Back at home, Ye Xingyao took off the “burden” from his body and placed the items into the closet one by one. Seeing the closet slowly fill up gave him a strange sense of accomplishment.
After thinking it over, he took off his black T-shirt and changed into a white casual hoodie. He walked to the mirror in the bathroom and looked at his reflection. It seemed his aura had indeed undergone a slight change.
‘Hmm… maybe it does have some effect?’
Forget it, he couldn’t really tell the difference anyway.
Just then, a knock came from the direction of the front door.
“Shiyue? Coming!”
He trotted to the door and opened it, only to see Yi Shiyue’s slightly nervous face.
“Xingyao, that elf left me a message. He wants us to meet him at the fountain in Satellite Park at 9:00 PM tonight.”
“Heh, he’s finally here… Come in and talk, Shiyue.”
Ye Xingyao stepped aside to welcome her into the house, reaching out to ruffle her hair to put her at ease.
The two of them went to the living room. Yi Shiyue took out a piece of paper and placed it on the table. Ye Xingyao leaned in to look.
It really was Elvish.
“I can sense the Star Elf is nearby. I expect you to bring him to the fountain in the nearby park at 9:00 PM tonight. I will naturally come to find you. If I do not see you, you will need to be careful (Elvish).”
Ye Xingyao read the words on the note syllable by syllable, then let out a cold laugh.
“Humph, such an obvious threat. He’s banking on the fact that you don’t have anyone to turn to for help… If you ask me, this elf is as stupid as they come. If he had shown a little kindness, he could have lowered our guard to the minimum. Who knows how much easier his schemes would have been then? Unfortunately, his arrogance was his downfall.”
Then, Ye Xingyao took out his phone and sent the meeting time and address to Hong Yeqiu. He quickly received a reply saying she would be there.
After that…
“Shiyue, where should we go to have fun after lunch? Why don’t we go to Satellite Park? I can take the opportunity to set up some preparations.”
“…Okay.”
***
Sanhua Cafe.
The ice-blue-haired magical girl “Frost Flower,” otherwise known as Ye Xingling, skipped into the cafe. A maid who was preparing to serve a customer caught sight of her, turned to nod, and gave her a professional smile.
Waving her hand to greet the maid, she continued toward the back kitchen. After chatting with the kitchen maid for a while, she arrived at a pink-painted wall deep inside the kitchen area.
She reached out her delicate hand and tapped the wall lightly. A warm glow covered Ye Xingling’s body, and in the next second, she vanished from the spot.
“Oh? Aren’t those three supposed to be out on field duty? Is it little Frost Flower?”
The pink-themed Senior Qilo looked up from her many potted plants and turned toward the doorway, asking with some surprise.
“Hi — Senior Qilo, did you miss me?”
Ye Xingling leaned in close to Qilo and spoke coquettishly.
“I suppose. What brings little Frost Flower here all of a sudden? Or do you have questions about the materials I gave you?”
Qilo ruffled Ye Xingling’s ice-blue hair, her face full of doting affection.
‘It’s so nice to have a cute junior…’ she thought.
“Ah… don’t even mention it. My brother went on a date with Sister, leaving me all alone and miserable at home…”
Ye Xingling pouted and complained, looking quite aggrieved.
“Uh… your biological brother and biological sister? While I won’t judge a forbidden romance between siblings, it is… admittedly quite rare… I might not be able to provide any solutions for that.”
Qilo’s expression became strange, and she spoke with some hesitation.
“Ah! Sorry, I didn’t make myself clear. My brother is my real brother, but Sister is the girl from next door. The two of them grew up together, and they’ve always been very close.”
“I see. Well, that’s quite nice then. Little Frost Flower, come give me a hand and help me take care of these flowers.”
“Alright!”
Ye Xingling picked up a watering can and tools from by the wall, mimicking Qilo’s movements with focused intent. She was just about to work on a certain poor flower when Qilo stopped her.
“Wait, wait, wait! That pot can’t be handled the same way as this one. Just find one of the same species and try with that, Frost Flower.”
“Oh, okay. Speaking of which, you really love growing flowers, Senior… When I first came here, I didn’t even notice them. I was too busy being excited about becoming a magical girl and joining the Magical Girl Society.”
“That’s normal. When I became a magical girl… oh, I don’t think I was that excited… That’s why, Frost Flower, being able to become a magical girl with almost no cost is a very happy thing.”
Qilo had started to reminisce like a true senior in front of her junior, but unfortunately, her past was not a happy one.
“Oops, sorry, Senior Qilo.”
“It’s fine, it’s all in the past. Oh, right, since I’ll be free in a bit, why don’t I give you a lesson specifically for magical girls after we finish with the flowers?”
***
“Ah, it’s been a long time since I walked here.”
Ye Xingyao and Yi Shiyue walked side by side along the path in Satellite Park. The two of them held hands, wandering aimlessly.
After all, this place was filled with their memories.
“Yeah. I remember not far ahead, there used to be an empty lot where kids often rode bicycles. Now it’s been replaced with a circular track and sculptures.”
“Look, the fountain.”
“Yeah, the fountain.”
White marble had been carved into the shape of a flower, its layers of petals filled with clear water. From the center of the stamens, water surged out, creating white froth.
“Let’s walk around the vicinity first. There seem to be quite a few people out for a stroll this afternoon. There are too many eyes, and many of my lethal traps can’t be set up here… It’s a bit restrictive.”
Ye Xingyao observed the surroundings, committing every familiar yet strange detail to memory as he constantly visualized everything he could utilize in his mind.
This was a skill honed through countless battles. He had no superpowers and no powerful physical constitution. All he had was the Magic Stone Magic recorded by his parents and his wits.
“Xingyao? Is something wrong?”
“…It’s nothing. I’m just observing from another angle. This is all the preparation I can do for now.”
“Okay.”
Although Yi Shiyue didn’t quite understand what he was thinking or what preparations he was making, she chose to trust the boy beside her unconditionally — both because of her feelings for him and because of his experience as a Midnight-level Hunter.
She gripped his hand slightly tighter.
‘Is there anything I can do? Facing such a situation, yet I’ve made no progress at all. I’m still so powerless.’
‘I absolutely, absolutely cannot let Xingyao face what I should be facing alone… At the very least, I should stand by his side.’
Yi Shiyue thought to herself.