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Qingque hadn't ventured far when she spotted a familiar pink figure near the waiting area for the Ferris wheel—Lady Fu Xuan.
"How peculiar, another Grand Diviner here?"
"Could someone be impersonating her again?"
Rubbing her eyes, Qingque confirmed that the figure before her was indeed Lady Fu Xuan without a doubt.
The agitated Fu Xuan suddenly lifted her gaze and met Qingque's eyes.
"Qingque—!"
Startled by Fu Xuan's thunderous roar, Qingque shuddered involuntarily. The deep-seated fear of Fu Xuan ingrained within her bones led her to one certain conclusion.
Yes, the Lady Fu Xuan standing before her was the real deal, while the one she encountered earlier was most likely an imposter.
With hands on her hips, Fu Xuan glared at Qingque sternly.
"Why aren't you diligently working at the Divination Commission? What brings you to this amusement park?"
Explaining the situation would be too cumbersome. Instead, Qingque decided to directly lead Lady Fu Xuan to the gift shop and catch the imposter.
After a moment's thought, Qingque formed a plan. With her small chest puffed out, she looked haughtily at Fu Xuan and scoffed, "How audacious."
"Little Fuzi, who do you think you're talking to?!" Fu Xuan's stern expression faltered, taken aback by Qingque's response.
In just half a day, has Qingque already dared to rebel? Something isn't right. Qingque is always respectful towards me; there's no way she would speak with such insolence to this venerable one. Fu Xuan scrutinized Qingque, feeling increasingly suspicious.
Could the Qingque standing before me be an imposter? Uncertainty crept into Fu Xuan's voice. "Are you Qingque?"
Qingque nodded lightly. "Indeed, I am the renowned Qingque of the Divination Commission."
"Little Fuzi, come here and pour me some tea, quickly now."
Fu Xuan erupted in fury, "Impudent! Qingque would never address this venerable one like that."
"A mere Fool dares to mock this venerable one? Prepare to meet your demise."
"Every entity follows its own path... Yet fate can be altered; it lies within human endeavor!"
Qingque's expression abruptly shifted. "Ah?"
Good news: Qingque used [Taunt], successfully enraging Fu Xuan.
Bad news: The effect was exceptional, leading to a grave mistake—Fu Xuan is now fully prepared to unleash her true power.
Hold on, Grand Diviner.
Just what did that imposter Fool do to you?
Boom!—
An immense surge of Quantum Attribute energy compressed between Fu Xuan's delicate, ivory-like hands, locking onto Qingque's figure.
Panicking, Qingque hastily evaded, narrowly avoiding Fu Xuan's quantum blast.
"No, Grand Diviner, I'm Qingque! I was just joking with you earlier."
Fu Xuan grew even angrier. "Still daring to lie?"
"Qingque could never evade this venerable one's attacks."
"Just where have you taken A-Yan?"
"This venerable one cannot contact him—have you meddled with our connection?"
Darting left and right, Qingque pleaded, "Aiya, follow me, and you'll understand."
Fu Xuan sneered and with a slight flick of her slender fingers, "Still trying to lure me deeper?"
"This venerable one will capture you first and extract the information by force; it's just as effective."
"Swift—!"
With a subtle lift of Fu Xuan's delicate hand, a quantum prison instantly immobilized Qingque on the spot.
Hmph, she was quite good at running before. Why not try now?
Fu Xuan leisurely approached Qingque, standing with hands behind her back. "You have at least three sentences to say."
Qingque's face crumpled in distress. "Grand Diviner, I truly am Qingque."
Fu Xuan responded, "Crying? Time still counts while crying, mind you."
"But we're allies," pleaded Qingque.
"Not that sentence," Fu Xuan retorted.
"You even received your ticket to the Paradise from me," added Qingque.
Fu Xuan's killing intent surged. "That's not it either!"
Neither of these statements could prove Qingque's true identity.
Gathering herself, Qingque calmly stated, "Yes, it's true—I did sneakily consume A-Yan."
Fu Xuan looked puzzled.
Qingque sighed and spread her hands, addressing Fu Xuan, "Lady... On that night I secretly indulged with A-Yan, you used the Matrix of Prescience to satisfy your craving, didn't you?"
"If only you had expressed your feelings before me, A-Yan would have undoubtedly accepted you."
"Why continue delaying?"
Fu Xuan's delicate face darkened. "Indeed, you must be Qingque."
