Xia Mo believed her eyes, believed her memory — the girl in white, that magical girl, was exactly the same as the one who saved her before!
Even the warmth of her skin and the aura around her hadn’t changed a bit.
“It has to be her, but… I didn’t even get a chance to properly thank her. It was like this ten years ago, and again yesterday.”
Xia Mo lowered her head, wrapped in a cloud of melancholy.
She had been saved by Bai Ye twice, yet she never once got to thank her properly.
She desperately wanted to tell Bai Ye:
It was your guidance that allowed me to be recognized by the Magic Gem, to become a magical girl like you.
Even though I’m still weak now, I will work hard—truly hard—to become a strong magical girl like you.
“I’m just…”
Xia Mo covered her face with her hands, letting out a soft sob.
“Don’t cry. If she really is that magical girl, she definitely wouldn’t care about any of that,” Luo Shuangyue said, gently patting Xia Mo on the head in comfort.
“Do you think magical girls save people just to be thanked? As long as you all can keep living happily, that’s enough for her.”
Although she didn’t know what her mom was thinking back when she saved people, given her mom’s overly cheerful and energetic personality — so unlike a typical mother — Luo Shuangyue figured what she said wasn’t wrong.
After a while of consoling, Luo Shuangyue finally calmed Xia Mo down.
With her tears finally stopped, Xia Mo’s face was flushed red — crying like that in front of her crush made her feel a little embarrassed.
“Sorry, Shuangyue… I made a fool of myself…”
“It’s fine. Shuangxing cried even more than you when she was little. I’m used to it.”
Without hesitation, Luo Shuangyue sold out her biological sister, trying to assure Xia Mo she had nothing to be shy about.
That’s what little sisters are for at times like this!
“Pfft, if Shuangxing hears that, you won’t be getting any peace.”
“That little brat’s off at her school’s tutoring program — no way she’d hear it, so relax.”
Luo Shuangyue chuckled.
That kid was still paddling her little canoe in the sea of studies; as long as she wasn’t drowning, it was already good enough.
She didn’t have the time to worry about what was going on here.
Achoo!
Luo Shuangxing let out a big sneeze.
“Miss Linglan, is the room too cold? Should I turn up the air conditioner?”
The girl, dressed in a white dress and as lovely as a flower spirit, sat obediently behind her desk.
She shook her head at the teacher explaining monster weaknesses at the podium.
“No need. My nose just got a little itchy all of a sudden. I’m fine now!”
“Alright, but if you start to feel unwell, you must let me know immediately.”
“Yes, teacher!”
Luo Shuangxing glanced at the two empty seats beside her from the corner of her eye, then looked up at the chalkboard filled with writing as incomprehensible as an alien language.
Her heart grew restless.
Being a magical girl wasn’t just about transforming — behind them was an organization called the Magic Department.
This group helped guide magical girls in their growth and provided the logistical support they needed.
They were a trustworthy partner for magical girls.
As a total newbie with only a few months of battle experience, Luo Shuangxing was still in the stage of cramming knowledge about monsters.
But today, Luo Shuangxing clearly didn’t feel like studying.
Siam, who had awakened her transformation ability around the same time as her, was off at school doing extra lessons.
Her reliable senior, Rosemary, had been badly injured in yesterday’s battle and was now recuperating at home.
The classroom that had been lively just yesterday was now deserted, with only her left today.
What made her even sadder was that she couldn’t understand a word the teacher was saying.
After listening until her head felt dizzy, Luo Shuangxing completely lost interest in the lesson.
She snuck a glance at the teacher writing on the board and quietly took out her phone, quickly typing a message:
“Senior Rosemary, how are you feeling?”
The personal information of magical girls was protected by the Magic Department as top-level classified data.
Even Luo Shuangxing, a fellow comrade, didn’t know Rosemary’s real identity.
At this point, all she could do was use the most basic method — texting — to try and get in touch with Rosemary.
But a long time passed with no reply.
Luo Shuangxing held her head in her hands, letting out a soft groan of frustration.
And then — a hand snatched the phone right out of hers.
“Little Linglan, it’s class time right now, you know?”
“Waaah! Director?!”
***
Sssshhhhhh—
Hot water poured over skin as pale as snow.
Luo Shuangyue wiped her body with a towel while brooding silently.
How was she going to stop Xia Mo from digging into Bai Ye’s secret?
From Xia Mo’s reaction earlier, Luo Shuangyue felt that just a few words wouldn’t be nearly enough to persuade her childhood friend.
Should I transform into Bai Ye one more time and explain everything directly?
If she could help Xia Mo fulfill the wish in her heart, maybe she’d finally stop chasing after Bai Ye.
“That might be the only way… and I could also use Bai Ye’s identity to convince her to quit being a magical girl…”
She turned off the water and dried herself off.
Gazing at her young, delicate, naked body in the mirror, Luo Shuangyue let out a sigh of helplessness in her heart.
This secret… is such a headache too.
Buzz.
Her phone, sitting on the sink, vibrated slightly.
Luo Shuangyue picked it up, and as soon as she saw the avatar on the screen, her expression grew serious.
“7:00 PM, Nightfall Restaurant, Room 2-17. Don’t be late.”
She opened the chat and sent back a cat emoji giving an “OK” gesture.
“It’s work time. Be a bit more formal.”
“Got it! I’ll be there on time, promise!”
The message came from the leader of Polar Night, who also happened to be Luo Shuangyue’s direct superior.
Moving quickly, she dressed and returned to her room.
She opened the innermost drawer of her wardrobe and pulled out a carefully hidden outfit from the very bottom — a full set of women’s clothing.
After all, as a good young man working undercover in a villain organization, it was perfectly normal to keep a few disguises in his closet.
Wearing men’s clothes to meet the boss could risk exposing her true identity, but after putting on women’s clothes and applying a light layer of makeup, Luo Shuangyue was confident:
That woman would never connect the villain “Dark Butterfly” with the ordinary college boy Luo Shuangyue.
After all, Luo Shuangyue was just an average student, while “Dark Butterfly” had become a rising name in the gray areas of society over the past two years.
They had nothing in common.
With an awkward expression, she stuffed the black-and-gray outfit into her backpack.
Then she snuck into her sister’s room and grabbed the makeup from her sister’s vanity.
“Shuangxing, I’ve got something tonight. Make sure to look after your sister Xia Mo, okay?”
Finally, she sent that last message to her sister — mission complete!