Furry Fan

"Help me, Youyue!"

A little bundle suddenly wriggled into Youyue's arms. Yuyan whined sweetly as she repeatedly rubbed her head against the other girl's waist and stomach.

"What is it this time? I won't help you if you're just being unreasonable." Youyue stroked the small, adorable head in her arms.

"Mom has Spatial Illness. I need medicine to treat it." Yuyan's muffled voice came out.

As soon as she finished speaking, Youyue subconsciously looked up at Qingyin across from her. Qingyin withdrew her gaze and returned it to the cake.

Chomp...

Qingyin picked up another bite of cake with her fork, wearing an attitude that clearly said, This has nothing to do with me, so stop looking at me.

"Sorry, little Yuyan, but even I can't produce two doses of that rare medicine that can completely cure Spatial Illness at once," Youyue said apologetically.

If Yuyan had come to beg her a few days before Qingyin did, she would have found a way to advance the medicine Yuyan wanted.

"Mm..." Yuyan pleaded coquettishly.

"Qingyin asked for that medicine before you did, so I can only give you medicine that suppresses the worsening of the illness," Youyue explained before suggesting,

"If Qingyin agrees, then the treatment medicine can go to you."

Qingyin?

Hearing the unfamiliar name of a magical girl, Yuyan turned her head from Youyue's arms and looked at the magical girl across the table.

She was the senior who had saved her—the one she had only met once before.

Her honest instincts drove Yuyan into action. She pulled herself free from Youyue's embrace, then bowed deeply toward Qingyin and pleaded,

"Please help me, Senior Qingyin. Could you let me have the treatment medicine first? I can agree to one condition from you unconditionally!"

"No. Can't. Get lost." Qingyin answered mercilessly, her blunt words cutting deep.

"Is there really no room for discussion?" Yuyan raised her head, her eyes seeming to mist over as she looked over pitifully.

"Are you a stupid [beep--]?" Qingyin returned her gaze coldly.

"If I didn't urgently need it, would I have come here to make a deal? Are only your family members family?"

"There, there, don't be so harsh on my cute junior. There's always the slightest chance, you know." Youyue protectively pulled Yuyan back into her arms.

If a more sensitive magical girl encountered Qingyin's completely unreserved way of speaking, a conflict could easily erupt on the spot.

"I'm sorry. I was too anxious and didn't think things through." Yuyan immediately apologized, her attitude sincere.

Hearing the apology, Qingyin looked at the anxious, desperate expression on Yuyan's face.

It was like when her childhood friend came home and saw her mother. This girl clearly treasured her family just as much.

Her mouth had moved too quickly, and she had spoken too harshly. Qingyin felt a little uncomfortable, and after a long pause, she chose to comfort her.

"The suppressant is fine too. As long as it keeps the illness from worsening and is taken regularly, the patient will be no different from an ordinary person.

Waiting a while for a complete cure isn't something your family can't accept.

Don't worry too much. If they see you wearing yourself out over them, your family won't feel good either."

Yuyan froze slightly. She had never expected Qingyin to say something like that, but after coming back to herself, she thanked her.

"Thank you for your advice, Senior."

"That was the most you've ever said at one time, Qingyin." Youyue suddenly praised herself. "My eye for people really never misses."

"Do you have to beat around the bush even when complimenting someone?" Qingyin could hardly miss the hidden meaning.

"If I said it directly, I was afraid you'd get embarrassed," Youyue replied with a soft laugh.

Though she could not quite understand what the two senior magical girls were talking about, Yuyan solemnly said to Youyue,

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Sister Youyue, to get me some suppressant medicine."

"No need to be so polite. This is a benefit magical girls are entitled to anyway. If you're in a hurry, Yuyan, why don't you come with me to get the suppressant?" Youyue suggested.

"No problem!" Yuyan agreed.

"Sorry to make you wait patiently for a while, Qingyin. Retrieving the treatment medicine requires going through a few procedures," Youyue explained simply.

"It's fine." Qingyin responded indifferently, then raised her hand toward the shop counter.

"Another small cream cake, please."

Instead of the contract and spatial medicine, she found herself waiting for a magical girl she had met once before—Yalin.

She was an utterly ordinary new-generation magical girl, with beast-like ears and a tail.

And magical girls from Bailan City in District 28 had no variety show appearances, nor did they receive promotional introductions.

The only ways to learn about her were local news and local short videos.

Even when Qingyin had seen her fighting Director Zhao's new mech in the Abyss Return Organization, she had not stood out. She had always been an inconspicuous little helper.

Judging from their only previous meeting, she seemed to have a tsundere personality?

"Do you want some?" Qingyin pointed at the cake in front of her.

"I-it's not like I want to eat it that badly." Yalin turned her gaze aside and twirled a lock of hair around her index finger.

"If Senior wants to treat me, I guess I wouldn't mind having a little."

"Who said I was giving you any? You're awfully full of yourself." Qingyin scooped up another bite of cake and ate it all by herself.

"Hah!" Yalin felt as though her feelings had been toyed with, and she huffed angrily.

"I don't even want any!"

"Then buy one yourself if you want it," Qingyin said as if it were only natural.

"If I had money..."

Yalin muttered under her breath, so dejected that even her tail drooped limply.

Could a magical girl really be short on money?

Somewhat puzzled, Qingyin pointed at the cake and asked tentatively,

"Then do you want one?"

"Really?!" Yalin's eyes instantly lit up, her burning gaze nearly piercing through Qingyin.

"It's not like I have to eat it, but if Senior insists on giving me one..."

Realizing her loss of composure, Yalin immediately pretended to be calm. However, her tail began swishing like a propeller, exposing every bit of her emotion.

Qingyin's gaze was involuntarily drawn to the wagging tail.

I really want to touch it.

Magical girl Qingyin acted whenever she wanted to. Without hesitation, she reached out and grabbed that wildly swaying tail.

"Eek!!" A blush instantly spread across Yalin's face as she glared at Qingyin in annoyance.

"So you really do react." Qingyin sounded surprised.

"Y-you-you-you..."

Yalin broke free from Qingyin's grasp, her tail puffing up as she pointed at Qingyin, too flustered to form a coherent sentence.

"Miss Shopkeeper, add another small cream cake." Qingyin calmly raised her hand and called out, then looked at Yalin.

"This one's for you."

"Hehe, thank you, Senior. You're so nice." Yalin's anger vanished without a trace.

So she knows how to thank people properly.

I thought she'd act tsundere.

This is nice. At least she isn't so awkward.

Qingyin's impression of her improved considerably.

She was not fully prickly, nor was she particularly bashful. Her temperament perfectly matched that of the girls who could become magical girls.

She did not seem too awkward, perhaps because her tail had done quite a bit of work too.

"Can I pet your tail while you eat the cake?" Qingyin asked.

It was fluffy, and it felt nice.

"Mm..." Yalin thought about it seriously.

"Only while I'm eating."

"Alright."

Being able to pet a beast-type magical girl's tail in exchange for buying her a cake, Qingyin felt that she had gotten a good deal.

People online could say whatever they wanted about furries. Everyone had a phase where they really liked furries.

You say you never did?

That monkey with a fur-covered face and a thunder-god mouth, sharp muzzle and sunken cheeks, golden eyes and fiery pupils, wearing a phoenix-winged purple-gold crown, golden chainmail armor, lotus-silk cloud-walking boots, wielding a wish-granting golden-banded staff—one zhang and two chi long, as thick as a bowl, flashing like lightning as it swung, capable of seventy-two transformations and able to travel one hundred and eight thousand li with a single somersault.