Chapter 42: The Ghostly Photo and Envy’s Capture

Ling Wei narrowed her eyes, concentrating intently as she gazed at the lawn outside the window.

A gentle breeze rustled, and her perception instantly spread, covering the entire park. She scrutinized the magic of every living thing, leaving no blade of grass or tree unexamined.

Soon, she pinpointed the strange individual Zero had mentioned.

Its magic blazed like a candle in the night, dazzling and alluring amidst the crowd, utterly incapable of escaping the young woman’s senses.

“It truly is him. This fellow seems to be heading towards the center of the park… Zero, isn’t the Morning Star’s old auntie’s statue located there?”

“I’m not sure if I should answer ‘yes,’ ma’am. There is only a statue of Miss Morning Star over there, a lady at most.

“Perhaps this strange gentleman is also her fan, on his way to pay his respects?”

The young woman rose from the table, removing the administrator’s baseball cap, and her cascading black hair tumbled freely.

“Fervent fans can be quite terrifying. Come, let’s go over and take a look, lest our unarmed little Lily of the Valley find herself in over her head.”

****

In the plaza at the heart of the park, a multi-headed behemoth lay prostrate on the ground.

Its body gleamed with a metallic, malevolent light, and numerous faces, each contorted with different expressions of joy and rage, sprouted from its back. The sight alone was enough to strike fear into any observer.

The petite Morning Star, meanwhile, hovered in the air. She held a heavy iron spear, disproportionate to her size, and plunged the weapon downwards with immense force, piercing the behemoth’s heart precisely.

Though merely a statue, this scene still exuded a powerful aura, drawing in many curious children.

They stood beside the behemoth, all of them tiptoeing to stroke and pat the faces on its back. The unfortunate beast had clearly endured countless days and nights of such touching, for its naturally rough surface had become smooth.

Lily of the Valley and Lu Chen walked along the path, arriving at the plaza.

As the young woman approached the statue, she watched the children’s joyful laughter from afar, and an unconscious, natural smile graced her lips. Lu Chen’s heart swelled with delight, and he immediately pulled out his camera.

“Miss Lily of the Valley, that smile is wonderful! Just hold it like that!”

“Oh? Alright!”

Startled by his words, Lily of the Valley instantly straightened her posture and consciously stretched her lips into a grin, thereby helping Lu Chen produce yet another ‘ghostly’ photograph.

The young man regretfully lowered his camera.

“You’re still much too tense. However, judging by that last smile, you seem to quite like children? Would you like to try taking a picture with them?”

Lily of the Valley watched the children chasing and playing, a complex emotion flickering in her eyes. After a moment of hesitation, she shook her head.

“…Let’s not. Parents certainly wouldn’t agree to their children taking photos with strangers.”

“But you’re a magical girl; how could you be considered an ordinary stranger? Ah, right, I remember there’s usually a photo-op event here.”

Lu Chen glanced around, and his gaze quickly landed on a corner of the plaza. A little girl stood there.

She wore a small yellow hat and a volunteer vest, and was currently spacing out behind a small cart bearing a sign that read: “Guard Peace with Morning Star! Charity Fundraiser Photo Booth.”

The little one was remarkably perceptive, immediately noticing Lu Chen’s gaze. She promptly flashed a sweet, adorable smile, tiptoed, and quickly waved her small hand at the two of them.

Lu Chen and Lily of the Valley exchanged a glance, both seeing the amusement in the other’s eyes.

The two immediately strode towards the small cart; the little girl, meanwhile, stepped out from behind it, pointing to a row of small props displayed on the cart, and spoke clearly:

“Good morning, big brother and big sister!

“Come take a look! This is an official event personally authorized by Auntie Morning Star!

“Just donate ten yuan to the children in need, and you can borrow any prop from the cart—we have everything from model javelins to capes!”

As she spoke, she picked up a small booklet featuring a Q-version illustration of Morning Star and held it out to Lu Chen.

“After taking a cool group photo with them in front of the statue, you can also take home one of these ‘Hero Certificates.’ How about it? You do good and get a souvenir—it’s a great deal, isn’t it?”

“It’s a great deal, a great deal indeed.”

Lu Chen scanned the QR code printed beside the cart and made a small donation. The little girl immediately spun around with a smile, then looked up at Lu Chen and said:

“Thank you for your support! Which prop would you like?

“I personally highly recommend this cape! You’re so tall; wearing it for a photo would definitely look incredibly imposing!”

