The screen showed Lu Yuan single-handedly taking down the Zhizhu Yushou.
Lu Yuan stared at the phone screen, a bit surprised. “Wh—who filmed this?!”
In the video, she executed a dazzling spin before blasting the spider Residual Beast’s head with a single shot. Her black combat skirt fluttered wildly in the explosion’s shockwave, twin ponytails swaying with the wind. The frame froze on the moment she landed smoothly and retracted her gun, and the comment section had already exploded.
【This Magical Girl is so cool!!】
【Is this newbie really this strong? No way!】
【Big Black Cat sis, step on me!!!】
“Everyone online is talking about you now.” Su Li put away the phone. “You’re quite the celebrity, Miss Lu Yuan.”
“Miss… whatever.” Lu Yuan rubbed her forehead, shaking her head. “It’s just killing a Residual Beast. How did it get so much attention? They even gave me a nickname… ‘Little Black Cat’? Uh, what?”
Su Li added a few sugar cubes into her coffee and stirred them around.
“It’s not because you killed some ‘Calamity’ that you became popular. It’s because you’re a new Magical Girl who just appeared in the public eye,” Su Li explained, taking a sip of her coffee. Despite the sugar, the bitterness still made her frown. “We haven’t had any new recruits in a long time. Very few people can adapt to the Transformation Crystal.”
Lu Yuan thought back. When he was in high school, he did remember something about this. New Magical Girls who performed well would come to schools to promote the Magical Girl cause, simultaneously testing whether new-age girls were suitable candidates for the Transformation Crystal.
But in his memory, at Tongmen Middle School during his time, there wasn’t a single girl who became a Magical Girl.
Thinking about it now, the fact that he—a boy—could become a Magical Girl was pretty unbelievable.
“A while ago, because of Rose, our Tongmen City Magical Girl Branch has been seriously short on staff. And now that it’s Recruitment Season, it’s time to go to Tongmen Middle School to recruit some new Magical Girls.” Su Li added a few more sugar cubes into her coffee.
She sipped again, frowned, and pushed the cup aside.
“How can you drink this stuff? It’s so bitter.”
“Uh… I actually kind of like it.” Lu Yuan glanced at the coffee Su Li pushed away, then back at Su Li. “So, why did you call me here?”
Su Li put her hands on her chest and said seriously, “Headquarters has decided to take this opportunity to send you to Tongmen Middle School for the Magical Girl Recruitment Promotion.”
“What?” Lu Yuan pointed at his own head. “Me? Go to school? How am I supposed to go looking like this?”
“Why not? You’re currently the most influential Magical Girl in Tongmen City.”
“B-but…” Lu Yuan tugged at his twin ponytails. “Going back to school as a girl… that’s too embarrassing.”
“There’s nothing embarrassing about it. With Changshi Revision Magic, even though people call you Lu Yuan, they don’t know which Lu Yuan you actually are. No one can recognize you.”
“Besides, only I, Tian Aixing, and Aoi Hoshino know you were originally a boy. No one else knows. Just act like the girl you are.”
“But Lin Wan can recognize me when I’m not transformed!” Lu Yuan protested, feeling Su Li was lying.
“That’s because Lin Wan is a Magical Girl,” Su Li answered. “Changshi Revision Magic—the Cognitive Impairment protection spell—doesn’t affect other Magical Girls.”
“Uh…” Lu Yuan still hesitated.
“Don’t worry, you’ll get overtime pay.” Su Li waved her hand. “Also, Tian Aixing has already used Mingshe Investigation across Tongmen City. Rose is probably no longer within the urban area, so you’re safe to operate here for now—no threats.”
“Alright… I’ll go.” After a moment’s thought, Lu Yuan gave in. “But for something this small, you could have just told me over the phone. Why did you need me to come all the way here?”
“Because…” Su Li hesitated, coughing slightly before saying, “I wanted to apologize to you.”
“Apologize…?”
“Because of me personally, you became a Magical Girl… and you can’t be a boy anymore… I’m sorry.” Su Li lowered her head slowly.
“This…”
“Actually,” Lu Yuan smiled, finally at ease. Her gaze landed on Su Li’s slightly flushed earlobe. “Being a Magical Girl isn’t so bad.”
“High salary, room and board included.” Lu Yuan counted on her fingers. “It’s hard to find a job like this.”
Su Li suddenly looked up, her silver-white hair sweeping over her shoulders. “I’m serious!”
“Me too.” Lu Yuan reached out and gently tapped the back of Su Li’s hand resting on the table. “If it weren’t for you, Rose would have turned me into a Muppet already.”
***
“Can you forgive me?” Su Li dropped her leadership demeanor and spoke humbly.
“There’s nothing to forgive. I never hated you. When you faced the Zhizhu Yushou, you were doing your best to protect me. It’s not your fault.” Lu Yuan took a sip of coffee, her voice calm. “Besides… when you saved me at the Factory, you looked pretty cool. I kinda like you.”
Lu Yuan’s “like” wasn’t romantic—it simply meant she didn’t dislike or resent Su Li and sincerely regarded her as a friend.
But Su Li seemed to misunderstand, her breathing visibly disrupted.
Her face flushed bright red, like a kettle boiling over.
“L-like, like… Lu Yuan, stop joking, haha…”
“What?” Lu Yuan didn’t catch Su Li’s words.
“Nothing! I’m going now!” Su Li grabbed the bill on the table and turned to leave. “Don’t forget to go to Tongmen Middle School for the event tomorrow!”
Lu Yuan watched her hurried retreat and couldn’t help but laugh, leaning on the table.
“Really… such a tsundere…”
***
Lu Yuan rode the shared electric scooter home, humming to herself as she went.
Even though she had some money now, Lu Yuan still chose to take the shared electric scooter home instead of hailing a cab.
What can you say? The emperor’s golden hoe.
Finally arriving at her building, she started climbing the stairs when her stomach suddenly “grumbled.”
She realized she hadn’t eaten dinner yet and pulled out her phone to open the food delivery app.
“Hm… fried chicken or ramen…” She scrolled while walking upstairs, her finger hesitating back and forth between two restaurants.
Suddenly, a notification popped up from a newly opened milk tea shop.
【New shop opening! Strawberry Daifuku—second cup half off!】
Lu Yuan’s finger paused. Before, she probably would have scrolled past without a second glance, but now…
Her throat moved involuntarily.
“Well, my salary’s good now anyway…” she murmured, honestly adding two cups to the cart.
I want two!
Unconsciously, Lu Yuan reached her doorstep.
As she inserted her key and opened the door, the aroma of cooking food wafted out.
She froze in the entryway, seeing Lin Wan on tiptoes, grabbing plates from the cupboard while wearing an apron.
“Back already?” Lin Wan looked over and smiled warmly, a spatula in her hand.
Everything was so natural, so normal, it left Lu Yuan momentarily dazed.