Qingque breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness."
Fu Xuan released the quantum prison, swiftly pinning Qingque across her lap.
"Just because you're Qingque doesn't mean this venerable one won't spank you!"
Panicking, Qingque struggled. "Lady Fu Xuan! It was all due to being misled by that impostor!"
"But even then, it warrants a spanking!" replied Fu Xuan firmly.
Inside the gift shop, faced with Sushang's distress, Su Jinyan firmly responded, "Whoever dares to harm Shangshang will face their end at my hand!"
Su Jinyan's expression was grave, his sharp gaze sweeping over the rows of mannequins.
Feeling uneasy, Sparkle thought, Why do you believe everything she says? Aren't you being too indulgent?!
Guinaifen placed her hands on Sushang's fragrant shoulders, speaking earnestly. "Shangshang, you've grown up now. As your close friend, I must reveal the truth about this world to you."
"In this world, there are no moving mannequins, let alone ones that would slap someone's behind." Guinaifen paused before continuing, "And Little Su, this applies to you as well.
"Don't indulge Shangshang so much.
"Shangshang is already quite naive; if you keep pampering her like this, she'll become even more foolish."
Yes, that's the appropriate reaction for a normal person. It seems Little Gui is indeed the only sane one among them.
Unsatisfied, Sushang asked, "Little Gui, then tell me, who slapped my behind just now?"
The gift shop had few customers to begin with, and in this particular area, they were the only three present.
Although Sushang might be clumsy, she wasn't foolish. Su Jinyan would never treat her so roughly.
Who else could it be? It must have been your Jinyan-gege.
The two of you were secretly indulging in some kinky play behind my back and even dragged me into it.
Guinaifen's cheeks flushed slightly as she couldn't help but recall the "Phantylia Exorcism Ritual" she had witnessed that night. Little Su hadn't been nearly as gentle with Shangshang then. In Little Gui's eyes, that evening, Little Su merely used Shangshang's possession as an excuse to justify his own desires.
Su Jinyan raised an eyebrow, urging, "Speak up. If you don't, I'll get upset."
Grumpily, Guinaifen replied, "It was me, alright?"
Sushang giggled and embraced Guinaifen warmly. "Little Gui, why didn't you just say so earlier?" she teased. "Were you feeling jealous seeing how close Jinyan-gege and I are?"
Guinaifen candidly admitted, "Jealous may not be the right word, but I did feel uncomfortable."
"It was supposed to be a triple date, yet Little Su is clearly playing favorites," she added.
"See, whenever he looks at you, he affectionately calls you 'Shangshang.' What about me?" Guinaifen asked.
Su Jinyan gazed deeply at her and said, "Little Gui."
Guinaifen shook her head. "Little Gui is the nickname Shangshang gave me."
"You could easily call me something even more intimate, you know."
Su Jinyan tried another name, "Ah-Fen—"
Guinaifen was taken aback. "That's so outdated!"
"How did you come up with that? Just stick with Little Gui!"
Sushang burst out laughing.
With sincerity, Su Jinyan declared, "Little Gui, Shangshang is my wife.
"I wouldn't even bear to spank her lightly, do you understand?"
Guinaifen's expression turned subtle. "Don't you blush when lying like that?"
"That night, I clearly saw you lift Shangshang..."
Lift...and then what? Sparkle eagerly awaited the continuation of this story.
Embarrassed, Sushang hastily covered Guinaifen's lips. "Stop it already, you're making me too shy!"
Guinaifen grinned mischievously. "No way, Shangshang, getting all bashful now?"
[Attention, attention!]
[Fu Xuan and Qingque are en route to the gift shop.]
[You have only three minutes left.]
Su Jinyan's heart jolted.
Why did the little sparrow go meet up with Shizun? There's no time for further deliberation; I need to find a place to hide.
Hastily waving Guinaifen over, Su Jinyan said, "Come here, come."
"Little Gui, what do you think of these black stockings?"
Both Guinaifen and Sushang leaned closer to Su Jinyan, examining the black lace stockings on the mannequin model.
At that moment,
Sparkle, feeling mischievous, reached out her devious hands.
Instantly, both Su Jinyan and Guinaifen sensed someone groping their backsides simultaneously.
"Who just touched my butt?" they exclaimed in unison.
Sushang hastily clarified, "It wasn't me, honestly."
Faced with their suspicious gazes, Sushang chose to mimic Sparkle's earlier action.
