Chapter 34: Interrogation and Escape

“There’s no need to be nervous,” Ye Qing began. “This isn’t an interrogation.”

Ye Qing sighed, tugging gently at Chi’s taut, beautiful face. Was it her imagination, or did a flicker of disappointment cross the girl’s vermillion eyes?

“However,” Ye Qing continued, her voice even,

“this doesn’t mean you can refuse to answer or lie. Our time is limited, after all. Alright, fine, this is an interrogation. If you’re not pleased, then prepare to bid your backside farewell.”

As Ye Qing’s calm words settled, Chi felt the icy tip of the cane pressing against her glute, lightly teasing the edge of her underwear.

Glimpsing the adorable strawberry-print panties adorning Chi’s delicate rear, Tang Nuo couldn’t help but giggle.

Her laughter, like the chime of silver bells, sent a flush across Chi’s cheeks, making her eyelashes quiver uncontrollably.

Chi clenched her fists, her pearly teeth worrying her lower lip, clearly wrestling with herself.

‘A warrior may be killed, but never humiliated,’ she thought. ‘Liu Qingruo, oh, Liu Qingruo, how can you possibly yield to a mere cane? Summon your spirit as a Magical Girl!’

‘Let them witness true unyielding might—’

Ugh!

Though the anticipated pain never arrived, Chi still squeezed her eyes shut, trembling like a chipmunk caught by its predator. Her fiery red hair, cascading down, swayed back and forth, resembling a fluffy, oversized tail.

Tang Nuo had merely used the cane to gently lift the elastic band of Chi’s panties before letting it fall back into place. Yet, this simple action had terrified the girl so thoroughly that no one could bear to continue.

Seeing this, Ye Qing gestured for Tang Nuo to cease, while simultaneously attempting to coax information from Chi.

“Say, it’s quite curious,” Ye Qing began, a hint of challenge in her tone. “You’ve all been captured, yet no one has come to rescue you for so long. Could it be that your allies are afraid?”

Provoked by Ye Qing’s taunting words, Chi puffed out her cheeks, indignantly retorting:

“Nonsense! Magical Girl Bai would *never* be afraid! She simply hasn’t had time to arrive yet. Once she gets here, she’ll definitely—”

“She won’t be coming,” Ye Qing interrupted smoothly. “Perhaps you should try relying on someone else. For instance, that individual backing you all?”

Ye Qing patiently coaxed, attempting to lure Chi into revealing the identity of this supposed benefactor. However, she had severely underestimated the sheer absurdity of the red-haired girl before her.

“Eh? Behind me?” Chi stammered, a blush rising. “Behind me is… Ugh, don’t touch there…”

Observing Chi’s suddenly flushed face, Ye Qing’s brow arched. She cast a glance at Tang Nuo, who stood behind Chi, but the blue-haired girl’s expression was equally bewildered.

Ye Qing circled them suspiciously, confirming that the cane in Tang Nuo’s hand was indeed a discrete distance from Chi.

Tang Nuo stood dutifully, awaiting further instructions, clearly not having caused any mischief. This meant the peculiar reaction had been entirely Chi’s own vivid imagination.

A dark vein throbbed on Ye Qing’s forehead.

‘This girl must be an undercover agent for the Evil Organization, embedded within the Magical Girls! She simply *must* be!’

“Tell me, Miss Chi,” Ye Qing said, her voice devoid of emotion. “Are you interested in joining the Evil Organization? If you’re willing, several beautiful girls in our ranks would be delighted to play with you every day.”

Ye Qing delivered her tempting offer with an almost clinical detachment. It was as if she weren’t poaching for an evil organization, but rather a Magical Girl supervisor disguised as an enemy, testing Chi’s loyalty.

“How could I ever accept such a thing… No, no, I can only accept *one*…” Chi mumbled shyly.

Hearing Chi’s timid murmur, Ye Qing’s expression darkened further.

‘You’re even being picky now? You want to have your cake and eat it too!’

“Xiao Nuo,” Ye Qing commanded, “strike her.”

“Right away~”

The Tang Nuo Brand Magical Girl Personality Corrector sprang into action once more.

In a few swift motions, the red-haired girl was reduced to an incoherent, tear-streaked mess, her eyes wide and unfocused, appearing utterly broken.

‘This generation of Magical Girls is truly dreadful,’ Ye Qing mused.

