A Magical Girl's Family Problems (Two-in-One)

Tianhe City, Jinghai District.

At four in the morning, Lin Xiaohong had just returned home alone after finishing up the finishing touches on the Siren Witch's Witch Barrier.

She took the key, opened the door, and tiptoed in, careful not to wake her sisters.

They lived in a suburban detached villa that the United Government had specially allocated to magical girls.

Although it's in the suburbs, in Taiping Prefecture is incredibly valuable, this house is something many people can only dream of owning in their entire lives.

Of course, this house cannot be sold, but after retirement, Lin Xiaohong and her family can continue to live here.

Lin Xiaohong has four children in total; she is the eldest, and the other three are younger sisters. They originally had a very good family.

However, when Lin Xiaohong was fifteen years old, her parents died in an attack by a "monster".

Afterwards, because they were homeless, Lin Xiaohong and her three younger sisters had to live in the charity resettlement area of Tianhe government.

However, the resettlement area only provides the bare minimum of food and clothing, just enough to keep you from starving; anything more is impossible.

Even these things are possible because those politicians need votes.

Even after paying off their mortgage and car loan with the inheritance left by their parents, they still owed the bank more than $50,000.

So, in that year, Lin Xiaohong awakened and became a magical girl.

There was no dramatic process, nor any obsession with distorting the world; there was only an ordinary girl's numbness towards life.

Lin Xiaohong still remembers it was a very cold winter.

She clutched her aching wrist, carrying the leftovers her boss had given her, and left the restaurant after get off work. On the way, she bought a bag of discounted stale rice and made her way back to the resettlement area.

After opening the door, Xiaohong wanted to share her joy.

But all she saw were her sisters huddled together under a quilt, shivering beside the broken radiator.

The little guy's hands were covered in itchy, red chilblains.

At that moment, Lin Xiaohong suddenly felt that all of this was really terrible.

She felt terrible about herself, completely unfit as an older sister, unable to take care of her younger sister, clumsy, bad at speaking, and always a step behind others in everything she did...

And the tears on my face, no matter how much I wiped them away, I couldn't stop them.

That winter was really, really cold.

Xiaohong was so cold that all she could remember was how her hands, which she washed dishes every day, would feel a sharp, piercing pain when the wind blew on them.

And just as she was lost in thought...

What is your wish?

The world before Lin Xiaohong's eyes darkened, and a gentle voice came from the deepest depths.

[Desire...?]

Xiaohong looked up blankly at the faint light.

Finally, upon becoming a magical girl, Lin Xiaohong made a very simple wish:

"I want to protect my younger sisters, to make sure they have a warm house and never go hungry."

Her wish came true.

After becoming a magical girl, she gained sufficient power.

Lin Xiaohong cherished this opportunity and joined the Ministry of Magic without hesitation after receiving the invitation from the United Government.

Later, under the guidance of her seniors, she gradually transformed from a clumsy newcomer into a seasoned veteran capable of handling things independently.

She was very talented, and in that year she was even hailed as the most promising magical girl to break through to A-rank.

But nothing in this world can be perfect forever.

Just seven months ago, Lin Xiaohong's seniors and friends all died in that devastating battle to conquer the Witch Barrier.

She was rescued by a witch with dark gold eyes.

Why did you save me...?

Why am I the only one who survived...?

Lin Xiaohong's face was stained with her senior's blood—the senior had shielded her from the witch's attack and then died in her arms.

She slumped to the ground, tilted her head back, and stared blankly at the mysterious and powerful witch.

The witch named "Bubble" tilted her head and smiled gently:

"Because I think that if you hadn't died, you would have become a very powerful witch later on."

"The danger level should be at least A+, right?"

I really look forward to that day.

The witch's smile was so blinding.

"... I won't!"

Lin Xiaohong snapped out of her daze and gritted her teeth as she retorted, "I will not become a witch, absolutely not!"

Once she becomes a witch, her younger sister will have no one to take care of her.

Once she becomes a witch, all her savings will be confiscated by the Ministry of Magic, her sisters will lose their government subsidies, they will be evicted from their home by the Ministry of Magic, and she will be unable to attend school...

