Maid Games! Wait, This Doesn't Really Count as a Date, Does It? / There Seems to Be More to Her Timidity? ...

"Phew, taking a shower and then blasting the AC in this heat felt incredible!" After showering, Yun Ye wrapped herself in a bath towel, walked over to the air conditioner vent, spread her arms, and said contentedly.

"Lady Yun Ye, shouldn't we first look into the whereabouts of the three magical girls in this city? They must have fought the monster. If they are still alive, they would be the people with the most information right now," Tan Xiang asked after arranging Yun Ye's daily necessities.

"What could Grade C fodder possibly know? Besides, traveling a long distance was exhausting. I'm resting for a day first. We'll start working tomorrow." As Yun Ye spoke, she flopped spread-eagled onto the bed, heedless of the water still dripping from her wet towel.

"All right..." Seeing that Yun Ye had no intention of leaving, Tan Xiang could only open her suitcase, take out her own toiletries, and arrange them one by one in a corner of the table.

"Hm? Why are you still here?" Yun Ye had been lying on the bed playing with her phone when she suddenly caught sight of Tan Xiang unpacking and asked in confusion.

"Huh? I... shouldn't be?" Tan Xiang froze, the hand holding her towel stiffening in midair.

"Of course not. Isn't this my room? Once you're done unpacking, hurry out. It's scorching hot, and I don't want to share a bed with you." Yun Ye widened her eyes, speaking as though it were only natural.

"Sorry. I'll leave now." After a moment of silence, Tan Xiang repacked her belongings with a wronged expression and dragged her suitcase out of the room.

"Close the door behind you—" Yun Ye's drawn-out voice came from inside.

Clear Lotus City's summers were hot to begin with, and today was exceptionally hot. Not a single cloud drifted through the empty sky. The moment Tan Xiang stepped out of the hotel, she felt as if her whole body had been soaked in hot water. She hurried into the shade to escape the heat, sat on her suitcase, took out her phone, and searched for short-term jobs that could make money quickly.

Tan Xiang was still high-school age, so naturally she could not do any highly skilled work. If it also had to be short-term, her choices were nothing more than handing out flyers, delivering food, or waiting tables. Yet those jobs paid pitifully little, nowhere near enough to cover Yun Ye's expenses.

As she kept scrolling, tears began to gather in Tan Xiang's eyes. The more she thought about it, the more aggrieved she felt. Unable to hold back, she tossed aside her phone, crouched down, and cried bitterly. She already had a frail, sickly air about her, and crying made her look even more tragic. Anyone who saw her would have felt pity.

But Li Xuan had no heart. He only saw an opportunity. He immediately called Xu Rou. "I'll send you the address of a café. Go to the manager and get a maid outfit and a stack of flyers, then take a taxi to the Sylvie Hotel in the south of the city."

"Does Master want to play roleplay? Boohoo, I'm a pure and adorable little maid. I don't want to be eaten by a wicked big bad wolf," Xu Rou coquettishly said over the phone.

"Hm?! That did sound pretty good... but before that, you have another task. Listen... Hand out flyers as you walk, and when you see a tall, thin girl..." Li Xuan lowered his voice and told Xu Rou the plan.

After crying for a while, Tan Xiang helplessly picked up her phone again, wiped the dust from it, and continued looking for part-time work.

Just then, a sweet and adorable voice sounded nearby, so sweet that even Tan Xiang, as a girl herself, could not help looking over. A maid as lovely as the voice was holding a stack of flyers and promoting her café to passersby. Even pedestrians hurrying along could not help stopping to accept a flyer and listen to a few words of her pitch.

How much does she make a day at that job? She looks so happy, so it must pay well, right? Would it be enough for one day of Yun Ye's expenses? Tan Xiang could not help wondering.

As she was thinking, the cute maid had already arrived in front of her. She was busy thanking a young woman who had taken a flyer when her left foot caught her right, and she toppled toward the ground in a textbook stumble.

Tan Xiang was startled. Her constitution was not good, but the danger awareness she had built up over years of working as a magical girl far surpassed that of ordinary people. She immediately rushed forward and caught the maid who was about to fall, then stylishly...

Got dragged down with her and fell to the ground, scattering flyers everywhere—though Tan Xiang's reaction had been quick, she was simply too weak to hold up a maid who weighed a little more than she did.