"Look, I wouldn't secretly do something like this," she insisted.
Guinaifen fell into deep thought: Could it be that Little Su, craving some excitement, is trying to frame me for his own desires?
Meanwhile, Su Jinyan also pondered: Is Little Gui perhaps enamored by my attractiveness?
With Shangshang present, was Sushang too embarrassed to act directly and thus resorting to these subtle hints?
Sushang pondered, convinced that it couldn't possibly be her doing.
Jinyan-gege and Little Gui were trustworthy; they wouldn't lie.
Confidently, Sushang declared, "There can only be one truth. It must have been the mannequin!"
A wave of confusion washed over Sparkle's small mind.
No, why are you so certain it was the mannequin? Shouldn't your suspicions fall on Little Gui and Su Jinyan instead?
Prompted by Sushang's words, even Su Jinyan began sensing something amiss.
Could Sparkle be causing mischief once again from the shadows?
Guinaifen's face paled. "Shangshang, could we be experiencing some supernatural event?"
Feeling unsettled, Sushang instinctively sought refuge in Su Jinyan's arms.
"Hey, Little Gui, don't scare me now."
Initially, Sushang hadn't felt concerned, but after hearing Gui's remark, she started growing fearful. Upon reflection, if the mannequin truly was responsible, it would undoubtedly signify a terrifying paranormal occurrence.
Sparkle felt somewhat anxious. She never anticipated that Sushang would inadvertently solve her "Sowing Discord Puzzle" by pure chance.
If anyone was most tense among them, it had to be Su Jinyan.
Time was running out.
If this continued, Fu Xuan and Qingque were bound to discover him sooner or later.
Dealing with Shizun alone was challenging enough, let alone adding Qingque into the mix.
Handling Shizun wasn't too difficult; she could easily be appeased with some affectionate gestures—simply lowering his stance and holding her for a while would soothe her anger. But little sparrow Qingque was different; she tended to internalize her feelings whenever faced with such situations.
Su Jinyan dreaded encountering Qingque more than anything else. He already owed so much to his little sparrow. If Qingque saw him engaging in these tangled affairs, how could he ever face her again with any dignity?
Glancing at the time, Su Jinyan made a swift decision. "Follow me; I'll take you both to the dressing room."
Guinaifen's cheeks flushed slightly. "Ah? Isn't that rushing things too much?" she exclaimed. "Our date has just started!"
Puzzled, Su Jinyan asked, "Little Gui, what kind of naughty thoughts are crossing your mind?"
"I mean it's not safe here; let me escort you to the dressing room first."
Sushang crossed her arms and nodded repeatedly. "Mm-hmm, I noticed that too," she said. "So Little Gui is into spicy stuff, huh? If your fans found out, wouldn't their perception of you shatter?"
Guinaifen retorted, "I've never claimed to have a specific image as a broadcaster anyway. I'm all about spreading positivity and engaging content; nothing can tarnish my persona."
Su Jinyan didn't have time for further banter.
Without hesitation, he took both their little hands and forcefully dragged them to the dressing room.
"Little Su, we haven't grabbed our stockings yet!" Guinaifen exclaimed, slightly puzzled.
Seeing Little Su's urgent expression, could it be that he was afraid of ghosts too?
Su Jinyan swiftly shut the dressing room door behind them. "I'll bring them over shortly."
"Listen carefully, Shangshang and Little Gui," he said firmly. "There's a paranormal event outside; only inside this dressing room are you safe."
"Unless you hear my voice, do not respond to anyone knocking on the door, no matter who it is."
With those words, Su Jinyan promptly left the gift shop, sending a distress message to Sampo.
Let others perish before oneself—a survivalist's mantra.
He aimed to have Sampo distract Fu Xuan and Qingque for him.
Upon receiving the distress call, Sampo instantly appeared beside Su Jinyan.
Sampo looked at Su Jinyan with confusion. "Huh? Family, weren't you facing a life-or-death situation?"
As usual, Su Jinyan produced a stack of counterfeit currency resembling credit notes. "No time to explain, buddy," he said hastily. "Help me out here, and all these credits are yours."
Sampo's eyes lit up as he accepted the stack of counterfeit bills.
"Easy peasy," Sampo exclaimed, "As long as there's money involved, there's nothing old Sampo can't handle."
"What do you want me to do?"
Su Jinyan smiled broadly and replied, "Oh, it's quite simple, just a little prank."
