The rest room held a soft little bed, along with a desk and sofa for work.
A soothing scent of incense filled the space, accompanied by tea and light snacks—it all looked quite inviting.
Perhaps sensing Sylvia's surveying gaze, the Master Diviner Fu Xuan continued fixing Qingque with a stern look as she explained, "The Divination Commission's duties are heavy—not only for myself, but the other diviners often work overtime as well. That's why I specifically set up several rest rooms within the Commission, so the diviners can take short breaks."
"I see."
Sylvia nodded. This was something she hadn't come across in the game.
Just like how you couldn't really tell from the game that the Exalting Sanctum was actually so large.
Plenty of minor details that didn't affect the game's storyline were naturally left out.
"Boo hoo—this room is supposed to be for slacking off, so why am I still working here?!"
Qingque, bent over the desk working, chose just the right moment to voice her lament.
But this time, Fu Xuan seemed determined to thoroughly discipline Qingque for her terrible habit of skipping clock-ins.
She didn't waver in the slightest. Instead, she turned to Sylvia and said, "I must trouble you today to help me relax with a massage. I'm quite curious—just how remarkable is the skill that earned recommendations from both Tingyun and Qingque?
If the results are good, the Divination Commission might consider arranging regular massages to help ease the diviners' fatigue."
There was no way to reduce the Commission's workload, and it was impossible to lower the difficulty of the diviner exams.
The number of diviners wasn't increasing, and the workload wasn't going down either.
So Fu Xuan could only try to make it up to the overtime-working diviners in other ways.
After all, Fu Xuan wasn't some devil of a boss. Work when it's time to work, rest when it's time to rest—people aren't machines. They get tired; they make mistakes.
Just because she herself didn't mind overtime didn't mean she took others' overtime for granted.
Of course, the above didn't apply to Qingque.
That girl had plenty of talent, yet all she ever thought about was slacking off and avoiding her real duties.
Before, she'd only slacked a little—at least she still clocked in and out and handled her daily tasks seriously.
But just yesterday, Fu Xuan had assigned her a simple waiting job, and the girl had already dared to skip clocking in entirely!
If she's skipping clock-ins now, what would she dare do next? Fu Xuan didn't even want to imagine.
She had to clamp down on this, hard!
Seeing that Fu Xuan was completely ignoring her, Qingque's heart sank. She realized there was no escape for her now.
Oh no…
Her original plan was to bring Sylvia over to give Fu Xuan a massage.
Qingque had experienced it herself—though the process was a bit embarrassing, the results were truly effective.
She'd chosen this remote rest room, a place nobody but her ever used, precisely to avoid anyone witnessing the undignified state Fu Xuan might end up in.
But if others couldn't see, did that mean she, Qingque, could stick around to watch?
She'd been planning to make a run for it earlier.
Once Sylvia started, the Master Diviner would surely realize something was off. If Qingque were still there…
Not only would she witness her superior in a compromising situation, she'd also have to bear Fu Xuan's wrath afterward!
If she weren't there, and Fu Xuan later discovered the benefits of Sylvia's massage, her anger would definitely lessen.
Then, with some sweet talk and offering up some delicious treats—plus having recommended such a skilled person—wouldn't the whole thing blow over?
But now—
Watching as Fu Xuan kicked off her shoes and lay face down on the bed, Qingque's internal alarm bells screamed.
It's over. Completely over.
Not only would she face Fu Xuan's fury now, but she'd also be firmly remembered for this for life.
Witnessing your boss in a humiliating moment… that was no joke.
Did Fu Xuan not care about her dignity? With Qingque holding such a big secret, any normal leader would either transfer her away or keep her close at all times.
Considering Qingque's situation, which option would Fu Xuan even hesitate to pick?
'Sylvia, Sylvia, you've really done me in!!'
As a guest of the Xianzhou, and with no third party around, even if something happened, would the Master Diviner really have you arrested?
But Qingque wasn't in the same position—she still had centuries of slacking ahead of her in the Divination Commission!
The thought that she'd tried to slip away earlier, only to be yanked back by Sylvia…
It made her want to beat her chest in despair.
So close to success, so close!
At that, Qingque turned her back firmly, resolved that no matter what happened—even if the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus attacked right now—she wouldn't so much as glance backward.
From this moment on, she, Qingque, was both deaf and blind!
On the other side of the room, Sylvia wasn't nearly as caught up in internal drama as Qingque.
She watched as Fu Xuan lay face down on the bed, her skirt draping naturally and outlining the graceful curve of her body.
And those perfect legs, sheathed in form-fitting white stockings…
Sylvia couldn't help but swallow.
"Master Diviner Fu, please pardon my touch."
"Go ahead. Tingyun's letter already informed me that your massage might have… rather unique side effects."
"Ah—yes, understood."
Sylvia nodded, then reached out and gently pressed her hands against Fu Xuan's calves.
Smooth. Soft.
That was the first sensation.
And following her gaze, Fu Xuan's slightly restless stocking-clad feet were right there in plain view, twitching faintly and making soft rustling sounds as the fabric shifted.
It was hard not to let her imagination run wild.
"Mmm…"
Maybe Sylvia's touch was too light, causing a slight tickling sensation—Fu Xuan's toes curled slightly, and her feet rubbed together briefly.
"…"
'Damn, I really wanna just gobble them up!'
Sylvia fought down her primal urges, placed both hands firmly on Fu Xuan's calves, took a deep breath, and began the massage in earnest.
Still, this time she intended to control her technique with all her might, striving to ensure Fu Xuan felt only relaxation—and absolutely none of those… other reactions.
"—!!!"
As time passed, Sylvia was surprised to find that, under her ministrations, Fu Xuan—apart from a slight trembling in her legs—hadn't made any strange noises at all!
Since she was lying face down, Sylvia couldn't see her face or detect the rise and fall of her chest.
And because Sylvia's massage naturally caused involuntary muscle spasms and shivers, she couldn't tell whether Fu Xuan's breathing rhythm had changed significantly.
So she completely failed to notice that Fu Xuan, face buried in the pillow, nearly unconscious from the waves of physical feedback, was clenching her teeth so hard they might shatter.
At this point, Sylvia even began to feel a surge of surprise.
Had her skills finally achieved a critical breakthrough?
Had she made it?
Sylvia's eyes couldn't help but shine with a dazzling light.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.