In the next moment, the girl suddenly let out a soft groan, her face instantly turning pale.
The faint pink magical halo surrounding her shattered like broken glass, and the Magical Girl transformation was forcibly dispelled.
She staggered, her knee hitting the cold floor with a thud.
Her shoulders heaved violently, her rapid breaths coming out hot and labored, taking a long time to settle.
From behind her came steady, rhythmic footsteps, slowly approaching through the factory’s silence.
Ye Ning, her face still flushed, slowly raised her head.
The stray hairs at her forehead were damp with sweat, clinging to her pale cheeks.
She looked toward the approaching figure, her voice weak and soft, tinged with a hint of barely concealed grievance.
“You’re here, Hua Niao.”
As she spoke, she pushed herself up from the ground, her fingertips turning white from the effort.
After just two steps, the debilitating weakness from mana exhaustion washed over her.
Her foot caught, her center of gravity shifted, and she stumbled forward, falling straight toward Hua Niao.
Hua Niao reacted swiftly, reaching out to catch her limp body, her palm firmly supporting Ye Ning’s waist.
Feeling the slight tremble of the person in her arms, a look of helpless yet doting amusement appeared on her face.
She raised a hand to gently ruffle Ye Ning’s disheveled hair.
“Ningning, really. You never know how to hold back, do you? You always have to exhaust so much mana at once. Can’t you take better care of yourself?”
Ye Ning buried her face in Hua Niao’s chest, her nose pressed against her clothes, inhaling Hua Niao’s unique, cool scent.
It was like a slightly chilly evening breeze, dispelling the residual heat within her.
But the weakness from mana exhaustion intertwined with the sense of dependence brought by the Contract, stirring up an urgent craving in her heart.
She looked up, her pale pink eyes misty. Without waiting for Hua Niao to say anything more, she leaned in, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Hua Niao’s lips.
Hua Niao’s eyes were filled with indulgence.
She wrapped her arms around Ye Ning, holding her close as she gently returned the kiss.
Only when the weakness in Ye Ning’s body gradually faded and her ragged breathing steadied did the two slowly part.
Recovered, Ye Ning’s face was no longer pale.
Instead, a healthy rosy hue spread across her cheeks.
She leaned lightly against Hua Niao, her eyes lazy and calm, now much more docile.
Her fingers lightly clutched Hua Niao’s sleeve.
Before long, Ye Ning had fully recovered.
She pushed herself up from Hua Niao’s embrace, sat upright, and glanced sideways at the person beside her, her brow slightly raised.
“Tch.”
Hua Niao:
“???”
The corner of her mouth twitched slightly as she shook her head helplessly.
“I mean, Ningning, is it really necessary to pull that face every time after replenishing mana? I didn’t force you.”
Ye Ning snorted coldly, her eyes filled with indignation.
“You’re just a pervert! You had to come up with such an outrageous and embarrassing way to replenish mana. Couldn’t you think of a more normal method?”
That’s right—mana replenishment.
Hua Niao’s Contract suppressed Ye Ning’s Witchification, but the cost was that every time Ye Ning overused her mana, she couldn’t recover on her own.
She needed Hua Niao’s help to replenish it.
And the more she used, the more severe the depletion, and the greater the cost.
Remembering the scene when she first learned about this method of mana replenishment, Ye Ning still couldn’t help but grit her teeth.
She subconsciously touched the corner of her own lips, her fingertips feeling a faint sensation.
But thinking about it now, this feeling… seemed… quite pleasant too?
The moment this thought surfaced, Ye Ning’s small face instantly flushed a light pink, as if stained with cherry blossoms.
She hurriedly averted her gaze, not daring to look at Hua Niao anymore.
“Ningning.”
Hua Niao suddenly leaned in closer, her warm breath gently brushing against the tip of Ye Ning’s ear, causing a slight, ticklish itch.
Her voice was low.
“Eek!”
Ye Ning was startled, her whole body stiffening instantly as if scalded.
She whipped her head around to look at Hua Niao, her eyes full of panic, her speech stammering.
“Wha-what? Wh-why are you suddenly so close?!”
Hua Niao looked at her panicked, startled-kitten expression, her eyes brimming with amusement.
