。
“What on earth are you talking about?!”
Jiang Lingwei was stunned by this sudden confession, barely managing to say a word before a black wind inexplicably rose around her, spinning her around wildly.
Almost instinctively, she closed her eyes and pressed herself tightly against the armor-clad figure.
(Bu Dui!)
(The enemy is right in front of us, how can I close my eyes?!)
The others naturally saw this scene as well. Just after the two were engulfed by the black mist, the dark fog gradually dispersed, revealing the original appearance of the city.
They’re gone.
By the way, the kunai stuck in the fairy’s corpse—resembling a burning cloud—also flew off along with them.
“So… what do we do next?”
Lin Yu, at a loss, looked at the silent Jiang Yao, raising and then lowering her small hand.
Earlier, when Jiang Lingwei was fighting that guy, she had also tried to use her own magic.
The magic hadn’t failed; she could still see the “lines” on the dark humanoid figure.
However, they were too illusory and shifting to grasp.
If the lines of that beetle were like a stable model skeleton, where a slight touch could topple the figure, then that guy’s lines were more like something constantly moving—making it very hard to find a concrete object to describe them.
She had also imagined: if she herself were fighting him, could her magic really work quickly?
Her own lines probably wouldn’t even reach his body before she was defeated.
Now, watching Jiang Lingwei and the armored figure disappear, although she hadn’t heard clearly what they had said, that was the enemy, right? And Jiguang had been captured!
She looked at Jiang Yao, suddenly struck by an ill-timed but quite fitting thought:
“Senior Brother, Master just let the monster be swept away by a gust of demon wind.”
Lin Yu greatly admired her friend’s courage; not everyone could bravely charge at such an enemy.
Just like herself—she had no idea how to win.
18…
“What do we do next? We have to save Jiguang!”
Quickly stepping beside Jiang Yao, Lin Yu asked, “Did you see which direction they went just now?”
Jiang Yao only shook her head, clenching her fists tightly, saying nothing.
Qishi and Xiao Bai, who had been thrown to the ground earlier, also came over.
“How could this…”
The girl wearing a safety helmet wiped tears from her eyes and said quickly,
“Jiguang… Jiguang was taken by that guy…”
Xiao Bai looked downcast, embarrassed as it glanced at Jiang Yao.
“Sorry… I was useless.”
Jiang Yao remained silent; the great sword in her hand gradually dissolved into sparkling points that vanished into the air.
Lin Yu, standing beside her, did not notice that Jiang Yao’s expression was constantly wavering between composed and about to break down. She trembled as she raised her hand, seemingly wanting to cover her face, but halfway up, she lowered it again, as if feeling that wasn’t right either.
She pinched her fingers and raised her arm once more, moving her hands unconsciously as if nothing felt quite right placed anywhere.
Describing her state as “completely at a loss” would be very accurate.
“…Everyone.”
Jiang Yao turned around, looking at the two and the fairy.
Realizing Jiang Lingwei was gone, and knowing that the magical girl Crystal was the strongest and most experienced among them, she became the center of strength. The girl spoke slowly:
“Everyone, listen to me.”
“I have a way to contact Jiguang. She should be safe right now.”
Recalling the vague words she’d overheard, Jiang Yao patted her chest.
“My heart tells me this. Don’t worry anymore.”
Having regained her composure, the girl decided to proceed step by step.
“Jiguang will be fine. She’s not someone we can just find by worrying here. Panicking won’t help. Let’s go to the Bureau first. Both Opal and Qishi—you two need to come along. We’ll mobilize their strength. Opal, you also need to register a new magical girl. There are many things to handle.”
“…”
The girl whispered,
“I have to go home first.”
“Thump! Thump!”
“Let go of me! Let go!”
With no room to struggle, Jiang Lingwei could only furiously pound on the armor of the man holding her, producing a dull sound.
“Uh, were we really on such bad terms before?”
The man looked helpless as he flew to a small hill in the outskirts and set Jiang Lingwei down.
“Huh?”
Completely unexpected, the guy actually let go. Jiang Lingwei froze for a moment on the ground, then immediately jumped three meters away, wary.
“You actually let me go!”
“Well, otherwise?”
The man was genuinely speechless now. “You want me to keep holding you?”
“No no no, forget it.”
Answering instinctively, Jiang Lingwei shook her head to clear her mind, then hurriedly put on a stern face.
“I don’t know you! Who the hell are you?!”
“Really don’t know?”
The man smiled indulgently. “Think about it carefully?”
“Hmm.”
In theory, Jiang Lingwei felt she should be disgusted. Being looked at so gently by a man was hardly something to be happy about for a young girl.
But… what she thought in her heart was:
(So handsome!)
“Sigh.”
She glanced at the man with a complicated look, then sighed deeply and sat on a nearby rock.
“Forget it, I know. You’re Yao Yao’s dad.”
The moment she saw the man, she actually understood everything but didn’t want to face it. Both fell silent for a while, the armor clinking quietly as the man sat down.
Jiang Lingwei nervously fiddled with her fingers on the rock.
“Huff… huff…”
A breeze blew across their faces, tousling their hair, giving the two time for silent reflection.
The wind always stops eventually, and people have no choice but to speak.
“That’s right.”
The man nodded.
Jiang Lingwei got up from the rock and said,
“So, are you good or bad?”
“Of course, I’m good.”
“I don’t believe it. When has a villain ever admitted they’re a villain?”
“That’s just unreasonable…”
“Heh heh, I am… cough cough.”
After two coughs, Jiang Lingwei hurriedly straightened her face and leaned forward.
“Come on, tell me where you’ve been all these years?”
“Probably in the Magical Dimension.”
The man leaned in as well and replied.
“Probably?”
“Of course. Just asking, but don’t hit me for saying it.”
He shifted his butt slightly, armor creaking against the grass.
“How did you recognize me?”
“Why hit you… it’s not like I really recognized you.”
Jiang Lingwei hesitated, then decided to tell the truth.
“As soon as I saw you, I just knew you were my old…”
Her face flushed bright red, voice suddenly rising several tones:
“Yao Yao’s dad!”
Lying in the man’s arms, Jiang Lingwei squinted.
If I were to explain, I wouldn’t know why either, but I just knew—my ‘heart’ shouldn’t be wrong about this kind of thing.
Jiang Lingwei stretched lazily, very helpless.
“From this perspective, I guess I owe you an apology. Actually, I didn’t really know you. My memories are still stuck a long time ago, so this was the only way to recognize you.”
“I’m pretty much the same, Xiaowei.”
The man reached out his hand, hesitating as if carefully holding a piece of fragile porcelain, afraid of hurting the person in his arms. He gently stroked Jiang Lingwei’s cheek:
“Actually, I forgot many things too. But the moment I saw you, I knew I loved you.”
“Pfft, you wouldn’t be telling the same lie to other girls… wait?!”
Jiang Lingwei opened her eyes, wriggling as she struggled,
“When did I get into your arms!!!”