The Elixir is for You, The Poison is for Me

#287 - Resignation

Xuan Ji only pondered for a moment, then walked to the bookshelf to the left of Guo Shouhuai and pulled out a book, handing it to Guo Shouhuai.

The latter glanced at the title—"Miscellaneous Records of Xilin."

This meant that the book was a collection of notes written by a predecessor with the pseudonym Xilin, but the name alone didn't reveal any connection to the secret realm.

Therefore, Guo Shouhuai hadn't paid much attention when he had previously scanned the book, simply overlooking it.

However, at this moment, he heard Xuan Ji say softly, "Pages thirty-two and seventeen both contain descriptions of the secret realm."

Upon hearing this, Guo Shouhuai flipped "Miscellaneous Records of Xilin" to the corresponding pages as Xuan Ji had instructed, and sure enough, he found records related to the secret realm.

Then, Xuan Ji took another book from the third shelf, walked to the second row of bookshelves, and took down three more books, handing them all to Guo Shouhuai…

When Yu Qiuren hurried back from outside, carrying two baskets of steamed buns and four small dishes, he was met with a scene that left him dumbfounded.

He saw Xuan Ji standing on tiptoe in front of the bookshelf, selecting books, while Lu Jing was carrying a large stack of books behind her.

If it were just that, it would be fine, but the key was that Guo Shouhuai, the Vice Director of the Directorate of Celestial Observations, had somehow come down from upstairs and was now sitting not far from the two of them, engrossed in reading.

"Senior Brother, you're back," Lu Jing greeted Yu Qiuren, then carried the stack of books in his hands to Guo Shouhuai, saying, "The food is here, let's eat something together."

Guo Shouhuai nodded upon hearing this, closing the book in his hand, "Alright, I'm feeling a bit hungry too, but is there enough food for you all?"

"Yes, there's enough… If there isn't, I can buy more," Yu Qiuren said, opening the food box in his hand, "This box is all for you, Vice Director Guo."

"No need, let's all eat together," Guo Shouhuai said, beckoning to Xuan Ji not far away, "Come on, these steamed buns are still quite warm."

Yu Qiuren was worried that Xuan Ji's hand would give her away, so he quickly winked at Lu Jing, wanting Lu Jing to find a way to stop her, but Lu Jing simply shook his head slightly at him.

Before Yu Qiuren could do anything else, he heard Guo Shouhuai's voice ring out again, "You two, stop making eyes at each other over there, and come and eat quickly."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qiuren felt a cold sweat break out on his back. He dazedly came to the table, not knowing how he sat down. When he came back to his senses, a hand had already picked up chopsticks, but then he thought of something and suddenly spoke up.

"According to the rules of the academy, dining is not allowed in the library."

Guo Shouhuai didn't retract his hand holding the steamed bun upon hearing this, but glanced sideways at Yu Qiuren, saying unpleasantly, "You still have the nerve to mention the academy rules to me!"

Yu Qiuren was somewhat bewildered when he saw Xuan Ji suddenly kneel on the ground, saying, "This matter is all this little girl's fault. I hope Vice Director Guo will investigate thoroughly and not blame Mr. Yu."

"Enough."

Guo Shouhuai shook his head, took a bite of the mutton steamed bun in his hand, and said indifferently, "Are you trying to negotiate with me because you know I can use you right now?"

"This little girl has no such intention. Since the day I came to this world, I have relied entirely on Mr. Yu's care. This kindness is already difficult to repay. If I were to implicate Mr. Yu again, what would be the point of continuing to live?"

Xuan Ji's voice was gentle, yet filled with determination, "Vice Director Guo, please rest assured that I will pick out all the books related to the secret realm for you. After I finish all this, I will return to the book, only asking that you spare Mr. Yu and not deprive him of his position as Secretary."

"Although Mr. Yu often complains that there are too many and too miscellaneous things in the library, I can see that Mr. Yu is also a true lover of books. During his years in office, he has managed the library in an orderly manner, and the books here have been well-maintained by him, with no instances of dampness or fire."

"It's easy for you to drive him away, but it may not be so easy to find someone who truly loves books like him to replace him."

"That's not necessarily true," Guo Shouhuai said dismissively, "Experts are hard to find in this world, but there are plenty of bookworms who only know how to deal with books. It's not that difficult to find one, and I actually already have someone in mind."

"Whether I'm the Secretary or not doesn't really matter. The world is so big, I can always find something to do to make a living," Yu Qiuren, who had been silent until now, suddenly said with a wry smile.

As he spoke, he took out his waist badge and placed it on the table, then cupped his hands.

"I only hope that Vice Director Guo can leave Xuan Ji here. She was born from a book, has a pure heart, has never done evil, and cannot leave this library. She is harmless to the world. According to the rules of the Directorate, there is no need to eliminate this type of strange object."

"Are you two planning to put on a show of star-crossed lovers for me?"

Guo Shouhuai finally finished the steamed bun in his hand, wiped his mouth, and then looked up at Yu Qiuren and Xuan Ji again.

Yu Qiuren was about to explain the relationship between the two when Guo Shouhuai waved his hand to stop him, then picked up Guo Shouhuai's waist badge and said to the latter, "Do you still remember the rules of the Directorate of Celestial Observations?"

"I remember," Yu Qiuren nodded, "If one is expelled from the Directorate of Celestial Observations due to a mistake, all secret power will be abolished, and one must not mention the existence of the Directorate of Celestial Observations and strange objects to anyone outside the Directorate."

"It's not that serious. After all, you've been the Secretary in the library for so long. If you haven't made contributions, you've at least worked hard, so this time I'll consider it your own initiative to leave. There's no need to abolish your secret power, just remember to keep it a secret. Even to your beloved friends and relatives, you can't talk about your experiences here. Can you do that?"

Yu Qiuren nodded again.

"All of this is because of me," Xuan Ji said with unprecedented excitement, "I am the one who caused Mr. Yu to leave this place!"

As she said this, she heard Guo Shouhuai pick up her words from the side.

"You're right, you can't escape responsibility for this matter, so you have to be punished too. Hmm… I'll punish you to manage this library for Yu Qiuren, for a period of… a period that I haven't thought of yet, but you can start working first."

"I won't do it," Xuan Ji refused without hesitation, "Lord Guo is the Vice Director of the Directorate of Celestial Observations, in charge of all the personnel of the Directorate of Celestial Observations, but he probably can't control someone like me who is from a book."

"Indeed," Guo Shouhuai nodded, "Although you can't beat me, it's quite easy to die. You can just find a door or window to jump out of after I leave, but after I punish Yu Qiuren and you, there's still one person who hasn't been punished."