Chapter 46: A Lakeside Stroll and Shared Sweets

The surface of Cui Lake stretched wide, and as the wind swept across, it stirred layers of ripples.

Along both banks of the lake, rows of willow trees stood, their long branches hanging low. They swayed gently in the breeze, occasionally brushing the water’s surface and creating small circles of ripples.

Two young women strolled slowly along the lakeside path.

One wore a cream-colored dress, the other a dark green vintage-style skirt. One walked with a steady gait, while the other’s steps were light and quick.

Su Xinxin glanced down at the hand Lin Mo had instinctively reached out to take.

The hand seemed slightly smaller than her own, with slender fingers and neatly trimmed nails painted with a faint, clear polish. The warmth from Lin Mo’s palm seeped through their skin, a soft, pleasant heat, like freshly steamed glutinous rice dumplings.

She paused, momentarily stunned.

Lin Mo, however, seemed utterly oblivious to her hesitation. She simply led Su Xinxin forward, chattering about the pleasant weather, the blooming lotus flowers, and how wonderful it was to have days undisturbed by the ‘Corrupt’.

Su Xinxin allowed herself to be led, her steps falling into Lin Mo’s rhythm.

‘So, this is what it feels like for girls to hold hands,’ she mused.

It was soft. Warm. Palm pressed against palm, she could almost feel the other’s pulse, a gentle, steady beat, as if whispering, ‘I’m here.’

She tried to relax her fingers, letting Lin Mo hold her hand. The small hand then subtly adjusted its grip, making it even more comfortable.

It was a peculiar sensation.

In her seventy years of life, there hadn’t been many times she’d been led by the hand like this. When she held her daughters’ hands, they were tiny, soft bundles, still stumbling as they walked.

Later, when she led her grandson, the boy was mischievous, always trying to pull away and run off to play, his palm perpetually sweaty.

None of those moments had felt quite like this.

This was a pure, equal, and simply ‘wanting to hold hands’ kind of walk, and it was deeply comforting.

She could sense that when Lin Mo held her hand, her steps would unconsciously slow down a little, as if afraid Su Xinxin couldn’t keep up. Every few steps, she would glance back, confirm Su Xinxin was still there, then smile with crinkled eyes before turning back to continue their stroll.

That smile was as light as a willow branch brushing the water, yet it softened something deep within Su Xinxin’s heart.

It felt as if something was flowing through their joined hands, from Lin Mo to her, settling into her heart.

What was that feeling called?

Perhaps… happiness.

It was faint, not intense, but it slowly dissolved at the tip of her heart, like the cool sweetness of a mint candy melting on the tongue.

She did not pull away.

She let Lin Mo lead her, and they continued to walk together.

“How are you feeling today?” Lin Mo suddenly asked as they walked, turning her head to look at Su Xinxin. “Nothing uncomfortable, right?”

“Hm? No,” Su Xinxin replied. “You’ve been asking for days now.”

She knew what Lin Mo was worried about—that the witch might have left some lingering trap within her body. Although the ‘Apricot Forest’ examination results were normal, Lin Mo remained uneasy, asking the same question every day.

“Just worried about you,” Lin Mo said, lowering her gaze to her shoelaces. “Can’t a teacher worry about her student?”

She paused, her voice softening slightly:

“Mainly… I had a nightmare yesterday. I dreamt I failed to protect you, and you were captured again.”

Su Xinxin froze, remaining silent.

Lin Mo quickly lifted her head, pursed her lips, and put on a cheerful expression.

“Ah, it’s rare to come out and have fun, so let’s not talk about those things! Today is all about relaxing and enjoying ourselves!”

She pulled Su Xinxin forward, her steps quicker than before, as if trying to leave all unpleasant thoughts behind.

Su Xinxin watched her, smiled, and said nothing, letting herself be led.

The afternoon sun filtered through the willow branches, casting fragmented light and shadow on their faces.

The small convenience store was located at a corner by the lake.

The shop was modest, furnished with a few small tables and sun umbrellas, and a freezer stood right by the entrance.

Lin Mo’s eyes lit up, and she swiftly pulled Su Xinxin over.

“How about a soft-serve ice cream? The cones here are much tastier than the packaged popsicles! The cream flavor is incredibly rich!”

Lin Mo was clearly an experienced eater, or rather, a culinary connoisseur!

Su Xinxin glanced at the colorful array, hesitating.

“Ah? Do I have to eat it too?”

“Yes!”

Lin Mo nodded matter-of-factly. “My treat! Didn’t I tell you?”

She thought for a moment, then suddenly leaned closer to Su Xinxin.

“Or are you…” She blinked. “Unable to eat cold things right now?”

Su Xinxin paused.

Lin Mo then glanced at her bag, a look of sudden realization dawning on her face.

“Oh~ Are you whispering secrets to your little darling again? You weren’t saying bad things about me, were you?”

“Of course… not! It’s sleeping in my bag!”

Su Xinxin began to open her bag to prove her point.

“No need to rummage! We haven’t transformed, so I can’t see it anyway.” Lin Mo waved her hand and pouted. “Never mind, Sister Mo is magnanimous; I won’t quibble with a little sister like you~”

She turned and walked into the store.

