Magical Girls Exposed! Chapter 34

Her father was just an ordinary company manager, and her mother was a newspaper editor. Their family circumstances were neither exceptional nor poor.

And Yu Muqiu's parents loved her dearly. It was precisely because she had grown up in such an environment that Yu Muqiu possessed a heart full of love and hope.

However, whether it was Yu Muqiu's father or mother, their current jobs were vastly different from what they had been before.

In order to better protect the magical girls' families, relatives whose work environments were too complicated or whose workplaces were too remote to safeguard were all assigned new jobs.

For instance, Yu Muqiu's parents had both been reassigned to the Investigation Department.

Yu Muqiu's mother was a newspaper editor, so she could conveniently be assigned to handle matters related to websites about magical girls.

Yu Muqiu's father, however, was more troublesome to place.

Because Yu Muqiu's father, Yu Nian, had been a sales manager in the electrical appliance department, there was no suitable position for him in the Investigation Department. For the time being, he was unemployed and staying at home.

So when Fang Ming visited the Yu family, he happened to see Uncle Yu at home, drinking tea and watching the news.

"Oh, Xiao Ming's here? Ah, you came all this way, why did you bring gifts?"

Yu Nian, who wore glasses and gave off the air of an intellectual, warmly greeted Fang Ming when he saw him.

Fang Ming entered Yu Muqiu's home, naturally set the gifts in his hands aside, then said to Yu Nian:

"It's not often that I get to come by. I thought it wouldn't be right to show up empty-handed, so I just bought a few things. They weren't expensive, so please don't refuse them, Uncle."

After exchanging a few pleasantries with Yu Nian, Fang Ming looked around and asked:

"Where's Xiao Qiu?"

"She went to school."

"Magical girls still have to go to school?"

"Forget magical girls—even if she were some heavenly immortal, as long as she hasn't graduated, she has to go to school!"

Yu Nian said with a chuckle.

A magical girl was still, ultimately, a "girl." Yu Muqiu was only in her second year of high school. What else could she do if she did not attend school?

If she truly became a full-time magical girl, what would she do if one day the profession was no longer needed? Wouldn't they all end up starving?

So it was not just Yu Muqiu. Chen Xiaoxia and Murong Xiaochun also had to attend school.

Chen Xiaoxia especially had to follow in her father's footsteps, apply to the police academy, and become a police officer. Without studying, she would have no way to get into the police academy.

After saying this, Yu Nian suddenly began to sigh.

"I never expected my Xiao Qiu to become a world-famous celebrity one day. Sigh... I don't know whether this is a blessing or a curse for her."

"..."

Fang Ming had no way to respond to that.

He did not actually approve of Yu Muqiu becoming a magical girl. After all, anyone could see the dangers magical girls had to face.

But whether Fang Ming approved or not, the Sky Screen was there, and Yu Muqiu being a magical girl was an indisputable fact.

After thinking it over, Fang Ming could only say, "Since Xiao Qiu is the 'protagonist,' she'll definitely be fine. Please don't worry."

"You're right. Enough about her—did you just arrive today?" Yu Nian turned and asked Fang Ming.

Fang Ming shook his head. "I arrived yesterday. I stayed at the Investigation Department for the night, and today I was going to look at the house the Investigation Department assigned me. Since I was passing by, I thought I'd come see you."

"Oh, so you're moving to Spring City?"

Yu Nian understood, then smiled. "That's good. We actually wanted to invite you over before, but we didn't expect... this sort of accident to happen."

Yu Nian pointed at the ceiling.

But what he was actually pointing at was the Sky Screen beyond it.

Fang Ming had mentioned before to He Xuan that Yu Nian's family had once invited him to live in Spring City. That was not a lie. Yu Nian really had invited him, but Fang Ming had turned him down every time.

Now that Yu Nian brought it up again, Fang Ming smiled and said:

"I just didn't want to cause you trouble before. But now... it's actually for Xiao Qiu's sake."

"The second-season theory the Investigation Department mentioned, right?"

Yu Nian had actually understood what Fang Ming meant right away.

Fang Ming was not surprised. Yu Nian was a novel enthusiast who had read all sorts of books, especially science fiction and fantasy. He had been following developments concerning the Sky Screen all along.

Naturally, Yu Nian also knew about the second-season theory He Xuan had mentioned.

Fang Ming nodded.

"Yes. If there were no Sky Screen... I probably would have accepted your invitation and moved to Spring City."

"Mm. Because I'll be going on a business trip then, and Xiao Qiu's mother will get busier with work too. She won't have time to look after Xiao Qiu, so... the responsibility of taking care of her will fall on you."

As Yu Nian said this, he pointed at Fang Ming.

That was right. This was the fundamental reason Fang Ming would come to Spring City in the "second season."

On one hand, he wanted to observe the magical girls up close. On the other, Yu Nian would be leaving on a business trip.

Yu Nian fell silent for a moment before saying, "If nothing unexpected happens, I'll leave for another province on a business trip in mid-September. I should return around November."

"Then the second season's plot will most likely take place during that period."

Fang Ming added.

If something major really happened in the second season, Yu Nian would not be in Spring City at the time, and Xiao Qiu's mother would be away investigating and conducting interviews for the newspaper. Spring City would be left with only Xiao Qiu.

With none of her family in Spring City, Xiao Qiu would definitely act much more boldly. At least in certain situations, she would not need to deliberately hide her identity as a magical girl.

The "plot" then would probably be even more exciting.

From that perspective, Yu Nian's business trip seemed more like a plot setup than an assignment from above.

After hearing that, Yu Nian was silent for a while. Then he suddenly said to Fang Ming, "Actually, compared to Xiao Qiu, I'm more worried about you."

