Why Am I the One Being Pursued?

But in reality, those things were manageable. The most, most, most outrageous part was that the system did not provide any explanation whatsoever for the skills it drew!

Yes, literally no explanation at all.

There were no descriptions of the abilities, no instructions for use, and no listed side effects. In other words, drawing one did not mean he could use it, because he still had to figure out what the thing even was. It was nowhere near as convenient or powerful as he had imagined—this system was practically a half-finished product.

Beautiful Youth could be set aside for now. He could roughly guess that its ability lived up to its name and probably raised attributes like his charm.

After fiddling with Mind Catcher for a long time, he had more or less figured it out. It seemed to let him briefly hear the other person's thoughts.

It sounded powerful, but there were far too many uncontrollable factors in practice. He could only occasionally pick out fragments from someone's inner thoughts, and both its accuracy and controllability were abysmal.

For example, suppose the other person was thinking, "I think I've dealt with this person before."

If Mind Catcher functioned normally, Bai Jun would know what the other person was thinking. But if the ability decided to act up, things became troublesome, because it would cut that sentence into: "I think I've dealt with this per—"

That was taking things completely out of context!

On top of that, Bai Jun had no control over when the ability activated. Sometimes it even automatically listened to pets' thoughts. It could be said that the drawbacks outweighed the benefits. Fortunately, it only triggered once in a while, so he could still tolerate it.

But the truly heavyweight one was obviously the ability called Favor of the Sun. He had drawn it so long ago that he still did not know what it was, much less how to use it. Whether he yelled all kinds of cringe names at the sky or struck embarrassing poses, he could not activate it. By now, he even suspected that this damn system had bugged out.

Did this system think it was funny? Or did it enjoy speaking in riddles? No, it did not even qualify as a riddler, because this dead system did not make a sound at all.

The ability he had just drawn was the same:

"Sacred Judgment of Heavenly Fire..."

It sounded cool, like some weapon from a game. And it felt strangely compatible with him?

Holding an oiled-paper umbrella, Bai Jun kept muttering about the item he had just drawn as he walked back.

But no matter how he called out, the pair of pistols showed no reaction at all. Bai Jun sighed. Forget it. He was already used to it, so he simply stopped thinking about the thing.

Looking on the bright side, at least his new residence was settled.

He deliberately waded through puddles a few times on the street, killing some time before slowly returning to the Earth-Balance Commission' Public Office.

"Hiss, this feels awful."

He folded up his oiled-paper umbrella in the entryway and frowned at his soaked shirt and trousers, regretting playing in the water outside earlier.

Just as it had been when he left, the Public Office remained a bustling scene. Aside from Pine Smoke Steward, who never seemed serious, nearly everyone else was red-faced and furious, practically ready to drag the people on the other end of the Jade Omen over and beat them up.

Indeed, some people did things without using their brains. Whether it was a major matter or a trivial one—from a child's coming-of-age ceremony to what heat setting to use while cooking, even what to eat for lunch—they had to ask the Earth-Balance Commission. It was unbearably annoying. Bai Jun had suggested more than once that they arrest those troublemakers.

Since everyone had their own work to do, and his presence was rather faint, no one noticed him during the several minutes it took him to pull a book from the shelf, turn on the desk lamp, take a towel from the counter, and brew himself a steaming cup of fragrant tea.

But Bai Jun liked this kind of life. He took a blissful sip of hot tea, then looked up at the clock. There were less than thirty minutes until work ended.

Wonderful. After idling away some time, another morning had passed. One should face life with this kind of enthusiasm, shouldn't one?

After a little while, Pure Ink Steward walked to the center of the Public Office and clapped her hands. The crisp sound brought the working office drones to a stop.

"All right, everyone worked hard this morning. There are ten minutes left before we get off work, so let's use this time to summarize the past half month's performance."

"Ah, great, we're finally saved..."

At the order, everyone seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. They shut down their work Jade Omens and slumped in their seats like puppets with cut strings or fish drowned in water. Some clerks without seats simply sat on the floor without caring about the puddles.