"Ow, ow... Ah, sorry! Did I knock you over? Are you all right? Should I call an ambulance?" The maid hurriedly pulled Tan Xiang up, asking with great concern.

"It's nothing. Let me help you pick up the flyers." Tan Xiang smiled and shook her head, then turned around to help the maid gather the flyers from the ground.

"Oh my, thank goodness for you. Otherwise, I would have fallen right onto that hard pavement. I really don't know how to thank you. How about I treat you to ice cream? I know an especially delicious place!" The maid took the flyers and bowed repeatedly with great politeness.

"You don't have to be so formal." Tan Xiang hurriedly reached out to stop the maid from bowing again.

"No, no, I have to do something to repay you. Our manager says that if someone gives you a drop of kindness, you have to give them even more drops of hugs in return." The maid shook her head.

Tan Xiang hesitated for a while. The maid looked carefree, wore only light makeup, and her maid outfit was relatively conservative. She did not look like someone working at one of those adults-only places. Finally, Tan Xiang gathered her courage and asked, "This may be rude, but I still want to ask... how much can you make at this job every day?"

"About this much~" The maid held out her fingers to indicate an amount.

"That much?! Then what does the job involve..." Tan Xiang asked in astonishment.

"Don't worry, it's absolutely a respectable place. It's just that the shop has been really busy these past few days, so we had no choice but to offer high pay to hire people. And we have high standards for appearance and temperament too, like me~ Oops, I accidentally praised myself again. Ehehe~" The maid acted cute.

Tan Xiang carefully examined the maid's looks and felt she was not much worse herself. Somewhat embarrassed, she said, "Then... could you introduce me for a job? To be honest, I really need money right now."

"Oh my, then you'd be a huge help! The boss has been worrying about not having enough staff! Do you have any other luggage? If not, come with me!" The maid looked delighted, hailed a taxi by the roadside, and even took the initiative to put Tan Xiang's suitcase in the trunk.

"Actually, I... all right, let's go together!" Tan Xiang had originally been hesitant, but the maid was so enthusiastic that she felt too embarrassed to refuse and got into the car with her.

There are still more good people in this world... If I had met someone like this maid sooner, would my life have been different? Sitting in the back seat, Tan Xiang sank into her imagination and failed to notice the sly smile at the corner of the maid's lips as she shut the car door.

[It's arranged.]

A text message signed "Xu Rou" arrived on Li Xuan's phone.

Maid Game! Seriously, This Doesn't Count as a Date, Does It?

By the time Tan Xiang arrived at the shop, business hours had long since ended. Xu Rou took out her phone and made a call. Before long, a refined young man opened the door and welcomed them inside.

"Hello, hello. Xiao Rou just told me about you. You really are beautiful. My name is Li Xuan, and I'm the owner of this shop—please don't be too reserved. Sit wherever you like." The man smiled gently, gestured for Tan Xiang to sit down, and personally made her a cup of coffee.

It was Tan Xiang's first time drinking hand-brewed coffee. She curiously watched Li Xuan use a small hand-cranked machine to slowly grind the beans into powder. Seeing her curiosity, Li Xuan even handed her the machine and let her try it herself.

After the coffee was brewed, Tan Xiang took a small sip. Coffee without any seasoning had a faint sourness and a rich bitterness, but after she swallowed it, she could gradually taste the aroma of the beans.

"Don't force yourself. Try adding a little milk." Smiling, Li Xuan picked up a pitcher and slowly poured the milky white, protein-rich liquid into Tan Xiang's cup, creating a beautiful heart-shaped design.

"That's amazing! It's like drawing." Tan Xiang looked at the heart in her cup in surprise.

"If you want to learn, I can teach you," Li Xuan said with a smile.

Li Xuan's gentle manner made Tan Xiang feel very comfortable. She liked the atmosphere of being around him: he was neither stern nor oppressive, nor did he make anyone feel overwhelmed by excessive enthusiasm.

Coupled with the pressure of needing money, Tan Xiang quickly agreed to work at the shop. Xu Rou seemed very happy and held Tan Xiang's hand as they chatted about interesting topics, only seeing her off once evening approached.

