Yu Muqiu shook her head slightly. Looking in the direction Xiao Bai had disappeared, she murmured, "Xiao Bai got hurt because of me..."
If this had happened before, Chen Xiaoxia would probably have said something like, "This isn't your fault," or "You didn't mean for her to get hurt."
But because she had fought alongside Xiao Bai and knew Xiao Bai had been injured while saving Yu Muqiu, Chen Xiaoxia could not say anything after hearing those words.
She knew Xiao Bai had saved Yu Muqiu.
Neither she nor Yu Muqiu could deny that.
And precisely because of that, the two of them truly began reflecting on what Xiao Bai had told them at the start.
Being a Magical Girl really was not an easy job. One careless moment, and they could get hurt.
They could even die.
"O-Okay... don't think about it too much..."
Chen Xiaoxia wanted to comfort Yu Muqiu, but at that moment, Yu Muqiu's phone rang.
When she saw the caller ID, Yu Muqiu's forehead instantly broke out in a cold sweat.
Incoming call—Brother Fang Ming!]
(It's so over!)
(The phone can't be reached, and they can't find the person either. Her cousin is probably about to explode.)
(Xiao Bai getting hurt really hit Xiao Qiu hard.)
(Xiao Bai threatened Xiao Qiu so much before, and Xiao Qiu barely reacted, but this time...)
The comments drifting across the Sky Screen made Fang Ming unable to hold back a smile.
The comments had guessed one thing right. To prevent Xiao Bai from connecting herself to him, Fang Ming had deliberately pretended to be furious and scolded Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia.
In fact, if Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia had not merely been Fang Ming's "distant cousin" and his cousin's friend, what awaited them would not have been a scolding, but a beating.
Still, after this incident, Yu Muqiu truly began seriously examining the profession of being a Magical Girl.
That made Fang Ming feel that his little performance had been worth it.
"Mm..."
While Fang Ming and Youyou continued watching the story on the Sky Screen, Song Niandong on the bed slowly woke up as well.
She sat up and rubbed her eyes, her messy hair sticking up in every direction. When she looked at Fang Ming, a trace of confusion still flashed through her eyes.
"Good morning... although it's already late morning."
Fang Ming greeted the just-awakened Song Niandong.
Only then did Song Niandong fully wake up and remember exactly what she had done last night.
The "Protagonist's" Unique Period of Confusion
Song Niandong looked at Fang Ming.
Then she looked at Black Rabbit beside him. After remaining silent for around two seconds, she quietly burrowed back under the covers.
Fang Ming: "?"
"Ah, she probably remembered what she did yesterday and felt embarrassed, so she hid under the blanket."
Having spent some time with Song Niandong, Black Rabbit Youyou, who understood her fairly well, smiled and explained to Fang Ming.
Fang Ming laughed, but he did not comfort Song Niandong or urge her to come out. Instead, he asked Song Niandong, who was still under the blanket:
"They're showing episode nine in the sky right now. Are you sure you don't want to watch?"
"..."
The blanket, now turned into "a lump," wriggled on the bed.
In the end, a messy little head poked out from beneath it. Song Niandong still had little expression on her face, but her bright red cheeks revealed the turmoil deep inside her.
Of course, the redness on her face might also have come from being stuffy under the covers.
But no matter what, Song Niandong still climbed out of bed and looked up at episode nine playing in the sky.
While Fang Ming had been talking with Song Niandong, the scene on the Sky Screen had already changed.
After being scolded by "Fang Ming," Yu Muqiu and Chen Xiaoxia were now shut in a room to reflect on their mistakes.
And they really were "reflecting."
["...Could Xiao Bai have been right?"
After an unknown amount of silence, Yu Muqiu suddenly asked Chen Xiaoxia, who was doing her summer homework.
"Huh?"
Chen Xiaoxia, who had been writing furiously, raised her head in confusion and looked at Yu Muqiu, who was sitting on the bed with her knees drawn up.
Yu Muqiu continued:
"If we hadn't become Magical Girls, Xiao Bai... wouldn't have gotten hurt, right?"
"...Don't tell me you spent the entire afternoon being silent just because you were thinking about this?"
Chen Xiaoxia looked at Yu Muqiu with an odd expression.
Yu Muqiu raised her head. Their eyes met, and in the end, Yu Muqiu nodded. "Yeah."
"'Yeah'? You're actually saying 'yeah'!? It was only one setback! And didn't we win? Besides, if you hadn't become a Magical Girl, neither you nor I would even be standing here right now!"
Chen Xiaoxia was right.
If they had not become Magical Girls, then aside from Xiao Chun, Chen Xiaoxia and Yu Muqiu absolutely would not have survived inside the Demons' barrier.
It was not that they had to become Magical Girls. They had no choice but to become Magical Girls.
"That's true..."
Yu Muqiu seemed persuaded by Xiaoxia's words. She raised her head and gave Chen Xiaoxia a strained smile, then lowered it again.
Chen Xiaoxia smacked her forehead. Having been Yu Muqiu's friend for years, she could tell at a glance that Yu Muqiu had gotten herself stuck in a dead end.
Yu Muqiu was wonderful in every way. She was cute, kind, generous, and gentle with others. Just sitting there, she shone upon everyone like a little sun.
