Sylvia fell into a quiet moment of self-reflection.
This handy skill of hers was performing excellently in every way—except it had brought along her professional habits as an unwelcome plus-one.
Now, whenever she saw a nice pair of legs or well-shaped feet, she couldn't help but mentally assess them, itching to get a closer look.
That really wouldn't do.
Forcing her gaze away, Sylvia looked instead at Sushang, who was trailing behind them.
Sushang had the very standard appearance of a Xianzhou native, but her clear eyes held a certain innocence, untouched by the weariness of knowledge.
Though she wore a rather dashing and practical outfit, her overall vibe was more like the girl-next-door, brimming with youthful charm.
"Since I only recently arrived on the Xianzhou, it's perfectly normal that you haven't seen me around, Miss Guinafen," Sylvia said. "Besides, this little trick isn't exactly something to boast about."
As she spoke, Sylvia's slender fingers darted forward near Guinafen, made a flicking motion, and then with a twist of her wrist, the accessory in Guinafen's ponytail quietly came loose and drifted down into Sylvia's waiting hand.
"Whoa! Shang Shang, look! This big sister is amazing!" Guinafen exclaimed, patting her hair in surprise and delight.
She had thought her years learning juggling had given her a sharp eye, but she hadn't even caught Sylvia's movement.
Tugged by Guinafen, Sushang also stared wide-eyed, even raising a hand to rub her own eyes in disbelief.
"How... how did you do that? Good heavens, I totally missed it..."
Sylvia blinked at Sushang's reaction, but she wasn't surprised.
The technique was inherently flashy, and combined with her current physical prowess, it was naturally hard for ordinary people to follow her hand movements.
Of course, someone like Fu Xuan, the Master Diviner, with her Third Eye, would see it clearly—but that was a whole other level.
Sylvia smiled at Guinafen.
She raised her hand and returned the hair accessory to its place before saying, "See? At its core, this is a sneaky trick, not really fit for proper occasions. If you were to actually learn this stuff, what you'd pick up might just give your best friend here a righteous reason to turn you in."
Before Guinafen could reply, Sushang, who had been listening, widened her eyes at Sylvia, her little face full of alarm.
"What exactly are you planning to teach her?! It's not something forbidden on the Xianzhou, is it?"
Thinking this, Sushang tugged at Guinafen's hand, wanting to persuade her best friend to steer clear of this kind of skill.
Who would have thought that Guinafen, snapping out of her daze, would step right past Sushang, her eyes sparkling as she leaned in close to Sylvia.
"I want to learn! Please, master, teach me! How much is the tuition? Or what kind of initiation gift do you require?"
"Hey! [○･｀Д´･ ○]" Sushang puffed her cheeks, glaring at Guinafen, who was too focused on Sylvia to even notice.
Sylvia watched the scene with amusement, simultaneously glancing at the prompt that timely appeared:
--+--
[Target: Guinafen]
[Favorability: 56 (Curiosity and Yearning)]
[Relationship: None]
['The very reason she could gain a foothold on the Xianzhou was this eagerness to learn. Since she's taken a fancy to your gambling skills, she's bound to be completely hooked!']
--+--
And then Sushang's:
--+--
[Target: Sushang]
[Favorability: 50 (Wary)]
[Relationship: None]
['Demonstrating sleight-of-hand in front of a Cloud Knight? You certainly know how to make an impression. Never mind anything else for now—just figure out how to dissuade her from hauling you away in cuffs first.']
--+--
Running into these two today was a genuine, pleasant surprise.
Sylvia was quite interested in the Taixu Sword Qi passed down in Sushang's family—frankly, she wanted to learn it.
And Guinafen's original name, Guinevere, was clearly a nod to the Celtic myths surrounding the Knights of the Round Table.
Perhaps she could even acquire some interesting skills or items from them.
So Sylvia didn't really mind teaching Guinafen a thing or two. And judging by the current situation, Sushang would probably tag along too.
Killing two birds with one stone, raising both their favorability—how perfect.
So even though Sushang was glaring at her furiously from behind, Sylvia just smiled warmly and nodded.
"Since you're so keen to learn, I don't mind teaching you. As for the tuition... we can discuss the details later. How about we exchange contact info first?"
With that, Sylvia flipped her hand over and produced her phone with a flair, smoothly swapping details with Guinafen.
Then Sushang practically threw herself forward, squeezing between the two of them and nearly stumbling right into Sylvia's arms.
Her cute twin-tails swished behind her.
"Hey, hey—me too! Count me in!"
Even though she had no intention of learning the trick herself, Sushang shamelessly inserted herself between them.
Guinafen probably guessed Sushang's motive, but since Sylvia was right there, she didn't say anything.
Sylvia, seeing this, understood that the two friends likely had things to talk about, and she had matters to attend to herself. So she took the initiative to say:
"I've got some things to take care of. If you have any questions, just message me. We can arrange the specifics for the lessons—location, time, all that—later."
"Okay, okay! We won't keep you then, Master!" Guinafen's tone was so full of energy it sounded less like a farewell and more like an enthusiastic welcome.
Sylvia glanced with interest at the sword Sushang carried at her side, then waved and took her leave.
--+--
Bumping into Guinafen and Sushang was just a minor detour. Sylvia still chose to head to the card parlor first.
She hadn't mentioned she was coming, but just as expected, she found that girl in green right there in the parlor.
No sooner had she approached than she saw Qingque's opponent score a magnificent self-drawn win, cleaning up big.
"Agh—so close!" Qingque sighed in frustration.
The winner, however, raised a hand towards the space behind Qingque and said, "Sylvia's here. Fancy a couple of rounds?"
Hearing this, Qingque turned her head. Spotting Sylvia standing behind her, she arched her eyebrows into a brilliant smile.
"Well, look who's here! Sylvia!"
"What are you doing skipping work to play cards so early in the morning again? Has Fu Xuan not been lecturing you?"
"Such accusations! How could you! Why would the esteemed Master Diviner bother lecturing me every single day? What happened the other day was an exception!"
Qingque waved her hands dismissively, rebutting Sylvia's words. Seeing her lively, animated expression, Sylvia guessed that Fu Xuan probably hadn't been giving her much trouble lately.
Then again, Fu Xuan hadn't been in contact with Sylvia either.
Sylvia chuckled softly, reaching out and catching the hand Qingque was waving about. She examined the cute nail art on Qingque's fingers.
"I need to head to Synwood Pavilion first. If I get back early, I'll play a couple of rounds with you."
A fellow player nearby looked at Sylvia curiously, raising an eyebrow with a gossipy air.
"Got a date or something? Synwood Pavilion's perfect for scenic views. Looks like you won't be playing cards today after all."
"Oho? Really now?" Qingque also blinked and turned to look. "Just one day apart and you've already found someone to go on a date with—Owch!"
Qingque's teasing was cut short as Sylvia unceremoniously flicked her forehead.
--+--
T/N: HSR Fic out on MapleTL!
--+--
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.