Chapter Text
The corridor leading to the Master Diviner's office is unusually empty and silent. It's lunchtime, so the usual chatter that echos from the offices is gone, along with the workers off to enjoying their meals. Normally Qingque would be taking a break too, but today is different. No, today she has a special reason for being here; something that has nothing to do with Divination Commission business.
Standing in front of the imposing double doors, she quickly pulls out her pocket mirror and checks that her eyeliner is in order and her braids aren't slipping out of her hair bands. She wants to make sure she's as presentable as possible; anything that can give her even the slightest advantage in the upcoming trial ahead is worth taking. That trial? Hearing the word “yes.”
She knocks on the door, the sound of her fist somehow creating a booming echo in the long corridor behind her despite using what she thought was a normal amount of force. Before she could dwell too much on if she'd screwed up already by inadvertently pounding on her door, she hears a curt voice from inside. “You may enter.”
Qingque gulps and swings open the door, somehow feeling more resistance now than the hundreds of times she's done this previously. She walks in and sees the normally immaculate office unchanged from the last time she was here. Star charts and scrolls line the walls and a well-maintained calligraphy set with the official wax seal of the Divination Commission sits on a beautiful mahogany desk in the center of the room. And sitting behind that desk, she sees a set of brilliant golden eyes look up from a modest but healthy lunch sitting behind the desk. The voice of their owner carries surprise, but at the same time warmth. “Qingque?”
Qingque waves. It's a foolish gesture to someone who already has your undivided attention, but she instinctively lets it out and there's no going back now. “Heya, boss! So good to see you! How's it going?”
“Good, I was just eating my lunch.” She motions with the chopsticks in her hand to the small boxed meal sitting in front of her. “I'd never expect you to stop by during break time. Is there something wrong?”
“No no, everything is fine! I just had something to ask you that isn't Commission business, so I figured you'd rather I not during work hours.”
Fu Xuan is surprised at the courtesy, but motions to one of the guest chairs in front of her desk and pushes her meal aside. “Then please, take a seat. Is this about another excursion opportunity? I have been enjoying spending time appreciating the arts with you…” she says with a gentle smile. Qingque could swear there was a slight blush, but quickly dismisses the idea when she remembers who she's talking to.
“It is! How do you feel about a book club?” Qingque responds, happy to be in her element. She's no stranger to book clubs, having attended hundreds of them by this point.
Fu Xuan nods. “I have enjoyed them in the past. I wouldn't mind an excuse to attend one again, though I feel it may be hard to find a book neither of us have read. It's always more fun to get someone's first impressions, don't you think?”
Qingque smiles and reaches into her back. “Already 2 steps ahead.” She pulls out a large, leather-bound book and places it on the desk with a satisfying thunk.
Fu Xuan's eyes curiously scan over the title. “ Tale of the Winterlands ? I can't say I'm familiar.”
Qingque nods with satisfaction. “That's because it's new. You hear about that planet that was just added to the Interastral network, Jarilo-VI?”
Fu Xuan quickly scans through her mental database. “I think I recall that Madam Yukong had some event there recently? Something about a trade agreement?”
“Yup! They're officially recognized trading partners of the Xianzhou Alliance. I got to meet someone from there while she visited for the wardance. She came by the Commission a lot while you were away, and we chatted a bit and found we both love reading. So she gave me a copy of her most favorite book! It's about this guy, Artem, and he's a wilderness explorer. He's out on an expedition and a blizzard kicks up and he gets lost in the snow plains and ends up going on adventures and...and...” She realizes she's rambling and takes a breath to calm down. "Sorry, don't wanna spoil too much."
Fu Xuan giggles. “How intriguing. I'm always happy to learn a bit more about foreign cultures, and it's pretty obvious you're excited about it.” She picks up the book and slowly examines it. “But can you really have much of a book club with just the two of us? I don't doubt you'll have plenty of worthwhile insights, but still...”
“Not to worry, because it won't be just the two of us!” Qingque says with a sing-song voice.
“It…won't?”
“Nope! I've got a friend in mind who's well-acquainted with the story. She's going to participate too. And I know she can find someone else to join too, so that's a group of 4. Perfect for a book discussion, right?”
