“You said you were going back home for lunch today, but… I just thought I’d go out and wander around instead.”
“You’re always telling me not to stay cooped up playing games at home and to get out more. Besides, I haven’t really been to Old Town much yet…”
The people from the Association were currently at a pork shop just outside a street.
Xinglan guessed that Xiaoxi appearing here meant she was on a mission, so her explanation naturally sounded a bit hesitant.
Xinglan was still nervously waiting for Xiaoxi’s reaction when suddenly Miss L’s stern voice came through the communicator’s public channel.
“Attention everyone, a box of cash was just found in the basement of the Butcher’s hideout. It is now suspected that the Butcher was possibly conducting a transaction with someone before our operation interrupted it.”
“All personnel are to be on high alert in the surrounding districts. Any suspicious individuals must be detained immediately and only released after thorough checks. Understood?”
Xiaoxi and Shandie exchanged a glance, and the atmosphere instantly grew tense.
“…You heard Minister L’s words too, right, Sirius?”
Xiaoxi almost instinctively shielded Xinglan behind her. “That’s not necessary, is it? Minister L told us to watch for suspicious people, but my girlfriend isn’t suspicious, Shandie.”
“I know, but her behavior just now…”
“You might have thought something was off, but that’s just how we usually interact. Don’t overthink it.”
Wow, so greeting each other with a kiss is your usual way of saying hello?
Shandie didn’t press further; she wasn’t really concerned with the Association’s matters anyway—just putting on a show of diligence.
“Alright then, since Minister L has withdrawn me from the mission, I’m just an ordinary person now, not involved in these things.”
Xiaoxi patted Xinglan’s shoulder to signal she was fine.
Though Xinglan’s earlier behavior had been a bit sudden, Xiaoxi didn’t think much of it. What’s unusual about kissing one’s own girlfriend?
Xiaoxi wasn’t covering for her girlfriend blindly; she believed Xinglan had her reasons.
The Association’s Vanguard Squad had confirmed there was only one secret passage in the basement leading to the sewer.
That meant if there was a second person in the basement, they must have been escaping with the Butcher.
But when the Butcher climbed out of the manhole, Xiaoxi and Shandie caught him red-handed, and no one else was following him.
Even if the transaction partner sneaked out through the sewer after the fight with the Butcher ended, it couldn’t have been Xinglan—because she would never have dashed ahead past two people all the way to the Xiaomaipu in front of the Milk Tea Shop.
As for other escape methods from the basement, Xiaoxi didn’t even consider them.
In her mind, the only person capable of silently slipping out of a sealed space was the Blood Moon Witch—and that had nothing to do with Xinglan.
Putting it simply, Xiaoxi knew her own girlfriend well. They had been living together for a long time, and from Xiaoxi’s perspective, Xinglan neither had bad habits nor violent tendencies……
Of course, smashing the Eternal Star Pillow didn’t count, but no matter who the Butcher was doing illegal business with, it wouldn’t involve Xinglan.
So she could confidently say Xinglan was just a normal person, definitely not connected to this incident.
If she were, then let her get stabbed in the back by the Blood Moon Witch—no problem, right?
At that moment, two Magical Girls came jogging past on the street. Both glanced toward the Milk Tea Shop side.
Xinglan stood silently behind Xiaoxi, head bowed, and attracted no attention.
That was a close call. If she hadn’t run into Xiaoxi, even if she hadn’t lost control, the other Magical Girls would have definitely caught her for questioning.
Getting exposed would have been a sure thing. Maybe spending so much time with A-Lan really had improved her luck?
“Alright then, since nothing’s going on, I’ll be off now,” Shandie shrugged. “Won’t disturb your little couple date.”
Before Shandie finished, a sharp female voice called from behind.
“Luodie? Is that you?”
Shandie froze and shyly turned around to nod. “Aunt Zhang, what a coincidence…”
“Well, well, you little brat, I really thought you took leave for something important, and here you are just wandering around, huh?”
“I’m not, Aunt Zhang. I actually did have something urgent today.”
Shandie hadn’t expected to run into Aunt Zhang here. She hadn’t pursued the Butcher earlier partly to avoid acquaintances, but she still couldn’t dodge this.
The middle-aged woman called Aunt Zhang stood with her hands on her hips, scolding fiercely. “Urgent or not, you’re wandering around at noon? I don’t care what excuses you have. The restaurant is short-staffed during lunch, and if you’re free now, come back and work!”
Shandie couldn’t reveal she was a Magical Girl, so she just hung her head and took the reprimand silently.
Xiaoxi was about to intervene but was stopped by Shandie.
“It’s okay, this is the boss lady of my part-time restaurant job. Anyway, it’s none of my business now. I’ll just go back with Aunt Zhang.”
Xiaoxi frowned watching Shandie and Aunt Zhang walk away. She felt something was odd.
From what she knew, Shandie was the type to be cold to everyone. How come she lowered her head and took the scolding?
Suddenly, Xiaoxi asked, “Xinglan, have you eaten lunch yet?”
“Not yet… I just ran into you after coming here.”
“Then let’s eat lunch together outside, how about it?”
The two followed Shandie along the way, even passing by the meat shop. By then, the Association’s operation was basically over.
Several men in handcuffs were being escorted onto vehicles by Magical Girls—the same ones who had been lying in wait to ambush Xinglan earlier in the meat shop.
Xinglan didn’t look up, holding Xiaoxi’s hand tightly. Their footsteps fell in sync as they passed right in front of the Association Magical Girls, arousing no suspicion.
Soon, Xiaoxi found Shandie’s workplace—a small restaurant conveniently located along the Butcher’s escape route.
The restaurant had no fancy decor and was modest in size. It was clearly a privately run small eatery, not part of a chain. It was mealtime, and business was fairly busy.
“Welcome…”
Shandie wore an apron and was clearing bowls and chopsticks from a table.
She froze momentarily when she saw the two enter but didn’t say anything, simply continuing her work.
This was the first time Xiaoxi had seen Shandie dressed like this. Honestly, with her fluorescent blue hair and wings, she seemed totally out of place here.
The person in front of her wasn’t the “Magical Girl Shandie” she knew but the Luodie Aunt Zhang had mentioned.
“Why do I feel like all you Magical Girls are pretty poor?” Xinglan whispered. “Each one of you seems to have a lot of part-time jobs.”
Xiaoxi had no rebuttal. She was truly poor herself, but she didn’t know Shandie’s situation.
However, recalling Shandie’s tone when talking about Old Town before, it seemed she was a local here.