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The scene first continued with Qingque practicing divination through card reading.
In a secluded corner of the Divination Commission, Qingque shuffled cards, beaming with delight. "Aiya, playing cards during work hours is truly one of life's great joys!"
[Silver Wolf: Wait, you're actually doing this at work?!]
[Seele: LOL.]
[Stelle: Qingque always goes all-in when it comes to these activities!]
During office hours, she played cards while honing her foundational deduction skills and even managed to complete divination tasks simultaneously.
Hey!
This wasn't just a two-for-one deal—it was practically a three-for-one bonanza!
As Qingque reveled in her joy, she noticed the poker buddies she had gathered within the Divination Commission suddenly change their expressions. They lowered their heads and swiftly vacated their seats.
"Hey, hey, where are you guys going? We haven't finished this round yet!"
Qingque tried to intervene but suddenly shivered, sensing an imposing pressure behind her. Instinctively turning around, she came face-to-face with Fu Xuan's furious expression, nearly scaring her witless. "Grand Diviner?!?"
[Silver Wolf: Ha ha ha, turned back just in time to see the boss right there!]
[Sushang: How thrilling?!]
In that split second, as the petite pink figure took a deep breath, ready to erupt—
At this critical moment, teetering on the brink of life and death, Qingque displayed astonishing reflexes!
She rapidly invoked divine language, pleading, "Grand Diviner, please don't misunderstand! This card game is actually practicing my divination skills—don't get angry, oh noooo!"
Fu Xuan's outburst was interrupted. After a brief pause, regaining composure, she still responded indignantly, "Qingque! Playing cards during work is bad enough, but using such a flimsy excuse!"
Completely taken aback, Qingque exclaimed, "Huh? So playing cards at work is allowed then?"
[Seele: ??, Impressive! You've got quite the knack for picking up key phrases!]
[March 7th: That's not how you interpret "allowed" in this context!]
Upon hearing this response...
Seeing Fu Xuan take another deep breath, Qingque hastily continued, "I truly am practicing divination techniques while playing cards! If you don't believe me, just watch!"
As she spoke, Qingque demonstrated by shuffling her deck with both hands.
Fu Xuan, deeply immersed in the art of divination, possessed far greater sensitivity to it than Qingque did. Within moments, she let out a soft exclamation, recognizing what was at play.
Her anger towards Qingque's slacking off instantly dissipated.
While intently observing, Fu Xuan asked, "...This—did you develop it yourself?"
Qingque shook her head. "Oh, I couldn't possibly be that skilled. A very talented friend taught it to me."
Fu Xuan frowned slightly. "Qingque, keep your hands moving and continue dealing!"
"Ah?... Oh, okay!" Qingque swiftly accelerated her card-shuffling pace, utterly astonished.
Before this moment, the little bird had never imagined there would come a day when she'd openly play Imperial Jade of the Capital under Fu Xuan's supervision within the Divination Commission. To her surprise, the Grand Diviner even urged her to go faster!
[Sparkle: Enjoying it.]
[Stelle: Enjoying it too.]
Fu Xuan discerned even more intricacies in Qingque's technique. She could hardly imagine researching the Dao of Divination through card games herself.
Moreover, even if she were to study this approach seriously, the resulting method would undoubtedly be far more complex. It would likely prioritize divination with drawing cards as secondary, not focusing primarily on gameplay.
However, the technique Qingque was using now simplified matters greatly. Not only did it streamline many calculation steps, allowing for increased focus on the game itself, but it also specifically enhanced foundational divination skills—precisely addressing Qingque's weaknesses.
The subtleties revealed mastery.
This card-drawing divination method was exceptionally intricate and clearly tailored just for Qingque. After all... there couldn't possibly be another diviner who strained her hand so much from playing cards!
[Seele: Wow! Qingque must really be incredibly lucky to have met Su Qing, huh?]
[Qingque: You're absolutely right!]
[Firefly: Su Qing is truly amazing. ??]
[Himeko: (smiling) Indeed.]
After observing Qingque's demonstration, Fu Xuan conducted her analysis based on earlier thoughts and provided high praise, reflecting a deeper understanding for Qingque.
She sighed, "I never realized there were so many intricacies involved."
Was Su Qing genuinely that remarkable? Even the Grand Diviner spoke highly of him without reservation.
If someone with even deeper divination expertise devised this method, it could only be...
Qingque couldn't help but ask, "Between the person who invented this technique and your master, who do you think is more formidable?"
Fu Xuan didn't bat an eyelid at the question. "Is there any doubt? Of course my master is more formidable!"
[Guinaifen: Ha ha ha, oh no?! Fu Xuan fell for Qingque's trap too, making such a statement!!]
