“Is this a wig made from your own hair? No wonder I couldn’t spot anything off about it.”
Holding Luo Shuangyue’s wig in her hands and rubbing it, Xia Mo finally understood why she had never been able to see through Luo Shuangyue’s disguise before.
Because, in a way, Luo Shuangyue wasn’t really disguising herself. Lord Dark Moth was simply Luo Shuangyue with her hair grown out and wearing some light makeup on her face.
And now, with all the disguises removed, Luo Shuangyue only needed to stimulate her hair growth slightly with magic to transform from Luo Shuangyue into the silver-eyed version of Dark Moth.
“You should at least do a little bit of disguise. Otherwise, you’d be recognized at a glance, right?”
Looking at herself in the mirror, Luo Shuangyue let out a helpless sigh.
If she didn’t wear colored contact lenses or grow out her hair, her identity would be directly exposed, and that was the last thing she wanted.
Her goal had always been to separate the world of Magical Girls from her real life, to prevent her friends and family from being affected by the other world.
But after all her efforts, she turned around only to find that the people she wanted to protect were all Magical Girls, which was mentally overwhelming.
At this point, keeping secrets seemed pointless.
That was why she had been so straightforward this time. Now that Xia Mo was also a Magical Girl and visibly unwilling to give up this identity, hiding the secret of White Night would only hurt Xia Mo.
“So wearing just socks without shoes is your thing?”
“Cough! No, definitely not!” Luo Shuangyue’s face flushed red at the question. “I just think it’s easier to get into your room that way.”
Think about it—those times she went to sneak attack Xia Mo in the middle of the night, she couldn’t possibly wear her own slippers, right?
And Luo Shuangyue certainly wouldn’t keep the shoes meant for Dark Moth’s true form at home. So barefoot was the only option.
“But I heard that a Magical Girl’s transformation appearance is supposed to be the most satisfying image in her heart. And your transformation—” Xia Mo continued staring at Luo Shuangyue’s feet.
There was nothing wrong with Luo Shuangyue’s transformation elsewhere,
but the lower half was a bit different from other Magical Girls’.
Other Magical Girls wore pretty little leather shoes, boots, or crystal high heels. Only Dark Moth wore nothing, just some straps thrown on as a makeshift cover.
Now it wasn’t just straps but thorny vines, which made Xia Mo ask, “Doesn’t that really hurt your feet?”
“I usually float, so the thorns don’t actually touch my feet. It doesn’t hurt.”
Luo Shuangyue’s face tensed at Xia Mo’s question. Seriously, was this important?
Besides, when she transformed, she was a Magical Girl—
who would let their own clothes hurt them?
At least as far as Luo Shuangyue knew, no one did.
“So you do like being barefoot, huh?”
“No!” Luo Shuangyue wanted to end the topic immediately. She really wasn’t a pervert! Outside, she always wore shoes properly.
“Then do you prefer black stockings to white?” Xia Mo switched to a different question.
Luo Shuangyue felt like this was torture. She’d rather Xia Mo pick up a magic cannon and fire it at her a few times than discuss these topics.
Their relationship was already strange. Luo Shuangyue wasn’t prepared to interact with Xia Mo as a girl.
Now that her identity was exposed, she couldn’t pretend to be a male anymore. And Xia Mo immediately brought up such private questions—how was she supposed to handle this?
“I…” Luo Shuangyue’s face flushed deep red. After stammering for a while, she slowly and heavily nodded.
Yes, she liked black. Fine, okay! She liked the exquisite temptation of that faint white showing through the black!
“Mhm, but since others don’t wear this way, you choose to wear it yourself?”
“Can we talk about something serious, like how to save the world or how to find my mom?” Luo Shuangyue finally lost patience. She grabbed Xia Mo’s shoulder and shook her hard twice.
Xia Mo, you’re not usually like this! You’re a gentle and well-mannered girl!
Why have you suddenly turned into such a hooligan?
Magical Girls shouldn’t be talking about these things, right? Their bonds shouldn’t be built this way, right?
“I just want to understand you better. You hid so much from me before. I don’t even know if the Luo Shuangyue I know is the real you.”
