Unaware that Acheron had secretly witnessed both the expression on Fu Xuan's face and the entire interaction between the two, Sylvia gradually relaxed, allowing the Master Diviner to activate the Matrix of Prescience.
"Rise!"
With a swift hand seal from Fu Xuan, an intangible energy began to emanate from her hands, illuminating the nodes of the Matrix one by one.
Bathed in a soft pink glow, an unseen force lifted Sylvia, suspending her mid-air.
One rotating ring after another encircled her, as the imperceptible power seemed to continuously analyze and scan her body, attempting to read her neural activity.
As the Matrix activated, Fu Xuan maintained the formation and looked up at Sylvia. "How do you feel? Any discomfort?"
"None at all. Please proceed, Master Diviner."
Looking down at the intensely focused Fu Xuan, Sylvia found it difficult to reconcile this commanding presence with the flustered, shy woman from her memories.
'She's just too adorable, our Master Diviner.'
That exhausted yet determined look of hers was truly endearing.
Usually such an unshakable pillar of strength, seeing her show a hint of vulnerability like this was surprisingly captivating.
Especially those petite feet in their white silk socks—so delicate and lovely. She must be utterly worn out from operating the Matrix of Prescience and tirelessly deducing Phantylia's traces.
'I really just want to take those little feet in my hands and give them a proper massage.'
Ahem!"Sylvia! I can directly read your thoughts right now. Stop this idle fantasizing!"
It seemed Sylvia's train of thought had derailed completely, even progressing to a scene where she herself took off her shoes and placed her feet into the other's hands…
Forced to cough dryly, Fu Xuan had to verbally halt Sylvia's wandering mind.
Only now did Fu Xuan realize—this wasn't some professional habit! This woman was just a bit of a pervert!
She… she actually had a foot fetish!!
Damn it, should she even let her give another relaxing massage tonight?
Her technique was truly excellent, incredibly effective for relieving stress… but the moment Fu Xuan recalled the images from Sylvia's mind, her face flushed a deep crimson.
But this woman was a pervert!
Would she… would she sneak a lick during the massage?
But… even if her thoughts were deviant, her massage skills were genuinely superb… and it greatly improved the next day's work efficiency. She was a bit reluctant to give that up.
Activating the Matrix of Prescience had really thrown Fu Xuan for a loop.
Thankfully, she had sent Qingque away, leaving no outsiders present while the Matrix was active.
Otherwise, she'd have been mortified all over again today!
"Sylvia, you… you idiot!"
Flustered and conflicted, Fu Xuan glared at Sylvia, restrained within the Matrix, and scolded her harshly.
Then she added, "I understand everyone has their own… preferences. But within the Matrix of Prescience… please exercise some restraint!"
Snapped back to reality by Fu Xuan's tone—a mix of reproach and shy embarrassment—Sylvia noticed Fu Xuan's flushed face and the slight tremble in her hands maintaining the formation.
Oh dear…
While Sylvia had intended to tease the Master Diviner a little, she never meant for her thoughts to wander so far…
"You planned to tease me from the very start?! Sylvia—you're really… you're really… a scoundrel!"
"Yikes… Sorry, sorry, Lady Fu Xuan, please don't be angry…"
Sylvia was genuinely embarrassed now. Planning was one thing, but controlling one's thoughts was a real skill.
And besides, even when scolding her, Fu Xuan was still so cute…
Fu Xuan was truly at a loss for words. Here she was, the esteemed Master Diviner of the Luofu's Divination Commission, and this woman just kept calling her cute.
How old are you, and how old am I?
And you're calling me cute?
Of course, being called cute wasn't exactly unpleasant, but it did leave Fu Xuan speechless, even dissipating some of her earlier fury.
'Never mind, never mind. Short-lived species youngsters are like this—always so full of desires.'
As a proper elder, she shouldn't be too harsh on an outstanding junior in this regard.
Besides, Sylvia was also a girl. On the Xianzhou, the social distance between women was always much closer.
Although Fu Xuan had few friends, she understood this much.
Since she'd agreed to be close friends with Sylvia, relaxing the boundaries a little was only natural.
Thinking this, the blush on Fu Xuan's face faded slightly. She sighed, her tone regaining its steadiness.
"In any case, rein in your thoughts! No more idle daydreaming. Focus on the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and the Emanator of Destruction, Phantylia."
Just as Fu Xuan reached her conclusion, Sylvia froze—a system notification suddenly popped up. Fu Xuan's favorability had actually increased.
--+--
[Target: Fu Xuan]
[Favorability: 78 (Flustered yet Forgiving)]
[Relationship: Confidante]
['Your massage skills have astonished a long-lived species long trapped in anguish. No being can fully resist the instinct to seek pleasure and comfort. Now, you could easily win over this immortal.']
['You've finally exposed your inner deviant, but the older sister has chosen to forgive you. Master Diviner, she really… I'm so touched!']
--+--
Seeing the prompt, Sylvia instinctively glanced at Fu Xuan.
She noticed Fu Xuan showed no unusual reaction, her expression unchanged, fully immersed in her calculations.
Sylvia nodded inwardly. It seemed the Matrix of Prescience couldn't perceive anything related to the system.
That meant the system had its own protective measures.
--+--
Soon, the Matrix of Prescience powered down.
The force restraining Sylvia gradually receded, lowering her back to the ground. She found Fu Xuan looking at her with a complicated expression.
"...I've deduced some leads. Tomorrow, we'll have Tingyun from the Sky-Faring Commission come for a try."
"Uh, Fu Xuan, why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing. You're free to look around if you wish. As of today, you have special permission to enter and leave the Six Commissions at any time. Just don't touch anything you shouldn't."
Fu Xuan waved her hand, offering no explanation, and turned back to face the Matrix.
Sylvia scratched her head, unsure if Fu Xuan was still upset about earlier. But since she'd said she could explore, Sylvia went out to find Qingque.
With her back turned, Fu Xuan observed Sylvia's departing figure using her Third Eye, releasing a barely audible sigh.
"'An individual's fixation is never just their own problem…' So this is what you meant, Sylvia. No wonder you deliberately brought it up before the General."
'Those closely involved cannot see clearly. Should I be grateful that our current General is the General of 'Divine Foresight'?'
After a moment of reflection, Fu Xuan threw herself back into her work.
As for the matter of the massage, she set it aside for the time being. It could wait until after work.
--+--
T/N: 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.