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16.39% Honkai Star Rail: I Can Hear Their Secrets / Chapter 10: Chapter 10: The Struggle of Little Sparrow, Caught Between Leisure and Work

章 10: Chapter 10: The Struggle of Little Sparrow, Caught Between Leisure and Work

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******

If looks could kill, Qingque would undoubtedly have been riddled with holes by now.

I didn't, I haven't, don't make things up—I'm being framed!

In that moment, Qingque finally understood the treachery inherent in human nature. And worst of all, she couldn't refute it; few within the Divination Commission knew Fu Xuan's preferences, yet she had managed to uncover them all too well.

Qingque's favorite tactic was to bribe the Grand Diviner with sweets whenever caught slacking off, hoping to lessen her punishment. Consequently, among everyone at the Divination Commission, Qingque stood out as the prime suspect.

This is so malicious! She's really going too far—bullying an honest person like this! Qingque glared pitifully at Su Jinyan, her expression both timid and fierce. Wanting to explain herself, she felt utterly helpless against the cold whispers spreading across her face, leaving her no chance to defend.

Twisting her delicate fingers nervously, Qingque forced a smile. "Um, Grand Diviner..."

"If I were to say he guessed it himself, would you believe me?"

Fu Xuan's expression remained cool. "What do you think, Qingque?"

Su Jinyan rose from his seat and stepped inside the teahouse, returning moments later with a cup of taro bubble milk tea held carefully in his hands.

"Lady Fu Xuan, your work must be quite demanding, isn't it? Please enjoy this while it's warm."

"I know you prefer Dragon Girl's special medicinal teas, which unfortunately, I don't have here. However, this cup of taro bubble milk tea is personally prepared by me, infused with abundant star taro flavor."

A hint of suspicion crossed Fu Xuan's face; something about these words seemed odd.

Feigning confusion, Qingque interjected, "Eh, why does this milk tea look familiar? Didn't you buy it from that Luofu street vendor? Or am I mistaken?"

Su Jinyan fell silent.

Oh, Qingque, Qingque, who knew your heart could harbor such pettiness? Your retaliation comes swiftly indeed.

Fu Xuan shook her head slightly. "Give it up; don't bother trying to curry favor with this venerable one," she said firmly. "I have no feelings for you and will not accept your advances."

Su Jinyan pondered for a moment before responding, "How about this? You can consider it a gesture of appreciation for your hard work—what do you say?"

Fu Xuan pursed her lips, her expression wavering slightly. "Is that so?" she asked. "But what if I told you that despite such gestures, your salaries would still be docked? Would you still offer me this cup of milk tea then?"

Wait, first you punish me before accepting my gift, and now you'll punish me again afterward? Then isn't this f*cking gift just wasted, goddammit?!

Upon hearing this, Su Jinyan swiftly inserted a straw into the cup with a sharp snap and held the milk tea up to Qingque's lips.

"Well then, I might as well give it to Little Sparrow instead. Come, here you go."

Qingque frantically waved her hands away. "A-Yan, I've always treated you well; why would you want to harm me?"

Undeterred, Su Jinyan persisted, guiding the milk tea closer to Qingque's mouth until the straw touched her fragrant lips. With this move, Fu Xuan was even less likely to accept the drink.

Qingque gazed pitifully at Su Jinyan, adamantly refusing his gesture of goodwill. Even the most foolish person would know not to accept this cup of milk tea at such a moment; doing so would be akin to slapping their superior's bottom or insulting their face.

And Qingque was far from foolish—she was quite clever.

Su Jinyan threatened, "If you don't drink it, I'll have it myself."

"But Qingque, your saliva is on there now. If I take a sip, does that count as an indirect kiss?"

"Hmm, a milk tea tainted with a pretty girl's saliva must taste especially sweet," Su Jinyan mused aloud, preparing to take a sip.

Just then, Qingque swiftly snatched the cup away, her delicate cheeks flushed pink. "Hey, hey, hey! What are you saying? That's going too far!"

Fu Xuan observed coolly, "Ah, seems like you two are getting along quite well. In just a few short days, your relationship has progressed this far."

Sighing, Su Jinyan replied, "My affection lies with Fu Xuan, but alas, she remains indifferent."

Unable to resist teasing him, Qingque quipped, "Why do you make Grand Diviner sound like a third wheel?"

"Grand Diviner, A-Yan is belittling you! Make him write a self-reflection—it's absolutely necessary!"

Fu Xuan's brows furrowed deeply; she had never been rendered so speechless in her life.