Fu Xuan nods. “Very well, I suppose I can make some time to read it. When and where did you plan on having it?”
“Oh that's the best part,” Qingque says with a coy smile. “That same friend happens to be a wilderness explorer on Jarilo and has promised to take me out on a snow plains expedition if I'm ever there. We'll get to not just discuss the book, but get to experience living the book! We can put ourselves in Artem's shoes! Doesn't that sound amazing!?”
Fu Xuan sighs and puts her hand on her forehead. “Qingque, there's no way we can make it that far and back in a single night.”
“Oh, I know. But in two weeks we get Monday off as a holiday! So I figure we just also take off that Friday and, boom, 4 day weekend!” This is where Qingque expects resistance. However, she's got the master diviner's interest hooked, now all she has to do is reel her in.
“Qingque, be reasonable. I already wasn't planning to actually be out of the office that Monday, much less take another extra day off on top of it. Surely we can figure something else out?”
“Lady Fu, I am saying this as your co-worker and more importantly, as your friend." She puts a little extra emphasis on that last word, and tries to make her eyes as soft and puppydog-like as she can. "You need to take some time off. You already work way too hard, and now that things are finally slowing back down to normal after that Borosin thing you have to take advantage. Who knows when the next crisis will pop up?”
“I was just gone for a month not long ago.”
“That doesn't count! You were working the whole time along with…” Qingque shudders when she thinks about her boss being interrogated at the Shackling Prison again… “other unpleasant things. You need an actual vacation! Please, for your own sanity?”
Fu Xuan sighs and looks away. She's worried she might crack if she keeps looking at those adorable eager green eyes for any longer. “I…just don't know. There's always so much to do…”
Qingque takes a deep breath. She knew she was destined to come to this point and so planned accordingly. A trailblazer once told her that rules are meant to be broken. And so Qingque has already made this choice: she's willing to break rule number 1 of her own guide to happiness. This decision does not come lightly, but for this person…nothing is off the table.
Fu Xuan raises her eyebrow. “Qingque? Are you ok?”
Qingque takes one more deep breath. No more holding back. “Let's say, hypothetically, you were ahead on work. Like, for example, maybe because someone else did a few extra things, maybe completed a project you weren't anticipating being done already. Then you'd have no reason left to say ‘no,’ would you?”
“I suppose not but…” Fu Xuan raises both eyebrows now. “You don't mean!”
Qingque reaches down deep inside of herself. Years of keeping a straight face in Celestial Jade have prepared her for this moment. Even though every muscle in her body screams at her to stop, she keeps a level voice and says “How about if I finish one major divination report for you. And pick up an extra mutare shift or two. That's worth a few days off, right?”
Fu Xuan can feel her heart pounding in her chest. Never did she expect she'd see the day Qingque was in her office asking for more work. And, sure, she'd volunteered to do the Sanctus Medicus books before, but that was different. This time there's no lives in the balance. It isn't a matter of life and death, there are no threats, nothing is at stake. Fu Xuan fights the blush threatening to overtake her cheeks at the realization that Qingque is offering this for no other reason than because she wants to spend time with…her.
“Do we have a deal?” Qingque extends her hand to Fu Xuan over the desk.
Fu Xuan looks at that hand. She's held it before, and she wants nothing more than to hold it once again. She's probably not thinking straight right now, she isn't really able to accurately assess if that much work off her plate can really make up for a 4 day weekend. There's always a million things to do, a million reasons to stay here and work longer. But try as she might, she can't bring any of them to the forefront of her mind to stop her from reaching out and grabbing that hand.
“Deal” she says, shaking it and holding it and feeling its warmth.
Qingque smiles and holds on for slightly longer than a standard handshake before letting go. “Alright! I'll go submit my time-off request. Make sure not to forget to submit yours~”
Fu Xuan sighs and smiles back. “I won't. What other details should I prepare for this ‘vacation’?”
“I'll make all the arrangements and send the itinerary to your phone. All you need to do is pack and be ready to meet at the dock two Fridays from now. Lynx says to make sure to dress warm!” Qingque replies as she saunters over to the door. “See you soon, this is gonna be awesome!”