There’s a saying: the day you achieve enlightenment, all worldly things become empty.
When this thought appeared in Xue’s mind, she felt the world go silent around her, and she lost all sense of the passage of time.
Thinking carefully, after being sheltered in the Jiuyin Sea by someone named Litia for several years, meeting the useless You, and finally leaving that place—was it all just so she could spend her days eating and sleeping, sleeping and eating, and occasionally playing games?
Back in the Sea of Realms, even though she possessed world-shattering power with just a wave of her hand, she lived in a daze, aimless and drifting along with the current.
Now, she had never truly longed to regain her former peak strength.
She just felt that the present was fine.
Although she felt quite satisfied with things as they were, somehow, there was always a faint sense that…
Dong, dong, dong!
“Eh, eh?”
Xue was startled awake by the heavy, forceful knocking at the door.
“Hey! If you don’t open up now, I’ll come in there and shark you!”
“Ah, ah! Coming, coming!”
The main door swung open, and Luo You looked at the flustered Xue with a less-than-pleasant expression.
“What were you doing? I’ve been calling you for ages and you didn’t open up.”
“I-I was just thinking about some things…”
“You? That brain of yours, full of mush, can actually think?”
“I was just thinking… ever since I came here, it’s like… um… I’ve just been drifting along?”
Limited by her own lack of vocabulary, Xue couldn’t express herself too precisely, but Luo You could still grasp her meaning.
Hearing this, Luo You’s eyes narrowed slightly, her sharp and doubtful gaze making Xue lower her head instinctively, not daring to meet her eyes.
[IP147. Raising Snow Like Raising Cattle]
“So this idiot is finally starting to think about things?”
Luo You thought.
If she was to be considered a Dimensional Beast, then Xue was far too mild-mannered—there was no sign of her former self as a Light-Devouring grade Dimensional Beast.
If she was to be considered human, then Xue’s inner world was far too empty.
Luo You never sensed any sort of core spirit from her.
On the surface, Xue was no different from a grade schooler: playing games, sleeping, eating, and occasionally being secretly watched.
But her background meant she couldn’t be measured by the standards of a child.
A child eating, sleeping, and playing games was normal.
But for Xue, the same actions were abnormal, and didn’t mean she had truly blended into a normal life.
Honestly, Luo You thought that as long as Xue could be like a cow or sheep—let out for a bit of exercise now and then, quietly chewing grass when hungry, and then having a nice nap afterwards—that would already be happiness for her.
That would also make things easier for Luo You.
In fact, Luo You really felt like she was raising cattle or sheep—it wasn’t much different.
But if Xue wanted to make a change, Luo You would have to invest a lot more effort.
“So why are you suddenly thinking about these things?” Luo You asked.
“Ah, it just came to me all of a sudden.”
“All of a sudden, huh… Then just forget about it. This isn’t something you need to worry about. What’s wrong with quietly being a useless layabout?”
“Uh…”
Xue dumbly opened her little mouth, feeling like there wasn’t really anything wrong with that.
No one was chasing her, and she wasn’t confined to a tiny corner of the Jiuyin Sea.
Playing games and eating at home was pretty nice.
Yeah! This is fine!
There’s nothing wrong with being a happy layabout!
Doing nothing but being cared for and fed, with the only downside being the occasional secret gaze—who’d complain about a life like this must have something wrong with their head!
But it was still so boring~~
How long would days like this go on?
[Heh, stuffed to the point of restlessness as always!]
Luo You sneered inwardly.
She’d seen plenty of people who wanted for nothing, living lives of ease without any core philosophy, yet still fretting daily about when it would all end.
“But I don’t hate it, you know. Raising you is pretty easy.”
The reason Luo You could think this way was because of her own rebellious daughter.
Back in middle and high school, that rebellious girl had been just like Xue.
Raising her didn’t stir up much feeling.
But ever since Luo Zi Ning became a Magical Girl, things got more and more troublesome.
She’d end up getting dragged in at the drop of a hat, and things had escalated to the point where she was almost developing Yuyu Syndrome.
It was just too exhausting.
As for Xue, she’d been entrusted to Luo You by Litia, so Luo You just raised her out of a sense of responsibility.
If any feelings developed, they did so naturally.
So things were better as they were.
“Xue, I’m taking you to live somewhere else. If there’s anything you want to bring, pack it up now.”
“Eh? Where are we moving?”
“I’ve already picked out a new place. It’s bigger than here. We can move in right away.”
Because of all the recent turmoil, Flower Sea City had the occasional Dimensional Beast incursion, so housing prices had clearly dropped compared to before.
Luo You was able to pay for the new place in full without trouble.
Although it cost quite a bit, as long as she sold the place Xue was currently living in, she could easily recoup most of the money.
Sell it to who?
To her aunt, of course!
If Auntie wouldn’t take it, Luo You would consider selling it to her only student from her days at the gym, An Jiu’er.
If even that didn’t work, she could just list it online and sell it slowly.
Anyway, Luo You first took Xue to their new home.
For this purchase, Luo You had used a few tricks—brainwashing and hypnotizing the relevant authorities, and a bunch of complicated procedures—to make the property owner information extra secure.
Even if Xue was someday found by Magical Girls, as long as she kept her mouth shut, Luo You’s identity wouldn’t be exposed.
Then Luo You went off to sell the old place.
“Hello? Auntie? I need to come to the Jiuyin Sea to discuss something. Mm, don’t let Zi Ning know. Good, I’ll be there this afternoon.”
Selling the house was a big deal—Luo You had to discuss it face-to-face.
And she could tease that useless big sister Li Yun while she was at it.
Ji Yue also said she had plenty of free time these days, so it was settled.
***
“Auntie… Eh? Xing—no, Ji Meng, you’re here too?”
When Luo You arrived at Ji Yue’s house, she found Ji Meng there as well, so her little schemes were temporarily put on hold.
Ji Meng hopped lively off the sofa, walked up to her, and touched her hand.
“Youyou, have you been well lately?”
“All right. Nothing major happened.”
Ji Meng knew that Luo You was now a Magical Girl.
She might not know all the details, but she’d heard some things.
She figured that Luo You had probably come to the Jiuyin Sea this time to ask her and Li Yun about something related to Magical Girls.
She’d have to give her a good lesson—after all, she owed her a debt for encouraging Li Yun during her slump.
At that moment, Ji Yue brewed Luo You a cup of her usual premium honey tangerine tea, the kind that cost thousands per jin, and asked, “What brings you here all of a sudden? And why hide it from Zi Ning?”
Luo You downed it all in one go.
“Actually, I’m planning to sell a property recently and wanted to ask if Auntie could take it off my hands.”
“Youyou, you’re selling a house?”
The two of them looked at Luo You in surprise.
“Youyou, you only have one house in Flower Sea City, right? If you sell it, where will you live? Are you moving to the Jiuyin Sea?”
For a moment, Ji Meng’s eyes burned with curiosity, and Ji Yue’s gaze also had a hint of something strange.
“No, no, actually I have two places in Flower Sea City. I just want to sell the one I’m not living in for a bit of extra cash. See, now that I’m unemployed, I’m thinking of investing a little.”
Hearing this, Ji Meng looked a bit disappointed.
Ji Yue thought for a moment, then nodded.
“All right, I’ll buy it. I’ll have someone check it out soon.”
“Thank you, Auntie!”
Luo You’s mouth curled up in a grin.
Though she had considered the possibility that Auntie wouldn’t take it, she honestly didn’t think it would come to that.
There’s nothing that can’t be exchanged for with your body!
Auntie wouldn’t take it?
Then she probably just needed a bit of loli comfort. Isn’t the solution obvious?