Yuexia Liuli’s gaze fell on Luo Tianyou and the young woman from the Administration Bureau.
She was about to leave, but then she suddenly noticed the girl holding the box, who looked somewhat familiar.
She looked a lot like Luo Tianyou.
In the video call just now, judging by the background, Luo Tianyou was indeed at the station.
But the girl here had no trace of magic on her at all, and had nothing to do with a magical girl.
All she had to do was go back to the Bureau and use some resources to find out where Luo Tianyou was hiding.
Yuexia Liuli’s form turned into a moon-white glow and disappeared from the spot.
The oppressive feeling vanished, and Luo Tianyou let out a long sigh of relief.
Luckily, she hadn’t been recognized.
“This lady, you should leave quickly too. It’s still not completely safe here.”
The young woman reminded her kindly.
“Ah, okay, thank you.”
Luo Tianyou hugged her package tightly and walked quickly toward the outside of the station.
There was no way she could take the bullet train now.
The bus… Even if she got carsick, she had to take it.
Luo Tianyou staggered to the station, looking at the buses lined up.
The moment she boarded, that unique smell familiar only to those who get motion sickness assaulted her, making her whole body shudder uncontrollably.
She took deep breaths, enduring the discomfort, and chose a seat near the front and by the window.
The vehicle started up slowly, driving away from the still-chaotic station.
The scenery outside shifted from city lights to the dimness of the suburbs, and finally melted into the pitch-black fields.
Inside the shaking bus, the air was thick with the mixed scents of gasoline, leather, and all sorts of food, wrapping around Luo Tianyou and turning her stomach upside down.
Luo Tianyou clutched her hair, opened the window, and tried to breathe in some fresh air.
But every turn and brake of the bus made her feel worse.
Her forehead started to heat up, sweat beading out, and her face turned a bit pale.
“Are you carsick?”
A gentle voice came from beside her.
It seemed to be a girl.
Luo Tianyou didn’t want to open her eyes and just answered softly.
“I’ve heard that people who don’t get carsick can never understand what it’s like for those who do. You look like you have it pretty bad.”
“Ugh…”
Luo Tianyou couldn’t help but let out a small groan, her violet eyes shimmering with tears.
Maybe because of the changes in her body, her symptoms were even worse now.
A cool hand gently pressed against her forehead.
“Feeling terrible?”
The gentle female voice sounded again.
“Try this. It might help a little.”
A soothing, cool sensation slowly flowed from that hand into Luo Tianyou’s forehead, dispelling the nauseating dizziness and heat.
Her churning stomach miraculously calmed down.
Though she was still a little uncomfortable, it was at least bearable.
Luo Tianyou opened her eyes and turned her head to look at the person next to her.
It was a girl about her apparent age, dressed in a simple white dress, her features clear and pure like the sky after rain.
Her short, soft hair framed jewel-bright eyes, which were watching Luo Tianyou with a gentle smile.
“Much better. Thank you.”
Luo Tianyou felt much improved, and was a little surprised.
Was that just now a magical girl’s ability?
But if she was a magical girl, why would she be riding a bus?
“You’re welcome. My name is Li Huayu. What about you?”
“Luo Tianyou.”
“Luo Tianyou. That’s a cute name. It suits you.”
Li Huayu’s smile deepened, her light brown eyes curving like a crescent moon.
The bus rolled over a rough patch in the road, jostling violently.
“Ah!”
Caught off guard, Luo Tianyou lost her balance and fell toward Li Huayu.
The two collided.
Li Huayu’s body carried a fresh, grassy fragrance— it was pleasant.
“You’re so soft. Don’t grope me.”
Li Huayu seemed to have been hit in a sensitive spot and laughed, clutching her stomach.
“Sorry, sorry…”
Luo Tianyou hurried back to her seat, realizing she’d just touched something soft.
“From the way you look, are you heading to the magical girl selection?”
Li Huayu asked curiously.
“Selection?”
Every year, there was a selection for magical girls.
Girls who awakened magical talent could apply, and if they passed, they could officially join the Administration Bureau.
The city she was heading to, C City, just happened to be starting the selection this year.
Luo Tianyou shook her head.
“No.”
“I’m going to participate in the selection, but I don’t have much money and can’t afford to bribe the examiners. I’ve already failed twice. If I don’t pass this time, I won’t get another chance.”
Li Huayu leaned closer, her arm touching Luo Tianyou’s.
“But you have a really special feeling about you. If you participated, you might have a good chance.”
Being complimented made Luo Tianyou unexpectedly shy.
“No way…”
“Don’t be so modest. Also, your hair is beautiful— like the night sky. And this fabric, I’ve never seen anything like it. It must be precious.”
Li Huayu’s friendliness was contagious, and the two chatted away.
“Motion sickness is tough. Rest for a bit— I’ll wake you when we arrive.”
Li Huayu’s voice grew softer.
Maybe it was the fatigue from motion sickness, or the soothing scent from Li Huayu, but Luo Tianyou felt a wave of drowsiness.
Not to mention, she’d planned to sleep through the bus ride anyway, to survive the ordeal.
Luo Tianyou leaned against the window, hugging her package, and closed her eyes.
With a gentle girl at her side, the shaking of the bus no longer brought dizziness, but felt like a cradle, loosening her tense nerves and blurring her awareness.
In the hazy space between sleep and waking, she felt Li Huayu carefully tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
That cool hand seemed to rest gently on the back of her hand.
She didn’t know how much time had passed when a light jolt woke Luo Tianyou.
She opened her eyes groggily.
The bus was entering a Service Station, and it was already deep into the night outside the window.
Li Huayu was gone, and several other passengers were missing too.
Her package was still in her arms.
Luo Tianyou instinctively reached for her ID in her pocket.
Every time, she worried it might be missing, but it was always there—
Wait, it wasn’t???
Luo Tianyou’s expression filled with panic.
She hurriedly checked all her pockets, her package, and the area around her seat.
Aside from her mother’s Diary, everything valuable— including the Starry Sky Battle Suit— was gone.
No way.
She was finished.
A surge of fear and anxiety hit her, her legs going weak as she collapsed into her seat.
Her ID, bank card, cash… and most importantly, the Starry Sky Battle Suit imbued with her mother’s power and secrets!
Without these, she couldn’t take a single step in this unfamiliar city.
Forget avoiding Yuexia Liuli— even finding a place to stay or something to eat tonight would be a problem.
“How could this happen…”
Luo Tianyou muttered to herself, violet eyes filling with tears.
Her heart ached, bitterness and regret nearly overflowing.
That gentle, kind-looking Li Huayu was a thief?
Why hadn’t she realized sooner…
Just as Luo Tianyou was about to cry, the bus’s engine started again.
Then a voice came from the back.
“Wait, I haven’t gotten back on yet!”
The bus stopped.
“Move! Move! What’s going on here?!”
Tearfully, Luo Tianyou looked up to see Li Huayu— the vanished Li Huayu— wearing an expression of utter despair and confusion, charging onto the bus in a strange posture.
And the Starry Sky Magical Girl Battle Suit— Luo Tianyou’s own— was on her body.
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