Li Sijie's Love-Filled Lunch / I Feel Like You're Looking at Me Lecherously

"I gave it some thought, and you were right. Fish tastes best when it's fresh, so I quietly slipped away," Li Sijie said with a smile.

"Oh? A top student at Clear Lotus University skips class too?"

"It was an elective. I'm familiar with the teacher, and she'd already taken attendance, so she'd turn a blind eye if I slipped away quietly. You got lucky. If it had been a major course, I wouldn't have dared skip it. It'd be awful if I couldn't graduate," Li Sijie said, glancing at the fishing bucket on the table.

"Awesome, right? I caught saltwater fish in Clear Lotus Lake!" Li Xuan said smugly as he opened the bucket.

"How could there be saltwater fish... in a lake?" Li Sijie looked at the mackerel surrounded by ice packs, then stared at Li Xuan with the same bewildered expression Rei Ayanami wore when saying goodbye.

"Obviously, it was affected by my innate fishing saint physique and swam all the way from the sea just to get caught by me," Li Xuan bragged.

"Only children would believe that nonsense—though it couldn't possibly be from the market, could it? That smug look on your face doesn't seem fake," Li Sijie said suspiciously.

"Stop guessing. I'll tell you," Li Xuan said, leaning close to Li Sijie's ear and recounting everything that had happened the night before.

"Hahahahaha... That's way too funny! They released the fish over there, and you caught them over here. I can already imagine the looks on their faces when they found out."

Li Sijie laughed so hard that she swayed back and forth. Her eyes curved into crescent moons, her long lashes fluttering, seemingly glistening from the tears she had laughed out.

Li Xuan had never seen a girl laugh so beautifully. He shared something that made him happy with her, and her joy in turn came back to him, sweeping away all the anxiety and gloom he had felt earlier.

Li Sijie's Loving Lunch

After laughing, Li Sijie reached out and lifted Li Xuan's fishing bucket. "You haven't eaten yet, right? Then let's count this as breakfast."

"You're going to cook here?"

"That's right. I often work in the cafeteria to earn money for socks, so I know all the chefs here well. Sit tight for a bit. I'll go talk to them. Oh, right—the Wi-Fi password is the full pinyin of 'Clear Lotus Study Five.'"

Li Sijie smiled, hugged the fishing bucket, and walked toward one of the stalls to speak with the chef there.

The chef nodded and let her in. Li Sijie put on an apron and a hairnet, then got busy inside. From time to time, she borrowed things from other stalls. Li Xuan had no idea what she intended to make, but judging from her movements, she seemed to be kneading dough—did cooking fish require kneading dough?

Li Xuan grew more and more curious about what she was making for him. Time passed bit by bit amid his anticipation. Around eleven, scattered students began entering to eat, and the chefs at the various stalls also became busy.

Just as Li Xuan was about to go take a look, Li Sijie finally emerged from the stall carrying a tray.

"You must be starving. I didn't expect it to drag on until lunchtime," Li Sijie said as she set the tray on the table, removed her hairnet, and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a tissue.

Li Xuan looked down and saw a plate of delicate little dumplings, a plate of fragrant braised mackerel, a bowl of rice, a small dish of pickles, and a fizzy soda.

"Normally, you wouldn't serve rice with dumplings, but it would be such a waste not to pour the braising sauce over rice," Li Sijie said as she sat down.

"Rice with that sauce alone would've been enough for me. You really didn't need to go through the trouble of making dumplings too," Li Xuan said, picking up his chopsticks.

"Don't jump to conclusions. Try one first," Li Sijie said with a confident smile.

Seeing how mysterious she was acting, Li Xuan curiously picked up a dumpling and put it in his mouth. A rich freshness immediately filled his mouth. The filling was tender and delicate, unbelievably so, making him unable to help wondering what exactly was inside.

Driven by curiosity, Li Xuan picked up another dumpling and bit off half of it. Only then did he discover green chives and tender white fish inside.

