A Surprise

In the corner booth, you could hear a pin drop.

Larkspur stared at Xia Liang, blinked twice after a long while, and suddenly didn't know what to say. Or rather, Xia Liang's question was completely unexpected, so much so that she had no corresponding answer in her mind.

She never expected Xia Liang to think of this aspect.

However, her silence didn't make Xia Liang realize anything. Rather, she was also very nervous when she asked the question, afraid of offending Larkspur, so she only dared to lower her head and secretly glance at the other person, forcing herself to continue listing other possibilities in her mind:

"What exactly is that state? Has he truly become male inside and out?"

"Is there really such a magical Spell Formula that can completely change a person's gender, turning a magical girl into a man, and even allowing him to have offspring with other women?"

"Or is your usual 'Uncle Lin' appearance just an illusion, and you haven't actually become 'Uncle Lin'? But if that's the case, how did Xiao Lu come to be...?"

Even though she sounded quite hesitant when asking the question, Xia Liang became very talkative once the topic came up, even showing a tendency to exhaustively list answers based on her imagination. It seemed that this question had indeed been on her mind for a long time.

As Larkspur listened to her words, her hand on the table gradually loosened its grip.

Xia Liang discovered the truth that "Lin Yun and Larkspur are the same person." This was already a fait accompli, so she could confess everything to Xia Liang without any burden, because she didn't need to hide anything in the first place.

However, the issues Xia Liang is discussing now are no longer within that scope.

Why would you think that?

She interrupted Xia Liang and asked softly, "And not other possibilities? Like, I'm actually male?"

"Young senior, you're trying to fool me with something impossible."

Xia Liang slightly raised her head. "It's impossible for a man to become a magical girl. Even I know that."

"Perhaps I'm an exception," Larkspur retorted coolly.

"If you're an exception, junior..."

Upon hearing this, Xia Liang briefly imagined the situation, recalling her rather intimate interactions with Larkspur these past few days. If Larkspur really was actually a man...

"You'll be taken away by the police for questioning, young man?" she asked uncertainly.

Seeing that Larkspur's eyelids were drooping, as if she was about to roll her eyes, she quickly laughed it off, saying, "Just kidding, just kidding. After all, we all know that's impossible."

"Because the True Form of us magical girls should be the reflection of our own souls, shouldn't it?"

"From the moment we transform into magical girls, our appearance is based on our original form. And as we advance to the Bud Rank, our magical girl body becomes fixed and will never change with time."

"So, no matter what your appearance changes to, young senior, your original form, the form you took when you became a magical girl, is still the girl standing before me now, right?"

Her reasoning was well-founded and logically rigorous. If an uninformed bystander were to judge, they would also find her explanation quite reasonable. And if the person involved wasn't herself, then Larkspur would also admit that what she said was excellent.

However, that's just an "if".

"A good child's curiosity should be kept within reasonable limits."

She slightly raised her eyes, looking at Xia Liang expressionlessly. "You're a smart and sensitive child, so you know yourself that it's time to stop."

When she said "stop," she meant more than just the immediate problem.

At that moment, Xia Liang understood the meaning behind her words.

Her eyes, which had been filled with curiosity, slowly dimmed. She knew what the Larkspur was truly trying to convey to her, so she parted her lips slightly but ultimately made no further demands.

"... It seems I was indeed a little too excited today."

She lowered her eyes slightly, a bitter, apologetic smile on her face, "I'm sorry."

The Larkspur watched her like that, and after a short while, it slowly stood up, supporting itself on the table.

"Let's go back."

She said this.

When she said those words, it was already close to evening. After a busy afternoon, the sun's rays had gradually turned dim, tinging the sky with an orange hue.

The atmosphere between the two shifted from its previous lively and frivolous tone to one of awkwardness and silence. Larkspur walked briskly ahead, while Xia Liang followed silently behind. The two said goodbye to the coffee shop owner, returned to the parking lot in the direction they had come from, and then got back into their car.

