Chapter 30: The Birth of Magical Girl Qing

“The Magical Girl I know doesn’t resemble the one depicted on this poster either.”

At the mention of Gu Xuanyu, Ye Qing’s hand instinctively clenched into a fist.

“So, what do you truly think of the poster’s artwork? How does it compare to the real person?”

Ye Qing glanced back at An Yueying’s captivating face, answering without a moment’s hesitation.

“It’s a world apart.”

Receiving such a casual compliment, An Yueying’s slender eyes narrowed, revealing faint, almost imperceptible crow’s feet at their corners. Far from detracting, these lines only enhanced her mature allure.

Of course, this wasn’t to say An Yueying was an older woman. Rather, her expressions were simply more vivid—or at least, they had been in the past.

It was evident she was the type who genuinely loved to smile, a subtle curve often playing on her lips. When she unconsciously tilted her upturned mouth, alluring dimples would appear.

Should her smile become more unrestrained, that captivating grin would take on a wicked allure.

One would struggle to associate her with a Magical Girl, instead expecting her to emerge as a formidable villain—for antagonists, too, possess their own distinct charm.

“So, Miss Ye Qing, you’re quite confident in your aesthetic judgment, aren’t you? The artist behind this poster is quite renowned in the industry…”

“His reputation is irrelevant to me. Even if I’ve never dabbled in illustration, does that preclude me from judging its quality? Besides… I genuinely believe I could draw better than him.”

Ye Qing gazed thoughtfully at the exquisite poster, her expression utterly calm as she uttered a remarkably bold statement. Yet, her tone suggested she was simply relaying a universally acknowledged truth.

However, even as Ye Qing calmly analyzed the poster’s composition, An Yueying quietly stepped behind her, gently taking Ye Qing’s small hand and softly pressing it against her own chest.

It felt as though her hand was nestled between two plump, fluffy snow rabbits, both warm and yielding.

After a considerable pause, Ye Qing finally registered what was happening, quickly withdrawing her hand and staring dumbfounded at An Yueying.

For a fleeting moment, she suspected the ‘bad woman’ was harboring ill intentions, her body tensing instinctively. Yet, An Yueying did nothing further, leaving Ye Qing feeling somewhat disoriented by the lack of follow-through.

“How was that? The authentic sensation—it’s quite different from a mere drawing, wouldn’t you agree?”

A crimson blush slowly spread across Ye Qing’s pretty face, and she stammered in reply:

“Th-that… that’s definitely not the same thing…”

An Yueying offered a faint smile. Yet, the very next instant, her slightly curved eyes reverted to their usual calm, as if her earlier smile had been nothing more than an illusion.

“Sometimes, however, the truth of a depiction isn’t what matters.

Take this poster, for instance. Whether its portrayal is flawless or not, as long as it prompts people to recall the Magical Girl it depicts, then it has served its purpose.”

An Yueying approached the poster with a dazed expression, her fingertips tracing the cheek of the girl in the painting. Abruptly, she shifted the conversation.

“When you look at Magical Girl Bai’s poster, do you feel any aversion towards it?”

Ye Qing’s delicate brows furrowed slightly as she gently shook her head. Observing this, An Yueying’s gaze fell, and her violet eyes dimmed imperceptibly.

“Never mind, there’s no real point in discussing this with you. In essence, you simply need to understand that I, just like you, possess a compelling reason to seek vengeance against those truly behind the Magical Girls.

Currently, I lack the power to do so, which means I require assistance… Yet, in helping me, you would also be helping yourself, Ye Qing.”

Ye Qing paused, slightly taken aback. She nodded, appearing to grasp the meaning yet still confused, and then asked:

“What do you mean by ‘those truly behind’?”

An Yueying gently shook her head.

“I’ve forgotten.”

This response momentarily startled Ye Qing, but a sudden realization dawned on her as she recalled Gu Xuanyu.

When she had questioned Gu Xuanyu about Magical Girls, Gu Xuanyu had similarly furrowed her delicate brows, distressed, claiming she couldn’t recall.

Ye Qing wouldn’t press her to remember. She could discern that it was a distressing process, and thus resolved to investigate the matter thoroughly herself.

This was precisely why she had been so eager to find An Yueying. To gain access to Magical Girls, she needed to leverage the power of an evil organization.

