An obsession etched into one’s instincts cannot be changed, provided one follows those instincts.
Fortunately, Luo Jialan’s mind was still quite naive.
Although she could feel her heartstrings trembling, she did not understand why.
She simply watched the girl in the corner in silence, allowing the monsoon of adolescent love to bring her a feeling called longing.
Or perhaps it was “envy”?
Regardless, the pink-haired girl who had touched her soul had already composed herself.
Like an Epiphyllum flower closing its petals, the fleeting, enchanting atmosphere vanished in the blink of an eye, leaving Luo Jialan with nothing but a sense of loss.
‘Why is this? Even though it’s our first time meeting, I feel so empty inside after seeing her being claimed. But they’re both girls, right? No matter how close they are, what could they possibly do?’
She couldn’t describe this strange sensation and felt completely bewildered.
This confusion soon turned into intense curiosity.
“Have you two known each other for a long time?”
Luo Jialan lightly nudged Ye Wanqing’s arm and asked, only to be met with a gaze full of mirth.
Ye Wanqing’s beautiful eyes curved slightly, but she didn’t laugh out loud.
She simply savored this joy in private.
“That’s right. She and I even lived together for a while back then. You weren’t around yet.”
It was undoubtedly the truth, but it carried a hint of craftiness that made Luo Jialan frown.
“Are you two… childhood friends?!”
“Nope. Su Mu and I have a very close relationship, the kind that goes beyond the boundaries of friendship.”
‘Beyond the… boundaries of friendship? They must be sisters.’
The moment this thought appeared, Luo Jialan felt a wave of relief and even began to form an idea.
“Sisters? That’s wonderful. I’ve actually always wanted an older sister or something like that…”
Upon hearing the word “sisters,” Ye Wanqing’s smile suddenly vanished.
She stiffened her face, her expression turning slightly solemn.
“Ah, no. It would probably be more appropriate to describe us as ‘intimate friends’ or something similar.”
“Intimate friends? Do you mean best friends?” Luo Jialan didn’t understand.
She couldn’t stop twiddling the ends of her aqua-blue hair.
This unfamiliar term made her feel inexplicably uneasy, as if bad news was about to follow.
“Well—of course not. Intimate friends share a lot of privacy. You’ll understand that once the time comes.”
“Huh?”
Just as Ye Wanqing was fooling around with Luo Jialan, Su Mu arrived at their side at some unknown point and stuffed a lollipop into Ye Wanqing’s mischievous cherry lips.
“Don’t listen to her nonsense. Intimate friends are just friends who have a good relationship.”
Her soft tone, laced with a hint of bashful annoyance, made Luo Jialan’s heart skip a beat.
Feeling flattered and overwhelmed, she shrank back slightly.
“Okay.”
“Obedient”—this word was rarely used to describe Luo Jialan, but now it seemed perfectly fitting.
The feeling Su Mu gave her was like that of a gentle and intellectual older sister from next door.
This was the polar opposite of the delicious, tearful expression she had when she was pinned against the wall in the corner, yet both traits merged harmoniously within her, making it hard for anyone to look away.
Her slightly upturned eyebrows gave off a faint, wicked charm, yet it didn’t feel contradictory.
Instead, it subtly melted her delicate temperament, adding a unique flair to her brow.
Not to mention, those eyes—clear as autumn waters—were staring straight at Luo Jialan’s face, causing her cheeks to burn and forcing her to avert her gaze.
“I’m Su Mu. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Su Mu reached out her hand toward Luo Jialan.
“Oh, I’m Luo Jialan. The p-pleasure is mine.”
Luo Jialan, finally snapping back to her senses after a long moment, stammered her response.
She timidly reached out her small hand, only to find it gently enveloped.
It felt as if she were touching a small Fire Seed—warm, yet not enough to burn her.
She felt her palm go numb, and her heart rate quickened further.
Just as she was about to succumb to her shyness, the fiery red-haired girl pushed her way back in.
“Su Mu, you’re playing favorites!” Ye Wanqing feigned anger and pouted.
She grabbed Su Mu’s shoulders and began shaking her back and forth, leaving the latter dizzy and babbling incoherently.
Seeing this, Luo Jialan could only awkwardly withdraw her hand.
In her mind, she added a new label to Ye Wanqing: “Two-faced.”
Ye Wanqing usually acted quite reliable, but now she was being exceptionally clingy and cute, like a spoiled little princess acting spoiled toward her big sister.
Suddenly, a thought flashed through Luo Jialan’s mind like a bolt of lightning, causing her to clutch her forehead and hiss softly.
‘When did I first meet Miti? It feels a bit strange, like I haven’t seen her at all during these past few days… Forget it, it’s not important.’
After being shaken for a while, Su Mu finally straightened her waist and steadied herself.
She looked at Ye Wanqing helplessly and inconspicuously hooked her pinky finger with the other girl’s.
“Stop messing around. Let’s talk about it tonight, okay?”
She spoke softly, but Ye Wanqing heard her perfectly.
A smile instantly broke across her face, and she scratched Su Mu’s palm with her finger before playfully forming a pinky promise hook.
“It’s a promise.”
“Mm.”
***
On the other side, Tang Nai sat silently on one side of the sofa.
She watched the sleeping Su Ya, her eyes flickering with complex emotions.
‘She’s been eroded by her Authority to the point where she can barely maintain her self-awareness. Is this your choice? Or is it the ultimate destination for all Magical Girls?’
They either fell and became a Witch, or they were eroded by their Authority into an empty shell.
There were very few Magical Girls like them who were lucky enough to survive the long climb to reach B-rank and enter the realm of Authority.
Not to mention, their endings were each more miserable than the last.
Several had been lost during the great war.
The only survivors were the three of them: Su Ya, Tang Nai, and Shen Moleng.
One had retired with her daughter, another lived in gloom, and only Motes seemed to be doing somewhat alright…
Of course, that was a lie.
After all, the trouble caused by Motes’ Authority was even worse than Su Ya’s—she was the nightmare of countless people, the existence that brought the kiss of death to those on their deathbeds.
In time, her Authority would also erode her.
When that happened, as the life form closest to and yet furthest from death, what would she encounter?
Tang Nai didn’t know…
However, Motes probably wouldn’t be able to witness the day of Tang Nai’s death in her capacity as a reaper.
She had tried many times as promised, but her invincible scarlet blade failed to leave even the slightest mark on Tang Nai’s consciousness.
It was unclear if this was due to the latter’s Authority or if Tang Nai’s personal identity had already faded so much that there was nothing left to erase.
No, perhaps there was a little left.
“Hey, Senior Ya, how about you hand your daughter over to me? I’ll take good responsibility for her. If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as your consent.”