"Mhmm! Uh... no, I did it on purpose—wait, no, that's not what I meant!" Lynx instinctively nodded but quickly caught herself. Would someone as refined as her get instantly obliterated by him if she said the wrong thing?
"Heh, shorty, this power isn't anything good." Blade patted Lynx's head, watching as the girl squatted down in pain, clutching her head. A trace of mockery flashed in his eyes.
Of course, that mockery wasn't directed at Lynx—it was aimed at himself.
"This power... is the price I paid, the sin I bear... an unforgivable sin!"
——————————
The Xianzhou Luofu...
Yun Fan, the true self who had received feedback from his avatar, leaned back on the sofa, an intrigued expression on his face.
Unlike the original storyline, which only involved the Astral Express and Belobog's local forces, this version of Jarilo-VI had gathered the Interastral Peace Corporation, the Stellaron Hunters, the Nameless, and even those who sought amusement... It could truly be described as bustling with excitement. Who knew what kind of sparks would fly when all these people came together?
"Haa~ Fan, good morning." Just as Yun Fan was lost in thought, a clear yet slightly drowsy voice reached his ears.
"Hmm? Isn't it already quite late? It's almost noon." Yun Fan glanced at the clock on the wall—the silver hands pointed to 11:15.
"Hmph, and whose fault is that?" Qingque let out a delicate snort and glared at Yun Fan fiercely. As she felt the lingering exhaustion in her body, she couldn't help but complain inwardly. This guy was like a wild beast last night. Even though I'm already an Emanator, I could barely handle him. Isn't it supposed to be "the field never wears out, only the ox collapses from exhaustion"?
"Hahaha, isn't it just because Qingque is too adorable?" Yun Fan pulled Qingque into his arms, dotingly pinching her cute little nose. Then, as his hand rested on her waist, he seemed to notice something and spoke up...
"Qingque, have you gained some weight recently?"
"Eh?" Yun Fan's words left the girl frozen in place. It took her a few seconds to react before she hurriedly broke free from his embrace.
"M-me... I gained weight?!" Qingque was so shocked by Yun Fan's words that her "beautiful face paled in horror." Without hesitation, she lifted her shirt and began pinching her waist, as if confirming whether what Yun Fan said was true.
Sigh, it seems weight gain really is every girl's greatest enemy, Yun Fan mused silently.
"Uuu~ I really did gain weight..." After a long while, Qingque—now fully convinced of her "weight gain"—let out an adorable whimper before collapsing onto the sofa with lifeless eyes, as if declaring, This person is dead, burn offerings if you need anything.
"Hey, hey, is it really that bad? It's just a little..." Yun Fan couldn't help buT complain, but when he saw Qingque's teary, aggrieved eyes, he had no choice but to swallow his words.
"Alright, alright, how about I take you out for a walk? We can even help you lose a little weight along the way. How does that sound?" Yun Fan rubbed his forehead. Truth be told, he was actually quite happy about Qingque gaining a little weight. After all, she had been a bit too bony before. With her modest chest, any future children might have gone hungry.
And personally speaking, Yun Fan preferred girls with a little more meat—like, say... a certain pink "chubby girl," or perhaps... a certain "silly goose."
"Mmm..." Qingque agreed to Yun Fan's suggestion. After all, staying cooped up at home all the time wasn't good either. These past few days, the old lady at the Divination Commission had suddenly approved three weeks of leave for her for some reason.
She still remembered how the old lady had earnestly advised her to rest properly and avoid playing Celestial Jade too much—even if not for her own sake, then for the sake of others.
Hah, it was really strange. Back then, the old lady had kept staring at her belly while saying those things... Wait a minute!
Qingque seemed to have realized something, and her expression became awkward.
D-Diviner... Could the Diviner actually think I'm pregnant?!
...
Some time later, at the Exalting Sanctum...
"Uwu, this is so delicious!"
"Wow! An Ambrosial Arbor-shaped ice cream?! I have to try it!"
"Huh? Immortal's Delight Tea? When did this new thing come out? Let me try it... Mmm! So good! Yun Fan, you try it too!"
"Sure, let me have a taste." Yun Fan took the Immortal's Delight Tea from Qingque and took a big sip through the crystal-clear straw.
Well, how to describe it? The tea was sweet with a light milky fragrance, along with hints of fruit and floral aromas. The aftertaste lingered pleasantly... Okay, who was he kidding? This was just fruit-flavored milk tea from Earth!
Yun Fan handed the drink back to Qingque, patting her little head as he praised, "As expected of my Qingque—such good taste. This drink really is delicious. It lives up to the name 'Immortal's Delight Tea.'"
"Hehe..." Qingque giggled happily like a child upon receiving Yun Fan's praise.
However, just then, Yun Fan's peripheral vision caught a familiar figure. That dazzling golden hair made the corner of his lips curl up slightly. Glancing at Qingque, who was currently sucking down her Immortal's Delight Tea with gusto, Yun Fan's eye twitched.
My dear Qingque... Are you out here to lose weight or to pack on more pounds? The sugar content in milk tea was among the highest of all beverages. Combined with all the snacks and ice cream she'd eaten earlier, she was probably going to gain a few more ounces.
Noticing Yun Fan's gaze, Qingque asked curiously, "Fan, what's wrong? Is something the matter?"
"Mn." Yun Fan nodded. "I spotted an acquaintance. I'll go say hello. You stay here and don't wander off—I'll be right back."
"Oh." Qingque nodded, though she couldn't shake the feeling that something about Yun Fan's words felt off—she just couldn't pinpoint what.
After instructing Qingque, Yun Fan walked alone toward the golden-haired figure. His approach was direct, without any attempt at concealment, so the other party naturally noticed him.
The golden-haired man offered a faint smile and asked, "Friend, is there something you need?"