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Join the Server“Hey hey~ have you guys heard the recent rumors about [Gray Crystal] from Group 1 of District C?”
“Ah… yeah, I have. That girl’s popularity has basically skyrocketed lately. I heard she’s completed several high-risk purification missions flawlessly.”
“Right, right! She used to be completely invisible in the company.”
“Invisible? Wasn’t she always the butt of jokes as the eternal bottom-ranker of District C?”
“Ah! I remember now! Wasn’t she the one who dragged the team down and nearly got [Obsidian] killed in a native nest? Who would’ve thought—she actually made it big now.”
“Tch, what’s so surprising? Haven’t there always been rumors that she got in through connections? The company must be funneling resources to prop her up.”
“Exactly! I even heard from another district’s management—Director Bai said in an internal meeting that if she completes her next mission successfully, she might be promoted directly to B-rank! Tsk tsk… must be nice having backing.”
“Oh right… speaking of that, didn’t Senior [Nine-Tails] partner with her once before?”
With that, the topic naturally shifted—
to the girl sitting by the floor-to-ceiling window.
Su Xiaoli had been quietly enjoying the red velvet cake on her plate.
The way she ate was impeccably refined, like a classically trained noble lady.
A silver spoon gently cut a small piece, brought it to her lips, swallowed gracefully—without a single clink of utensils.
“Do not speak while eating”—
that kind of upbringing gave her an unmistakable aura of elegance.
Hearing others mention her—and that former temporary teammate—
Su Xiaoli had no choice but to pause.
She set down her spoon, dabbed the corner of her lips with a pristine napkin, then slowly lifted her head.
“Gray Crystal?”
She tilted her head slightly, recalling that gray-haired, heterochromatic-eyed figure. A gentle smile appeared on her lips.
“That child… is actually very talented. And quite cute, too.”
“Oh? Getting such high praise from you, Xiaoli? Guess she’s not completely useless then.”
Across from her, a pink-haired girl let out a light laugh.
She had eye-catching pink-highlighted long hair, large metal hoop earrings, and dressed in the trendy “spicy girl” style typical of Xinhai City.
Pop.
She blew a bubble with her chewing gum and rolled it back into her mouth, her tone teasing and amused:
“But if I remember correctly… wasn’t it that rookie who got your performance docked by the people from [Department Zero] last time? You even had to take a one-month mandatory paid leave and undergo mental purification therapy, right?”
“That’s fine.”
Su Xiaoli brushed her long hair lightly, her tone still warm and gentle.
“Honestly, I had been going on missions too frequently at the time. My parents kept calling, telling me to take a proper rest.”
“And thanks to that mission, Director Bai later applied for a reassessment for me. I’m now A-rank, aren’t I?”
“Tsk tsk… that composed ‘young lady’ vibe of yours is really enviable~”
The pink-haired girl leaned lazily back in her chair and tapped her contract bracelet, opening the [Dawn Home] app.
Her fingers swiped quickly across the virtual interface. Then she frowned, clicking her tongue in disappointment.
“Boring~ If the company hadn’t suddenly tightened access to internal personnel files last year, I’d really want to dig into that [Gray Crystal]…”
“…see what kind of person is hiding under that pretty shell that’s been making waves lately.”
“Isn’t District C pretty close to here?”
Another gossip-loving magical girl chimed in.
“If you’re that curious, why don’t we just go take a look later during break?”
“Oh?”
The pink-haired girl raised an eyebrow, a playful smirk forming.
“Going out of our way to see her? Wouldn’t that seem a bit… aggressive? Like we’re picking a fight?”
“No, it won’t.”
Su Xiaoli rested her chin on her folded hands and smiled at her against the bright sunlight streaming through the window.
“Gray Crystal-chan has a good temperament. She won’t mind~”
Her soft encouragement carried a faint hint of anticipation—
like she was looking forward to a show.
“Go on, [Rose Radiance]-chan~”
“Senior! Senior! Hurry and try this outfit!”
