“Oh, I was just thinking… isn’t throwing documents off the Jade Chamber technically illegal? It doesn’t exactly align with the Qixing’s Clean and Civilized Liyue Harbor campaign.”
Gu Sanqiu looked at Ningguang with feigned innocence.
“Haven’t the administrators from the General Affairs Department raised this issue with you?”
Ningguang smiled sweetly and twisted his ear.
“Those folks would rather dig through mountains to collect these papers than let them go to waste as actual trash. Do you think they’d complain about it being litter?”
“Or, perhaps my dear brother is just trying to be sarcastic?”
“Not at all. But given how high the Jade Chamber is, most of these papers probably end up floating far out into the countryside, right? Is anyone even picking them up out there?”
“Of course.”
Baiwen chuckled softly.
“Every year, wealthy merchants hire large teams to stay in the outskirts. Besides their daily wages, these workers receive bonuses based on how many documents they retrieve and how important they are.”
“In fact, Lady Ningguang usually instructs us to throw the documents farther out. It’s a small way to help those in need earn extra during the festival season.”
She smiled. “After all, anyone still working this hard during the holidays either desperately needs the money or is doing everything they can to make ends meet. Ningguang has always said that helping them enjoy the season is what truly matters.”
“And with you here, handling the heavy throws, we won’t even need to break a sweat.”
“Ah, I see.”
Gu Sanqiu nodded. “In that case, should I put a little more force into it? I could probably fling these all the way to the south side of Guili Plains.”
“Stop it.”
Ningguang shook her head. “The point is to help them earn a little extra, not send them on a perilous trek. What if they run into monsters?”
“Got it, just toss them anywhere. Got it,” Gu Sanqiu said, then grinned slyly. “But it sounds like you’ve just admitted this is, in fact, a littering activity.”
“After the holiday, I’ll have Yuehai Pavilion assign you an official post and corresponding paperwork. Miss a single day of work, and you’ll regret it.”
“I was wrong. I’ll shut up.”
Gu Sanqiu made a mock zipper motion across his lips, signaling his transformation into an emotionless paper-throwing machine.
—
The night bustled with lights, laughter, and the rustle of scattered papers drifting through the air like snow.
“Sanqiu! Guess what? Last night, I found a bunch of documents. Can you hook me up with a merchant to sell them for a good price?”
Back in Gu Sanqiu’s courtyard, Hu Tao’s eyes sparkled with hope.
“Sure, hand them over. I’ll settle it on the spot.”
There was something Gu Sanqiu would never dare to say aloud—he always suspected the “snowfall of papers” was Ningguang’s way of signaling a break.
A warning to the masses: I’m going on vacation. Here’s a small favor to pacify you. Don’t cause trouble, or you won’t like the consequences!
Saying this to her face? Never. He’d end up with a corporate overload special that would make him the human lightning rod of the Jade Chamber.
After pocketing her silver notes, Hu Tao gleefully took a seat at the nearby table.
“Perfect! Now the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor’s year-end bonuses are secured. Let’s continue—time for Hu Tao to dominate the table!”
“Let’s go!”
Xingqiu rubbed his hands together in anticipation. “It’s been too long since we last did this. Three wan.”
“Yeah, it’s rare for all of us to gather like this,” Xinyan said with a smile, placing her tile. “East wind.”
“Pon, nine wan.”
Chongyun glanced at Gu Sanqiu, who was sitting nearby, mint leaf in his mouth, spectating the game. “Hey, Gu, how’s my hand looking?”
“Not bad. But have you guys already resolved that big client issue?”
“Piece of cake.”
Xingqiu leaned back with a smug expression. “I realized something midway through. Given the timing of this ‘snowfall,’ if that so-called mystic was planning anything shady, they’d pick a busy, chaotic moment to act.”
“My initial guess was during the Lantern Rite, but with the Millelith on high alert then, the next best opportunity would be during the snowfall chaos.”
“Impressive. That’s our Xingqiu!” Chongyun praised.
“Of course! Who else but me—an intellectual and martial artist rolled into one—could figure it out? White dragon.”
“Victory!”
Hu Tao slammed her tiles onto the table triumphantly. “Hand over your snacks, folks!”
Xingqiu stared at her in disbelief. “We were a few rounds away from a draw, and you were sitting on a white dragon the whole time?”
What kind of divine strategy was this?
“Hehe, all’s fair in games and war! Even underhanded tactics work if they win the game!”
Ψ(￣v￣)Ψ
Now it was Hu Tao’s turn to hold her head high, the snacks clutched victoriously in her hands.
Xingqiu turned his gaze toward Gu Sanqiu. “You did this on purpose, didn’t you? Distracting us at a critical moment!”
“Don’t blame me for your incompetence.”
Gu Sanqiu smirked. “It’s not my fault you didn’t plan for every possibility.”
“How was I supposed to know someone would sit on that tile and not play it?” Xingqiu sighed, his frustration palpable.
“If you want practice dealing with the unexpected, I can recommend you to that table over there.”
Gu Sanqiu motioned to the next table. Beidou, Ningguang, Keqing, and Zhongli sat around it, their brows furrowed. Some were sipping tea, others drinking wine, but the intensity of their game was palpable.
“What are they doing?”
Xinyan blinked. Anyone with half a brain could see that the mood at the other table was more suited to a battlefield than a festive gathering.
“They’re playing the latest version of Liyue Millennium.”
Gu Sanqiu shrugged. “I even made a bigger table for them. What you’re seeing now is their Four-Nation Conflict scenario reaching a critical stage.”
“Four-Nation Conflict?”
“Sort of. It’s a game of deception, diplomacy, and economic sabotage, with plenty of real and fake alliances mixed in. Naturally, the atmosphere gets intense.”
Gu Sanqiu sighed. “With people like them, though, what can you expect? Zhongli, in his ‘vacation mode’—or maybe this is his true form.”
“My sister, Keqing, Tianquan and Yuheng stars respectively.”
“And Beidou, the Crux Fleet Captain—a.k.a. Liyue’s unofficial naval commander. Mix their intellect, charisma, and skills, and it’s like watching a championship battle between pros.”
His only hope was that they’d remember to eat between rounds.
“Dinner’s ready! Hey, Guoba, no stealing food!”
“Chomp chomp~!”
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