[Stelle: Laughing to death.]
[Stelle: Qingque: Who understands Yu Que's Head Diviner better, me or you?]
[Stelle: Fu Xuan: Who's more impressive, you or my master?]
[Stelle: Su Qing: (suppressing laughter)]
[Silver Wolf: Hilarious, now we have our own 'hidden dragon' and 'crouching phoenix'.]
[Fu Xuan: Qingque? (face slightly flushed) Y-you dragged me into this pit as well...]
[Qingque: I really didn't mean to!!]
[Sparkle: Fun times! Ever since Su Qing joined, Fu Xuan's expressions when addressing Qingque have become increasingly varied.]
[March 7th: True enough.]
[March 7th: Initially, it was just anger and speechlessness, but now we see tears, sunglasses, embarrassment... Ha ha, definitely much richer in expression!]
Fu Xuan wondered who exactly had the profound divination skills to tailor a bespoke deduction technique specifically for Qingque.
Qingque mentioned it was a new friend she met just a couple of days ago, whose background she wasn't entirely familiar with.
"Is that so?" Fu Xuan, always concerned for her subordinates, specifically cautioned Qingque not to fall for any deception.
Qingque reassured her, "Don't worry, I won't—I wouldn't."
Qingque trusted both her own eyes and Sushang's judgment.
Sushang was such a close friend; could she really be deceitful?
Moreover,
Given Su Qing's prowess, why would he bother deceiving a mere little bird like herself?
[Sparkle: Le, how so?]
[Sparkle: Su Qing: Heh heh heh, I must say, this little sparrow has quite some charm.]
[Qingque: Ah???]
[Stelle: hhh, what villainous Su Qing?!]
[Qingque: Sparkle, don't make things up!]
[Qingque (blushing): With Su Qing having girlfriends as beautiful as Himeko and Jingliu, not to mention their great figures, why would he even notice me?!]
[Silver Wolf: ?, then why are you blushing like a teapot?!]
[Robin (smiling): Actually, Miss Qingque, you are very lovely too, with excellent taste in attire. The red strap on your shoulder adds a daring allure.]
[Sparkle: Le, see? Even a professional agrees!]
[Qingque (even more flustered): R-really? I just dressed casually...]
Fu Xuan found the technique of divination through drawing tiles genuinely intriguing.
Given her penchant for divination, Fu Xuan momentarily set aside any thoughts of confronting Qingque about slacking off at work.
Qingque, naturally, was overjoyed.
Had she been caught by the Grand Diviner before, it would have undoubtedly led to a stern reprimand and being promptly dragged back to work. Yet this time, surprisingly, she was let off so easily!
After exchanging a few more words, Qingque, feeling quite cheerful, mentioned with a smile how she had taken Su Qing as her mentor.
"Qingque, taking on a mentor is a very serious matter..." Fu Xuan paused, then decided there was no need to be overly strict. "Never mind."
"It's not necessarily a bad thing for you to learn from that person. Their mastery of divination is profound; studying under them can indeed enhance your own skills."
[Silver Wolf: Blossoming Twice in Bloom.]
[Silver Wolf: Fu Xuan Quote 1: I am willing for Qingque to take Su Qing as her mentor.]
[Silver Wolf: Fu Xuan Quote 2: Qingque apprenticing under Su Qing? That's actually good.]
[Stelle: The evidence keeps piling up!]
[Fu Xuan: ...]
[Fu Xuan couldn't effectively counter, after all, those quotes were essentially her exact words...]
[Sparkle: No worries, Fu Xuan will surely outpace Qingque in disrespecting tradition!]
[Fu Xuan: Nonsense!]
[Now Fu Xuan has her chance to counter.]
[Fu Xuan: Toward my master, I've always held nothing but respect; there were no other intentions!]
[Herta: Three hundred years later, Fu Xuan suddenly realizes: Wait, that's not right!]
[Sparkle: (bursting out laughing on the spot) Ha-ha-ha-ha!!]
[Stelle: ?? Is this how the Genius Society roasts people—genius-level insults too?]
[March 7th: (also unable to suppress laughter) The key is, it fits so perfectly!]
[March 7th: Given Fu Xuan's personality, without any external influence, she might indeed take several centuries to realize it!]
[Bronya: ? But now, internally, there's Kafka in a similar position, and externally, there's Himeko as her girlfriend.]
[Bronya: Under such pressures, Fu Xuan might... come to terms with it sooner?]
In any case.
The exchange between Qingque and Fu Xuan reached a temporary pause.
Not only did Qingque dig herself a hole, she dragged Fu Xuan down into it as well. What amusement awaits when the truth finally dawns will be revealed another time.
