Chapter 82: A Sister’s Burden and Classroom Whispers

After deftly straightening the wrinkled collar, Ye Qing subtly tilted her head, her gaze finally meeting Shen Congqing’s bewildered emerald eyes.

In that instant, she had already begun to see the golden-haired girl before her as yet another troublesome younger sister.

Shen Congqing had only temporarily taken on this form; she would eventually revert to her golden-haired “big sister” self. But Ye Qing, on the other hand, would most likely never grow taller…

‘Hmph, it seems I’ve embarked on a path of no return…’

Even as these thoughts swam in her dizzy head, Ye Qing’s hands continued their work without pause.

Since it had come to this, it was best to simply see it through to the end.

Indeed, Ye Qing was a truly unique girl. Though she grumbled about trouble, she seemed to genuinely enjoy the process of caring for others. It was just a pity that, given her petite stature, she appeared far more suited to being the one cared for.

Shen Congqing’s eyes narrowed, and a flush bloomed on her cheeks. She quickly pushed Ye Qing’s hands away, chiding, “I didn’t ask you to treat me like a child! Please, of course, I know how to do these things myself…”

She lowered her head. Without the obstruction of her chest, she could now directly see her toes, turned inward, clad in Ye Qing’s white socks and tiny shoes.

Unsure where to direct her gaze, Shen Congqing bit her lower lip. Yet, unwilling to appear so dispirited, after a moment of silence, she abruptly clutched Ye Qing’s hand and led her upstairs.

“Forget it. Let’s just go back to the classroom first.”

Ye Qing blinked, feeling the gentle pull on her hand. She could only quicken her pace to match the golden-haired girl’s hurried steps.

‘What should I make of this? Holding hands seems unnecessary, and quite against the rules!’

Ye Qing had no idea what Shen Congqing was thinking, so she simply tucked her jumbled thoughts away.

‘Perhaps it’s a misunderstanding. Teacher Shen is so composed, she definitely wouldn’t have any ill intentions. Xuanyu must have led me astray. Maybe holding hands is just a normal thing between girls…’

This was pure self-hypnosis. Judging by Shen Congqing’s hurried, almost fleeing steps, her inner turmoil seemed even greater.

Fortunately, they ascended the stairs quickly, arriving outside the classroom door in no time.

Even from the stairwell, Shen Congqing had spotted the light-green-haired girl standing outside the classroom door. She wore a faint smile, her golden eyes almost narrowed to slits, making her mood inscrutable. Yet, in an instant, Shen Congqing’s face paled with fright, and she unconsciously released Ye Qing’s hand.

Just as Ye Qing wondered why, Duanmu Jin slowly approached. She subtly raised her eyelids, her golden eyes, filled with a chilling coolness, faintly visible behind her lashes.

“Little Qing, you’re still so punctual.”

“Pun-punctual?”

Shen Congqing’s lips twitched. She dared not meet Duanmu Jin’s gaze, but she could already imagine how dangerous the latter’s expression must be.

‘I was a full ten minutes late this time, and I stood up the entire class. By all rights, she should be furious…’

However, a moment later, she heard the girl sigh softly, speaking with a hint of resignation, “After all these years, even I didn’t realize my patience had grown so much.

For Ye Qing’s sake, I won’t make things difficult for you this time. Though I miss the old days, I still hope to see you make progress.”

Shen Congqing was stunned into silence. She tugged at Ye Qing’s sleeve, leading her towards the classroom.

Watching their retreating figures, Duanmu Jin, who had initially worn a helpless expression, suddenly raised her eyebrows and revealed a mischievous grin.

More accurately, it was an “auntie smile.”

“Little Qing is finally wising up, it seems…”

‘It’s a pity they all seem to fall for the same girl. She already has a childhood friend… But that’s not for me to worry about.’ Duanmu Jin murmured to herself, a hint of satisfaction in her tone.