"Master... talking in that cutesy voice was exhausting, meow... I seriously can't keep it up anymore..." After seeing Tan Xiang off, Xu Rou hurriedly rubbed her cheeks, which hurt from smiling for so long, and sat on Li Xuan's lap with a resentful look.

"You worked hard. Your acting was very good this time." Li Xuan stroked Xu Rou's little head.

"I thought I would get to go on a date with Master in a maid outfit, but it turned out I was helping Master pick up girls. Who exactly was that girl? Why did Master care about her so much?" Xu Rou asked jealously.

"You'll find out in time. You did well today, so I'll reward you with a date." Li Xuan smiled mysteriously.

"Yay! I get to go on a date alone with Master! Master, Xiao Rou wants latte art too. Pour Master's white, protein-rich liquid into Xiao Rou's cup too." Xu Rou spoke coquettishly.

"Cough, cough... Xiao Rou, dates are something that need to proceed step by step..."

"I get it. You have to go in slowly. Xiao Rou isn't that greedy; I won't try to swallow Master all in one bite." Xu Rou revealed a little-devil smile, deliberately shifting on Li Xuan's lap until his patience began to wear thin.

"You little brat, don't push your luck!" Seeing that she was not listening to him at all, Li Xuan became a little annoyed. He slipped both hands under her arms, lifted her by the shoulders, and picked her up.

"I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. 'Taking an inch' is one thing, but if it turns into 'taking a mile,' Xiao Rou will die~" Xu Rou giggled after being tickled at the ribs.

"Who taught you to say things like that?" Li Xuan pressed her onto the table and asked in a deliberately fierce tone.

"I learned it online myself. Doesn't it suit the image of an evil girl better?" Xu Rou laughed.

"No, no, you've got it entirely wrong. I still like your unruly side. Go back to that." As Li Xuan spoke, he lightly tugged at the hem of her maid outfit and snapped the garter strap against Xu Rou's thigh with a smack.

"Mean... Then Xiao Rou will try this: Help! I'm a magical girl of justice! Wicked tentacle monster, go away! Don't mess me up like this, aaah!" Xiao Rou shouted, pretending to be panicked.

"No, still not right. That's too exaggerated. What happened to your acting from earlier? Ah, I see. Earlier, you were just being yourself. Xu Rou after Demonfall really does have that smiling-but-dangerous personality." Li Xuan muttered to himself.

"Master, what are you mumbling about? If you don't come over soon, the coffee will get cold." Xu Rou turned back with an expectant expression.

"Let's give it a try—Mind Interference, activate!" Li Xuan said, placing his palm on Xu Rou's head and trying to use Mind Interference to restore her to how she had been as a magical girl.

"Huh? What's with this all of a sudden? Is Master's chuunibyou acting up? Can't Master keep the Dark Flame Dragon sealed inside his arm under control?" Xu Rou looked at her master in confusion.

At that moment, an invisible glimmer radiated from Li Xuan's palm. Xu Rou's eyes went blank, and her expression gradually shifted from confusion to shock.

"What is happening?! I actually... Damn it, let me go!" Xu Rou struggled fiercely like a live fish making one last desperate thrash on a cutting board. For a moment, Li Xuan could not even hold her down.

"Calm down. I'm your master, you know." Li Xuan used a small amount of Evil Energy to create two tentacles, pinning Xu Rou tightly to the table.

"Evil Energy? You're that demon? What have I done?! I actually lost myself... and even did that to Qi Mo!" Xu Rou stared in shock at the tentacles binding her. That familiar Evil Energy immediately made her realize who was behind it.

"Looks like even if consciousness changes, memories do not. How do you feel now, magical girl Xu Rou?" Li Xuan asked with a chuckle.

"Demon, enjoy your smugness while you can. I will not submit... One day, I will tear you to pieces with my own hands!" Xu Rou glared viciously at Li Xuan, her teeth grinding audibly. If hatred could become blades, Li Xuan would already have been turned into a pincushion.

"Yes, that's the feeling!! Now this feels like a magical girl." Li Xuan grinned as he grabbed Xu Rou's long hair from behind and split it into two bunches, using them like handlebars.

