Chapter 22: Jasmine’s Return and a Glimpse of the Past

Jasmine, the magical girl.

Rumor had it that her true form was born deep within a hidden garden, gently caressed by moonlight.

To the public, Jasmine was an idol, a symbol of tenderness.

Far from possessing the usual haughtiness of magical girls, she frequently appeared in every corner of the city, offering assistance to its citizens.

In Su Qianyu’s estimation, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that she was an angel sent from the heavens.

Even if one were to browse certain adult websites, the doujinshi (TL Note: Fan-made comics, often adult-themed) featuring her as the protagonist were predominantly gentle in nature.

At the very least, they would never be as outlandish as those featuring Index.

Yet now, observing the expressions of the two, Su Qianyu distinctly sensed that their relationship was far from the amicable bond typically shared by magical girls.

At the very least, they were certainly not friends.

“How did you find me?”

Her magical wand was drawn back with a whistling rush, leaving a lingering warmth in the air.

Illo, holding her weapon, clearly harbored hostility towards the uninvited guest.

Staring intently at every movement of the red-haired magical girl before her, Jasmine, who had just appeared, did not engage in conversation but instead slowly mended her body with magic.

In most situations, Jasmine merely needed to appear, and the majority of villains would surrender instantly.

This was not due to the magical girl’s gentle nature, but rather because, beyond her tenderness, Jasmine possessed extraordinary magical prowess.

“What, did you actually think you were well-hidden?”

Narrowing her eyes, Jasmine’s oppressive aura gradually intensified.

Watching the two women face off, Su Qianyu quietly retreated into a corner.

‘When powerful figures clashed, onlookers simply ‘ate melons’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term meaning to watch drama unfold as a bystander, often with popcorn), and this had always been Su Qianyu’s style.’

‘Of course, it would be best if Illo were beaten to death.’

‘If she died, I would finally be free.’

Muttering to herself, Su Qianyu shifted further back once more.

Yet Illo made no move, and the scene Su Qianyu had envisioned failed to materialize.

The two simply watched each other calmly, doing nothing at all.

One second.

Two seconds.

Even after Su Qianyu yawned, they remained in the same standoff.

‘Aren’t you two tired?’

Still grumbling internally, Su Qianyu maintained her original posture.

However, as if noticing Su Qianyu in the corner, Jasmine, who had still been wary, suddenly chuckled.

“You… you took her in?”

Gazing at the ‘dumpling’ in the corner, Jasmine’s soft laughter broke the silence.

In contrast, Illo’s face still bore an expression of solemnity and vigilance, clearly uneasy about Jasmine’s presence.

Jasmine’s actions were clearly very different from those in the previous life.

Feeling time slip away, Illo felt a headache coming on.

At this rate, she wouldn’t have enough time.

“Don’t worry, I’m not a bad person.”

“It’s just been a long time since I saw you, and I wanted to see how you were doing.”

Smiling softly, Jasmine stepped forward, approaching Su Qianyu’s face.

“And besides this, shouldn’t you be more concerned about this little trinket?”

Pinching Su Qianyu’s cheek twice, Jasmine nodded with evident approval.

“The feel isn’t bad.”

Illo clicked her tongue, having no choice but to put away her weapon and turn back to search for the files.

‘My face was pinched, and she says it’s “not bad”?’

Su Qianyu glared at her somewhat indignantly, but Jasmine’s immense magical power instantly intimidated Su Qianyu, making her wilt by a third.

“Don’t even think about making any small moves.”

“I know you’re not him, right?”

With just a single glance, Su Qianyu felt as though she had been thoroughly dissected from head to toe.

Yet, as if discovering something new, Jasmine tilted her head, her expression revealing a hint of confusion.

“No… something seems, not quite right?”

Narrowing her eyes, Jasmine’s gaze seemed capable of devouring a person whole.

‘This magical girl is problematic, isn’t she!?’

‘She saw at a glance that I’m a transmigrator – that’s clearly not right!’

Su Qianyu glanced pleadingly towards Illo, but Illo was still engrossed in searching for documents, paying no heed to the trivial matters happening beside her.

‘Hey, look over here!’

‘If you don’t stop her, she’ll see right through me, down to my underwear!’

It seemed her wailing had an effect, or perhaps Jasmine simply decided she no longer wished to bother with her.

Jasmine glanced twice at the wristwatch fastened to her wrist, then slowly opened her mouth.

“Illo, stop searching.”

“If I’m not mistaken, you don’t have much time left to find what you’re looking for, do you?”

“How do you know?”

Surprise intertwined in Illo’s mind, yet she did not cease her actions.

Such an opportunity was simply too rare to come by.

So much so that she couldn’t bring herself to give it up.

“Go back. You’re only wasting time by being here now.”

“Although I don’t know what you’re looking for, this is not a place where you, in your current state, should be.”

However, this well-intentioned warning received no corresponding reply, only Illo’s furious retort.

“You don’t know anything!”

Yet, the moment the words left her mouth, upon seeing Jasmine’s face, Illo could only grit her teeth and forcefully close the cabinet again.

“Fine, you win.”

“But you’d better explain why… you’re also here, once we’re outside.”

Leaving those words behind, Illo turned and simply picked up Su Qianyu, carrying her away.

Feeling the sudden sensation of weightlessness, Su Qianyu had already grown somewhat accustomed to it.

‘There was originally no road in the world; when many people walked, it became a road.’ (TL Note: A famous Chinese proverb by Lu Xun, meaning paths are forged through repeated action.)

And having been carried by Illo so many times, she had naturally developed a habit for it.

However, just as they were leaving, Su Qianyu faintly overheard Jasmine muttering something to herself nearby.

“I hope this time, it works.”

Though the words were softly spoken, her sensitive fox ears allowed her to hear them clearly.

At the same time, she felt as if she had been inexplicably nudged by something.

Before she could inquire further, the two had already left the long corridor.

Returning to the original entrance, Illo accidentally knocked over and shattered a vase.

The crisp sound of shattering glass grated on Su Qianyu’s eardrums, and upon seeing the fragments on the floor, the super-strong magical girl’s eyebrow twitched.

“Which ill-mannered person put this here?”

Fortunately, no one witnessed this scene.

Glancing around, Su Qianyu silently closed her mouth.

Returning swiftly to the banquet hall, Illo once again snapped her fingers.

Stepping inside and seeing the hall still bustling, Illo breathed a sigh of relief.

It seemed her disappearance, along with the little one, had gone unnoticed.

However, just as she reverted from her transformation, Qincai rushed over from below the stage.

“Where did you two go!?”

“I looked for ages just now, but I couldn’t find either of you nearby!”

The young girl’s face was etched with urgency; clearly, she was surprised by the disappearance of Su Qianyu and Illo.

“If I hadn’t stopped them, they would have started searching for you already!”

Illo feigned composure, slowly producing the lie she had prepared beforehand.

Seeing that her presence was temporarily unneeded, Su Qianyu quietly returned to the banquet table by herself.

On the table, the delectable food remained untouched.

‘Hmm, you all chat, I’ll eat.’

Filling her plate to the brim, Su Qianyu slipped over to a nearby sofa.

Halfway there, Su Qianyu heard something fall to the ground.

Turning to look in the direction of the sound, she saw the magical girl crystal that The Old Man had given her.

However, as Su Qianyu gazed at the crystal on the floor, she noticed something amiss under the banquet hall’s lighting.

‘Has this thing… changed color?’