After Su Qing tossed Chang'e onto the bed, she had no further plans for her.
Although some of Chang'e's actions earlier had been heart-pounding and certainly enough to let one's imagination run wild—even tempting her to do something strange—Su Qing had calmed down once the moment passed.
She sat by the edge of the bed, watching Chang'e's rather 'elegant' sleeping posture, her lips twitching slightly.
"Sister Chang'e, oh Sister Chang'e... you really are a piece of work! It's one thing to love drinking, but you're so easy to get drunk. And it's one thing to get drunk, but you always have to make things difficult for me when you are. You're so... Hmph, I really can't get the upper hand with you."
Su Qing helplessly touched her lips, the taste of the Osmanthus Brew still lingering in her mouth.
She exhaled a breath of turbid air and then stood up to leave.
Su Qing wasn't leaving the Moon Palace yet; she had promised Chang'e she would stay for the day, so she wouldn't leave early.
She was a woman of her word. As long as there were no unavoidable circumstances, she would do her best to fulfill her promises.
Therefore, Su Qing's departure was merely to let Chang'e have a good sleep while she took the opportunity to wander around other parts of the Moon Palace.
Su Qing had lived here for many years. While she might not know the place as intimately as Chang'e or the Jade Rabbit, she was still exceptionally familiar with it. Walking through the Moon Palace was a practiced routine for her.
As she strolled, her thoughts eventually drifted to Yuer, so she made her way toward the Moon Palace Library.
The library was where Chang'e usually handled her official duties.
Now that Yuer was back, Chang'e didn't spend much time there anymore; Yuer had become the one who was always present.
Su Qing pushed open the door to find the room filled with documents. The desk was piled so high with scrolls and papers that Su Qing couldn't even see the person sitting behind it.
No... she wasn't completely invisible.
Behind the stack of documents, a pair of rabbit ears trembled slightly, as if listening for sounds.
"It's me," Su Qing said with a smile. "Why are there so many unprocessed documents? How much work did Chang'e dump on you?"
Hearing this, Yuer spoke from behind the papers. "Actually, most of them are already finished. Only these on the desk are left. It's not that much; I should be done in a month or so! But why are you here?"
As she spoke, Yuer stepped out from behind the documents.
She had returned to her original form—a young girl with a hint of childishness, her two rabbit ears adding a touch of lively cuteness to her appearance.
Looking at Yuer, Su Qing felt an urge to go over and rub her ears. She was simply too adorable.
However, Su Qing restrained herself.
If she actually did that, Yuer might bite her. While it might be worth it, it wouldn't be worth being hated for it.
Su Qing coughed twice to suppress her stray thoughts and then explained to Yuer why she had come up to the Moon Palace.
"Ah? You're really something..." Yuer was slightly surprised by Su Qing's news. She opened her mouth to speak, but then hesitated. "But I probably won't be able to make it to your child's Full Moon Banquet..."
Yuer glanced at the mountain of documents, an apologetic look crossing her face.
She actually wanted to go. After all, Su Qing was a good friend who had often accompanied her during those dozen or so years of boredom and helplessness. If she didn't attend the banquet for Su Qing's child, it would be quite poor form.
But with so much work, what would happen if she left?
Chang'e had let these things pile up for a long time. If they were delayed any further, she was worried the Jade Emperor would truly scold them.
"Why? Because these documents aren't finished? Is that why you can't go?" Su Qing noticed Yuer's gaze and asked with a chuckle.
Yuer didn't hide it and nodded. "Yes! There are so many documents; it'll take a long time to finish them all!"
Su Qing thought for a moment and said, "Actually, there's no need to worry. It's just a Full Moon Banquet; it won't take that long. It's perfectly fine if you come back to handle the rest after having lunch and a few drinks."
Su Qing felt Yuer was overcomplicating things. It was just a lunch; how much time could it possibly waste? The time spent on one meal wouldn't significantly change how much work she got done.
Yuer fell silent for a moment. She truly hadn't considered that; she had initially assumed she would need to stay for a day or even several days.
