Legend Management Bureau Chapter 20

[ … words ]

‘What am I even doing…?’

Fan Xiaoguo muttered silently in her heart as she examined the wounds of the woman before her.

Inside this modest room, aside from Dong Qianqiu whom she had just met, there was now an unknown woman. This woman was tall with an exceptionally exquisite face, making Fan Xiaoguo feel vastly inferior by comparison.

‘That bastard Du Yu…’ Fan Xiaoguo cursed fiercely in her mind. ‘He actually left me behind and ran out… Doesn’t this make me the most awkward person here now?’

Having finished examining the woman’s injuries, Fan Xiaoguo began bandaging her. The woman was indeed severely injured, but the strange part was her complete lack of expression. She did not even spare Fan Xiaoguo a single glance.

It wasn’t long before Dong Qianqiu finished regulating her breathing and stood up.

“Xiaoguo, how are her injuries?” Dong Qianqiu asked, looking at Zhongli Chun.

“They are quite severe, but this sister has a remarkably resilient physique. I estimate she will recover very quickly.”

Dong Qianqiu nodded and stared intently at Zhongli Chun. “Although I don’t know what happened, if you’re plotting anything malicious, I won’t let you off easily,” she warned.

“Who do you think you are, daring to boss me around?”

Dong Qianqiu snapped back in annoyance, “I don’t care what you do, but I absolutely will not allow you to hurt Du Yu! He is the lifeblood of the entire Legend Management Bureau!”

Zhongli Chun suddenly froze upon hearing this. “So his name is Du Yu…” she murmured to herself.

Fan Xiaoguo retrieved some bandages and a few pills from a storage pouch. Just as she was about to resume dressing the woman’s wounds, the woman spoke up.

“What are you doing?”

“Huh? Bandaging you, of course,” Fan Xiaoguo replied, puzzled.

“There is no need. I have suffered far worse injuries than this. I will be fine in a moment.”

“You still need to be bandaged, sister. If you keep bleeding like this, it will take a heavy toll on your body.”

“I said there is no need. Do you not understand?”

“Ha?!” Fan Xiaoguo frowned deeply. Just who was this woman? She had been working tirelessly to help her, and not only did this woman offer no gratitude, but her attitude was absolutely atrocious. “Why are you so unappreciative! Well, I don’t believe this! I am going to bandage you today no matter what. What are you going to do about it?”

Zhongli Chun looked bewildered, and even Dong Qianqiu jumped in surprise.

This little girl, Fan Xiaoguo, was acting unusually tough today.

After a chaotic bandaging job that left the woman trussed up like a captive, Fan Xiaoguo finally let out a sigh of relief. She stood up to wash her hands in the restroom, calling out, “Assistant Dong, what exactly happened to you guys? How did you get hurt in such a short amount of time?”

“Hmph, it’s all thanks to this woman,” Dong Qianqiu grumbled, glaring at Zhongli Chun.

“You two fought? Then who exactly is this tall sister?”

“Zhongli Chun,” Dong Qianqiu said coldly.

“Zhong… li… Chun…” Fan Xiaoguo felt the water she was using to wash her hands turn icy cold. “Could it be ‘that’ Zhongli Chun?”

“That’s right. She is exactly the Zhongli Chun you’re thinking of.”

“Oh my god!” Fan Xiaoguo shrieked. “I-I-I-I was just bandaging Zhongli Chun?!”

Seeing this woman’s extraordinary aura and stunning face, Fan Xiaoguo never would have imagined that she was the famously ugly Zhongli Chun. Rumors said that Zhongli Chun was not only exceedingly hideous but also completely volatile, known to beat people until their souls shattered over the slightest whim. But this beautiful sister didn’t look like that kind of person at all.

Zhongli Chun sat up and inspected her heavily bandaged body. It was difficult for her to even lift her arm. With a deadpan expression, she stated, “What a meddler. Wrapping me up like this is just a nuisance.”

Just then, Du Yu knocked on the door. “Sisters, is it convenient for me to come in?”

Zhongli Chun immediately broke into a bright smile, looking toward the door with anticipation. “Ah! Yes, it’s convenient! Come in, quick!”

