“We’re back!”
As the sky neared dusk, Li Guang, Chi Zaozao, and Gu Qingchuan returned to Li Guang’s home together, looking utterly disheveled.
The monster had been defeated.
Um… how should she put it?
It was much easier than expected.
They had thought it would be a fierce battle, but unexpectedly, that gummy monster operated on the principle of a non-Newtonian fluid.
The harder you struck, the more indestructible it became; conversely, the gentler your movements, the more fragile it was.
In the end, this monster was confined by the three through a spatial magic and then exiled.
Anyway, the thing had no consciousness—it was nothing but a hazardous item.
“Isn’t today the start of summer vacation? Why are you back so late?”
Li Chi came out of the kitchen carrying a roasted chicken, and at a glance, he spotted the orange cat lingering by the blonde girl behind his little sister.
Oh… it’s that novice magical girl. Looks like they’ve already built a good relationship. Not bad.
Li Chi thought as much.
“Brother, let me introduce you. This is our classmate, Gu Qingchuan.”
Li Guang looked at Li Chi excitedly, pointing at Gu Qingchuan as she spoke.
“Welcome. No need to be so reserved—treat this place like your own home. And Zaozao, don’t actually treat it like your home.”
Li Chi turned to continue serving dishes, casually joking with the red-haired girl who seemed to have designs on his little sister.
“What a warm feeling…”
Gu Qingchuan murmured.
She was an only child at home, with no siblings, and her parents were usually busy with work, so she was often alone.
Thus, she rarely felt care from elders other than her parents and teachers.
Gu Qingchuan looked at Li Chi’s profile and suddenly felt a sense of incongruity.
She always felt like she’d seen this face somewhere before?
Gu Qingchuan then looked at Li Guang and said softly.
“Xiao Guang.”
“Hm? What’s up?”
“Could you lift your hair up?”
As soon as she said this, Gu Qingchuan regretted it a bit—after all, it was somewhat offensive to someone she’d just met.
“No problem.”
“Eh?”
Gu Qingchuan, who was about to apologize, was stunned. She hadn’t expected this Xiao Guang senior to be so laid-back.
Li Guang and Chi Zaozao, on the other hand, wore knowing expressions, as this had happened many times before.
Of course, they knew what Gu Qingchuan wanted to see.
Chi Zaozao had a look of anticipation, feeling a bit mischievous.
Li Guang felt it was no big deal—after all, she and her brother’s faces were really too similar.
The sea-blue long hair was gathered by Xiao Guang at the back of her head, tied into a high ponytail with a hair tie, hanging high behind.
“This is way too similar…”
Gu Qingchuan looked at Li Guang’s face after tying up her hair, then at Li Chi’s face not far away, where he was arranging the dining table.
“Are you two… twins?”
“No, Brother is four years older than me.”
“Then you two are really too…”
The words reached her lips but somehow couldn’t come out.
Gu Qingchuan’s personality wasn’t particularly outgoing; she was even a bit self-conscious. Even becoming a magical girl hadn’t changed her nature.
Although Gu Qingchuan couldn’t fully say “too similar,” her expression already said it all.
“Right? Right!”
Chi Zaozao acted like she’d found a kindred spirit, instantly perking up.
She hooked an arm around Gu Qingchuan’s shoulder, pointing at the siblings over there, lowering her voice but unable to hide her excitement.
“The first time I saw Xiao Guang’s brother, I was shocked too! It’s like they were carved from the same mold! But thinking about it, it makes sense—they’re siblings, after all. Still, these two look way too alike!”
“Zaozao!”
Li Guang swatted Chi Zaozao with a mix of laughter and exasperation, but there was no anger on her face; she was clearly used to it.
She also touched her own face, smiling helplessly: “Yeah, ever since we were little, people have said I look like Brother. Sometimes even Mom and Dad mix up our childhood photos.”
Gu Qingchuan looked at Li Guang’s bright, unclouded smile, then sneaked another glance at Li Chi, who was carefully slicing the roasted chicken.
Under the warm light, the boy’s focused profile had clear and soft lines, his bright eyes—so identical to his sister’s—downcast, his expression calm and earnest.
“So!” Chi Zaozao’s imagination started running wild uncontrollably, her eyes shining. “Isn’t this some kind of sign? Xiao Guang and her brother look so alike, which means Brother has an amazing ‘foundation’ too! Maybe… Xiao Guang’s brother actually has the ultimate potential to become a magical girl!”
“Pfft—!” Li Guang, who was drinking water, nearly choked.
Even the panda plush Xiao Qi perched on her head stumbled, the whole bear almost falling off. The red little pony raised its chin smugly, looking quite in agreement with its host’s wild idea.
Gu Qingchuan was stunned, dazed by this overly leapfrog conclusion.
Magical girl… brother?
Her gaze involuntarily drifted back to Li Chi.
In her mind, she couldn’t help but imagine him in an azure skirt.
…No sense of incongruity at all!
Gu Qingchuan’s face filled with horror; she patted her cheeks, trying to drive the thought out of her head.
“Chi! Zao! Zao!”
Li Guang set down her water cup and went to pinch Chi Zaozao’s cheeks, the two girls immediately starting to tussle.
“Standards are rigid, but people are flexible! What if there’s an exception? Look at Xiao Guang’s brother—except for having one extra part than us, he totally fits the bill!”
Chi Zaozao dodged while sticking to her theory, even trying to rope in Gu Qingchuan.
“Qingchuan, you agree, right? Xiao Guang’s brother looks like a good person at first glance!”
Gu Qingchuan opened her mouth, looking at the tussling pair, then at Li Chi not far away—who seemed oblivious to this absurd discussion about him, still methodically setting the table. In the end, she just lowered her head and gave a very soft “Mm.”
Rather than agreement, it was more that she didn’t know how to respond to this overly lively enthusiasm.
“Alright, stop messing around.”
Li Chi’s voice rang out at the right moment, calmly interrupting the girls’ increasingly off-track discussion.
He placed the last dish, took off his apron, and turned to them.
“Dinner’s ready.”
His gaze swept over the three, lingering a moment longer on Gu Qingchuan, who looked a bit awkward, her fingers unconsciously twisting her hem.
The girl’s lowered lashes trembled slightly, carrying a cautious sense of distance—completely different from the other girl who had nearly made this place her home.
Li Chi had a rough idea in his mind.
This girl was introverted, sensitive, perhaps a bit insecure. The type that needed a little more patience and subtle care.
“Gu Qingchuan, right?”
Li Chi spoke casually, as if just asking offhand. “I heard from Xiao Guang that you’re classmates. Don’t be polite—Xiao Guang’s friends are my friends.”
As he spoke, he naturally picked up an empty bowl, filled it brimful with the fragrant, stewed-to-tenderness tomato beef brisket soup, and gently placed it in front of Gu Qingchuan’s seat, even straightening the spoon.
“Have some soup first to warm your stomach. I see your face is a bit pale—did you run too fast after school? I made a lot of dishes today, so eat slowly, no rush.”
His movements were smooth and natural, without any forced enthusiasm, yet carrying a reassuring warmth.
Gu Qingchuan looked at the steaming bowl of soup in front of her, the rich tomato red and tender beef chunks looking especially appetizing under the light.
She carefully took the bowl, just as her eyes met Li Chi’s.
Those eyes held no probing, no perfunctory politeness—only calm gentleness, like treating his real little sister.
“…Thank you.”
Gu Qingchuan’s voice was even softer than before, but that tense stiffness unwittingly relaxed a bit. She picked up the spoon, carefully scooping a mouthful of soup and bringing it to her lips.
Warm, fresh, with just the right tangy sweetness—it instantly dispelled the trace of chill and fatigue from returning in the evening.
Chi Zaozao had already tossed her outrageous idea aside; she and Li Guang had cheerfully pounced on the drool-worthy roasted chicken and other dishes.
For a moment, the dining table was filled with the light clinks of bowls and chopsticks, and the girls’ satisfied sighs.
Gu Qingchuan watched as the three elves stared at their owners’ plates on the table, or quickly snatched a few pieces of meat from the main dishes when Li Chi “wasn’t looking.”
“Qingchuan, try my brother’s roasted chicken.”
Li Guang snatched a chicken leg from Chi Zaozao’s mouth and handed it to Gu Qingchuan, who was blankly watching them, with a grin.
Gu Qingchuan was about to reach out to take it when she saw Xiao Guang looking at her face and shaking her head.
What does that mean?
The next second, the entire chicken leg was forcefully stuffed into Gu Qingchuan’s mouth by Li Guang, coating her rosy lips with grease.
The girl was dazed by this bold move, but the aroma of the roasted chicken quickly brought her back.
She stared blankly at Li Guang, who said with a grin.
“Eat my leg, and you’re my person now. From here on, team up with me against Zaozao!”
Gu Qingchuan didn’t speak, her eyes showing a trace of panic and unease, but then she noticed the others weren’t actually looking at her, and she relaxed.
She held the warm chicken leg in her hand, watching the two who had started tussling at the table again.
Is this… what friends are?
Gu Qingchuan thought as much.
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