Chapter 11: Movies and Companionship

After taking a bath, Qianling finally realized that Yangmo had thoughtfully packed a set of pajamas for her in a cloth bag when she arrived earlier.

“They’re at the door—remember to change into them,” Yangmo reminded her.

To spare Qianling from any embarrassment, Yangmo had gone ahead and changed into her own pajamas first. She stood at the sink, drying her hair as she waited for Qianling.

Yangmo’s pajamas were mostly a pale pink, designed with a rounded collar. Both the collar and the buttons were white, and the unique looseness of the pajamas matched her natural cuteness perfectly.

Qianling walked over and found that the set left for her in the bag was a similar style, only with a sky-blue main color.

At this point, wearing old clothes that belonged to girls no longer seemed like such a hard thing to accept—so long as it wasn’t used underwear.

Luckily, her original pair wasn’t dirty, and as a Nanny, she didn’t have to worry about things like excretion as humans did, so there was no immediate need to change it.

After changing into her pajamas, she silently closed the gap to stand just one step away from Yangmo, then tilted her head in Yangmo’s direction.

“Yay.”

Qianling poked half her face out from the edge of the mirror, flashing a V-sign with her fingers, as if to show her approval of the pajamas.

Yangmo was so amused by her antics that she set down the hair dryer, and Qianling slowly walked over to stand beside her, so that the two of them appeared together in the mirror.

Looking at the two of them dressed alike in the reflection, then glancing at Qianling, Yangmo said,

“Qianling, you look just like my little sister.”

“I’m not your little sister. And if you say things like that, what about the ones who are actually your sisters?”

“What’s the harm? Then you’re my elder sister’s younger sister’s younger sister.”

“If your elder sister really lets me off the hook, being the youngest in your family wouldn’t be so bad.”

That was truly how Qianling felt.

It wasn’t that she wanted to be treated as someone’s little sister, but at the very least, she hoped to get along well with Yangxia.

By now, Huangya had probably already told the other Magical Girls about what happened to me. If Yangxia finds out, there’s no way she’ll let me off easily.

How should I face her the next time we meet?

Qianling couldn’t help but imagine the scene.

“Haha… I’ll try to talk her down again…” Yangmo laughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject.

“By the way, these pajamas you’re wearing now are the ones I wore last year. As expected, they’re the same size as the maid’s uniform—just right.”

“Yeah, the fit really helps a lot.”

However, Qianling couldn’t help but feel a little unwilling.

In the original story, Yangmo was already considered a loli character. Who would have thought that I’d end up even shorter than her…

That’s why Yangmo’s clothes from last year always fit me perfectly.

“It’s just a stopgap, though,” Yangmo said.

She gently swayed the hair dryer with her eyes closed, and her fluffy bangs lifted with the breeze.

“In the future, you’ll need your own clothes. If we get a chance, let’s go shopping together.”

“Mm, I’ll look forward to it.”

Qianling thought it would be a shame to dress this body in anything unfitting, so she wasn’t thinking of wearing boys’ clothes.

Still, just don’t make me wear anything too revealing.

That was her only request.

After a while, the two of them left the bathroom together.

It wasn’t bedtime yet, and while wandering around Yangmo’s home, Qianling found little in the way of entertainment.

No computer, and certainly no game consoles—just a Liquid Crystal Television in the Living Room with a not-so-large screen. The Remote Control sat on the low table facing the TV.

But for Qianling, having only the television was nothing new; it was just like her time in the Hospital.

Pointing at the television, she asked, “Yangmo, does this still work?”

“Of course it does.”

Satisfied with the answer, Qianling took the Remote Control and sat squarely on the Living Room Sofa. Yangmo naturally joined her.

“What do you want to watch?” Yangmo asked, smiling.

“I don’t know.”

Qianling replied as she pressed the power button, and the screen flickered to life.

She soon stumbled upon a delightful surprise.

The television in this world was unlike anything she’d seen before: unfamiliar programs, unfamiliar TV stations.

