"What do I do?! What do I do?! Master Diviner Fu Xuan has come in person…!"
Qingque paced back and forth anxiously. After a while, she rushed to the bed and vigorously shook Yun Fan, who was sound asleep.
"A-Fan, get up quick! The Master Diviner has come knocking! You've got to stop her! It was you who told me to let the Stellaron Hunters go…!"
"Hm? What's going on?" Yun Fan rubbed his bleary eyes, looking at Qingque with a dazed, almost adorable expression.
"My goodness, hurry up… wait, what?"
As Qingque urged him, Yun Fan slowly sat up, gently stroking her hair with a kind, affectionate expression before speaking softly.
"Qingque, you said it yourself—you're the one who let the Stellaron Hunters go, and it's you Master Diviner Fu Xuan is looking for. What does that have to do with me?"
"This…" Qingque froze for a moment, then puffed out her cheeks in frustration, pointing at Yun Fan's nose.
"You… you're sleeping on the couch tonight!"
In response to Qingque's accusation, Yun Fan merely yawned, rolled over, and went back to sleep.
Seeing this, Qingque let out a helpless sigh and prepared to open the door for Fu Xuan herself. However, just as she was about to step forward, her eyes darted to the side, as if an idea had struck her.
She glanced furtively at Yun Fan, still deep in slumber, then quietly slipped on her shoes, tiptoed to the window, and with a small hop, leapt out.
After landing, the girl lightly brushed the dust off her clothes and subtly invoked a trace of Causality power to lift the restrictions on the estate's gate.
"A-Fan, as they say, 'better a friend perish than I.' I'll leave Master Diviner to you. Qingque's out of here!"
Meanwhile, at the front gate of Qingque's estate, three minutes had passed, and with no sign of Qingque coming to open the door, Fu Xuan's anger had reached its peak.
The girl's hands glowed with the power of her Path, summoning several runes that materialized in the air. Just as the formation took shape and she was about to unleash her attack, a soft click sounded. The previously locked gate slowly creaked open, but strangely, there was no one behind it.
Seeing this, Fu Xuan retracted her talismans, her delicate brows furrowing slightly. A few defensive runes flashed briefly around her before dissipating.
"Years pass, yet the state remains; guard the four corners steadfastly!"
As her words fell, a purple barrier resembling a swirling galaxy rose around her, enveloping the petite pink-haired girl in its protection.
Of course, this precaution wasn't because Fu Xuan feared Qingque would do anything to her. It was just that the scene before her was slightly eerie, and our dear Master Diviner was, well… a little unsettled, as one might expect.
"Qingque, come out this instant!"
Fu Xuan repeated her earlier demand. After a few moments with no response, she gritted her teeth and cautiously stepped into the empty estate.
'Calm down. Ghosts and monsters don't exist, and besides, it's broad daylight. Even if they did, they wouldn't appear now.'
Entering the estate, Fu Xuan carefully surveyed her surroundings. The sprawling grounds were orderly, with neatly arranged stone tables and chairs, meticulously trimmed flowers and plants, and a few decorative items scattered about, giving the place a clean and simple aesthetic.
Fu Xuan didn't linger long and continued forward with her small steps until she reached the main residence, where she paused.
Looking at the half-open red door, she hesitated briefly but ultimately decided to push it open and step inside.
"Qingque, are you in here?"
Her words went unanswered. After patrolling the first floor for a while, Fu Xuan ascended the stairs to the second floor.
"If I recall correctly, Qingque's room should be over there, right?"
Following her memory, Fu Xuan navigated her way to Qingque's room. Standing at the door, she peeked inside, and her eyes lit up.
In her line of sight, Qingque's bed had a large "lump" under the covers, as if someone had been hit hard on the head. The lump rose and fell slightly with faint breathing sounds, moving in rhythm with each breath.
"So she's just asleep… but with all the noise I made earlier, she still hasn't woken up?"
Though puzzled, Fu Xuan quickly walked to the bedside, grabbed the edge of the pristine white blanket, and yanked it back with force.
"Qingque, get up… AHHH!!"
The girl's scream echoed through the air. Panicking, she dropped the blanket, shrieking as if she'd seen something terrifying.
"Hm? Qingque, what are you doing? Can't a guy get some sleep?" Yun Fan sat up, frowning at the girl beside him.
Yesterday, he had gained some insight into the power of Causality and had immersed himself in cultivation, sealing off his senses to refine his strength. Qingque had already woken him once earlier, and now, after such a short time, why was she… wait, Fu Xuan?
Yun Fan looked curiously at the pink-haired girl in front of him—yes, a pink-haired girl who had lived for centuries, much like how a man remains a boy at heart until his dying day.
Glancing down at himself, Yun Fan noticed that the white blanket covering him was gone, now lying next to Fu Xuan. But… he was still wearing his boxers, so what was Fu Xuan screaming about?
"I say, Miss Fu Xuan, what are you yelling about?" Yun Fan crossed his arms, slightly annoyed, his gaze scrutinizing the Master Diviner, who was now crouched with her head in her hands.
"Y-y-you… I-I… no… AHH! Put some clothes on already!"
Fu Xuan tried to say something, but as she lifted her head and caught sight of Yun Fan's chiseled abs, she quickly lowered it again, her face flushing bright red.
Seeing Fu Xuan's adorable reaction, Yun Fan couldn't help but tease her. "Haha! You've lived for centuries, yet our Master Diviner Fu Xuan is surprisingly pure-hearted. Could it be, Miss Fu Xuan, that you've never seen…"
"Shut up!!"
After this little interlude, Yun Fan told Fu Xuan to wait in the main hall. He got dressed, tidied himself up, and then joined her.
"Miss Fu Xuan, may I ask the purpose of your visit?" Yun Fan didn't beat around the bush, getting straight to the point.
"I… I came to discuss some matters with Qingque," Fu Xuan began, nearly referring to herself as "this seat" but quickly correcting herself to "I" after recalling the identity of the person before her.
"Qingque? She's not home right now. If you have something to discuss, you can tell me," Yun Fan said, sensing Qingque's whereabouts before shaking his head regretfully.
"This…" Fu Xuan hesitated, unsure of the stance of the person before her, making her reluctant to speak.
Noticing her hesitation, Yun Fan spoke up first. "If you're here to ask Qingque why she let the Stellaron Hunters go, I can answer that for you."