“My arm injury actually happened when I was squeezing into the subway. I didn’t pay much attention to it. It was probably scratched by someone’s zipper or something else when people were packed like sardines.”
“You all know how crowded the subway is at that time.” Xiaoxi waved her hand, looking utterly exhausted.
“Is it really that simple?” Xia Keke still didn’t quite believe it. “Then why did you lie just now, sis?”
“Well… I was afraid you’d get mad, Keke.”
Xiaoxi smiled guiltily. “Remember how angry you were the last time you saw what I wrote? I was scared you’d be mad again if I told you I signed a novel contract, so I told a little white lie. Sorry.”
Right now, Xiaoxi felt like a genius. She thought that if she became a scumbag, she could definitely come up with ten thousand excuses to keep her whole fanbase hooked.
“I know, Keke, you don’t like the stuff I write, but I have to make money somehow. Your sis doesn’t have a high degree and can’t find a decent job, so I can only write those little palace dramas.”
Xia Keke instantly recalled the conversation Sirius and Senior Mu Xingge had after their mission last time.
She wanted to scold Xiaoxi, but seeing her working two jobs—as a novelist and a waitress—to make ends meet, she couldn’t bring herself to say much.
But… sigh!
Xia Keke’s expression grew complicated. She wanted to remind her sister that the people the stories were about had actually seen them, but she didn’t know how to start.
If she opened her mouth, she felt it would reveal that she secretly became a magical girl and even knew Senior Mu Xingge. So far, she had kept this a secret; Xiaoxi definitely wouldn’t guess it.
“Ah, looks like the manager needs something. I’ll go check.”
Xiaoxi glanced toward the counter and then hurried away from the seat. Xia Keke stared at her sister’s departing figure, still feeling a trace of confusion.
Although her sister’s explanation made sense, the timing and the wound on Xiaoxi’s arm matched Sirius’s story too well. She just couldn’t believe it was such a coincidence.
She’d probe a little more when her sister returned. Xia Keke started thinking about what questions she could ask to get the answers she wanted.
….
Before long, Xiaoxi returned from the counter, and before Xia Keke could speak, Ye Xinglan eagerly interrupted.
“I think what you wrote is really good, Xiaoxi,” Ye Xinglan encouraged from the side. “Though the plot after the magical girl gets defeated was a bit dull, what you wrote before that was pretty great.”
“Thanks, but I hope you won’t keep sending me so many gifts, Xinglan…” Xiaoxi’s tone was a little weary. Since Ye Xinglan started reading her novel, she had showered her with tons of rewards.
Xiaoxi was very grateful, and the gifts brought a lot of attention to her novel, but she couldn’t shake the weird feeling that Ye Xinglan was spoiling her. She felt she couldn’t accept it.
“But there’s someone in your fan group who’s a bit annoying. I always feel like she doesn’t really like what you write. So why is she even in the group?”
“Sis, you even have a fan group?”
Xia Keke was surprised and leaned forward to look at Ye Xinglan’s phone. Last time, she only heard Sirius mention the novel but never about a fan group.
“Here, this person—”
Ye Xinglan opened the chat log of the “v I 50 Crazy Thursday Insights Exchange Group” and pointed to someone’s avatar.
Xia Keke suddenly went silent… because that avatar of Hatsune Miku and the group name “Hope Work Is Less” looked very familiar. She had just added this person as a friend a few days ago—it was Senior Mu Xingge’s account!
Wasn’t Senior Mu Xingge so nonchalant about this stuff before? How did she secretly join the fan group?
Looking at the slightly tense chat history between Ye Xinglan and Mu Xingge, Xia Keke suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.
For some reason, she felt like there were two giant danger signs hanging over her sister and Xinglan.
Maybe she should try harder to please Senior Mu Xingge. That way, even if everything blew up, she might be able to plead for her sister and Xinglan in front of the senior. Xia Keke worriedly thought.
“By the way, sis, about that contract…”
Xia Keke finally seized the opportunity to speak. But just as she started, her phone on the table dinged with a new message.
Seeing the sender, Xia Keke froze and the words got stuck in her throat.
“Sorry, I left too hurriedly at noon and forgot to turn off the gas stove. Please help handle the rest with the senior.”
Was that a message from Sirius?
Xia Keke looked up and stared at Xiaoxi in a daze. Her sister was feeding cake to Xinglan, both hands on the table, so it was impossible she was secretly sending messages.
“What’s up, Keke? Why are you staring at me?” Xiaoxi blinked at her with a puzzled look.
“…Nothing. Just a little annoyed eating my sister’s love.”
Xia Keke shook her head and pushed down the suspicion in her heart. Maybe it was just a coincidence.
…
Time flew by. After chatting with Ye Xinglan for over an hour, Xia Keke prepared to leave. Xiaoxi was still working and couldn’t just sit and chat with them. Even if Su Ying didn’t mind, her own conscience wouldn’t let her.
Xia Keke said she had to go back to school to do homework. Xiaoxi probably guessed that Keke had to write today’s mission report.
As for herself? Of course, she didn’t have to write anything. Miss L wouldn’t ask her to help the association and still make her do trivial tasks.
Ye Xinglan stayed with Xiaoxi until the end of her shift before they left together. Before clocking out, Xiaoxi sneaked behind the counter and thanked Su Ying.
“Thanks for helping out, Manager. Sorry for making you deal with such a weird favor.”
“No problem, it’s not really a hassle,” Su Ying said with a smile. Xiaoxi only asked her to send a pre-edited message at a specific time—hardly a burden.
“Manager, aren’t you curious why I’m doing this?”
Xiaoxi was bracing herself for questions. Lying was like a never-ending maze, and to cover for Keke’s lie, she had to spin another.
“Not curious. Everyone has their little secrets.”
Su Ying didn’t look up and continued wiping cups. “Alright, time to clock out. Don’t keep your girlfriend waiting too long.”
Hearing that, Xiaoxi felt warmth fill her heart. Su Ying truly had a good temper—gentle and understanding.
Thanks to Su Ying’s help, Xiaoxi thought Keke probably wouldn’t suspect her identity anymore.