“Captain! Lu Yuan! Calm down! What’s going on?!”
Lin Wan hurriedly took a step forward and blocked the two.
What’s happening, what’s happening, what’s happening?!
Isn’t Sister Su Li in Yunjing? And Lu Yuan was supposed to be working as a bodyguard for some wild woman outside, wasn’t she? How come they ended up fighting right in front of her own house after she half-woke up… or rather, halfway through her sleep?
Anyway, she needed to stop them first!
Lin Wan glanced anxiously around, then raised her hand to press down their weapons slightly.
“Let’s talk this through!”
Chen Lianxue also mustered up courage and tugged on Su Li’s coat.
“Sisters, don’t be impulsive…”
The coldness in Su Li’s eyes slowly thawed, and she sighed deeply.
“Ah…”
The chill around her faded away as the pure white Magical Girl uniform dissolved like a mirage, revealing the crisp white coat beneath.
The Scythe that radiated icy energy shattered into countless ice crystals and vanished into the air.
She then took a half step back, voluntarily lowering all combat stances and raised both hands in a calming gesture.
“That’s enough.” Su Li’s voice was weary. “Put away your weapons. Lu Yuan, I won’t attack anymore.”
Lu Yuan froze.
“W-why?” Her voice still trembled faintly.
“Because I realize,” Su Li’s gaze swept across everyone present, “forcing my most important junior to draw blades against me over a ‘possible’ threat, making all of you this tense… the cost seems too high.”
She turned her head slightly. “Besides… I don’t want to push you to the opposing side, Lu Yuan.”
Those words finally eased Lu Yuan’s taut nerves. After hesitating, the black battle suit slowly faded, turning back into casual clothes, and the Black Spear in her hand dissolved into specks of light.
The suffocating pressure of Magic Power in the corridor dissipated instantly, leaving only cold air and lingering tension.
Su Li looked at Lu Yuan, who was still standing protectively like a mother hen in front of Qing, then suddenly shifted her tone to something lighter and suggested:
“Speaking of which, I skipped dinner just to keep an eye on you.”
She rubbed her brow, as if the previous confrontation had never happened.
“I heard there’s a pretty good late-night Shao Kao Restaurant nearby that probably isn’t closed yet.”
Her gaze scanned everyone, including a still-puzzled Lin Wan and Chen Lianxue, who were both in pajamas.
“My treat. How about it? Let’s sit down, eat, and talk it out. It’s better than freezing out here in the corridor.”
This sudden 180-degree attitude shift stunned everyone.
“Late-night snack? Now?”
Lu Yuan was momentarily speechless, staring blankly at Su Li.
Qing cautiously peeked out from behind Lu Yuan, her pale green eyes filled with confusion.
Lin Wan blinked and immediately sided with Su Li.
“A Shao Kao place? Captain treating? I’m in! I’m in! Lian Xue, hurry and change!”
She wasn’t particularly a foodie, but in this situation, she had to give Sister Su Li a way out, so she took the chance to break the ice.
Chen Lianxue also dropped her transformed state and sighed in relief, nodding at Su Li.
“Thank you, Sister Su Li.”
Su Li finally turned her gaze toward Lu Yuan, her eyes calm with a trace of inquiry.
Lu Yuan looked at this suddenly softened atmosphere, then down at Qing clinging to her, and finally relaxed her tense shoulders completely.
She took a deep breath and nodded.
“… Okay.”
***
Five minutes later.
The five of them walked downstairs with a subtle tension lingering in the air.
Su Li took the lead with a composed stride, as if nothing had happened.
Lu Yuan held Qing’s hand and followed behind.
Lin Wan glared at Qing holding hands with Lu Yuan but said nothing. Unable to stay idle, she grabbed the still-confused Chen Lianxue and chatted excitedly about what to order.
The warm lights of the famous Shao Kao Restaurant shone just around the corner ahead.
Inside, the smell of grilling meat and sizzling fat dropped on charcoal filled the air with a mouthwatering aroma of smoky sweetness and savory sauce.
The cozy lights and noisy chatter temporarily dispelled the earlier cold and tension.
The five sat around a long table, but the atmosphere remained slightly awkward.
Lin Wan casually picked at her skewer, vaguely praising, “Captain sure knows how to find places.”
Chen Lianxue was more reserved, eating cautiously in small bites and frequently casting nervous glances at Su Li and Lu Yuan.
Lu Yuan carefully peeled the perfectly grilled chicken wings and placed pieces on a plate in front of Qing.
Qing cautiously observed her surroundings, then lowered her head and began eating quickly like a little animal finally finding food, her cheeks puffing adorably.
Su Li didn’t touch her food. She slowly sipped her cup of oolong tea, the steam blurring her eyes.
Amid the noisy background, her thoughts drifted back to the private conversation with Commander Ling Yan before leaving Yunjing.
***
Headquarters office, cold and empty, only the sound of Ling Yan flipping through documents.
“Su Li.”
Without looking up, Ling Yan’s voice was calm and even.
“This time you’re going to Tongmen, besides escorting Lu Yuan, there’s another task.”
“A task…?”
“That Qing… is a Disaster.”
Su Li was momentarily stunned.
“I sensed it. Although she was hiding well in Yunjing Tower, I still felt her Magic Power. But she showed no desire to kill, and Si An was there, so I didn’t eliminate her.”
“Your mission now is to find that Mimetic Disaster named ‘Qing’ and eliminate it on site once confirmed.”
Ling Yan’s tone was flat, as if discussing something trivial.
“Its potential and uncertainty are threats. I’m counting on you.”
Su Li was silent for a moment before raising a rare objection.
“General, what if… Lu Yuan firmly opposes it? Qing seems very important to her.”
Ling Yan finally looked up, her eyes piercing and clear.
“Then let it live.”
“What?” Su Li blinked in surprise.
“You can sense it too, right? That Qing has emotions.”
Ling Yan’s voice remained calm.
“Yeah, I can feel that.”
“If a Disaster can evolve intelligence and emotions under the Frequency of Rose’s influence, then it’s possible for naturally evolved intelligent Disasters to exist too, isn’t it?”
Su Li thought it over.
“That possibility does exist.”
“So, how do you think Si An’s Ability came about?”
Su Li was taken aback.
“You mean…?”
“Yes.”
Ling Yan leaned slightly forward.
“Qing is also a very rare specimen. Since it only obeys Lu Yuan, let it stay by her side, and let Lu Yuan be responsible for its supervision and restraint.”
“We need to observe, collect data. Letting it live and become a window for understanding this type of Disaster is far more meaningful than simply destroying it.”
“Of course,” Ling Yan added coldly, “this is top secret. To Lu Yuan, you just need to make her think this is a special exception she fought for, a mercy granted by you. Understood?”
“… Yes.”
Su Li hesitated briefly, then stood at attention and saluted.
“Good. Go.”