Sylvia felt a chill run down her spine under Acheron's gaze.
Though Acheron's expression wasn't particularly intense, Sylvia couldn't shake the feeling—purely her own intuition—that Acheron must be up to something.
"Say something… Why are you just staring at me without a word? And how did you get back so fast?"
"I turned around halfway when I noticed you were gone. Seems you're settling in nicely on the Xianzhou."
Hearing that flat, emotionless tone, Sylvia couldn't help but laugh.
She tucked her phone away and nudged Acheron's shoulder, guiding them both out of the bedroom. As she followed behind, she added, "Well, when it comes down to it, it's all thanks to you. Without you as my backer, the Xianzhou wouldn't have taken me so seriously."
"It's more than that."
Pushed along from the front, Acheron glanced back at Sylvia over her shoulder.
If it were just because of her, the Xianzhou might have been polite, but they certainly wouldn't have shown this level of regard.
Let's be real—just on the surface, the Xianzhou already has seven Pesudo-Emanators, one for each ship.
And while the Vidyadhara Dragon Lords might not be quite on that level, they're still a force not to be overlooked.
Not to mention, the Xianzhou is a faction perpetually at war with the Abundance's followers, militarized to the core and fiercely aggressive.
The title of Emanator might command respect from ordinary factions, but the Xianzhou isn't the type to indulge you just because you're one.
And Sylvia wasn't even an Emanator—she was merely borrowing Acheron's prestige.
Gaining the favor of the Master Diviner and preferential treatment from the Xianzhou in such a short time? It had to be because Sylvia had brought some extra benefit to the Luofu.
"You must have done something else behind my back before I returned."
"Eh, just some trivial things."
As she spoke, Sylvia had already steered Acheron into the bathroom.
She picked up Acheron's toiletries and shoved them into her hands, trying to shut her up.
Seeing Sylvia act this way only made Acheron even more curious.
What on earth was it that she didn't want to tell her?
"So, do you have anything you want to do today?"
Watching Acheron wash up in front of the mirror, Sylvia picked up a comb and stood beside her, starting to tidy her hair.
Without her heels on, their height difference wasn't all that noticeable. As Sylvia combed through Acheron's hair, she tilted her head to catch her reflection in the mirror.
Acheron watched Sylvia taking the initiative to style her hair, then after a moment's thought, said, "It's nothing urgent. Go ahead to your appointment first. We can talk after you get back."
"What is it, all mysterious like that? You're just teasing me now."
Sylvia pressed, but Acheron clearly wasn't willing to say more.
Seeing this, Sylvia could only purse her lips and drop the subject.
"Fine, I'll head out then. I'll probably be back in the afternoon. By the way, since you came back secretly this time… do you have any plans to go out?"
She'd meant to suggest that Acheron could go explore on her own during the day, but then it occurred to her—this woman was essentially a stowaway on the Xianzhou. If she went out, it'd be better to at least give the authorities a heads-up.
"Not for now."
Acheron shook her head. Whether she went out or not didn't matter to her. Before, she'd only gone out more often because she was keeping Sylvia company.
If she were truly on her own, unless absolutely necessary, she'd only travel between fixed locations.
"Rather than worry about me, you should be mentally prepared for when you return."
"…Huh? What are you planning?"
Sylvia eyed Acheron suspiciously, but Acheron just lowered her head, wiped her face with a towel, and walked away.
Along with her departure went the cascade of hair still threaded through Sylvia's fingers.
--+--
All the way until she left, Sylvia kept wondering what exactly Acheron was planning for tonight. Could it be that she intended to arrange everything down to the last detail for her?
Surely not…
Her unease lingered until she boarded a starskiff and arrived at the Divination Commission.
"Hey—girl! You came to see me so soon! Come over, come over!"
She hadn't gone far after stepping off the starskiff when Qingque popped up out of nowhere, holding something in her hands as she waved at Sylvia.
As Sylvia approached, Qingque shoved two delicate paper boxes into her hands.
"These are mochi I bought specially this morning. Try one~"
But the moment she handed them over, Qingque noticed the paper bag Sylvia was carrying, its logo unmistakably from a shop specializing in Xianzhou tea snacks.
A quick peek inside revealed only sweet pastries.
All she'd done was mention in passing during a chat that Sylvia should drop by sometime for a gossip session and put in a good word for her with the Master Diviner.
Yet not only had Sylvia come to visit her "trapped" self so quickly, she'd even bought—out of her own pocket—a set of sweet tea snacks that the Master Diviner loved.
She's truly… I could cry…
She knew perfectly well that Sylvia actually had a taste for savory pastries too.
If she'd bought them for herself, why would she only get sweet ones?
Qingque was deeply moved. She lifted her head, eyes sparkling as she stared into Sylvia's, the overwhelming fondness in her gaze almost making Sylvia break out in goosebumps.
"Girl… you actually bought tea snacks with your own money?"
Sylvia blinked, unsure what Qingque was getting at.
Wasn't everything fine just a moment ago? Why this sudden display of "true friendship in hardship"?
It's not that serious… I'm just visiting you at work.
Could it be that she wants a taste?
Thinking this, Sylvia opened the bag with both hands, revealing its contents to Qingque.
"Yeah, I bought these for Fu Xuan on the way. Got a few extra varieties. Want to try some?"
Since Fu Xuan had invited her over for tea, Sylvia had naturally picked up some snacks she liked that also suited Fu Xuan's palate.
"No, no, it's fine. I'm already bothering you to come keep me company today—how could I possibly eat yours too?"
Qingque waved her hands repeatedly, then lifted Sylvia's hand and unwrapped the mochi.
She picked out a cute little mochi and brought it to Sylvia's lips.
"Here, try this mochi first. Not just me—the Master Diviner loves them too."
Even before it reached her mouth, the rich, sweet scent of milk was already tantalizing.
The perfectly balanced aroma was enough to whet anyone's appetite.
Sylvia hadn't actually tried these mochi before.
Though she felt a bit embarrassed by Qingque's sudden insistence on feeding her, Sylvia obediently opened her mouth and took the entire mochi in one bite.
The powdered sugar-dusted fingertip was smooth and slightly sweet, grazing the corner of her lips without leaving a trace.
"Mmm…"
With her mouth full from the whole mochi, Sylvia puffed out her cheeks as she chewed.
Her rounded face made Qingque burst into laughter.
Having just fed Sylvia, Qingque inhaled the familiar milky scent, then raised a finger, proudly claiming credit.
"The mochi are good, right?"
Seeing Qingque's animated little expressions, Sylvia couldn't help but want to laugh too, but with her mouth still full, she could only nod in agreement.
Noticing Sylvia's expression, Qingque knew she'd taken a liking to the flavor. Seizing the moment, she took the paper bag from Sylvia's hands, letting her enjoy the mochi undisturbed.
Just then, Sylvia's phone chimed twice. Still munching on the mochi, she pulled it out and glanced at the screen—a message from Silver Wolf:
[Silver Wolf: Getting married tomorrow!]
--+--
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.