Chapter 12: A Pink Aura of Desire

With ten minutes remaining before the color theory class began, the classroom was already packed with students. The reason was simple: who in their department hadn’t heard of Shen Congqing’s formidable reputation?

Observing the students, who huddled quietly in the back rows like timid quails, each attempting to hide their heads behind those in front, the blonde woman on the podium sighed resignedly.

Her voice, though gentle, carried an undeniable authority as she spoke.

“Everyone, move forward. No one is permitted to sit in the back rows.”

Despite her mature and melodious voice, which was rather pleasant to the ear, a collective groan erupted from the students.

They reluctantly shuffled forward, those who had initially claimed the last row now found themselves squarely in the front, each muttering about their misfortune.

Among them was a certain pink-haired girl, who had not slept well the previous night. She was currently rubbing her bleary eyes, struggling to stay awake.

Seeing Shen Congqing in her sharp business suit directly in front of her, Lin Shaoyao suppressed a yawn. She silently cursed the culprit behind her sleepless night: a certain troublesome dark-haired individual.

Thanks to Ye Qing, their conversation had veered into an unfortunate direction. After exchanging some harsh words, Lin Shaoyao, with a surge of resolve, clicked on the other party’s profile, ready to unleash a barrage of criticism.

However, Ye Qing’s homepage proved to be a veritable trove of glittering treasures.

This sight caused Lin Shaoyao, who had initially been fuming, to gaze with captivated eyes, ultimately extending a ‘sinful hand’ to relentlessly ‘mine’ the digital riches.

As she continued her ‘mining,’ the drowsy ‘Mining Princess’ suddenly noticed an incongruous beam of light. She abruptly lifted her head, only to see that the translucent curtains were already glowing faintly with the dawn.

In the end, she hadn’t managed more than a few hours of sleep. With Shen Congqing’s class looming that afternoon, Lin Shaoyao, left with no choice, dragged her weary legs to attend.

Her original plan had been to catch up on sleep in the convenient anonymity of the back row. However, Shen Congqing had swiftly dashed that hope, leaving her to pray for the dismissal bell to ring as soon as possible.

“Class begins in one minute, and the number of students is incorrect.”

Shen Congqing narrowed her slender, emerald eyes, scrutinizing the ‘quails’ in the classroom. She calculated the precise number of students almost instantly.

Two were still missing. As expected, the girl who got in through connections had failed to show up again.

Shen Congqing decisively picked up her pen, ready to strike Ye Qing’s name from the attendance roster.

While she could understand an occasional absence—everyone faced difficulties, after all—she would not tolerate students who, despite their questionable entry, showed such a lack of diligence in class.

Yet, just as the class bell was about to chime, a petite figure quietly darted through the back door.

She collapsed softly into a back-row seat, gasping for breath as if she had just completed three hours of continuous aerobic exercise.

Ye Qing felt as though her legs had gone numb. Her athletic ability had already significantly declined due to her prolonged reclusive lifestyle, and after transforming into a girl, her physical stamina had only worsened.

During her ascent from the first to the fifth floor, Ye Qing’s calves had felt as heavy as if filled with lead.

Each step seemed to drain her entire strength, and sweat continuously beaded across her body, soaking her underwear and plastering her fine black hair to her temples.

Shen Congqing naturally noticed her disheveled state, letting out a soft chuckle without saying anything further.

However, the glances she occasionally cast toward Ye Qing clearly indicated that she had no intention of letting her off so easily.

Approximately two or three minutes later, another blue-haired girl arrived belatedly. She too attempted to discreetly slip into the classroom through the back, but was stopped midway by Shen Congqing.

“The student who just entered, what is your name?”

All eyes in the class converged on her, and the girl immediately buried her face in her scarf, blushing. After a long moment of stuttering, she finally spoke in a voice almost too soft to hear.

“T-Tang Nuo…”

True to her name, which evoked a soft, sticky rice candy, she appeared utterly easy to bully. She stood awkwardly by the door, wringing her fingers, her golden eyes timidly hidden, unwilling to meet Shen Congqing’s gaze.