However, An Yueying was merely an ordinary person. This meant their sole reliance was the young Tang Nuo, who was currently occupied with mischief in the bathroom.

“Truthfully, after drawing you into this, I wrestled with the decision for a long time. Perhaps it’s an old habit from my Magical Girl days, but I’m not as… decisive as I once imagined.

If I were to hand these transformation devices to the outcasts of the red-light district, empowering them, I might achieve my goals much faster. But I simply cannot bring myself to do that.”

An Yueying led Ye Qing to sit on the large bed. Perhaps due to the gravity of their discussion, her voice was deeper than usual, yet the underlying sense of maturity remained constant.

“While most memories of Magical Girls have faded from my mind, I still recall the evil organization… they are far more wicked than you could ever imagine.

Strictly speaking, I’m not truly one of them. I merely happened to acquire some artifacts they left behind when I dismantled their operations in Jinzhou.”

Ye Qing listened, dumbfounded.

By that logic, she herself couldn’t be considered a member of the evil organization either. She was merely… a mascot.

From beneath the bed, An Yueying retrieved two amorphous lumps of black slime.

“These transformation devices are capable of converting ordinary individuals into Evil Cadres. There are only four of them in total.”

An Yueying lifted her gaze, her eyes calmly meeting Ye Qing’s.

“Ye Qing, I’ve placed my bet on you. However, seeking vengeance with only four ordinary individuals is an impossible feat. Regardless of how we approach this, we require true power.”

She pressed the transformation devices into Ye Qing’s hands, speaking no further. She simply waited in silence for Ye Qing’s response.

The black-haired girl remained silent, her hand gently clutching the two lumps of black slime, ensuring they wouldn’t slip from her grasp.

Hesitation, inner turmoil… Ye Qing found herself unable to reach a swift decision.

Just then, the bathroom door abruptly opened, and a blue-haired girl emerged with light steps, her face radiating a newfound glow.

However, upon noticing the uniquely shaped black slime clutched in Ye Qing’s hand, her cheeks couldn’t help but flush crimson.

Nevertheless, she slowly stepped forward, gently poking the slime with her fingertip, asking with a mixture of shyness and confusion:

“Ye Qing, what is this?”

Ye Qing, taken aback, attempted to conceal them, but it was already too late. Composing herself, she explained with a sigh of resignation:

“These are Evil Cadre transformation devices.”

“??!”

The next moment, Miss Glutinous Rice Candy gasped, her hand flying to cover her mouth in shock. After staring blankly at Ye Qing for a few seconds, she wrinkled her delicate nose, and her golden eyes began to well up with moisture.

“Ye Qing, you lied to me…”

Ye Qing knew this was a reference to their earlier joke, yet she felt utterly helpless in the face of Tang Nuo’s distress.

“Don’t worry,” she said, attempting a calming tone. “If you decide not to join, we can still remain friends.”

She tried to speak as calmly as possible, but Tang Nuo’s face still bore the look of someone on the verge of tears.

“That’s what all villains say! As soon as I refuse, you’ll just seize me, won’t you?”

Ye Qing’s lips twitched.

“You’ve been watching too many movies. Besides, I rarely lie.”

“But you clearly tricked me last time.”

‘It seemed Ye Qing’s credibility with Tang Nuo had been completely depleted by that earlier jest.’

Just then, An Yueying, who had been observing from the side, suddenly spoke up.

“There’s no need to be nervous, Miss Tang Nuo. We are merely ordinary individuals. If you’re frightened, you’re free to call the police right now. However, I would ask you to first calm yourself and listen to what I have to say.”

An Yueying’s gentle voice swiftly soothed Tang Nuo’s agitated mood. Nevertheless, the blue-haired girl remained rooted to her spot, too timid to move.

Meanwhile, An Yueying stepped into the adjacent walk-in closet, swiftly emerging with a brand-new, opulent black Magical Girl uniform.

Upon seeing her approach, holding the uniform, Ye Qing instantly grasped her intention, a corner of her mouth twitching involuntarily.

‘So, in the end, it’s still me who has to be sacrificed…’

As things stood, she had no choice but to obediently allow An Yueying to dress her.

Moments later, Magical Girl Qing was gloriously born!

“Miss Tang Nuo, if you agree to become an Evil Cadre, in addition to the captivating photos you saw last time, our mascot Qing will also be included as a bonus gift. What do you say? Are you willing to consider it now?”