"Eh? Why isn't anyone answering the door?"
Xingqiu stood with his arms crossed at Gu Sanqiu's front door. "Did the guy sleep through everything?"
"It's almost the festival. Could you try saying something nicer? Maybe he's out on an errand," Chongyun suggested.
"You make a good point, but I don't care. This guy spends all day holed up in Liyue Harbor—what errands could he possibly have?" Xingqiu paused, then blinked. "Wait, did you just say it's almost the festival?"
"That's right. Why else do you think we came back?" Chongyun stared at him like he was questioning his intelligence.
"Oh, that makes sense." Xingqiu reached into a small gap near the door. "Let me see. When this guy's out, he usually leaves a note here."
"This has happened before?"
"Yeah. Sometimes I wonder what he's even doing with his life. He probably set this up so he wouldn't waste people's time."
"Found it."
Xingqiu pulled out a small piece of paper and couldn't help but laugh when he read it.
Working overtime in the Jade Chamber. Send a message if needed.
"Looks like he's up there helping out. Let's head back, clean up, and I'll send him a message to come down for dinner."
"The Jade Chamber? Old Gu's actually working overtime for someone?"
Thanks to Xingqiu's colorful descriptions—or outright slander—Chongyun knew Gu Sanqiu to be a terminally lazy person. Hearing about his overtime stint left him genuinely surprised.
"Heh. If it's for her, it's not surprising. That guy's completely dependable when it comes to people he cares about." Xingqiu stuffed the note back where he found it. "Better to leave it here. Someone else might come looking for him."
"But what if someone doesn't know to check for the note?" Chongyun asked.
"Oh, that's not an issue." Xingqiu was calm as ever. "Anyone who could actually get him to move already knows where the note is. As for random people, even if they pile invitations at his door, this guy would probably just take them to Old Zhang or Master Mao to use as kindling."
"But wouldn't that ruin the food if Master Mao used them for cooking fires?"
"True. Guess it's best not to involve him."
Chongyun sighed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Gu Sanqiu's social habits are... unique."
He made a mental note: if anyone ever called him clueless about etiquette again, he'd bring up Gu Sanqiu's antics as a defense. Though, come to think of it, Gu Sanqiu was the head of a noble family, so he could afford to ignore social niceties. Chongyun wasn't quite there yet.
"Let's go. Standing around in dirty clothes isn't fun. Time for a good soak."
The two walked off, their voices fading into the distance. Xingqiu's teasing about "maids and massages" mixed with Chongyun's flustered protests. Weak protests, at that.
---
"Oh-ho, those two are back?"
Gu Sanqiu spotted a note delivered with the latest stack of documents to the Jade Chamber.
Dinner tonight. Don't be late.
"Hah, they must've found my message."
He tossed the note aside casually. "Sis, I won't be eating here tonight. Got a dinner gathering with friends."
"That's fine. If there are a lot of them, you don't need to work overtime tonight. Spend more time with your friends," Ningguang said, her hands not pausing in their work. "Just don't go anywhere strange."
"?"
"What kind of strange places could we even go?" Gu Sanqiu deadpanned. "Sis, are you harboring some bizarre thoughts?"
"Oh, I just thought people your age might enjoy those kinds of places."
"One of them is obsessed with chivalry, and the other wants to revive his family's exorcist tradition. If they were interested in that kind of thing, that would be weird."
"Then why were you and Xingqiu planning to write a novel about it when you were kids?"
(ΩДΩ)
Gu Sanqiu's pen slipped and stabbed through the table. He glanced up at Ningguang.
"Why do you even remember stuff like that from when we were kids?"
"Never mind why I remember. Care to explain yourself?"
"We figured no one else was writing about it, so we thought we'd make some extra cash. Xingqiu was living off allowance, and you had all my spare money under strict management. What choice did I have?"
"Oh? Are you saying my management was unnecessary?"
"No, no, no! Sis, your care for me is a sign of love. I wish you'd manage me even more!"
"Hah, you smooth talker. Keep going."
Gu Sanqiu let out an awkward laugh. "Well, we eventually realized that Xingqiu's writing just couldn't inspire that kind of... interest in readers. So the plan flopped."
"Honestly, nothing good ever comes from the two of you scheming together." Ningguang sighed and shook her head. "Go on, then. You're adults now. Even if you went to those places, I wouldn't stop you. I'm not some old-fashioned big sister."
"No way. I've got tasks for those two when I see them."
Gu Sanqiu's gaze turned sharp. "If I'm working overtime, they're working too!"
"Xiangling's already stuck cooking in the docks because of you, and now you're planning to rope those two into the last job of the year?" Ningguang chuckled. "Still, those two seem to have made a name for themselves. That title, Snow and Cloud Wanderer, is quite something in the martial world."
Gu Sanqiu smirked. The title obviously referred to Chongyun. Xingqiu, however, still needed to break free from being just the Feiyun Commerce Guild's second young master.
"Are you sending them to investigate that strange exorcist? Can they handle it?"
"I gave Chongyun a scroll of secret arts for combat power. Xingqiu's well-read, so his knowledge will cover them. Between their reputations in the martial world and the Feiyun Commerce Guild's influence, they're better suited than me."
Gu Sanqiu continued, "Their weapons are ones I forged myself. Even if the opponent wields an ancient relic, they won't lose in an instant."
"Once they're settled, I'll give them a signal flare. If things go wrong, they can fire it, and Sis, you can send a Millelith squad or handle the aftermath."
"If they fire the signal, will you step in?"
"They're friends. Forcing them to work overtime is one thing. I wouldn't let them face real danger."
Ningguang's smile softened. "Good. You're finally showing some maturity. The plan isn't perfect, but it's a solid one."
"When dealing with the unknown, even the most thorough plans can unravel. Better to stay flexible."
"Go enjoy your dinner. There's nothing left here for you."
"No rush. I'll finish these documents first. I can just jump down and head straight to Feiyun Commerce Guild when it's time."
---
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