"I need you to transform into my Shizun Fu Xuan's appearance and take a run around the amusement park."
Sampo, puzzled, asked, "That's all?"
Su Jinyan nodded emphatically, "Yes, that's all!"
Sampo weighed the thick stack of counterfeit bills in his hand, jokingly saying:
"So much Credit... Must be at least a few million, right?
"How about letting me get beaten up again? Otherwise, I won't feel comfortable accepting this."
With a serious expression, Su Jinyan urged, "I'm in a bet with someone; there's no time to waste! Hurry up and go!"
Grinning widely, Sampo responded enthusiastically, "Alright, bro, trust ol' Sampo to deliver satisfaction guaranteed."
Immediately, Sampo transformed into Fu Xuan's likeness right before Su Jinyan's eyes and started running through the amusement park.
"Chase—!"
Naturally, Sampo's disguise as Fu Xuan couldn't fool Fu Xuan and Qingque for long.
Without hesitation, Fu Xuan and Qingque immediately chased after him.
Su Jinyan sighed with relief, feeling a weight lifted off his shoulders.
Sampo, the organization will never forget your sacrifices.
I'll ensure you earn that Credit without any guilt.
Seeing Fu Xuan and Qingque hot on his trail, Sampo realized his prank had been exposed. However, he remained unfazed. With his Treading Snow Without A Trace technique, few could catch up to him.
Smiling, Sampo greeted them jovially, "Hey there, Lady Fu Xuan, Miss Qingque."
"What a coincidence! Out for a run too?"
"Running is great exercise..."
Fu Xuan's voice chilled as she retorted, "Splendid, still daring to provoke this venerable one?"
"If I don't defeat Sparkle today,"
"I might as well resign from my position, forsake worldly vanity, and retreat with A-Yan far away."
Sampo blinked, puzzled.
The corner of Qingque's mouth twitched; despite Lady Fu Xuan's petite stature, her aspirations were grand indeed.
"But if you retreat with A-Yan, what happens to us?"
Sensing something amiss, Sampo hastily reverted to his original form, panicking, "No, wait."
"Lady Fu Xuan, I'm not that Sparkle guy; it's old Sampo here."
Qingque looked at him quizzically. "Sparkle?"
"You clearly transformed into Sampo's appearance right before our eyes."
"Did you think we were so easily fooled?"
Fu Xuan asked sternly, "Where have you imprisoned A-Yan?"
Has that brat Su Jinyan tricked me?
Sampo's pace gradually slowed as he picked up the stack of counterfeit bills given to him by Su Jinyan for closer inspection.
Damn, they're all fake bills?!
Enraged, Sampo exclaimed, "Wait, this old Sampo has seen the light and turned over a new leaf.
"I know where that rascal Su Jinyan is hiding, and I'll lead you straight to him."
Fu Xuan exchanged glances with Qingque.
Qingque rubbed her slightly sore bottom, cautioning, "Lady Fu Xuan, do not trust the delusions of a Fool lightly.
"Regardless if he's Sparkle or Sampo, let's give him a good beating first."
Agreeing, Fu Xuan replied, "Very well."
Without my Fool mask, Old Sampo was like a tiger out of its element, unable to confront Fu Xuan and Qingque directly. Time to make a run for it!
Ideally, I'd lure them to the gift shop, letting Su Jinyan face the consequences himself.
Sampo donned his hat and gestured courteously. "Lady Fu Xuan, Miss Qingque, allow old Sampo to guide you."
Old Sampo, shamelessly betraying his allegiance!
Upon returning to the gift shop, Su Jinyan meticulously selected a few black and white silk items before heading towards Guinaifen's dressing room.
Knock, knock, knock.
Su Jinyan tapped on the dressing room door. "Little Gui, it's me. Let me in."
"I've been waiting for you, Little Su."
Sparkle eagerly pulled him inside.
Confused, Su Jinyan asked, "Little Gui, why are you alone here? Where's Shangshang?"
Sparkle extended her delicate, pale index finger and pressed it against his lips. "Shh—"
"Shangshang went to the neighboring dressing room, oh~"
As soon as he heard this, Su Jinyan instantly recognized the person before him.
Sparkle always enjoyed her clumsy dramatic performances, never tiring of them. Although her disguise was nearly flawless, making it hard to discern, she failed to understand Sushang's character.
Sushang was simple and genuine; once convinced by someone's words, she would never act independently without their knowledge.