"Hm?"

"No matter what, Xiao Qiu is a magical girl and the protagonist. In a normal story, protagonists have plot armor. At the very least, their lives won't be in danger. But you're different."

Having read countless books, Yu Nian earnestly told Fang Ming, "You're just a supporting character. You aren't even like me, an extra who only appears in the background and rarely shows up. You're a supporting character with a certain amount of screen time, someone who appears in both the first and second seasons.

"And supporting characters like you, who are related by blood to the protagonist and have a role in the plot, are often the most dangerous. That means... you might become one of the reasons Xiao Qiu has a sudden power-up."

"..."

Yu Nian was right.

Why were most protagonists written as orphans?

Because orphans had no weaknesses. No one could threaten them with their family.

In other words, once someone had bonds and family or friends they cared about, enemies could very likely use those people to threaten them.

Xiao Qiu was a magical girl, and a pure, innocent magical girl who possessed "love."

So if some accident truly occurred in the second season, and the enemy could not find Xiao Qiu, Fang Ming would very likely become one of their primary targets.

That was assuming Fang Ming was truly an ordinary person.

Still, Yu Nian's words reminded Fang Ming of something.

If the second-season plot involved "Fang Ming" as well, then there was no doubt that he would be drawn into matters involving Xiao Qiu and the other magical girl.

What Song Niandong wanted to do was still unknown, but based on the information they had obtained so far, Song Niandong and Xiao Qiu were definitely enemies.

Since they were enemies, would Song Niandong make a move against Fang Ming?

And now that Song Niandong's whereabouts were unknown, if he used himself as bait to lure Song Niandong out, would that work?

As he thought about it, a new idea gradually formed in Fang Ming's mind.

Chapter 47: A... Fated Encounter?

If, for this world,

the fate of everything had already been decided, and certain people's encounters, the friendships between certain people, and the things certain people would experience were all predestined,

then Fang Ming did not need to do anything. He only needed to follow his instincts and casually wander in a random direction, and perhaps he would run into Song Niandong.

And if Song Niandong had any special intentions toward Fang Ming—for example, if she wanted to capture him and use him to threaten Yu Muqiu and the others—

then she would definitely make a move against Fang Ming.

That was also Fang Ming's chance to find Song Niandong.

But—

"...It's already nighttime, and there's still no sign of her."

Sitting on a Swing in a park somewhere on the outskirts of Spring City, Fang Ming looked at the round moon rising into the sky and could not help wondering if he had guessed wrong.

Although everything involving Yu Muqiu and the others in this world had become a Sky Screen hanging high overhead, that did not mean all fate had already been set in stone.

Perhaps Fang Ming really had guessed wrong.

Of course, it was also possible that he had come at the wrong time.

It was already late at night. The city's residents had begun to rest. Even if Song Niandong had skipped school and gone elsewhere, that did not mean she was a night owl who only appeared at night.

The last time he had encountered her at night was probably because she had used too much magic and could not travel far, allowing Fang Ming, who had been wandering around at night, to spot her.

So even if he could not find her now, it was actually perfectly reasonable.

But Fang Ming had no way to come out freely during the day.

Now that Fang Ming had been confirmed as an "important supporting character," the authorities were keeping him under strict protection.

Even when he went out normally, a military bodyguard followed him to prevent anything from happening to him.

Therefore, under ordinary circumstances, Fang Ming could not move around freely or come here to meet Song Niandong.

Only at night, after everyone had gone to sleep, could he lock his bedroom door, transform into the magical girl Xiao Bai, open a barrier, and quietly leave his room.

Then, after casting magic that blocked others' awareness, he could sit here and wait for his prey.

Unfortunately, after waiting here for nearly two hours, Fang Ming had gotten nothing.

Continuing to wait would probably not yield any results. It would be better to try another direction tomorrow night.

If tomorrow did not work either, then this so-called "guidance of fate" probably was not that reliable.

That encounter with Song Niandong that night really had just been a coincidence.

Fang Ming got up from the Swing and was about to dust himself off and leave.

But then he suddenly saw a small figure appear in the corner by the street.

The small figure wore a hood that concealed her hair. Her hands were tucked inside her sleeves, with only her fingers exposed.

With her head lowered, the small figure walked toward an unmanned convenience store on the street corner.

Though she did not reveal her appearance, judging by the school uniform pants visible beneath her clothes, she should have been Song Niandong, whom the Federation Investigation Department considered missing.

In the end, the Investigation Department was only a group of ordinary people. Without help from magical girls, if a magical girl deliberately wanted to hide herself, they had no way of finding her.

If Fang Ming himself had not carried magic power, he probably would have overlooked Song Niandong as well.

The clothes the girl wore were enchanted with magic that blocked others' awareness.

Adjusting the glasses on his face, which had been enchanted with the same magic, Fang Ming walked toward Song Niandong.

Song Niandong, meanwhile, had not noticed Fang Ming approaching her.

She stood before the vending machine at the unmanned convenience store, hesitating.

"I-I still feel like this isn't right..."

Song Niandong looked at the self-service vending machine in front of her and quietly said to Black Rabbit.

Black Rabbit appeared beside Song Niandong's shoulder, naturally perched on it, and coaxed her:

"It's fine. Don't you humans have a law called... um, necessity? Something like that.

"You haven't eaten for over a day. Your home is guarded by those damned magical girls and the human military, so you can't go back to get money. You're only using magic to get yourself something to eat. It doesn't count as a crime."

Black Rabbit said righteously.

Song Niandong still hesitated. "...No matter how you put it, this still counts as a crime, doesn't it?"