Ye Qing clutched her forehead, a pang of anguish piercing her. It was difficult to fathom that such a person was typically tasked with protecting the city from the clutches of evil organizations.

The original Evil Organizations in Jincheng had been utterly annihilated. This should have been a triumph, yet it had inadvertently turned the Magical Girls into hothouse flowers.

Though the immediate threats were gone, they should at least maintain a constant state of readiness for formidable foes. What kind of Magical Girl was reduced to sobbing tears by a mere cane?

Ye Qing couldn’t help but feel a surge of sympathy for Qing, the senior Magical Girl beside her. Had she truly been burdened with such a liability all this time?

Gu Xuanyu aside, this girl was truly hopeless.

“Alright,” Ye Qing declared,

“I’m offering you a final chance to answer our questions. If you still wish to preserve your backside, you’ll confess everything truthfully. Otherwise, for the entire coming week, you can forget about sleeping on your back.”

Chi sniffled, stifling her sobs, finding a momentary reprieve. But as her eyes finally regained their focus, she met Ye Qing’s gaze and shook her head.

At this, Ye Qing’s gaze sharpened, a flicker of appreciation entering her amber eyes.

‘She says no, but ultimately, she still held her ground…’

“Xiao Nuo,” Ye Qing instructed, “continue.”

“With pleasure!”

Hearing Tang Nuo’s increasingly fervent voice, Chi couldn’t help but speak, her voice thick with tears:

“You’ve been hitting me for so long,” Chi whimpered, “can’t we move on to the honey trap already…?”

‘This isn’t how it’s supposed to be! According to the *Leak to the Wood* manual, after torture, one should always employ softer tactics!’

Upon hearing Chi’s words, Ye Qing let out a strained laugh, her lips twitching in a rare display of exasperation.

She was utterly at her wit’s end.

However, just as Chi was about to endure further torment, the distant wail of a police siren abruptly pierced the air, startling both Ye Qing and Tang Nuo.

It was almost inconceivable that evil cadres capable of effortlessly subduing two Magical Girls would be terrified of the police.

This implied that from the very beginning, Qing could have simply called the authorities, a move that would have been sufficient to deter Tang Nuo.

Yet, beneath their power, their true nature remained that of ordinary girls.

An Yueying, who had been idly ‘fishing’ somewhere unknown, also appeared just in time. She wasn’t clad in her usual cumbersome mascot suit, but instead wore a pair of sleek sunglasses.

“Quickly, deactivate your transformations and follow me…”

Pursued by the police for the very first time, the two girls were consumed by anxiety. Fumbling to deactivate their transformations, they hastily fled the scene.

Even after reaching An Yueying’s villa, their hearts continued to pound wildly in their chests.

“Rest assured and stay here tonight,” An Yueying said softly. “There’s no need to worry; I’ll take care of everything else.”

Soothed by An Yueying’s gentle assurances, Tang Nuo, her small face pale, finally exhaled in relief. Ye Qing, however, remained staring blankly at the ceiling, like a doll bereft of its soul.

Tang Nuo couldn’t resist gently poking Ye Qing’s soft, delicate cheek.

“We got away, you know! Stop zoning out.”

“No,” Ye Qing replied, her voice distant. “I merely just remembered that I am, in fact, just an ordinary person.”

Ye Qing’s tone remained cool and detached, yet she spoke with a wooden, almost dazed quality, as if still struggling to accept the harsh reality.

“If the police had caught me,” she murmured, “what crimes would I have been charged with?”

A subtle tremor began to creep into Ye Qing’s voice, betraying the unease lurking beneath her calm exterior. As the full gravity of their situation finally dawned on her, a profound anxiety began to creep into her heart.

But before Ye Qing could complete her thought, she suddenly felt herself gently enfolded. She was wrapped in an embrace that, while similarly slender, was remarkably soft and warm.

“It’s going to be alright, Ye Qing,” a voice whispered. “I’ll protect you. You’re one of my few friends, and I won’t let anything happen to you.”

Comforted by the usually timid Tang Nuo, Ye Qing offered a wry smile, quickly regaining her composure.

Once she committed to a course of action, she wouldn’t second-guess herself.

With that resolve, she retrieved her phone, intending to message Gu Xuanyu. Yet, the instant she unlocked it, a deluge of messages flooded her screen.

Her amber eyes reflected countless tightly-packed black characters in Song typeface. Though devoid of physical weight, they felt unexpectedly heavy, for every single one originated from the same individual.

–Gu Xuanyu.