Even Fu Xuan herself didn't realize why she was so furious, and she didn't intend to dwell on it anyway. What mattered was that Yu Xian had taken Topaz to a hotel to get a room!
Thinking of this, Fu Xuan's delicate little face instantly flushed crimson, and her features twisted in agitation.
Though there's a saying that goes, "A maiden's blush is more eloquent than any sweet nothings in the world," it's safe to assume Fu Xuan was not in that category. She was simply red-hot with rage.
Ugh! Taking a girl to a hotel on the very first meeting—and by the looks of it, you were the one who got her drunk?
Lewd scoundrel! Shameless!
Huff, huff...
Seething with anger, Fu Xuan instinctively opened her mouth, ready to unleash a torrent of curses at Yu Xian, but countless words dissolved on the tip of her tongue before she could utter them. She suddenly realized that all the scathing remarks she thought she had would probably just come off as teasing flirtation in his eyes...
So there she was, pacing back and forth in her small office, circling around, stammering and struggling to conjure any proper insults—almost to the point of rolling on the floor in frustration. Yet even after several minutes, she still couldn't spit out a single curse.
On this day, Fu Xuan was ultimately defeated by her own embarrassingly limited vocabulary of profanity.
"Mmph! Ugh!"
In the end, her little face flushed bright red, Fu Xuan could only watch helplessly as Yu Xian settled Topaz onto the bed, venting her powerless rage by stomping her white-stockinged feet.
...
Meanwhile, elsewhere, Qingque was already aboard a starship bound for the Yuque Xianzhou. She initially planned to unfold her Celestial Jade board for a few rounds to pass the time, but suddenly, she frowned and let out a small, yet unmistakable sneeze.
A-choo...
She then scratched her head in confusion. "Why did I sneeze all of a sudden? I'm not coming down with a cold. Could it be that someone's talking about me?"
Come to think of it, if someone really was talking about her, that person was likely Yu Xian.
Thinking this, Qingque suddenly started giggling foolishly to herself. After all, she was Yu Xian's girlfriend, and their relationship had always been great. Was it really so strange for him, back on the Luofu, to be thinking about her while she was on a business trip?
"But... why do I feel like my head has gotten a little heavier all of a sudden...? An illusion?"
Qingque shook her head, dismissing this strange, ominous feeling.
Phew, I must be overthinking it! Yu Xian is devoted to me alone. Even though I've temporarily left the Luofu, he wouldn't betray me or fool around with other girls! Besides, the Lord Diviner has always been very reliable and strict. What's more, her character is incredibly conservative. She would never allow any messy situations to arise! Unless the Lord Diviner herself changed her mind and decided to join in, or the other party happened to be some high-ranking figure she couldn't afford to offend... Hahaha, as if something like that could ever happen!
Qingque was even amused by her own thoughts. But then, remembering that Fu Xuan had said the Luofu Xianzhou would face danger, her smile faded once more.
"Yu Xian, Lord Diviner... please, I'm begging you, don't let anything happen to you... Yu Xian, please... don't let anything bad happen to you... Once I finish this business trip and return to the Luofu... how about we get married?"
Filled with beautiful hopes for the future, Qingque slowly closed her eyes, placed her hands folded over her chest, and began praying for Yu Xian.
...
Back to Yu Xian and Topaz. Finally managing to settle the thoroughly intoxicated lady onto the hotel's large bed, Yu Xian wasn't physically tired, but he was mentally exhausted. After all, carrying a curvaceous and restless young woman in his arms while hurrying around had been a tremendous challenge for him.
But still, it was good—at least she was safely on the bed now. Next, he just needed to leave...
"Don't go! Guguhehehe—"
The moment Yu Xian took a step, Topaz reached out and grabbed him, yanking him back.
Topaz clearly didn't want Yu Xian to leave her side, but she also didn't seem to know what she wanted him to do if he stayed. With bleary eyes, half-dreaming and half-awake, she began rambling drunken nonsense to him.
"L-listen, do you... want to join our company? We, heh... we have great benefits, especially—especially in the last two years! Salaries, bonuses, insurance, and... so much more, they've all been soaring like crazy!"
Yu Xian had originally intended to make a quick escape, but seeing Topaz in such a disoriented state, a wave of concern washed over him. After all, the fact that she could get this drunk was completely beyond his expectations. Now he wasn't sure—if he simply left her alone, would she bump into something, or worse, choke on her own vomit...? That would be a real problem.
With this thought, Yu Xian simply sat down on the edge of the bed and continued to listen to Topaz's drunken ramblings. Consider it... gathering intel on the Corporation.
"Hehehehehe..." Seeing that Yu Xian wasn't leaving, Topaz became even more delighted, though it was unclear what exactly she was so happy about. "You... you're staying?"
"Mhm, I'm staying, I'm staying. I'll keep an eye on you right here," Yu Xian replied absentmindedly.
"W-wise choice! L-let me tell you, the company is... is really booming now. Those scholars from the Intelligentsia Guild, didn't they come up with some huge thing a couple of years ago? That... that... what was it..."
"Mhm, mhm, mhm," Yu Xian responded mechanically. However, since she had brought this up, he suddenly grew interested. What had the scholars created that left such a strong impression on Topaz—something she would still slur about even while drunk?
"The Genius Society, Dr. Chadwick they...you know about him, right? Hahaha, I heard he's super amazing! He was researching some kind of weapon before... ah... but it got lost later. I actually felt pretty sorry about that at the time. But who would have thought!"
Topaz's eyes suddenly sharpened a bit. She tried to prop herself up on her hands, lifting her torso slightly, but this was clearly just a show of bravado. Her arms soon gave way. With a soft thump, she fell back down, face-first, colliding squarely with the mattress. The two "melons" at her chest trembled from the impact before being squashed into round, pancake-like shapes. Of course, Topaz paid no attention to such trivial details. She simply lay there, rubbing her eyes, and continued to chatter.
"Who would have thought... that just a couple of years ago, those scholars actually managed to recreate Dr. Chadwick's invention! I heard they even got some help from a family or something... I don't really know the details! But anyway, it's supposed to be super powerful! They say it can blast away loads of stars with a single shot... whoosh—whoosh—"
"Hmm, well. Wait... what?!!!"
Yu Xian, who had initially just wanted to listen for some casual amusement, was no longer amused at all.
-------
A/n: Hey over on my patreon there are currently two for the time being exclusive books which are
Zenless Zone Zero: Loving Daily Life Starting in New Eridu
patreon.com/deadlygoober