New Home and Pranks

The Secret Base was completed faster than expected.

When summer vacation ended and the new magical girls returned to their school lives, Lin Yun received a call from Hong Siyu: the venue was ready.

At this point, only ten days had passed since the proposal of the Secret Base was put forward.

Impressed by the efficiency of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau in such matters, Lin Yun, who had nothing else to do, drove to the pre-arranged location—a villa area on the outer ring of the city—to meet with Hong Siyu.

To avoid being seen by other employees of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, Lin Yun disguised herself as Larkspur after parking the car before heading to the location provided by Hong Siyu.

The Secret Base prepared by the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau is a four-story detached villa. In addition to the living area above ground, it also has a basement, which is specially wrapped with magic-resistant material and used as a training ground for the magical girls.

With a blank expression, Cuique walked into the villa and, at Hong Siyu's invitation, carefully toured the entire building—even the interior decoration had been completely renovated. Larkspur asked Hong Siyu for some photos and posted them in the magical girl group.

Although it's still class time and they probably won't see it, that doesn't stop Larkspur from sending it to them for future reference.

Then she saw a message suddenly pop up in the group:

[Little Brocade: Wow, that's so luxurious! When can we move in?]

[Larkspur: Pay attention in class, stop playing on your phone.]

Little Brocade: Got it [emoji]

The brief conversation ended there.

Larkspur stared at the screen with some displeasure. After a while, she put it aside, moved back, and sat down on the sofa in the living room.

"What's wrong?"

Hong Siyu somewhat curious, but quickly put the matter out of her mind and said with a hint of pride, "How about that? The efficiency of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau!"

"They're only this efficient at things like this," Larkspur commented indifferently.

"Really, senior, you're still as dishonest as ever."

Ignoring Larkspur's indifferent attitude, Hong Siyu rested her chin on her hand and said with a smile, "Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered recently that you quit your previous job, right?"

"That's true. Is there something you need?" Larkspur raised an eyebrow.

"The new students' special training period is over, and school will resume as usual, which will free up your daytime hours."

Hong Siyu narrowed her eyes slightly. "So, you mean, are you interested in working for our Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau under your original identity?"

"The Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau?"

Larkspur looked at her with some suspicion. "What could I possibly do at the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau? I can't use magic Spell Formula as an ordinary person."

"It's not like you have to be Mage to join the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau; it's just that most positions are held by Mage."

Hong Siyu explained, "Look at me, I'm just a weak woman with absolutely no magic, even more ordinary than an average person. But the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau does have jobs suitable for me."

"You mean..." Larkspur frowned slightly, "The contact person?"

"Yes, the contact person."

Hong Siyu and said, "Because of the incident last month, your team members are now completely under the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau's surveillance, including Little Brocade we haven't been able to contact officially before. The Bureau's intention is to send someone to contact her as soon as possible and then designate a contact person to be responsible for Little Brocade."

"What do you mean?" Larkspur probably guessed what Hong Siyu wanted to say, but still asked a question in return, albeit symbolically.

"I think you could use the name Lin Yun as Little Brocade's contact person, senior," Hong Siyu said earnestly.

But after she made what she thought was a very constructive suggestion, she noticed that Larkspur's expression was a little off, though she couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"Is there anything that's causing you trouble?" That was all she could ask.

It's more than just difficult.

"That's what the Larkspur thought to itself."

Letting her act as Xia Liang's contact under Lin Yun's identity is questionable. Regardless of what Lin Xiaolu would think, if this matter is also kept from her, Xia Liang might become completely unruly.

In fact, even now, the child has made a request that leaves the Larkspur rather helpless.

--On weekends, the two of them, disguised as Larkspur, would go out together for a day.

This was the "hush money" that Xia Liang had tried to bring up that night, but Lin Xiaolu's sudden appearance prevented her from finishing the conversation. Xia Liang even tried to call this a "date," but Larkspur firmly rejected the idea.

Regardless of how they called this agreement, Larkspur ultimately agreed to Xia Liang's request, and the two tentatively set the date for the third weekend after the start of the school term.

