Honkai Star Rail: I Can Hear Their Secrets

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Tingyun blinked her lovely eyes, gazing at him earnestly. "Mm-hmm, I'm truly curious to know."

Su Jinyan smiled. "Then lean closer; I'll whisper it only to you, not Qingque."

Qingque protested unhappily, "Is that really necessary? What's so secretive about this?"

Obediently, Tingyun moved her face nearer. At such close proximity, if Su Jinyan were to sneak a quick kiss, Tingyun wouldn't have time to react.

Feeling mischievous, Su Jinyan gently blew into her fox ear.

Tingyun shuddered abruptly and hastily covered her fluffy fox ears, her expression turning fiercely indignant (?`ω??).

"Benefactor, how naughty of you~"

"Don't you know these are our foxtail's most sensitive spots?" Tingyun playfully scolded him with a light punch, which felt more like playful teasing than any real reprimand.

Smiling, Su Jinyan said, "Haven't you heard the saying before?"

"Curiosity killed the cat; mind your own business."

Qingque wholeheartedly agreed, "A-Yan's words hold truth indeed."

"In the workplace, one must learn to suppress their curiosity."

"Take me, for example—I couldn't care less why A-Yan is so fond of the Grand Diviner."

"I'm even less interested in any private displays of concern she might show towards him. Am I that nosy?"

Tingyun's eyes sparkled with intrigue. "Hmm? Lady Fu Xuan has shown concern for Benefactor privately? Tell me more."

Qingque shrugged. "The Grand Diviner, well, she seems to have high expectations for A-Yan's potential.

"She repeatedly instructed me not to expose my bad habits in front of him, fearing it might lead him astray.

"Hmph, looking at us now, we're pretty much on equal footing—hard to say who influenced whom, really."

Su Jinyan raised an eyebrow.

Tingyun's eyes sparkled with amusement, as if jesting lightly, "Come to think of it, my charms might not be far off from Lady Fu Xuan's."

"Benefactor, why not choose what's closer at hand? How about I serve you as your dog?"

Qingque's lips parted slightly, her eyes betraying her shock. "Ah? But isn't he your savior?"

Tingyun gently waved her folding fan, a hint of smile lingering on her lips. "There's no conflict there."

"In the future, I'll call him 'Benefactor,' and he can address me as 'Mistress.' We each have our roles to play."

Qingque was momentarily speechless.

Su Jinyan responded mildly, "Tingyun, you don't understand."

"But without flattening one's chest, how can one flatten the world? I absolutely adore Master Fu Taibǔ's washboard figure."

The smile at Tingyun's corner of the mouth froze as she glanced down at her own chest. From any angle, she clearly outmatched Master Fu Taibǔ's washboard physique.

With sincerity, Su Jinyan said, "Let me quietly share my preferences with you: I enjoy the process of nurturing, so the flatter, the better."

"You see, like Qingque here..."

Panicking, Qingque patted her chest vigorously, making it thump audibly. "A-Yan, look, I'm quite full-figured—you've missed your chance."

Su Jinyan couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Qingque, you can bluff your buddies, but don't fool yourself too."

Tingyun also glanced at her sympathetically. "Miss Qingque, self-deception isn't healthy, you know."

Qingque blinked, perplexed.

"But don't worry," Su Jinyan continued. "My target is Lady Fu Xuan; I won't make a move on you."

Qingque sighed with relief. "That's good. Our friendship mustn't sour over such matters."

"In my opinion, anyone who enjoys falling in love is a fool."

"Dating is just so troublesome—aren't dates and romances a waste of time?"

"With that time, one could easily play more rounds of Imperial Jade tiles instead."

Su Jinyan wholeheartedly agreed. "I couldn't have said it better myself."

"So, I decided to skip the dating phase altogether."

"Lady Fu Xuan likely has many suitors. We should take a different approach—become Lady Fu Xuan's dogs outright."

Qingque's expression turned subtle. "Well, how shall I put this? Your path certainly veers off the beaten track."

Su Jinyan waved his hand dismissively. "Tch, what do you know? Fortune ebbs and flows, haven't you heard?"

"Right now, I'm Lady Fu Xuan's dog, but someday—Lady Fu Xuan will surely be mine—"

Unable to bear it any longer, Tingyun tactfully interrupted, "Speaking of which, how did Benefactor and Miss Qingque find the time to visit Cloudford?"

Qingque felt particularly downcast at this mention. "Ah, it's quite a long story."

"The main issue is that the Grand Diviner saw us idling too much, so she assigned us some trivial tasks—to guide star ferries back to port."

Tingyun covered her mouth with a smile. "What a coincidence!"

"I just happen to be escorting a shipment for the Ming Huo Trading Company."

"Why don't we travel together? We can look out for each other along the way."

"After finishing our work here, let's head to the gaming hall and play a few rounds of Imperial Jade of the Capital, shall we?"

Qingque eagerly nodded. "Sure, sounds great!"

Su Jinyan followed suit, nodding as well. "Sure, sounds great!"

"Hey, stop copying me," Qingque chided, "you're being such a pest."

"Sure, sounds great!" Su Jinyan repeated teasingly.

As soon as they arrived at Cloudford, Su Jinyan heard the system's notification chime in his mind.

[Ding~]

[Please note, the foxfolk girl before you is named "Tingyun".]

[Standing beside her are Xiao Shuai and Xiao Mei, and she is about to face imminent danger.]

"Qingque, wait."

Su Jinyan's expression turned grave as he urgently grabbed Qingque's wrist.

"What's wrong?" Qingque stood near the navigation compass, looking puzzled at him.

[In three minutes, Tingyun will guide a cargo shipment for the Ming Huo Trading Company at the secluded Cloudford dock.]

[Nobody suspects that within the transporting star ferry lurks Abundant Evil Creatures—two exceptionally vicious Quimuwolves.]

[The moment the cabin door opens, they will dart out from the cargo star ferry, swiftly attacking Tingyun.]

[Caught off guard by this sudden event, Tingyun will be completely defenseless.]

[Without your presence here, her fate would hang uncertain between life and death.]

Wait, how could Abundant Evil Creatures be hidden in a cargo star ferry? Recalling the incident where Tingyun's star ferry malfunctioned on the outskirts of Yaoqing, was it not merely a coincidence?

Su Jinyan tightened his grip on the silver-white crucifix and said gravely, "Stay alert, Qingque.

"My intuition tells me that there might be danger lurking within the approaching cargo star ferry."

Upon hearing this, Qingque immediately heightened her vigilance. Although her previous divination had not indicated any ominous signs for their journey, she was willing to trust Su Jinyan's warning.

Moreover, sometimes a diviner's intuition serves as a crucial indicator of impending danger.

"Tingyun, Qingque, please hide behind me," Su Jinyan instructed firmly. "In case we encounter danger, I want to ensure I can protect you both promptly."

Tingyun gently nodded. "Yes, my safety shall then depend on your kindness, Benefactor."

Qingque couldn't help but shake her head. "Stop joking around; let me handle it instead. A-Yan, aren't you a priest? You should be hiding behind me."

Smiling, Su Jinyan replied, "Just wait and see."

Feeling somewhat helpless, Qingque silently rubbed her snow-white hands and murmured under her breath, "Please, please, please..."

After Su Jinyan activated the navigation compass, it wasn't long before a cargo star ferry slowly approached.

At this moment, Su Jinyan and his companions were at their highest state of alert.

As soon as the cabin door opened, a wolf's howl echoed, followed by a swift figure darting out—its speed was indeed rapid, not merely appearing quick.

The creature aimed to bypass Su Jinyan and Qingque, directly targeting Tingyun.