Chapter 48: A Day’s Work and a Deceptive Lunch

Shortly after Tomato Bro was defeated in a gruesome explosion, a medical vehicle from the New Light Group swiftly arrived on the scene, securing Lily of the Valley onto a stretcher.

Though she had triumphed over her foe, her magic was utterly depleted. Unable to utilize ‘Verdant Grace’ to heal herself for the time being, she had no choice but to board the ambulance obediently.

She lay on the pristine white stretcher, like a T-800 sinking into lava, and gave Lu Chen and Xia Shi a thumbs-up.

“I appreciate your assistance today. Until next time.”

“Lily of the Valley, please stop talking! You’re still bleeding! Nurse, quickly…”

The medical staff urged Lily of the Valley while deftly pushing the young woman into the medical vehicle. The moment the doors closed, the vehicle sped away along the path, vanishing over the horizon.

Startled birds returned to their branches, and the square regained its usual tranquility.

Xia Shi gazed for a moment in the direction the ambulance had disappeared. She then naturally walked over to Lu Chen and took his hand.

“Our work here is finished.”

Lu Chen, still immersed in work mode, let out a soft sigh. As he walked alongside the girl, heading up the path, he spoke:

“The filming is indeed over, but the actual work has only just begun.

“That photo from earlier was quite good; I’m hoping to use it directly as a promotional image. However, Lily of the Valley wasn’t wearing an outfit designed by the group today, so I’ll need to discuss it with Sister Lin before making a decision.

“Furthermore, during her battle with the Tomato monster, she seemed to touch the very edge of ‘Blossom’. I’ll likely have to write a report on that and submit it… Ah.”

Only after rattling off a lengthy monologue did Lu Chen realize the girl was staring intently at him.

He quickly cut short his lengthy discourse, tightening his grip on Xia Shi’s hand.

“My apologies, that must have been a bit dull.”

The girl’s lips curved gently upwards, a soft smile blossoming in her eyes.

“Not at all. I actually love seeing you serious about your work. It’s only the second time I’ve seen it since I returned.”

The girl’s voice was gentle and melodious, and a faint blush swept across Lu Chen’s cheeks. He cleared his throat softly, changing the subject.

“Um, there’s something I’m not sure if I should ask.”

“Please do.”

“You’re not, by any chance, still suspicious of Lily of the Valley and me, are you?”

Xia Shi paused at his words, then let out a soft chuckle.

“Did you perhaps realize I secretly followed you? Did you figure out that administrator was me in disguise?”

Lu Chen nodded with a helpless expression.

“Indeed. Your disguise was far too perfunctory.”

“I-I couldn’t help it. The administrator’s hut only had those few things to make do with. Was it really that strange?”

“Strange it was, but actually quite adorable. To be honest, for a moment, I wanted to take a couple of photos to keep, so we could look back at them repeatedly when we’re old.”

This time, it was the girl’s turn to blush. After a moment of hesitation, she whispered:

“If you really want to see it, I can dress up like that again anytime… But let’s not talk about that. I never doubted you from the start.”

The tips of the girl’s ears grew warm, and she squeezed Lu Chen’s fingers slightly, tightening her grip. The young man’s heart suddenly quickened; he hastily took a few deep breaths before finally calming down.

“If that’s the case, why did you follow me?”

“After all, it’s been a long time since you’ve collaborated with other magical girls, and this time you were specifically paired with Lily of the Valley, who has a peculiar personality… I was genuinely a bit worried, so I thought I’d come and see. In fact, I even spoke with Lily of the Valley privately yesterday.

“…Sorry, that’s a bit disgusting, isn’t it?”

Xia Shi lowered her gaze, a hint of dejection on her face. Lu Chen immediately said:

“How could it be… Wait, so are you saying you’re the one who suggested Lily of the Valley give me white chocolate cookies?”

The girl’s entire body stiffened. Guiltily, she averted her gaze and whispered:

“B-Because I really wanted to see your flustered expression. I’m sorry.”

“…Now that I think about it, were you deliberately teasing me back in the administrator’s hut too?”