Therefore, Lin Xiaohong will not become a witch.

Absolutely not!

"Thump!"

Lin Xiaohong submerged her body in the hot water of the bathtub, slowly closing her eyes and feeling her body sink into it.

A very, very long time passed, until I could no longer breathe.

It was already past midnight when I finished showering.

Lin Xiaohong arrived at the restaurant, picked up the dumplings her sisters had left her for a late-night snack, and happily ate them in small bites.

He took out his phone and opened the Q&A interview for the magical girl "Hell".

"As expected, Miss Hell is still adorable no matter how many times I watch her..."

Lin Xiaohong had a great appetite and ate the dumplings with gusto; she was just that kind of person who was easily satisfied.

Currently, her base salary, plus the civil servant allowance from the United Government, has reached a high figure in Taiping Prefecture.

With this money, she could send her three younger sisters to good schools and give them the best education.

Suddenly, an account that Xiaohong was following updated its tweets, so she immediately clicked on it and found that the person who updated the tweets was actually Miss Hell.

Hell simply posted a picture of the sun rising, captioned:

"Everyone, please don't sleep with your heads on the tables, you'll get stiff necks..."

Lin Xiaohong immediately grabbed the first comment:

"I want to pet the Hell Kitty's head."

To Xiaohong's surprise, Miss Hell actually replied to her accurately and quickly amidst the rapidly growing number of comments.

Your ID seems familiar.

Xiaohong blushed instantly, recalling all the random comments and messages she'd posted on her videos of Hell...

She was incredibly shy.

Fortunately, even if Miss Hell looks familiar, she probably won't guess that she's Red Sparrow, cough cough cough...!

Meanwhile, the Mo Family...

Mo Zhen rubbed his sore neck. Next time he sleeps in the Domain of the Heart, he must first put his external body back into bed.

I slept on my desk all night, and as a result, my neck was incredibly sore when I came back from the Domain of the Heart.

"Reverse Cursed Technique...!"

Mo Zhen decisively performed a reverse bone-setting technique on herself before going downstairs to get herself a glass of water, then returning to bed to continue sleeping.

During this period, her reputation also saw its third major boost after the release of the QA interview video.

[Current Reputation: "Famous" → "Renowned"!]

[Definition of effective reputation: Effective reputation is granted to those who genuinely respect, admire, or fear you.]

It's safe to say that the sheer number of enthusiastic fans garnered by Miss Hell's latest Q&A video has far surpassed that of all her previous videos.

This is perhaps the true value of the "Charm S" award.

Because the Q&A interview released by Moon Studio at midnight last night was Miss Hell's first official video.

Rather than a third-person perspective combat recording.

Some people who were initially uninterested in Hell were completely captivated after watching the video for just two minutes, and began shouting:

"Magical girls are right!"

"Wife, wife, wife!"

"Long live the Hell Kitty!"

"I want to be Miss Hell's dog!"

"Mother!"

zzz...

Mo Zhen slept until noon. Because it was a typhoon holiday, he didn't have to go to school, which finally allowed him to get a good night's sleep.

Downstairs, Bai Xiaoxiao was curled up on the sofa, watching TV while doing her daily magical girl mobile game routine.

Seeing her brother come down, Bai Xiaoxiao looked up and said, "Xiaochuan and Dad went to the community to help clean the streets. I saved lunch for you."

"Okay, thank you, Xiaoxiao."

Mo Zhen, in a good mood, arrived at the dining table.

It was clearly Mo Chou pan-fried the steak for lunch. This kind of steak doesn't need much seasoning; as long as it's not burnt, the taste is passable.

Bai Xiaoxiao, who was on the sofa, suddenly perked up her ears, wondering why her brother had suddenly called her Xiaoxiao again today.

And she's in such a good mood...

Speaking of which, Xiaochuan had just been complaining to himself, "Where did you two go last night? Hmm?"

Bai Xiaoxiao knew she was going to fight the Witch Barrier, but what about her brother? What was he doing?

So, a white kitten peeked out from behind the sofa, spying on Mo Zhen's back, and saw her tapping the screen with one hand, chatting with someone.

"Who are you chatting with...?"