“Convenient my ass!” Fan Xiaoguo was rendered speechless when she looked at Zhongli Chun’s newly bandaged body. The woman was practically completely naked! She hurriedly grabbed a coat and draped it over Zhongli Chun. “I say, sister, even if you are Zhongli Chun, you can’t be this shameless!”

“Mind your own business!” Zhongli Chun’s eyes instantly turned frigid. “You wrapped me up so tightly that I can’t even move my arms or legs. I haven’t even settled the score with you for that yet!”

Du Yu couldn’t hear clearly what was being said inside, so he pushed the door open and walked right in.

“How is the bandaging?” Du Yu asked, looking at Zhongli Chun.

“Sigh… this sister…”

Fan Xiaoguo let out a heavy sigh and shook her head. Just as she was about to complain, Zhongli Chun suddenly chimed in.

“It is bandaged perfectly! Exceptionally meticulous and not restrictive in the slightest!” Zhongli Chun exclaimed enthusiastically.

“Ha?!” Fan Xiaoguo scrunched her face in disbelief. She considered herself someone who had seen the world, but this woman changed faces faster than turning the pages of a book.

“Sister, did you study acting?”

Filled with confusion, Fan Xiaoguo turned to look at Dong Qianqiu. She saw Dong Qianqiu shrug helplessly; she didn’t know what was going on either.

“That’s good, that’s good,” Du Yu said with a smile, pulling an orange from his pocket. “Look, I bought you an orange.”

“For me?” Zhongli Chun’s face beamed with an irrepressible joy. She solemnly reached out to accept it. “Wonderful. This is the third time you have given me something.”

“The third time?” Du Yu fell into deep thought. Xie Bi’an had mentioned that he had met Zhongli Chun before, and it seemed that claim wasn’t unfounded. Perhaps the answers regarding her could only be found within the Legend Management Bureau.

“So… you two already know each other?” Fan Xiaoguo asked, baffled. After thinking about it for a second, her jaw dropped wide open. “Did you two sisters get into a massive fight out of jealousy over him?”

Dong Qianqiu shook her head in sheer exasperation.

“Jealous my ass,” Du Yu said, firmly pressing his hand down on Fan Xiaoguo’s head. “Miss Underworld Messenger, if you don’t know how to chat, we can just sit in silence.”

“Hey!” Fan Xiaoguo swatted Du Yu’s hand away. “What are you doing?”

“Knock-knock!”

While the two were bickering, a knocking sound echoed from the door.

“Huh?” Du Yu was puzzled. No one should know they were here.

“Don’t make a fuss, I ordered delivery.” Fan Xiaoguo waved her hand dismissively and opened the door. A delivery driver stood outside wearing a small black vest and a black helmet. Emblazoned across his chest were the words “Starving Yet?”.

“Hello, your delivery.”

Taking a closer look, it was actually four cups of milk tea.

“You seem to really love drinking milk tea, huh?” Du Yu asked.

“That’s right. Milk tea is the source of my life,” Fan Xiaoguo declared with a completely serious face. She then pulled out the cups and distributed them to everyone.

“Milk tea?” Dong Qianqiu stared at it in bewilderment. It was a strangely colored liquid filled with all sorts of odd additions. ‘Do young people actually drink this nowadays? I’ve had milk, and I’ve had tea. But what on earth is milk tea?’

“Du Yu, you should drink some too. It’s full sugar with a milk cap. It’s super sweet and delicious,” Fan Xiaoguo offered.

Before Du Yu could even agree, Zhongli Chun suddenly spoke up.

“Hey!”

“Ah?” Fan Xiaoguo jumped in fright. “What is it!”

“Are you looking for trouble?” Zhongli Chun slowly stood up. “Du Yu does not like sweet things! Bring out the unsweetened tea and milk.”

“You… you are being so unreasonable!” Fan Xiaoguo pouted. “Who would even drink unsweetened milk tea?”

Saying so, Fan Xiaoguo pushed forward the milk tea she had just taken a sip from. “This one is definitely better. Take a sip.”

“You…” Zhongli Chun flared up in sudden anger. “You dare feed me your leftovers?”

“Ah…? Leftovers?” Fan Xiaoguo was truly at a loss. This Zhongli Chun was way too bizarre.

