Chapter 33: The Fox’s Folly and the Magical Girl’s Gaze

Rather than speak, Illo simply dried her hair, making her way toward the inner room.

She much preferred this slightly more primitive method to the instant dryness magic afforded.

This way, she avoided the painful memories of her previous life, of sheltering in caves during thunderstorms, licking her wounds in solitude.

Yet, the instant she stepped into the room, Illo felt a subtle disquiet.

‘Something about my room felt distinctly wrong.’

A glance back revealed a faint, almost imperceptible tension etched upon Su Qianyu’s features.

‘Could this little fox have tampered with her bed?’

She pulled back the covers, only to find everything beneath them perfectly normal.

‘Perhaps, under the bed?’

Under Su Qianyu’s watchful gaze, Illo knelt, meticulously checking beneath the bed once more.

It was only then that the true anomaly struck her.

‘Why is this room so clean?’

“You cleaned the room while I was out?”

Running her finger across the floor, Illo discovered not a single speck of dust clung to it.

At the sound of Illo’s voice, Su Qianyu nodded vigorously.

“Ah… ah, right!”

“Since I couldn’t go out, I just… tidied up a bit?”

With a nervous laugh, Su Qianyu scratched her head, quickly elaborating and echoing Illo’s observation.

In truth, Su Qianyu hadn’t even consciously realized she’d tidied the place up amidst her frantic damage control.

Ultimately, none of that truly mattered.

As long as this darn Magical Girl remained oblivious to the destruction of her clothes, Su Qianyu cared little for whatever else she might say.

“Since you’re back, then, why don’t you take a hot bath quickly?”

Feigning a cheerful demeanor, Su Qianyu swiftly ushered Illo towards the bathroom.

Truth be told, Illo had never before been so insistently urged into a bath.

Feeling the unexpected warmth of her hand being held, Illo tilted her head just slightly.

‘This feeling… it’s quite strange?’

“Um, you should hurry and bathe; I’ll go get your clothes!”

Once Illo was safely ensconced in the bathroom, Su Qianyu leaned against the glass door, a wave of lingering dread washing over her.

Gone was her earlier composure; Su Qianyu’s face was now a mask of sheer, unadulterated panic.

‘I’m utterly, thoroughly doomed.’

‘Where on earth was she supposed to find clothes for her!?’

‘Wasn’t she a Magical Girl? How could she possibly have gotten drenched and returned in such a state!’

Her face contorted with distress, Su Qianyu was on the verge of collapsing to her knees.

She had meticulously calculated every variable, yet she had never once anticipated a Magical Girl actually getting her clothes soaked.

‘A lifetime of cleverness, a moment of folly.’

‘What can I do now?’

As the sound of spraying water echoed from the bathroom, Su Qianyu swiftly composed herself, her mind snapping into a battle-ready state.

‘History, after all, was written by the victors!’

‘As long as she wasn’t discovered, it wasn’t over!’

‘To lose was rebellion; to win, revolution!’

Immediately, Su Qianyu dashed back into Illo’s room, flinging open the wardrobe doors.

‘Clothes-kun! Report for duty!’

Yet, as she gazed upon what had once been a rather extensive collection of garments, it now appeared strikingly meager under the room’s unforgiving light.

This was no longer a subtle matter of concealment; at this point, even someone as unobservant as Arnold (TL Note: A common reference to Arnold Schwarzenegger, implying even a very unobservant person would notice) would surely notice the missing items.

‘Did I really use that many clothes?’

Her gaze fixed on the wardrobe, Su Qianyu nervously gnawed at her fingernails.

‘Being caught for tearing the clothes was a distinct possibility, but facing the full consequences of such an act was a horror she desperately wished to avert.’

Pondering the grim choice between being ‘thoroughly chastised’ or ‘merely penalized’ (TL Note: Slang terms for different forms of retribution), Su Qianyu ultimately decided that remaining entirely undetected was the only truly acceptable path.

Fortunately, she had, at the last moment, offered to retrieve Illo’s clothes.

If the glaring absence of so many clothes were discovered, she wouldn’t even live to see tomorrow’s Sub-Moderator.

Whether she would even survive the night was a question in itself.

Relying solely on her own understanding of Illo’s style, Su Qianyu immediately began sifting through the wardrobe, hastily selecting several outfits she deemed suitable.

‘As long as she doesn’t open the wardrobe, everything can still be smoothed over!’

