"What a clever little fellow."
Watching Numby's human-like actions, even the well-traveled Miss Tingyun could not help but show a trace of pleasant surprise. The foxian girl bent down and gently stroked the little Trotter's head a few times.
Facing Tingyun's touch, Numby showed no fear at all. Instead, it kicked its little legs in a very understanding way, lay down on the ground, and seemed to enjoy the stroking from Tingyun.
Seeing this, our Miss Topaz could not help rolling her eyes. This was the first time she had seen Numby so willingly let an outsider pet it.
If she didn't know Numby was female, she would have thought the other party had been charmed by the 'fox spirit' in front of her.
"Miss Topaz, your pet is really smart. I also want to raise such a cute little Trotter."
After petting it for a while, Tingyun stood up again. Looking at the little Trotter on the ground, she could not help sighing with emotion.
"Uh… Numby is my partner and my family. Miss Tingyun, I'm very sorry, but I will not sell Numby."
Topaz stated righteously.
"Giggles~ Look at what you're saying, Miss Topaz. This little lady is not the kind of bad woman who takes what belongs to others. You're overthinking it."
The beautiful foxian woman smiled and shook her head. It would be a lie to say she was not tempted by Topaz's little Trotter pet, but that did not mean Tingyun would force her or threaten her.
"So that's how it is. It seems I was the one who judged a gentleman's heart with my own petty mind."
Hearing this, Topaz secretly breathed a sigh of relief. She had truly been afraid Tingyun would ask to buy Numby. If that had happened, a rift would inevitably form between them.
That would be bad news for both her and the Interastral Peace Corporation.
"Right!"
Thinking of this, Topaz suddenly slapped her thigh as if she had remembered something. She tapped the earpiece by her ear a few times. The next moment, a virtual blue light screen appeared in front of the girl.
"Miss Tingyun, please accept this without fail."
Topaz fiddled with the blue light screen for a while. The next moment, a small spatial ripple appeared in front of Topaz, and a small red box about the size of a palm materialized.
Tingyun took the box from Topaz's hands without any hesitation and opened it right in front of her.
The instant the box opened, it seemed as if golden light burst out, stinging Tingyun's eyes so she could barely keep them open.
"This is…?"
Inside the gorgeously packaged red box lay a palm-sized jade pendant. The jade had a warm, lustrous color, crystal clear like mutton-fat white jade, making one want to pick it up and examine it closely.
Intricate patterns were carved on the jade pendant, with smooth and natural lines that seemed almost heaven-sent. In the center of the pattern was a lifelike fox.
The fox's posture was graceful and exquisitely detailed, as if it would leap out of the jade pendant in the next moment.
Overall, the jade pendant gave off an antique and elegant feeling, exuding a mysterious and solemn aura.
"This is indeed a fine item. Miss Topaz, you are very thoughtful, but… I cannot accept this."
Tingyun gently shook her head and handed the box back to Topaz. The folding fan in her hand opened with a snap, revealing four large characters on the fan face — "Self-Discipline and Devotion to Public Duty."
Our Miss Tingyun actually really liked Topaz's gift.
Jade held an extremely important position in Xianzhou culture. It would not be an exaggeration to say jade runs through the entire history of the Xianzhou.
Just how much do Xianzhou people love jade? This can be seen from their communication device, the Jade Abacus.
"Haha, Miss Tingyun is overthinking it. Mm, this gift is merely my sincere regard and not a bribe. Please do not disdain it."
Tingyun only nodded slightly at Topaz's explanation, but she still refused the gift in her hands.
"Eh~!"
After several rounds of back-and-forth refusal, seeing that Tingyun firmly refused to accept the gift, Topaz stopped being polite. She put the jade pendant engraved with the fox pattern back into her space, then bowed with clasped hands in Xianzhou etiquette toward Tingyun.
"Miss Tingyun is incorruptible and virtuous. If I continue to insist, it would be my fault."
At this point, Topaz paused slightly, then continued.
"Since Miss Tingyun is unwilling to accept the gift, then Topaz will owe you a personal favor in my own name. If you need anything in the future, I will do my utmost to fulfill Miss Tingyun's request!"
Some time later, in front of the Whistling Flame Chamber of Commerce building, watching Topaz's departing figure, our Miss Tingyun's lips curved slightly into a smile of a successful scheme.
With another snap, the folding fan in Tingyun's hand opened again. However, this time the words on the fan were not "Self-Discipline and Devotion to Public Duty," but had been replaced with "Mastermind Behind the Scenes."
Compared to that flashy but impractical jade pendant, a favor from Topaz — one of the Ten Stonehearts — was naturally far more valuable. The two were not even on the same level.
If she had accepted Topaz's jade pendant earlier, it would have meant Tingyun acknowledged that the help she provided was a transaction. That would have been far too unprofitable.
"Owe me a personal favor? Mm, that's fine too. Sometimes a personal favor is no worse than one from the Ten Stonehearts…"
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"Eh, this time I really took a loss. That foxian really isn't easy to deal with. But that makes sense — becoming the representative of a large chamber of commerce, she wouldn't have gotten there without some skill."
Topaz sighed helplessly. Just as Tingyun had thought, she had originally wanted to use a jade pendant as a gift to gloss over the matter, but the other party was also shrewd and knew how to maximize benefits.
"Whatever, it's just one favor. I can afford it. Consider it building a good relationship. Tingyun knows the Emanator of Causality Qingque, and it looks like they have a good relationship. Treat it as an investment."
Comforting herself this way, Topaz began making preparations in advance for tonight's banquet.
"Miss Qingque will attend with her husband. It seems I can start from her husband. That way, the chances of a successful negotiation should increase quite a bit…"
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