Glancing at the silent Topaz in front of her, Tingyun put away the folding fan in her hand and continued speaking.
"I believe Miss Topaz understands what I mean. If you cannot give this little lady a reasonable explanation, then I will not introduce you to my little sister Qingque."
"I…"
Topaz opened her mouth slightly. The hesitation in her heart was obvious. After struggling for a long while, our Miss Topaz finally gritted her teeth.
"Miss Tingyun, I can tell you my purpose, but I hope you can keep it confidential for me. Is that possible?"
"Keep it confidential… Mm, as long as it does not violate human ethics, harm innocents, or damage the interests of the Xianzhou Alliance, then I can keep it secret for you."
"Mm, thank you, Miss Tingyun."
Topaz gratefully held Tingyun's soft hand. The latter did not show any resistance. After all, both of them were female by biological sex, so such simple contact was not considered rude.
"Miss Tingyun, please look."
Topaz extended her right hand and gently removed the white silk glove that covered her entire palm. Instantly, the back of the girl's smooth, jade-like hand was exposed to Tingyun's sight.
"This is…"
Staring at the mark on the back of Topaz's hand, Tingyun's small mouth opened slightly. She was all too familiar with this purple-gold mark. Besides Topaz, Qingque also had such a mark on her body.
The only difference was that the former's mark was on the back of her hand, while the latter's mark was between the two scapulae on her back.
"The mark of Causality… I didn't expect Miss Topaz to also possess the power of Causality. Could it be… that you are also a Pathstrider of the Path of Causality?"
Tingyun asked tentatively, wanting to confirm the other party's identity and whether Topaz was also a Pathstrider of Causality.
However, to Tingyun's surprise, after hearing her words, Topaz first showed an embarrassed expression, which then turned bitter.
"Miss Tingyun, I also wish I were a Pathstrider of the Path of Causality. Unfortunately, this mark on the back of my hand is actually a consumable…"
"Just like the 'Cornerstones' of our Strategic Investment Department, this mark contains a portion of the power of Causality. With the power of the mark, I can temporarily wield the authority of Causality. But once the energy inside is exhausted, the mark will also dissipate."
Hearing this, Tingyun roughly understood Topaz's intention. Although our Lady Commissioner did not know where the mark on Topaz's hand came from, it was undeniable that the person capable of bestowing a Causality mark must be at least at the Emanator level.
According to what Topaz just said, the power stored in the mark on the back of her hand was limited. Therefore, the high probability was that she wanted to meet Qingque in hopes that the other party could replenish the energy for the mark.
"Miss Topaz, I have roughly understood your intention. However…" At this point, the girl paused slightly, a sly glint flashing in her ruby-like eyes.
"Miss Tingyun, please speak freely."
Tingyun's expression did not escape Topaz's eyes, nor did that fox-like slyness.
However, Topaz was not worried about this. On the contrary, when she saw Tingyun reveal that fox-like smile, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Only when there was something to gain would Topaz feel at ease.
If Tingyun truly asked for nothing in return and acted purely out of goodwill, Topaz would instead feel uneasy. There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world, and so-called "selfless help" is more likely to be a trap to lure prey.
"Miss Topaz, I believe you know that asking an Emanator to take action comes at no small cost. Are you sure?"
'As expected…' A "just as I thought" expression rose in Topaz's heart, but her facial expression remained unchanged.
"Miss Tingyun, please rest assured. I naturally understand the price of asking an Emanator to help. I have long been prepared for this."
Topaz patted her own chest. A pair of ample fruits bounced a few times, causing Tingyun opposite her to frown slightly.
"In that case, I will contact Qingque for you right now."
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Luofu, Paulownia Street No. 666…
Early morning, as the sun had just risen, sunlight poured into the room through the windows, illuminating the entire space. Golden rays passed through the curtains and cast mottled patterns of light and shadow on the floor.
Discarded clothes lay scattered on the ground, appearing somewhat messy yet carrying a unique sense of beauty.
Under the warm sunlight, the soft large bed became a comfortable harbor. Two people slept in each other's embrace, as if they were part of each other's lives.
'Ring ring ring! Ring ring ring!…'
A harsh ringing sound suddenly rang out, instantly breaking the warm atmosphere. The sleeping girl frowned slightly, then sat up from the bed and draped a thin outer shirt over herself.
"Ugh… Who is it? Disturbing someone's sweet dream so early in the morning, ha~!"
The drowsy Qingque yawned. One small hand gently rubbed her sleepy eyes while the other rummaged around the bedside table until it touched something cold, then stopped.
"Hello, who is this? Ha~!"
Half-asleep, she answered the Jade Abacus. Qingque's lazy and tired voice was transmitted through the signal and soon reached Tingyun on the other end.
"Qingque, why do you sound so listless? Don't tell me you were… hehe~ This really makes this little lady so envious~"
Listening to Qingque's voice, Tingyun also caught some other undertones from it. Perhaps due to her foxian instincts, the girl couldn't help teasing.
"Ah? It's Sister Tingyun. I'm fine, I'm just a little tired. Nothing like what you're thinking happened…"
After hearing that the person on the other end was Tingyun, Qingque's drowsy consciousness instantly became much clearer as she hurriedly denied it.
"Hm? What I'm thinking? Little sister Qingque, what exactly am I thinking? Could you explain it to this little lady?"
Qingque: "...…"
"Hahaha, actually it's nothing. Sister Tingyun, my signal seems a bit bad here. I'll hang up first. Bye!"
Qingque gave an awkward laugh, her expression changing as she immediately tried to end the call.
"Wait, hold on a moment!"
Seeing that Qingque really wanted to end the call, Tingyun, who realized she might have gone too far, hurriedly stopped her.
"Little sister Qingque, Sister has something serious to talk to you about. Please wait a moment."
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