Su Jinyan, now serious, declared, "I will forever cherish Lady Fu Xuan. In my heart, she is the most beautiful."

Fu Xuan responded coldly, "Your salaries have already been docked, and if this continues, do you even want to keep your job?"

Quickly changing his tune, Su Jinyan said, "No longer cherished, as Lady Fu Xuan has utterly broken my heart. Leader, you're not at all what I imagined from Lady Fu Xuan."

"And just how did you imagine this venerable one?" Fu Xuan asked.

"She would never abandon you," Su Jinyan replied, "never disappoint you, never forsake you. Never make you cry, never bid farewell, and never harm you with lies."

"Most importantly, she would never abuse her authority."

Fu Xuan's gaze was icy. "Excellent. This venerable one indeed never abuses authority, always upholding justice—your job is gone."

Thud.

Su Jinyan slumped forward, muttering, "What?! I created the legend of the quickest dismissal from the Divination Commission?"

While Su Jinyan and Fu Xuan were preoccupied with their conversation, Qingque stealthily prepared to make his escape.

Fu Xuan frowned. "Enough now," she said, "I was only joking just then."

"Stop picking on this venerable one, or they truly will get angry."

"To cut to the chase, this venerable one has come here with a mission for you both."

"Qingque, hold it right there—!"

Instantly frozen, Qingque scratched his head sheepishly, grinning awkwardly.

"Grand Diviner, I believe we should give plenty of training opportunities to newcomers."

"I've already divined today's fortune: unsuitable for official duties, nor is overtime advised."

"Just assign any tasks to A-Yan; work him to the bone if you must, I have complete faith in him."

The unspoken message beneath these words was clear: If anything needs doing, look to him—not me.

Taken aback, Su Jinyan asked, "Is this really something my friend Qingque would say?"

Qingque stuck out his tongue. "Authentic, guaranteed."

Fu Xuan's face remained impassive. "Neither of you will be allowed to slack off."

At Luofu's Cloudford, Fu Xuan had assigned them a straightforward task: adjust the guiding compass at Cloudford to its correct position, directing the star ferries safely back to port.

It was indeed a leisurely duty, neither difficult nor demanding, just somewhat tedious.

Qingque pouted, visibly sulking as she occasionally sipped her milk tea. Throughout their walk, she hadn't uttered a single word to him.

Su Jinyan stopped, gazing earnestly into Qingque's lovely eyes with unwavering sincerity.

"Little Sparrow, don't be angry anymore—it's all my fault, I messed up. How about this? You can hit me a few times if you want."

Qingque's eyes sparkled, but just as she raised her hand, Su Jinyan caught her wrist.

"Ah, you couldn't bring yourself to do it." He gently shook his head.

Qingque stared, bewildered.

"How about cursing me out instead?" Su Jinyan suggested.

"You—" Qingque parted her lips, ready to speak.

Su Jinyan hastily interrupted, "You wouldn't say it."

Qingque blinked, now utterly confused.

Toughening up, toughening up—Qingque clenched her fists, glaring furiously.

Is this something humans should even do?

She wrenched her hand free from his grasp, fists tightened and rage burning.

"It's all your fault! Even Grand Diviner herself now suspects my loyalty."

"What have I gained? Just a cup of Star Tarot Bubbles milk tea."

"And what have I lost? The trust of the Grand Diviner."

"Qingque," Su Jinyan said, "is it possible that the Grand Diviner has long been aware of your questionable integrity?"

"So, her trust in you may already be dwindling to almost nothing."

Qingque shook their small head vigorously, like a rattle drum.

"I wish Grand Diviner wouldn't place such high expectations on me."

"My abilities are limited; why does she keep relying on me?"

"As soon as I'm idle for a moment, Grand Diviner appears and hands me more trivial tasks, just like today."

"Sigh, being idle is no easy feat..."

Buzz—

Su Jinyan's phone vibrated with a received encrypted text message from the black-robed figure.


章 11: Chapter 11: General, What Are You Doing, General?!

Please support me on Patreon, where you can read a bunch of extra chapters, not just for this novel, but for all the novels I'm working on. I upload at least 2 times daily for most novels.

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******

[Black Rose: A-Chuan, how's progress on your end?]

[Our mole at the Divination Commission was dispatched to Yaoqing by Fu Xuan. Have you not inadvertently revealed yourself yet?]

Is there f*cking lag on your end or what? It's been nearly a week before you even thought to ask me! Su Jinyan internally grumbled, suspecting that this black-robed figure might have some intelligence issues.