Bai Xiaoxiao pondered this question, her desire growing stronger with each thought, yet she couldn't bring herself to do something like spying on someone's privacy.

So he had no choice but to get up and walk over. Without saying anything, he sat down in the chair next to Mo Zhen, and while playing the game, he would secretly glance at her a couple of times.

His brother was wearing a clean white shirt, with fair and delicate features, and eyes that were bluer than lake water.

When he looks at people with a blank expression, there's always a hint of coldness about him.

Mo Zhen, after being glanced at twice, assumed she was craving something, so he put down his phone, forked a piece of steak, and held it to her lips.

Didn't you eat enough for lunch?

Bai Xiaoxiao was taken aback for a moment, then took a bite of her steak. "I guess I'm full now."

That means you haven't eaten enough.

Mo Zhen shook his head upon hearing this; he knew his proud and aloof little cat's personality better than anyone else.

Bai Xiaoxiao stuck out her tongue and muttered, "Dad's steak was burnt on me, but undercooked on Xiaochuan's."

"Only yours is slightly better."

"I think Dad has already tried his best," Mo Zhen said helplessly. "What would you like to eat? I'll make you something."

Bai Xiaoxiao: "Steamed egg~"

"OK."

Suddenly, Mo Zhen received a phone call from Tang Wenjie.

"Let it cool down after steaming, be careful not to burn your hands."

"Okay..."

After instructing her younger sister, Mo Zhen went to the bathroom on the second floor, set up Magic Curtain to unleash her magic power, and then sat directly in the bathtub.

The bathtub itself was quite large, so Little Hell looked even cuter sitting inside.

Hell tilted his head back, leaning against the bathtub, and asked in confusion, "What's wrong? Is something urgent?"

Tang Wenjie hesitated for a moment. "Miss Hell, I'd like to ask you for advice. How can I communicate with a fourteen-year-old girl?"

Upon hearing this question, Hell blinked.

"Did you and Xiaoyu have a fight?"

Tang Wenjie sighed, "Yes."

"Because you don't want her to be a magical girl."

"Yes."

"Then she insisted on becoming one."

"Yes..."

"Then, after you finished arguing, you realized that there was no way to stop the girls who had awakened their magic from becoming magical girls."

You guessed it all right.

Tang Wenjie, standing in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, took off his glasses and rubbed his tired brow.

Being a magical girl is undoubtedly an extremely dangerous profession, and Tang Wenjie is well aware of how terrifying it is.

Even though he himself is a magical girl manager, he doesn't want his daughter to become a magical girl.

But in this world, magical girls have an awakening system; once they begin to awaken, no one can stop them.

Although Hell had guessed the other person's thoughts, he didn't know how to comfort them for a moment:

"I think the conflict between you and her is probably not just about the magical girl thing."

"Why don't we think about how to get you both to clearly explain your thoughts?"

Tang Wenjie was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Thank you."

"If Xiaoyu needs your help later, could you please take care of her for me?"

"OK."

Hang up the phone.

Miss Hell sighed in the bathtub, slowly climbed out, gently brushed aside her long hair, and deactivated her transformation.

It seems that every magical girl has family and emotional problems.

Finding a magical girl with a happy family, a normal personality, and no romantic problems is harder than defeating Sukuna.

Ministry of Magic:

In the old and magnificent church, Lin Xiaohong hurried to the meeting room, straightened her uniform at the door, and then pushed the door open to enter.

She apologized, "Sorry everyone, I've overslept!"

Merlin Metal nodded to her and gave her a kind smile.

Hu Xueting said calmly, "Please take a seat."

Considering their success in conquering the Witch Barrier yesterday, she decided to overlook Xiaohong's lateness.

"Thanks!"

Xiaohong immediately sat down in her seat and began to report on the battle that had taken place inside the Witch Barrier the previous day.

She omitted details about Miss Hell using her "Magic Domain," only stating that she and Hell had joined forces to defeat the Siren Witch.

This was a decision she and Miss Hell made on their phone half an hour ago.

Hell itself wouldn't mind giving all the credit to Xiaohong, but Xiaohong felt unworthy of it, so she chose a compromise.