Jing Yan swept her gaze over everyone before it finally landed on Bai Jun, who was leisurely drinking tea and reading. "Remember to tell me when you come back next time. Otherwise, I'll count it as absenteeism, Qing Yan."

Bai Jun naturally did not say much. He brushed it off with phrases like, "I know I was wrong," "I'll definitely do it next time," and "You're absolutely right." His practiced response made it clear he had been caught slacking off plenty of times before.

Only then did the colleagues around him turn their eyes toward Bai Jun, their gazes filled with surprise and confusion.

"Huh? When did Qing Yan come back?"

"Now that you mention it, I just noticed. Come to think of it, I've wanted to ask this for a while—doesn't Qing Yan's presence feel way too faint?"

"Exactly. He's obviously so good-looking, so why is his presence so low?"

Hearing the whispers below, Pure Ink Steward cleared her throat again and interrupted their curiosity. "All right, let's begin the summary. No talking."

Jing Yan tapped the blackboard behind her that represented their performance, picked up a red piece of chalk, and added another mark beneath Bai Jun's name. "A client just gave Qing Yan a five-star review. This is a commendation..."

Looking at the vast swathes of red positive reviews on Bai Jun's performance chart, then at the flood of negative reviews darkening the faces of the other colleagues, the enormous gap had already determined who would receive this month's Best Clerk Award.

Yet the others showed no particular emotion. They merely praised him sincerely.

For the dazzling star who had topped the Best Clerk rankings for three consecutive years since arriving here, the other employees of the Earth-Balance Commission had long grown accustomed to it.

If they had to put it into words, it was admiration. After all, when facing that bunch of demons and monsters at work, anyone who could hold back from swearing for even one second was already extraordinary. Not to mention maintaining a calm mindset throughout the job. And this one had even achieved an entire year without a single negative review—he was practically the reincarnation of a celestial savior.

With results this absurd, an ordinary person would have long been promoted to the General Affairs Department at the Starcruiser Sea Hub and risen to great success. At worst, they could have become an official steward at some local Public Office.

But what about him? He had refused every offer and still held fast to his grassroots position, contributing to the people of the Luofu day after day, year after year. He vividly embodied the saying: a Earth-Balance Commission comrade is a brick, moved wherever needed.

The radiance of humanity emitted by someone with such righteousness made them all feel ashamed of themselves. Sometimes, they even felt that the so-called Best Clerk Award was unworthy of Bai Jun.

Just think about it.

He was efficient at work, emotionally intelligent, smooth in handling affairs, and not only good-looking but exceptionally kind-hearted. Rumor even had it that he was close to General Jing Yuan. With a colleague who possessed ability, talent, looks, and connections all in one, they were happy enough already.

As for jealousy? Resentment?

No, no, no. Once the gap reached a certain level, there was nothing left to feel but admiration.

After the brief evaluation ended, the morning's hard work finally gave way to about two hours of rest. The rain outside had also begun to ease, so the other Earth-Balance Commission colleagues invited Bai Jun to eat with them, but he declined.

"Sorry, I have other matters to attend to at noon today."

Bai Jun explained apologetically. Of course, his colleagues did not blame their star employee. Though a few female coworkers puffed out their cheeks in disappointment, they still left understandingly.

When he reached the eaves, he saw that the rain had already stopped and the artificial gloom covering the dome was gradually fading, so he did not bring his oiled-paper umbrella.

There were still plenty of puddles along the way, so Bai Jun deliberately slowed his pace. He did not want to wet his trouser legs again.

Because it had just rained, there were few people on the streets. Yet roadside shopkeepers were still opening their doors one after another, adding a touch of life to the quiet scene.

When he reached the elevated part of Exalting Sanctum, he came to a shop he frequented. Besides the tea he wanted and an extra-spicy serving of spicy braised beef offal, Bai Jun habitually ordered a cup of Immortal's Joy Tea, a serving of Singing Lotus Root Cake, and a small portion of Tapir Roll.