She raised a hand to gently ruffle Ye Ning’s head, her tone growing even more doting.
“It’s nothing. Just reminding you that school starts tomorrow. Don’t be late.”
Ye Ning subconsciously nuzzled against her palm.
“I know, I’m not a kid. I won’t be late.”
She paused, frowning as she looked at Hua Niao with a puzzled expression, her eyes full of confusion.
“Speaking of which, why are you still thinking about going to school? And into the first year of high school, no less. I’m an old-timer, and I still have to go through first year again.”
Hua Niao couldn’t help but let out a soft, gentle laugh.
She reached out and gently lifted Ye Ning’s chin, forcing her to look up into her eyes, her expression serious.
“We need a legitimate identity in A City to better hide our tracks. Going to school just happens to dispel a lot of unnecessary suspicion. Besides…”
Her fingertips gently stroked Ye Ning’s delicate jawline, her voice softening further, like a lover’s whisper.
“I haven’t had the chance to properly experience high school life with Ningning yet. All those everyday things—going to class together, walking home from school together—I want to experience them all with Ningning. Ningning, don’t you want to be with me?”
Ye Ning’s ears instantly felt hot, and a faint blush spread across her cheeks like a ripe apple.
She subconsciously turned her head away, her words defiant.
“Wh-who wants to! Since you’re so desperate for me to go to school with you, I’ll be magnanimous and agree!”
—
The night passed without incident.
The next morning, soft morning light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling onto the soft bed and casting scattered spots of light.
Hua Niao was still in a light sleep, her long eyelashes resting quietly, her breathing steady and even, a lazy aura surrounding her.
In her drowsy state, a deliberately softened voice suddenly reached her ears—Ye Ning’s voice, feigning obedience, sweet to the point of being cloying.
“Master~ Time to wake up~ If you don’t get up, you’ll be late~”
A faint aroma of rice porridge drifted into her nostrils, mingling with the girl’s clean, refreshing scent.
Warm breath gently brushed against her ear, bringing a slight, ticklish itch that made Hua Niao’s eyelashes tremble faintly.
But the obedient voice didn’t last more than a few seconds before gradually changing its tune, shedding all pretense and taking on a somewhat gnashing, ferocious edge, the tail end of the words carrying a hint of a vicious threat.
“Master, if you don’t get up… I’m going to kill you~ Don’t blame me for being ruthless!”
Before the words had fully faded, a small, clenched fist came whistling through the air toward Hua Niao’s face.
Hua Niao’s eyelashes fluttered as her eyes snapped open, all traces of sleepiness vanishing instantly.
She raised her hand and firmly caught the slender fist.
Her fingertips touched the delicate, warm skin of the girl’s palm, feeling her slight tremble.
She looked up to see Ye Ning leaning over the bedside, dressed in a light gray JK uniform that made her figure appear even more slender and petite.
The neat shirt was tucked into a pleated skirt, outlining her slim waistline.
The hem of the pleated skirt fanned out slightly over the edge of the bed, revealing her fair, slender calves.
The navy blue necktie at her collar was tied neatly, but it couldn’t hide the mix of childish charm and ferocity on her face.
Her pink-white hair fell somewhat messily over her shoulders, a few stray strands sticking to her flushed cheeks, making her pale pink eyes seem even more lively.
Yet, her gaze was full of a fierce, prickly intensity, like a little beast with its fur standing on end.
“Are you trying to kill me, Ningning?”
Hua Niao didn’t bother hiding the fondness in her eyes.
“Ningning in a school uniform is really cute.”
Ye Ning’s face instantly flushed crimson.
She yanked her hand back with force, scrambling off the bed with arms and legs flailing.
In her haste, her skirt swayed with the movement, and she almost tripped over herself.
“Sh-shut up! Don’t praise me!”
Her voice was halting, her eyes darting around.
Her fingers subconsciously tugged at her own necktie.
“B-breakfast is ready. If you don’t get up, it’ll be completely cold, and then don’t you dare complain!”
The girl ultimately fled as if escaping a disaster, disappearing through the bedroom doorway.
She even forgot to close the door behind her.