Su Xinxin stood still, watching her back disappear through the doorway.

‘What should I do?’ she wondered. ‘She seems to have seen through me? Ugh, I knew lying was a bad idea!’

[What are you afraid of?] Xiao Ming’s voice quickly responded. [If you don’t admit it, it didn’t happen! And not lying—do you want to tell her you’re an old man?]

‘But…’

[You wouldn’t want to see her heartbroken that the peer she finally made friends with is actually an old man, would you?]

Su Xinxin fell silent.

Xiao Ming had a point.

But still… it felt a little awkward.

“Xinxin! Come in and choose!”

Lin Mo’s voice called from inside the store.

Su Xinxin shook her head, casting aside her unease, and followed her in.

Lin Mo chose a double-scoop soft-serve ice cream—strawberry and vanilla flavored.

Following Lin Mo’s recommendation, Su Xinxin ordered a single scoop of mint.

They sat under a sun umbrella, gazing blankly at the lake for a while.

Lin Mo licked her ice cream and suddenly spoke:

“Xinxin.”

“Hm?”

“The assessment is next week,” she said, turning to look at Su Xinxin. “Are you nervous?”

Su Xinxin considered it.

“Not really.”

“Good, no need to be nervous.” Lin Mo smiled and patted her chest. “It’s actually not difficult; I’ll be there.”

She struck a pose, looking like a very reliable older sister.

However, this ‘big sister’ couldn’t maintain her cool for more than three seconds, succumbing to the temptation of the ice cream in her hand. She lowered her head, fully focused on devouring the cone.

Su Xinxin held her ice cream, barely touching it.

She watched Lin Mo take several licks before finally opening her mouth and taking a bite.

Hiss—

So cold!

She shivered, her eyes involuntarily closing.

When she opened them again, Lin Mo was staring at her, her lips twitching with suppressed laughter.

“Xinxin,” Lin Mo said, struggling to hold back her mirth, “You’re supposed to lick ice cream slowly. Taking such a big bite… it’d be strange if you weren’t cold!”

Su Xinxin’s face felt warm.

She instinctively wanted to scratch her head and play dumb, but Xiao Ming said that would be too obvious, so she could only offer an awkward smile.

“…Got it.”

Lin Mo tilted her head, looking at her.

“Xinxin,” she suddenly asked, “You… haven’t never eaten ice cream before, have you?”

Su Xinxin’s heart skipped a beat.

“It’s not that I’ve never eaten it…” she said, choosing her words carefully. “It’s just that my mom didn’t let me eat too many cold things when I was little, so I didn’t have it often.”

This wasn’t exactly a lie, considering the era she grew up in.

“Oh~” Lin Mo suddenly understood. “No wonder.”

She lowered her head to lick her ice cream again, then suddenly remembered something:

“But you’re already eighteen now, aren’t you? You’ve graduated high school, so you can make your own decisions!”

“Mm…”

The two continued to eat and chat.

Su Xinxin listened, occasionally nodding or asking a question or two.

However, most of the time, she simply listened quietly.

She listened to this nineteen-year-old girl recount her trivial, everyday little stories.

Lin Mo had already finished her ice cream.

Su Xinxin still had a little less than half left. It was mint flavored, and under the afternoon sun, it seemed to glow with a faint green hue, looking quite appealing.

Lin Mo stared at her ice cream for a moment, then said:

“Later, let’s go buy some milk tea, then take a stroll, and finally, near evening, we’ll go for barbecue! How does that sound?”

Su Xinxin paused again.

“Won’t that… be too much of an expense for you?”

She assumed Lin Mo was going to treat her again.

“If you’re worried about my expenses,” Lin Mo blinked, “then you pay for the barbecue?”

“Ah?”

“Hahaha, just kidding!” Lin Mo laughed. “Barbecue is definitely more expensive; you didn’t think I was trying to trick you, did you?”

After she had her laugh, she continued:

“Don’t worry, we’ll just go Dutch. I can definitely afford to treat you to ice cream and milk tea, but for barbecue… we’ll split the cost.”

Su Xinxin thought about it, then nodded.

“Oh, by the way, Xinxin,” Lin Mo suddenly leaned closer, her eyes sparkling, “What are your plans for summer vacation? Any thoughts on a part-time job?”

“Part-time job?”

“As a magical girl, of course!” Lin Mo said. “If you don’t mind, we could team up and clear some low-level ‘Corrupt’! There’s money to be made!”

Su Xinxin rested her chin on her hand, thinking again.

“Perhaps… we should talk about this after I become a full-fledged magical girl?”

“Oh, you’ll definitely become a full-fledged magical girl!” Lin Mo waved her hand. “It’s good to plan ahead! Hehe~”

She smiled, her eyes crinkling, as if she could already envision the two of them teaming up.

The wind blew from the lake, carrying the coolness of the water and a hint of fresh grass.

Su Xinxin looked at Lin Mo’s radiant face, and something very light and soft welled up in her heart.

‘I mustn’t disappoint her.’

‘The assessment… I absolutely must pass!’

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