After Sylvia's face-to-face mockery, Qingque vented with a long string of complaints.
She even fired off several pouty, angry stickers in a row before finally calming down.
Probably after all that grumbling, the sheer exhaustion of being a corporate drone sapped her energy to keep picking fights.
Sylvia couldn't help but chuckle, picturing Qingque pouting her little mouth while begrudgingly getting back to work.
Meanwhile, Tingyun, having noticed Sylvia taking her photo earlier, curiously tiptoed over and rested her chin on Sylvia's shoulder, peering at the chat log with amused interest.
"Hehe~ Miss Qingque is truly adorable. I often see her playing cards around, so I'd started to think the Divination Commission had a rather light workload."
A gentle, laughing voice sounded right by Sylvia's ear.
The soft, ticklish sensation made Sylvia's ears flush slightly pink.
"It's just that Qingque is particularly skilled at sneaking in leisure time. But clearly, she won't have the chance today."
Sylvia spoke while shifting her shoulder out from under Tingyun's chin.
Being this close, Tingyun's delicate fragrance kept drifting into Sylvia's nose.
One really had to admit—as a Foxian beauty, she was effortlessly alluring.
Tingyun didn't seem to mind. She simply pulled Sylvia to sit at the dining table and urged her to eat while the food was still warm.
"By the way, after this incident, how long does Benefactor plan to stay on the Luofu?"
"Hm? Why do you ask?"
"I was just thinking… if Benefactor leaves, who knows when you might return to the Luofu again."
Tingyun's tone carried a hint of grievance, as if reluctant to see Sylvia go.
"I'll come back if anything fun comes up. Besides, you've been quite busy lately too, haven't you?"
"That is certainly true."
Sylvia smiled and glanced at Tingyun before adding,
"After this, I'll probably be in Penacony, waiting for the Charmony Festival to begin. If you have time, you could request some leave and come visit."
Tingyun opened her folding fan, smiling brightly as she gazed at Sylvia.
"Since Benefactor has invited me, I shall gratefully accept~ If I can manage to free up the time then, I will surely go."
Although she said that, Tingyun herself didn't hold much hope.
Leaving aside how busy the Luofu's Six Commissions would be in the coming period, just the backlog of work from her own merchant guild—accumulated during her extended stay on the Luofu—would keep her occupied.
If things really piled up, she might truly struggle to find time for Penacony's Charmony Festival.
Meeting Tingyun's eyes, Sylvia somehow understood her unspoken meaning just through that exchange.
But she didn't comment further.
After all, one's own career should always come first.
--+--
Tingyun came and went quickly.
It seemed that even though she'd taken time off, she wasn't leisurely enough to spend the whole day out.
After seeing Tingyun off, Sylvia thought no one else would drop by—but then Stelle showed up alone, knocking on Sylvia's front door.
"I came to hang out!"
Stelle raised a hand, squeezing into Sylvia's home with an excited grin.
Sylvia glanced outside, then looked puzzledly at Stelle, who was already kicking off her shoes and stepping inside.
"Just you? Where are March 7th and the others?"
"Dan Heng and Mr. Yang went off to do who-knows-what together, and March 7th ran off first thing this morning to play Celestial Jade—without even inviting me!"
Stelle planted her hands on her hips, complaining to Sylvia about March 7th's "terrible" behavior of abandoning her for a card game.
She seemed genuinely upset.
Sylvia listened with a smile as she ushered Stelle inside.
Still, it was a bit odd that March 7th went out to play without inviting Stelle.
"Why didn't she call you? That doesn't seem right."
"Because I was still asleep."
Stelle stated matter-of-factly, offering a justification that was impossible to argue with.
It left Sylvia momentarily speechless.
"Ugh! Why wouldn't she take me along? Just because I didn't hear her call me?!"
"…"
Never mind.
Sylvia wasn't in the mood to complain.
She sighed inwardly—she wasn't a natural-born snarker like March 7th.
"So, what did you come to me for?"
"To hang out! I slept till noon and woke up to an empty hotel. Figured I'd find someone to wander around shopping."
Stelle grinned and leaned closer.
Sylvia gave her a surprised look.
She actually came to me… for shopping?
Since when did you have that hobby?
Just then, Sylvia's phone chimed again.
"…Now who is it?"
How strange.
Why was everyone looking for her today?
Puzzled, Sylvia pulled out her phone and tapped the screen. It was from a familiar anonymous account:
[Anonymous: Dear, could you come to the Divination Commission? I'll send you the coordinates.]
[Anonymous: I might need a little help from you.]
[Anonymous: If Stelle is with you, it's fine for her to come along too.]
[Anonymous: —Kafka]
Why was this message sent to her?
Sylvia raised an eyebrow, then replied:
[Sylvia: Prove it.]
[Anonymous: [Image]]
A pretty selfie from Kafka, highlighting her voluptuous figure from the chest up. Though seemingly casual, it had a surprisingly appealing vibe—wallpaper-worthy, even.
Sylvia silently saved the image, then responded:
[Sylvia: Alright, then. But I thought your bounty was cleared?]
[Anonymous: Blade's isn't. His Mara has flared up; he needs time to recover.]
[Anonymous: Sorry for dragging you into my troubles.]
[Sylvia: It's fine. Send me the address.]
[Anonymous: Thank you, dear.]
[Anonymous: [Location Pin]]
Sylvia remembered this part of the storyline—mainly how Kafka would reveal some intel and information to Stelle.
If you refused the meeting entirely, the quest would simply end with the rewards granted.
Kafka probably already knew that at this moment, Sylvia was with Stelle, and in a safe, undisturbed spot—hence choosing to text her now.
After all, if she'd texted Stelle directly, there was a fifty-fifty chance Stelle might not show.
But Sylvia had a closer relationship with Kafka; Sylvia would definitely go.
And since Stelle was currently just killing time with Sylvia, if Sylvia said she was going to meet Kafka, Stelle tagging along was practically a given.
Thinking this, Sylvia showed the chat log to Stelle.
As expected, Stelle didn't overthink it at all. Once Sylvia mentioned going, Stelle immediately agreed to come along.
"You really want to come? Not going to check with Welt or Himeko first?"
Sylvia put her phone away, starting to change clothes while double-checking Stelle's decision.
She was, after all, a member of the Astral Express—shouldn't she at least consult her seniors?
"I'll ask right now! Wait for me!"
Stelle pulled out her phone to contact her guardians.
Sylvia used the time while Stelle was checking in to change into something more practical.
If she remembered correctly, after meeting Kafka, they'd probably run into Yanqing.
Might even end up in a fight.
Hmm… let Stelle handle that one.
She'd stay out of it.
--+--
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.