Chapter 134: My younger sister comes to visit

“—!! What kind of celestial-level cutie is this?! It’s too adorable!”

Li Qing’s energetic squeal instantly drew curious looks from several female staff members nearby who were eating lunch.

Right now, the very same Xiaobai that made Lin Yu grind his teeth in hatred…

Was lying belly-up in Li Qing’s arms.

Its ruby-like eyes were half-closed, the little three-petaled mouth curved upward, and it was purring happily—just like a spoiled kitten being pampered.
An expression of absolute, decadent bliss.

And those long ears it used earlier to throw shade at Lin Yu?

Right now, they drooped obediently against its head while Li Qing’s delicate hands rubbed its belly back and forth.
Not a shred of dignity.

Across the table, Lin Yu held his spoon and glared at this scene so hard that a blue vein on his forehead pulsed wildly.

“Hey.”

He couldn’t help but speak, tone sour enough to pickle vegetables.

“Didn’t Sister Mei Ling say its A-core personality was the prideful type? Where’s the pride? Where’s the dignity? Does it just factory-reset itself whenever a pretty girl holds it?!”

This damned rabbit.

Just earlier on their way here—while Lin Yu was in male form—he’d tried ordering it to help open a door.

The thing didn’t even bother lifting an eyelid.

It even moved aside in disgust, as if being near Lin Yu would dirty its pristine fur.

So that’s how it is?

It only acknowledges JK magical girls, not shut-in uncles?!

“Aiyaaa, senpai don’t be jealous~”

Li Qing buried her face into Xiaobai’s fur and took a big inhaling sniff, letting out a deeply satisfied sigh.

“I think I need to go ask Manager Qian for one too!
What was it called again?”

“Self-regulating phasic armament.”
Lin Yu replied gloomily, viciously shoveling a mouthful of wagyu fried rice into his mouth as if eating rabbit meat.

“Aiyaaa, why give it such a nerdy engineering name? Does it sound impressive or something? I say just call it magical cutie pet—isn’t that way nicer? Right, Xiaobai~?”

“Guu~”

Xiaobai actually answered.
The sound was so sweet Lin Yu felt goosebumps explode all over his body.

After playing for a bit, Li Qing finally seemed a little tired. She looked down at Xiaobai and sighed with visible regret.

“Honestly… I really am tempted. I always thought my Red Fox Fang was the coolest partner in the world, but… no matter the age, no magical girl can resist anything fluffy.”

“That’s simple.”
Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

“With your seniority, just apply for a replacement. Should be easy, right?”

Li Qing thought for a moment, then shook her head.

“It’s not that it’s difficult… I just said it casually.”

“Casually?”

“Well… that gun has been with me for years.
It was with me on my first mission, my first injury…”

She smiled faintly.

“It doesn’t act cute, sure… but we have feelings.”

“In a world full of psychic energy, everything has a spirit.
If I got a new partner, that child would definitely get jealous.”

Lin Yu was speechless.

“Come on… that’s way too idealistic. A weapon getting jealous?”

But…

He remembered Manager Qian’s explanation about Synchronization Rate and Heart Resonance.

In this ridiculous, unscientific magical-girl world…

Maybe “idealism” really was the strongest law.

“By the way,”
Li Qing asked casually,

“Why are you eating alone today? Where’s the others? Aren’t they always mooching food off you at this hour?”

“Huh?”
Li Qing rolled her eyes dramatically.

“You think everyone has as much free time as this young lady to accompany you while you eat?”

“Then they…”

“They’re training newbies, duh.”

Li Qing explained:

“The company recruited another batch of interns recently—little babies who just awakened psychic power.
Bao Xin and Big Sis Bing are veteran instructors, so they were dragged off to handle their basic training.”

She puffed her chest proudly.

“Which means—I stayed behind because I was kind and considerate and didn’t want you to eat alone. Hmph!”

“Training… newbies?”

The spoon paused in Lin Yu’s hand.

A strange sensation—like an electric current—ran through his mind.

So…

Without even realizing it, he’d already moved up from “rookie slacker” to “official employee” status.

