"So, in that sense, it's not an unreasonable kind of marketing."
Fu Xuan thought for a moment, then gave tacit approval to his actions.
In the end, this was merely Sylvester's business strategy. She had no real need to interfere.
She rose to her feet and walked to the neatly stacked trash cans. Instead of opening the ones Sylvester had laid out, she wanted to choose one herself.
Although her Third Eye had been injured from a single glance before, she still remembered clearly—these trash cans had radiated different glows.
Recalling that instant, she picked one that had shone purple. Purple was her favorite color.
She undid its latch and lifted the lid.
A beam of violet light burst out, the trash can slowly dissolving into a ghostly haze. For a moment, she thought she saw a humanoid trash can bow politely like an actor at curtain call, then turn and vanish.
Something clattered to the ground.
It was an antique pistol with three bullets.
"A muzzle-loader?"
Fu Xuan picked up the wood-handled pistol, its design archaic and ornate, but she found nothing unusual about it.
"[Zafkiel's Sixth Bullet - Vav]."
Watching her, Sylvester chuckled. "Its use is simple. Fire it at yourself, and your consciousness will return to the past—altering history. If used well, its potential is limitless."
"Time reversal?" Fu Xuan studied the weapon, so foreign compared to Xianzhou craft. "It seems… you are not a native of the Xianzhou."
"Where my heart rests, there is my home." Sylvester smiled wryly. "My homeland doesn't look too different from the Luofu. If you're curious, you can guess."
"From another Xianzhou, perhaps?" Fu Xuan muttered.
She's nothing like a kitten now… Sylvester quietly missed the Master Diviner from two minutes ago.
"This gun—does it have limits?" Fu Xuan pressed on, returning to business, though she glanced at him again. "And why do you look so disappointed?"
"A few days, at most. It can't reach too far back." Sylvester shook his head. "Disappointed? Not at all. I'm always healthy, sunny, and positive."
"A few days… more than enough. Should we clash with the Denizens of Abundance again, this could prove decisive." She tucked the pistol away, then scoffed, "If I couldn't read a man's face, I'd be unworthy of leading the Divination Commission. You look so regretful it hurts your stomach."
Sylvester shrugged. "Well, isn't it a bit of a brain strain to talk about two different topics at once?"
"Oh?" Fu Xuan folded her arms, lips curving into a sly smile. "Already too much for you? Overseeing all the Luofu's affairs, coordinating every commission, that's child's play for me. Splitting my thoughts in two is nothing."
A bit of the stifled anger in her chest finally found release. Having embarrassed herself earlier, at least now she felt she'd recovered some dignity.
Seeing her smug little expression, Sylvester's gloom evaporated.
As expected, Master Diviner is like a kitten. If she really had a tail, it would be flicking in satisfaction right now.
Thinking so, Sylvester leaned forward slightly, then shook his head.
Could I make her even cuter? Hmm… maybe I could.
Sensing something odd, Fu Xuan scolded sharply, "What are you doing?"
Smiling mischievously, Sylvester said, "Fu… Fu Xuan, has anyone ever told you… you're really cute?"
The words froze Fu Xuan where she stood, as though she hadn't heard.
Then heat surged to her face. Had she seen a mirror, she'd know her skin from neck to brow had flushed a deep, feverish red.
"Wh-what? What are you saying?!"
The people of the Xianzhou possess long lives, far beyond comparison to the short-lived ordinary humans. Although Fu Xuan's age has already exceeded a century, as a genius girl chosen by the Matrix of Prescience Ultima, she grew up in the Divination Commission from a young age. Her eyes have always been fixed on the future of the Xianzhou. When it comes to matters of emotion, she remains a complete blank slate. In matters of the heart, she was still a blank slate.
No—more than that. To surpass her master, she had never allowed herself such thoughts. And by the time she had succeeded, she had already grown used to life as Master Diviner.
But today, one sentence had pierced her blind spot.
"I said, Fu Xuan is cute." Sylvester sat upright, his voice earnest, expression serious. Yet the words and his demeanor seemed oddly mismatched.
"Y-you… stop talking nonsense!" Fu Xuan stammered furiously.
"I'm not. I mean it. Fu Xuan really is cute!"
"Ahhh, shut up already!" she cried, stomping her little foot against the floor with a sharp thunk.
"Alright, alright—cute Fu Xuan."
"You—!"
