Chương 55: Chapter 54: Qingque: At This Point, Neither of Us Should Bother Living
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In the Divination Commission's library, Qingque let out a sigh of relief after finishing her arduous tasks and stretched lazily.
"Prevent fire, theft, and A-Yan." Her exhaustion was entirely due to A-Yan's mischief. Just as she planned to sneak off to the Exalting Sanctum for a game of cards, she received this text:
[Fu Xuan: Qingque, it seems someone at the Divination Commission has been disparaging this venerable one's height recently. Any leads?]
[Qingque: Lady Fu Xuan, it must be A-Yan. That guy keeps telling me about how kind-hearted and beautiful you are, never looking down on anyone.]
[He even says that although he may not see your face when standing tall, he encounters it often otherwise—in short, he loves to poke fun at you.]
[Fu Xuan: It appears someone else mentioned something along the lines of this venerable one lacking in stature?]
[Qingque: If I say it wasn't intentional, would you believe me?]
[Fu Xuan: No matter; this venerable one is magnanimous and won't dwell on such trivialities.]
[I'll assign two more route divination projects to you tomorrow. Do well, aim for top performance this month.]
Qingque silently put away her phone and retrieved a stuffed bear from a hidden compartment within the library.
This plush bear had been hand-sewn by Qingque herself, providing immense stress relief whenever she pummeled it. Attached to the bear was a note with Su Jinyan's name written on it.
Ever since Su Jinyan's arrival, Qingque had developed a new stress-relief technique—beating up "Su Jinyan."
Whack, whack, whack, whack, whack—
In a frenzied state, Qingque pummelled the stuffed bear named Su Jinyan with wild abandon.
"Yaaaaah, go die, you stinking A-Yan!"
"Feeling the wrath of the working class?"
"Dare to bully me again, and I'll beat you so hard you'll beg on your knees!"
Just then, Su Jinyan pushed open the door and entered.
As he walked in, he explained, "As you can see, this is the library of the Divination Commission."
"The librarian here is Diviner Qingque. She's a diligent and responsible young woman."
"Usually, I call her little Que'er; we get along really well. She—"
His words abruptly cut off, leaving both Su Jinyan and the applicant speechless.
Qingque slowly turned her neck, managing a smile that was awkward yet polite.
Su Jinyan quickly composed himself. "As you've witnessed, this is just part of our daily interactions," he said smoothly. "The competition within the Divination Commission is quite ruthless, and diviners often need to submit weekly work summaries."
"And it falls upon me to review and reject Qingque's written reports—but despite that, we maintain a very amicable relationship."
"Heh heh heh, this will be your task from now on."
The job applicant hastily fled, exclaiming, "The Divination Commission is terrifying!"
Qingque remained speechless.
Su Jinyan shrugged. "Not my fault."
What a coincidence! As soon as they entered, they stumbled upon this scene.
Qingque's face flushed bright red with embarrassment. "A-Yan, let me explain."
Su Jinyan stepped closer to Qingque and picked up the doll embroidered with his name.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, what's there to explain? The truth lies right before our eyes," Su Jinyan said, deliberately lowering his voice and whispering close to Qingque's ear. "Qingque, don't tell me you have feelings for me?"
Qingque forced herself to relax, her reddened cheeks gradually returning to their normal color.
"Hmph, you fool, who would have feelings for you?" she retorted. "Thanks to you, my workload has been doubling nonstop lately. Do you know what that means? I can no longer happily slack off—it's all thanks to you."
Su Jinyan's expression turned serious. "Indeed, it's a grave issue."
"Here's what I propose: I can offer you some minor assistance to alleviate your work stress."
Qingque's beautiful eyes sparkled. "A-Yan, do you mean helping me complete my tasks?"
The corners of Su Jinyan's mouth curved upward as he pulled out a Fairy Bliss Wand from his pocket.
"Here, I picked this up at the Exalting Sanctum's stall on my way here. It can massage and relax your muscles."