By then, the school's placement test would be over, and the results would even be out. The new students could naturally relax a bit and arrange more recreational activities outside of class.

If there's one name that's given Larkspur the most headache lately, it's probably "Xia Liang." Now, with Hong Siyu suggesting she go to the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau to be their liaison, Larkspur's feelings are naturally complicated.

However, the suggestion of working for the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau seemed somewhat feasible to her.

On the one hand, it is a well-known fact that the work of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau is not actually very busy. Apart from a small number of civil investigators, most employees do not even need to go to work every workday.

This is why Hong Siyu seems so idle. In addition, her current position is a liaison officer, only responsible for relaying the requests between the magical girls and the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, which makes her even more idle.

If Lin Yun really needs to find another job, this seemingly easy job as a liaison officer is indeed a worthwhile option to consider.

Unable to make a decision immediately, Larkspur didn't give a reply right away, but casually replied, "I understand."

"And if you really plan to come, remember to complete your application before the end of this month."

Hong Siyu continued to remind him, "Although you, senior, certainly won't need to participate in next month's unified recruitment exam like everyone else, you still need to register."

"Hmm, I'll consider it."

The handover process concluded with Larkspur's words.

Without any complicated procedures, and with the help of the Anomaly Countermeasures Bureau, the ownership of this villa was easily transferred to the Fangting City Magical Girl Squad.

After that came a lot of cleanup and maintenance work around the Secret Base. When the first weekend after the start of the school year arrived, the Magical Girl Squad, having finished a week of classes, finally moved into their Secret Base.

"So luxurious, so amazing!"

Stepping into the entryway, Bai Jingxuan, dragging her suitcase, almost instinctively exclaimed, "Is this really a place we can live?"

"Yes, you can stay here. If you'd like, you can even have two rooms by yourself."

Behind her was Xia Liang, who was also dragging several large suitcases. She looked at the brightly lit villa, which was now brightly lit because of the guests, and her eyes shone.

Looking into the house from the entrance, the furnishings are easily visible: large areas of white walls form the base, paired with black and gray home decorations, creating an overall fresh and simple style.

The spacious and bright living room connects to the dining room and kitchen, making the entire space appear even larger. At the center of the living room is a set of black leather sofas and a glass coffee table, surrounded by simple decorative items.

A huge TV screen hangs on the wall, and there is a set of sliding floor-to-ceiling windows at the back door facing the entrance. The LED light strips on the roof make the indoor lighting soft and warm. The overall style of the villa is simple and practical, yet modern in aesthetics.

As the team members entered one by one, even Moko shouted, "I want my own room too!" and rushed in. Larkspur and Lin Xiaolu walked in side by side, finally stepping into the villa.

"Are you a little nervous because it's an unfamiliar place?"

Seeing that Lin Xiaolu's expression was somewhat tense, Larkspur turned her head with concern and said, "If you're not used to it, you don't necessarily need to stay here right away. It would be good to spend a few days getting used to the environment first."

She knew very well that her daughter was a very shy child.

Not only is she wary and distant towards strangers, but she also feels uneasy when going to an unfamiliar place. When she was a child, she would have trouble sleeping in a hotel when the three of them went on a trip together. She is very particular about her bed.

That's why, while the rest of the team showed plenty of curiosity and enthusiasm, exploring the house with great interest, she had to awkwardly walk at the very back.

When Larkspur asked her this question, Lin Xiaolu initially showed a clear interest, but quickly shook her head and replied, "I can do it, no need."

Staying overnight at the Secret Base with her team was something she was looking forward to. She believed that being with everyone would help her overcome her anxiety about the unfamiliar environment.

Moreover, with Larkspur by her side, she felt she could muster even more courage: to try her best to prove herself to Larkspur and not appear so naive anymore.

Only by shedding the image of a child in Larkspur's mind can she one day stand properly by his side and become a worthy partner in battle.

Stealing a glance at the Larkspur, Lin Xiaolu mustered her courage and then began to unpack her luggage.

Although she had moved into the Secret Base, she still missed her father, who was alone at home, to some extent. However, staying overnight at the Secret Base with her team members was something she had been looking forward to these past few days.

