"Hmmph... mreowr..."
At Sylvia's reminder, Fu Xuan had meant to respond properly. But the overstimulation had left her body not yet fully under her control, causing her to leak out a sound eerily similar to a kitten's whine.
The noise made Sylvia freeze in place.
Fu Xuan froze too.
'Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?'
For a moment, even the ever-busy Master Diviner's mind went completely blank.
Shame. Unparalleled shame erupted within her.
To make matters worse, even as Fu Xuan burned with humiliation, her body still refused to obey her.
Even just turning over required several soft, helpless whimpers, making her seem like a delicate young girl.
"..."
Awkward.
A lingering, palpable awkwardness permeated the lounge.
Fu Xuan had by now regained some basic motor function. She sat on the bed, having removed her tights and outer robe, and was using a towel to wipe herself down.
Sylvia sat to the side, utterly at a loss.
Fu Xuan's back was turned to her, revealing smooth, fair skin and legs that seemed carved from pure cream.
The discarded clothes were now resting right beside Sylvia.
A slight inhale was enough to catch Fu Xuan's distinct, potent scent.
And more importantly.
Just before turning away, Fu Xuan had shot Sylvia a fierce glare, weakly cried out her name, and then said nothing more.
Sylvia was thoroughly baffled.
What did Fu Xuan mean by that? Did she want to throttle her, or had she forgiven her?
--+--
Meanwhile.
Fu Xuan, with her back to Sylvia, distractedly wiped her skin.
Her thin undergarments were still on, so no critical areas were exposed.
She could feel Sylvia's gaze on her, but... she'd already displayed far more embarrassing states today. Expressions she had never shown anyone, never even revealed herself—those blushing, mortifying faces.
Today, Sylvia had witnessed them all, clear as day. And every single one of those expressions had been drawn out by Sylvia herself.
The more terrifying part was, Fu Xuan couldn't even find a reason to blame or reprimand her. Instead, she felt a strange, indescribable emotion stirring within.
So much so that now, under Sylvia's gaze, Fu Xuan found she didn't really mind.
Of course, the real reason Fu Xuan chose to let it lie was the profound sense of relaxation she currently felt.
How long had it been? She didn't know.
Perhaps the last time she felt this light, this relaxed in both mind and body, was back in her youth, during her student days on the Xianzhou Yuque.
It had been so, so long since she'd reminisced about those times.
'Miraculous.'
That was the evaluation Fu Xuan settled on after sensing the changes in her body.
Not just the Luofu, but the entire Xianzhou Alliance would be hard-pressed to find a massage master who could rival Sylvia.
This feeling, as if all her stress and burdens had been purged from her body along with those uncontrollable reactions...
Fu Xuan even thought that this massage technique alone might potentially delay the onset of the Mara-struck state in long-life species.
Though the process was utterly unspeakable, the result had far exceeded her expectations.
'I want it again.'
Once the thought took root, even Fu Xuan found it difficult to discard.
Next time.
Feeling the lingering, tingling sensation blossoming from deep within her body, Fu Xuan unconsciously began considering whether she should invite Sylvia to her home for the next session, rather than risking it here in the Divination Commission where someone could barge in at any moment.
--+--
The room was dead silent, save for the enticing sound of cloth rubbing against skin.
Just as Sylvia's anxiety was peaking.
A system prompt very timely alleviated her awkwardness.
--+--
[Target: Fu Xuan]
[Favorability: 75 (Awestruck & Flustered)]
[Relationship: None]
['Your massage skills have deeply impressed a long-life species long trapped in suffering. No living being can fully resist the instinct to pursue pleasure and ease. Right now, you could probably easily win over this long-life species.']
['You're really putting this skill to good use now, sprinting full speed down the path of a harem protagonist. Tsunderes might be out of fashion, but they're still cute, heh.']
--+--
Seeing the favorability number, Sylvia's eyes widened.
'Damn, just one massage shot Fu Xuan's favorability all the way up to 75.'
That was nearly on par with Tingyun!
Was the massage technique at full power really this effective?
Thinking this, Sylvia suddenly felt the urge to give Silver Wolf the full treatment too.
'My dear sworn father! Once we get to Herta Space Station, you're definitely getting a session!'
'Then we'll see who's really the daddy here.'
As she pondered.
Fu Xuan's voice suddenly broke the quiet of the room.
"Syl... Sylvia... May this one address you as such?"
It was soft, hesitant, even carrying a trace of timidity—completely unlike the confident Master Diviner of usual. The gentle tone nearly made Sylvia melt on the spot.
"Of course, that's perfectly fine. Master Diviner Fu may call me whatever you wish."
"In that case, you may also address me directly as Fu Xuan. 'Master Diviner Fu' feels far too distant."
"Huh? Is that really appropriate... After all—"
"You've already... already made this one become like that. Do you still wish to act like nothing happened now?!"
Fu Xuan's flustered tone cut Sylvia off. The words themselves were rather ambiguous, hardly something one would imagine Fu Xuan saying.
"Tch—"
Sylvia was stunned for a second, but then could only nod in agreement.
"Alright then... Fu Xuan. But I still have to emphasize, those reactions are all normal responses to the massage, there's no need to—"
"—!"
Fu Xuan's gaze stabbed into Sylvia's chest like a knife, forcibly choking off the rest of her sentence.
Sylvia gave an awkward chuckle, shrunk her neck down slightly, and fell silent.
Fu Xuan also took a deep breath, trying to suppress her turbulent emotions.
The day's events had simply been too stimulating, and coupled with Sylvia being someone even her Third Eye struggled to see through, it had led to her uncharacteristic loss of composure.
Though she didn't realize it herself, her behavior carried a hint of acting coquettishly towards Sylvia.
After all, the esteemed Master Diviner would never normally hold a conversation like the one they just had.
In this moment, Fu Xuan even felt a fleeting sense that she was no longer the Luofu's Master Diviner, but that young student from so long ago.
It wasn't until a throbbing pain shot from her Third Eye that Fu Xuan regained some clarity.
"Ahem... Sylvia, your massage was truly effective. It has been a long time since this one has felt so relaxed. Next time..."
She trailed off, finding the topic too embarrassing to continue.
Sylvia immediately understood and finished the sentence for her:
"If you're feeling overworked, Fu Xuan, you can contact me anytime. I'll come straight to the Divination Commission to give you a relaxing massage."
"...The Divination Commission won't be necessary. This is, after all, a place of work... Next time... next time, just come directly to this one's residence."
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.