"They're mackerel dumplings. I didn't add any MSG—the freshness all comes from the fish itself. It's not easy to find these in Clear Lotus City, is it?"

Seeing Li Xuan's surprised expression, Li Sijie looked pleased. She also seemed to quietly let out a breath, as if the past two hours of work had finally not gone to waste.

"Delicious! So delicious! This trip was totally worth it!" Li Xuan stuffed four or five small dumplings into his mouth at once, chewing until both cheeks puffed out.

"Why is there only one pair of chopsticks? Aren't you eating?" Li Xuan asked after taking a sip of soda, then continued sampling the braised fish with rice.

"I ate this morning, so I'm not hungry yet," Li Sijie said, shaking her head.

"Then I won't hold back!" Li Xuan's appetite was not small to begin with, and the food suited his tastes perfectly, so he stopped caring about table manners and devoured it like a whirlwind.

The braised fish was sweet without being cloying, while the dumplings were fresh without any fishiness. The filling seemed perfectly seasoned already, so there was no need for dipping sauce. Both dishes suited Li Xuan's palate remarkably well—his taste was actually a little stronger than most people's, and he had no idea how Li Sijie had gotten it so exactly right.

Li Sijie said nothing more. She simply propped her chin on both hands and watched Li Xuan eat the carefully prepared food until only one dumpling remained.

"You have to eat the last one. How can a chef not taste her own work?" Li Xuan said, pointing at the final dumpling with his chopsticks.

"I did taste them when they came out of the pot. But since you insist, I'll have another," Li Sijie said, reaching for Li Xuan's chopsticks. However, Li Xuan did not let go.

"If you won't give me the chopsticks, are you planning to make me eat with my hands?" Li Sijie asked in confusion.

"Open your mouth," Li Xuan said, lifting the dumpling to her lips.

"What era is this? You're still playing this outdated feeding game," Li Sijie said with a smile. She deftly curled out her tongue, rolled the dumpling into her mouth, closed her lips, and slowly chewed.

By then, the cafeteria had grown crowded. Li Xuan's feeding gesture attracted some attention, but Li Sijie seemed completely unconcerned with the looks she received.

"Come on. I'll show you around the school," Li Sijie said after swallowing. She took the tray to the return station, then took Li Xuan's hand.

Li Xuan had been thinking the same thing, so he followed her on a stroll through the clean streets of Clear Lotus University. Along the way, he felt countless gazes falling on him. Some were envious, some jealous, and some even carried a hint of hatred.

"Are you famous at school? Why are they all looking at me like that?" Li Xuan asked curiously.

"I performed an escape magic trick at the freshman welcome event, and then lots of boys came to confess to me. I clearly rejected them all properly, but I didn't expect them to still refuse to give up," Li Sijie said helplessly.

"No wonder they're all staring at me... A few of them look like they want to kill me," Li Xuan said with a laugh.

"Maybe because I've never had a boyfriend, everyone thought they had a chance. Seeing us walk around campus together might make them a little more rational," Li Sijie said, linking her arm through Li Xuan's.

"So I'm being used by you?"

"I made you such delicious food. Isn't it only right that you let yourself be used a little?"

"Of course, of course. It's just that this atmosphere... Let's go somewhere quieter," Li Xuan suggested awkwardly when he saw a male student looking pained as he repeatedly smacked his own head with a book.

"I was thinking the same thing," Li Sijie said with a nod. She led Li Xuan into an academic building, took several turns, and arrived at a classroom covered in photographs.

"This is a photography department classroom. There aren't any classes today, so no one will come. You didn't come looking for me just to mooch a meal, did you? If there's something you want to say, you can say it now," Li Sijie said, closing the classroom door and turning to Li Xuan.

"I really can't hide anything from you." Li Xuan smiled. He stopped beating around the bush and directly asked what had been on his mind. "What color are your panties today?"

