Chapter 13: The Mischievous Plan of a Not-So-Good Good Person

Thought-writing, as the name implied.

It was the ability to interfere with reality through one’s own thoughts.

In her previous life, she had no choice but to be a good person, a role she had already fulfilled once.

This time around, however, she resolved to be a good person who wasn’t quite *so* good.

‘Yes, a good person,’ she mused.

From Qincai’s perspective, Su Qianyu had merely zoned out for a moment.

In reality, though, Illo had been aware of Su Qianyu’s subtly hinted topic from the very beginning.

And so, she made her move.

Rather than inflicting pain herself, Illo yearned to witness Su Qianyu willingly beg for her affections beneath her.

To have someone willingly submit was far more intriguing than outright conquest.

Even if it was all a pretense.

The monotonous click of a pen echoed, and Su Qianyu found herself developing a headache.

‘Damn it… could it be that Illo, a dignified Magical Girl, actually *hated* this?’ she wondered.

‘No wonder she came to apprehend me and transformed me into this state.’

Su Qianyu swayed her body, grumbling inwardly.

‘How annoying!’

‘She’s a Magical Girl, for crying out loud! How could she be like this?’

Admittedly, she did engage in lewd banter online, enjoyed sharing ‘historical’ (TL Note: Referring to embarrassing or scandalous past events/posts) content with her group chats, and occasionally indulged in provocative behavior.

‘But… but that doesn’t mean she’s like that in real life, does it?’

‘Online bravado is one thing; reality is another.’

‘Isn’t it true that many seemingly quiet, gloomy office workers in real life transform into completely adorable personas on the internet?’

‘Conversely, this theory could also be applied in reverse.’

‘Take Qiao Mouluo, for instance.’

‘Alas, what sorrow, what bitterness.’

‘Just as thin ropes are prone to breaking, fate seems to target the unfortunate.’

Fortunately, however, she was not one to shy away from difficulty.

‘Even if she hadn’t eaten pork, had she never seen a pig run?’

‘Besides, *she* was the one who spoke provocatively online; what difficulty could there be in imitating herself?’

Having thus convinced herself, Su Qianyu’s confidence surged considerably.

‘What was this called again? Ah, yes, self-hypnosis!’

‘After all, the video would be in her possession; at worst, she could just edit herself out!’

With this realization, the situation suddenly seemed far less dire.

****

The afternoon classes were few, and soon enough, Illo appeared beside Su Qianyu’s seat, ready to escort her back.

She was already itching to watch a good show unfold.

Reluctantly taking Illo’s hand, Su Qianyu hopped down from her seat.

Despite the brevity of the afternoon lessons, a preliminary plan had already taken shape in her mind.

At first glance, this plan appeared riddled with flaws, much like the programming code she often submitted.

Yet, as the saying went, if a program could run, it wasn’t a problem.

‘Even if the program wouldn’t run, she could just run herself.’

‘As long as either the code or the person could perform, that was enough.’

‘In any case, she wasn’t in a hurry!’

After waiting briefly for Illo to finish exchanging pleasantries with Qincai at the door, the two embarked on their journey home.

Along the way, Su Qianyu remained utterly silent.

Observing the little one’s reaction, Illo knew without a second thought exactly what she was concocting.

Maintaining a serene expression, Illo, whose form was concealed by her thought-writing ability, slowly bent down.

“Huh? What?”

Gazing at Illo’s face, Su Qianyu felt a distinct pang of guilt, like a thief caught in the act.

After all, she was planning to commit mischief that very evening.

Yet, she swiftly concealed her inner thoughts, clearing her throat twice.

“Um, is something wrong?”

Su Qianyu prided herself on her flawless acting, but she had forgotten that she no longer inhabited her youthful body.

In Illo’s eyes, Su Qianyu’s pretense was akin to a child who had committed a misdeed and was frantically trying to hide their wrongdoings.

Suppressing a smile, Illo spoke.

“Did you say anything strange to Qincai today?”

Her mind raced for two seconds, then Su Qianyu quickly shook her head.

“No… nothing at all. Why do you ask?”

Staring intently into Illo’s eyes, Su Qianyu spoke with utmost seriousness.

Illo, knowing precisely what Su Qianyu would say, allowed a faint smile to bloom in the corners of her eyes before speaking again.

“However, I heard Class Monitor had a different account today, didn’t she?”

A sudden jolt went through Su Qianyu’s heart as she pictured Qincai’s conversation with Illo.

‘No, Class Monitor couldn’t have just turned around and sold her out, could she?’

Witnessing the immediate look of panic that bloomed on the little fox girl’s face, Illo couldn’t quite help herself and let out a soft chuckle.