"Qingque, do you feel overwhelmed by work stress? Are you physically exhausted? How long has it been since you last relaxed?"
"Introducing the 'Jinyan Life Restart Wand'—!"
"Experience a new life, soar like you're above the clouds!"
Unable to hold back her frustration, Qingque snatched the wand, swiftly kicking Su Jinyan aside.
"A Life Restart Wand?"
"Experience a new life?"
"Soaring sensation?"
"Go die! Today, I'm not letting you off so easily!"
Initially, when Qingque started kicking him, Su Jinyan didn't mind much.
Generally speaking, being stepped on would be humiliating for most people. However, if one imagines it as a free foot massage from a beautiful maiden, it transforms from humiliation into feeling quite fortunate.
Moreover, no matter how forcefully Qingque kicked, Su Jinyan barely felt any discomfort.
But Su Jinyan had forgotten one crucial fact: Qingque was now well aware of his quirks. After all, they had spent considerable time together; familiarity breeds understanding.
Qingque knew that the harder she stomped on him, the more he seemed to enjoy it. Seeing herself grow breathless with exertion while Su Jinyan appeared nearly lulled to sleep, Qingque suddenly felt it was utterly unfair.
"While I'm working myself half to death here, A-Yan, you're enjoying yourself, aren't you?"
"Alright, alright, I'll increase the pressure right away."
A smile involuntarily crept onto Su Jinyan's lips—how strong could little Que'er really be?
The Divination Commission truly was a fantastic place—idle days filled with unearned benefits, and even free foot massages from beautiful maidens.
Qingque tightened her grip on the fairy wand and asked menacingly, "A-Yan, would you like to see what this is?"
"The 'Jinyan Life Restart Wand' - granting you a fresh start, soaring high above life's clouds!"
With just a glance, Su Jinyan's face paled instantly.
"Qingque, wh-what do you plan to do? Stay back! Don't come any closer!"
"I admit it was wrong of me to constantly offload work onto you before. Can you forgive me?"
Su Jinyan genuinely panicked; nuclear weapons were safest when held firmly in one's own hands. Once they fell into enemy hands, the outcome drastically changed.
No, he had to activate his ability and make a run for it—even if Qingque accused him of being a cheat, he needed to escape.
Just then, Fu Xuan's voice and that of the job applicant echoed outside the library.
Fu Xuan quickly explained, "You've misunderstood; A-Yan and Qingque often enjoy playing pranks."
"It was just their joke directed at you—don't take it seriously," he added reassuringly. "In truth, the work atmosphere at the Divination Commission is quite relaxed. This venerable one personally brought you here to dispel any misconceptions about us."
With a creak, Fu Xuan pushed open the library door and declared crisply, "See for yourself—"
Inside, Su Jinyan appeared flustered, pinned beneath Qingque as he desperately tried to crawl away.
Qingque had already raised her wand, activating its vibration mode. "What's this? Trying to escape?"
Fu Xuan stood speechless.
The applicant remained equally stunned.
Noticing the sudden stares, Qingque hastily explained, "No, no, it's not what it looks like. Grand Diviner, please let me explain..."
Explain? The buzzing wand in little Que'er's hand spoke volumes.
Slam!
Fu Xuan forcefully shut the library door.
Qingque, disheartened, murmured softly, "It's over, completely ruined."
"Now the Grand Diviner will surely think we're all idiots corrupting the Divination Commission's reputation."
"Maybe from now on, the Grand Diviner will dislike me. They might even use this as grounds for dismissal."
"If I'm fired due to severe negligence at work... ..."
"I won't get any severance pay! Ahhh!"
Seeing Qingque's distraught state, Su Jinyan couldn't help but offer some comfort. "Qingque, don't worry," he said gently. "Even if you lose your job at the Divination Commission, you still have me."
Qingque stared at him, perplexed.
