The call ended. What happened on the other end, Lin Xiaojue had no way of knowing. She gently set the phone down and let out another sigh.
Xia Yao still had not opened her heart.
But it seemed she had gained a little comfort. Lin Xiaojue felt she could finally relax. Xia Yao should be fine.
Because—
[Achievement Unlocked: Healing From Afar]
[Ability Acquired: Mask (You can alter your appearance and voice, but not your body. Usable for two hours per day.)]
She had stolen Su Yaqing’s ability.
Even if it was a knockoff version, having this power meant she could finally do many of the things she had wanted to do before.
For example, going out to work part-time. Or becoming a Vup.
She no longer had to worry about her voice being recognized during streams and some blood-tracking hound following the trail all the way to her channel.
At this point, someone might ask: why not just use a great voice changer?
The answer was simple. No money.
She did not have any before, and she still did not have any now. Back when Lin Xiaojue was still an idol, she ate rich meals every day, stuffed herself until her stomach was round, and then went off to fight. As a result—
All the money she earned was spent on eating.
To buy Su Yaqing a single outfit, she had already burned through most of one hundred thousand yuan.
The moment she thought about having no money on hand, Lin Xiaojue could not help recalling the scene in the fitting room at noon.
‘Do I really have to sell myself again?’
Her answer was naturally no. Selling herself for a bit of money was not something she could do.
Ahem. That time with Su Yaqing had only happened because she had been caught by the handle.
But now was different. She had plenty of ways to make money. With her past idol experience, plus a skin she had privately arranged—
A magical girl, reborn as a heaven-chosen Vtuber.
“Heh. This is really nice.”
Lin Xiaojue raised her fist high, her eyes blazing as if flames were burning within them. She could almost see her future, turning things around and taking control of her own life, then retiring after finally breaking free of Su Yaqing.
The evening bath was also perfectly safe. Su Yaqing did not respawn in the bathtub.
An excellent start.
Back in bed, Su Yaqing still did not sneak in.
Everything was very—
“Hm?”
Lin Xiaojue looked at the small figure on the bed and fell into deep thought.
The other person had smooth golden hair and a youthful face. Snow-white thighs were wrapped in over-the-knee stockings. Right now, she lay lazily on the bed with her legs crossed, hugging the blanket.
“Mm… good night, Master.”
The soft, milky voice drifted over with a faint fragrance. Lin Xiaojue shuddered from head to toe. Her fist clenched unconsciously, her expression darkening slightly.
“Why did you turn into this? Do you like going after little kids or something?”
However, the delicate face before her was filled only with confusion, as if she did not understand Lin Xiaojue’s words at all.
“Hm? What is Master talking about? Aren’t you coming over to sleep together?”
The girl’s confusion made Lin Xiaojue sink into thought as well. That puzzled look felt genuine, not an act.
‘Did I really misunderstand her?’
The moment that possibility surfaced, the anger in Lin Xiaojue’s heart threatened to explode. Still, she forced herself to calm down. She told herself she could not treat a teammate like this and carefully asked,
“Little sister, why are you calling me Master? And this place is actually my… my friend’s home. Were you brought here by her?”
“Mm… I do not think so. Master, do you not remember me?”
What?
Lin Xiaojue did not understand what she meant. No matter how she searched her memories, she did not recognize the girl in front of her.
Unless…
A far more sinister possibility occurred to Lin Xiaojue, but she did not dare believe it.
Was Su Yaqing really that kind of person?
Damn it. So this was what a Great Lady was like? On the surface, she looked more loving than anyone else, but in private, who knew how many she was already keeping.
The faint affection Lin Xiaojue had once held for Su Yaqing instantly twisted into hatred. Someone like that did not deserve to be a magical girl.
Right now, she should first comfort the girl in front of her.
Lin Xiaojue walked to the bedside and sat down along the blanket, keeping as much distance as possible so she would not startle her.
She reached out, wanting to pat the girl’s head, but when she remembered they were not that close, she pulled her hand back.
“Little sister, I am not your Master. What is your name? And what does ‘Master’ mean to you?”
The golden-haired girl’s distant emerald eyes trembled. She blinked, then lowered her head with a hint of self-consciousness.
“I do not remember Master’s name. I do not remember my own either. But you feel very familiar, so you are Master.”
She replied slowly. In that instant, Lin Xiaojue understood what this girl had been through.
As magical girls, they dealt with situations like this often. After disasters, ordinary people frequently suffered unavoidable psychological trauma.
And at a time like this, Xia Yao, the professional at handling such cases, was not around. Lin Xiaojue could only steel herself and step in.
She examined the girl carefully. Those hollow, distant eyes never focused on anything, and her memory was clearly damaged.
This was definitely a manifestation of traumatic stress.
Su Yaqing was truly awful.
The impression of Su Yaqing in Lin Xiaojue’s heart dropped a few more points. A maternal instinct she had never felt before suddenly surfaced.
She pulled the girl into her arms and patted her back again and again to soothe her. The girl did not respond, seemingly immersed in the soft, jade-like warmth and fragrance.
“It is okay. It is okay. You can stay here tonight. That is Master’s order, all right?”
“Okay.”
The girl answered blankly, light flickering in her eyes. She instinctively reached out and wrapped her arms around Lin Xiaojue’s waist, tightening the embrace.
“Master… good…”
A faint rose scent mixed with the girl’s gardenia fragrance, like a forest stirred by the night wind under moonlight, or a gentle, sunlit clear day.
That scent made Lin Xiaojue relax without realizing it. Her eyes slowly closed as she drifted toward a sweet dream.
“Qingtian.”
“Hm?”
The girl’s final murmur faded into steady breathing. In a daze, she seemed to have spoken the name Qingtian.
“Is it okay if I call you Qingtian?”
Lin Xiaojue answered softly. The other seemed already asleep, and she could not disturb her anymore.
Speaking of which, that Su Yaqing still had not replied at all.
After glancing at her phone, Lin Xiaojue decided to go find Su Yaqing herself. Even though it was already late, Su Yaqing probably had not gone out. She should still be at home.
After all, the building had already been locked for the night, and the last time Lin Xiaojue had seen Su Yaqing was after it closed.
“I will take a look…”
She pulled the black wool coat Su Yaqing had given her from the wardrobe and was about to head out when a soft, sticky call came from behind her.
“Master… do not leave me…”
The voice sounded so pained that Lin Xiaojue turned back instinctively, wanting to go comfort her.
No. There were still important things to do tonight…
“Please, Master.”
Qingtian clutched the bedsheet, her delicate brows tightly knit. Anyone could tell at a glance how much pain she was enduring.
“Sigh. I really cannot do anything about you.”
Lin Xiaojue took off her clothes, lifted the blanket, and lay back down, pulling Qingtian into her arms.
“Is this okay? Master will stay with you.”
“Mm.”
She really could not handle this child.
Lin Xiaojue turned off the light and, with a helpless expression, held her close and fell asleep.
As for Su Yaqing, in her eyes, she was already a bit rotten.
After settling the little one to sleep, Lin Xiaojue herself gradually drifted into dreams.
Her refined sleeping face showed no guard at all. Tonight, she slept especially peacefully.
When the moon slipped into the clouds, Qingtian opened her eyes. The emerald green in them slowly sharpened from emptiness into focus, turning sly.
“Goo-jyu.”
Lin Xiaojue showed no reaction.
“Xiaojue, you really are as simple as ever.”
Light and shadow shifted rapidly as the slender golden beauty lifted the blanket.