"No! You can't do this... Someone... save me! Qi Mo, Wu Yan, where are you?!!" Xu Rou's voice gradually turned into an off-key wail. Her Demonfall body was overwhelmed with sensation, yet her mind had temporarily reverted to the steadfastness she had possessed as a magical girl. The split between body and mind left her consciousness confused, and she alternated between calling Li Xuan "demon" and "master."

When Li Xuan finally ended their intense exchange, Xu Rou had gone completely limp. When he turned her face toward him, the unyielding gaze from before had entirely softened into tender affection.

"Master? I just felt... so strange~ Like I had a dream while wide awake." Xu Rou spoke softly.

"Then keep dreaming." Li Xuan gently kissed her forehead. He had gradually become skilled in using Mind Interference; next would be the practical stage.

There Seemed to Be Another Story Behind Her Weakness?

Early the next morning, Li Xuan called all three sisters from Clear Lotus City to his home. He gave them a box of board games to pass the time while he sat at his computer desk and connected the Hunting Radar signal to his monitor so he could observe Tan Xiang's movements.

The moment the image appeared, it showed Tan Xiang being scolded viciously by Yun Ye. Li Xuan's brow furrowed deeply. This Yun Ye was bullying her far too much and was completely unreasonable. She seemed to be merely venting her negative emotions on Tan Xiang. Although Tan Xiang repeatedly showed a wronged expression, she did not resist in the slightest. Was it really only because she needed Yun Ye's magic to detoxify herself?

"You're too slow! You knew the Oracle Machine sends instructions at seven every morning, yet you were still fifteen minutes late. Don't you know that every second counts in battle against monsters? Even one minute can change the outcome of a fight!" Yun Ye scolded with her hands on her hips.

"Sorry... I stayed very far away because I was looking for a cheap hotel... and there was traffic on the road..." Tan Xiang explained quietly.

"Huh? Couldn't you come up with a better excuse? You're a magical girl. Couldn't you just transform and fly here?" Yun Ye looked incredulous.

"But the scripture... the scripture says we're not allowed to transform anywhere we please. We have to preserve the mystery of magical girls," Tan Xiang argued.

"Hmph, you really are absurdly hypocritical. You obey trivial, unimportant rules to the letter, yet you don't care about the grave sins explicitly forbidden by the scripture. If I hadn't covered for you over what happened two years ago..." Yun Ye snorted coldly and looked at Tan Xiang with contempt.

"Don't... don't say it anymore! Please, stop saying it! I'll do anything!" Tan Xiang covered her ears as if breaking down emotionally, her knees giving out as she dropped to her knees before Yun Ye.

When people beside the hotel saw a tall, beautiful woman suddenly kneeling before a woman who was not particularly pretty, they all looked over and whispered guesses about their relationship. Some said she was a mistress begging the wife to spare her; others claimed they were lesbians whose wedding bride-price negotiations had fallen through. In any case, the wilder the theory, the more people believed it.

But Li Xuan, who had watched the entire scene, knew perfectly well that Tan Xiang must have some leverage in Yun Ye's hands. If he could use this chance to drive a wedge between them, his odds of victory would improve greatly.

"Are you an idiot? So many people are watching. Why are you kneeling?" Yun Ye heard the bystanders' gossip and shouted irritably, slapping Tan Xiang across the face.

"Sorry..."

"All you know how to do is apologize. Listen to how they're talking about me. It's like I'm the one who did something wrong." Hearing passersby criticize her, Yun Ye grew furious. She casually tossed her half-finished milk tea into a trash can, took a slightly yellowed scripture from her backpack, recited several lines, and rose into the air.

"You transform too. That way, you can use Cognitive Obstruction to erase the impact of what just happened," Yun Ye ordered.

"Yes." Tan Xiang did not dare argue again and could only transform where she stood. The passersby reacted in confusion for a moment, but because of Cognitive Obstruction, the memories would not last long.

But Li Xuan had noticed something important in the earlier footage.

"Wait, that Yun Ye seemed to fly without transforming, didn't she?" Li Xuan stared through Tan Xiang's viewpoint and saw that Yun Ye was still wearing the same outfit from yesterday, except for a long, dull-gray piece of cloth draped over her left shoulder and covering half her body.

"Wu Yan, can magical girls use magic without transforming?" Li Xuan lowered his head and asked Wu Yan, who was hidden beneath the desk and busily occupied.