Before long, the owner brought the food over and even gave him a Qiongshi Bird Skewer as a bonus. But Bai Jun did not start eating. Instead, he idly gazed at the scenery below.

Sitting at the tea table here, sipping tea and admiring the view was rather elegant. But before long, that brief elegance was broken by a warm yet lively voice, like a clear spring.

"Guess who I am?"

A pair of soft little hands covered Bai Jun's eyes as she asked with a faint smile.

Smelling the familiar scent of shampoo and feeling those soft little hands, Bai Jun answered almost without thinking.

"Lady Fu Xuan."

"Correct... huh?"

The smile on the tea-haired girl's face froze.

P.S. New author, new book. Please support me~

Brother, You Smell So Good

There was only one thought in Qing Que's mind right now: Why Lady Fu Xuan...

No! Why would Lady Fu Xuan play this game with you too?!

But before she could get angry, Qing Que saw Bai Jun's faintly smiling eyes and instantly realized he was teasing her.

After blanking for a moment, two embarrassed, irritated blushes immediately bloomed across Qing Que's delicate and pretty face.

"Hmph, Qing Yan is an idiot. I'm not playing with you anymore."

She puffed up her little cheeks unhappily, placed her hands on her waist, and assumed a posture like she was about to turn around and leave. Yet her fair little legs did not move even half a step, making her intentions painfully obvious.

Though she looked angry, her whole body radiated a soft and sweet feeling. Her little face was turned away, yet her eyes kept shifting back to sneak glances at him, as if she were saying, "Come coax me already!"

Bai Jun naturally went along with it. He hurriedly pulled her over beside his seat and attentively handed her the still-steaming Immortal's Joy Tea. "How was work this morning?"

"Hey, why are you talking about work the moment we meet..."

Though she said that, her tone had clearly softened. The steaming Immortal's Joy Tea in her hands seemed to seep warmth directly into her heart.

"It was the same as usual. As long as I had a moment to relax, the Diviner would pop up like a Jade Omen and assign me all sorts of trivial work. What a rare half-day of leisure in this fleeting life... Hmm, how did the other saying go again?"

"Life is but a brief moment. If we are always scrambling about, when will it ever end?"

"Yes, yes, Qing Yan, you really understand me."

As Bai Jun gently smoothed her tea-colored twin-tailed hair like he was soothing a kitten or puppy, he shared what had happened at work today.

A moment later, Qing Que, whose little face had been tense just moments ago, burst out laughing. "And then you rented that place for less than half the original price?"

Bai Jun nodded. He had planned to move for a long time. One reason was to avoid certain people, and the other was to find some peace and quiet.

"Qing Yan, can you really read feng shui from that compass?" Qing Que had always been interested in his compass, so she leaned over curiously and looked at Bai Jun with eager anticipation.

"Of course... not."

His words came to an abrupt halt. Bai Jun sighed helplessly. "It's just a gimmick. Otherwise, why would they believe me? They refuse to listen when I explain things reasonably, always preferring to place their hopes in some intangible, illusory thing. After a while, I grew too lazy to argue with them, so I simply went along with it. But the results were unexpectedly good."

Bai Jun leisurely took a sip of tea and brought out the compass again. The pretty girl leaned closer, and a curious head was reflected on its surface.

"Besides, that man runs a renovation company, but all the buildings for several miles around Aurum Alley are newly renovated. Where would he find any business? I wasn't lying."

As she gazed at Bai Jun's profile, the corners of her lips rose unconsciously. Her eyes held a restrained softness mixed with a hint of shyness. They blinked lightly, her lashes as delicate as newly born butterflies. From this close, she could even smell the faint citrus scent on Bai Jun's body. It was probably his shampoo?

Brother, you smell so good!

"Pfft!"

The thought that suddenly surfaced in his mind made Bai Jun spray out his tea on the spot, followed immediately by a violent fit of coughing.

"Hey, are you all right, Qing Yan?!"

