“Big sis, can’t you at least tell me what urgent business you’re busy with? If you keep being so evasive, I’ll start to suspect you’ve been kidnapped, you know.”
Faced with Xiao Keke’s relentless video bombardment, Xiaoxi could only keep rejecting the calls again and again.
It was as if Xiao Keke was certain Xiaoxi wasn’t home right now—no matter what was said, she insisted on making a video call to confirm.
Xiaoxi was starting to regret it. If she’d just ignored Xiao Keke’s messages from the start, she could’ve explained later that her phone was on silent and she hadn’t heard anything.
But now, things had only gotten worse. Xiao Keke knew her sister’s working hours well, and was convinced there was something fishy going on because Xiaoxi refused to answer the phone.
Where could she possibly find a last-minute excuse that wouldn’t arouse Xiao Keke’s suspicion, yet would still reasonably explain why she couldn’t pick up?
“Isn’t it simple? Just tell Keke this~”
Rich Girl leaned in close to Xiaoxi’s ear, whispering a long string of words. Xiaoxi’s face instantly flushed red with a loud “pop.”
“No way, no way! It’s way too embarrassing to say that sort of thing in front of my little sister!”
Ye Xinglan smiled with amusement in the night.
Xiaoxi really was something—physically, she was long past being a naïve little cook, but mentally she still was one.
Every time anything like this came up, she got so bashful.
“Then what do you suggest? Right now, that’s the most reasonable excuse, isn’t it?”
“I still can’t! Who just does that kind of thing in the middle of the day for no reason! And besides, just saying it won’t prove anything…”
“Who says talk is cheap? I happen to have evidence right here~”
Ye Xinglan snatched Xiaoxi’s phone and started typing.
“I really have it now. Urgent matter picking up extra supply video.”
“Keke, stop calling.”
To imitate Xiaoxi’s trembling, fumbling fingers in such a situation, Ye Xinglan deliberately made a few typos.
Xiaoxi wanted nothing more than to cover her eyes and escape reality.
Just thinking about what Ye Xinglan was doing right now made her want to disappear into a crack in the floor!
On the other end, Xiao Keke saw her big sister’s clearly perfunctory response, which only confirmed her suspicions.
Her big sis couldn’t even come up with an excuse—there was obviously something going on!
But Ye Xinglan didn’t keep up the act. Instead, she opened the clock app and started timing.
“What does that mean?”
“If we’re going to act, we have to make it believable. I have a pretty good idea of how long you usually need. When the time’s up, we’ll continue the act~”
“…Shut up!”
Xiao Keke couldn’t take it anymore. Just as she was about to call her big sister out directly, her big sis suddenly sent her a photo.
In the photo, Ye Xinglan held up the phone with one hand in a peace sign, the frame cutting off at her shoulders.
Behind her, Xiaoxi was asleep in bed under the covers, hair a mess, clearly knocked out for a while.
At the edge of the photo, several sets of clothes were strewn by the bed.
It was obvious this photo was a victory MVP screen. The sun shone brightly behind tightly drawn curtains, and the time in the photo seemed to match the current time.
Don’t call your sister—she probably won’t be able to get back to you for a while~
“Just now I was dealing with an urgent matter with your sister, so she couldn’t reply to you. If you need anything, Keke, just tell me and I’ll pass it along to her when she wakes up, okay?”
Xiaoxi’s face exploded in embarrassment. She stared at the photo in disbelief, eyes wide.
“What the heck did you send my little sister?! She’s still an innocent kid! This is your so-called ‘evidence’? When the heck did you take that sneaky photo?!”
Xiaoxi lunged for the phone, but she was neither as tall nor long-armed as Ye Xinglan. With her head held down, she was as helpless as a little bean sprout.
“It’s just a little memento, that’s all. Doesn’t she look cute like this? I can take a peek at it whenever I feel like reminiscing~”
“Stop talking! Delete it right now!”
That photo was taken a couple of days ago, after Ye Xinglan had tormented Xiaoxi in the name of replenishing Magic Power one night, leaving her so exhausted she didn’t get up until noon the next day—a rare occurrence.
Xiaoxi was an early riser, almost never sleeping later than Ye Xinglan, that notorious slugabed.
Ye Xinglan had finally woken up before Xiaoxi for once and had to commemorate the occasion.