Unknown place names, unknown celebrities, unfamiliar music and dramas.

Everything was full of the unknown—even her favorite animated shows.

She felt like she could spend an entire day here.

That was her honest impression.

It made her realize something else as well—

This world truly existed. Although it had appeared in “Magical Girl Veiru,” this world’s existence wasn’t just an extension of the anime.

She had to keep that in mind as she acted from now on.

Awed by all she was experiencing, Qianling unconsciously parted her lips in wonder.

Even without any particular expression, Yangmo could tell what she was thinking.

“Qianling, let’s watch the Animal Channel next!”

“No, I want to watch something else.”

At her reply, Yangmo’s delighted face instantly shifted to one of shock and confusion.

“Why not? You look so excited watching the other shows!”

“Because I already know a lot about animals, so I don’t need to watch.”

“How could you…”

Yangmo sighed. She was disappointed, but had no choice but to accept it.

Witnessing this, Qianling turned her head away and secretly stuck out her tongue.

Everything else was new and exciting, but animals were still the same as in reality.

That was the real reason she wasn’t interested in the Animal Channel.

“Wait…” Qianling, still flicking through the channels, suddenly found a compromise.

“Let’s watch this.”

Right now, the screen was showing an animated movie featuring marine creatures as the cast. The main character was a Ray.

Yangmo’s eyes sparkled at the sight, and she nodded. “Yes, let’s watch this one!”

When she had changed into the maid uniform to fool Yangxia, Qianling had noticed an Ocean Life Guidebook on Yangmo’s desk, reminding her of something from the original work.

Yangmo liked animals, especially mysterious types like insects and sea creatures.

So watching a movie like this with her was bound to be a hit.

“The main character is a Ray?”

Qianling purposely brought up a topic Yangmo might like to answer.

Sure enough, Yangmo replied enthusiastically, “That’s right, but actually ‘Ray’ is a general term. The main character should be a Manta Ray.”

So the two chatted and watched the movie together, enjoying a pleasant time. As the film reached its halfway point, they spoke less, both becoming absorbed in the movie.

The story followed a Ray mother accidentally caught by a fishing net, and the young Ray protagonist who grew through the journey to find her.

Qianling remained engrossed in the film the entire time.

She’d only picked it at random on TV, but it turned out to be a stroke of luck.

She silently applauded the film in her heart.

She had seen countless stories on the same theme in her old world, but this film’s emotional touch gave it a unique flavor.

Learning of the mother Ray’s death, the little Ray was devastated—only for a friend made on the journey to reappear, reveal that it was just a rumor, and reunite mother and child in a touching scene.

As the film neared its end, Qianling was about to ask Yangmo how she felt, but when she turned to her, she saw tears shining in the corners of Yangmo’s eyes.

“Are you okay?”

“I’m fine… It just made me think of Grandmother.”

Wiping her eyes, Yangmo continued, “It was Grandmother who used to take care of me here, but she passed away half a year ago. It’s been a long time since anyone sat and watched TV with me.”

Familiar with the original setting, Qianling knew this was why Yangmo feared loneliness.

Her parents were always away, her elder sister had moved far for school, and now even Grandmother was gone. Just what kind of life had she lived, all alone?

Thinking that, Qianling quietly said, “It’s all right. It’s just a matter of who you watch TV with. Isn’t it a lot easier to find someone now?”

Hearing that, Yangmo was finally able to manage a faint smile.

She nodded and answered, “Yeah… Reality is both unlike and just like a movie. The people who leave won’t come back, but there will always be new encounters ahead… Qianling, thank you for being here with me.”

“It’s nothing,” Qianling replied, then deliberately put on a flippant tone, “Stuck between Magical Girl and Witch, a pitiful small fry like me might get snuffed out any day now—so you’d better treasure these times while you can.”

“Why would you say something to ruin the mood all of a sudden!”

“I’m just telling the truth.”

Glancing at the pouting Yangmo, Qianling laughed inwardly: Her face sure changes fast.

After that, she stopped teasing and watched the rest of the movie to the end.