After clearing the Seeds of Trouble left by the Window Witch Rosetta, Yan Xi treated them to a meal as promised. She didn’t let herself stay idle either, ordering a plate of cake and a bowl of pudding for herself.
Gan Ling watched her enjoy the food as if nothing had happened, momentarily unsure of what to say. ‘Although this setting appeared in the Original Work… seeing it in person still feels like an exaggeration.’ What Gan Ling found even more incredible was that despite how much she ate, her mannerisms were incredibly elegant. Yan Xi always used her knife and fork to cut the cake into small pieces, then chewed slowly and quietly. Even when compared to the actual high-society characters from the Original Work, her dining etiquette was likely not inferior in the slightest.
On the other side of the dining table, Qing Huai was having a difficult time with what was placed in front of her. For some reason, she stared at the cutlery beside her plate with a complicated expression, hesitating for a long while before finally picking up one spoon.
Out of curiosity, Gan Ling asked her, “What’s wrong? Is it because it’s too expensive?”
“No… seeing these knives and forks reminds me of the battle just now. I was covered in wounds from Rosetta using things similar to these.” As she spoke, Qing Huai lifted her forearm, though the scars there had long since vanished.
Just like the rules of the Original Work that Gan Ling was familiar with, injuries sustained in the Magical Girl state would heal upon de-transformation, with the price being a deduction of Magic Power corresponding to the severity of the wounds. However, this recovery naturally had its limits, so in the face of Death, there was no difference between a Magical Girl and an ordinary person.
Regarding the minor injuries Qing Huai had suffered, Gan Ling spoke somewhat indifferently. “Isn’t it fine now that the wounds are healed?”
“But the psychological trauma hasn’t healed yet.” As if to comfort herself, Qing Huai used her spoon to shove a bite of chocolate cake into her mouth. ‘As I thought, she’s just like in the Original Work… not exactly a strong character.’
Following that, Gan Ling stopped thinking and began to enjoy her own strawberry cake. ‘Following a veteran foodie is definitely the right move.’ This plate of cake was the same type Yan Xi had ordered earlier, and after actually tasting it, she couldn’t help but feel it was the correct choice. Her tongue first perceived the rich aroma of cream, which was sweet without being cloying. Upon biting down, the sweetness of fresh strawberries, a slight acidity, and the toasted aroma of the cake itself intertwined, forming a perfect ratio.
Gan Ling wasn’t as elegant as Yan Xi; she used her spoon to casually scoop up various parts of the cake and finished it in no time.
“Can I have another plate?” she asked Yan Xi while licking the cream from the corner of her mouth.
Yan Xi responded generously, “Go ahead and order. We did have an agreement, after all.” Thus, Gan Ling unceremoniously ordered another dish.
After eating and drinking their fill, it was about time to head home. At that moment, Yan Xi took out her phone and suggested, “Let’s exchange contact information.”
“Sure, my number is…” Gan Ling then remembered she had a chat app account, but she had forgotten the specific ID. When she opened her phone to check, she discovered a strange application that had appeared at some point.
“Huh…?” Beyond her surprise at the application’s sudden appearance, she was also startled by its name—”Exchange Board.” Perhaps to avoid exposure in front of ordinary people, everything except the icon looked unrelated to a Magical Girl. The icon featured a pink rod topped with a golden star, looking exactly like a wand used by a Magical Girl.
Seeing her reaction, Yan Xi and Qing Huai immediately understood what had happened. Neither of them showed the slightest surprise at the familiar icon.
“With this, you’re no different from an average Magical Girl now.”
“This is software developed specifically for Magical Girls by the Support Association. It just gets installed before you even realize it.”
Their words didn’t reach Gan Ling’s ears because, upon opening the app, she found that the Support Association had already sent her a message. The general idea was to inform her that the headquarters had approved Yang Mo’s wish and had recognized her status as a Magical Girl.
She was naturally thrilled about this, but at the same time, it made her skin crawl. ‘The timing is too perfect… was someone monitoring my status the whole time while I was talking to Yan Xi? And how did this app even get onto my phone? Was it science or magic hacking?’ Though to her, both were equally egregious.
Gan Ling shook her head to rid herself of these negative thoughts. She had intended to send this good news to Yang Mo while opening the chat app, but after some thought, she decided to tell her in person later.
And so, she added Yan Xi and Cangyu as friends on the chat app and then parted ways with them. As she felt the breeze blowing against her, she reviewed the various things that had happened today. Besides clearing up the misunderstanding with the two Magical Girls, she had also successfully made contact with the Witch Rosetta. Activities in the city area should go much more smoothly from now on.
While lost in thought, she unknowingly returned to Xinghu Town where Yang Mo’s house was located. After she knocked on the door, a series of hurried footsteps echoed from inside, and Yang Mo rushed to open the door to welcome Gan Ling back.
“How did the meeting go?” She looked a bit nervous as she asked, but when Gan Ling showed her usual calm expression, she suddenly realized something. “Could it be…?”
“Complete victory,” Gan Ling said proudly. She then followed up with, “Let’s sit down and talk in detail.” They went inside together and sat on the sofa.
The first thing Gan Ling did was pull out her phone to show Yang Mo the notification from the Support Association. Contrary to what Gan Ling had imagined, Yang Mo didn’t shout in excitement or pump her fist in celebration. Instead, she stared silently at the screen with wide eyes, as if she found it hard to believe.
“That’s wonderful… Gan Ling, that’s so wonderful,” she murmured repeatedly, then turned to Gan Ling with a soft smile. “With this, does it mean we can go on long trips together in the future? We won’t have to worry about being stuck on planes or trains. Also… Gan Ling, do you want to come to School? Although School can be boring sometimes, it’s also fun. And think about it, if you come to School too, won’t the lie I told my classmates come true?”
Hearing this string of future imaginings, Gan Ling also smiled and said, “Maybe I really should consider it.”
“You can even solve my homework; you can definitely be in the same grade as me.”
“Of course, I am the smartest among my sisters.”
“I agree with that, but compared to other Dolls, is that really much of a competition…”
Gan Ling felt very satisfied with Yang Mo’s teasing and couldn’t help but hum. After all, she had said it specifically to be teased. But at the same time, even without thinking deeply, she understood one thing.
‘Speaking of which… going to School?’ While she really wanted to try it, it probably wasn’t possible yet. To resolve the coming crises, there would be times when she would be incredibly busy, so this promise might take a long time to fulfill. However, she still looked forward from the bottom of her heart to the day she could go to School with Yang Mo.