Chang'e was utterly speechless at the Bodhisattva's behavior...
She had proposed the exact same idea to Moonlight Bodhisattva before, only to be flatly rejected. Yet now, the Bodhisattva had accepted Su Qing's suggestion so easily. It made her feel as though Moonlight Bodhisattva was simply going out of her way to make things difficult for her.
Su Qing didn't know what Chang'e was thinking. Seeing that Moonlight Bodhisattva had agreed, she turned to Chang'e and said, "Since the Bodhisattva has given the nod, you'd better get to work, Sister Chang'e! Once you're done, we can have a proper drink."
Chang'e curled her lip.
Though she was somewhat exasperated by the Bodhisattva's actions, this was indeed a better outcome. If she didn't accept it now, she would only be asking for more trouble later.
She nodded and said, "Fine, let's do it that way!"
Chang'e didn't bother throwing a tantrum. The top priority was to finish a portion of the work so she could finally get some decent rest. She was truly exhausted.
Seeing Chang'e nod, Su Qing smiled and said, "Since you still have work to do, Sister, I'll go find Yuer to play for a bit! Oh, right, take this talisman... once you've settled everything, remember to use it to contact me so I can come back for you."
Su Qing didn't plan on just sitting there waiting. After all, she had no idea how long it would take Chang'e to finish her current task. Waiting around would be too boring.
She also didn't plan on heading straight to Erlang Xiansheng Zhenjun yet. If they actually ended up sparring, it would undoubtedly consume a lot of time. So, she decided to use this interval to visit Yuer. Yuer was usually quite free anyway, and the pilgrim's group was still a long distance from her location, so visiting her wouldn't be an issue.
Chang'e glanced at Su Qing and huffed, "Hmph~ you're not even willing to keep your Sister Chang'e company while she works."
Hearing this, Su Qing rolled her eyes. "Sister, your work is yours to do. If you're hoping to drag me into it, forget it—I don't know the first thing about the Moon Palace's affairs!"
Chang'e gave a soft snort. "I didn't want you to help me work; I just wanted you to stay with me."
Su Qing fell silent for a moment before finally nodding. "Fine! Since you've put it that way, I'll stay here with you. But don't expect me to help with the paperwork—that's out of the question!"
Su Qing could stay to keep her company, but helping was a no-go. For one, she was a bit lazy, and for another, she was completely ignorant of the Moon Palace's administrative duties. She really wouldn't be of any help anyway.
Chang'e muttered, "Am I really that untrustworthy?"
"In certain moments, you're trustworthy," Su Qing replied, rubbing her chin as she thought seriously. "But most of the time, Sister, you're even shadier than I am."
Chang'e was indeed a bit of a shady character. In fact, Su Qing's own recent tendencies toward being a bit 'shady' were likely influenced by her. Therefore, it was a bit difficult for Su Qing to trust this woman in situations like this.
Su Qing's words made Chang'e pout. She felt a bit helpless; she considered herself a very honest person, so how did she end up being 'untrustworthy' in this girl's eyes?
However, Chang'e didn't feel like bickering further. She simply said, "Hmph, whatever. Since you've promised to stay, you're not allowed to run off!"
Su Qing nodded. "Fine, fine. I won't go back on my word..."
Chang'e said no more and lowered her head to begin reading the documents beside her.
With nothing to do and having promised not to leave for Yuer's place, Su Qing felt a bit bored. She looked at the Bodhisattva but didn't want to disturb her. Instead, she found a book of annals in the study and began to read.
Though it wasn't particularly exciting, it was enough to pass the time.
And so, time ticked away.
Several hours passed. Su Qing was engrossed in her book when Chang'e's voice suddenly rang out from behind her.
She shouted, "Alright! Finally done! That's the current batch of work settled!"
Su Qing was startled by the sudden outburst, nearly dropping her book. She said helplessly, "Sister Chang'e, if you're done, you're done. Why do you have to shout so loud?"
Su Qing turned around, looking at Chang'e with exasperation.
Chang'e wasn't happy with that reaction. "I haven't had a good rest in forever! I finally finished my work and can finally relax—can't I at least shout for joy?"
Su Qing put her book away. "Fine, fine. You can shout however you like, Sister! But more importantly, since you've finished your work, let's go rest for a while. Where do you want to go?"
Su Qing didn't want to argue about the shouting and instead shifted to a topic Chang'e would be more interested in.
Chang'e huffed. "Resting anywhere is the same, as long as there's good wine! Xiao Qing, since you're here, did you bring any?"
Her request was exactly what Su Qing expected. She nodded and said, "Don't worry. Since I came to see you, I wouldn't forget the wine."
Su Qing knew Chang'e's hobbies well, so she hadn't forgotten to bring a few jars of top-quality brew. This woman was the type who couldn't be happy without wine.
Upon hearing this, Chang'e immediately beamed, forgetting all her previous complaints. She scrambled out from behind her desk—literally scrambled.
She walked over to Su Qing, grabbed her arm, and said, "In that case, let's go! As for where to drink, how about the pavilion behind the Osmanthus Tree? You can also chat with an old friend while we're there—that Ginkgo tree!"
Su Qing had no objections. She nodded and said, "Mhm, that is indeed a good spot for drinking. Let's head out then."
