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"Ahem." Sylvester cleared his throat, rubbed his cheek seriously, and finally restored his expression to a calm, carefree demeanor.
"So, does that mean Feixiao just came to drop Qingque off for work?"
"No." Feixiao smiled faintly.
"She's also here to open a trash can. With the Wardance Ceremony starting soon, to avoid letting things drag on, I need to escort Hoolay back to Xianzhou Yaoqing today. Jiaoqiu and Moze are currently heading toward the Ten-Lords Commission."
"So, this will be my last trash can opening for a while."
"I see," Sylvester nodded.
Indeed, counting the days, Hoolay's planned escape was approaching.
Although… it seemed a day earlier than what he remembered.
"Heading back so soon?"
Hearing the slight hesitation in Sylvester's tone, Feixiao's smile brightened. "Don't want me to leave?"
But then she sighed with mild regret. "There's nothing to be done. Considering all factors, today is the most suitable date. It has nothing to do with what happened the night before."
She raised a hand, placing it on her waist as she smiled: "Jing Yuan scolded me thoroughly yesterday, but that's all in the past now."
"The main reason is that I came under the orders of the Marshal and the will of the Xianzhou foxians. Once the mission is complete, I naturally must report back."
"The secondary reason… Jing Yuan issued a prohibition on alcohol."
Saying that, her gaze flickered slightly—clearly a little guilty.
"Hm?" Sylvester's brows twitched.
Ah, there it is.
No wonder the night before she had nearly terrified Jing Yuan half to death—he'd have to give some warning, right?
Sylvester hadn't expected Jing Yuan to take it this far.
Not letting Feixiao drink, so he went after the sellers instead—was he really that extreme?
Sylvester voiced his doubt. "Isn't Jing Yuan worried that the black market will sell private alcohol openly and profit from it? For instance, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus would be thrilled if they knew."
In the end, issuing a ban can't stop people from loving something; if that affection can't be redirected elsewhere, some will inevitably exploit it for profit.
And as long as the profits are high enough, there are plenty of people willing to risk everything.
"It won't have such big consequences."
Feixiao shook her head, crossed her arms, and frowned. "He specifically stipulated that anything with over 0.5% alcohol, including strong tea, may not be sold to white-haired foxian women from Yaoqing, taller than 1.7 meters, without tails, and with slightly green-tinged ears."
"So… I just have to return early."
"…"
Sylvester blinked at Feixiao, a hint of admiration in his tone. "Impressive. Jing Yuan went to all that trouble without naming names, yet wrote such a long, detailed restriction."
Not mentioning IDs—that was Jing Yuan's subtle kindness.
But Feixiao leaving now? That probably wasn't going to happen.
Poor General Feixiao. Hopefully, she wouldn't lose her mind crying and throwing a fit from being denied alcohol for so long.
As for Jiaoqiu and Moze… they should be fine.
Nowadays, on a Xianzhou ship, Hoolay attempting any mischief would be… exceedingly difficult.
Thinking this, Sylvester pointed toward the counter. "Please—"
Before he could finish, another voice reached their ears first.
"Looks like I'm a bit late… didn't get the top draw."
A gentle, refined voice. Feixiao turned her head in attention. Sylvester smiled in return. Qingque, lying on the tea table in the rest area, glanced up briefly before lowering her head to continue resting.
The newcomer was dressed in purple, with a veil lending an air of mystery and a unique charm.
Beneath the purple gown and leather shoes and trousers, her curvaceous figure remained elegant and capable, and her dusk-colored eyes held a faint, alluring smile.
"Who are you?"
Feixiao's expression reflected suspicion, watching this woman who seemed to materialize from nowhere without making a single sound.
If she hadn't spoken first, Feixiao might not have noticed her at all.
The situation in Luofu was particularly tense, so Feixiao instinctively went on guard.
"No need to worry. This lady means no harm."
Sylvester first gave Feixiao a faint smile, then looked directly at the newcomer. "Welcome. Memokeeper of the Garden of Recollection, Miss Black Swan."
"So, you couldn't hide it from me after all."
Black Swan smiled gracefully.
Her name revealed so plainly did not surprise her.
Having 'overheard' his conversation with Aventurine within the memory space, she found it almost stranger if she hadn't been recognized.
If the Aeon of Equilibrium could track her through another's memory, what could Sylvester—who provided the Curio that enabled time travel—possibly not do?
For this reason, she had entered the shop in the most ordinary appearance possible, exercising extreme caution.
No choice—after suffering two setbacks recently, she was admittedly a little wary.
"Someone from the Garden of Recollection, huh. Sylvester, your reputation seems to be growing."
With Sylvester's endorsement, Feixiao temporarily lowered her guard.
"Not too bad."
Sylvester gestured toward the sofa next to Qingque. "That's the rest area. You can have some tea there while waiting in line."
Black Swan was about to nod, but Feixiao shook her head.
"No need. This time, Miss Black Swan, please go ahead and open the trash can first."
"My two subordinates need more time to return. With nothing pressing, I can also observe more Curios."
Saying this, she walked toward the rest area and, bypassing the usual formalities, sat next to Qingque. One lay down, one sat.
Black Swan smiled. "Then I shall not be polite."
She stepped to the counter and handed her phone to Sylvester.
"Hopefully your trash can will contain some rare memories."
"That depends on your luck," Sylvester replied with a smile.
Good luck meant opening a gold-purple Curio with rare memories. Bad luck—ten green ones in a row—was still rare enough that the average person would remember it for a lifetime.
Black Swan lightly raised her hand, and a trash can shimmered with specks of light, floating before her.
"Not doing a divination first?" Sylvester asked.
Many who dabbled in metaphysical card games found it odd if the trash can opener didn't 'test the waters' first.
Especially since Black Swan was skilled in Tarot divination.
But she shook her head gently, smiling serenely. "I trust Sylvester's trash cans; they never favor or dislike anyone."
She said this, but in truth, she was slightly wary.
In such a 'dragon's lair, tiger's den,' it was best not to do anything unnecessary.
If the divination failed, she might just look foolish; if successful… would knowing the secret of the trash can count as knowing too much?
Black Swan chuckled at her own baseless worry.
Then she waved her hand, and the lid of the trash can lifted in response.
The green glow dissipated.
Black Swan saw something very familiar: a memory bubble.
[Memory Bubble of a Stellaron Hunter (Stelle): A memory bubble containing countless whimsical ideas. Its owner's thoughts were unpredictable; while not particularly useful, it added plenty of amusement.(Note:This memory bubble may carry effects comparable to high-level memetic contamination. After use, always ensure you distinguish memory ownership carefully; mixing your own memories could have serious consequences.)]
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