[Lady Fu Xuan's Dog: My lord need not worry. Through my own cunning, I've successfully integrated with my new colleagues, and our interactions have been remarkably harmonious.]

[Under my influence, we've managed to initiate the preliminary stages of the "Overthrowing the Divination Commission" plan. The atmosphere within the commission is gradually becoming corrupt and decadent.]

[I believe it won't be long until no one in the Divination Commission cares about their work, leading to its inevitable collapse without direct assault.]

[Black Rose: I understand the situation... But what's up with your username?]

[Lady Fu Xuan's Dog: It's a long story, my lord; these sacrifices were necessary.]

Inside the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus hideout, the black-robed figure looked contemplative.

He had already imagined A-Chuan enduring hardships at the Divination Commission, willing to act as Fu Xuan's dog just to gain her trust. What does dedication mean? This right here—this f*cking epitome—is dedication!

[Black Rose: Who knew Fu Xuan had such preferences? You truly deserve commendation for bearing with it.]

[Rest assured, the organization will not forget your sacrifices.]

[Once we overthrow Luofu's rule, I will request on your behalf for our leader to bestow Fu Xuan as a gift to you.]

[For now, since the organization is inactive, there won't be any tasks assigned to you.]

[As a precaution, I have destroyed all records related to you within the organization. Only the leader and I know your true identity.]

[Your task is to excel in the Divination Commission, steadily climbing the ranks without revealing yourself.]

[Fu Xuan's Dog: This subordinate will always remember their original intention and uphold their mission.]

"Hey, I'm talking to you," Qingque complained, clearly disgruntled. "Playing with your jade divination tablet while someone else speaks is impolite."

"My apologies, sorry about that. I was just responding to a friend's message."

"Oh right, it just occurred to me—have I not yet added you and Lady Fu Xuan as friends?" Su Jinyan asked.

Qingque stuck out her tongue. "Oops, yeah. With all the card games these past few days, how did I forget about this?"

"How about this? Let's exchange contact information first, and while at it, I'll add you to the Divination Commission's work chat group."

Su Jinyan nodded slightly, and they proceeded to add each other as friends.

Qingque's gaze turned subtle. "What's up with your username?"

Su Jinyan blinked. "I'm not sure myself."

[System Notification: [Lady Fu Xuan's Dog] has joined the group chat—welcome! Greet your fellow members.]

Shortly after Su Jinyan entered the group, several lurking members began popping up one by one.

[Ruoyue: Wow, we have a newcomer in the group.]

[Is it that handsome young man who came for the interview a few days ago? Wait, what's with this name?]

[Qingque: Heh heh, yes indeed. A-Yan is my junior colleague, friendly and dedicated to his work. Please take care of him everyone. As for the name, just pretend you didn't see it...]

Su Jinyan shot Qingque a glare; clearly, the unspoken message from this little bird was: For future tasks, don't come to me, just approach my junior.

[Ming Yue: Welcome, newcomer. Before anything else, please read the group announcements. Also, kindly change your display name.]

[Sanjin: Welcome, newcomer. Following tradition, new members should send out red envelopes upon joining.]

[Qingque: What tradition? Never heard of it. Don't bully the new generation.]

[Lady Fu Xuan's Dog: Everyone, please quiet down. Set aside your work momentarily; I have an announcement to make.]

The diviners of the Grand Divination Commission were taken aback. What was this newcomer trying to do, wielding such authoritative airs?

Su Jinyan promptly complied, first changing his group nickname and then immediately sending a one-million Credit password-protected red envelope.

[Password Red Envelope: "I really want to be Lady Fu Xuan's dog!"]

[Qingque: "I really want to be Lady Fu Xuan's dog!"]

[Ming Yue: "I really want to be Lady Fu Xuan's dog!"]

[Ruoyue: "I really want to be Lady Fu Xuan's dog!"]

[Jing Yuan: "I really want to be Lady Fu Xuan's dog!"]

[System Notification: Jing Yuan has withdrawn a message.]

Shocked, Su Jinyan exclaimed internally, General, what are you doing, General?! Is it worth it just for a red envelope?

[Fu Xuan: ???]

[System Notification: 'Lady Fu Xuan's Dog' has been muted by the group owner for 1 hour.]

[System Notification: Jing Yuan has been muted by the group owner for 24 hours.]

Qingque and the others fell silent, hastily withdrawing their messages as if nothing had happened.

[Fu Xuan: New member, change your nickname.]

[Update your group nickname to your real name; otherwise, don't expect your salary this month.]

