Chapter 13: A Strange Ceiling

Mu Yurou’s eyelashes felt as heavy as if they’d been glued shut, and she struggled to pry them open just a sliver.

What entered her gaze was an unfamiliar, perfectly flat ceiling painted in off-white.

A faint scent of disinfectant slipped into her nose.

“Eh…?”

A soft, confused murmur squeezed out from her parched throat as she woke.

She instinctively tried to move her body, attempting to sit up.

However–

“Hiss…!”

A fierce, stinging ache, as if countless fine needles were piercing her at once, swept through every inch of her body, along with a deep, marrow-chilling weakness!

Each joint felt like a rusted gear, and every tiny tug brought sharp protests of pain.

She had no choice but to give up, sinking helplessly back into the soft pillow, gasping in discomfort.

“Xiao Rou! You’re finally awake!!!”

A female voice, bursting with overwhelming joy and almost cracking with excitement, exploded right beside the bed!

Huang Xi sprang from the chair like an arrow loosed from a bow and pounced to the bedside in a flash!

Her face was written with excitement and lingering fear, her eyes dazzlingly bright, fixed on Mu Yurou’s newly opened eyes.

“Don’t move! Don’t move!”

Huang Xi’s voice was urgent and commanding, her hands hovering anxiously above Mu Yurou as if afraid she’d fall apart the next second.

“The doctor said you need to rest! You absolutely can’t use any strength!”

Mu Yurou opened her mouth, wanting to reply.

But it was as if her throat was clogged with dry, burning sand, searing with pain. All she could utter was a hoarse, indistinct gasp.

“Water…”

She managed to squeeze out the word, her brows knitted in pain.

“Ah! Water! Yes, yes!”

Huang Xi snapped back to herself and turned in a panic.

The sound of water pouring rang out in the quiet hospital room.

Soon, a cup of warm water with a straw was carefully brought to Mu Yurou’s lips.

“Slowly, drink it slowly…”

The cool, sweet liquid flowed through the straw into her parched throat, like precious rain after a long drought.

Mu Yurou sipped in small mouthfuls, greedily soaking up the nourishment of life.

After a few sips, the suffocating thirst finally eased, and her throat felt moistened, regaining the strength to speak.

“Where’s my Elder Sister?”

Mu Yurou’s voice was still hoarse but much clearer, filled with deep concern. “Is she okay?”

“She’s fine! She’s fine!”

Huang Xi nodded vigorously, a soothing smile on her face.

“She even came to see you yesterday! She stayed for quite a while before leaving. She was so worried when you wouldn’t wake up.”

“How…how long was I unconscious?”

Mu Yurou felt the heaviness in her body, asking uneasily.

“A full three days!”

Huang Xi’s voice rose sharply, with a survivor’s exaggerated tone and reddening eyes.

“You really scared me! I thought…I thought you’d never wake up!”

Three days…

Mu Yurou’s heart sank slightly.

“How…how did we get rescued?”

She desperately wanted to know that crucial answer.

At this, the excitement on Huang Xi’s face faded a bit, replaced by a hint of grievance.

She pouted, mumbling in a low voice:

“Xiao Rou…why don’t you care about me at all…”

She lowered her head slightly, her fingers twisting the hem of her clothes unconsciously.

“Clearly…clearly we’ve already confirmed our relationship…”

The moment “confirmed our relationship” was spoken, Mu Yurou’s pale cheeks instantly flushed red, the blush spreading all the way to her ears.

“Y-you…you’re standing here, all lively in front of me…”

Her gaze wandered, her voice growing softer and softer, not daring to meet Huang Xi’s eyes.

She had slept for three whole days…

Mu Yurou closed her eyes, forcing herself to recall the chaotic and perilous memories from just before she fainted.

The warm, soft, and moist feeling of Huang Xi’s lips…

The faint fresh floral scent on her body, like grass basking in sunlight…

No! No!

Mu Yurou shook her head hard, trying to drive away these heart-pounding images.

Now was not the time for this!

In the end, what froze in the depths of her mind was that figure floating mid-air, silver hair flying, wrapped in mysterious black veils and powerful energy.

“That… the Magical Girl who saved us… who was she?”

Mu Yurou opened her eyes and looked at Huang Xi, confusion and curiosity swirling in her gaze.

“I don’t know.”

Huang Xi shook her head, looking just as puzzled.

“But…she chopped The Big Monster into mince…”

As she recalled the scene, a faint tremor laced her voice.

