The next day, when the wake-up bell rang throughout the entire girls’ dormitory, I also woke up from my dreams.
Opening my eyes, the first thing that came into view was Tang Xiaolu’s pretty, delicate face with a hint of handsomeness.
“Mm…”
I let out a small yawn and mumbled sleepily, “Good morning, Lulu…”
Last night, after forming a contract with Qiu Bi, Tang Xiaolu and I had gone to the nearby “Secret Base” together to briefly meet the former members of her “Magical Girl Squad.”
Considering we had class the next day, we drank some juice and ate some small snacks there before coming back.
According to Tang Xiaolu, after going to the “Secret Base,” I was officially the fifth member of the “Magical Girl Squad.”
“It’s okay. Since I was able to form a Magical Girl Squad once, I can form a second and third one.”
“No matter what, I’ll bravely carry everyone’s beliefs and move forward.”
“Tomorrow after school at noon, I’ll help you look into which hospital that female driver was admitted to. Then we’ll visit her together in the evening.”
“Xiao Yao, don’t overthink things. If anything comes up, be sure to tell me. If we encounter difficulties, we’ll solve them together. Don’t bottle it up inside, okay?”
It was clear that Tang Xiaolu hadn’t fully moved past the grief of losing her three companions.
I could understand her pain.
Watching a loved one die in your arms, feeling them gradually stop breathing without being able to do anything—that feeling was truly awful.
And Tang Xiaolu even had to fight the “Witches” that her dead companions had turned into, personally killing them again.
That feeling was more torturous than dying outright.
“Xiao Yao, I’ve realized you really look like one of those little cream cakes that you can gobble up in one bite.”
In my blurry vision, Tang Xiaolu reached out her small hand and poked my cheek.
“Your face is so chubby and cute. Can I take a bite?”
“Please allow me to refuse.”
I turned my face away and sat up.
“Also, I’m not a little cake.”
“Then…”
Tang Xiaolu tilted her head.
“Little taro ball? Little pudding? Little soft candy?”
“Why is it all food…”
“You two… showing off your love so early in the morning.”
Just as we were talking, Li Yue’s voice came from the bed across from us.
“If you ask me, stop arguing about whether it’s a little cake or a little pudding. You two might as well have a fight on the bed, and whoever wins gets to decide.”
“A fight?”
Tang Xiaolu’s eyes lit up.
“Great! I’m best at fighting on the bed!”
“If we really fight on the bed, she definitely won’t be happy…”
I yawned, tidied up a bit, folded my quilt, and climbed down the small ladder.
“Good morning, dear listeners. It’s time for the morning news.”
As I walked toward the sink to wash up, I heard the school’s daily broadcast from outside the dormitory, the one that always rang on time to wake students up—
“Last night, a tanker truck overturned at the Xingjian Beihu Intersection in our city, causing one injury…”
“A tanker truck overturned?”
The voice of “Xiao Mogu” Cang Xingyao, who was watering the flowers on the balcony, turned around.
“The Xingjian Beihu area isn’t far from our school, right? Was that ‘bang’ sound last night from this?”
“Huh? Was there a ‘bang’ sound last night?”
Li Yue, who had walked over, wore a curious expression.
“But I didn’t hear anything yesterday!”
“That’s because you were sleeping too soundly, right?”
Mu Linxi, still wearing her cute sleeping cap, picked up her cup for rinsing her mouth while yawning and mumbled indistinctly,
“I heard it.”
“Wow! So only I didn’t hear it?”
Looking a bit unwilling, Li Yue leaned in front of me.
“Xiao Yao, did you hear it?”
“Ah…”
I felt a bit guilty.
“I… I heard it.”
“A tanker truck overturning is such a serious accident. Only one person being injured is already a good outcome.”
Tang Xiaolu quickly helped change the subject.
“That truck probably wasn’t carrying much. If it had been fully loaded with oil and exploded…”
“Dormitory 315!”
At that moment, the dorm matron, as usual, walked up to the door and knocked.
“Get up! No sleeping in!”
“Coming, coming!”
“Xiao Mogu” Cang Xingyao quickly ran over and opened the door.
“Reporting to auntie! Everyone is up! Please take a look!”
“Since you’re up, wash your face, brush your teeth, change, and go eat!”
The matron glanced into the room and casually checked a box on her record sheet.
“Mm-hmm, take care, auntie!”
“Really hard work, that dorm matron.”
After washing up, I returned to my writing desk, took off my cute sleeping dress, and changed into the girls’ uniform and skirt of Heijiang No. 3 Middle School.
For socks, I chose a pair of black over-the-knee stockings with anti-slip ends, same as yesterday.
For some reason, even though the boys’ uniform was also good-looking, I always felt the “youthful vibe” of the girls’ uniform was stronger.
In particular, the pleated skirt paired with over-the-knee stockings and leather shoes felt the most “youthful.”
When walking, it felt very free underneath, and an occasional breeze would lift my spirits.
The girls’ uniform didn’t have the restrictive feeling of boys’ jeans.
The snug wrap of the stockings under the skirt and the light tapping of the leather shoe heels against the floor made me feel alive as a high school girl.
“Let’s go.”
Just as I finished changing, Tang Xiaolu proactively took my hand and pulled me out of the dormitory.
“What does our little cake want to eat today?”
“Anything is fine…”
I was led by Tang Xiaolu like a girlfriend along the corridor outside the girls’ dormitory, my uniform shoes making a “patter patter” sound on the tile floor.
“I’m not picky.”
“Oh?”
Tang Xiaolu turned her head back, her mouth forming a cute kitten-like “0w0” shape.
“Anything? Cilantro? Celery? Green onions? Garlic? Ginger? Houttuynia cordata?”
“I can eat all of them, but…”
I said with dissatisfaction,
“Who eats cilantro, green onions, and houttuynia cordata for breakfast?”
“So our Xiao Yao still has foods she doesn’t like.”
Tang Xiaolu thought for a moment.
“So, should we go out of the school gate to buy some xiaolongbao or sticky rice, or just eat in the cafeteria?”
“Let’s eat in the cafeteria. Things outside are too expensive.”
As I spoke, I mustered my courage and weakly protested,
“Also, could you please stop calling me ‘ours’…”
“Huh? Isn’t Xiao Yao mine?”
Tang Xiaolu said in a teasing tone.
“Yesterday, inside the Witch Barrier, who was surrounded by a train of Familiars, on the verge of death, life hanging by a thread?”
“It’s…”
I lowered my head, a bit embarrassed.
“It’s me.”
“And who, after forming a contract with Qiu Bi and becoming a Magical Girl, had no idea how to use her Magic Power, and was picked up by me like a lost little kitten?”
“It’s me…”
“Then that’s it!”
Tang Xiaolu turned her head, her face full of pride.
“Until Xiao Yao grows strong enough to kill Witches on her own, please feel free to stand behind me and obediently be a protected little kitten.”
“If it really doesn’t work out, you can treat yourself as my girlfriend. I don’t mind, you know?”