"Huh?"
Being suddenly pulled into a hug by Qingque didn't surprise Yu Xian much. After all these years, he was well acquainted with her temperament.
At work, she was the embodiment of laziness — always finding ways to sneak off or nap mid-shift. But once she clocked out? She became an entirely different person: energetic, lively, and full of mischief. Sometimes scatterbrained, sometimes sharp as a blade, but always unreserved when it came to him.
And when she was with him, Qingque always seemed happy.
How adorable.
Feeling the warmth of her slender body pressed against him, Yu Xian's lips curved unconsciously into a small smile. He lowered his gaze to the little sparrow clinging to his waist, her soft hair brushing against his chest. Then, unable to resist, he raised a hand and began ruffling her ash-brown hair with deliberate vigor.
He kept going until the once-smooth locks turned into a complete mess.
"Ugh—!"
When Yu Xian finally stopped, Qingque stood frozen for a moment, her cheeks flushed and her expression blank. But she recovered almost instantly — perhaps thanks to her Celestial race's resilient physique — and then promptly retaliated.
She leaned forward and delivered a light, but decisive, headbutt to his chest.
"What was that for, all of a sudden? Honestly!"
Settling back on her heels, Qingque lowered the tiptoes she had secretly raised to reach him, then stomped her foot — the soft thud of her short boots echoing faintly against the Scalegorge Waterscape's street stones.
Yu Xian smiled apologetically. "Because Qingque is just too adorable. I couldn't help myself. It was instinct, you know?"
"Really… what am I going to do with you…"
Just a heartbeat ago, her face had been red with irritation. But with a single sentence from Yu Xian, the anger melted away. Her usually bold and straightforward expression softened into one of flustered shyness.
Her sharp tongue — the same one that always lashed out when Diviner Fu caught her slacking — suddenly fell silent, her voice small and hesitant. That unfamiliar bashfulness, so unlike her usual self, only made her all the more charming.
Seeing Qingque react like that — knowing that this side of her existed only for him — filled Yu Xian with a quiet joy.
So cute. I want to kiss her.
But before he could act on the impulse, Qingque's gaze drifted upward. She noticed the artificial sun dimming overhead, her eyes widening in alarm.
"Ah! Wait—how is it already this late?!"
"Oh no, no, no! If we don't hurry, all the good seats at the Parlor will be taken! Come on!"
Before Yu Xian could respond, Qingque seized his hand and took off running, dragging him through the lively streets.
Yu Xian stumbled slightly but quickly caught on. He knew exactly what was going on.
Of course. You need to get there early to secure a seat. I can't believe I let her cuteness distract me from that.
And why did they need to rush? Well, that was easy to explain.
Qingque's love for cards was no secret. Every Xianzhou resident who knew her knew that. And to play cards, you needed a parlor — preferably a good one.
Whenever the two went out together, Yu Xian usually let her choose where to go, and unsurprisingly, they always ended up in one of her favorite parlors for a few rounds of Celestial Jade.
The problem? Qingque wasn't just a casual player — she was an expert. The parlors she deemed "acceptable" were also some of the most popular across the entire Xianzhou. Seats there filled up fast, often long before evening arrived. Arrive late, and you could only watch from the sidelines.
To deal with that, Qingque had developed a… unique strategy: sneak out of the Divination Commission early, dash straight to the parlor, and secure her seat ahead of the crowd. In her mind, it was simple — "If I come early enough, I'll definitely get a spot."
And in both reality and dream simulations, her approach had always worked. Every day, she managed to grab a seat and play to her heart's content.
After all, few others had Qingque's mix of cunning and luck — or her willingness to risk angering Fu Xuan just for a card game.
But today, their playful delay had cost them precious time.
They arrived at the parlor's entrance just as the last of the seats were taken.
Gulp.
"My seat… my game… my happy hour… Are they really just going to abandon me like this…?"
Outside the packed building, Qingque tugged at Yu Xian's sleeve pitifully, her eyes wide and desperate.
She was holding on so tightly that even Yu Xian — whose physical constitution as a Masked Fool was weaker than most mortals' — felt a sharp pain shoot through his arm. But he couldn't let it show.
If Qingque ever found out that her grip alone could make him wince, she'd never let him live it down.
Forcing a strained smile, Yu Xian patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, Qingque. There's a way."
Her head shot up instantly. "...Wait, really? There's still a way?"
Her despondence vanished as hope flooded her eyes. "I knew it, Yu Xian! You always have a plan! Tell me, tell me—what's the way?"
She grabbed his hands, bouncing on her toes as she stared up at him with pure expectation.
Yu Xian hesitated for a brief moment, his face turning slightly red. Then he cleared his throat.
"Qingque… have you ever considered that maybe—" he paused, embarrassed, "—this parlor might actually belong to me?"
"...Huh?"
For a moment, Qingque just blinked. Then she tilted her head back to look at the parlor's sign.
[Trigonometric Functions Parlor]
Her eyes darted from the sign back to Yu Xian. Then back to the sign again.
Yu Xian… Trigonometric Functions?
"...You're kidding, right?"
Qingque stared at him in utter disbelief, her expression caught somewhere between confusion and suspicion.
The silence that followed was almost comical.
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A/n: While I am a new translator, I have a Patreon! While it may be a bit empty right now both this and the other book on my page has advanced chapters posted on patreon.
patreon.com/deadlygoober