Chapter 6: The Intern Mother’s Dilemma

Su Qingyao paid no mind to Luzhichuan’s surreptitious antics.

Lost in thought, the young woman found her mind awash with all manner of memories from those five years.

Memories, it seemed, were prone to fading.

This was especially true for a resurrected magic girl.

It was only when she delved into the specifics of her past that Su Qingyao realized many memories, apart from the truly precious ones, were not as vivid as she had imagined.

Often, they presented themselves as jumbled fragments, with only a handful of brief moments surfacing when fortune smiled upon her.

Of course, those deeply ingrained memories remained indelible…

This was the fundamental reason Su Qingyao’s cognitive faculties remained clear and unconfused, her state akin to merely being a little muddled from time to time.

Rubbing the phantom ache in her nose bridge, Su Qingyao silently watched Luzhichuan playing with Su Muxue.

‘It seemed his actions were indeed premeditated.’

Unlike Su Qingyao’s initial awkwardness, Luzhichuan engaged with Su Muxue effortlessly, quickly warming up to the little one.

A faint ember of jealousy flickered to life within the heart of this intern mother.

Yet, this fleeting envy would not truly impact anything.

Su Qingyao was hardly a demanding person, after all.

Naturally.

However, this did not prevent the cold and ruthless [Witch] from issuing a polite dismissal.

As for whether Su Qingyao had considered offering Luzhichuan a separate bedroom or even a shared bed in Su Muxue’s apartment,

‘Cohabitation? What a joke.’

In Su Qingyao’s words, their ‘intimacy’ simply wasn’t sufficient.

Their ‘marriage,’ so-called, was merely for the sake of raising a child, whether it stemmed from an unbreakable familial bond or an old geezer with a youthful face nearing his grave seeking a ray of sunshine.

Both of them were acutely aware of this unspoken truth.

“Oh, it’s about time,” Luzhichuan remarked, glancing at his wristwatch before voluntarily rising from the floor.

“Xiaoxue, Daddy’s leaving now.”

See? Su Qingyao pursed her lips.

“Well then, I’ll see you out.”

“Uh—actually.”

Su Qingyao narrowed her eyes, reached out, and grasped Luzhichuan’s shoulders, ‘gently’ pushing him towards the apartment’s entryway.

“No need for pleasantries. Just leave.”

As the door swung open, a straight corridor stretched before them.

The district where Su Muxue resided, having been built quite early, still retained the architectural style of a thirty-year-old residential complex.

Beyond the semi-open corridor, only a chest-high brick railing separated them from the fresh air.

For Su Qingyao, there was nothing undesirable about it.

Rather than a sky ablaze with dazzling neon lights, she preferred to gaze up and behold the vast, dark expanse of the night.

Su Qingyao stepped out, casually leaving the apartment door ajar behind her.

“I’ll see you to the stairwell.”

The young woman said to a surprised Luzhichuan, “By the way, ahem. When are we getting our marriage certificate?”

Walking ahead, Luzhichuan waved a hand. “Within the next few days. We’ll take care of it when we transfer Muxue’s records.”

“Hmph, how magnanimous.”

Su Qingyao responded offhandedly, then lapsed into silence.

Sensing a shift in the atmosphere,

Luzhichuan paused, turning his head to look at the contemplative young woman behind him.

“Qingyao, is there something you want to say?”

“Er, ah, mm, well.”

Su Qingyao’s response was hesitant and fumbling, as if she had reverted to her socially anxious state from thirty years prior.

Luzhichuan watched as the young woman shed her confident and elegant demeanor, instead nervously clutching her fingers and grinding her teeth.

Until, with a resigned ‘Aiya!’

“Anyway, Senior Luzhichuan,” Su Qingyao inhaled deeply, her chest visibly expanding.

****

“My condolences.”

****

“Ah, I was wondering what you were going to say.”

Luzhichuan leaned against the railing, gazing at the night sky alongside the young woman, who was a head shorter than him.

As he spoke, a shooting star happened to streak low above their heads, leaving a golden trail in its wake—

It was a passing magic girl.

