“Um…”
Jiang Cheng noticed Jiang Lingwei approaching this way, clearly a bit nervous as she spoke:
“Done talking?”
“Done talking. Our kid is just good. I hadn’t said anything yet, and she’s already doing psychological work on me.”
Sitting across from him, Jiang Lingwei looked somewhat worried:
“But, I feel like it’s not good for her to be too sensible. She’s clearly the one who should be the one causing a fuss, yet she came over to comfort me instead. Look, she still hasn’t come down. How could I not notice? This is the time for us to talk.”
She rested her chin on her hands, looking at Jiang Cheng:
“Isn’t Yaoyao a bit too mature? Even if she’s a righteous magical girl, having all sorts of little quirks in daily life makes it easier. Under the influence of magic, wouldn’t their sense of self be even more prominent?”
“You think, with Yaoyao’s situation, is it because we… weren’t there since she was little?”
“We weren’t there, so she grew up relying on herself. It’s good that she knows how to care for others, but becoming overly cautious and losing herself isn’t good.”
After saying this, Jiang Lingwei added with a hint of awkwardness:
“Ah, saying it like that makes it sound like we’re two ghosts talking here.”
Mentioning the child’s issues, Jiang Cheng’s expression relaxed, and he gently comforted her:
“Don’t worry, it won’t go in such a bad direction.”
He gestured slightly in the air and said:
“Look, when you were all together before, you were basically like a squad.”
“I think, when it comes to magical girls, it’s not just about seniority. When choosing a leader, you have to consider their strength and mental resilience.”
Jiang Lingwei nodded in strong agreement: “Mm.”
Back then, Beifeng, as a magical girl focusing mainly on long-range attacks, with her magical equipment being a sniper rifle, was actually struggling a bit against many enemies—especially as time went on and the dark side improved with more advanced stage demons and monsters.
After all, when someone swings a sword, they can strike hard or soft, and attach magical attributes to their attacks.
But a bullet is just a bullet. Beifeng could use special bullets to provide an “upper limit,” but there was still a threshold.
In other words, “she couldn’t land critical hits.”
If the enemy had corresponding defenses and Beifeng couldn’t find their weaknesses in time, the damage she dealt was sometimes even less than Jiang Lingwei’s pure light attribute magic.
Yet, Beifeng remained the backbone of their team.
Not only because she could spot every flaw in the enemy through her sniper scope, but also because of her unwavering will.
Except for the times she lost composure when Jiang Lingwei patted her head, Beifeng was always like that—a wind that never ceased.
When the solar corona, her closest friend, sacrificed herself, Beifeng was the one who calmly made the next plan amidst everyone’s grief.
When the team was trapped in a demon’s conspiracy, Beifeng was the one who found the flaw coolly and led everyone to break through successfully.
No matter what difficulties they faced, Beifeng was always the first to recover.
No one could deny that Beifeng was the strongest-willed among them.
Only a person like that could earn the heartfelt respect of all the magical girls, regardless of how they teased her, recognizing her as their captain and leading everyone into action.
“—That’s exactly it.”
Jiang Cheng smiled and pointed upstairs:
“Look at your positions. When you’re not around, she has to lead the team.”
“Have some confidence in our kid. I can tell, although she’s considerate of others, she’s not a follower. She’s kind and gentle but not weak or timid.”
“I bet after we left, she was the first to react and calm everyone else down.”
“Eh.”
Jiang Lingwei was momentarily stunned, then smiled wryly:
“Ha, Haji Cheng, you’re surprisingly perceptive, even though you returned much later than I did.”
Jiang Cheng’s words just now made her think much more highly of him. He’d only been conscious for a few seconds, yet he analyzed so much. This man really was something.
With this said, she realized she had indeed worried too much.
“Haji…”
Catching a keyword, Jiang Cheng looked a bit puzzled:
“What’s that?”
“Hoho.”
Finally regaining some dignity, Jiang Lingwei proudly placed her hands on her hips and said:
“The joke guide, Haji (哈基), is usually a playful term used with close people, normally formed by ‘Haji’ plus a character representing someone, mainly used for…”
After explaining for a bit, Jiang Cheng nodded and pointed to himself:
“So that means I’m still a close person? Haji Wei?”
“That’s not how it’s used!”
Jiang Lingwei’s voice suddenly rose, then softened as she said quietly:
“You, how can you say that? Given our situation, if we’re not close, then who is…”
Jiang Cheng nodded slightly, answering seriously:
“Because I… I actually understand. No matter what, to you, I’m like a stranger who suddenly barged in. Feeling distant or… whatever, I think it’s normal, and I understand.”
“After cooling down from my initial cluelessness, I’ve actually been regretting things all the way since we came back together.”
“I was really worried—what if you hated me for being reckless?”
He laughed, a bright smile spreading:
“But at least now it seems, you don’t hate me.”
“……”
Jiang Lingwei recalled when they first returned, she took Jiang Cheng to the barbershop and clothing store, and he had seemed a little too silent.
At the time, she just thought he was unfamiliar with this world, just like her, and needed some time to adapt, but she hadn’t expected he was thinking about so many things.
She neither agreed nor disagreed, simply saying with a teasing tone:
“You don’t have to think so much when you’re with me. I’m not that petty. I wouldn’t hate you over such small stuff.”
“Besides, we already have a child. If you want to shirk responsibility, I’m the one who doesn’t want that. Between us, if we say we’re getting to know each other again, then that’s it. Don’t overthink.”
Just as Jiang Cheng was about to speak, Jiang Lingwei suddenly stood, walked around him, and placed a finger on his lips:
“But don’t casually talk about love again, okay? I already told you, I need a few more years before I truly know you. Who knows what might happen in those years to make you fall in love with me? Maybe after knowing me longer without those key events, you’ll regret it.”
“Then I guess I’m very lucky.”
Jiang Cheng raised his arm gently, warmly taking her hand. The heat of his palm made Jiang Lingwei’s small hand tremble.
As if not letting her escape, this man showed a possessive side, lightly gripping the fluttering white dove in his hand:
“Getting to know you now is something my past self can never make up for.”
“Th-This…”
“So.”
Raising Jiang Lingwei’s hand, Jiang Cheng stood from his chair:
“After careful thought, I realize I still like you—not just the old you, but the current you as well.”
“Miss Jiang Lingwei, would you accept my confession with marriage as the goal?”
“I-I-I…”
Completely unprepared for a confession just from having a meal, Jiang Lingwei’s heart pounded wildly, her eyes spinning as she stammered incoherently:
“T-Then you, you! I! Anyway! This is moving too fast! Confess to me a hundred times first! I need to think about it!”
Who would have thought Jiang Cheng would seriously nod and say:
“Okay.”
“Haji Cheng!~”
“I like you, Haji Wei, by the way, this counts as the first time.”
“Ha!!!”
At that moment, Jiang Li, who had been sitting on the stairs waiting for a long time and rubbing her already small belly, looked utterly speechless.
(Have their memories really disappeared? Or did they just rewind to their honeymoon phase…? When can I eat…)
(Seriously… such a lovey-dovey couple.)
(This is really unlucky.)
PS: Jiang Cheng’s nails probably look like this: