Chapter 32: An Unforgettable Night

That night, Jin Shiling found herself in the rare throes of insomnia.

Her weary body tossed and turned on the bed, yet her brain, brimming with an insatiable thirst for knowledge and exploration, remained relentlessly active, squandering her imagination to freely piece together fragments of information, transforming them into a series of vivid, almost menacing hypotheses.

She had not long been a magical girl, having engaged in only two battles thus far, yet each encounter had not only left an indelible mark upon her but also fundamentally reshaped her perception of the world, leaving her uncertain whether to deem herself fortunate or ill-fated.

In the storybooks and animations of her childhood, the Corrupted were invariably portrayed as monstrous entities, wicked and savage, yet always vanquished by protagonists imbued with righteous hearts.

Back then, the Corrupted served as a fundamental reflection and guide to rudimentary notions of right and wrong during her innocent formative years.

However, by the time Jin Shiling began to truly heed real-world incidents concerning the Corrupted, these entities had shed their storybook guise of evil foes, no longer inspiring heroic aspirations.

Instead, they embodied a starker reality, a colder compilation of statistics, and a palpable sense of aversion and dread.

As individuals confronted their own insignificance and the overwhelming disparity in power between themselves and the impending threat, they no longer reacted with the unadulterated fearlessness of childhood, but rather instinctively fled from the danger.

Yet, regardless of circumstance, the Corrupted remained imprinted upon her mind as irrational, incommunicable monsters unworthy of empathy—an impression that had never wavered.

It was precisely this unwavering belief that made Jin Shiling’s perception of the Corrupted so complex after she and Asherah had endured the incident involving Ye Xiaoshuang.

Then, the adversary she had faced just hours prior alongside Polaris, known as “Black Mirror,” utterly demolished her ingrained notions.

Beyond the overwhelming power Black Mirror wielded, and the unnerving ability of her body to function unimpeded even when impaled, it was her capacity for communication and emotional expression, indistinguishable from any ordinary human, that truly sent a chill down Jin Shiling’s spine.

Having overheard Polaris’s brief exchange with Black Mirror, it appeared the incident involving Ye Xiaoshuang was also linked to this adversary.

Furthermore, Polaris and Black Mirror seemed to share a prior acquaintance, though Polaris’s demeanor had been notably more subtle during their interaction.

Witnessing the young assailant being spirited away by Black Mirror, she and Polaris promptly contacted the Magical Supervision Department, seeking both assistance and subsequent damage control.

Their efforts included retrieving nearby surveillance footage to ascertain the boy’s identity and mobilizing personnel for a preliminary pursuit and investigation.

Recognizing the lateness of the hour, Polaris then volunteered to return to the Magical Supervision Department to provide a full report.

After dropping Jin Shiling off near her home, Polaris and the other magical girls accompanying her departed for the department.

‘Could Polaris be concealing something?’

Despite her reluctance to believe it, Polaris’s subtle demeanor when confronting Black Mirror had sown a seed of doubt within Jin Shiling.

Lacking any knowledge of the subsequent events, she found herself tormented by a myriad of unanswered questions, her mind unable to find repose, and her heart lingering in turmoil.

Repeatedly, she admonished herself that finals were imminent, requiring her to wake for school each day in peak mental condition.

Yet, the distinct bloodshot veins marring her groggy eyes in the morning mirror served as undeniable proof of her method’s utter ineffectiveness.

‘I might as well have pulled an all-nighter to study,’ Jin Shiling thought, forcing herself to rally her spirits.

After washing up and eating breakfast, she rubbed her weary eyes as she made her way to school, commencing another day.

With final exams looming, the classroom atmosphere had grown noticeably more taut than usual.

No one here had truly abandoned their studies, embracing apathy; rather, most students, while professing “I’m done competing, I’m done studying,” were still furiously scribbling away.

After all, though few aspired to perpetually top the ranks, equally few wished to search for their names and scores starting from the bottom of the list.

Ultimately, grades and rankings often dictated the comfort and freedom of their impending summer vacation.

For Jin Shiling, who had always maintained a rigorous standard for her academic performance, the aspiration to consistently achieve high rankings imposed an invisible yet palpable pressure.

Thankfully, the study assistance provided by the Magical Supervision Department had equipped her to navigate the current course material with considerable ease.

So adept had she become that, during lunch, her friends, witnessing her effortlessly solve a complex problem in class, began to humorously suspect her occasional solo departures after school were indeed clandestine trips to a cram school.

Having finally endured the day, Jin Shiling and her friends, along with other students gathered in small groups, emerged from the teaching building as the dismissal bell rang.

With the arrival of July, the air had begun to thicken with the stifling humidity characteristic of summer.

The sky above was a muted grey-blue, its heavy, low-hanging clouds portending the likelihood of rain.

“Snacks, it looks like there’s a girl from outside our school waiting for someone at the gate.”

Beside her, Song Ketong lowered her head, scrolling through chat logs on her phone.

The casual remark she tossed out immediately captured Li Nailu’s attention.

Li Nailu shifted from Jin Shiling’s left, positioning herself between the two, and leaned in to peer at the image Song Ketong was currently enlarging with her finger.

“Let me see that.

She’s not here looking for a boyfriend, is she?

If the dean of students caught sight of this, it would be utterly disastrous.

And speaking of which, doesn’t that school uniform look rather familiar?”

Jin Shiling remained silent, her mind preoccupied with whether she ought to return to the Magical Supervision Department later to ascertain the aftermath of last night’s incident.

“That’s Jingda Affiliated High School.

Last year, their admission cutoff was twenty points higher than ours.”

“Hmph… don’t go boosting other people’s morale like that, Blueberry.

It’s not easy to get into our school either, and what’s so special about being a top-tier high school?

They still have students who dye their hair.

If that were here, they wouldn’t even make it past the school gates.”

A cascade of familiar keywords reached Jin Shiling’s ears, causing her to involuntarily conjure a chattering, somewhat boisterous image in her mind.

‘“Wait,”’ she thought, ‘“could the person at the school gate be…”’

Before she even reached the school gate, a striking head of brown, inwardly curled hair standing prominently at the entrance confirmed Jin Shiling’s suspicion.

There stood Cheng Zhenzhen, casually leaning by the school gate, occasionally glancing into the campus to observe the departing students.

Despite the frequent curious gazes cast her way, she appeared utterly oblivious to having become the center of attention.

Upon spotting Jin Shiling, she swiftly waved a hand, greeting her with an easy, cheerful tone.

“Yah, hello there! Over here, over here!”

“Hey, is she waving at us?”

Jin Shiling, her expression unperturbed, maintained a serene smile as she raised a hand in return to Cheng Zhenzhen, then quickened her pace towards her.

Before she could even utter a word, Cheng Zhenzhen proactively offered her a plastic bag containing a cup of milk tea and an assortment of small snacks.

Curiously, during their very first encounter, Cheng Zhenzhen’s backpack had also been brimming with snacks.

“Here, drink up! It’s still nice and cold right now.”

“Thank you,” Jin Shiling replied, “but what brings you here?

It would have been wonderful if you’d sent me a message beforehand; I could have come out a little earlier.”

After a soft thank you, Jin Shiling accepted the plastic bag.

While a flicker of helplessness regarding Cheng Zhenzhen’s unannounced arrival crossed her mind, she nonetheless inquired about her friend’s purpose in a tone of warm familiarity, artfully concealing any hint of complaint.

“Heh heh, I had a competition today, and it wrapped up quite early, so I just decided to pop over.

I wanted to give you a surprise, you know?”

“You truly are incorrigible.

What if we had been dismissed late today…” Jin Shiling remarked, observing Cheng Zhenzhen’s beaming face and once again acknowledging her friend’s independent spirit.

Just then, her other friends approached, prompting Jin Shiling to turn, her voice softening slightly.

“Ah, perfect timing.

Everyone, allow me to introduce you.

This is a friend of mine from outside school, Cheng Zhenzhen.”

“Hello, everyone!

I’m… Jin Shiling’s friend.

You can just call me Zhenzhen.”

More than Cheng Zhenzhen’s immediate familiarity, Jin Shiling was struck by her brief, telling pause.

‘“Hey,”’ she thought, observing the girl’s lips, ‘“could that lass have been about to blurt out her magical girl name?”’

“Cheng Zhenzhen… why does that name sound vaguely familiar?” Li Nailu murmured softly for a moment before her eyes suddenly lit up, and she eagerly leaned closer.

“Could it be that you are the ‘Little Flying Squirrel’ from Jingda Affiliated High School?”

Cheng Zhenzhen immediately nodded, a delighted grin spreading across her face.

“Oh, you know me?

That’s right, that’s me!”

She, for her part, displayed not an ounce of modesty, straightening her back and placing her hands on her hips in an air of proud self-importance.

Yet, coupled with her diminutive stature, it was genuinely difficult to dislike her.

Noticing the lingering confusion among her companions, Li Nailu promptly recounted Cheng Zhenzhen’s accomplishments.

“I heard from my friends in the track and field club that there’s a girl at Jingda Affiliated High School who’s incredibly talented at sprinting.

She’s won championships for three consecutive years, breaking her own city records each time.

I never imagined I’d see her in person today!”

With a topic now established, the group gathered around Cheng Zhenzhen, engaging in an animated conversation that gradually shifted toward aspects of school life.

Wang Lan, for instance, voiced her curiosity about the academic pressure at Jingda Affiliated High School; Li Nailu shared some intriguing gossip she had heard; and Song Ketong effortlessly deduced Cheng Zhenzhen’s mixed-race heritage.

Cheng Zhenzhen, for her part, navigated these discussions with remarkable composure, fully exhibiting her amiable, outgoing nature and formidable social adeptness.

She possessed an innate talent for connecting with others, effortlessly endearing herself to those she met.

‘“She must be quite popular at school,”’ Jin Shiling mused, a thought forming in her mind.

A subtle distinction set them apart: whereas Jin Shiling consciously cultivated a particular persona to foster favorable impressions, Cheng Zhenzhen, by contrast, naturally left a positive mark due to her guileless and cheerful disposition.

She was, in essence, far more candid and spontaneous than Jin Shiling herself.

Once their companions had dispersed, Jin Shiling gently nudged Cheng Zhenzhen’s arm with her shoulder.

“Alright, everyone’s headed home to enjoy the weekend.

Let’s not just stand here.

My place is right across the street; if there’s anything you need to say, come on in and tell me there.”

“Alright, let’s go, let’s go!”

Very quickly, Cheng Zhenzhen understood that Jin Shiling’s “across the street” referred to the residential building directly opposite the school gate, less than a few dozen meters away.

Had it not been for the iron fence, they could have reached the house in less than half a minute.

Standing by the kitchen window, Cheng Zhenzhen gazed at the unobstructed school playground and exclaimed with heartfelt admiration, “How wonderful!

I wish I could walk just a few steps to school every day.”

“Then how do you usually get to school?

I remember U.M.A. is quite a distance from Jingda Affiliated High School.”

“Mom and I don’t live at the shop.

The house isn’t too far from school; I can usually run there in about twenty minutes.

Of course, on rainy or snowy days, I dutifully take the bus.”

“I see.

That sounds like a good morning exercise routine.”

Saying this, Jin Shiling opened the refrigerator.

“Do you want anything else to drink?

Though I only have cola, coffee, and soda water.”

“Hmm, no coffee, thanks.

I drink more than enough of it at the shop already.

I can’t fathom why customers love ordering something so bitter and tasteless.”

“Then how about trying this one?

My brother put it in here.

It’s called coffee, but I tried it once, and it tasted even sweeter than regular drinks.”

“Really?

I want to try what it tastes like, but is it okay to just take your brother’s stuff?”

Jin Shiling took a yellow and black coffee can from the refrigerator and handed it to Cheng Zhenzhen.

“It’s fine.

He has several more boxes in his room; he won’t mind.”

Cheng Zhenzhen sat on the living room sofa, holding the can and examining the foreign script on its packaging.

In the end, she could only decipher the words “condensed milk.”

Carefully twisting open the tab, she gazed at the pale brown liquid inside, then tentatively tilted her head back slightly and took a sip.

“…”

Immediately afterward, she made an expression that Jin Shiling found quite peculiar, reminding her of a cat curled up beside a heater in winter.

“This… it’s really sweet.

Though if it were my mom, she’d never admit something this sweet could be called coffee.

But it’s genuinely delicious.”

“As long as you like it.”

Jin Shiling picked up her own half-finished milk tea and sat beside Cheng Zhenzhen, casually opening a food delivery app.

“You probably haven’t had dinner yet, have you?

Let’s order something to eat.”

“Huh?

Are your aunt and uncle not coming home today?

Shouldn’t we wait for your brother?”

Cheng Zhenzhen had felt something was odd as soon as she walked in.

She couldn’t quite describe it, but from the way certain items were arranged, the faint marks on the walls where things had once hung, the locked rooms, and the dusty appliances, she sensed a slightly desolate atmosphere.

Upon hearing the question, Jin Shiling paused slightly, her voice softening.

“…No need to wait.

My brother usually comes back quite late.

It’s just him and me living here.”

“As for our parents—that is, my father and the aunt he remarried—they passed away in a car accident two years ago.”

Whenever Jin Shiling recounted this story to others, she tried her best to appear calm.

This was one of the few similarities she recognized between herself and Zhang Qingwei: neither of them wanted pity or comfort for this incident, as it only brought back painful memories.

Typically, no one would linger on such a topic; at school, when the subject arose, everyone would quickly, whether subtly or awkwardly, change the subject.

Cheng Zhenzhen’s reaction, however, was somewhat unexpected.

“Hearing you talk about it so calmly… I don’t even know what to say.”

She scratched her head, her gaze falling on the coffee can in her hand.

“But, you know, I really think you’re amazing for that.

If it were me, I’d probably be crying my eyes out.”

“Seriously, I mean… crying is perfectly normal, right?

Especially with something like that…” She paused, seemingly feeling her words were a bit jumbled, then waved her hand and added, “Anyway, regardless, I think you’re really amazing… Snacks.”

After a moment’s thought, Cheng Zhenzhen finally used the nickname she had just heard from Jin Shiling’s classmates to address her.

She didn’t shy away; instead, she attempted to continue the conversation in her own way.

Though her words were a little clumsy, Jin Shiling could discern her sincerity, and the weight of the topic seemed to lessen somewhat because of it.

The young girl then retrieved her past, those memories she had believed to be long buried.

She was not amazing at all, for she was not as strong as she appeared; the evidence was the sharp pang in her heart whenever the topic arose.

Yet, perhaps growth was the process of concealing one’s true self, and so she could still sit beside Cheng Zhenzhen and say in a light tone, “You’re taking this too seriously.

How could anyone not cry when facing something like that?

It’s just that after crying for a while, you realize it can’t change anything that has already happened, and it only leaves your throat and eyes sore.”

“Moreover, one lesson I learned from it is that even crying requires strength.

If you don’t fill your stomach, it’s hard to do anything well, so…” Jin Shiling handed her phone to Cheng Zhenzhen, gesturing with her eyes.

“Instead of dwelling on things irrelevant to the present, let’s think about what to have for dinner.”

Cheng Zhenzhen took the phone and scrolled up and down.

“Hmm… My mom always says eating takeout isn’t healthy, so she usually doesn’t let me order it.

Snacks, do you have any recommendations?”

“I don’t order out very often either.

Most of the time, I go to the community cafeteria next door or grab dinner with classmates at McD’s.

But tomorrow is the weekend, so a little indulgence today won’t hurt.

Well, if you really don’t know what to order…”

Jin Shiling leaned over, picking out a few well-regarded restaurants from the many pages of shops and dishes.

After a brief discussion and browsing, they finally settled on a cheese baked rice.

“By the way, did you tell your aunt you wouldn’t be home for dinner today?”

“Yes, I told Mom I’d be back a bit late today, so no worries.”

“That’s good then.”

The milk tea in the cup was already at the bottom, the last bit of nata de coco symbolically ignored by Jin Shiling.

Now that the most pressing matter (ordering food) was done, it was time to return to the main topic.

Watching Cheng Zhenzhen, who for some reason had started searching for “cheese baked rice recipes” videos on a short-video app, Jin Shiling temporarily interrupted the girl’s potential plan to update her café’s menu, asking the belated question, “So, Zhenzhen, is there something you came for today?”

As soon as Cheng Zhenzhen had appeared at the school gate and seen her, Jin Shiling had sensed that the other girl seemed to have something to say, but the circumstances at the time had prevented her from speaking.

However, seeing her now, Jin Shiling wondered if she had overthought it, and perhaps Cheng Zhenzhen had genuinely just decided to visit her on a whim.

The girl, whose name had been called, suddenly looked up sharply, swiftly swiping away the video on the screen as she exclaimed, “Oh no, I almost forgot!” and turned to face Jin Shiling.

“That’s right, that’s right!

I actually came today because I had something very important I wanted to ask.”

‘If it was truly so important, then don’t forget it so easily and then look all “enlightened” now,’ Jin Shiling silently grumbled to herself before continuing the conversation.

“Something very important? Could it be related to magical girls?”

“Yes, yesterday I was called to the Magical Supervision Department for tutoring by Aunt Pale Green, and I happened to overhear others talking about it,” Cheng Zhenzhen nodded, her usually cute, round face adopting a rare serious expression.

“Snacks, I heard you encountered that person, didn’t you?”

“That person?”

“Black Mirror, that despicable woman.”

Perhaps feeling that “despicable” was too mild a word to describe her, Cheng Zhenzhen gritted her teeth and added in a lowered voice, “If I ever meet her again, I’ll tear that poker face right off her.”

Jin Shiling blinked in surprise.

This was the first time she had seen Cheng Zhenzhen display such obvious hostility towards someone, though using “someone” to refer to the Corrupted known as “Black Mirror” wasn’t entirely accurate.

It seemed there was indeed a story behind this.

“You know her?”

“Of course I know her.

Her, I will absolutely never forgive her.”

“In that case, it’s perfect.

Actually, I also have some questions about what happened yesterday…”

So, Jin Shiling recounted the events of last night to Cheng Zhenzhen in their entirety, observing her reactions.

However, she omitted the parts related to Ye Xiaoshuang, as per her agreement with Polaris.

Cheng Zhenzhen, just as her demeanor suggested, reacted more intensely to the parts involving Polaris and Black Mirror.

It seemed there was a more pronounced conflict and contradiction between her and Black Mirror than with Polaris.

“So, above the Erosion-level Corrupted, there are also these so-called ‘Plague-level’ Corrupted like Black Mirror?

But why have I never heard of them before?

The guidelines issued by the Magical Supervision Department never mentioned this term.”

“I’m not entirely sure about the detailed reasons.

That rulebook itself is quite old.

Polaris did share her thoughts with me once; she believes one reason is to prevent unnecessary panic.”

“Even magical girls aren’t supposed to know?”

Cheng Zhenzhen shook her head, not overly concerned.

“It is a bit strange, indeed, because even within the Magical Supervision Department, quite a few people, aside from magical girls, are aware of the existence of Plague-level Corrupted.

Perhaps the higher-ups have their own reasons.”

Jin Shiling pondered for a moment; the explanation of preventing panic did make sense.

After all, as someone who had personally experienced it, she felt a certain unease herself.

A Corrupted with intelligence and clear objectives… such an enemy would undoubtedly be a huge problem, no matter how one looked at it.

Thinking this, the next question naturally followed.

“So, what exactly are Plague-level Corrupted?

How are enemies like Black Mirror created?

And why doesn’t the Magical Supervision Department dispatch appropriate personnel to eliminate these threats promptly?”

“Hmm, actually, I don’t know much more than you do…” Cheng Zhenzhen also seemed a bit troubled.

“Polaris knows some relevant information, but she never tells me anything about it.

The Magical Supervision Department’s archives should be able to answer your questions, Snacks, but accessing the data requires proper authorization.

I’ve never been there, so I’m not very clear about it.”

“I see…”

Archives, Jin Shiling silently noted the location, planning to visit during the holiday after her final exams.

“Oh, I just remembered something else!” Cheng Zhenzhen clapped her hands, as if struck by inspiration.

“It’s said that the Magical Supervision Department once organized a joint operation to eradicate Plague-level Corrupted.

Apparently, they even invited several famous magical girls as main forces.

I even remember one of their names!”

Cheng Zhenzhen’s nimble fingers quickly tapped a few times on the phone’s search bar.

“There!

It’s them.”

Saying this, Cheng Zhenzhen clicked on a video and placed the phone on the coffee table.

The screen displayed two silver-haired magical girls, identical in appearance and attire.

They spoke a foreign language that Jin Shiling didn’t understand, but through the subtitles below, she learned that these two magical girls were named “Rondo,” a rather rare twin duo.

The video also mentioned that they were highly ranked magical girls globally, renowned for their battle achievements.

For humanity, they were truly heroes who brought hope.

“They weren’t able to defeat Black Mirror either?”

“No, they seemed to be dealing with another Plague-level Corrupted in the city.

I don’t know the specifics.”

Before Jin Shiling could fully process the news that another Plague-level Corrupted existed in the city, Cheng Zhenzhen sighed and swiped the video away.

“Although it’s frustrating, they are indeed much stronger than Polaris.

But even they probably can’t eliminate Black Mirror.”

Jin Shiling recalled Black Mirror’s performance in yesterday’s battle.

While the opponent hadn’t displayed an overwhelming disparity in strength, she had maintained control of the battle from beginning to end.

Even though Jin Shiling’s final, all-out shot appeared visually to inflict heavy damage, even piercing her body, Black Mirror’s actions remained completely unaffected, and there were no signs of her magical power weakening.

“She is indeed very strong.

It’s almost impossible to find her weaknesses.”

“…I don’t know if I should say this, but both battles you’ve been involved in, Snacks, have been very… using ‘special’ to describe them feels insufficient.”

To this, Jin Shiling could only offer a wry smile.

“I feel the same way.

As a newcomer, my beginning doesn’t feel like a normal difficulty level no matter how I think about it.

If I could, I’d prefer to advance steadily, step by step, rather than constantly having my worldview shattered like this.”

“But, I’m actually a little envious of you, Snacks.”

Cheng Zhenzhen tilted her head back, downing the coffee in one gulp.

The sweetness flowing down her throat did nothing to soften her pensive expression.

She held the now-empty can with both hands, lowering her head slightly.

“I’ve been, I’ve always been searching for Black Mirror, but I’ve only encountered her once so far.

And she didn’t even pay attention to me; she just ran away.”

At this point, Jin Shiling couldn’t help but be curious about the reason for Cheng Zhenzhen’s intense focus on Black Mirror.

“Why are you so fixated on Black Mirror, Zhenzhen?

Is there a reason for this?”

“A reason? Of course there is.

I have an absolute reason why I cannot let her go, why I cannot forgive her.”

Cheng Zhenzhen paused, then softly uttered a name, “Rainbow Team.”

“Black Mirror, she destroyed the Rainbow Team.”

Before Jin Shiling could fully process this shocking news, Cheng Zhenzhen continued, “She hurt my most beloved seniors.

Polaris’s current state is also her doing.”

“During the time I first became a magical girl, the seniors helped me a lot.

They were all wonderful people.

They constantly fought various dangers for people’s safety and happiness.

The time I spent with everyone in the Rainbow Team is my most precious memory.”

“So… I can’t accept everyone ending up with such an ambiguous disbandment.

I don’t want the Rainbow Team to just be forgotten like this.”

“Therefore, I must make Black Mirror pay.

I want her to know what important things she destroyed.”

Jin Shiling remained silent.

She recognized the true nature of what burned in Cheng Zhenzhen’s eyes, what lay beneath her heart: an obsession, a slightly distorted obsession, both familiar and foreign to her.

Just as she considered whether to use this opportunity to learn more details, the sound of keys entering a lock reached her ears.

As the door opened, Zhang Qingwei appeared before them.

Since Jin Shiling had mentioned earlier that she lived here with her brother, Cheng Zhenzhen immediately understood the identity of the man before her.

She quickly adjusted back to her usual demeanor, greeting him with a cheerful tone and a brilliant smile, “Hello, Big Brother.

I’m Snacks’ friend.

Thank you for having me today.”

“Mm, hello.

Welcome, welcome.”

Zhang Qingwei nodded to the unfamiliar face in his home.

After hanging his shoulder bag on the coat rack by the entrance, he walked into the living room.

His eyes immediately fell on the coffee can on the coffee table, then moved without lingering to the clock hanging on the mirror.

“At this hour, have you two had dinner yet?”

‘This guy, his first sentence is always about meals.’

“Not yet, but we’ve already ordered takeout.”

“Mm, Snacks said she’s treating me to cheese baked rice.

What about you, Big Brother?”

“I’m fine.

I’ve already eaten out.”

“Oh, what did you eat, Big Brother?

Do you have any recommended restaurants nearby?

I want to go with Snacks next time.”

At this moment, the two unrelated siblings in the room suddenly shared an almost identical, peculiar realization: in these brief ten seconds or so, the term “Big Brother” had been uttered more times than in the past six months combined.

‘It seems I’ll only be able to ask another time,’ Jin Shiling thought, watching Cheng Zhenzhen continue to engage in casual conversation with Zhang Qingwei, who, in her opinion, still looked half-dead, displaying her usual outgoing personality.