“Blind date’s over. She didn’t like me, obviously. Next time, no need to trouble yourself with this kind of thing.”
“The living expenses are enough. If they weren’t, I’d tell you. Don’t worry unnecessarily.”
Xiaoxi weighed the discounted groceries she had just bought from the supermarket. After sending her last message, she didn’t look at her mum’s reply anymore but switched to check her WeChat balance.
Seeing the pitiful three-digit number starting with a ‘1’, she let out a heavy sigh. If she still couldn’t find a job next week, she really would starve.
Dragging her feet on the way home, her thoughts drifted to Mu Xingge’s radiant figure just now, and Xiaoxi couldn’t help but sigh.
Her former teammates were all doing so well. If others knew that the so-called “strongest” magical girl [Eternal Star] had retired and ended up like this, they’d probably laugh their heads off.
Xiaoxi had chosen to retire and give up her magical girl identity three years ago.
Before that, she had lived like a character in an anime or game—hiding her true identity while fighting monsters and Weirdos as the magical girl [Eternal Star].
Back then, the Magical Girl Association hadn’t been fully established yet, so she did it purely out of love, without any salary. By the time the Association was officially founded three years ago, she had already quietly retired due to various personal reasons.
Xiaoxi wasn’t called the “Strongest Magical Girl” for nothing. A few years ago, during the chaotic times when various groups of Weirdos wreaked havoc, she and her former teammates had indeed eradicated many evil forces and slain numerous monsters.
Especially three years ago, Xiaoxi single-handedly destroyed the strongest Weirdo organization at the time, the “Divine Summoners,” defeated their human-like weapons created using Weirdo technology, and cemented her title by defeating the Bloodmoon Witch, known as the [Crimson Plague].
But only Xiaoxi knew how terrifying the Bloodmoon Witch truly was. They had clashed several times, with Xiaoxi barely gaining any advantage. Considering their frequent encounters, calling her a “rival” was no exaggeration.
Their final battle was particularly perilous—Xiaoxi had several close calls with death. But in the end, she won. As for the Bloodmoon Witch, she was probably still locked up in the Magical Girl Association’s prison.
When the familiar stairwell and apartment door appeared before her, Xiaoxi stopped her wandering thoughts, took out her keys, and unlocked the door.
Then she furrowed her brows—neatly placed by the shoe cabinet was a pair of black high heels… Someone had broken into her home? And why did those heels look so familiar?
Could it be that an old enemy had come knocking?
The nearly impossible thought flashed through Xiaoxi’s mind but still made her alert. Preparing to transform if necessary, she silently crept into the living room and froze the moment she saw the intruder.
“Why is it you?”
Their eyes met, and they spoke in unison.
….
Time rewinds to a little earlier, inside the apartment’s living room.
Ye Xinglan sat cross-legged on the sofa, her freshly manicured fingers tapping rapidly on her phone screen.
“Aluan, still no leads on Eternal Star?”
“Oh my, my lady, Eternal Star has been gone for over three years. You think I can just find her on command?”
“Besides, the Magical Girl Association has been secretly tracking your whereabouts lately. I feel like they’re about to find me out. There’s no way they won’t suspect me in the Bloodmoon Witch’s disappearance.”
“Miss, you should just lay low for a while. Stop obsessing over finding Eternal Star to take revenge, alright?”
The reply came almost instantly. Ye Xinglan pouted in displeasure but typed back, “Alright then.”
“How’s work today? If you’re not enjoying it, I can get you another job.”
“Not bad. It’s just that the tenant in this unit hasn’t returned yet. I’m waiting for her.”
At that moment, the sound of a key turning in the lock came from outside. Ye Xinglan paused, then added, “Looks like someone’s back. I’ll go see what’s going on.”
The next second, seeing Xiaoxi peeking in at the door, Ye Xinglan blinked in surprise.
“Why is it you?”
“Are you okay? That café where we had the blind date just now was attacked by monsters. Did you get hurt?” Beyond her surprise, Xiaoxi’s first instinct was concern.
“I’m fine,” Ye Xinglan answered naturally. “I left right after you did. What would I still be doing sitting there after the blind date ended?”
Xiaoxi suddenly understood—Ye Xinglan had left the café before the monster attack, no wonder she hadn’t seen her in the crowd fleeing.
“Then… why are you at my place?”
“I was going to ask you the same thing. You’re the tenant here, right?” Ye Xinglan flashed a large bunch of keys. “I’m here to collect rent. Looks like you’ve already missed two months’ payments?”
So she really was a little rich lady! Xiaoxi inexplicably felt that bunch of keys was sparkling, stabbing her eyes. This was Ye Xinglan’s “job”? Collecting rent every day?
Xiaoxi hadn’t realized that the apartment she rented was owned by Ye Xinglan. The place was recommended by an agency, and she usually communicated with the landlord via WeChat. She hadn’t expected Ye Xinglan to come in person—was it because she was so behind on rent?
“Sorry, I really don’t have money for rent right now. If you want to kick me out today, that’s fine. The deposit I paid before can cover one month’s rent, and I’ll make up the rest as soon as I can…”
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, her head lowering. She was shy; since Ye Xinglan had come here, she really couldn’t bring herself to ask for a few more days’ grace.
Before Ye Xinglan could respond, her phone suddenly rang. She glanced—it was an unknown number.
“Hold on, I have to take this.”
Ye Xinglan went to the balcony and, after confirming the door was closed, answered. An anxious voice came through the receiver—Aluan’s.
“Miss, I’ll get straight to the point! The Association just conducted a raid at my place. Looks like they won’t stop until they’ve turned everything upside down! For the next half month… no, the next month, you absolutely must not come back!”
“You don’t need to leave Xiahai City. The identity I set up for you can definitely withstand their scrutiny. Just find a place to hide and stay put. Under no circumstances contact me during this time!”
Before Ye Xinglan could reply, the call was abruptly cut off. Frowning, she unlocked her phone and saw that Aluan had already deleted her as a contact.
Everything had happened so suddenly that Ye Xinglan couldn’t help but worry. Although Aluan said her identity could withstand the investigation, Ye Xinglan felt staying in a hotel for a whole month wasn’t safe.
If the Association found out, how could she explain why she suddenly stopped going home and started living in a hotel?
She needed a more reasonable, more convincing place to stay… Frowning, Ye Xinglan’s eyes landed on Xiaoxi standing in the living room, and an idea struck her.
….
Xiaoxi was frowning deeply, calculating what to do next. She was already prepared to move out today.
The thought of maybe not even having a place to sleep tonight made her feel her future was bleak.
No, she couldn’t be so down. She tried to cheer herself up—there were many people in the world worse off than her. This little setback was nothing.
A sudden image of the Bloodmoon Witch flashed in Xiaoxi’s mind… Well, no matter what, her life must be better than that woman’s, right? At least she was free. The Bloodmoon Witch was probably still locked up.
The sound of slippers tapping brought Xiaoxi back to reality. Watching Ye Xinglan briskly approach, Xiaoxi mustered her courage to bring up the topic of moving out.
“Miss Ye Xinglan, um, I can move out today…”
“You don’t have to move out. The two months of rent don’t matter either.”
Ye Xinglan’s cool voice interrupted her. She beckoned Xiaoxi with a finger, proposing a tempting condition.
“On one condition—you live here with me from today onward. How about it?”
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