Xu Zhihe’s home.
Xu Zhihe was sitting in her wheelchair, quietly reading a book.
Ye Ning remained in her Lark transformation, her hand gently resting on White Rose’s leg.
“So, Xiao He, White Rose has been treating you all along?”
Xu Zhihe nodded lightly.
“Yes, Sister White Rose comes every three months to give me mana therapy. My legs have been necrotic for a long time since they were eroded by a Disaster Beast’s mana years ago. The damaged meridians are very difficult to repair, so the recovery period needed is a bit longer than for a normal injury.”
As she said this, there was no extra emotion on her face—no sense of grievance or resentment—as if she were talking about someone else’s business.
Yet, from her calm tone, Ye Ning could detect a trace of subtle repression.
Who wouldn’t want to stand up and walk like a normal person?
It was just that she had long grown accustomed to hiding her feelings deep inside.
Ye Ning’s gaze softened considerably.
She subconsciously reached out and gently brushed the thin blanket covering Xu Zhihe’s legs.
A wisp of faint mana gathered at her fingertips as she carefully probed the meridians in the girl’s legs.
After a moment, she slowly withdrew her hand, her tone firm.
“Don’t worry. Your legs do show a gradual trend of recovery. White Rose’s mana is very pure, and the treatment is very thorough.”
She paused, thinking about the characteristics of a Magical Girl’s mana, and added, “You might not know this, but a Magical Girl’s mana isn’t as gentle as you might think. Even the uncompressed mana of a low-rank Light-Bathing Class Magical Girl can cause significant damage to an ordinary person’s body. Yet, if it is compressed, the healing effect of the mana is greatly diminished, only having a minimal effect.”
“For a condition like yours, where the legs have been eroded and necrotic for years with severe meridian damage, the mana of a low-rank Light-Bathing Magical Girl is completely incapable of providing effective treatment. It might even worsen the damage to your legs.”
“Only an A-rank or higher Light-Bathing Magical Girl can precisely control her mana, both avoiding harm to your body and deeply repairing the damaged meridians.”
At this point, her gaze softened even more.
She gently patted Xu Zhihe’s head and said with a smile, “And White Rose is one of the very few current S-rank Light-Bathing Magical Girls. Her mana is pure and powerful, controlled with extreme precision. She is undoubtedly the best person to treat you.”
Xu Zhihe listened quietly, not a ripple in her eyes.
She just nodded lightly, her gaze falling on Ye Ning’s face, carrying a trace of subtle dependence.
Seeing her obedient appearance, the smile on Ye Ning’s lips deepened.
Once again, a faint wisp of mana gathered at her fingertips as she gently placed her hand on Xu Zhihe’s leg, her voice gentle.
“I just used my magic to slightly enhance the residual healing mana left by White Rose. Although the effect isn’t particularly huge, it should help shorten your recovery period a bit, letting you stand up sooner.”
Her mana was gentle and pure, carrying a hint of healing power as it lightly seeped into Xu Zhihe’s leg.
Xu Zhihe could clearly feel a faint warmth spreading through her leg.
The previously stiff meridians also seemed to relax a little.
She looked up, seriously gazing at Ye Ning.
The softness in her eyes deepened a little more.
She let out a soft “Mhm,” her tone carrying a trace of imperceptible gratitude.
“Thank you, Sister Ye Ning.”
“Hehe~ No need to thank me, no need!”
Ye Ning smiled, her eyes curving into crescents.
She reached out and ruffled Xu Zhihe’s hair, her tone light and cheerful.
“After all, it’s Xiao He. Of course, I hope Xiao He can stand up sooner, to walk and run freely like other girls.”
The two chatted for a while longer, mostly with Ye Ning chattering about various things while Xu Zhihe listened quietly, occasionally responding with a sound.
Leaving Xu Zhihe’s home and walking through the residential complex, the evening breeze gently brushed past, carrying a slightly cool air.
Ye Ning’s mood was exceptionally cheerful.
As she walked, she hummed a tuneless little melody, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the screen of her mobile phone, muttering to herself.
“What should I cook when I get back today? I should celebrate! Maybe I should call Hua Niao and ask what she wants to eat~”
As she said this, she took out her phone.
Her fingertip was just about to press Hua Niao’s number when her peripheral vision suddenly caught sight of a slender, cool figure standing under a streetlamp not far away.
