“No.” Su Yaqing quickly gave her answer.
Lin Xiaojue, who had been rejected, stood frozen in place. Her mouth hung open, but no words came out.
“Why?”
“Because if I do that, we won’t be lovers today.”
“Waaaaah…” Ignoring Su Yaqing’s response, Lin Xiaojue began to wail loudly.
“Xiao Jue… be good.”
Su Yaqing whispered words of comfort as she pulled her into an embrace, but Lin Xiaojue paid her no mind and instead cried even louder.
After a long moment, Su Yaqing pursed her lips and lowered her head, speaking in a humble, pleading tone. “I’ll find a way for you. It’s just… it’s not possible right now. Wait a little longer, okay?”
“Okay.” Lin Xiaojue maintained a sobbing tone. She wiped away a tear and feigned a sneeze.
With a soft, fragrant girl in her arms, Su Yaqing naturally couldn’t say much more.
She gave Lin Xiaojue a light peck on the lips before picking her up and carrying her to the bed.
Tucking her under the covers, Su Yaqing instructed her, “Xiao Jue, remember to eat breakfast.”
As she turned to leave, she seemed to remember something. She tilted her head and smiled. “No, little sister, remember to eat breakfast, otherwise you’ll get sick~”
Seeing Lin Xiaojue nod obediently, she opened the door and left.
‘Hehe… winning me over won’t be that easy.’
Lin Xiaojue threw off the covers and sat up on the bed, a smile curling the corners of her mouth.
Su Yaqing wouldn’t be sleeping with her today—a total victory!
Not tomorrow, either, and certainly not the day after. Soon, she would be able to use her identity as a little sister to start a career and gain a foothold for herself.
At the thought of this, Lin Xiaojue couldn’t help but hum softly, though her gaze soon sharpened.
‘So, where should I start?’
During her time as a magical girl, she had participated extensively in idol activities, including but not limited to: performing magic for kindergarten children, giving lectures to college students, holding live concerts, attending remnant beast post-war celebrations, and appearing at official magical girl handshake events and fan meetings organized by the bureau…
It was only later, as the number of residual beasts decreased, that she stopped going as often.
‘Hmm… should I try to get in touch?’
She picked up her phone and thought of an old acquaintance at the general magic bureau. After a moment of consideration, she turned it off.
If her current state were discovered, it would surely cause problems.
She remembered a Senior known as Emerald. Because he was a male who could transform into a magical girl, the magical kingdom had researched him repeatedly until he was eventually taken away.
So, where else could she go? Streaming online was one method, but she would need money to buy a virtual avatar model, and she had to consider the issue of being crowded out by existing traffic. After all, there were many veterans in the industry…
*Buzz— buzz—*
Just then, the vibrating of her phone interrupted Lin Xiaojue’s train of thought.
Opening it, she saw it was Xia Yao.
“Hello, Xiao Xia, what’s wrong?”
Lin Xiaojue answered the phone. The voice coming from the other end was hesitant and full of worry.
“Senior, about the clothes…”
“Huh? Are the clothes finished already?”
“No… I messed them up. I’m sorry, Senior, it’s all my fault.”
“Messed them up?” Lin Xiaojue caught the abnormality in her tone.
“I’m sorry, Senior…”
The call ended.
Lin Xiaojue listened to the busy signal, a surge of unease rising in her heart.
Ignoring whether she was hot or cold, she quickly grabbed her breakfast and began stuffing it into her mouth.
Throwing an overcoat over her clothes and tying her Scarf according to Xia Yao’s previous instructions, she immediately headed out the door.
Su Yaqing wasn’t home; she was likely busy handling the identity issues.
Pushing open the door, she headed straight down the elevator. It seemed Su Yaqing had already spoken to the employees, as no one dared to look up or glance her way.
Lin Xiaojue was also in an extreme hurry. Even if people were looking at her, she couldn’t afford to care.
***
Walking into the biting cold wind, the morning sun had already been obscured by a heavy blizzard.
Snowflakes danced in the wind, piling up like small mountains on the streets, car roofs, storefronts, and the shoulders of passersby, nearly blocking her vision.
Everything was a vast expanse of white.
Lin Xiaojue pulled her collar tight. The snow was falling so heavily it seemed to sap all the warmth from her body, making her shiver involuntarily.
Only after calling a taxi did she dare take her hands off her shoulders to shake off the accumulated snow.
“Young lady, are you headed to Yuanle Square?”
The driver was a young woman with a good figure.
“Yuanle Beach.”
Lin Xiaojue zoomed in on the address on her phone and showed it to the driver.
The interior of the car was warm and cozy, allowing her movements to become more agile, though she couldn’t hide her hands, which were red from the cold.
“Looking at you, is it an emergency?”
“Yes. My friend… I think she’s about to do something reckless.”
“Then sit tight.”
Lin Xiaojue gave a short nod. The driver, realizing the gravity of the situation, shifted into second gear, released the clutch, and floored the accelerator.
*Vroom—*
The car took off like an arrow from a bow, speeding toward Yuanle Beach.
Along the way, Lin Xiaojue repeatedly dialed Xia Yao’s number, but there was no response.
Every time she opened the call interface, there was only the anxious busy signal and the glaring red hang-up button reflected in her vision.
Lin Xiaojue couldn’t understand it; Xia Yao had been fine just a moment ago. However, there had been instances where Xia Yao lost control of her emotions before.
Clutching her phone, she dialed over and over again, yet she hesitated, unsure if she should send this news to the group chat.
Lin Xiaojue didn’t dare gamble on what Xia Yao might do. Only she and Su Yaqing knew about Xia Yao’s tendency to lose control.
If she posted it, it might bring help, but it could also become the biggest catalyst for disaster.
So, she dialed Su Yaqing’s number instead. But to her surprise, it didn’t ring.
*Buzz— buzz—*
A vibration came from the front of the car seat. Lin Xiaojue checked and found it wasn’t hers.
“Miss, your phone is ringing.”
“I don’t take calls while driving.”
The driver turned her head away, put on her sunglasses, and looked out toward the vast, empty distance.
The sea and sky merged into one, the world shrouded in a white, snowy landscape. Even the golden sands of the beach were coated in silver-white.
The waves churned with broken ice. Even in winter, there were still many people taking walks on the shallows.
“Your luck is good.”
The driver jerked the steering wheel hard, and the taxi used its momentum to drift, leaving charred marks on the ground.
“There’s no traffic today. We’re here.”