"Wu Yan doesn't know. I only know how to fight. All that troublesome stuff gets handed over to Qi Mo, my external brain." Wu Yan looked unconcerned as she answered.

"Once those of the Prayer Type sign their contracts, they remain permanently transformed unless they lose their qualifications as magical girls. Also, I've heard that magical girls who have undergone Awakening can use some abilities without transforming, though I don't know whether that is true." Qi Mo was being teased by Xu Rou's white-socked feet, yet she still answered Li Xuan's question with a serious expression.

"I see... The Prayer Type really is special. Speaking of which, how many types of magical girls are there in total? You three are Fantasy Type, Battle Type, and Sealing Type, and now there's a Prayer Type. Will there be a construction type next?" Li Xuan asked.

"How could there be? Construction work isn't for humans. There are only four types of magical girls. It depends on which of the three principles you lean toward when signing the contract. Battle Type and Fantasy Type emphasize 'justice'; we Sealing Type emphasize 'mystery'; and Prayer Type emphasizes 'purity,'" Qi Mo explained.

"No wonder the Sealing Type produces so many weirdos... That's just how cryptic people are." Li Xuan made a snide remark and refocused on Tan Xiang and Yun Ye.

By now, Yun Ye had fully vented her emotions on Tan Xiang and finally began discussing something serious. "The Oracle Machine sent two messages this morning. The first confirmed that the three magical girls in Clear Lotus City have most likely undergone Demonfall."

"Demonfall?! Isn't Demonfall something only Grade A monsters can cause? Does that mean the monster we're dealing with is Grade A?" Tan Xiang asked in shock.

"How could that be? If he really were Grade A, he wouldn't be hiding like this. But he may truly have the ability to cause magical girls to undergo Demonfall. That is probably why the Oracle Machine cares about him so much." Yun Ye shook her head.

"Since the enemy's combat strength has increased, should we report to the Archdeacon and request a few more reinforcements?" Tan Xiang asked worriedly.

"Are you stupid? If we add more people, won't our credit be divided? Besides, it's just three more Grade C nobodies. For you, that should only take an instant." Yun Ye spoke dismissively.

That was close... Li Xuan thought. Good thing Yun Ye rejected the request for reinforcements. If there were any more people, I really wouldn't be able to handle them.

"Also, the second message showed an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Clear Lotus City. The monster fought the local fodder magical girls there multiple times, and Evil Energy is still being detected there even now, so it is most likely the enemy's lair. No time to waste. Let's kill our way over there and wipe him out completely!"

As Yun Ye spoke, she made a throat-slitting gesture, then took out her phone and flew toward the warehouse while scrolling through videos. The loud, meaningless background music in those videos made Li Xuan instinctively turn down the Hunting Radar's volume—if not for Yun Ye, he would not even have known the Hunting Radar had that function.

"So they really did set their sights on that warehouse. Too bad time was tight, so I couldn't prepare much." Watching the two magical girls fly toward the abandoned warehouse, Li Xuan gave a sinister smile.

Although he still did not understand Yun Ye's so-called Oracle Machine, his repeated activities at that warehouse had clearly succeeded in drawing the pair's attention. It had originally been bait meant to distract the magical girls, and he had arranged it to resemble a "demon's den" as much as possible in hopes of misleading them.

Now it seemed that this idle move had proven useful. Not only could it buy time, but it would also let him observe Tan Xiang's fighting ability.

Yet as they flew, Yun Ye suddenly stopped. Her brows drew together, and an utterly astonished expression appeared on her face.

"Did she notice something was wrong? You really can't judge a book by its cover." Li Xuan could not help worrying.

Does Anyone Understand? I Ran Into Such a Terrible Restaurant Today (800 Words Omitted Here)

"Lady Yun Ye, did something unexpected happen?" Seeing Yun Ye suddenly stop, Tan Xiang hurriedly flew closer and asked.

"Yes! Something huge! Look! Hurry, look!" Yun Ye's eyes gleamed as she shoved her phone screen in front of Tan Xiang's face.

Tan Xiang pulled back slightly and saw several heavily edited selfies, distorted beyond recognition, apparently taken in a restaurant. Beneath them was the caption:

"Besties! SOS, SOS??!"