But whenever she got stuck in a dead end, even eight oxen could not pull her back out.
Yet Chen Xiaoxia had no idea how to persuade her now.
After all, Xiao Bai being injured was a fact, and this was also Yu Muqiu's first time seeing blood.
But then again, after Yu Muqiu's first and second battles, Xiao Chun had joined the team in their third battle. Even if they got hurt, they could recover through Xiao Chun's Healing magic.
Xiao Chun simply was not here this time. If she had been, and Xiao Bai's wounds had quickly healed, Yu Muqiu might not have blamed herself this much.
"Tch, I wonder what Xiao Chun's doing."
Putting down her fountain pen, Chen Xiaoxia looked out the window at the setting sun.
After nearly drowning, Xiao Chun had been taken away by her family. She was probably grounded at home just like them, right?
Sigh, she wondered if they would be able to see her before school started. If Xiao Chun were here, Xiao Qiu would probably recover quickly.
Just as Chen Xiaoxia thought that, someone knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Come in, Brother Fang Ming!"
Chen Xiaoxia called out toward the door.
Since there were now two girls in the house, Fang Ming knocked before entering the room every time. Only after receiving a response would he open the door and come in.
And every evening, Fang Ming would cut up some fruit and bring it to the girls. Chen Xiaoxia had originally thought today would be the same.
But when the door opened, the person outside shocked both Xiao Qiu and Xiaoxia.
"Sorry, but Brother Fang Ming had something to do and went out just now. He isn't home."
Murong Xiaochun, who should have been at home, had somehow appeared in Fang Ming's house.
Holding a fruit platter, she smiled at the two girls in the room.
Seeing Xiao Chun, Xiaoxia cried out in surprise, "Xiao Chun!"
Then she rushed over to Xiao Chun and hugged her tightly.
"Hey! Gently! I'm holding something! Waaah, it's going to fall, it's going to fall—!"
After a burst of commotion, the three girls sat on the carpet with the fruit platter between them and talked about what had been happening lately.
Xiao Qiu picked up some watermelon and ate it as she asked Xiao Chun, "Why did Xiao Chun come over? Uncle and Auntie let you out?"
"Um... well, they haven't been home these past few days, so... I flew over here~"
Xiao Chun smiled sheepishly.
Originally, Xiao Chun did not have much money. Even if her parents were not home, she would not have been able to come alone to Rock City to visit Xiao Qiu and Xiaoxia. But she was a Magical Girl, after all.
"Tsk, tsk, Xiao Chun, you've learned some bad habits too." Sitting cross-legged with her arms folded, Chen Xiaoxia looked as though she were saying, You've grown up, as she said to Xiao Chun:
"You actually figured out how to sneak out without anyone teaching you. As your master, I'm very pleased... ow!"
Before Chen Xiaoxia could finish, Xiao Chun chopped her forehead with her hand.
"I only came because I was worried about you two!"
After saying that, Xiao Chun looked at Yu Muqiu. "Xiao Qiu, I heard from Nino that you ran into a Composite Demon again?"
"Yeah..."
"And Xiao Bai got hurt saving you?"
"...Yeah."
Xiao Qiu was silent for a while before nodding.
Xiao Chun understood immediately.
She did not continue the topic. After a moment, she suddenly smiled and asked Xiao Qiu:
"Want to go out and clear your head?"
"Huh?" Xiao Qiu looked at her with slightly widened eyes and hesitated. "But Brother Fang Ming grounded us..."
"It's fine. We just have to sneak out." Xiao Chun pointed at the window, then said to Xiaoxia, "But one person has to stay home, or Brother Fang Ming will find out. So... Xiaoxia, I'm counting on you."
"?" Chen Xiaoxia stared at the two of them in disbelief. "You're going out to clear your heads, but you're leaving me here alone to deal with Brother Fang Ming?!"
"Don't worry, we'll be back soon."
Xiao Chun smiled and patted Chen Xiaoxia's shoulder.
Chen Xiaoxia looked at Xiao Chun in anguish. "Xiao Chun, you've changed! That good little girl from before is now taking Xiao Qiu out to sneak around...! No, I'm coming too!"
"I'll buy you ice cream later."
"Then have a safe trip~"
For the sake of one ice cream, Chen Xiaoxia decisively entrusted Xiao Qiu to Xiao Chun, leaving Yu Muqiu rather torn between laughter and tears.
With a flash of light, Xiao Chun had already transformed into a Magical Girl. Then she lightly jumped over to the window, opened it, and said to Yu Muqiu:
"Let's go. I happen to know a place with some nice scenery."
As she spoke, she extended her hand to Yu Muqiu.
After hesitating for a moment, Yu Muqiu transformed into a Magical Girl as well, reached out, and took Xiao Chun's hand.]
"Companions...?"
(Xiao Chun has gone bad!)
(Pfft, Xiaoxia is entirely to blame!)
(Yeah, that whole "just sneaking out whenever she feels like it" style is exactly like Xiaoxia in episode two. Case closed—Xiaoxia corrupted Xiao Chun!)
([Chen Xiaoxia]: Hey! Stop slandering me! I didn't corrupt Xiao Chun, okay!)
(www the real person showed up again)
The story on the Sky Screen was fairly uneventful, but that was normal.
Before you continue