Following the two Freaks’ aura, she pressed forward.
But by the time their presence faded, Su Ziling had found no trace of them.
Pei Keke breathed a sigh of relief and laughed heartily.
“I can’t believe those two Freaks have such strong vitality. They could still run after taking one of my big moves—guess I was too merciful.”
“It’s fine…” Su Ziling shook her head. “Just be careful next time. Don’t only focus on striking poses.”
Su Ziling didn’t dwell on it. Pei Keke, however, continued her attempt to recruit.
“By the way, senior! Why don’t you team up with me? With your strength and record, you shouldn’t stay buried like this.”
“No thanks.”
Su Ziling sought money, but she had no interest in fame—especially not the kind that came with being an idol-like Magical Girl.
“Hey, hey!” Seeing Su Ziling’s firm refusal and her obvious intention to leave, Pei Keke quickly added, “Don’t be so hasty! You can use a pseudonym or disguise—you don’t have to show your real face.”
“No need.”
Su Ziling rejected the invitation once more.
“I have things to do. I’m heading back.”
Without waiting for Pei Keke’s plea to stay, Su Ziling walked straight out of the alley and onto the main street.
Compared to the noisy, bustling night markets of her previous life, the evenings in this world were eerily quiet.
Looking down the entire street, only a few convenience stores were still half-open—a desolate sight.
But right in front of Su Ziling stood someone unexpected.
A figure clad in black-and-red armor sat on a bench by the roadside. The dim light enveloped him, like a final boss waiting at the end of the stage.
Except in his hand, he held a shopping bag with a convenience store logo—a stark contrast to his villainous aura, giving off a vibe of “plain and simple is true.”
With the visor covering his face, Su Ziling couldn’t see who it was, but she recognized that armor—from the last convention.
Lin Yizhou…
Su Ziling peeked into his shopping bag. Inside was a box of self-heating hotpot and a bottle of cola.
Was he planning to eat that late at night?
No… why did she even care about that?
Reining in her thoughts, Su Ziling focused on Lin Yizhou. Given that she had just lost track of those two Freaks, it was hard not to suspect this was a trap he had set for her.
So she spoke.
“Going through all this trouble to lure me out… you must have put a lot of thought into it.”
“And if I told you it was just a coincidence, would you believe me?”
In truth, Lin Yizhou hadn’t planned to transform. But after recognizing her as the Protean Witch, he figured he might as well check out who she was.
And now that he saw her…
Well, she was actually quite pretty.
Black-and-gold color scheme, plus that aloof look in her eyes—he had to admit she gave off a completely different vibe from your average Magical Girl.
That mature, transcending appearance was really captivating.
If she were a character in an anime or a VTuber, he might even start simping for her.
Too bad she wasn’t.
“If this really is a coincidence, then what are you doing here?” Su Ziling said coldly, pretending not to know him at all. “Don’t tell me that a Heavenly King of the Weirdo Organization like you doesn’t even have a place to stay.”
“I didn’t expect you to recognize me,” Lin Yizhou said, resting one hand on the bench’s armrest and spreading the other. “Should I feel honored?”
Su Ziling realized that once he put on that armor, Lin Yizhou’s speech became chunnibyou.
But thanks to his outfit, it didn’t feel forced—almost like a roguish cool?
Maybe some delinquent girls would dig that vibe.
But Su Ziling wasn’t impressed.
“So, what do you want with me?” She pulled out her Magic Wand. “If it’s a fight, I’m game.”
“I don’t do pointless things,” Lin Yizhou said casually. “The higher-ups just wanted me to check out your background—not to fight you. Besides… I’m sure a self-proclaimed righteous Magical Girl like you wouldn’t just jump a random Freak sitting on the street, right? You’ve got to have some cause to arrest someone.”
Neither made a move, but their words were sharp, locked in a tense standoff.
Su Ziling was relieved, however. After transforming, she looked completely different from her normal self. She knew he was Lin Yizhou, but he had no idea she was Su Ziling.
That way, if he ever messed up later, she could just go arrest him without any trouble.
Just as she was thinking that, an untimely voice cut through between them.
“Hmm…” Su Lili, wearing her Spiritual Outfit, looked left at her mother, then right at her father, and asked, “Mom, Dad, are you two having a secret date out here late at night?”
“Pfft—!”
Su Ziling choked on the spot.
“Huh?”
Lin Yizhou was completely dumbfounded.
“Hm?”
Su Lili tilted her head, looking innocent.
Of course, she knew her father didn’t recognize her mother’s Spiritual Outfit, but that didn’t stop her from exposing her mother’s disguise.
After all, if the two of them kept hiding their identities, how many years would it take before anything happened?
Might as well tear off their masks from the start and force them to face each other as their real selves.
Heh~ She was such a little genius.
“Lili!”
Su Ziling, who had already planned out how to conceal her identity and then nab Lin Yizhou when he committed a major crime, completely lost it.
She rushed forward, grabbed her daughter’s cheeks, and pulled them like dough.
“Didn’t I tell you not to call me ‘Mom’ in front of outsiders!?”
“But Dad isn’t an outsider…”
The little girl’s speech was garbled from having her cheeks pulled.
By then, Lin Yizhou had finally caught on.
“You’re Su Ziling.”
Caught red-handed, Su Ziling had no choice but to drop the act. She sighed.
“Yeah…”
Even with her identity exposed, the two kept their distance. The little girl stood bewildered between them, not knowing which way to go.
“Did I say something wrong?”
Su Lili continued playing innocent.
“I thought you two were getting along and secretly dating…”
“No way.”
“But I saw Mom bringing Dad breakfast.”
“That was just me being unable to stand his lifestyle habits.”
Su Ziling, who had been trying to stubbornly explain, suddenly realized something.
“Did you sneak out again?”
“Ehehe~”
“Ehehe my foot.”
Su Ziling smacked Su Lili on the head with a light chop.
The air grew awkward. Looking at Lin Yizhou not far away, she thought of the two Freaks who had taken hostages earlier, the many other misdeeds of those Freaks… or perhaps she was just being stubborn.
“A Freak like you… I could never get involved with.”