As the scene shifted, the live stream's view changed to a different location.
***
Location: Herta Space Station.
[Stelle: Ah! My happy home! We're back!]
[Qingque: Huh? For Stelle, it truly seems like a "happy hometown," being her birthplace and all.]
[Silver Wolf: Name: Stelle, Place of Birth: Herta Space Station, Age: One year, Level of Absurdity: ...Extremely absurd.]
[Fu Xuan: This child is ruined.]
[March 7th: This child is ruined. +1]
[Seele: This child is ruined. +2]
[Sparkle: Ruined? More like made!]
[Stelle: @Kafka, Mom! They're bullying me!!!]
[March 7th: ...Who's bullying you?! Just this statement alone is incredibly absurd, okay?!]
[Kafka: (laughs)]
Inside a lounge on the space station,
the person appearing on screen was Asta, whom many viewers affectionately claimed as their favorite.
Asta was discussing previously gathered intelligence with Herta.
"Herta, earlier you mentioned having me collect information about Himeko first."
Asta summoned a holographic screen and retrieved the content. "I looked into it, and I didn't realize until researching just how remarkable Himeko truly is."
"Quite some time ago, she became the navigator of the Astral Express. Himeko led the train to explore and assist numerous worlds, further enhancing the reputation of the Trailblazers!"
Herta sat nearby, propping his chin as he watched. "Well, after all, even I hold her in high regard." He casually glanced at the content on the screen and continued, "Did you investigate their relationship during university with Su Qing?"
"Of course!"
This was the crux, the most crucial aspect.
However, when mentioning it, Asta sounded somewhat perplexed. "But regarding this part, distinguishing between truth and falsehood is quite difficult."
"Firstly, Su Qing's name doesn't match up. Secondly, there were even rumors suggesting they were dating during their university days."
At this point, Asta expressed firmly, "It's completely unbelievable! It must all be false information!"
"How could Su Qing, who attended the same university as me, have been dating Himeko back then? Fake, obviously fake! Absolutely not true!"
Herta pondered for a moment. "With sources being mixed with truths and lies, we can separate fact from fiction. Since Himeko did write love letters to Su Qing, perhaps..."
Asta repeated emphatically, "It must be false, right?!"
Herta tried to finish her point, "The rumors of them dating during university might stem from instances when they returned together later on, and someone saw them at that time..."
Again, Asta loudly echoed, "It must be false, right?!???"
[Sparkle: Enjoying this.]
[Sparkle: Asta: Su Qing and Himeko being in a relationship? Fake, absolutely fake!!]
Herta was speechless.
She could tell now that there were certain possibilities Asta had no intention of considering.
So, Herta said, "Alright, alright, let's set aside these possibilities for now. Do you have any other information?"
Asta provided a few more details.
From the obtained information, there indeed seemed to be many peculiarities.
Both the timing and locations didn't align.
As Asta mentioned, she and Su Qing attended the same university.
However, the sources indicated that Su Qing studied at the same university as Himeko, in their hometown, and even within the same graduating class.
It was difficult to discern truth from falsehood, making it hard to trust the data.
And all this information came at a hefty cost spent by Asta herself.
These pieces of information were obtained indirectly from classmates who claimed to have been part of the same research group with Su Qing and Himeko...
[Seele: Kahn & Anna: Seriously? You even found us?!]
[Stelle: That's the power of Credit!]
[March 7th: Even though this seems like genuine information, Asta completely disbelieves it, much like Herta's stance.]
[Herta: Disbelief is entirely natural. The time and location don't align. Anyone's first reaction would be to suspect inaccuracies in the information, not to entertain the idea that Su Qing has a time machine.]
[March 7th: Ha, indeed you're right.]
"The Journey of Trailblazing will garner widespread support across most worlds but also offend some factions aligned with chaos," Herta pondered. "Perhaps Himeko concealed or altered her own past records. What you discovered might contain parts of false information?"
Asta nodded, acknowledging the possibility.
"Himeko truly leaves no loose ends!" Ironically, amidst these misunderstandings, Asta's vigilance and wariness towards Himeko intensified further.
Herta asked, "So, what do you plan to do next?"
Asta blinked. "Should I just give Himeko a call and ask her directly?"
[Qingque: Ah???]
[Stelle: Going straight for the frontal assault, huh?!]
[March 7th: Is this Asta's gravity-driven approach at its finest!]
[Seele: If you can't find information through research, go straight to the person themselves! How straightforward!]
"Hmm..."
Taking a moment to think, Herta had become quite familiar with Asta's thought process. She didn't intend to intervene too much; after all, one must respect the force of someone's gravity and let things unfold naturally. At most, she could offer suggestions along the way.
