Chapter 2: The Price of Desire

“But this is already the best way I can think of to help you unleash your desires. If you have no desires, you can’t become a member of an evil organization.”

An Yueying’s voice was exceptionally soft, imbued with a powerful deceit that made it difficult for Ye Qing not to raise his guard, warily observing her villainous expression.

“So, you mean this is a transformation device for an evil executive?”

Ye Qing’s choice of words made An Yueying smile.

“A transformation device? You could say that, but it’s permanent.”

“Permanent?” Ye Qing frowned. “It won’t come with any irreversible side effects, will it?”

Observing the bizarre appearance of the transformation device, Ye Qing wouldn’t have been surprised even if it suddenly came to life and bit off his manhood.

“Of course. Everything comes with a price. But for someone with your low desires, one attempt might not fully take effect. So, if you feel something is amiss, you can stop at any time.”

Ye Qing narrowed his eyes thoughtfully, his face still devoid of expression.

“Can you tell me what the price is?”

“I cannot say. I can only tell you—you’ll know if you try.”

As if driven by a mischievous desire to tease Ye Qing, An Yueying concealed the full price. Yet, she deliberately revealed just enough to maximally pique Ye Qing’s perverse curiosity.

The phone on the table continued to play the busy signal of an empty line through its speaker, the irritating beeping seemingly urging Ye Qing on.

“Speaking of which, why did you choose me? When it comes to desire, others surely possess far more than I do.”

Ye Qing voiced the greatest doubt in his heart. After all, ever since he had witnessed Gu Xuanyu receive the blessing of a magical girl at her birthday party roughly three years ago, transforming into the pure Magical Girl White, he had rarely found interest in anything.

For a thousand days, he had maintained a life of low desire. He consumed food merely to sustain himself, and attended school only to appear normal.

The moment he returned home, his sole thought was to sleep.

He couldn’t entirely blame Gu Xuanyu for distancing herself from him. Such a lifestyle would require an exceptionally attractive appearance to garner female attention, yet Ye Qing only possessed a rather ordinary face.

His physique was slender and well-proportioned, his height around the average for boys. His black hair was always kept short, never reaching his ears, usually shaved flat by the barber.

Only his amber eyes held a quality that might draw attention.

His social life had become a disaster. His already few friends had dwindled to almost none.

While he could once leverage Gu Xuanyu’s charm as her childhood friend to gain a fleeting familiarity in crowded settings, he now lived in reclusion, having embraced an early retirement.

Aside from sleeping, most of his days were spent surfing the internet, occasionally catching glimpses of the white-haired maiden’s valiant figure defeating evil on the news.

Ye Qing might have felt some dissatisfaction with Gu Xuanyu’s estrangement, but it wasn’t resentment. After all, even before she became a magical girl, she was already impeccable in the eyes of others.

Whether it was her graceful demeanor, her meticulous thoughts, or her astonishing academic talent, each quality alone was enough to make her the subject of envy as ‘that perfect child.’

Only Ye Qing knew that even she possessed a clumsy side.

Ever since they met in kindergarten, Ye Qing had noticed that Gu Xuanyu always ate with a spoon and was exceptionally picky.

Each time she tried to pick out green onions and ginger from her food, it required considerable effort.

This very circumstance allowed Ye Qing to intervene in Gu Xuanyu’s life, as he had learned how to use chopsticks at a very young age.

After Ye Qing had helped her countless times, Gu Xuanyu finally blushed in embarrassment and admitted that her hands and feet were very clumsy.

Not only chopsticks, but tying knots and writing were also quite difficult for her.

Thus, when they were in elementary school, Gu Xuanyu entrusted Ye Qing with her red scarf and shoelaces.

Later, as her studies grew increasingly demanding, the homework Gu Xuanyu couldn’t finish was also handled by Ye Qing.

These hidden flaws, however, did not affect her perfect image in the eyes of others.

Instead, people merely wondered why such a silent boy, overly close to her, was always by her side.

Ye Qing was not adept at socializing with strangers, yet due to Gu Xuanyu’s immense popularity, he occasionally had to contend with such vexing situations.

Fortunately, Gu Xuanyu had always been inseparable from him—almost clinging to him. Even with her tutoring, the academic gap between them remained significant.

Yet, Gu Xuanyu, disregarding her family’s objections, insisted on staying in the same school as him, much like a sister doting on her elder brother.

But everything changed after Gu Xuanyu became a magical girl. She was no longer clumsy, no longer needed an ordinary ‘elder brother’ to manage her daily trivialities.

She no longer waited along Ye Qing’s route to school, her limpid eyes eagerly searching for the expressionless boy.

Gu Xuanyu finally stopped intruding on Ye Qing’s life, which perhaps was a good thing for him.

Initially, he felt a slight discomfort, but gradually, Ye Qing grew accustomed to his solitary existence. For him, no news was the best news.

Yet, upon closer reflection, a faint sense of reluctance always lingered.

It was this very reluctance that, by some strange impulse, led Ye Qing to agree to An Yueying.

“Why choose you? Simple.” An Yueying lowered her voice slightly, a hint of playfulness subtly surfacing in her ethereal, slender, bright purple eyes.

“Because it’s amusing. A thousand days of self-obsession… just thinking about it is interesting.”

“But others say people like me are quite dull,” Ye Qing stated blandly.

“Their opinions are irrelevant to me. In any case, the choice is yours now. Whether you do it or not is up to you. I’m leaving.”

With that, An Yueying flicked a slender finger, and the dark hood reappeared on her head, transforming her back into the bulky, stitched plush bear.

Watching her move with difficulty towards the door, Ye Qing tugged at the corner of his mouth, opened it for her, and saw her off up the stairs.

“Thank you. You’re a good person.”

An Yueying remained ever-smiling, her thoughts inscrutable. Yet, her mature, melodious voice lingered in Ye Qing’s ears, inexplicably making him associate it with the exquisite physique hidden beneath the mascot suit.

He felt a sudden tingling sensation throughout his body, promptly closing the door and cutting off the seductive fantasy in his mind.

‘Even just from her voice, one could tell this wicked woman surely possessed a pair of stunning, snow-capped peaks.’

Ye Qing suppressed his breathing, calming his mind, and fell into deep thought as he gazed at the black slime in his hand.

To do, or not to do—that was the question.

‘Did he have any reason to join an evil organization?’

‘Simply because he disliked Magical Girl White, and hoped to see her spectacular expression when humiliated?’

Ye Qing suddenly clenched the slime tightly.

‘This reason was enough. Absolutely enough!’