“Thank you for your kindness, but the one taking the photo isn’t me, it’s this older sister beside me. Miss Lily of the Valley, please choose one?”

The little girl’s fiery enthusiasm made Lily of the Valley even more nervous. She looked at the props on the cart and hesitated, saying:

“O-okay. I’d like to use this javelin, if that’s alright?”

“Of course! That’s absolutely perfect, and it suits you wonderfully! Here you go!”

Before Lily of the Valley could even reach for it, the little girl nimbly lifted the model javelin, which was nearly half her height, and presented it to the magical girl.

“Th-thank you.”

Lily of the Valley quickly took the javelin. The little girl, meanwhile, gazed up at her curiously, a hint of shyness appearing on her small face.

“Um, though it might be a bit presumptuous, are you perhaps the magical girl, Lily of the Valley?”

Lily of the Valley’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. She had never given an interview, so her public recognition ought to be low.

“Yes, I am. How did you recognize me?”

“My brother and I happened to see you on the pedestrian street a few days ago. Your expression was quite fierce then, and you were carrying so many guns, it scared both my brother and me speechless.”

“…I apologize.”

“And then, you used those guns to fiercely beat up the attacking monster, protecting me, my brother, and everyone else on the street.

“Thank you very, very, very much!”

The little girl abruptly closed her eyes, bowing her head in a ninety-degree angle with astonishing fervor towards the young woman, causing her small yellow hat to fall off.

With a flick of her wrist, Lily of the Valley swiftly caught the hat and handed it back to the girl, a soft smile surfacing in her eyes.

“It was merely my duty. I should be thanking you for the javelin.”

The little girl took the hat, clutching it to her chest like a talisman. She rubbed its brim, then raised her dark eyes to look at Lily of the Valley, and pursed her lips before speaking:

“Um, could I possibly take a picture with you?”

“Oh? W-well, about that…”

Lily of the Valley wasn’t opposed. However, the moment she recalled all the ‘ghostly’ photos she had inadvertently created, she became flustered, her gaze darting frantically towards Lu Chen.

The young man understood immediately. He steadily raised the camera from the cart and declared with certainty:

“Isn’t it perfectly fine? I have a good feeling that this time, it will definitely be a success.”

Lily of the Valley paused, her tightly furrowed brows relaxing slightly. She tightened her grip on the javelin, a spark igniting in her eyes.

“Alright. I’m counting on you.”

The young woman took the little girl’s hand, and together they walked to stand beside the statue, settling under the soft, bright sunlight.

Lu Chen found a suitable spot, skillfully raised his camera, and confidently pressed the shutter.

And then, he successfully produced a ‘ghostly’ photograph that surpassed all previous attempts, reaching a new peak of unintentional strangeness.

****

Five minutes later, Lily of the Valley and Lu Chen sat down together on a bench in the plaza, deciding to rest for a while.

The young woman’s face was ashen, her gaze fixed intently on her toes, and she muttered incessantly under her breath.

“It’s my fault. I’m such an idiotic failure. How can I make the same mistake so many times? Such a simple task…”

Lu Chen listened to Lily of the Valley’s complaints, observing the distant statue, and let out a soft sigh.

This young woman was clearly experiencing an irrational level of nervousness. He needed to uncover the underlying cause.

“Miss Lily of the Valley, if you’ll forgive my presumption, do you have some sort of psychological trauma? Is it related to cameras?”

The young woman’s shoulders trembled, and her muttering ceased. Her lips quivered; she wanted to answer with all her might, yet she remained utterly silent, as if her body was gripped by invisible, massive pincers.

As Lu Chen observed the young woman, struggling as if in hell, he couldn’t help but recall Xia Shi from a year ago.

He softened his tone, offering a gentle smile:

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Don’t force yourself. Let’s talk about something cheerful instead.

“You know a lot about Miss Morning Star, don’t you? Which of her deeds do you admire the most?”

Lily of the Valley paused, a wry smile touching her lips.

“…You’re actually asking about one particular event.”

“One event?”

The young woman looked towards the statue, scrutinizing Morning Star as she slew the behemoth, and took a deep breath.

“Mm. Mr. Lu, are you familiar with the characteristics of the contemporary ‘Envy’?”

“Extremely cowardly, yet utterly malicious, often attacking ordinary people without reason.”

“Yes. Furthermore, he is exceptionally skilled at concealment, always managing to escape unharmed after creating a tragedy. No magical girl or sorcerer has ever been able to track him.

“…However, Miss Morning Star is an exception. She caught him once.”