Watching Little Fairy disappear into the night, Levi wasn't worried about her running into danger with his Honkai energy supporting her.
If she did run into danger...
Then it would be the unlucky one bringing the danger.
Running into the Herrscher of Corruption while she was full of Honkai energy.
That would be seriously unlucky.
Pulling his gaze back, Levi couldn't help muttering, "I'm not some Masked Fool. Why would I make a mask for myself?"
"If you've got nothing better to do, go ask for a lighter. Don't stand here like some pyramid scheme leader handing out masks to everyone."
"I'm the universally recognized good guy known as "Le 'Gentleman' Vi.""
"The greatest gentleman in history."
"Have you ever seen a gentleman join the Faction of Elation?"
"Even putting aside the title of 'gentleman'."
"Have you ever seen an organization invite a new member, especially someone as powerful as me..."
"Without even giving a tiny welcome gift?"
"And they still expect me to join?"
"Not a chance!"
He raised his middle finger at the night sky outside the window.
He didn't care whether the other party was actually there or whether they could see it.
Levi kept his middle finger raised.
Only after more than ten seconds, when his arm started aching, did he lower it.
He opened his jade abacus and looked at the messages.
The first one was... a Penacony advertisement.
The giant hammer of Preservation's Qlipoth had fallen once again. With the arrival of a new Amber Era, the Charmony Festival, held once every Amber Era, was about to begin.
The internet was flooded with promotions.
Anyone with enough Credits was preparing to head there and see for themselves the so-called Charmony Festival...
Held only once every Amber Era.
Levi only glanced at it before looking at the next message.
It was Qingque complaining while taking a break.
In short, she blamed Levi for only thinking about showing off without considering the consequences, leaving her dragged into overtime by Fu Xuan.
Judging by how resentful her message sounded, along with the deep night outside...
She probably wasn't coming back tonight.
She'd be staying at the Divination Commission overnight with Fu Xuan.
Levi rubbed salt in the wound and replied, "Have fun working overtime."
He even attached photos of himself, Stelle, and the others eating, drinking, and having fun in Aurum Alley.
[Qingque: Whose fault do you think this is?!]
The moment the photos were sent, Qingque almost exploded.
She was working overtime here like a mule.
Meanwhile this guy... Was out in Aurum Alley with three girls, eating, drinking, laughing, and having fun.
How was she supposed to put up with that?
'If I can tolerate this, I'll write my name backward!'
Looking at Fu Xuan busily working, Qingque suddenly raised her hand.
"Lady Fu Xuan, I have an idea!"
"..."
———
[Meanwhile...]
Levi had just put away his jade abacus and was about to wash up and go to bed when it vibrated.
He looked down.
It was a message from Fu Xuan.
And not just any message.
It was a message telling him to come work overtime.
Heartless Divination Machine: Qingque has already told me. You've learned at least seventy or eighty percent of what she knows.
Fu Xuan glanced back at Qingque.
Qingque nodded confidently.
Turning back, Fu Xuan continued typing.
[Fu Xuan: The Divination Commission currently has far too much work to handle...]
She didn't finish the sentence, but the meaning couldn't have been clearer.
She wanted him to come work overtime.
Levi silently put down the jade abacus and scratched his head with a confused look.
"What just happened?"
After thinking for a while, he still couldn't remember.
Shaking his head helplessly, he walked into the bathroom to wash up.
"Hopefully it wasn't anything important."
"..."
While working, Fu Xuan kept checking for replies on her jade abacus.
She waited for a long time but got nothing.
Judging from the time, Levi had most likely already gone to bed.
Qingque, however, insisted...
If Levi was asleep right now, she'd eat... well, never mind.
So, after Qingque's encouragement, Fu Xuan called Levi.
Fresh out of the bathroom, Levi looked at the incoming call from Fu Xuan.
An idea came to him.
He immediately took both his jade abacus and his head underwater, accepted the call, and made muffled bubbling noises.
"Blurb blurb blurb..."
Listening to the sounds coming from the other end, Fu Xuan checked whether she'd dialed the wrong number.
After confirming it was indeed Levi, she asked, "Where are you right now?"
"Blurb blurblub glub..."
"He says he's underwater and waiting for you to fish him out."
Top-tier translator Qingque interpreted for Fu Xuan before giving her opinion.
"He's obviously faking it!"
The photo he'd just sent showed him eating and having fun in Aurum Alley.
Now he was claiming he was underwater waiting to be rescued.
'What, did he finish dinner and then jump into the Ancient Sea?'
'As if!'
Qingque's face turned red as she loudly condemned Levi for deceiving his superior.
Then she clasped her fists and volunteered to Fu Xuan.
"Lady Fu Xuan, leave this kind of person to me."
"I guarantee I'll drag him back to the Divination Commission to work overtime!"
"When?"
"Huh?"
Fu Xuan put down the jade abacus and calmly repeated, "When will you come back and work overtime?"
"Uh... well..."
Qingque hadn't expected that question.
Her expression changed several times before she carefully answered, "I'll be back in a bit."
"How long is 'a bit'?"
Fu Xuan looked at her calmly.
She insisted on getting a specific time.
Otherwise, Qingque wasn't leaving.
Realizing Fu Xuan had seen right through her plan, Qingque hung her head and returned to her workstation.
With a miserable expression, she continued working.
Seeing her like that, the corners of Fu Xuan's lips lifted slightly.
'Nice try.'
'Did she really think I couldn't tell what she was planning?'
She'd deliberately avoided giving a specific time.
As long as she got out, "a bit" could mean any time... but definitely not tonight.
And if anyone asked, she'd just argue that she'd never given an exact time.
Since Fu Xuan had seen through Qingque's little trick, there was no way she'd let her leave the Divination Commission.
At least not tonight.
Looking at Levi, who was still pretending on the phone, Fu Xuan left him with one sentence...
"Come if you want. Don't if you don't."
Then she hung up without hesitation.
She wasn't going to waste any more time on him.
There was still a mountain of work waiting for the Master Diviner.
She couldn't afford to delay.
Splash!
Levi lifted his head out of the water and looked at the disconnected call.
His expression shifted between hesitation and determination.
"That was a threat, wasn't it?"
'It had to be a threat.'
'It definitely was, right?'
The moment she said, "Come if you want. Don't if you don't," Levi started wavering.
Deep down, he was still afraid Fu Xuan would make things difficult for him later.
That wouldn't be the worst part.
The worst part was Qingque might laugh at him.
That, he absolutely couldn't accept.
Levi paced back and forth by the door, his thoughts bouncing between going and staying.
This went on for quite a while.
"Damn it!"
The next second, determination filled his face.
"It's already this late. Screw that!"
Calling him out this late and making him run all the way to the Divination Commission?
'Do they have any decency?!'
'People need to sleep early.'
'Everyone still has work tomorrow!'
"Sleep!"
He threw back the blanket with force and climbed into bed with a determined expression.
"..."