"Purple. But I'm guessing that's not what you really wanted to ask," Li Sijie said with a smile.

"Fine, I'll be direct. You must already know that the Witch Band has come here, right?"

"The Witch Band? Are they famous?" Li Sijie asked in confusion.

"The Witch Band! That notorious mercenary group! Don't tell me your informant didn't even tell you about them?" Li Xuan reminded her.

"To avoid affecting my studies, I told my informant to stop contacting me after summer vacation ended. As for this Witch Band you mentioned, I truly haven't heard of them," Li Sijie said, shaking her head.

Li Xuan saw that she did not seem to be pretending to play dumb, so he could only explain helplessly. "Simply put, the Witch Band is a mercenary team made up of four Grade A magical girls. The Church intends to have them kill me."

"Four Grade A girls? Those aren't enemies you can handle right now." Li Sijie frowned and clasped her hands together, seemingly sinking into deep thought.

"They're definitely hard to handle. I've encountered them twice, and I've already gained a deep understanding of the gap in our strength," Li Xuan said with a nod.

Li Sijie frowned. "Once I transform, the Church's pursuers will immediately be drawn here. By then, I'm afraid I won't be able to study in peace anymore. If you're prepared to make a home everywhere..."

"I appreciate the thought, but I didn't come to ask for reinforcements this time. To be honest, I've already figured out how to beat the Witch Band," Li Xuan said confidently.

"You're going to fight four Grade A girls? Really?" Li Sijie said in surprise.

"Really. Truer than Ding Zhen Pearl. There are just a few uncertain factors, and I'd like you to help me test them," Li Xuan said firmly.

Feels Like You're Looking at Me Lewdly

"Is it really just a test? You're not treating me as a hunting target too?" Li Sijie asked with a smile.

"Really, really. When have I ever lied to you?" Li Xuan said seriously.

"All right, then. How do you want to test it? But let me make this clear first: I can't transform casually, or the Oracle Machine will detect my location immediately," Li Sijie reminded him.

"This test does require you to transform, but the Oracle Machine won't detect it," Li Xuan said as he opened a passage to the Delusive Badlands.

"Right! Once we enter there, it's another world, so I can transform without being discovered! You really are useful!" Li Sijie's eyes immediately lit up when she saw the pitch-black portal.

"My ability is useful. Don't make me sound like some kind of bedding," Li Xuan said, making an inviting gesture.

"Before we go in, could you set the destination a little farther away from the two platforms?" Li Sijie asked.

"Is there any particular reason?"

"Nothing much. It's just that I need to transform this time, and I'd like to minimize the possibility of anyone else watching. For those of us in the Sealing Type, the fewer people who know about our transformed appearance and magic, the better," Li Sijie explained.

"You really carry the principle of secrecy through to the end. No problem, but then there won't be a stable area to move around in. We'll have to spend time rebuilding a platform."

"That's fine. I'll solve the foothold problem myself."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Li Xuan said, reopening a portal far from the main platform before entering with Li Sijie.

"World, in the name of love and hope, transform!"

Li Sijie chanted softly in the endless void.

There were no dazzling lights or special effects. Li Sijie's transformation was extraordinarily quiet. A black-and-white streak of light swept over her body, and the transformation was complete. Li Xuan could not even sense any fluctuation of magic power during the process.

"Let's begin." Li Sijie stepped into the void, and countless intersecting lines immediately appeared beneath her feet, forming a massive checkerboard-like platform.

"No rush. This is my first time seeing you transform, so I need to get a good look," Li Xuan said. Using his authority, he moved a floating stone above them, then shaped several glowing magical creatures from Fallen Blood and hung them from it as light sources.

"I knew this would happen..." Li Sijie said helplessly. She turned slightly sideways, placed one hand on her hip, and struck an appropriate pose for Li Xuan's appraisal.

Li Xuan greedily examined Li Sijie's transformed appearance.