Inside the lounge, Li Qing excitedly held up an extremely elaborate and gorgeous dress, her eyes sparkling.
“This one’s called ‘Cream Piping Artist’! I pre-ordered it from a Taobao indie shop—limited edition! Took half a year to arrive! Our sizes are similar, it’ll definitely fit you—come on, try it!”
A moment later—
“Holy shit—YES! It fits PERFECTLY!”
“So cute! So cute! You look like a soft little cake! Makes me wanna take a bite!”
Li Qing crouched on the floor with teary eyes, helping the girl put on her shoes.
The lace-up little leather shoes were unbearably adorable.
Her hands weren’t exactly well-behaved either—she openly squeezed the girl’s slender legs wrapped in white stockings, like some creepy uncle at a cosplay convention.
“Clarity of mind really does wonders!”
Li Qing looked up, her face full of “my daughter has finally grown up” pride, praising without restraint.
“Senior, do you know how long I’ve been waiting for you to figure this out? This is how it should be! If you’re wearing a girl’s shell anyway, then enjoy being a girl! What’s the point of always looking miserable?”
“Come on, this moment is too meaningful—we have to take a photo together! Bing-chan, quick, help us take one!”
Nearby, Chen Bing sighed expressionlessly, picked up a Polaroid camera, and pressed the shutter.
Click.
The photo slowly slid out.
As the image developed, two girls in exquisite Lolita dresses embracing each other were captured forever.
In the photo, Li Qing’s smile was bright and carefree—like a little sun.
The silver-haired girl beside her still looked slightly shy, her gaze lowered.
But the faint upward curve of her lips—
she looked… genuinely happy.
“This is totally different from before—none of that stiff, forced, humiliated vibe anymore!”
“Ah! I just remembered! I’ve got some accessories that would match this outfit—I’ll go find them!”
Li Qing clapped her hands and dashed off to the changing room like a cheerful pink bird.
Chen Bing set the camera aside and turned to look at Lin Yu.
The latter sat in front of the vanity mirror, tilting her head slightly, her slender pale hands fiddling with eyeshadow palettes and lipstick.
That focused, curious expression—
like a girl trying makeup for the first time.
“Lin Yu.”
Chen Bing finally spoke.
“Hmm? What is it, Sister Bing?”
Lin Yu stopped and turned toward her.
“You… seem a bit different lately.”
“Ah… you mean in terms of missions?”
Lin Yu turned fully around, hands neatly folded in front of her, lowering her head slightly.
“I just… don’t want to drag everyone down anymore. So recently, I’ve been working really hard on practicing spiritual energy and magical girl skills…”
“Yeah… your performance has improved so much it surprised all of us. But that’s not what I meant.”
Chen Bing rubbed her forehead.
She wanted to say it outright—but wasn’t sure if it was appropriate.
“Sister Bing… you mean how I’ve been staying in my magical girl form all the time, right?”
“…Yes. That’s what I meant.”
Chen Bing lowered her hand, softening her tone.
“Is it because you’re under a lot of pressure? Or trying to increase your synchronization quickly? Working hard is good, but Lin Yu… I feel like you might be overcorrecting.”
She used the phrase “overcorrecting,” but what she really wanted to say was—
Are you starting to forget that you were originally a man?
That… should matter, right?
…Right?
“I’m like this…”
Lin Yu tilted her small head.
Her silky silver hair cascaded down as a puzzled expression appeared on her delicate face.
“…Is that bad?”
For a moment, Chen Bing didn’t know how to answer.
“It’s not bad, just…”
“Just what?”
Lin Yu suddenly stepped closer.
Gray Crystal’s body was small—like a cute little girl compared to Chen Bing.
But for some reason—
Chen Bing felt a strange weight from her presence.
Heavy.
So heavy that it made words stick in her throat.
“HEY! ARE YOU GUYS LOOKING FOR A FIGHT?!!”
From outside the door—
Li Qing’s furious shout suddenly exploded.
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