Qing Que immediately stepped forward and gently patted his back, her face full of worry.

"N-No, I'm fine..."

Seeing the genuine concern Qing Que revealed, Bai Jun shook his head in surprise and suspicion, wondering whether the ability was acting up again.

How could Qing Que possibly say something so random and nonsensical?

Right, the ability had to be malfunctioning again. This was not the first or second time something like this had happened. After convincing himself of that, Bai Jun gave an awkward laugh and scratched his cheek. "I just choked on some water. Don't worry."

"All right..."

Hearing Bai Jun say that, Qing Que could only return to her seat. Looking at Bai Jun's clear cornflower-blue eyes and his slightly troubled expression, for some reason, an inexplicable... excitement rose in her heart?

Come to think of it, had Qing Yan gotten prettier again lately? Oh dear, that would not do. What if bad people started eyeing him if this kept up?

All kinds of thoughts tangled together in Qing Que's mind as she daydreamed, while her gaze remained fixed on Bai Jun's profile. Without realizing it, the fork in her hand had stirred the Tapir Roll on her plate into a complete mess.

"What are you thinking about? Your expression feels kind of strange..." As if guided by an uncannily accurate sixth sense, Bai Jun seemed to notice her little thoughts and looked at her with some conflicted concern.

"Hehe, it's nothing." Qing Que gave a silly laugh and lowered her head, intending to eat some Tapir Roll to ease the awkwardness. But when she saw the egg roll she had mangled with her fork, she suddenly fell silent.

"Qing Yan, try the Tapir Roll. It's delicious!" Decisively, she swapped the messy plate of Tapir Roll with Bai Jun's, then unceremoniously snatched the extra-spicy spicy braised beef offal that Bai Jun had only eaten halfway.

"Mine is a little spicy."

"It's fine, it's fine! I'm not afraid of spicy food!"

Bai Jun's lips moved slightly. Since the girl herself did not mind, he naturally said nothing more and lowered his head to deal with the Tapir Roll Qing Que had left behind.

Meanwhile, Qing Que ate the beef offal in her bowl while secretly watching Bai Jun. Especially after he ate the Tapir Roll she had already eaten, the secret delight in her heart swelled further. Even the beef offal in her bowl seemed much tastier. She did not notice at all how much chili had been added to the bowl floating with red oil.

Not long after, when the heat finally surged up, Qing Que abruptly realized something was wrong. "Wait! Why is this so spicy?!"

"Hm? The healer told me that eating spicy food is good for the body." Bai Jun explained as he pushed Qing Que's unfinished Immortal's Joy Tea toward her.

Qing Que immediately began gulping it down, but even then the burning sensation in her mouth did not ease. "Wah, what kind of healer tells someone to eat something this spicy?!"

The spice left her speaking incoherently. She stuck out her pink tongue and lightly sucked in cool air, trying to ease the burning that way.

After finishing the Tapir Roll on his plate, Bai Jun put down his chopsticks and propped his cheek on his hand, teasing her. "You really are always like a child."

"What are you saying? I'm already an adult!" Thinking of that, Qing Que did not even care about the burning in her mouth. She immediately patted her chest to prove that she was already an independent adult.

She did not want Bai Jun to see her as nothing more than a little sister. From beginning to end, what she wanted was to be treated as a woman.

Bai Jun accepted the medicinal tea the owner brought over, thanked him, and set it in front of himself. Shaking his head, he said, "You still don't understand, little Qing Que."

"What do you mean?"

"Only when more and more hair falls onto your pillow, and the sliced bread you like disappears from the convenience store—when all those tiny desperations accumulate—does a person grow up." Bai Jun looked just like some six- or seven-hundred-year-old fellow about to succumb to mara, always fond of seriously speaking pessimistic yet philosophical words.

"How old are you this year, Qing Yan? Sometimes you really seem like an old man." Qing Que took another sip of Immortal's Joy Tea. She guessed Bai Jun was around her age, and the tension in her fingertips revealed a trace of anticipation.