After transforming, Li Sijie wore an extremely mature office-lady outfit: a classic combination of a white blouse and a black pencil skirt. However, her enormous G-cup chest stretched the entire blouse upward. Its buttons bore tremendous pressure, as though they might burst apart at any moment.

The legs extending from beneath the pencil skirt were wrapped in thin black stockings, roughly thirty denier. A faint sense of skin showed through the mysterious black, right at the edge between opaque and sheer.

From behind, her thighs were full and firm, her calves slender and long, and even the tiny hollows behind her knees were perfectly shaped.

Even though he had seen them many times, Li Xuan still had to marvel at her national-treasure-level legs. He had not felt too strongly when he first saw them, but the more often he looked, the more he found those legs endlessly pleasing to the eye, every part of them highlighting the beauty of the human body.

Li Xuan's gaze moved downward and saw black strappy high heels on Li Sijie's feet. The thin soles were secured to her calves by several narrow straps, with shiny silver studs embedded in them, presumably to increase the wearer's attack speed and critical hit rate.

Thinking about it carefully, Li Sijie's transformed attire seemed quite similar to what she had worn during her first interview, except this outfit emphasized a more professional air.

Setting aside those headlights that were simply too eye-catching, she now looked exactly like a sharp and capable white-collar worker—except he could not tell where her transformed weapon was hidden.

"President Li, please don't be like this. You brought me here because there should be something more important to do, right?" Li Sijie reminded him with a smile.

"Don't be like what?" Li Xuan blurted out, only to realize that at some point, his hand had landed on those dazzling headlights.

"Ah, sorry, sorry. Those things must be so huge that they warped the gravity around them and pulled my hand over there. Let's begin," Li Xuan said hurriedly, withdrawing his hand and taking several steps back from Li Sijie.

"What are you planning to test? If it's combat, please find someone else. That's not my specialty."

"Of course it's not combat. Those of you in the Sealing Type have sensory abilities far beyond other kinds of magical girls, and that perception is quite troublesome for me.

Qi Mo, a Grade C magical girl, could sense my surveillance. Yao, a Grade A girl, could even sense someone's gaze from several hundred meters away. I don't know your magic power level, but your perception surely isn't inferior to theirs, right?" Li Xuan asked.

"Your judgment is correct," Li Sijie said with a smile, as though she had already guessed what Li Xuan intended to test.

"Next, I'll use various skills from two hundred meters away. I want you to tell me whether you can sense what I'm doing," Li Xuan said.

"I understand. You want to use me to test the perception abilities of the Sealing Type so you won't be at a disadvantage in an intelligence battle, right?"

"Exactly. The one I'm most worried about right now is Yao. Gaps in combat strength can be bridged through all sorts of methods, but once she notices me, it means total failure. So I need to know exactly which skills I can use in front of her."

"No problem. I'll limit my perceptive ability to roughly Grade A level," Li Sijie said. She pulled a stocking from her sleeve, covered her eyes with it, and tied a knot behind her head, making a simple blindfold.

Seeing this, Li Xuan counted his steps as he slowly retreated to a position two hundred meters away, then checked the Hunting Radar's status.

[Magical girl detected nearby]

[Distance: 200 meters]

[Detailed information available after visual lock-on]

"Can you feel anything?" Li Xuan asked.

"Nothing at all."

With no obstructions or ambient noise, the two could easily hear each other even from two hundred meters away.

Li Xuan then focused his gaze on Li Sijie, and the Hunting Radar displayed another prompt:

[Magical girl locked on]

[Name: Unknown]

[Magic power level: Unknown]

[Type: Unknown]

[Height: Unknown]

[CUP level: Unknown]

It seemed that unless she voluntarily took off the stocking, his Hunting Radar still could not detect Li Sijie's information. However, that was not worth worrying about, because Yao clearly did not possess this kind of self-concealment ability.

"Tell me what you feel now?" Li Xuan asked while maintaining the visual lock.