I Want to Slack Off at the Demon Bureau
Chapter 65

The sea surface was being patrolled by the Qiwu Bureau's observation unit, directly pursuing and arresting the fugitive merpeople hiding underwater, and destroying the Dragon God forces that had long been causing trouble near Qiwu. The seawater, previously tainted with the Dragon God's demonic aura, now allowed the observation unit personnel to clearly investigate the situation, unlike before when searching the Dragon God temple was difficult.

Gentle waves rippled across the surface as a refreshing breeze swept into the boat, making Chu Zhishui's long hair dance gracefully in the warm sunlight.

Sitting by the boat's window, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear while gazing at the peaceful waves. She turned to look at Xin Yunmao sitting opposite her and exclaimed, "You can ride boats now? It doesn't hurt at all?"

Previously, Xin Yunmao couldn't go near the sea, but now he could peacefully travel by boat and cross the ocean with them to reach the Qiwu Bureau.

"Yes, I was originally fused with his power, so I couldn't avoid that dragon's influence," Xin Yunmao raised his left hand, staring at his palm thoughtfully. "Now that he's been expelled and the seawater has been purified, there's no problem."

From now on, he would never suffer from dragon flame pain again; he was finally complete.

Xin Yunmao now had short black hair and wore a loose light blue short-sleeved shirt that revealed his pale skin. He looked relaxed and carefree, like someone on a beach vacation.

Wu Changgong, sitting in the aisle seat, observed that Xin Yunmao was unharmed and praised, "The Divine Lord is amazing! You were burned black earlier, but now you're white again!"

Chu Zhishui was startled: "Burned black?"

"I wasn't black," Xin Yunmao shot Wu Changgong a sideways glance, frightening him into silence. Unwilling to discuss his disheveled state, he said sternly, "I've always been white."

Chu Zhishui teased: "You've always been green."

He frowned in displeasure: "What's wrong with being green? Do you prefer white that much?"

"That's not it..." Chu Zhishui explained patiently, "How did this become about me?"

Xin Yunmao crossed his arms and asked expressionlessly: "Then tell me directly, do you prefer green or white?"

"..."

Chu Zhishui felt embarrassed being questioned in front of everyone, especially with the other supernatural beings wearing amused expressions. She felt like a boiling kettle, steaming with heat, thinking to herself that he really knew how to make things difficult.

Wu Changgong slapped his thigh and advised: "Director Chu, the rescue wasn't easy, just take it as a thank you."

Lan Quanxian: "Green is environmentally friendly."

Having witnessed Xin Yunmao enter the sea despite the black fire, Wu Changgong and Lan Quanxian naturally had a different perspective and a new understanding of the Bamboo God.

"Green, green, green, happy now?" Chu Zhishui glared at Xin Yunmao, and seeing his smug expression, deliberately stuck out her tongue: "Nyeh!"

The Qiwu Bureau was located on a scenic small island, with buildings scattered among rolling hills. The place was evergreen throughout the four seasons, covered in various plants. Apart from being economically underdeveloped, it was quite suitable for short-term recuperation in a quiet environment.

Chu Zhishui and Director Sha negotiated assistance terms: the Huaijiang Bureau would lend funds to the Qiwu Bureau, and if not repaid on time, the fugitive merpeople's pearls would serve as collateral.

The Observation Bureau Company would classify and sell the pearls according to their grade, with profits distributed proportionally between the two bureaus. The Qiwu Bureau needed to capture fugitive merpeople and regularly supply raw materials in batches according to quantity until all debts were repaid. If needed, they could continue cooperation with renegotiated profit-sharing ratios.

With the observation work concluded, Lan Quanxian showed one human and one supernatural being around the bureau, while Wu Changgong occasionally took them sightseeing.

Undeniably, Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao truly experienced the joy of official travel. Although Qiwu had few tourist attractions, it made up for it with cheap and plentiful seafood, allowing them to try many specialty dishes unavailable inland. They also took revenge by occasionally planting bamboo, making future visits more convenient while increasing Qiwu's green coverage.

Before leaving, Chu Zhishui, Xin Yunmao, and Wu Changgong, as representatives of the Huaijiang Bureau, took a group photo with the Qiwu Bureau supernatural beings at the entrance. The neat, official lineup and ultra-high-definition photography captured the formal atmosphere of an official group photo.

