“I’m about to take you somewhere really high—it’s going to be thrilling. Are you really okay with this?”
“Mhm, I’m fine. Let’s go!”
Yang Mo nodded at Qian Ling’s question, not showing a trace of fear.
Seeing her like this, Qian Ling finally found the resolve to go through with it.
If she wanted to experience the mobility brought by Iron Thorns, now really was a good time.
There was a jump platform, and the maze-like buildings below were perfect for Qian Ling to show her abilities.
The only thing missing was a little bit of courage.
Not for Yang Mo—this was for Qian Ling herself.
“…Anyway, um… just, hold… hold on to me tight…!”
Qian Ling barely managed to get the words out.
If she was going to take Yang Mo with her using Iron Thorns, of course she had to hold her in her arms first.
The pose required… was it called a princess carry?
Qian Ling remembered that the comic book hero who could shoot webs was often seen in a similar pose on the covers.
She opened her arms and stood waiting for Yang Mo.
Even though she had suggested it herself, now that it was really happening, she felt embarrassed.
So she lowered her head, not daring to look at Yang Mo’s face at all.
Yang Mo didn’t respond with a single word.
In the agonizing silence for Qian Ling, Yang Mo’s footsteps slowly came into view, drawing closer until she stopped right beside her.
Then, Qian Ling found herself tightly pulled into Yang Mo’s embrace.
Yang Mo’s arms slipped under her armpits, her chin resting on Qian Ling’s shoulder.
All space between them vanished.
So Qian Ling couldn’t see Yang Mo’s expression.
Other than surprise, what else was there—
They were so close, Yang Mo’s hair tickled her neck.
And… it was so warm.
That was how Qian Ling felt right now.
Especially the burning heat radiating from Yang Mo’s chest…
Was this the warmth of her heart? Or the warmth of emotion?
Where was this heat coming from?
Qian Ling had no way of knowing.
But the one thing Qian Ling was sure of was that this wasn’t the way she imagined being held.
And Yang Mo made no move to let her go.
Just as Qian Ling was hesitating about whether to respond to the hug.
Maybe Yang Mo sensed it too.
She asked, “Is this how you hold me?”
Unlike Qian Ling’s fluster, her voice was extremely calm, so calm that it didn’t sound like the usual lively Yang Mo at all.
It almost made Qian Ling wonder if she already knew the answer.
“That’s the wrong way…”
Qian Ling replied in a voice as soft as a mosquito, and Yang Mo’s arms finally loosened.
Yang Mo immediately took a step back, raising her head to look at Yang Mo’s face.
Their eyes met, and Yang Mo squinted, hands behind her back, a grin blooming on her lips like she’d just pulled off a prank.
Should I be angry right now? Or…
At this point, Qian Ling was thoroughly confused.
She only felt her cheeks heating up at lightning speed all over again.
To gloss over it in front of Yang Mo, she tried her best to keep her tone calm and said,
“No helping it, let me teach you the right way.”
“Okay~”
Yang Mo agreed so obediently that Qian Ling felt she absolutely couldn’t let her guard down.
Hopefully my face will keep doing its job as usual this time.
She prayed silently, hoping Yang Mo wouldn’t notice how shaken she was.
After what just happened,
Qian Ling no longer felt as awkward at the thought of picking Yang Mo up.
Once her mind cleared, she noticed that Yang Mo’s shoulder bag might get in the way.
So she said, “Take your bag off first. I’ll carry it for you.”
“Here you go.”
After Yang Mo handed over her bag, this time Qian Ling approached her, signaling for Yang Mo to wrap her arms around her neck.
“Like this?”
“Mhm, you can relax your knees a bit more.”
Once Yang Mo adjusted, Qian Ling supported her knees with her right hand, and her back with her left.
Her body was light, and with her school bag handed over, there was no extra burden. Qian Ling easily lifted her off the ground.
Even if she had to free one hand later to use Iron Thorns, it wouldn’t be a problem.
It was clearly Yang Mo’s first time being carried like this too—she looked around and said, “So this is what it feels like.”
Her amber eyes grew especially bright in that moment, as if enjoying the novelty of the new view.
Now, Qian Ling completely deactivated her disguise magic, revealing her true face and clothes.
“Huh? Why did you suddenly go back to your real appearance?”
Yang Mo noticed the change immediately, fixing her gaze on Qian Ling’s eyes.
Their faces were too close. Qian Ling was worried she’d bump heads if she lowered her gaze, so she just shifted her eyes toward Yang Mo and explained,
“Because the stealth magic I’m about to use conflicts with disguise magic. Remember what I mentioned at the park? I said I hid myself with magic—this is the one. Once I use it, nobody else can see us.”
“What a handy magic. But I guess it’d be a hassle if we were seen.”
“Of course,” Qian Ling affirmed Yang Mo’s guess, then cleared her throat and said, “‘A doll-type villain takes a hostage and challenges the magical girl!’ That’s probably what tomorrow’s headline will say.”
Even though she tried to sound exaggerated, like a newspaper headline, her voice lacked the energy, and she couldn’t muster the proper flair.
Yang Mo immediately replied,
“If I help you out in that situation, would I become ‘the witch disguised as a hostage’?”
Those words left Qian Ling feeling powerless.
“You’re a magical girl—why are you fantasizing about being the villain…”
Luckily, her hands holding Yang Mo didn’t loosen at the same time.
Yang Mo only responded with a sly chuckle.
Now that everything was ready, Qian Ling did a final check.
“I’m about to jump off from here. It’s not too late to change your mind.”
“As if I’d chicken out now—Qian Ling, you underestimate me.”
There was no trace of fear on her face. In fact, she looked even more excited than before.
“Alright, I’ll count down from three. When I say one, I’m jumping, so hold on tight.”
“Mhm, go for it!”
Before Qian Ling could say anything else, Yang Mo pumped her fist into the air.
And so, Qian Ling started the countdown.
“Three.”
“Two.”
Just before the last number, Qian Ling lowered her head slightly to look at Yang Mo in her arms, only to find that Yang Mo was staring right back at her. They both broke into a smile at the same time.
Then Qian Ling called out, “One!”
She stepped up onto the railing and leapt lightly off the edge.
At first, they fell freely, and although Yang Mo hadn’t shown a trace of fear earlier, she was now staring wide-eyed at the drop below, her mouth agape.
But as soon as Qian Ling extended her steel tendrils, everything changed.
The steel tendrils reached the rooftop below before the two of them did, springing out to form a buffer between the roof and the falling pair.
Thanks to this, their fall slowed bit by bit, and by the time Qian Ling’s feet touched the roof, they’d practically stopped moving.
“Q…Qian Ling…”
Yang Mo mumbled her name, staring at her in disbelief.
Qian Ling just glanced at her from the corner of her eye and moved on to the next step without a pause.
This time, she used the tendrils like a catapult. With a running start and the pull of the tendrils, they were launched into the air with ease.
Whenever they had to land, she repeated the same buffer trick with the tendrils, sometimes using them like grappling hooks to reach even higher spots.
Smooth and efficient—this was Qian Ling’s usual way of getting around.