Larkspur tentatively reached out and found the raised footrest on the unfamiliar driver's seat. Then, with practiced ease, he pulled out the seatbelt and fastened it in front of him.

Then, as the car started moving, she said, "I wasn't actually blaming you."

"I've told you before that I'm an adult, a grown-up, compared to you. I've also promised you that, to show my care for you, I can allow you to be a little willful and I won't get angry with you."

"You don't need to apologize to me, because I'm not actually angry about your behavior today. In fact, I'm very pleased that you had fun."

"Before we came out today, I was actually a little unsure. After all, we're not from the same generation. I can be your senior when it comes to magical girls and studies, and I can teach you with a serious and earnest attitude; but if you need a friend, a family member, and want to have fun when we go out together, I don't have that kind of confidence."

"So all I can think of is taking you to the places I loved when I was young, places where I had a lot of fun and enjoyed my youth, so I hope these places will bring you joy too."

"In retrospect, although the process was somewhat tortuous, the results were quite good."

Although her tone remained calm and aloof as she spoke, the meaning behind her words was undeniably sincere. This prompted Xia Liang, who was huddled in the back seat, to look up and gaze at Larkspur through the rearview mirror.

"... You've done more than enough, junior."

She spoke slowly, trying to appear indifferent. "I actually know everything. You've been accommodating me all day. In fact, although I suggested this 'date,' you're the one who really cared."

"When we encountered a downpour this morning and I was at a loss for what to do, you didn't mind this forced agreement, changed our original plans, and dragged me out with you."

"This morning I ran into some of my old... friends. When I didn't want to associate with them, you were the one who accepted some of my unreasonable requests and chased them away."

"I was having a great time on my own during the afternoon's activities. I could tell you weren't really interested, but you still went along with my antics."

"So I'm actually really happy today, and I'm very grateful to you for doing this, junior colleague."

"The reason I feel a bit frustrated right now isn't because you said 'enough is enough,' but because I realize that I haven't grown or changed at all."

This made Larkspur frown slightly, and she turned her head to ask, "Surely we should report those children's affairs to the youth guidance center? That would be fair enough for you, and it would also ensure that they at least don't continue down the wrong path."

"No, it's not about that! This is enough for now!"

Xia Liang raised her voice and waved her hands repeatedly, then said somewhat dejectedly, "What I really wanted to say was about myself."

"Because I discovered that I'm still the same old me, always indulging in self-satisfaction."

"In the past, I was immersed in the fantasy of playing the role of a 'good child.' I never tried to change anything, but just fantasized that 'being obedient' would solve everything. I used 'I am a good child' to escape reality and my responsibilities."

"Now, because you said 'it's okay to be willful,' and I've discovered some of your secrets, I feel like I can use this to ask for something, using 'willfulness' as an excuse for 'acting foolishly.'"

"As expected, I messed up again."

"I clearly wanted to take this opportunity to get closer to my junior colleague, but once I thought about that, I lost my sense of propriety and couldn't control my distracting thoughts. Before I knew it, I went too far."

"I'm always like this; as long as something brings me pleasure and satisfaction, I'll repeat that behavior without restraint."

"To wield a chicken feather as an imperial edict, that's probably the perfect description of someone like me, isn't it?"

After she finished speaking, she looked hesitantly in the direction of the Larkspur, like a child waiting for a teacher's criticism.

Clearly, she hoped that this self-reflection would serve as a "proactive admission of wrongdoing" and salvage her reputation in the eyes of the Larkspur.

Little did she know that Larkspur had no comment on Xia Liang's rather outrageous behavior today.

In fact, she felt there was no need to comment.

No one is perfect. Everyone in the world has their own character flaws. Even Larkspur herself has countless regrets and things she blames herself for. How can she expect a child not to make mistakes?

Even true saints don't achieve their status overnight; they all go through a process of growth and self-reflection. Xia Liang's self-awareness is clear enough that it surpasses that of countless peers.

At least, my own daughter can't do that right now.