After pondering briefly, Herta said, "Before approaching Himeko, I suggest calling Su Qing first to gauge the situation."
Asta readily accepted the advice, always open to constructive input. "Great idea!"
Calling Su Qing was certainly something she'd be eager to do!
With that, Asta took out her phone, opened the contacts list, tapped on the topmost entry, and initiated a video call to Su Qing.
[Silver Wolf: ...Why am I not surprised that Su Qing is pinned at the top?]
While waiting for the call to connect,
Asta began discussing Himeko, her cheeks puffing slightly. "I'm really worried. Since Himeko wrote a love letter to Su Qing, it must mean..."
Suddenly, the content on her phone screen changed.
As Asta glanced over, a sweet smile instantly appeared on her face within a second. "Hello, hello! Su Qing, how have you been lately? Have you missed me?"
[March 7th: Hey hey! 😊]
On the other side of the phone call, facing Asta's question, Su Qing expressed his confusion:
"But didn't we just talk on the phone yesterday afternoon?"
[Sparkle: Why am I not surprised by this contact frequency at all? 😕]
Herta glanced sidelong at Asta. Without saying a word, her look seemed to convey everything.
A slight blush appeared on Asta's face as she explained, "Herta, it's not what you think—it's just that our calls have been more frequent lately."
"Oh, is Herta nearby too?" asked Su Qing.
Asta turned the phone towards Herta, who nodded briefly as a greeting.
Su Qing smiled, "I feel like I've been seeing you and Asta together quite often recently. Have your relationship issues improved again?"
"...Care to guess whose fault that is?" Herta replied pointedly.
If it weren't for your troublesome love triangle, would Asta constantly be clinging to me?!
Asta brought the phone back around.
The little heiress rested her chin on both hands, her expression once again turning sweetly cheerful as she engaged in video chat with Su Qing, striking up a conversation.
One minute passed, and Asta looked puzzled.
Three minutes went by, and Asta grew even more perplexed.
Five minutes passed, and Asta's expression turned to utter confusion...
Herta felt increasingly unable to bear it.
It's just too overwhelming!
And get back to the main topic already!
Are you seriously just chatting?! No wonder you're constantly preoccupied with Su Qing, swooning over him at every sight!
Under the table, Herta gently kicked Asta.
Asta turned, blinking curiously.
Herta's expression conveyed, What are you waiting for? Get to the point!
[Sushang: hhh, even Herta is showing that same look now!]
[March 7th: Seems like Herta is genuinely concerned about this.]
[March 7th: Maybe one day, this issue will also make Herta so frustrated that they'll boil over!]
[Herta: Not a chance. Regardless of how challenging it may be, this genius won't reach boiling point.]
"Ohhh!"
Prompted by Herta's nudge, Asta finally caught on. She swiftly shifted the conversation towards Su Qing joining the train, asking about his Trailblazing experiences and how he was getting along with his companions.
As she continued discussing other teammates, it naturally led her to mention Himeko.
[Stelle: Quite strategic, I must say!]
[Herta: ...Asta is usually quite competent and reliable, which is why I entrusted the space station to her.]
[Herta: It just goes to show that love indeed lowers one's intelligence; there's some truth to that saying.]
"Asta asked, "Su Qing, what about Himeko? How have you been getting along with her?"
On the other end of the call, Su Qing nodded. "Pretty well."
"Oh, I see."
Asta blinked. "Himeko is the train's navigator, and I think she's really impressive. Su Qing, how do you find her? In terms of abilities, personality, or even your feelings towards her..."
Under the table, Herta kicked Asta's foot again.
Too direct in probing!
Asta shuddered and quickly amended her question, "...I mean, what's your opinion on her, things like that."
Su Qing pondered for a moment. "Everything's pretty good."
[Sparkle: ?? This response seems rather amusing.]
[Silver Wolf: Su Qing's succinct review of his ex-girlfriend: Everything's pretty good.]
[Jingliu: If everything's so good, why did you break up?]
[Seele: Wow! That's a sudden strike, isn't it?!]
[Himeko: ...Actually, Su Qing and I never officially broke up.]
[Kafka: ? Still clinging onto denial.]
"Uh."
Asta puffed out her cheeks, equally unsatisfied with such an ambiguous response.
She first turned to glance at Herta.
Herta shrugged: Alright then, handle it as you see fit.
And so...
The little heiress looked at her phone and asked, "Su Qing, Su Qing, let me pose another question. Between myself and Himeko, who do you think is more beautiful?"
[Stelle: It's here! Straight into a death trap question!]