Xia Shi’s shoulders trembled slightly. She was silent for a moment, then released Lu Chen’s hand, turned around, and gave him a shallow bow.

“I’m truly, truly sorry.”

Lu Chen looked down at the girl who was sincerely apologizing, yet would most likely repeat her mischief, and a helpless smile tugged at his lips.

He lowered his voice, feigning seriousness, and said:

“Xiaxia, please look up.”

“Huh? Alright… Whoa.”

The moment the girl looked up, the young man aimed for her smooth forehead and gently flicked it.

“Very good, you’re forgiven. The timing’s perfect; how about we go have lunch together?”

Xia Shi blinked, then tidied her bangs before smiling and taking the young man’s hand.

“Mhm. Of course.”

****

A quarter of an hour later, the two crossed the bridge, returning to the branch office building, and arrived at the dining floor bustling with various restaurants.

During the year Xia Shi was away, Lu Chen either ate in the company cafeteria or holed up at home, munching on instant noodles. He was too lazy to even order takeout, and naturally, he hadn’t eaten out at any restaurants.

It was precisely for this reason that he had misjudged the weekend crowd.

“There are just too many people…!”

It was peak lunch hour, and the entire floor was packed with a bustling crowd.

Every restaurant had customers waiting for empty tables, and the cries of ‘now serving’ mingled with welcoming greetings from the staff, rising and falling in a constant din.

“There are just too many people…!”

The girl gazed at the crowded floor, uttering an exclamation identical to her lover’s, though with little genuine emotion behind it.

Unlike Lu Chen, who had been a reclusive otaku for a year, Ling Wei was an otaku who actively explored the world. She knew every corner of the city like the back of her hand; she had even obtained a local tour guide license and could start working at any moment.

On the way back, she had already thought of a high-quality little restaurant that wasn’t widely known but had surprisingly good food.

Feigning innocence, she raised her eyes, letting her gaze sweep across the busy floor. She was about to casually suggest to Lu Chen that they browse around near that particular eatery.

However, the young man first rubbed his hair in frustration, saying:

“My apologies, I didn’t plan ahead. Looking at this… we’d be waiting in line for at least half an hour.

“How about we have your favorite, for a change?”

‘My favorite?’

Hearing the unexpected words, Ling Wei hastily pressed the pause button in her mind, searching for Xia Shi’s preferred foods.

‘Cake… that’s hardly a lunch.’

‘Lion’s Head meatballs, sweet and sour pork ribs, black pepper beef… these could certainly be main courses.’

However, Ling Wei found it difficult to determine which Xia Shi preferred more, and all the restaurants offering them had long queues.

The girl quickly scanned her internal database, yet she failed to find the correct answer.

Like her codename, Xia Shi was a magical girl who streaked across the sky like fireworks, her active period lasting only a few short months.

During that time, she hadn’t eaten out many times in restaurants, yet each time, she would happily enjoy her meal, sporting a blissful, slightly silly smile.

Just by watching surveillance footage, it was truly difficult to discern what she liked most.

Ling Wei hesitated for a moment, then decided to implement her contingency plan.

She smiled at the young man, saying:

“Hotpot? That sounds great. But the hotpot restaurants also have long queues right now.”

Having said that, Ling Wei carefully scrutinized the young man’s micro-expressions, ready to react appropriately at any moment.

Lu Chen tilted his head, saying:

“That’s alright. Don’t I have a large soup pot at home? We can just make a pot ourselves. Is that okay?”

The young man’s tone was natural, his expression serene; he clearly hadn’t noticed anything amiss.

Ling Wei knew she had given the correct answer, yet a flicker of displeasure arose within her.

Her so-called contingency plan was very simple: just state her own preferences.

For some reason, the small shops Xia Shi had frequented were almost identical to her own usual haunts, and the dishes she often ordered were exactly the same as those Ling Wei liked.

Given that… there was a high probability that Xia Shi’s ‘most’ favorite dish also coincided with her own.

It was truly an unpleasant coincidence.

Ling Wei temporarily suppressed her discomfort, nodding at the young man.

“Mhm. That sounds wonderful, of course.”