X
Instead of standing rooted to the spot, Xu Yiyi offered Su Qingyao a quick wink before flying back towards the ruined building. So far, everything was unfolding precisely as planned.
Su Qingyao and Xu Yiyi were to remain hidden within the ruins, safeguarding the children observing from the shadows.
Meanwhile, Xu Yanqing would take the exposed position as the leader.
Su Qingyao couldn’t be certain if anyone, even thirty years later, could evade her perception. From that perspective, Xu Yanqing was the one who had voluntarily shouldered the most perilous task.
She had deliberately positioned herself to draw the enemy’s attention.
“Little Qingyao, I’m heading upstairs first!”
As Xu Yiyi brushed past Su Qingyao, her slightly trembling hand squeezed the younger girl’s hand and shoulder.
Evidently, Xu Yiyi was still quite nervous.
Noticing this, Su Qingyao turned around, a gentle smile gracing her lips. She enveloped Xu Yiyi’s hands within her own, using her body warmth to chase away some of the chill.
“There’s no need to be nervous. I’ll help you.”
She met Xu Yiyi’s gaze, looking directly into her trembling pupils, and said softly, “Besides, I believe in you.”
Though already appearing mature, Xu Yiyi seemed like an anxious child in front of the slightly younger Su Qingyao, much like a mother earnestly encouraging her child while holding their hand.
A faint blush crept across Xu Yiyi’s cheeks.
“O-okay!”
She stammered her response to Su Qingyao’s encouragement, then fled as if escaping.
“Heh, heh-heh.”
Su Muxue, who had witnessed the entire exchange, let out a couple of soft chuckles, reminding Su Qingyao that her daughter was still present.
Su Qingyao felt a strange pang of guilt, having been seen in such a moment by Muxue.
Su Muxue’s expression seemed subtly nuanced.
The little girl beckoned to Su Qingyao, signaling for her mother to lean her ear closer.
Su Qingyao, curious, complied.
A moment later, the white cat’s tender yet melodious voice whispered into the young woman’s ear: “Is that big sister also Mama’s child?”
‘Hmm????’
Su Qingyao’s smile froze on her face, slowly melting and reforming into a blank, dazed expression.
“What… what exactly does that mean?”
While Su Qingyao was still in a daze, she suddenly felt a soft, warm touch just above her cheek.
Taking advantage of Su Qingyao’s distraction, Su Muxue secretly pecked her dear mother’s cheek.
With a hint of jealousy and an overflowing sense of mischievous triumph, Su Muxue let out a satisfied “Hmph.”
‘Why is Muxue suddenly so proud?’
The foolish witch, disoriented by the unexpected kiss, wondered at her daughter’s reaction.
Yet, guided by pure instinct, Su Qingyao instinctively embraced Su Muxue’s head. Before the little one could react, she gently returned a soft, forgiving kiss to her forehead.
“Grumble…” A muffled, indistinct sound escaped Su Muxue’s throat.
The little white cat declared defeat.
Another woman had been added to the list of those blushing furiously because of Su Qingyao.
****
To Xu Yanqing, the two magic girls, both donning wide-brimmed witch hats—the taller one stooped low, creating an uneven pair—resembled two white parasol mushrooms.
They were white, seemingly non-poisonous, and perhaps even edible.
Xu Yanqing, stifling a yawn, mused this before abruptly snapping back to reality, realizing she had once again drifted off.
The reason was simple: the “unstable magic” egg, currently twisting and developing, was simply too slow. Even with artificial acceleration pushed to its limits, it still demanded a wait of five to ten minutes.
Xu Yanqing idly twirled the black wand that never left her hand, much like a conductor’s baton, subtly revealing a crystal sheen visible only to her.
She actively tried to keep herself busy.
Whether it was the leader training or her ongoing research into magic, she could engage with it.
She needed no specific manuscripts or writing tools.
If Xu Yanqing merely wished it, her memory would automatically present everything she needed in her mind, allowing her to modify it at will—though this did carry the possibility of error due to the difficulty of verification.
Her observations extended beyond just Su Qingyao and her daughter.
Xu Yanqing scrutinized the varied expressions of each magic girl through the ruined window directly opposite her.
Regrettably, Xu Yanqing still suffered the after-effects of her “hollow syndrome,” rendering her ability to read emotions virtually nonexistent.
She could only discern others’ superficial joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness, and nothing more.
Even so, compared to when she was afflicted, this was already a qualitative leap for Xu Yanqing.
At the very least, with the aid of her magic core, Xu Yanqing had now *learned* what “joy, anger, sorrow, and happiness” truly meant.
“Buzz—buzz, buzz, buzz.”
Behind her, the low, sustained hum grew increasingly intense, transforming into a buzzing tremor.
Xu Yanqing turned her head, calculating the tier of the magical beast that was about to be “synthesized.”
“Seven minutes…”
Xu Yanqing tapped her fingertips on her wand, quickly making a preliminary assessment: “The strength of a normal Tier 3 magical beast.”
“Alright, the first magical beast is about to appear.”
As her words fell, fearing that some might not hear, Xu Yanqing even waved her wand, incanting a spell that produced a “poof” like fireworks.
All the recruits in the ruins, whether attentive or not, were startled, their gazes drawn to Xu Yanqing in the air.
Xu Yanqing conjured a horn-shaped obsidian crystal with a crystal spell, amplifying her voice as she announced: “Next, the students whose names I call, please step forward! Don’t feel too much pressure for this first demonstration round! Just do as I’ve taught you.”
Ignoring the tormenting creaking noise from behind her, Xu Yanqing narrowed her eyes slightly, gazing at the nervous magic girls within the window, and slowly began to speak.
****
Thirty seconds earlier.
“Muxue, have you ever participated in a magical beast hunt before?”
Su Qingyao tilted her head, her gaze sweeping past the ponytail draped over her shoulder to meet Su Muxue’s eyes as the girl looked up at her mother.
The girl’s face showed a thoughtful expression. “I have, but I didn’t do anything that time. The seniors finished it all.”
Su Muxue raised a hand with a touch of helplessness, pinching the brim of her hat. “So… I guess, no, I haven’t really participated.”
To be fair, setting aside her age, slacking off in a team wasn’t exactly a glorious act. However, considering her age, it was perfectly normal.
Su Qingyao would absolutely despise anyone who sent an elementary schooler to the battlefield and then dared to criticize them for not pulling their weight.
“Oh—”
Su Qingyao was about to say something else, but Xu Yanqing’s voice perfectly interrupted her.
“They’re calling names. Are you nervous, little Muxue?”
“He Baimiao, Su Ling…”
“Hmm—maybe a little, just a tiny bit, though.”
Su Muxue nodded her small head demurely, her tone not heavy, seemingly imbued with her own confidence.
“Fang Ruxue, Wang Sichun.”
Su Qingyao nodded, offering no explicit comment.
She turned her head, gazing at the egg about to hatch, and spoke softly, her tone simple: “Mama will be watching you.”
“So, if anything unexpected happens, or if you feel you can’t win, just call for Mama.”
The young woman uttered chilling words, completely at odds with her smiling face.
“Liu Huayun.”
“Oh, what a shame.”
It was a shame indeed; Su Muxue would only be a spectator this round. As if in response to Xu Yanqing’s words, not long after the last name fell, distant roars echoed from nearby.
“Roar, roar, roar—”
You’ve got to see this next! After Refusing to Play the Villain, I Became Their White Moonlight will keep you on the edge of your seat. Start reading today!
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