“Wh-wh-what are you laughing at?”

Completely oblivious to her own stutter, Su Qianyu adopted a magnanimous air and seized the conversational thread.

“If you want to mess with me, just say so directly! There’s no need to concoct other excuses!”

‘Indeed, the more righteous her pronouncements, the more hollow she felt inside.’

Such was Su Qianyu’s exact state at that moment.

Fortunately, Illo merely let the matter drop, reaching out to playfully ruffle Su Qianyu’s head.

“Don’t worry, I’m a very reasonable person, you know?”

“As long as no one deliberately dances on my nerves (TL Note: Chinese slang for intentionally provoking someone), I would absolutely never resort to violence!”

To properly ‘educate’ Su Qianyu that evening, Illo believed it essential to lay the groundwork beforehand.

Otherwise, she feared she might accidentally break the little fox girl entirely.

A toy this enjoyable, of course, ought to be savored slowly.

Just like a delicious meal, it was best enjoyed bite by bite.

Listening to Illo’s words, Su Qianyu nodded vigorously, praising the other’s apparent benevolence.

In truth, however, she still harbored silent disdain for Illo.

‘Heh heh, it’s easy to say pretty words, but weren’t *you* the one who transformed me into this state?’

****

Despite this brief interlude, the two soon arrived back home.

Seizing a moment when Illo was distracted, Su Qianyu slipped into her room.

‘Angle, angle… where would be the best place to put the phone?’

Rummaging through the room, Su Qianyu resolved to launch a surprise attack on Illo that night.

‘A Magical Girl breaking into an ordinary citizen’s home and assaulting them – what sensational news!’

Even before she began, Su Qianyu had already formulated the perfect headline.

‘With the Sub-Moderator’s (TL Note: A moderator of a sub-forum or specific section of an online community) help in fanning the flames, how could it not go viral?’

People always seemed to possess boundless energy when engaged in mischief.

Before long, Su Qianyu located an ideal spot.

Placing the phone and initiating the recording, Su Qianyu nodded with immense satisfaction.

‘This spot is excellent.’

It perfectly captured Illo’s bedside and possessed the added advantage of being discreet.

Unless Illo suddenly went insane and ransacked the entire room, she would never discover the hidden camera.

As if the scales of fate had tipped once more in her favor, Illo, unexpectedly, did not seek her out that evening, instead retiring to her room to rest quite early.

‘The timing was perfect, the location ideal, and the human element aligned.’ (TL Note: A Chinese idiom, ‘tiān shí dì lì rén hé,’ referring to auspicious timing, favorable geographical conditions, and harmonious human relations.)

‘The winds of victory were now gently blowing at my, Su Qianyu’s, back!’

As the seconds ticked by, Su Qianyu felt as though she could already taste victory.

‘This was it! Exactly!’

Perceiving that the moment had arrived, Su Qianyu, without a word, sprang from her cozy nook.

‘Tonight, she, Su Qianyu, would ensure Illo’s utter ruin!’

As she had wished, the little fox girl slipped into Illo’s bed.

Following her meticulously laid plan, Su Qianyu closed her eyes and pondered for a moment.

‘Right, after infiltrating, it was time to get provocative!’

Adopting a deliberately cutesy voice, Su Qianyu cleared her throat.

Though she had inhabited this body for a considerable time, using it for provocative speech was a first.

“M-m-master?”

“I… I want to be a superior horse. Can you give me Tian Ji’s strategy (TL Note: A historical anecdote about a horse racing strategy where a weaker team can win by strategically matching their horses against a stronger team’s horses)?”

Recalling the lines she had rehearsed in her mind, Su Qianyu spoke forcefully towards Illo’s back.

Yet, despite her entire performance, Illo remained completely motionless.

‘Hmm? What was going on?’

‘She didn’t seem like the type to be such a heavy sleeper, did she?’

Grabbing hold of Illo’s back, Su Qianyu, refusing to believe, gently turned her over.

However, upon seeing Illo wide awake, holding Su Qianyu’s own phone in her hand, Su Qianyu froze.

‘This… this was a trap?’

“Oh, perfect timing, wouldn’t you say?”

“I just discovered your phone in my room, and it was recording. Perhaps you’d care to explain?”

Before Su Qianyu could fully grasp the situation, Illo spoke again.

Staring at Illo’s face, Su Qianyu suddenly let out a nervous laugh.

“Uh… well… this…!”

“Who, who put my phone in your room?”

Yet, upon hearing Su Qianyu’s explanation, a smile, rather than anger, spread across Illo’s face.

“You just admitted it was your phone, didn’t you?”

‘!?’