Chapter 43: A Captain’s Unexpected Burden

A week had passed since the harrowing events on Golden Island.Once again, everything seemed to have settled back into a quiet normalcy.

Gu Qianqian and Lin Xiaolu, those two young girls, dutifully reported to school with their backpacks each day, living the vibrant campus lives befitting their age.

Meanwhile, Gu Qing—or rather, Hua Mu’ai, as she was now—languished in her family’s convenience store, listlessly passing the days.

“Ugh…”

Hua Mu’ai slumped over the checkout counter, listlessly poking at her phone screen, watching a ‘tacky’ short video (TL Note: Refers to a type of short video popular in China, often characterized by unsophisticated humor or aesthetics.) as she let out her fifth sigh of the morning.

The Stone of Hearts materialized in her palm.

The crystal-clear die spun between her fingers, its touch cool against her skin.

‘Yuena? Are you awake?’

She called out the fairy princess’s name in her mind.

Yet, the Stone of Hearts remained utterly unresponsive.

This was far from her first attempt.

Ever since that day on Golden Island, after she had reverted to her Tian Lanxing form to deal with Xiangyanghua, her body had uncontrollably shifted back before she even had a chance to exchange more than a few words with Qin Lan.

It was that detestable pink-haired loli form again!

Moreover, the form-switching function had been locked once more; no matter how desperately she tried, she couldn’t revert.

Her first thought had been of Yuena, slumbering within the Stone of Hearts.

But no matter how she called out, the fairy princess remained out of reach, not even a ripple of a response.

Hua Mu’ai could only surmise that Yuena had suffered a backlash from forcibly awakening to save her last time, now requiring an extended period to replenish her energy and thus falling into a deep slumber.

‘What a useless lump…’

Hua Mu’ai muttered under her breath, then tucked the Stone of Hearts away.

She lifted her head, surveying the small convenience store.

Though the shelves were meticulously arranged and the floor impeccably clean, the store was utterly deserted, devoid of a single customer.

‘Perhaps… I should just close this store down?’

The thought spontaneously bloomed in her mind.

Ever since she became the captain of Linhai City’s Star Squad, Qin Lan had been diligently transferring a substantial sum of ‘activity funds’ to her card each month, making financial concerns a thing of the past.

What’s more, with her frequent trips to S.H.I.E.L.D. every few days, she barely had any time to mind the shop, often resorting to hanging a ‘Temporarily Closed’ sign.

Rather than letting it languish in this half-dead state, it would be far better to simply shut it down for good and embrace a life of leisure.

‘Yes, that’s precisely what I’ll do!’

The more Hua Mu’ai considered it, the better the idea seemed, just as the wind chimes at the convenience store’s entrance suddenly tinkled.

“Welcome…”

She called out without lifting her head, her tone dripping with perfunctory politeness.

However, after several seconds, only silence ensued.

Hua Mu’ai skeptically lifted her gaze, and as her eyes fell upon the newcomer, she froze completely.

Standing at the doorway was a girl clad in the uniform of Saint Sakura Academy.

With her long, silky black hair and an exquisitely serene face, it was none other than Xia Xingyan, the very person who constantly gave her headaches.

‘Why is she here?’

Hua Mu’ai immediately realized that the woman had, once again, sent someone to track her.

“How did you find this place?”

She rose to her feet, arms crossed over her chest, adopting an accusatory stance. “I warned you, young lady, to stop with these petty maneuvers!”

Xia Xingyan observed her bristling demeanor, her own expression remaining impassive.

She simply spoke with a calm composure, cutting off Hua Mu’ai before she could unleash her temper.

“Lin Xiaolu told me.”

That single sentence deflated all the accusations Hua Mu’ai had ready.

Of the three girls, she had only ever brought Lin Xiaolu to this spot.

“So why are you here looking for me?”

Hua Mu’ai asked irritably. “Aren’t you supposed to be in school today?”

“I’m in a bad mood.”

Xia Xingyan’s reply was terse and direct. “For some reason, I just felt like finding you.”

“Huh?”

Hua Mu’ai found herself utterly bewildered.

‘You’re in a bad mood, so you come to me? Am I your therapist or something?’

She scrutinized Xia Xingyan from head to toe, then a sudden realization struck her.

“What else could possibly be bothering you?”

Hua Mu’ai’s lips curved into a smirk. “Haven’t your parents already agreed to let you become a Magical Girl? In just a few days, you’ll officially join our Star Squad, so what could you possibly be dissatisfied with?”

Hua Mu’ai had, in fact, heard about this matter from Qin Lan.

Rewinding to the day of the Golden Island incident, immediately after Xia Xingyan’s awakening, the GSA had approached her to sign a Magical Girl contract.

However, upon learning of it, Xia Xingyan’s parents had employed some peculiar method to forcefully nullify the contract, their stance utterly unyielding.

Yet, to everyone’s surprise, just a few days prior, the Xia family had abruptly changed their tune, making a complete 180-degree turn.

They had proactively contacted the GSA, agreeing to Xia Xingyan becoming an official Magical Girl, and had swiftly re-signed the contract.

Upon hearing Hua Mu’ai’s question, Xia Xingyan fell silent for a moment.

After a brief pause, she spoke softly, “I am happy to be able to join Linhai City’s Magical Girl Squad. But today, I simply feel weary of studying.”

“Pfft—”

Hua Mu’ai nearly lost her composure.

She stared at Xia Xingyan with an utterly bewildered expression.

“What did you just say? You, a super academic who consistently ranks first in your grade, are telling me you’re tired of studying? Xia Xingyan, your lies are simply pathetic!”

The excuse was so laughably poor that she couldn’t even be bothered to retort.

Xia Xingyan neither acknowledged her words nor offered any defense.

She simply gazed at Hua Mu’ai in silence, a hint of grievance seemingly hidden within her pupils.

Then, she spoke with an air of absolute certainty.

“In a few days, I will be an official member of the Star Squad.”

“And you are my future captain.”

“As captain, isn’t it only natural to help your team members resolve their troubles?”

“…”

Hua Mu’ai was utterly speechless.

‘This woman is truly insidious.’

‘She’s actually using her future status as a team member to pressure me!

‘Though Hua Mu’ai was ten thousand times unwilling, wishing only to live a quiet, carefree life (TL Note: “Salted fish” is Chinese slang for someone with no ambition who just wants an easy life.), she still found herself unable to utter a refusal.

Moreover, these past few days, she couldn’t help but recall the image of Xia Xingyan resolutely shielding her on Golden Island.

That smile, uglier than a cry, still echoed in her mind.

‘Owing someone a favor is such a hassle!’

Ultimately, Hua Mu’ai conceded defeat.

She sighed, an irritated expression on her face, and slumped back onto the counter.

“Alright, tell me then, how does this young lady propose I solve her troubles?”

She waved a hand dismissively, her voice devoid of energy. “But let’s be clear, I’m not dealing with anything too troublesome, alright?”

Upon hearing her relent, a faint softening seemed to touch Xia Xingyan’s usually icy expression.

“It’s not troublesome.”

She gently shook her head.

“Just accompany me shopping, that’s all.”

“Fine, after all, this young lady must take responsibility for her future team members.”

Hua Mu’ai agreed.

She had no choice; after all, she owed the girl her life.

With an exasperated huff, she rounded the checkout counter, rolled her eyes at Xia Xingyan, and promptly hung the ‘Temporarily Closed’ sign on the convenience store’s glass door.

“Just so you know, this is a one-time thing, no repeats! This young lady is very busy, you understand!”

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