Xia Mo shot Luo Shuangyue a plaintive look. But wasn’t this Luo Shuangyue’s own fault?
If you hadn’t hidden things before, would I still need to check your ID like this?
“Are we… considered lovers now?”
“Lovers? When did that happen?”
Luo Shuangyue didn’t remember confessing to Xia Mo. And after finding out she was a girl, Xia Mo still wanted to be her lover?
“I gave you my first kiss. Are you gonna renege on that?”
Xia Mo’s eyes turned dangerous.
Luo Shuangyue’s intuition told her that if she dared to say no now, Xia Mo would twist her head off.
So she could only nod.
Ah, so I’m already lovers with Xia Mo.
Realizing this, Luo Shuangyue felt dazed. She had thought that no matter what, she and Xia Mo were fated but incompatible. Now that she was a girl, there was no future between them.
But… she hadn’t expected Xia Mo to not care about her gender at all and even take the initiative to define their relationship after knowing she was a girl.
It made her feel like her original gender was the real obstacle between them.
“Since we’re lovers, shouldn’t I get to know you better? Like what you like?” Xia Mo tilted her head and asked.
“I thought you already knew…”
“No, I don’t. Shuangyue, I’m going to ask you a question. Think carefully before you answer.”
Xia Mo’s expression turned serious.
Hearing Xia Mo’s earnest voice and seeing her serious face, Luo Shuangyue put away her relaxed attitude. She knew the next question would be important.
“Do you think you now are the Luo Shuangyue I know, or the Dark Moth I don’t?”
Am I Luo Shuangyue or Dark Moth? Isn’t that obvious?
“I’m Luo Shuangyue.”
Luo Shuangyue answered without thinking.
“Are you sure?”
What’s there to be unsure about? Luo Shuangyue was still herself. Dark Moth was just her transformation form. Essentially, she was still Luo Shuangyue.
Why would Xia Mo ask such a strange question?
“I’m obviously me.”
“Don’t you feel more constrained as Luo Shuangyue, but freer as Dark Moth?” Xia Mo rephrased.
Luo Shuangyue was stunned. It was true, but that seemed normal.
Her identity as Luo Shuangyue required restraint because she was an ordinary person and couldn’t do things ordinary people shouldn’t.
But Dark Moth was different—a fantasy that affected no one except herself. She could let loose and do things she wouldn’t dare as Luo Shuangyue.
Like wearing a mask that gave someone more courage, Dark Moth was Luo Shuangyue’s mask that let her act freely.
“That’s because I didn’t know you already knew I’m Dark Moth. If I had known, I wouldn’t have done those things…”
Luo Shuangyue quietly rebutted.
Her understanding of herself was still the same as before. She was the older brother, the childhood friend, even if her body had changed undeniably and she was used to dressing as the opposite sex daily, at the core she hadn’t fully adjusted.
Simply put, she was still not being consistent inside and out.
She held herself to Luo Shuangyue’s standards but didn’t realize she was no longer the same Luo Shuangyue.
“But you’re more comfortable as Dark Moth, right? You don’t have to hide your thoughts or worry about your identity being exposed. I think that version of you is your truest self.”
Xia Mo cupped Luo Shuangyue’s face, looking into her silver eyes and spoke clearly.
“I’m just acting.”
“Is that so? But I feel like that’s the you who’s taken off the mask and stopped acting.”
Xia Mo shook her head and leaned closer to Luo Shuangyue. “Shuangyue, I want you to keep being this way. You don’t need to keep playing ‘Luo Shuangyue’ anymore.”
Let that older brother who disappeared fade away completely. Luo Shuangyue should be her true self, not a fabricated role.
“But…”
“No buts. I like the you now. Shuangxing would definitely like you more now, too. You can let go of all the old burdens and be yourself.”
Xia Mo interrupted without mercy, pointing out a harsh truth.
That Luo Shuangyue as an older brother really didn’t need to exist.
Did Luo Shuangyue have any close friends or social ties?
Besides playing the role of older brother at home, she seemed to be wearing Dark Moth’s skin everywhere else.
Did Xia Mo and Luo Shuangxing really care if Luo Shuangyue was the old Luo Shuangyue?