Heh, how naive. Sparkle couldn't possibly think she could outwit me, could she? You may believe you're fooling me, but little do you know I'm playing along too.
Perhaps indulging in this game of dress-up isn't such a bad idea after all?
Just wait until my date is over; I'll show you then.
Pouting slightly, Sparkle feigned fear with a timid voice, "Little Su, it's so dark in this dressing room. Little Gui feels quite scared~"
"It seems we're quite far from the bar counter."
"If both of us get locked inside here..."
"We'd truly be helpless, with no one to hear our calls."
Su Jinyan chuckled, "How could that happen?"
"That only occurs in movies and dramas, don't worry too much." As he spoke, Su Jinyan gently pulled on the door handle.
Something strange occurred—the dressing room door didn't budge at all.
Undeterred, Su Jinyan exerted more force, but the door remained immovable.
Ah, now I understand...
With a man and woman trapped together in a confined space, Sparkle meticulously crafted this scenario, clearly harboring ulterior motives towards me.
Is she simply trying to prank me or does she have designs on my body?
Sparkle covered her luscious lips, her beautiful eyes betraying a hint of surprise.
Oh, God of Entertainment above, Lady Sparkle swears she didn't tamper with the dressing room door handle!
Hee-hee, Little Su is just too adorable.
Isn't it clear you're lusting after this humble servant's body? Such a simple trick; let me demonstrate how easily I can unravel it.
Sparkle approached the dressing room door and exerted considerable force, pulling hard on the handle.
The door remained stubbornly immovable.
Sparkle's heart began to race wildly.
No way, no way!
This is just our first date with Guinaifen, isn't it?
Are you already so impatient, consumed by desire, that you want to claim her right here in the dressing room?
Lady Sparkle isn't prepared to surrender herself yet.
Among all the Masked Fools, Su Jinyan undoubtedly had the strongest chemistry with Sparkle.
In Sparkle's eyes, Su Jinyan was like a delectable cream cake, meant to be savored slowly.
Swallowing him whole would simply be too wasteful, dear.
"Waaahh~"
"Little Su, surely we're not trapped in here, are we?"
With a delicate expression of fear, Sparkle threw herself into Su Jinyan's arms, teary-eyed.
Su Jinyan gently reassured her, "Don't be afraid, Little Gui."
"As long as I'm here, I'll protect you."
Hmph, this woman clearly has ulterior motives. Deliberately throwing herself at me like this—obviously she's after my body.
Well then, I shall grant your wish.
Sparkle lightly bit her pearly teeth, her beautiful eyes shimmering, and her delicate frame felt slightly weak.
Her cheeks flushed with warmth, experiencing a delightful sensation she had never known before.
"Little Su," Sparkle murmured, her eyes glistening between resistance and surrender, "you mustn't... You can't turn into a beast, and besides, we'd be betraying Shangshang. It would make me feel guilty."
Su Jinyan could feel the moist breath from Sparkle's lips against his skin.
Meanwhile, her slender, ivory-like fingers grazed his chest, seemingly intentional yet casual.
Guilty? Ha! When you disguised yourself as my shizun on the Ferris wheel and did those things to me, why didn't guilt cross your mind then?
Gently, Su Jinyan pushed Sparkle away from his embrace.
"You're right, Little Gui."
"This is our first date today."
"We're moving too fast; it wouldn't be fair to Shangshang."
The corners of Sparkle's lips curled slightly—how adorable! Little Su seemed well-versed in the art of push-pull seduction. Unfortunately, such tactics don't work on Lady Sparkle herself. If it were just Little Gui, she might have succumbed.
But standing before you now is the dangerous drama queen—Sparkle.
I intend to foil your plan to conquer Little Gui.
In a feeble voice, Sparkle called out, "Help! Quick, someone, is anybody there?"
Su Jinyan remained unfazed, unimpressed by her acting skills worthy of a great drama master.
Not only would the store staff likely not hear, but even Sushang and Little Gui probably couldn't catch her cries.
Lips pursed dejectedly, Sparkle sighed, "Woe, we can't get out, it seems~"
Bang!
Just then, amidst the dressing room walls, a burst of fireworks exploded.
Subsequently, a bold script appeared, swirling like a dragon dance:
"A Room You Can't Leave Until Some Steamy Action."
Sparkle stared, bewildered. Su Jinyan was equally taken aback.
At that precise moment, Fu Xuan and Qingque entered the gift shop.