Before leaving home, feeling a subtle sense of guilt towards her father, with whom she had recently reconciled, Lin Xiaolu made a promise with Lin Yun: she would send a text message every day while staying away from home to let him know she was safe.

The girl and the Fairy ran around the house together, then gathered in the living room for a heated discussion, finally finalizing the allocation of rooms in the villa:

Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, Bai Jingxuan live on the 2nd floor, while Larkspur and Moko live on the 3rd floor. The 4th floor is currently vacant and will be used when needed in the future.

As for why this outcome occurred, it was naturally the result of a dispute between Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang.

First, Lin Xiaolu volunteered to stay next to Larkspur; then Xia Liang also asked to stay next to Larkspur. Both of them wanted to give way to the younger child and didn't want to send Bai Jingxuan to another floor alone, so they started persuading each other to move to the 3rd floor.

This pointless argument lasted for several tens of minutes, with the two of them trying to justify why the other lived on a separate floor, until finally, they had exhausted all the reasons they could come up with and had nothing left to say, and it degenerated into a childish squabble.

Larkspur, who was cleaning in the basement, couldn't stand it any longer. She came out with her broom and announced that she would live alone on the third floor, while the three newcomers would live on the same floor to show fairness. Then, under the resentful gazes of Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu, she coldly walked back to the basement.

Although it was a rare weekend off, the girls still had a placement test at school next week, so after arranging their accommodations, the evening study sessions would still proceed as usual.

Unlike in the past, this time there was an additional participant, Bai Jingxuan.

Because of numerous health problems, including losing her left eye in an accident and being hospitalized for a considerable period, Bai Jingxuan is currently on leave from school.

She did not attend the designated primary school and had been recuperating in an orphanage.

Now that she has become a magical girl, although her lost eyes will never return, her innate strange illness has improved to some extent.

After all, this intermittent physical incoordination was actually caused by an excessively strong soul and magic. Becoming a magical girl unleashed Bai Jingxuan's potential, and as she gradually gained mastery over her own magic, the "strange illness" ceased to be strange.

According to Bai Jingxuan's own plan, she wants to return to school after she has basically recovered from her illness. Therefore, she also needs to catch up on the elementary school courses she missed over the past three years.

And so, with the move to the Secret Base, the evening study session grew to four people. If you include the Fairy was always fast asleep on the side, then it's practically a full gathering.

"For factorization here, if you can't find the common factor, try applying the formula first. If that doesn't work, then group the terms..."

Gathered around the desk in the new room, Larkspur pushed the exercises in front of Lin Xiaolu with her left hand, explaining them while trying to raise her right hand to demonstrate the solutions to the problems in writing.

However, when she tightened her wrist, she felt her right hand being grabbed.

With a slight turn of her gaze, the Larkspur discovered that the culprit was Xia Liang.

She remained silent, her face expressionless, trying to pull her hand away from Xia Liang's. But as soon as she managed to pull her hand halfway out, Xia Liang grabbed it again, also holding her fingers tightly.

Larkspur glanced at Xia Liang again, only to see her intently staring at her textbook, looking like she was studying diligently, completely unaware of the little things she was doing under the table.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Xiaolu, who was waiting for Larkspur to demonstrate, looked at Larkspur with some confusion, only to find that she was just sitting there and did not intend to do anything further.

"As for this problem... I've changed my mind. You should try to solve it yourself first. I don't think it's very difficult."

Unable to free her right hand, and forcing herself to write with her left would seem too strange, Larkspur could only feign composure and continue, "I'll tell you the correct answer after you've written it once."

"Oh, okay." Since she couldn't see what was happening under the table, Lin Xiaolu didn't think much of it and lowered her head without suspicion, starting to try to solve the problem herself.

Larkspur breathed a slight sigh of relief, but before she could make any further move, she felt a light scratch on the back of her hand. The sudden itching sent goosebumps up all over her arm.

She immediately glared at Xia Liang beside her, only to see him stick out a tiny bit of his tongue almost imperceptibly.

Clearly, she had just scratched the back of her hand.

And this isn't the first time such a prank has been played in recent days.