“…We’re here. This is my home, Mr. Wuhua.” Qianhan got out of the car first, standing by the roadside to introduce it to Wuhua.
“Th-this?” Wuhua followed closely behind, looking up along her line of sight—there stood one of Haizhu City’s top-tier residential communities.
Even Wuhua, a poor soul who never paid attention to real estate and had no business with it, had heard of it.
At the entrance sat an exquisite fountain, with a milky-white sculpture and mysterious mechanisms, and a gentle stream slowly gushing out. Beside the fountain was a large boulder—
Engraved with the four characters: “Anyi Manor.”
“Well then, you two young ladies. I’ll be off now. See you later.” The taxi driver behind them left a teasing yet accurate remark and drove away gracefully.
After that pointed comment, Wuhua vaguely sensed that Qianhan might indeed be a true rich girl.
“Um… Wuhua?” Qianhan turned around at the entrance and found Wuhua frozen in place, puzzled.
“C-coming.” In a fluster, Wuhua quickly caught up with her. In this environment so mismatched with herself, she moved cautiously, like a lost kitten.
After greeting the etiquette attendants at the gate, Qianhan led Wuhua into the interior of the upscale neighborhood. Wuhua had never imagined stepping foot here, and as a friend of the “owner,” no less.
“Phew. Let’s wait here a moment. The car should be here soon.” Suddenly, Qianhan stopped and looked around.
“Wait for a car…?” Under Wuhua’s puzzled gaze, an internal sightseeing vehicle similar to those at tourist attractions slowly approached from not far away.
“Let’s go—” Under Qianhan’s lead, Wuhua got into the car again. After a few minutes of uphill roads and turns, both sides of the path were lined with pristine, park-like scenery.
Eventually, the car stopped in front of a private villa with its own courtyard, its gate as tall as half a story.
“—?!” Wuhua’s jaw dropped, and she almost forgot to ask: “Is this really your home?”
“Yes… Come to think of it, it’s the first time I’ve brought a f—someone like a friend, Mr. Wuhua, to my home.” Realizing the awkwardness, Qianhan rephrased.
“Come on, I’ll give you a brief tour.”
—
“Th-this is the young lady’s home.” Wuhua sat alone on the living room’s leather sofa, eyes darting around unable to take it all in. She could even see the layout of the second-floor rooms.
“Young lady… that’s too much. Please, have some.” Qianhan brewed a cup of coffee in the open kitchen and handed it to her.
“My parents always say they’re only slightly better off than others.”
“Ahaha… Auntie and Uncle have quite the sense of humor.” Wuhua forced a polite laugh, while also understanding why Qianhan had brought her here.
“If we practice here, no one will bump into us or disturb us.”
“Exactly, exactly… My parents are out working, so no need to worry.” Qianhan added.
“That’s good—” With that, Wuhua took a sip of the coffee. She’d expected the rich people’s beans to be bitter and sour, but it was surprisingly just right.
“H-how is it? It’s my own modified version—it should be closer to a taste and texture girls like.” Qianhan asked, lacking confidence.
“…It’s good. Not flattery—it’s genuinely very good.” Wuhua didn’t hold back her praise.
“Th-then that’s good.” Qianhan clasped her hands in satisfaction.
“But the word ‘flattery’… isn’t one a girl your age would usually use. Mr. Wuhua is really amazing.”
Marveling at something strange, Qianhan’s delicate face—also not typical of a twelve-year-old—blushed for an unknown reason.
“N-never mind that.” Wuhua got nervous too. “Time is limited. Let’s get down to business first.”
“Down to business…” Qianhan murmured, covering her mouth in surprise, her face growing even redder.
“That’s not what I meant!”
—
Qianhan led Wuhua into the villa’s private elevator—at this point, nothing was surprising anymore. They descended to a basement that was like a secret base.
“…” Already numb and out of commentary, Wuhua walked in slowly and took a brief look.
Deep black soundproofing foam covered the walls and ceiling. The floor was a soft, padded material like a gym. Mirrors lined the entire room like a dance studio. Despite having a space as large as a gym, only a simple table, chairs, and a cabinet stood sparsely in the corner. Plus, neon lights that lit up one by one at intervals like flowing water.
The strange decoration and purpose—if someone told her people had been kidnapped here, Wuhua would believe it.
“It’s, it’s my father’s hobby. He insisted on renovating a basement under the house.” Qianhan explained awkwardly. “My mother and I couldn’t talk him out of it.”
“I’d really like to meet your family someday.” Though half polite, Wuhua was genuinely curious about the two strangers.
“If there’s a chance… Mm.” With that, Qianhan turned on the indoor lights. The entire basement lit up at once.
“What was this originally meant for?” Wuhua couldn’t help asking, as the mirrors made it look more and more like a dance studio.
“Originally, my father wanted to build a shooting range… but he worried about neighbors complaining. So it sat unused and gradually became this.” Qianhan explained.
“Don’t worry—it’s absolutely safe. No one can find it, and it’s the only place in the house without surveillance.”
“Th-there are cameras upstairs?” Wuhua recalled something, then breathed a sigh of relief that she hadn’t done anything weird.
“…Well then, let’s start.”
—
“Hmm, let me think… the first step for a Magical Girl is—” Since Qianhan had asked her, Wuhua had to play the teacher and think.
“I know—it’s transformation.” Qianhan answered enthusiastically, raising her hand as if in class.
“Exactly.” Wuhua put her hands on her hips and looked at Qianhan. “Then try transforming here.”
‘After all, we can’t do the next step without transforming.’
Just as Wuhua thought this was obvious and Qianhan wouldn’t refuse—
“Wha—now? Here… in front of Mr. Wuhua?” Surprisingly, Qianhan resisted, fidgeting and looking perplexed at Wuhua.
“Of course! …We both know each other’s true identity. No need to hide it now, right?” Wuhua thought that was her concern.
“E-even if we know each other… isn’t it a bit bold?” Qianhan tested.
“Well, I’ve never transformed in front of anyone either.” Wuhua waved her hand encouragingly. “But I believe you can do it, Qianhan.”
Hearing this, Qianhan showed an incredulous expression, then lowered her face even more.
“…Fine. Since Mr. Wuhua says so.” She finally agreed. As the words fell, Qianhan reached for her clothes.
‘She’s going to take out her transformation item, just like my earrings.’
To keep Qianhan from losing her nerve, Wuhua nodded earnestly, conveying her support with a warm gaze.
“Guh…” Even more embarrassed, Qianhan’s hand finally landed on her back.
Then, under Wuhua’s watch, Qianhan unzipped her dress and pulled the sleeves to one side.
The dress slid down to her chest, revealing her full, fair bosom, faintly visible beneath very mature-looking underwear.
“W-wait.” Wuhua waved her hands in panic, completely baffled. “Wh-what are you doing?”
“Huh… wasn’t it Mr. Wuhua who told me to transform?” Flustered, Qianhan defended herself with a hint of anger.
“I mean, why do you have to take off your clothes to transform?!” Wuhua forgot to turn around and just stared at her.
“B-because.” Qianhan held up her slipping dress and explained.
“Transformation covers up the clothes…!”
Hearing this, Wuhua finally realized the misunderstanding the other had been under. She propped her head and thought for a moment, then decided to blurt out the somewhat harsh truth.
“…After you detransform, the clothes reappear.”
“So that’s how it is?!”
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