Xiaoxi covered her face, mortified. Now even this humiliating victory screen had been seen by Xiao Keke—how could she ever face her sister again?
Meanwhile, realizing that Ye Xinglan had sent the message from her big sister’s phone, and that her sister truly might not have been able to pick up earlier, Xiao Keke felt her face burning.
So that’s what it was! Looks like I really accused the wrong person. Come to think of it, there’s no reason for Xinglan-jie to be here for no reason, right?
No wonder her big sister was hemming and hawing and refused to explain what she was so busy with, and wouldn’t answer the phone…
Of course, in a situation like that, she wouldn’t be able to! Did… did she just interrupt them with all her calls?
Even so, Xiao Keke couldn’t help but click on the photo again out of curiosity.
Looks like her big bro had truly become a girl, even in spirit—she couldn’t even beat Xinglan-jie now… Huh, what’s that?
Xiao Keke circled something in the photo in red and sent it back.
“Xinglan-jie, what’s this? Is that a tentacle?”
“[Shocked Cat.jpg]”
Only then did Ye Xinglan realize two tentacles had swayed into the shot when she’d taken the photo. She hadn’t noticed that detail at all! Now it was her turn to panic.
“It’s fine, Keke won’t care if you’re a Monster or not. I’ll explain it to her.”
Xiaoxi comforted Ye Xinglan. Of course, she had no intention of revealing the Blood Moon Witch’s identity to Xiao Keke.
If they had to go home to see their mom, this was the explanation she’d stick with.
She couldn’t possibly spill everything about Ye Xinglan, right?
“Is this lady… a Monster?”
The unexpected question came from behind. Ever since getting on the train, Qiuli had been sitting at the back, silent. Xiaoxi had almost forgotten she was there.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean to eavesdrop. I just happened to overhear a bit, and I’m curious.”
Was it Xiaoxi’s imagination, or was Qiuli less cold than before, not as unapproachable as she’d first seemed?
“Yes, she is. But Xinglan was transferred to North Blossom City with me. The Association never said Monsters can’t join, right?”
The Association hadn’t intended to hide Ye Xinglan’s identity as a Monster.
From now on, Ye Xinglan was basically tied to Xiaoxi for good.
If a normal person were transferred to a branch’s Magic Girl Squad, it’d look even stranger.
Besides, nobody would connect the tentacle feature to Ye Xinglan being the Blood Moon Witch.
“Of course not… Welcome to North Blossom City’s Association branch.” Qiuli shook her head.
Clearly, she didn’t mind at all.
“Ding-dong”—a message from Xiao Keke after getting the explanation.
“It’s fine, I was just surprised Xinglan-jie is a Monster. I’d never seen her Monster features before… Anyway, big sis, take care of yourself!”
“[Cat Running Away.jpg]”
Blushing, Xiao Keke strode through the train car back to her seat.
So embarrassing! She’d made a huge fuss all because she got the wrong person!
But… so Xinglan-jie is a Monster. No wonder big sis couldn’t beat her, since she’s a tentacle-type fantasy Monster…
Turns out, adults always assume kids are innocent forever, but Xiao Keke wasn’t the naïve little girl Xiaoxi remembered anymore.
Just seeing Ye Xinglan’s tentacles was enough for her to imagine all sorts of things!
Xiao Keke put aside everything about Sirius and her big sis, but as she passed a train crew member, the staff member’s eyes suddenly lit up and called her over.
“Miss, please wait a moment. Can I ask if you know where the Magic Girl who fought alongside you just now went?”
“What do you mean, where?”
Xiao Keke was confused for a second—the crew member recognized her because she’d introduced herself as a Magic Girl earlier when she ran out to help.
“Ah, here’s the thing. Our Train Crew wanted to thank you both for stepping up, so we prepared two Gifts. But I haven’t found the other one yet.”
“Since you fought together, I thought maybe you knew her and could help pass along the Gift.”
They couldn’t find Sirius?
Xiao Keke frowned. The doubt she’d just managed to throw away crept back up.
Come to think of it, if the Xinglan-jie from before was just her mistake, then Sirius, who’d fought alongside her, must still be on the train, right?
So was it the crew who hadn’t found Sirius, or… was Sirius no longer on the train at all?