Su Qingyao, meanwhile, waited silently beside him for Luzhichuan’s next words.

“Don’t worry, I’ve long since moved on.”

“After all, it’s been a very, very long time, so long that sometimes I wonder if I’m the only one who still remembers.”

“Ah, I remember too.”

Su Qingyao interjected, “I remember you two were inseparable back then, from—”

Eh?

Su Qingyao’s eyes widened.

‘When did that even start? How could she forget something like that?’

“Heh heh, wasn’t I right?”

Luzhichuan waved a hand, utterly unsurprised by Su Qingyao’s faltering words. “This is part of the price.”

“And now, I’ve moved on.”

Leaning his full weight onto his supporting arms, Luzhichuan said nonchalantly,

“So, I want to do things that I *can* do.”

“Like making up for some regrets.”

‘How is it that Senior Luzhichuan seems even more open-minded than I am?’

A flicker of displeasure caused Su Qingyao to narrow her eyes.

“Is that so?”

Su Qingyao said unhurriedly,

“Then I hope Senior Lu’s ‘moving on’ doesn’t involve starting his next relationship with me.”

“I won’t touch other women either. Your senior here is a faithful man, you know.”

“In that case, Senior Lu, could you spare some time to investigate Su Muxue’s father for me?”

“Of course, not the kind like Senior Luzhichuan.”

Su Qingyao exhaled a murky breath. “As for me, I’ll try to find connections through the Calamity side, and since Senior Lu has been here twelve years longer than me, I presume you’re far more acquainted with society than I am.”

“…Alright, I promise.”

“But what if we actually find him?”

“If we truly find him—heh heh, heh heh heh.”

Su Qingyao did not elaborate, concluding only with a chilling chuckle that sent shivers down Luzhichuan’s spine.

Reason told him it was best not to inquire further.

“In any case, let’s leave it here for today.”

Finally, Su Qingyao waved her hand. “I’ll see you this far. The stairwell is just ahead.”

“Alright.” Luzhichuan nodded.

Then he turned and pulled out his key to open the door.

A question mark slowly materialized above the young woman’s head.

Su Qingyao gained a new understanding of ‘premeditation.’

****

Luzhichuan’s apartment number was exactly ten digits away from Su Muxue’s, placing it neither too far nor too close.

It was difficult to believe this was mere coincidence.

“Honestly, aren’t there any other children for Senior Lu to take care of?”

Su Qingyao grumbled softly twice, then pushed open the apartment door once more and stepped into the entryway.

From Su Qingyao’s perspective, the difference between these two days was monumental.

One moment, they were locked in a battle to the death; the next, she had fast-forwarded to married life with a child, and the man was a widower and a good friend.

‘Who unplugged my monitor cable? Or did I accidentally skip ahead in life!?’

The young woman’s stomach churned with an indigestible bitterness.

“Mama, you’re back!”

The moment she entered, a small, white-haired cat-like figure eagerly pounced on her.

The soft, tiny being snuggled into her embrace, and suddenly, even her bitterness didn’t feel quite so bitter.

“Rub rub rub rub.”

‘If this was to be her retired life…’

‘…from another perspective, it didn’t seem too bad.’

She had friends who knew her true nature, so she didn’t need to wear the [Magic Girl] mask when interacting with them.

She had a lovely daughter, and though the circumstances of her arrival remained questionable, Su Qingyao undeniably loved the child with an uncontrollable affection.

‘Oh, if only she could find a job.’

Holding Su Muxue on the sofa, Su Qingyao turned on the television.

As she listened to the impeccably dressed anchor deliver news she couldn’t understand, she suddenly felt as though she had forgotten something.

It wasn’t until a grubby, large plush dog walked over on its hind legs.

Clutching a pot of freshly boiled hot water between its front paws, it tremblingly refilled the glass cups in front of the mother and daughter with plain water.

Oh, Su Qingyao remembered.

“You’re Booboo, right?”

Su Qingyao looked down and asked the large plush dog.

“That’s correct, or rather, ‘Bliss,’ to be precise. My respects to you, Your Eminence.”

Booboo spoke, simultaneously performing a comical bow.