Unfazed, Su Jinyan remained indifferent. Let them deduct his meager salary—it wasn't like he cared about that small amount of money.

Seeing the stubborn refusal to change the nickname, Fu Xuan frowned and manually altered it herself.

However, Su Jinyan was incredibly persistent and swiftly changed it back.

Fu Xuan gritted her teeth lightly and once again modified his nickname.

Undeterred, Su Jinyan reverted it yet again, seemingly determined to be Fu Xuan's dog.

[System Notification: Lady Fu Xuan's Dog has been removed from the chat by the group owner.]

[System Notification: Jing Yuan's mute restriction has been lifted by the group owner.]

[Fu Xuan: All who received the password-protected red envelope earlier must copy the 'Divination Commission Work Guidelines' one hundred times. Place them on my desk before tomorrow evening's shift ends.]

[Ming Yue: Acknowledged.]

[Ruoyue: Acknowledged.]

[Jing Yuan: Fu Xuan, do I have to copy it too?]

[System Notification: Jing Yuan has been removed from the chat by the group owner.]

Qingque chuckled mischievously. "A-Yan, you're truly brave."

"I've never seen anyone dare to challenge the esteemed Grand Diviner's authority like this before."

Su Jinyan seemed somewhat troubled. "How can I make Lady Fu Xuan understand my intentions?"

Qingque felt puzzled. "Hey, aren't you supposed to have a crush on that foxfolk maiden?"

Su Jinyan's expression remained composed. "Yes, indeed, I do fancy her."

Still perplexed, Qingque asked, "Then why—"

With unwavering conviction, Su Jinyan replied, "But what does that have to do with wanting to be Lady Fu Xuan's dog?"

"The Grand Diviner holds such high status, is both beautiful and kind-hearted, and never lowers herself to notice others. I fell for her at first sight."

His reasoning was so compelling that Qingque found herself speechless, even tempted to relay his words to Fu Xuan, hoping she would sternly discipline A-Yan.

However, upon second thought, she decided it was better to avoid further complications. After all, she herself had often teased the Grand Diviner about her height.

She didn't want to risk provoking Fu Xuan's wrath, lest she end up getting bitten alongside A-Yan.

Su Jinyan curled his fingers invitingly. "Little Sparrow, lend me your jade divination tablet for a moment."

Instantly wary, Qingque raised her guard. "Hm? What do you plan to do?"

Su Jinyan pleaded earnestly, his tone humble and persistent. "Oh, dear Big Sister, please oblige me."

"Just let me borrow your jade divination tablet for a second; I need to apologize to Lady Fu Xuan."

Qingque cautiously admonished him, "Alright, but you're not allowed to use my account for any mischief."

Su Jinyan took the phone and, after a series of swift actions, new activity appeared in the group chat.

[System Notification: Qingque has invited Su Jinyan to join the group chat.]

[Su Jinyan: Lady Fu Xuan, I was wrong. I shouldn't have changed the nickname without permission. Please accept my sincere apologies for any inconvenience caused.]

Fu Xuan's expression slightly softened as she replied, [Acknowledging one's mistakes and rectifying them is commendable.]

[Su Jinyan: Changing the nickname in the group chat alone cannot fully express my affection towards you. Once I finish my work, I will personally confess my feelings at the Divination Commission.]

[Qingque: ??]

[Jing Yuan #2: ??]

[Ruoyue: ??]

[Fu Xuan: ?]

[System Notification: User 'Qingque' has been muted by the group owner for 24 hours.]

[System Notification: User 'Su Jinyan' has been muted by the group owner for 24 hours.]

[System Notification: User 'Jing Yuan #2' has been removed from the group chat by the group owner.]

With fury on her face, Fu Xuan swiftly silenced the meddling group members, sparing even Jing Yuan no leniency.

Within the Seat of Divine Foresight, Jing Yuan attentively read the messages in the group chat, his weariness dissipating considerably.

"I never expected the new diviner to be one of Lady Fu Xuan's suitors—how intriguing indeed."

As Luofu's Divine Foresight General, Jing Yuan's official duties were naturally demanding, leaving him with little time to follow personnel changes across various commissions.

Whenever he had occasional downtime, Jing Yuan enjoyed lurking and observing these conversations. Explosive news like today's was not common.

Jing Yuan didn't particularly expect the little diviner's confession to succeed. On one hand, the disparity in social status between a diviner and Fu Xuan was vast, making it challenging for mutual affection to develop. Moreover, Fu Xuan was renowned for her unwavering dedication to work, fully immersed in her duties—how could she possibly have time for romance?


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