Su Jinyan continued his consoling attempts, "Taking another step back, you still have the fairy wand—it can help relax your muscles..."
Could anyone actually say something like that?!
"Waaaaah, go die!" Qingque grabbed the fairy wand and unhesitatingly stuffed it into Su Jinyan's mouth.
"Mmmmmph—"
Just as Su Jinyan was desperately struggling, the library door swung open again.
"Benefactor, what happened just now? This humble maiden saw Lady Fu Xuan—"
Tingyun froze, her expression blank. Silently, she closed the door once more. "My apologies, forgive the intrusion."
A stunned silence fell over both Su Jinyan and Qingque.
They exchanged glances before collapsing hopelessly onto the floor. Their social deaths had reached an utterly irredeemable point.
"Qingque," Su Jinyan asked hesitantly, "can we call a truce?"
"Hmph."
To prevent further interruptions, the two reluctantly agreed to a temporary ceasefire.
However, Qingque had already decided that for the next week, she would not acknowledge Su Jinyan at all.
Perfect. If I talk to him again, I might as well be a dog!
Suddenly, Su Jinyan posed a question, "Qingque, do you want to become a great hero, admired by all?"
Qingque licked her slightly dry lips, resisting the urge to respond; she didn't want to risk becoming a dog. Besides, with great power comes great responsibility, and she simply preferred enjoying games of cards—being a hero held no appeal for her.
Su Jinyan continued unprompted, "When I was young, I really wanted to be a great hero, but now, I don't anymore."
Qingque remained silent.
"Don't you wonder why?" Su Jinyan pressed.
Still, Qingque said nothing.
Sighing, Su Jinyan recounted, "Once upon a time, there was a person who contracted Yuyu Syndrome."
"Because nobody was willing to talk to him, he eventually took his own life."
After much internal conflict, Qingque couldn't help but ask, "Why?"
Su Jinyan explained, "When I was very young, I lent my symbol of hope—the light—to someone else."
"As a result, my future is now shrouded in darkness."
"I can never be a hero now. Just being able to protect those close to me is remarkable enough."
Curious, Qingque inquired, "What do you mean? Can light actually be borrowed?"
Suddenly, Su Jinyan turned towards her, his face gradually moving closer.
Blushing, Qingque stepped back. "What are you doing? Is this workplace harassment? You better believe I'll punch you if you keep it up!"
Su Jinyan caught Qingque's small hand and asked solemnly, "Little Que'er, since you don't wish to become a hero..."
"If I were to ask you for a ray of light, would you lend it to me?"
Qingque gently pried open Su Jinyan's fingers, mumbling, "Of course, why wouldn't I? After all, we're colleagues at least. As long as you don't ask for money, anything else is fine."
"But let's be clear," she added, "I'm only lending you my light; don't think about borrowing anything else."
Su Jinyan extended his hand towards Qingque. "Then give me your hand."
Confused but trusting him, Qingque reached out with her delicate, pale hand, allowing him to softly grasp it. Feeling the warmth envelop her hand was comforting, yet somehow, she felt a bit embarrassed.
For a moment, Su Jinyan held her hand firmly before speaking gravely, "Little Que'er, I have now borrowed your light.
"However, there remains a challenging task ahead that requires your assistance. I believe only you can accomplish this—it will be our secret."
Seeing the sincerity on his face, Qingque couldn't help but ask, "What exactly do you plan to do?"
Su Jinyan gazed at her intently. "A butterfly flapping its wings could potentially trigger a storm across an ocean."
"Qingque, I'm about to share with you a secret that has been hidden deep within my heart," he said solemnly. "Among all the friends I know, I trust you the most, so I will only confide this in you alone."
Qingque's heart inexplicably skipped a beat. "Out of all your friends, you trust me the most?"
Indeed, from Su Jinyan's perspective:
Qingque was his friend, Tingyun was his girlfriend, and Fu Xuan was his shizun.