According to Lin Xiaohong's report, the magical girl "Hell" deserves the most credit in this battle.

However, upon learning that Hell was involved and played a major role in the scheme, Hu Xueting immediately frowned.

She tapped the table and said coldly:

"Xiaohong, think about it again. Hell is just a magical girl with a C+ rating from the Ministry of Magic. How could she possibly deserve the top credit?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaohong swallowed hard, a little nervous, but still nodded stiffly and said, "It's true."

"If it weren't for Miss Hell's help, I wouldn't be a match for the Siren Witch."

Hu Xueting took a deep breath, and for a moment thought Lin Xiaohong was an idiot. Such a good opportunity and you didn't want it?!

The fact that the Witch Barrier was resolved so quickly with such minimal cost has greatly pleased both the Presidential Office and Congress.

She was just waiting for Lin Xiaohong to say that she had resolved the battle, so that she could take the opportunity to claim credit for "meritorious command" as the leader.

Then, by reporting the news to the United Government, they could add a significant achievement to everyone's resume.

But Lin Xiaohong is a fool, and she insists on giving the credit to Hell.

It would be one thing to delegate the task to someone else—she could handle that herself—but to give the credit to Hell is just a slap in the face to the Ministry of Magic.

If word gets out, how will the United Government view the Ministry of Magic? How will the residents of Taiping Prefecture view the Ministry of Magic?

Where does the Ministry of Magic put its face now?

Not only Hu Xueting, but also other regional leaders felt that Lin Xiaohong was simply foolish to give away such a great achievement.

"Xiaohong, you need to rewrite this report."

"That's right, even if Hell did play a role, so what? We can still win over the Siren Witch even without her."

"They should delete everything related to Hell!"

The people in charge were all talking at once, which made Xiaohong feel extremely bitter, because these people were not front-line combat personnel at all.

They were the previous batch of magical girls who had retired, and they were all over thirty years old, having completely lost their awe of the Calamity-Class Witches.

After all, they're not the ones fighting on the front lines.

Merlin watched this scene from the sidelines, and couldn't help but sneer inwardly.

The people in the Ministry of Magic right now, apart from using their seniority to fight for power and profit, none of them have any brains.

In Merlin's view, the Witch Barrier that swept through Tianhe City seven months ago was caused by the misguided command of Hu Xueting and his group, which resulted in such severe damage.

Well, in Merlin's opinion, you should just leave that Witch Barrier alone for now, and Eclipse and Moon God to arrive before joining forces to conquer it.

At best, it can only develop into a Grade A.

However, in their eagerness to claim the top credit for the first successful raid, the people of Tianhe City dispatched all the magical girls from their jurisdiction to the area.

Everyone was afraid that if their people arrived late, they would miss out on the credit, completely disregarding whether their magical girls actually had the ability.

Its command and control were catastrophic.

In that witch conquest battle, many magical girls received their missions inexplicably, only to find out upon entering the Witch Barrier that their opponents were A-rank beings far superior to themselves.

The result was that magical girl squads from various regions were wiped out one after another, effectively feeding that witch to an A+.

Fortunately, Eclipse and Moon God arrived in time; otherwise, if that witch had continued to develop and reached S-rank, the entire Taiping Prefecture would have suffered a major blow.

Faced with this barrage of questions, the tongue-tied Xiaohong didn't know how to refute them and could only stubbornly refuse to give in.

Just then, the woman sitting at the head of the table slowly spoke, "Quiet."

The scene then quieted down.

The Minister of Ministry of Magic glanced coldly at Xiaohong, then looked at Hu Xueting: "You will write the report for this operation for Xiaohong."

Upon hearing this, Hu Xueting nodded. "I understand, Minister."

Xiaohong clutched her sleeve, wanting to retort, but the minister's second sentence made her lower her head completely:

"Put the bigger picture first, Lin Xiaohong, think more about your sisters."

"You're in charge of the Jinghai District, don't act like a child and act impulsively."

Upon hearing this, Lin Xiaohong gritted her teeth.

She was still somewhat unwilling, but she couldn't be like her Senior Hell and openly oppose the Ministry of Magic.