“Pay attention next time. Come in.”

At these words, the blue-haired girl finally let out a sigh of relief. She approached Ye Qing, who was slumped across her desk like a puddle of slime, her slender fingers hovering hesitantly in the air.

“Um, excuse me, could you move over a bit?”

Ye Qing didn’t lift her head, merely shifting inward slightly, still weakly sprawled out. Left with no other option, Tang Nuo sat down beside her.

Noticing a few glistening beads of sweat still clinging to Ye Qing’s temple, Tang Nuo took a tissue from her small bag. She timidly offered it to Ye Qing.

“Wipe it off.”

“Oh, thank you.”

After resting for quite some time, Ye Qing finally recovered from her half-dead state.

Her fingers still felt a little uncooperative, and she inadvertently brushed Tang Nuo’s hand, causing the latter to recoil as if shocked, her pretty face suddenly flushing crimson.

Ye Qing, however, paid it no mind, gently wiping her cheeks. As the tissue neared her nose, she suddenly caught a faint fragrance. Unfolding it, she saw it was a printed napkin adorned with a magical girl theme.

Ye Qing instinctively glanced at Tang Nuo, her expression remaining calm. The other girl, however, grew increasingly flustered with embarrassment.

‘Oh no, I knew I shouldn’t have done that…’

“You like magical girls?”

Ye Qing’s slightly cool voice suddenly broke the silence, making Tang Nuo’s eyes swim.

“Ah, well, um, yes…”

Ye Qing blinked her beautiful amber eyes, a hint of confusion on her face.

‘Does this child have social anxiety?’

However, noticing the magical girl charms dangling all over Tang Nuo’s backpack, Ye Qing subtly raised an eyebrow.

‘Perhaps not entirely.’

What truly piqued Ye Qing’s interest, however, was the faint pink aura enveloping Tang Nuo.

According to An Yueying, this was an ability she was supposed to gain after transforming into an evil mascot: the power to intuitively perceive the strength of a person’s desires when close to them.

To put it more precisely, as those familiar with ‘butter baking’ would know, characters who can trigger a CG would be enveloped in a faint pink aura upon their appearance.

[TL Note: “Butter baking” is slang for suggestive or erotic content in games or media, implying characters with strong desires.]

But Ye Qing had never witnessed it before, as most people didn’t exhibit such a phenomenon. Not even An Yueying, who had the highest likelihood, displayed it.

Just as Ye Qing was about to forget about it, it unexpectedly manifested around this socially anxious girl.

‘Should I say that appearances can truly be deceiving?’

‘Speaking of which, ‘evil cadres’ are technically a type of magical girl, aren’t they? It’s just that their magic is fueled by desire…’

“Who is your idol? Magical Girl White?”

Hearing this, Tang Nuo shyly tugged at a strand of her hair, her voice as faint as a mosquito’s buzz.

“Hmm… I actually like all of them. Besides White, there’s also Red and Senior Qing…”

“Then do you wish to be like them, a miraculous girl with magic?”

Stared at intently by the dark-haired girl, Tang Nuo remained very shy. However, at the mention of magic, her eyes immediately lit up.

“Really? Can I also become a magical girl?”

“No, an evil cadre.”

At this, Tang Nuo’s excitement instantly froze on her face. Her smile gradually twisted into something uglier than a cry.

“W-wah, can I refuse?”

Observing the pathetic blue-haired girl, Ye Qing shrugged helplessly.

“Just a joke, don’t worry about it.”

Tang Nuo finally breathed a sigh of relief, yet she had indeed been thoroughly frightened, her heart pounding against her ribs.

‘Such a cute girl, yet her casual jokes are so terrifying…’

‘If I became an evil cadre, I would have to fight the magical girls, tie them up, and cruelly humiliate them with a whip…’

Ye Qing frowned in confusion, then touched Tang Nuo’s flushed cheeks, before placing her hand on her forehead.

‘She doesn’t have a fever. Why is she suddenly so red, and inexplicably smiling…?’