"But wouldn't it be a bit rude if I left right after lunch?" Yuer asked.
"What's rude about it? I won't blame you for anything." Su Qing spread her hands helplessly. It was as if she were some unreasonable person.
If Yuer wanted to stay overnight, she would naturally be welcome, but if she had to leave after lunch, Su Qing wouldn't stop her. She didn't think her social standing was so great that she could demand someone ignore their duties.
Hearing this, Yuer nodded. "In that case, I won't decline."
Seeing this, Su Qing looked delighted. "Mhm! That's for the best... I'll be waiting for you to come and drink!"
"I'm not very good at drinking... but I can certainly eat some good food," Yuer said, declining the alcohol. "I get drunk easily, and I don't want to turn into a drunkard like my mistress."
And so, Chang'e was dragged through the mud once again.
But this wasn't the first or second time. Chang'e was mocked quite often in her absence.
Su Qing didn't mind at all. She nodded and said, "That's fine. Not drinking is a good thing too! If you became a souse like Sister Chang'e, that would be a disaster. A little wine is for pleasure, but there's no harm in avoiding it entirely!"
Su Qing never forced anyone to do anything. If Yuer didn't want to drink, she had no complaints. She simply joined in on the light mockery of Chang'e.
Yuer nodded with a smile and asked, "By the way, aren't you going to play with my mistress? Don't you always look for her to drink every time you visit? Why aren't you there today? Why did you come looking for me instead? Don't tell me... you didn't know that after I returned, she gave this place to me so I could handle the official documents?"
Su Qing laughed and shook her head. "How could I not know Sister Chang'e's personality? Actually, I've already had a round of drinks with her. She's conked out now, lying in bed and dreaming. But even if she's asleep, I can't sit still, so I came out to wander around and see if you were busy."
Realization dawned on Yuer. She couldn't help but cover her mouth and laugh. "Mistress's alcohol tolerance is still ridiculously poor!"
Su Qing nodded in agreement and added her own critique. "Not only is her tolerance poor, but she's a terrible drunk. It's truly exhausting dealing with her when she's had too much."
"Mistress isn't actually that bad of a drunk usually... most of the time she just complains about the Star Lord or the Jade Emperor. It's only when you're here and she feels relaxed that her behavior gets... more difficult." Yuer offered a rare word of defense for her mistress.
"Is that so?"
The comment was made casually, but Su Qing took it to heart, and her thoughts began to wander.
However, Su Qing didn't dwell on it for long, as Yuer soon interrupted her train of thought.
Yuer said, "Oh, right. Besides the Full Moon Banquet, is there anything else you needed? If not, I'll get back to these documents... Once I've finished everything on hand, I'll find time to visit you in the Northern Continent. If I remember correctly, you moved to Great Emperor Zhenwu's domain, right?"
Su Qing's thoughts returned to reality. She nodded slightly at Yuer's words. "Yes, that's right. I'm in the Northern Continent! Since you need to get back to work, I won't disturb you further. I'll look forward to seeing you at the banquet, and I'll look forward to you visiting me on your own later."
If Yuer had work to do, Su Qing naturally wouldn't force her into idle chatter. She wasn't that inconsiderate.
Hearing this, Yuer nodded with a smile. "I'll be there!"
With that, Yuer stepped back to her 'workstation' with a light step.
Watching Yuer go back to work, Su Qing couldn't help but think of Liu Xixi.
Although she often complained about how Chang'e bullied Yuer, when she thought about it carefully, didn't she often do similar things herself?
Su Qing was speechless. Oh no, she had become the very negative example she criticized.
At this thought, she shook her head, deciding that after she returned, she would have to do more work herself. She couldn't let herself become exactly like Chang'e.
Leaving the library, Su Qing already had her next destination in mind.
That place was, naturally, by the Osmanthus Tree.
Besides inviting Yuer, she also had to inform Gongsun Zhixue.