When Chu Zhishui received the photo, she couldn't help but zoom in on the details, muttering, "These kinds of photos really do make people look awkward."

Unit group photos rarely turn out well.

Xin Yunmao leaned close to her, examined the photo, and suddenly said: "I want a copy of this."

"You want the group photo?" She raised an eyebrow, "Even though it looks so bad?"

"It's not that bad," Xin Yunmao extended his long finger, circling himself and Chu Zhishui on the screen, and said calmly, "If you crop out just this part and delete the rest, wouldn't it look good?"

"..." Chu Zhishui was speechless for a moment before firmly refusing, "No."

Xin Yunmao's eyes widened: "Why? I just want a photo."

She insisted stubbornly: "No reason, just no."

She wouldn't admit it was because she looked silly in the photo, with her hair messed up by the sea breeze at the time.

If he wanted to look at it later, it would be too embarrassing.

Xin Yunmao sulked: "Hmph."

The Qiwu trip officially concluded. Since Wu Changgong's vacation hadn't ended, only Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao returned.

When they arrived, night had fallen, and Huaijiang City was graced with a rare sight of stars filling the sky, like countless bright pearls scattered across dark silk.

Cricket chirps emerged from the greenery at street corners as they arrived by car at the residential complex entrance. Xin Yunmao helped her with her suitcase and routinely accompanied her to the building entrance, now familiar enough with the way that he didn't need directions.

The night breeze was cool and refreshing. The residential courtyard was empty, with only dim street lamps casting their overlapping shadows on the ground.

Chu Zhishui held her suitcase handle and turned to look at Xin Yunmao, seeing his profile softened by the warm light, and said softly, "I'll head up first then."

For some reason, every time she bid him farewell, she felt a sense of guilt.

"Wait," Xin Yunmao raised his finger and took out the Dragon Bone Umbrella, "This is for you."

The Dragon Bone Umbrella was now closed, completely dark green, lying quietly in his hand.

"Huh?" She didn't reach out to take it, confused: "Why suddenly..."

"Since you can use it, you should carry it with you, you might need it," Xin Yunmao avoided her bright gaze, pursed his lips, and slightly withdrew his hand, seeming somewhat awkward as he warned in a muffled voice, "But I still hope you'll use me more, this is just a backup option."

Based on his understanding of her, if she only used the umbrella, it would be counterproductive.

Chu Zhishui's face showed embarrassment, her ears instantly burning as she exclaimed: "Use you!?"

Seeing her strong reaction, Xin Yunmao became increasingly dissatisfied and frowned: "Don't you plan to call my name anymore when you encounter problems in the future?"

Chu Zhishui was silent for several seconds before responding weakly: "When we talk, can we be more logical and stop omitting key words?"

He could have simply said to use the umbrella less and call him more often, why did he have to say "use him"?

She didn't understand, she was greatly shocked, and she still couldn't figure out where his sense of shame lay.

Xin Yunmao noticed she hadn't answered directly and immediately withdrew the umbrella, lifting his chin slightly: "Quick, promise you'll use me more and it less."

She had always kept her word and never broken promises.

Chu Zhishui felt forced into a corner and said quietly: "Otherwise, why don't you keep it? It's not convenient for me to carry an umbrella every day."

"I can help you keep it in the pendant, they're similar in some ways," Xin Yunmao pointed at the token around her neck, having figured something out, and became increasingly resentful, lamenting: "I'm giving you something, and you don't want it?"

"..."

Well, this was a signal for war.

Chu Zhishui smiled and quickly said softly: "I want it, of course I want it. The Divine Lord cares about me, I must accept it."

Xin Yunmao persisted: "Then quickly promise you'll use me more..."

Hearing him say these suggestive words for the third time, Chu Zhishui interrupted with a blushing face: "Use, use, use, alright! I'll call your name more and use the Dragon Bone Umbrella less!"

Only then was Xin Yunmao satisfied, slowly raising his fingertip to touch the pendant on her neck and placing the Dragon Bone Umbrella inside. He suddenly remembered something and casually reminded her: "By the way, you should call me Yunmao from now on."