That figure was tall and slender, wearing a simple black trench coat.
Waist-length, ink-black hair was gently stirred by the evening breeze.
The profile of her face was sharp, her eyes and brows cool, her aura aloof—it was Xu Zhiyuan!
Ye Ning’s body instantly stiffened.
She almost dropped the phone in her hand.
Her heart began pounding wildly.
‘Xu Zhiyuan, that woman, is back?! Wasn’t she supposed to be on a mission? Did Xiao He sell me out?! No, no, Xiao He is so obedient, so well-behaved. She definitely wouldn’t do something like that!’
She forcibly suppressed the panic in her heart, quickly calming down, secretly comforting herself.
‘Xu Zhiyuan must just be back to see Xiao He. After all, Xiao He is her younger sister. It’s normal for her to come see her sister after finishing a mission. She’s definitely not here for me. Definitely not!’
Ye Ning took a deep breath, trying to calm her racing heart.
Back in the Morning Star Squad, she had seen what every member of the squad looked like after detransforming.
So, she could recognize Xu Zhiyuan’s face at a glance.
But the reverse wasn’t true.
Back in the squad, she and Equinox Flower had never detransformed in front of the others.
There was never a rule among Magical Girl squads forcing members to detransform and expose their real identities.
Therefore, she could guarantee that, apart from her hair color being somewhat similar to Lark’s, Xu Zhiyuan absolutely could not connect the current her with the former S-rank Magical Girl Lark.
After all, the current her was just an ordinary high school student, Ye Ning.
Having reasoned this through, the panic in Ye Ning’s heart dissipated by more than half.
She subtly adjusted her expression, trying hard to appear composed.
She continued humming her little tune, slowing her pace, pretending not to have seen Xu Zhiyuan, and walked straight towards the complex entrance, gradually getting closer to Xu Zhiyuan.
Soon, the two passed by each other.
Xu Zhiyuan didn’t seem to have noticed her.
She still stood under the streetlamp, her gaze calm as she looked into the distance, lost in thought.
She walked right past Ye Ning without stopping or giving her a second glance.
‘She didn’t notice!’
A wave of wild joy instantly surged in Ye Ning’s heart.
She almost jumped on the spot.
‘Victory! I successfully fooled her!’
‘No, no, I can’t laugh yet. I have to hold it in. I have to act like nothing happened. If she senses something off, all my previous efforts will be wasted!’
‘Another forty seconds, no, thirty-five seconds! Once I’m out of the complex, away from her line of sight, I’ll declare victory!’
Ye Ning bit her lip, trying hard to stifle her laughter, but the corners of her mouth still uncontrollably lifted slightly.
She hummed her tune with a smug air, her steps becoming much lighter.
The stone in her heart had completely fallen away.
She even began secretly congratulating herself on her quick thinking.
But at that moment, a cool, slightly uncertain voice came from behind her, lightly falling on her ear, making her body instantly stiffen and her breath catch.
“…Lark?”
‘Huh?!’
The smile on Ye Ning’s face instantly froze.
The corners of her mouth twitched.
The wild joy in her heart was instantly replaced by panic, her heart once again pounding madly.
She instinctively wanted to turn around, but her feet seemed nailed to the spot.
She desperately restrained the impulse to look back.
‘No! Can’t turn around! As long as I pretend not to know, pretend I didn’t hear, it’ll be fine! She must have mistaken me for someone else!’
Ye Ning took a deep breath, trying hard to adjust her breathing, forcing herself to calm down.
Her steps didn’t pause in the slightest as she continued walking straight ahead.
A slightly cool hand suddenly rested on her shoulder.
The force wasn’t heavy, but it carried an undeniable strength, preventing her from taking another step forward.
Immediately after, a familiar presence lightly brushed against her ear.
Xu Zhiyuan’s cool voice sounded again, carrying a hint of certainty and probing.
“Lark? Is that you?”
Ye Ning pursed her lips and slowly turned her head.
She squeezed out an innocent, guileless smile on her face, trying hard to open her big eyes wide, batting her long eyelashes, pretending to look utterly confused.
Her voice was soft and fluffy, carrying a hint of innocence.
“Lark? Who’s that? Sister, are you calling me?”