Seeing Su Qing agree, Chang'e gave a giggling smile and pulled her away.
As they left, Moonlight Bodhisattva didn't say a word, simply watching them go. She sat there like a piece of the background, her presence incredibly low.
Su Qing and Chang'e soon arrived at the small pavilion behind the Osmanthus Tree.
They sat down together, and Su Qing produced the fine wine. It was a well-aged brew—not quite on the level of the Heavenly Palace's banquets, but certainly a treasure of the mortal world.
Su Qing poured a cup for Chang'e, then looked up at the Osmanthus Tree. "Since there's an Osmanthus Tree right here, why don't you brew more Osmanthus wine?"
That tree was an ancient divine tree. Wine brewed from its blossoms would surely taste divine.
In fact, Chang'e had done exactly that before. However, she hadn't brewed many jars. After drinking with Su Qing a few times, she hadn't brought any more out.
Chang'e propped her face up with her hand and said helplessly, "I'd love to! But it's not good to keep plucking someone's hair... Plucking a little bit once in a while is fine, but if I take too much, she won't let me. So, I haven't gathered enough materials yet!"
Su Qing gave a helpless smile. "I see. Well, there's not much to be done about that then."
"But it's a small matter. If you want to drink it, I'll pluck a bit more when I get the chance and brew some for you later," Chang'e said with a mischievous grin, completely unbothered by the fact that the Osmanthus Tree was close enough to hear her.
Su Qing smiled. "If it's too much trouble, then forget it! I'm more concerned about how Gongsun Zhixue is doing."
"You've only been gone for less than a month; what could possibly be wrong with her?" Chang'e waved her hand dismissively. "That girl is a total shut-in. Every day is just training, training, and more training. It's so boring. Honestly, she's a little demon you brought out yourself—how is her personality so different from yours?"
Su Qing was slightly surprised. "Actually, she didn't use to be so quiet. She used to be quite prickly and aloof, always noisy and making a fuss. Sometimes she was even a bit annoying... I don't know why she lost that prickly side and became so serene. I wonder if it's the Osmanthus Tree's influence."
While there was nothing wrong with her becoming more tranquil, Su Qing honestly missed the old, prickly girl a little. Back then, she could at least tease her for fun. Now, Gongsun Zhixue was so quiet that teasing her lost much of its joy.
As expected, a change in environment could truly change a person's character.
Chang'e looked at Su Qing and nodded. "True. I actually preferred her old, embarrassing, noisy self!"
Gongsun Zhixue had lived in the Moon Palace for quite some time, so Chang'e was well-acquainted with her former personality.
Su Qing spread her hands. "By the way, where is she? Why don't we call her over for a drink?"
Chang'e had no objections to the suggestion. She nodded and said, "Good idea. Drinking is more fun with more people."
With that, Chang'e went off to find her.
Su Qing watched the energetic Chang'e, slightly surprised by how much effort she put into things like this. In any other situation... well, she was basically no different from any other lazy dog.
Su Qing took a sip of wine and waited for them to return.
Chang'e didn't keep her waiting long. In just a short while, she returned with Gongsun Zhixue in tow.
It seemed she had practically dragged her there by force; even after arriving, Gongsun Zhixue still looked a bit dazed.
"Sister Xiao Qing? When did you arrive?" Though she was a bit confused from being dragged over, Gongsun Zhixue quickly smoothed her skirt and asked with a smile upon seeing Su Qing.
The current Gongsun Zhixue was indeed much more composed—so much so that Su Qing felt a bit unfamiliar with her. But she was still the person she had spent many years with; despite the change in personality, she wasn't unrecognizable. It was more a matter of Su Qing feeling sentimental.
Su Qing said, "I just arrived today... I was going to ask Sister Chang'e to call you over, but she just went and dragged you here. I assume she didn't even ask for your opinion?"
Gongsun Zhixue's lip twitched slightly.
Su Qing was right; Chang'e hadn't asked at all before hauling her over.
"It's fine... If I had known you were here, Sister, I would have come anyway," Gongsun Zhixue replied with a smile, having regained her composure.
Su Qing propped up her chin and said, "How about some wine? At your current realm, it's not easy to get drunk, so a little won't hurt! It's the perfect time to chat about your recent cultivation."
Gongsun Zhixue hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Since you've said so, Sister, I have no reason to refuse."
Su Qing smiled and gestured for her to sit.
Once Gongsun Zhixue was seated, Su Qing poured her a cup. Then, as promised, she began asking about her cultivation. However, Gongsun Zhixue's answers hadn't changed much since their last meeting, aside from having learned a few more things. Su Qing wasn't surprised.
As they talked, the conversation drifted to other topics, and a certain atmosphere-booster joined in. With Chang'e involved, the talk became much more pleasant and relaxed. Even Gongsun Zhixue couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.
Though she had changed a lot, she was still quite cute when she laughed.
A long time passed, and the wine was nearly gone.
Su Qing looked at Gongsun Zhixue, words forming in her mind. But in the end, she didn't say them. On one hand, she didn't quite know how to broach the subject, and on the other, she felt that saying it might not even make a difference. So, she remained silent.
Chang'e seemed to sense something, but she didn't think it was the right time to speak up. Instead, she simply kept the conversation going with various trivial matters.
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