In essence, among those he considered friends, Qingque was indeed the one he trusted the most.
Why choose to tell Qingque instead of Fu Xuan? He intended to discreetly tamper with the foundation of the Matrix of Prescience, but lacked the knowledge to do so.
Strictly speaking, such an action would be a violation of rules.
If Fu Xuan assisted him and any mishap occurred, she could face severe repercussions from the other five commissions.
With Qingque, it was different. If her unauthorized actions led to expulsion from the Divination Commission,
with his resources, Su Jinyan could easily support Qingque for the rest of her life, ensuring she never wanted for necessities.
Su Jinyan's expression turned grave. "Qingque, what I'm about to say might confuse you," he began. "But please trust me, this is incredibly important..."
He withheld some information from Qingque, sharing only vague glimpses of the future he had foreseen. To persuade her, Su Jinyan mentally prepared himself for a drawn-out battle.
As expected, after much deliberation, Qingque did not immediately agree to his request.
"A-Yan, your trust in me is truly touching."
"However, this matter is incredibly serious. Please give me more time; I need to consider it carefully."
From Su Jinyan's perspective, Qingque's reservations were entirely understandable and reasonable.
What caught him off guard was that on the very same evening, Qingque, citing voluntary overtime for study, managed to gently dismiss Fu Xuan, who looked visibly pleased. Then, with stealthy steps, Qingque joined Su Jinyan as they surreptitiously approached the Matrix of Prescience.
Qingque remained confident in her divination abilities.
A-Yan had initially refrained from informing Lady Fu Xuan about the situation precisely because he feared there might be insufficient data for the Matrix of Prescience to yield meaningful results.
Qingque was concerned that with too little information available, the Matrix of Prescience might not yield any meaningful deductions.
However, from his perspective, they now had significantly more data points to work with.
New Known Information 1: An unfamiliar woman suspected to be an Emanator. New Known Information 2: The Disciples of Sanctus Medicus have set up a mysterious scheme within Luofu, aiming to overthrow Xianzhou. New Known Information 3: The Disciples possess a highly powerful ally. New Known Information 4: The Disciples hold secret medicinal formulas capable of inducing Mara-Stricken states.
Such additions fall under a specialized term in divination called "Mutability."
The essence of Mutability is this: phenomena are never static; everything in the universe undergoes constant change.
Just because something couldn't be deduced before doesn't mean it can't be deduced now—this is one of the core principles of divination.
Su Jinyan didn't fully grasp the explanation, but he sincerely expressed his gratitude towards Qingque nonetheless.
Qingque yawned. "And you don't need to thank me either."
"Just sparing more time for card games and less for work assignments would be thanks enough from me," Su Jinyan replied.
"Besides," he continued, "even if we manage to deduce the truth, our divination report still requires approval from the assigned diviner."
"It's far from certain whether it will pass scrutiny."
Su Jinyan smiled faintly. "In fact, rejection might suit my intentions perfectly."
Qingque looked puzzled. "What do you mean?"
"In confidence, I can only reveal this much..." Su Jinyan whispered softly. "I too plan to set up a scheme, one to counteract the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus' machinations. Tomorrow, let us draw the Ten-Lords Commission's Judge into the game."
As predictable as nightfall, the Divination Commission would no longer remain tranquil after tonight. There might even erupt bloody conflicts, though whose blood would spill was yet uncertain. Su Jinyan didn't want Qingque to know these details, fearing she'd worry excessively.
Qingque's lips parted slightly, her eyes unfocused, her expression utterly adorable. "You dare to plot against the Judge of the Ten-Lords Commission?"
Su Jinyan flashed a mysterious smile, pointing upwards. "I have someone watching over me."
Qingque shook her head continuously. "While it's true that the Grand Diviner would shield you should disaster strike,
even she may not be able to handle the Ten-Lords Commission's inquiries."
Su Jinyan preferred not to elaborate. "You'll find out tomorrow."
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