Chapter 14: I Didn’t See Anything!

Gu Lingyue’s mind flashed with images of those Alpha-class magical girls at the pinnacle of the pyramid.

Even describing them as terrifying felt overly conservative.

Moreover, such existences were now extremely rare and never appeared casually in public.

Terrifying.

Although reason told Gu Lingyue that this might be a deception, seeing Fei Xia’s face overflowing with emotion just from two hundred yuan made her dismiss the thought.

She had already planned to delve deeper later anyway. 

There was no rush.

If it was real, she absolutely had to bring Fei Xia into her fold.

If it was fake, that was fine too. 

Even the lowest-tier magical girl was far beyond what ordinary people could match.

Thinking of this, Gu Lingyue furrowed her brows slightly. 

She seemed to have overlooked a key issue all along.

“Next question. Why are you a magical girl? As far as I know, magical girls are all female without exception.”

“I don’t know.”

Fei Xia spoke before she even had a firm grip on the money, clearly not taking it seriously.

“One day, some plain and unremarkable mysterious creature approached me and asked if I wanted to become a magical girl. I agreed, and that’s all there was to it.”

The following questions were more or less the same.

Gu Lingyue was like feeding pigeons in the park, asking one question and handing over one bill.

Fei Xia was like an emotionless answering machine. 

Only when counting the money did a trace of life appear on her cold face.

Ten minutes later.

Fei Xia held a stack of about twenty red banknotes in her hands. 

Her fingertips flicked through them swiftly, pausing lightly on each one as the corners of her brows curved upward slightly.

Although it was still a drop in the bucket compared to her massive debt, this was cash—money she could actually control.

Gu Lingyue took out the last two red bills. Her expression grew much more restrained and serious.

“This is the last question.”

She paused.

“Why do you owe so much money?”

The air suddenly fell silent. 

Fei Xia’s hand reaching for the bills froze in midair, as if her soul had been drained away.

She opened her mouth then closed it, wanting to speak but hesitating.

“…”

Fragments of the past flashed through her mind in an instant: a kindly-faced elder and a monitor that suddenly flatlined.

The words reached her lips but refused to come out.

She lowered her head, looking at the gorgeous yet shameful backless dress on her body. 

Her shoulders tensed slightly, and the corners of her eyes stung uncontrollably.

Silence.

Fei Xia slowly bent down, slipped off the ill-fitting high heels, and curled up on the wide sofa. 

She wrapped her arms tightly around her knees and buried her face deep into the space between her knees and chest.

“…I don’t want to say.”

Gu Lingyue was stunned.

What was this all about?

Hadn’t she been happily counting the money just moments ago? 

What had happened?

The next second, Gu Lingyue suddenly felt emotions coming from outside to inside—unwillingness, grievance, and an indescribable despair.

This familiar feeling triggered a resonance, making Gu Lingyue’s heart ache inexplicably.

I went too far, didn’t I?

A strong sense of self-reproach surged into her heart.

Gu Lingyue did not press further. 

She placed the last two bills, along with the remaining change from her wallet, on the table in front of Fei Xia.

“Um, I just remembered I have something to do.”

Gu Lingyue’s tone was somewhat flustered. 

As if fleeing from something, she quickly walked out of the lounge. 

In her haste, she only pulled the door shut casually, leaving a narrow gap.

Not far outside the door, the passing Qiong Ling happened to witness everything and furrowed her brows in confusion.

“Why is Young Miss Gu in such a panic?”

She tiptoed over to the door gap and peeked inside. 

Upon seeing the situation clearly, she grew so angry her teeth itched and her fists clenched.

“Damn it, my little kitten got bullied into crying! And I haven’t even made a move yet!”

With that, Qiong Ling turned and chased after the direction Gu Lingyue had gone, ready to demand an explanation.

Only Lu Yushan remained in the lounge.

After who knew how long, she took a deep breath and haphazardly wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with her cloak.

At that moment, her phone vibrated. A message from boss Qiong Ling arrived.

You don’t need to stay busy today. Clock out.

Fei Xia breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, she no longer had to wear this outfit. 

Every second in these clothes made him feel unbearably uncomfortable.

With a thought, light flashed.

She had completely failed to notice that the door wasn’t fully closed.

In the glow, the originally petite body gradually grew taller. 

The red twin tails shortened and lost their color, ultimately returning to the black-haired youth wearing his school uniform.

The very instant the transformation completed—

Creak—

The door was gently pushed open. 

Bai Ning walked in carrying a tray laden with hot drinks and snacks, her face full of awkwardness mixed with a hint of anticipation.

The boss had notified her that she could clock out, so she wanted to chat with Fei Xia and apologize for her previous behavior.

Their eyes met.

Time froze once again.

The smile on Bai Ning’s face stiffened. 

The tray wobbled in her hands, nearly slipping.

The person before her was no longer the red-haired, delicate, agile twin-tailed girl but a slender youth with refined features and a bewildered expression.

Bai Ning’s mind immediately went into overdrive.

I must have entered the wrong room.

The thought had barely formed before she dismissed it.

Because she had personally witnessed the entire process of Fei Xia undoing her transformation just a second ago.

Looks like I can’t fool myself.

Her gaze swept over the youth again, scanning back and forth between his Adam’s apple, the boys’ school uniform, and his flat chest. 

Although it had been flat before too, the impact now was completely different.

I actually saw a boy naked?!

And I even pinned him down, groped his chest, and acted like a hooligan?!

Shame erupted like a volcano, and her face burned uncontrollably.

But…

When she recalled how cool Fei Xia had looked earlier when she single-handedly subdued the enemy and rescued her from danger.

Back then, she had thought how good it would be if Lu Yushan were a boy.

Eh?

Bai Ning blinked.

The person right in front of her now—wasn’t he a boy?

Realizing this, the girl’s face turned an even deeper red.

“Hello?”

Lu Yushan suddenly spoke, interrupting her chaotic thoughts.

“Ah wah wah wah wah, I didn’t see anything!”

Startled, Bai Ning felt her entire body heat up with shame. Instinctively, she turned to run.

Lu Yushan reacted with lightning speed. 

With one quick stride forward, he slammed his palm heavily against the door panel.

Thud—!

Clatter clatter—!

The tray fell from Bai Ning’s hands and crashed to the floor. 

Cups shattered as hot drink splashed across the ground.

She turned around timidly, her back pressed against the door with nowhere left to retreat.

Lu Yushan propped one hand against the door, trapping her in the narrow space.

It was the classic wall-pin pose.

A faint, pleasant scent of shampoo wafted to the tip of Bai Ning’s nose.

Suddenly, Bai Ning’s pupils contracted sharply. Her gaze locked onto the school emblem on Lu Yushan’s uniform. 

As if realizing something crucial, her voice trembling, she spoke rapidly.

“I-I-I-I! I’ll keep your secret!!!”