Chu Zhishui heard his escalating demands: "?"

Her expression became peculiar as she struggled to say: "Aren't you thinking like an ancient person? Don't you think this is a bit... too intimate?"

"Intimate?" Xin Yunmao was startled. He stared at her intently for a long while, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, his eyes flickering as he mumbled, "Being more intimate would be fine, so without the 'Yun,' just call me..."

Mao.

Before he could finish speaking, he was met with her angry punch.

After Chu Zhishui forcefully punched him, she exclaimed in embarrassed anger, "That's enough! Have you no shame!?"

"I'm leaving. Not bothering with you anymore."

She turned away, pushing her suitcase, thinking to herself that he truly lived up to being a plant – give him a bit of sunshine, and he becomes dazzling.

Xin Yunmao watched her go upstairs, standing in the night with a content heart, his lips unconsciously curling into a smile.

A familiar warmth surged through his body, identical to every time he interacted with her, nourishing his once-scarred form like sweet spring water.

No, he no longer had scars – he had completely transformed into himself.

Even though she was a human without spiritual energy, even though she had neither gifts nor longevity, she was the one he had chosen, his undisputed human deity. He took endless pleasure in mimicking her behavior, following in her footsteps, experiencing the world she touched, comprehending all her thoughts – this was his way of worship.

Unlike that foolish dragon who dismissed the guidance of heaven and earth, he had his own independent thoughts and had discovered true divinity.

He had a feeling that if he could become someone like her, perhaps he would become a true god.

Not appointed by heaven and earth, but choosing to become divine of his own accord.

This realization exploded in his mind, just like when he first transformed into human form and heard the words "Yunmao," experiencing an enlightening awakening.

An indescribable joy filled his heart – it was like the rising sun and setting moon, the gathering and dispersing clouds, the changing of seasons, the hundred flavors of the twenty-four solar terms, the shifting of stars in the vast universe, the seed that finally breaks through the soil despite its eternal constraints, the perfect completeness of boundless life.

In the night sky, countless green light points bloomed, surrounding him like fireflies.

It was both heart-fluttering and heart-blooming. After the torment of burning flames, his newly grown body finally reclaimed its original abilities.

Xin Yunmao stared at his fingertips in a daze as a tiny flower bloomed, appearing delicate and beautiful under the streetlight.

"It's blooming."

The dragon's flame had suppressed his senses, torturing him with endless suffering, forcing him to face the world without feeling, affecting some of his powers in the process.

Now everything had returned to normal, and his abilities were restored.

It turned out he had fallen for her long ago.

He just didn't know because he couldn't bloom before.

Inside the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, Xin Yunmao sat alone on a stone bench, listening to the insects chirping in the nearby grass, still unable to ease the heat throughout his body, his heart pounding whenever he thought of her.

The bright moonlight filtered through the trees, falling on Xin Yunmao's face. He gently closed his eyes, quietly feeling it all, and found it pleasurable and wonderful.

Though he used to think these were meaningless actions, now they had new meaning simply because they were connected to her.

Vivid, spirited, full of anticipation.

Hu Chenrui came out of the office building, heading toward the staff dormitory, and was startled when passing through the courtyard. His expression changed slightly as he examined the scene carefully before hesitantly saying, "Your Divinity, this..."

Pale green light points surrounded Xin Yunmao, his spiritual energy dispersing in the wind, gradually disappearing into the night.

Xin Yunmao lifted his eyelids, and upon seeing it was Hu Chenrui, calmly said, "There's too much spiritual energy, so I'm releasing some."

Hu Chenrui: "?"

"What are you looking at?" Seeing Hu Chenrui's hesitation to speak, he casually crossed his legs and sarcastically remarked, "Even if I release spiritual energy for another hundred years, you still wouldn't be able to defeat me."

Hu Chenrui was long accustomed to Xin Yunmao's superiority. Now being taunted didn't bother him. He suddenly realized something and said meaningfully with a smile, "Your Divinity doesn't love humanity, but loves only one human."

Those fox-like eyes were filled with teasing, carrying a hint of mischief.

Sure enough, Xin Yunmao immediately fell silent, discreetly avoiding eye contact, appearing somewhat awkward and shy.

After a long while, he softly responded, "Mm."