“Leftovers?” Du Yu hurriedly stood up. “No, no…”

Seeing the murderous aura rolling off Zhongli Chun, Du Yu rushed forward to pacify her. “Zhongli, this Underworld Messenger is just trying to be nice. She’s only sharing her favorite things with you. Her, and Sister Qianqiu over there, they’re both my friends or colleagues. You can’t hurt them.”

“Ah? Is that so?” Zhongli Chun reined in her killing intent and lowered her head. “Did I cause trouble for you?”

“Not at all,” Du Yu shook his head, picking up a cup of milk tea from the side. “You have to treat them as friends too. Think about it. If she didn’t view you as a friend, why would Miss Underworld Messenger buy you a cup of milk tea?”

Du Yu poked the straw through the seal and held the milk tea out to Zhongli Chun.

“Have a taste.”

Hearing Du Yu’s words, Zhongli Chun cautiously took the cup and took a sip.

“!!!”

An expression of absolute shock instantly appeared on her face.

“What is this concoction? It’s so delicious…”

“Hehe!” Fan Xiaoguo couldn’t help but laugh at Zhongli Chun’s reaction. “Sister Zhongli is actually pretty cute after all.”

Having rapidly drained the entire cup, Zhongli Chun still looked like she wanted more. She took a deep breath and let out an incredibly loud burp. “Burp—!”

“Aiya!” Fan Xiaoguo cringed with second-hand embarrassment. “Sister Zhongli, you’re so beautiful! You’re not allowed to burp so loudly!”

Zhongli Chun looked confused and asked, “I am full. Why can I not burp?”

Du Yu actually found it rather amusing. A tall, stunning beauty burping with such intense seriousness—the sheer contrast of the scene was simply hilarious.

While the group was noisily bantering in the room, Dong Qianqiu’s phone suddenly rang.

“What’s wrong, Sister Qianqiu?” Du Yu asked.

“Something must have happened. Only people from the Legend Management Bureau know the number to this phone,” Dong Qianqiu said as she pulled the device from her pocket.

“If something’s up, then answer it.”

Dong Qianqiu shot Du Yu a faint glance. “Du Yu, we are currently AWOL…”

“Uh…” Du Yu scratched his head. “True. If you answer it, we’re definitely going to get an earful…”

Although Dong Qianqiu was afraid of being reprimanded, she was even more afraid that a real emergency had occurred. After hesitating again and again, she finally picked up the call.

“Hello?”

“Little Dong,” an elderly voice came from the other end of the line.

“Director?”

“It is I. Have you two had your fill of fun yet?”

“Ah?” Dong Qianqiu froze for a moment.

“Should I give you another day off?”

“Ah, no… no need…”

He Suoyi chuckled. “Little Dong, although this is the first time you’ve gone out to play in nearly a millennium, and I would love nothing more than to let you rest a few more days, there is nine hundred years’ worth of work piled up that requires an operator to handle…”

“Understood!”

Dong Qianqiu asked for a few more details before hanging up the phone.

“Du Yu, we have to go back.”

“Oh?” Du Yu nodded. “Alright then.”

Dong Qianqiu stood up, walked over to Fan Xiaoguo, and said, “Xiaoguo… I’m afraid we’ll have to trouble you again…”

The group piled into the vehicle and sped off in the direction of the Mount of No Return.

After driving for quite a while, Fan Xiaoguo finally couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“I mean… giving you two a ride back isn’t a big deal…” Fan Xiaoguo glanced at Zhongli Chun in the backseat through the rearview mirror. “But why is Sister Zhongli coming to the Legend Management Bureau too?”

Du Yu echoed the sentiment. “That’s right, Miss Zhongli. Don’t you need to go home?”

“Home?” Zhongli Chun asked. “What is home?”

“Home…?” Du Yu pondered for a moment before answering. “Home is a place where you can relax, where you never have to pretend to be strong. It’s a place with people who care about you and whom you hold dear.”

“Home…” Zhongli Chun listened to Du Yu’s description and slowly cracked a smile. She pointed around the beat-up minivan and asked, “Hearing you say that, this must be home, right?”

“Here…?” Du Yu looked around, unsure of how to answer. For Zhongli Chun, was this cramped space really more comforting than a home? Were there truly people in this car that she cared about?

