“By the way… Yaoyao.”
Unconsciously, Jiang Lingwei, who was already more accustomed to calling her daughter by her nickname, held that jewelry box in her hand:
“Look, I found this in my room. Did you put it there?”
“Ah, let me see…”
Jiang Yao took the jewelry box, examined it carefully, then shook her head:
“I don’t remember. When we moved here from the old home, we hired movers and a designer to arrange things. Maybe they put it there.”
The girl looked curious:
“What’s inside?”
“A necklace. I have some impression of this necklace.”
“Really?”
Jiang Yao’s eyes lit up. “So, Mom, do you remember anything about it?”
“Sorry… I still don’t have any memories. So I wanted to ask if you’ve ever seen it.”
Jiang Lingwei pulled the necklace out from her clothes.
One downside of having a mature figure like hers was that her magical core always slid down into the soft white abyss at the front, pressing against her chest uncomfortably.
She had to readjust the chain at the back, tightening it quite a bit.
If she had known this day would come, she wouldn’t have designed it as a necklace.
“I haven’t seen it before, but… was it broken? Such a pity… it should’ve been really beautiful.”
Even after examining another magical girl’s transformation device for a while, Jiang Yao still looked completely clueless, only expressing regret.
Jiang Lingwei glanced sideways at the little fairy Xiao Bai, who was curled up playing the part of a dog nearby. It seemed to show no reaction either.
(Really?)
This situation was beyond Jiang Lingwei’s expectations. She had planned to reveal that there was a magical core here herself, but both the girl and the fairy treated the magical core like an ordinary gem.
Back in the day, magical girls could sense each other, and their magical perception was the same. No magical object would escape a magical girl’s notice. How could it not work now?
(Could it be because of those cracks?)
“Alright then.”
Putting aside her guesses, she stuffed the transformation device back into her clothes and decided to address a more practical matter:
“Are you hungry? What do we have to eat at home?”
“Emmm, I am a little hungry. Mom, wait a moment, I’ll make something to eat.”
“Eh~”
Jiang Lingwei grabbed the arm of the girl who was about to get up. “I’m already awake, do you still need to? Let… me do it.”
For a moment, she almost instinctively said, “Let Mom do it,” but quickly stopped herself.
(Ugh… still not used to it.)
“No, Mom, you just woke up from a coma. How about we go eat out?”
Jiang Yao smiled awkwardly and blocked Jiang Lingwei’s steps toward the fridge.
(Hmm? Something’s up?)
That expression, of course, didn’t escape Jiang Lingwei’s eyes. She bent slightly, looking into Jiang Yao’s eyes and said:
“There isn’t anything in the fridge I shouldn’t see, right? Like some terrifying artifact or something?”
This was a precaution. In the past, Senior Fulán had brought back monster limbs chopped off on the battlefield to their base for research.
Jiang Lingwei was shocked when she opened the fridge and saw a thick claw with eyes growing in its palm.
By the way, as comrades, each of them had chosen a codename based on a weather or meteorological term. For example, Jiang Lingwei’s own was [Aurora].
As for “Fulán,” it referred to the mist in the mountains and forests in classical Chinese.
She really couldn’t understand why a humanities student like her was so obsessed with biology.
If her own daughter shared a similar interest, Jiang Lingwei could only respect it and avoid it.
After all, magical girls’ personalities were hard to change.
Besides, she didn’t have that many motherly instincts.
Her true self was still a seventeen-year-old boy! She didn’t even know if her own hobbies were right.
Life as a magical girl wasn’t easy; it was better not to give the child too much pressure.
“It’s not that… it’s just that there’s actually nothing good to eat in the fridge.”
Jiang Yao nervously fiddled with her fingers.
“Hmph~ Don’t worry, I’m known in the community as the little cooking prince… little, little… anyway, you can’t understand my skills. Even with eggs, I can cook them beautifully!”
Mentioning this, Jiang Lingwei crossed her arms and reminisced about her glory days.
Back then, she was solely responsible for the whole team’s meals.
Plus, her magical equipment and talent were both support-type, and compared to others, she was less affected by magic, making her mind more “healthy” in the social sense.
Whether it was external contacts or procuring supplies, it was mainly her and the team leader, the first contract holder with the old master, magical girl [North Wind], who took care of it.
To be more precise, the entire team’s logistics were led and managed by her.
Cooking skills were nothing minor; after two years, she had mastered them thoroughly.
“The kitchen is on the first floor, right? I’ll go see what we can make.” Jiang Lingwei winked confidently. “Leave it to me.”
“Hmm… there really isn’t much food… ah, Mom, wait.”
Seeing Jiang Lingwei head downstairs, Jiang Yao stomped her foot and followed.
Only Xiao Bai was left behind. After everyone left, it quietly pulled out a bag of chips from an unknown space behind it, tore it open, and muttered softly:
“I told you, my full name is Tanggula Afier Snider Longji Mountain Range Kukuo Jianghu Twin Swordsman Bai II, not Xiao Bai!”
Crunch crunch…
…
Going downstairs, turning a corner, and pulling open the glass door revealed a kitchen that looked well-equipped.
Whether they paid extra or this was just the style of this era, the kitchen had not only a stove but also an induction cooktop and a full range of facilities.
Bowls and chopsticks cabinets, various utensils, and even spices were neatly categorized and placed. It looked impressively thorough.
Only… it looked a bit too new, like it hadn’t been used much.
Along one wall stood a double-door refrigerator taller than a person. It was divided into several compartments, with an LCD panel displaying real-time temperature and functions, looking very advanced.
“Well, at least the stove’s ignition knobs and basic logic haven’t changed, or else I’d be stuck at the first step.”
Jiang Lingwei sighed.
Everything before her reminded her of the fact that many years had passed.
This kitchen was far better than the old gas stove and broken range hood she used back in the dilapidated neighborhood, but it made her feel a little out of place.
“Mom!”
Just as Jiang Lingwei reached the fridge, ready to see what ingredients were available, the girl ran over and stood in front of the fridge.
“Don’t rush to open the fridge yet.”
“?”
Jiang Lingwei looked at her suspiciously and said:
“Is there something I shouldn’t see?”
“No, no… nothing like that…”
“Then I’ll open it, okay?”
After hesitating for a few seconds, Jiang Yao seemed to make up her mind, wearing an expression ready to face death, and stepped aside.
“Mom, open it, but be careful.”
“Pfft, really, what’s with that face?”
Jiang Lingwei laughed at her expression. “Relax, even if there’s some food you particularly like, I can understand. How could I blame you for what’s in the fridge… whoa—”
The moment she opened the fridge door and was flooded with white light, Jiang Lingwei’s mouth formed an O.
The next second, a bunch of boxy black shadows came crashing down on her head.
“Crash—”
Seconds later, buried under piles of frozen pizzas, convenient burgers, and other ready-to-eat meal boxes, as well as some leftover trash and scattered drinks from inside the fridge, Jiang Lingwei silently looked at Jiang Yao.
“Because, because compared to cooking, buying these is just more convenient.”
Jiang Yao stammered, struggling to explain:
“I, I…”
“It’s just… all because of…”
“Long-term fast food consumption.”
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