As for the Osmanthus Tree... Su Qing didn't plan on inviting her. After all, she never moved from her spot; she almost never went anywhere outside the Moon Palace. So, inviting her would be pointless.
Before long, Su Qing arrived near the Osmanthus Tree.
The tree looked exactly as it always had, with the scent of osmanthus blossoms drifting through the air.
However, upon smelling that fragrance, the memory of what happened with Chang'e earlier popped into Su Qing's mind, and a faint sweetness involuntarily rose in her mouth.
'I can't dwell on that... if I think too much, someone's going to suffer.' Su Qing rubbed her brow and helplessly cautioned herself.
Pulling her thoughts back, Su Qing approached the base of the tree.
Wu Gang was still there, reading his book while trimming the base of the tree. Even when Su Qing arrived, he showed no sign of stopping.
Su Qing glanced at Wu Gang but didn't mind him; he was just a phantom, after all.
She leaned against a nearby railing and looked up at the tall Osmanthus Tree. "An old friend has come to visit, and you won't even show yourself?"
Su Qing's voice wasn't loud, but she knew the tree could hear her.
A breeze seemed to blow through the Osmanthus Tree, causing the branches to sway. At the same time, many blossoms were blown loose.
The falling flowers gathered together, forming the shape of an immortal.
The immortal's tone was cold as she looked at Su Qing and said, "Has Bi Ling Yuanjun come to see me regarding her disciple?"
Su Qing didn't mind the tree spirit's icy tone. She simply nodded with a smile. "I am indeed here for her. I took a turn around the palace but didn't see her anywhere, so I came straight to you."
Hearing this, the Osmanthus Tree said bluntly, "I clearly saw you walking straight toward me. How did that turn into 'taking a turn and not finding her'?"
Although the Osmanthus Tree usually remained in the form of a tree, it didn't mean she was blind. On the contrary, she saw far more than ordinary people. After all, she was the very first inhabitant of the Moon Palace, arriving even before Chang'e or the Star Lord.
Thus, Su Qing's lie was easily seen through.
Su Qing didn't feel embarrassed at being caught; she hadn't really expected to fool her anyway.
She just nodded with a smile and asked, "So, where is Gongsun Zhixue now?"
The Osmanthus Tree felt a wave of helplessness. After spending so much time with Chang'e, this woman's skin had grown quite thick; she had lost all the shyness she'd had when she first visited the Moon Palace. Well, to be fair, her skin hadn't been that thin back then either.
"She is in my grotto-heaven. It allows her to cultivate in peace without distractions. Chang'e loves to come running here and constantly disturbs her quiet cultivation, so I opened a grotto-heaven for her so she could cultivate in peace. Besides, do you have some business with her?"
The Osmanthus Tree didn't hide Gongsun Zhixue's location, but she was very curious about Su Qing's purpose.
Su Qing was slightly surprised to hear that Gongsun Zhixue was in a grotto-heaven created by the tree.
Firstly, she hadn't expected Gongsun Zhixue to truly be absent from the Moon Palace's main areas, and secondly, she was surprised that the Osmanthus Tree possessed the power to create a grotto-heaven.
Su Qing clicked her tongue in wonder and said, "It's actually nothing too major. I just wanted to invite her back for a lunch."
"Just for that?"
Now it was the Osmanthus Tree's turn to be surprised.
Su Qing spread her hands. "Yes, just for that."
"..." The Osmanthus Tree was speechless for a moment before saying, "Fine. It's just a meal; go and ask her yourself. If she wants to go, she goes. If she doesn't, I won't speak on your behalf."
The Osmanthus Tree didn't really want Gongsun Zhixue running around and delaying her cultivation. But since it was just the time for a single meal, a short delay was no big deal. Moreover, if she interfered in such a small matter and damaged the master-disciple relationship, causing her cultivation to slow down even more, it would be a case of losing the greater for the smaller. Thus, she decided not to get involved.
At this, Su Qing broke into a smile. "That's only natural. If she doesn't want to go, I can't force her."
Rate on N.U.
