this on her? Do I do the guy thing and just not talk about it? Ughhh this is confusing.' I thought as I let go of Keqing but as my arms came away from her form, her lethargic voice spoke up.

"You are halfway to Foundation Establishment in the Cultivation path, and as our bodies were touching you were able to enhance your own lifeforce with my guidance as you slept. So you are a little less than halfway to the first level of Martial Artist in Marrow Tempering." 

I blinked as I slowly sat up as Keqing got up as well with her back to me. But I just experimentally flexed my hands and I could feel a well of inner strength that was my martial arts accumulation having enhanced my body by a good level.

While I could also feel my Golden Path forming the first level of its Pyramid with the accumulated spiritual energy I had gotten from the spirit stones I had been absorbing for the last couple of weeks along with Keqing acting as a filter last night.

I shook my thoughts out of my head as I looked at Keqing's back and then I noticed that her ears on the end were pink so I smothered a wry smile as I knew Keqing was embarrassed... But still I took a breath and said honestly. "Thank you Keqing, you have been just wonderful to me and helping me so much." 

She turned around towards me and I went still as she looked at me with gleaming eyes and her face deeply flushed with emotion. "Do... I am doing my best!" 

'Does Keqing like me?' I thought as she sat there obviously unable to say what she was trying to get at. 

I myself was a bit... Iffy as you could say as I was well aware of how strength-based this world was. Keqing was a genius martial artist with a Vision and going to likely be one of the pillars of Liyue matching Yelan and Ningguang. I barely had any cultivation or inner strength. 

No, I was a 'genius' who with a wave of his hands could throw out countless resources... I was the worthless prodigal young master dammit.

But I wasn't so indecisive... If a woman literally climbs into your bed, then that should really be an indication of her feelings for you especially when she puts her life on the line to protect you and help you in any way to get stronger.

I took a breath and then like a band-aid being ripped off I stated firmly as I gently took her hands into my own. "Keqing. I like you, and I want to be more than friends." 

That lessening blush returned with a vengeance as she shivered with her hands twitching and my making my knuckles pop as she accidentally squeezed to hard but I didn't react and just continued to meet her electro-purple eyes with my own.

Slowly Keqing nodded and her eyes shifted from mine as she looked at my chest and said softly under her breath in almost a squeaky voice. "I... I also like you as well, and I want to see where my feelings go." 

We both looked down at our conjoined hands with Keqing gently squeezing mine and I matched her in squeezing our hands together before I shifted out hands so that our fingers intertwined between one another.

Our fingers slipped between the other's with her smaller feminine hands slipping between my calloused hands from all the work I had been doing the last few weeks.

A shy smile crossed Keqing's face as she traced her thumb across the side of my right hand before she spoke softly under her breath. "Your hand. It's bigger than mine, it feels... Like I have filled my hand with my ki even just holding your hand." 

I exhaled in relief at how accepting she was and I gave her hand a final squeeze as I spoke. "Alright let's go make some breakfast and we can go shopping together." 

But seeing her pout slightly at me not saying something mushy in return I smiled softly and I managed to free on hand that went up to her chin and lifted her face gently up to me as I whispered softly. "Unless you want to lay here in bed all day with me. Just whispering sweet nothings into one another ears. Our hands and legs intertwined with one another as we share our thoughts and feelings."

Keqing's lips twitched into a smile before she sniffed and let go of my hand to take the hand that was holding up her chin to meet my eyes. "Hmph, I won't let you become some layabout. Now go clean yourself up while I get changed." She said proudly.