Once upon a time, Chen Bing dragged him around like a baby chick, Yayoi Hotaru looked at him with the same expression used for trash…

And now?

He was full-time.
High-salary.
With an exclusive weapon.

Which also meant…

“Heh… heh…!”

Lin Yu’s mouth curled upward uncontrollably.

What if… in the future, once he had more experience, the company assigned him interns?

Would there be a bunch of lively, cute, soft magical-girl juniors surrounding him…?

Would they look up at him with sparkly eyes full of admiration?

Would they shyly say:

“Lin Yu-senpai~ you’re so amazing~”?

Ehehe…

Not only that!

What if those sheltered little girls… after seeing his cool transformation… fell for him at first sight?

In that case, his notoriously difficult “marriage problem” would be solved!

This must be what they call:
“The advantage of being close to water.”

Yes, yes…

This was the future waiting for him!

Lin Yu drooled happily as he slipped deeper into his harem fantasy.

At that time…

He could unlock “special interactions” with magical girls…

What a wonderful job…

SMACK—!!

A crisp, ringing slap struck his face out of nowhere.

“Ow—WHAT THE—!!”

His head snapped sideways, nearly planting itself into his fried rice.

Clutching his burning cheek, he whirled around angrily.

“Who?! Who the hell hit me?!”

Behind him—no one.

Only Xiaobai stood on the table, no longer in Li Qing’s arms.

At some point, it had hopped over, and its fluffy tail was just now lowering itself gracefully after delivering the blow.

Its ruby eyes stared at him with pure, unfiltered disgust.

As if looking at non-recyclable trash.

“You little—?!”
Lin Yu pointed at the rabbit in disbelief.

“You’ve really grown bold, huh?! You actually hit your master?! Believe it or not, I’ll tear you down and sell your parts for scrap!!”

“Pfft—!”
Li Qing burst out laughing, unable to straighten her waist.

She wiped tears from her eyes and giggled:

“It probably thinks your drooling face just now was way too creepy! Even it couldn’t stand watching!”

“C-Creepy?!”

Lin Yu’s face flushed, then turned furious.

“So what if I was thinking?! It’s a man’s romance! What does an AI know?!”

He rolled up his sleeves and glared murderously at Xiaobai.

“You little accessory… if I don’t teach you a lesson today, you’ll really forget who your master is!”

“Come here! Get over here! I’ll peel your fur off—!!”

He lunged.

“Guu~”

Xiaobai let out a disdainful chirp, moving with the agility of a wildcat.

It kicked off the table edge, did a perfect backflip mid-air, and landed on the chair of the next table.

Before Lin Yu could grab it, it hopped again—swinging from the cafeteria lights like it was on a jungle gym.

“HEY! You dared to hit me and you still run?!”

Lin Yu’s temper flared.
Today, he was definitely teaching this arrogant rabbit a lesson.

Ignoring the startled looks of coworkers, he chased after it.

“Stop! Don’t run! If you’ve got the guts to hit me, have the guts to stand still!!”

Thus began a ridiculous chase—one man and one rabbit—in the middle of the cafeteria.

Xiaobai weaved between table legs and chair legs.
Lin Yu panted as he chased, nearly tripping several times.

Finally, perhaps bored or simply convinced Lin Yu was too stupid to catch it, Xiaobai swaggered its way toward the cafeteria exit.

It turned around, clearly preparing to make a mocking face at Lin Yu.

At that moment—

step.

A black loafer shoe stepped down on its fluffy tail.

“Hah—caught! Caught you!!”

Lin Yu ran up, breathless, hands on his knees as he smirked triumphantly.

“Run! Go on, run! Let’s see where yo— huh?”

His words died.

His whole body froze like petrified stone.

Because as his gaze traveled up from that black loafer…

Black knee-high socks hugging elegant legs.
A sky-blue Research Division uniform skirt.
And above that—

A face beautiful even without makeup, cold yet breathtaking.

Right now, that face wore a smile that wasn’t a smile.

A smile that made Lin Yu’s spine turn to ice.

“So grown up already,” she said softly.

“And you’re still running around the cafeteria like a pet…”

She tilted her head.

“Brother, are you very free?”