“After finishing…she just disappeared, like she evaporated.”

Mu Yurou bowed her head, falling into thought.

That mysterious figure, that fighting posture…

Why did it feel…so familiar?

A powerful intuition circled in her heart.

She lifted her head and, hesitantly and almost in disbelief, quietly asked:

“Could it be…was it Crystal Orchid Senior?”

“Eh?!”

Huang Xi’s eyes widened at once, as if the thought hit her right in the heart.

“You thought so too?!”

Her voice grew excited.

“I felt it too! That pressure, that fighting style…”

“But…”

Mu Yurou frowned deeply.

“Wasn’t she already…dead? Even if she survived…wouldn’t she have become…a Witch…”

She forced out the last two words.

“I really admire her…”

Huang Xi’s voice dropped, full of stubborn conviction.

“I…I could feel it…that was Crystal Orchid Senior!”

“Are you sure?”

Mu Yurou’s heart tightened.

“Should we…report this to the Association?”

“I don’t know…”

Huang Xi’s eyes turned complicated and worried.

“But…there’s no way we could hide it from them anyway…”

“Crystal Orchid Senior…”

Mu Yurou murmured, as a junior, she’d heard that legendary name as well.

“I really admire her too…but if they find out she’s still alive…the Association will definitely launch a Witch Hunt, right?”

“Yeah…”

Huang Xi’s voice grew somber, helpless.

“The strongest Magical Girl…if she’s fallen and become a Witch…the Association will definitely want to eliminate that ‘time bomb’…as soon as possible.”

A trace of reluctance tinged her words.

The hospital room fell into a brief silence, the weight of reality pressing down on the two of them.

“What about the other Seniors who fought with us?”

Mu Yurou tried to change the topic, to break the heavy mood.

“Are they…all right?”

Hearing this, Huang Xi immediately puffed up like a little firecracker, her earlier worry replaced by obvious annoyance.

She puffed out her cheeks, looking like a pouting child.

“So concerned about others!”

Huang Xi’s voice was full of obvious jealousy.

“How about you take a look at yourself first! You can’t even get out of bed right now!”

The more she spoke, the angrier she seemed, finally turning her head away childishly, giving Mu Yurou the back of her head and huffing in protest:

“Hmph! If you’re that worried about them…why don’t you go and kiss them instead!”

Mu Yurou’s cheeks flushed once again, as if they were on fire.

“Uh…”

She awkwardly tugged at the blanket. “Can we…not talk about that for now…”

“What?!”

Huang Xi whipped her head around, her eyes wide and round, as if she’d just heard a great betrayal.

“You already kissed me! You agreed to my confession! Are you trying to be irresponsible!”

Her voice was full of accusation.

“No! It’s not that!”

Mu Yurou waved her hands in a panic, her face growing even redder.

“I’m just…a little shy…”

“I’m not shy at all! What are you so shy about!”

Huang Xi retorted, hands on her hips and brimming with confidence.

Looking at Huang Xi’s lively expression, Mu Yurou suddenly felt a warm current welling up in her heart.

During the three days she was unconscious…Huang Xi must have been caring for her nonstop, without a wink of sleep, right?

“Xiao Xi…”

Mu Yurou’s voice softened, sincere gratitude in her tone.

“Thank you…for taking care of me these past few days…”

“It’s nothing…”

Huang Xi’s bravado instantly faded, her cheeks dusted with a rosy blush and her gaze drifting.

“Your Elder Sister helped too…and…”

She remembered helping Mu Yurou bathe and quickly coughed to cover her embarrassment.

“Cough, cough…never mind.”

With her hands behind her back, her toes gently tapped the floor, her body swaying slightly like a kitten wanting a treat after doing a good deed.

“But…”

Her voice took on a touch of coquettishness, her amber eyes sparkling as she looked at Mu Yurou.

“I took care of you for three whole days…shouldn’t I get some sort of reward…”

A reward…

Looking at her hopeful expression, Mu Yurou’s heart softened.

Huang Xi must have been exhausted these days.

She was the only Magical Girl still awake, surely questioned repeatedly by the Association, while also taking care of Mu Yurou without rest…

“A reward…”

Mu Yurou thought for a moment, then gently patted the empty spot on the bed beside her.

“Then…come on up to the bed.”

“???”

Huang Xi’s eyes flew wide, wider than copper bells, her mouth forming a perfect “O”, and she froze on the spot as if struck by lightning!