Don't get angry. Don't get angry. Look at him enjoying this. He's doing it on purpose.
This man… he really was a scoundrel!
Time passed before Fu Xuan finally calmed her anger.
Sylvester, watching the little loli struggle to restrain herself, felt delighted.
Perhaps for the first time since arriving in this strange yet familiar world, he thought—it wasn't so bad after all.
The wives on his phone might be beautiful, but none could compare to even a strand of real hair.
Fu Xuan glared at him in a huff, and he smiled back.
They held the stare for a while, until Fu Xuan demanded, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
"Didn't you just tell me to shut up?"
Fu Xuan's fragile calm nearly shattered again. Grinding her teeth, she hissed, "This seat is giving you a chance to apologize."
Her anger, only just subdued, now threatened to flare again. Did this man truly not understand hints? No—judging by his smirk, he was doing it deliberately.
Sylvester feigned innocence. "Why should I apologize? I was only speaking the truth. Fu Xuan really is—"
"No! Don't say those two words!" Even hearing them in her mind made Fu Xuan's heart feel like it was being clawed by a cat. She couldn't bear to hear them aloud.
But Sylvester ignored her. He wanted to know—what would Master Diviner look like pushed to her absolute limit?
"Really… cute."
"Ahhhh!!!" The instant the words reached her ears, Fu Xuan's flawless mind—running smoothly for over a century—finally crashed.
Sylvester had just enough time to see the pink-haired loli launch herself like a kitten pouncing. Her head slammed into his chest with a thud.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa—" With the jingling of her hair ornaments, Sylvester was knocked flat. A cup of tea was then forced into his mouth, poured hastily to shut him up—a reflexive move from Fu Xuan.
Realization hit her an instant later—she had just acted completely out of line.
But worse was still to come.
"Master Diviner, are you alright?! Was that you just now?"
Her scream had pierced the walls. The Cloud Knights, ever well-trained, stormed upstairs in under ten seconds.
The crowd was stunned. Had Master Diviner been attacked? Hundreds of people surged into the tiny shop, flooding toward the second floor.
Guinaifen, her instincts honed by years of chasing headlines, was first to arrive. Shoving her stream live, she shouted, "Family! Urgent news! Master Diviner, she—"
The Cloud Knights burst through the door. "Cloud Knights! Open up! Huh?!!" The swordsman froze in the doorway.
"Family! Master Diviner is—mmm!!" Guinaifen's words cut off midstream.
"What happened? What happened?!" The live chat exploded.
Wha-wha-wha-what am I seeing?
Comments flooded the screen:
[Unlicensed Pilot: "That pervert! Let Master Diviner go! Let me take her place!"]
[Drowned Fish: "The guy above, give it up. Also… I think you've got the roles reversed here."]
[Premium Reroller: "Amusing. But I guess this confirms it's real."]
[Lil Jelena: "Didn't expect the Luofu to resort to such extreme tactics just to keep someone around."]
[Bonajade: "If nothing else, it proves he's a person of value. Maybe even a good asset."]
[I'm a Nimble Dog in the Hills: "I'm Master Diviner's dog! That position is mine!"]
For the first time, Fu Xuan, leader of the Divination Commission and ever the seeker of possibilities, felt truly cornered.
Their posture was too compromising. Anyone who saw it would assume the worst.
Sylvester lay on his back, Fu Xuan straddling him. Tea was spilled over both of them.
Looking down at him, Fu Xuan was paralyzed—unable to move, unable to stay still.
The air froze.
"D-don't misunderstand! This was just a coincidence."
"Don't misunderstand—it was an accident!"
They spoke in unison. Meeting each other's eyes, Fu Xuan felt tears prick her eyes. Damn it, what kind of cursed synchronicity is this?!
Guinaifen quickly cut her stream, rubbing the back of her head with a sheepish laugh. "Ahaha, I was just looking for the Trailblazer. Where'd she run off to? Honestly, leaving poor little Guinaifen searching all alone. I'll just… go."
The Cloud Knight captain's face darkened. With a stern wave of his hand, he barked, "Withdraw!"
The crowd ebbed away like a receding tide.
Only a man and a woman remained.
Looking at the near-petrified Fu Xuan, Sylvester asked tentatively, "Fu… Fu Xuan, are you alright?"
Fu Xuan stared blankly for a long time. Then she pounded his chest with a tiny fist and cried out, cheeks puffed in fury, "Y-you big jerk!"