“Du Yu, you can’t communicate with her like that. Let me ask.” Dong Qianqiu waved Du Yu off and looked at Zhongli Chun. “Zhongli Chun, where do you usually live?”

“Where do I live…?” Zhongli Chun thought about it for a second. “When I am tired, I sleep on the streets. When I am hungry, I rob wandering ghosts of their money and rations. When I am dirty, I bathe in the River of Forgetfulness.”

“Ha?!” Fan Xiaoguo blurted out, her lips forming a pout. “So you don’t even have a daily skincare routine?”

“Miss Underworld Messenger, is that really the focal point right now…?” Du Yu shot back in exasperation. “Aside from pearl milk tea, your favorite hobby is killing conversations dead in their tracks, isn’t it?”

“Mind your own business…” Fan Xiaoguo mumbled, glaring at Du Yu before turning her attention back to the road.

“Doesn’t living like that make you sad?” Dong Qianqiu asked.

“If I am sad, I just eat something sweet.”

For some reason, Du Yu felt a twinge of heartache for Zhongli Chun. He asked, “You’re a girl, and you just wander the streets like that?”

‘A girl?’ Dong Qianqiu almost thought she heard wrong. Could the words ‘a girl’ even be associated with Zhongli Chun? ‘A female demon’ was much more fitting.

“Is that what you call wandering…?” Zhongli Chun listened to Du Yu’s words earnestly. After pondering it over, she admitted a bit sheepishly, “I thought everyone lived similarly to me.”

“Not even close, sister!” Fan Xiaoguo interjected again. “We still have to do our skincare! If you don’t use any products, how is your skin so flawless…”

“Focus on driving!” Du Yu kicked the back of the front seat. “Are we really talking about skincare right now? Did you miss the part where she sleeps on the streets and bathes in rivers?”

“But I just really want to know…” Fan Xiaoguo glanced over at Dong Qianqiu. “What do you think, Assistant Dong?”

“I actually wanted to ask too…” Dong Qianqiu stared intensely at Zhongli Chun. “Do you not do any regular hair maintenance?”

“You two sisters… how about we just stop talking and sit in dead silence…” Du Yu groaned, massaging his temples.

…

It wasn’t long before the group arrived at the Legend Management Bureau on the Mount of No Return.

Dong Qianqiu knocked on the door, and a staff member came out to greet them. Upon catching sight of Zhongli Chun, the staff member’s face visibly shifted in hue, though he quickly regained his composure.

“Assistant Dong, the Director wishes to see you and the operator.”

Fan Xiaoguo exchanged a few brief farewells with the group before flying off into the sky in her battered minivan.

Under the staff member’s guidance, Dong Qianqiu, Du Yu, and Zhongli Chun were soon led to He Suoyi. He Suoyi was holding a copy of the “Underworld Morning Post”, reading it with great relish.

“Director, we’ve arrived.”

He Suoyi looked up and was just about to say something when his eyes landed squarely on Zhongli Chun. “Oh? Now this is a rare sight.”

Zhongli Chun paid absolutely no heed to He Suoyi; her gaze remained fixed on Du Yu.

Dong Qianqiu stepped forward, pulled He Suoyi aside, and gave him a general rundown of everything that had happened that day.

“Such a thing actually happened?”

He Suoyi didn’t show an overly surprised expression. He turned back to the group and said, “Since you are here, you are a guest. Ordinarily, I would let Zhongli Chun sit wherever she pleases, but today’s situation is special. We cannot allow her to stay here and watch.” He Suoyi waved a hand to the side, calling over a staff member.

“Escort Miss Zhongli to Du Yu’s room to rest.”

Hearing He Suoyi say this, Dong Qianqiu seemed to understand something.

“Why?” Zhongli Chun asked.

“It is a rule of the Legend Management Bureau,” Dong Qianqiu explained. “Within the legend, one cannot see oneself. Today’s legend must be related to you.”

“Within the legend, one cannot see oneself?” Du Yu asked. “What does that mean?”

“Since ancient times, the Legend Management Bureau has had this regulation.” He Suoyi stroked his beard and said, “Absolutely no one is allowed to watch the recreation of their own legend within the Legend Management Bureau.”