Duanmu Jin was actually more concerned that Shen Congqing might become a “loser golden retriever.” After all, the black-haired girl didn’t seem to reject her affection. Compared to Shen Congqing, Duanmu Jin was more worried for Ye Qing.

‘Can she really handle so many? What if she’s locked in a dark room by some passionately devoted girl one day…?’

***

Meanwhile, at the teacher’s signal, the two girls, looking slightly overwhelmed, walked behind the lectern at the front of the classroom.

“This student is a new transfer. Everyone, please give her a round of applause.”

The applause was sparse and half-hearted, sounding somewhat reluctant—perhaps due to the resentment of being stood up. But as Ye Qing looked at the varied expressions on the faces below, she felt an inexplicable unease.

It wasn’t entirely due to being stared at by so many people simultaneously. A part of it stemmed from the meaning behind those gazes.

Curiosity, a certain interest, and even some goodwill were present. But more prevalent was a sense of scrutiny and exclusion. Pushed by invisible gazes, Ye Qing nervously clasped her fingers behind her back, yet maintained a calm expression.

‘Yes, especially at times like this, I mustn’t show fear. No expression is the best expression!’

Beside her, Shen Congqing acutely sensed this rejection. Her emerald eyes narrowed slightly. Though her face was youthful, she still exuded the assertiveness she had honed from years of dealing with students.

Wherever her sharp gaze swept, everyone averted their eyes, as if Shen Congqing were their true teacher. But seeing that some were still staring at Ye Qing, Shen Congqing subtly shifted in front of Ye Qing, shielding her.

The applause gradually faded, followed by whispers. Clearly, even magical girl trainees were not much different from ordinary students in class.

With her keen hearing, Shen Congqing clearly discerned who was speaking and what they were saying.

“Hey, that black-haired one is pretty cute, but I heard she got in through connections?”

“…Who here doesn’t have some connections? But she knows *that* Gu Xuanyu. Her connections are huge.”

Shen Congqing raised an eyebrow. For some reason, hearing Gu Xuanyu mentioned first, she felt vaguely displeased.

‘Damn it! I’m supposed to be taking classes with you, shouldn’t you consider me first?’

“What about that fierce blonde? I’ve never heard of her…”

Shen Congqing gritted her teeth, clenching her fists in secret.

‘Please, open your eyes and look closely! I am Magical Girl Qing!’

“I don’t know, but her relationship with that black-haired girl doesn’t seem ordinary. Speaking of which, I have some juicy gossip. Want to hear it?”

“Spill.”

“Well, yesterday I heard from my second uncle, who works in security, that a suspicious person followed Magical Girl Bai in, using an unknown S-rank ID. S-rank, you know!”

“Even teachers aren’t S-rank. S-rank must be fake, right?”

“Exactly! My second uncle thought the same afterward, but he didn’t dare question it at the time, so he had to let them in. Later, I heard there was a huge mess.

Someone stabbed Yue Changbi with a knife, leaving a pool of blood by the back door. Now they’re missing, and it’s highly likely connected to this suspicious person.”

Though it was just gossip, it was surprisingly accurate. Clearly, the information security work was terribly lax.

Shen Congqing frowned deeply. For something like this to spread through the class was a serious incident.

‘That second uncle who works as a gatekeeper should be fired!’

Meanwhile, Shen Congqing suddenly noticed a rather striking black-haired girl sitting in the center of the classroom, her calm, ink-dark eyes fixed intently on Ye Qing.

Aside from her eye color, at first glance, her appearance bore some resemblance to Ye Qing, though she was more mature and distinguished.

Shen Congqing shifted again, blocking the girl’s line of sight, attempting to obstruct her gaze. But to her surprise, the other girl did not flinch, instead meeting her eyes directly without evasion.

This left Shen Congqing somewhat puzzled. She glanced back at Ye Qing.

‘Did they know each other before? Could she be the younger sister Ye Qing mentioned?’

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