‘Right, I also need to find a way to keep her out of the room!’

Placing the clothes on the sofa, Su Qianyu immediately darted into the kitchen.

Seeing the refrigerator brimming with ingredients, the Little Fox Girl felt a surge of self-congratulatory genius.

‘Once Illo had changed, and was full and content, she definitely wouldn’t think of opening the wardrobe!’

‘I’m a genius!’

Pressed for time, Su Qianyu could only hastily prepare two simple dishes.

‘General Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes! And Captain Shredded Pork with Green Peppers!’

These two were not only simple but also quick to prepare.

After a moment’s thought, Su Qianyu’s gaze drifted towards the loofah gourd in the refrigerator.

‘Hmm, she’d also make her loofah soup.’

‘This would help ‘cool her down’ (TL Note: In traditional Chinese medicine, loofah is believed to have cooling properties, often used to alleviate internal heat or inflammation).’

Soon, amidst Su Qianyu’s frantic culinary endeavors, Illo emerged from the bathroom, enveloped in a towel after her restorative shower.

After being thoroughly drenched by the rain, a hot shower felt nothing short of profound salvation.

She dried her damp hair with a hairdryer, and under the light, the strands reflected in the mirror appeared as smooth as silk.

Compared to her fleeing self from back then, she was utterly transformed.

Gazing at the healthy young woman in the mirror, Illo’s thoughts slowly drifted away.

Yet, these thoughts were abruptly pulled back by the tantalizing aromas wafting from the kitchen.

Following the scent, Illo found Su Qianyu in the kitchen.

“Are you cooking?”

“Y-yes, I am?”

Not expecting Illo to enter the kitchen without clothes on, Su Qianyu’s expression turned somewhat awkward.

Noticing the Little Fox Girl’s shy expression, Illo offered a mischievous smile, then stepped forward and took hold of Su Qianyu’s hand, which was gripping the pan.

In an instant, the distance between them closed, becoming incredibly intimate.

‘Hey, she’s not going to try some weird kitchen play, is she?!’

Just as Su Qianyu was about to turn her head, Illo’s other hand reached around from behind her neck, cupping her head.

“Don’t look at me; look at the dish.”

Swallowing hard, and inhaling the faint, fragrant scent of shampoo from Illo’s hair, Su Qianyu dared not reply.

Filled with trepidation, Su Qianyu could only reluctantly continue her cooking.

Throughout, Illo’s hand remained clasped around hers.

The only saving grace was that the Magical Girl behind her had no intention of doing anything untoward.

Her grip was merely a simple hold; she hadn’t placed her other hand anywhere peculiar.

This strange posture persisted until all the dishes were cooked and off the stove.

‘Good, good.’

‘As long as no CG was triggered, it’s fine.’

Carrying the dishes to the table, Su Qianyu let out a breath.

“You, aren’t you going to put on clothes?”

Seeing Illo still clad only in a towel, Su Qianyu kindly reminded her.

“I’ve already brought out your clothes for you; you might catch a cold if you don’t wear them.”

Yet, after their eyes met, Su Qianyu suddenly remembered that Illo was a Magical Girl.

‘Can Magical Girls catch colds? Probably not, right?’

Hearing this, Illo merely chuckled, then, right in front of Su Qianyu, she dropped her towel and began to dress.

The sudden action startled Su Qianyu, who immediately clapped her hands over her eyes, not daring to look at Illo’s body.

‘Alright, I did sneak a peek.’

But that one glance immediately aroused Su Qianyu’s ‘runaway little bull’ (TL Note: A slang term for an erection or arousal).

‘Holy smokes, she’s gorgeous!’

However, Illo quickly finished dressing, and the beautiful sight abruptly ceased.

Illo, of course, caught the conflicting emotions of fear and desire in the other’s gaze.

‘Perhaps this was her reward, treating her like a toy who had prepared the meal.’

Sitting down, and looking at Illo across the table, Su Qianyu immediately ladled a bowl of loofah soup and pushed it towards her.

“It’s cold… drink some hot soup to dispel the dampness.”

Taking the bowl, Illo took a small sip, the unique aroma of loofah lingering in her mouth.

Seeing that Illo’s expression was agreeable, Su Qianyu slowly dared to speak again.

“Um, tomorrow I’d like to go out by myself for a bit, if that’s alright?”

“Of course, but remember you only have one hour, okay?”