At this point, what she should do is not to criticize or even evaluate, because this is something Xia Liang herself has already done, and she did it right, so there is no need for her to repeat it.

When a child knows they are wrong, and the parent continues to criticize and resent them, it shows the parent's incompetence.

Larkspur didn't want to be the incompetent one, so there was still only one thing she should do—guide.

She needs to tell Xia Liang what the correct approach is.

"... You always talk about 'love,' but what exactly is the love you're looking for?"

The Larkspur spoke softly, "Or rather, when you uttered that word, did you consider its meaning?"

What is love?

Xia Liang looked up, somewhat puzzled. "Isn't love just love?"

There are different kinds of love.

As they narrowly passed oncoming vehicles on the side of the road, Larkspur calmly added while steering the car, "Romantic love, affection, friendship, universal love—love is a very complex thing. When you crave 'love,' have you really thought about what you actually want?"

I hadn't thought about it.

Xia Liang shook her head. "Senior, as I told you before, for me, the distinction between love and hate is actually very small. As long as it's love, it's fine with me."

"Any kind of love is fine, as long as it belongs to me. I don't care what it is or what it's for."

"Because I was a child who lacked love, if I were to be picky about what I already lacked, I might really end up with nothing at all."

Xia Liang's words were not beyond Larkspur's expectations.

Back on that late summer night, when Xia Liang discovered the truth about herself and confessed it to her on the balcony, Larkspur had already vaguely guessed what she was thinking.

Xia Liang doesn't care about the type of love; what she lacks is a source of love. So when she finds someone willing to give her love, she endlessly digs for possible "love" from that person.

Xia Liang's current personality is not due to a lack of self-control, but rather because she was "terrified of poverty."

This "poverty" is not a lack of material things, but a spiritual one, what she calls a lack of "love".

Just like someone who has been branded by poverty, even if they are now well-off, they will always be restless and want more money; someone who once went hungry, even if they are now in a situation where they do not lack food, will always subconsciously be frugal and not want to waste a single grain of rice.

Xia Liang had a similar mentality, except that what she hoarded was not material goods, but "love".

Everything she does is actually an extension of this "lack of love." Whether it's her unconditional obedience to her parents, the excessive indulgence of those awful "friends," or even her boundless intimacy with the Larkspur, it all stems from the same pursuit.

"It's not your fault that you crave 'love' and fear losing 'love'."

So Larkspur spoke up, "Your parents failed in this matter. They didn't provide enough care when their child needed love, and that was their mistake."

"Those bad kids are just as bad in this matter: they may approach you under the guise of 'friendship,' but due to immature jealousy or other reasons, they will only bring you harm in the end. I hope you can see this clearly and remember it."

"You feel a lack of love, that you haven't received enough love, but that's not your fault; it's just that your past environment wasn't good enough, and the people you've met all had their own problems."

Driving the SUV back into the villa area, Larkspur parked it underground and led Xia Liang out of the garage. As she walked towards the villa gate, she continued, "Do you remember what I taught you when you first talked to me?"

"... Don't suppress yourself all the time, learn to be willful?" Xia Liang said somewhat uncertainly.

"That's right, you can take this as the first lesson I'm teaching you."

Stepping into the villa complex and standing before the entrance gate, Larkspur took out her key. "And now, you can consider all of this as the second lesson I've taught you."

"What?" Xia Liang asked, somewhat confused.

The content of this lesson can be summarized in a few words.

Insert the key into the lock, turn the lock, and pull open the door. The lark turned to Larkspur Xia Liang, her voice clear and cool, yet subtly carrying a hint of warmth:

--"It's called 'Love Is Not Lacking'."

Behind the entryway door are glittering decorations, colorful flags hanging from the living room to the entryway, and a huge banner that is immediately visible.

Just then, Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan suddenly emerged from behind the door, laughing, and squeezed together next to Larkspur, holding firecrackers with strings in their hands. Then, the three of them looked at Xia Liang at the same time.

"Smack!"

As the cannon salute sounded, the three girls spoke in unison, then said in unison:

"Happy birthday!"