Chapter 86: The Price of Prophecy

Of course, Gu Xuanyu didn’t grow close to Qin Yuqian simply because of her striking resemblance to Ye Qing.

Quite the opposite; precisely because she was so acutely aware of this similarity, she consciously maintained a distance in their interactions, fearing that too much closeness would breed a sense of guilt.

Throughout the years they partnered, Gu Xuanyu invariably felt a strange palpitation whenever Qin Yuqian’s gaze fell upon her.

Despite the detached purity in Qin Yuqian’s eyes, they instilled in Gu Xuanyu a profound sense of unease, akin to the uncanny valley effect triggered by observing beings that closely resemble humans—the greater the similarity, the more intense the dread.

Perhaps Qin Yuqian’s excessive resemblance to Ye Qing also triggered a ‘terrifying black cat effect’ in Gu Xuanyu.

Whenever Gu Xuanyu’s gaze met that of the black-haired girl, who was both like and unlike Ye Qing, she would instinctively avert her eyes.

In Ye Qing’s presence, Gu Xuanyu felt only warmth, as if a beloved yet inarticulate little black cat were bringing her a cherished dried fish snack, affectionately brushing its soft fur against her hand.

However, when Qin Yuqian looked at her, Gu Xuanyu would inexplicably grow tense, as though a silent Western diamondback rattlesnake lay coiled nearby, slithering through the tangled undergrowth, waiting to ensnare her neck.

Unlike Ye Qing’s warmth, Qin Yuqian was cold. She expressed her thoughts directly, without regard for others’ feelings. It was precisely this trait that, despite her outstanding abilities, left her without any friends besides Gu Xuanyu.

Gu Xuanyu didn’t dislike her as a partner and truly considered her a friend.

Yet, when Ye Qing mentioned Qin Yuqian, the first thought that flashed through Gu Xuanyu’s mind was still: ‘She wouldn’t do anything excessive to Ye Qing, would she?’

“Is that so?”

Hearing Gu Xuanyu’s description, Ye Qing seemed lost in thought.

Recalling Qin Yuqian’s words whispered in her ear moments ago, Ye Qing gradually began to form a hypothesis.

“I’ll make a call first.”

‘When in doubt, consult a divination!’

‘Though Lin Shaoyao seemed to have some misunderstandings last night, she probably won’t answer the phone, right?’

The phone rang busy several times before it was finally answered, as if the person on the other end had deliberated for a long while before picking up.

“Ye Qing!”

However, the moment the call connected, Ye Qing was startled by the sudden voice in the receiver. It felt like being called out by a parent while doing something mischievous, and her own voice unconsciously softened.

“Wh-what’s wrong…”

“So you finally decided to call back!”

Lin Shaoyao angrily vented the frustrations of last night into the microphone, wishing she could appear before the ‘troublesome’ black-haired girl and pinch her cheeks fiercely.

After that call last night, Lin Shaoyao had tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. She had eventually resorted to a forbidden method, leaving her somewhat disoriented upon waking.

Ye Qing weakly explained, feeling inexplicably guilty:

“That was all an accident. I was actually the one being bullied…”

“Of course I know that. No need to repeat it.”

Lin Shaoyao crossed her legs in dissatisfaction, recalling the easily bullied appearance of the black-haired girl.

‘If you got bullied, it’s your own fault. You’re cute to a fault and you cling to others; you’re clearly just asking for it!’

Lin Shaoyao only regretted that she wasn’t the one beside Ye Qing; otherwise, she would have devoured that little black cupcake.

‘But well, I’ll have to go back and ‘apprehend’ her eventually. Let that little childhood friend enjoy a few days of freedom.’

“Anyway, do you have anything else to say?”

Ye Qing let out a soft sigh, finally returning to the main topic.

“Shaoyao, can you help me divine something about a person?”

“I can. Just tell me her name and how she looks.”

Lin Xiaoyao sat up straight, actually pulling a crystal ball from her pocket and placing her hand upon it with a serious air.

In truth, this wasn’t a prop, but a magic crystal ball kindly sponsored by An Yueying. It could quickly replenish her magic, preventing exhaustion when divining crucial secrets.

“Her name is Qin Yuqian. As for her appearance… imagine me, but with longer, narrower black eyes, long hair, a bit taller than me, and a black tear mole at the corner of her eye.”

Ye Qing’s description was remarkably precise, allowing Lin Xiaoyao to conjure an image almost instantly.

‘Oh, a cool, long-haired beauty with straight black hair.’

She slowly activated her ability, closing her rose-red star-shaped eyes. Her vision first plunged into darkness, then light and shadows reappeared.

However, before the image could fully materialize, Lin Xiaoyao felt her magic rapidly depleting and had to hastily abort the process.

“Hold on, who are you asking me to divine? Why is the magic consumption so absurdly high?”

Upon hearing this, Ye Qing’s expression tightened. This implied that Qin Yuqian’s identity was exceptionally secretive.

“Then let’s try a simpler question. I suspect she’s a member of an evil organization.”

“Alright, I’ll try.”

Lin Xiaoyao once again channeled her magic. This time, there was no image, only a single character.

“Yes!”

Yet, this alone completely drained Lin Xiaoyao of all her magic, forcing her to clutch the crystal ball like a baby bottle.

Receiving the expected answer, Ye Qing’s mood grew heavy.

“Can you divine again?”

Lin Xiaoyao quickly replenished her magic, looking at the mostly full crystal ball without worry.

“Just tell me… but divination isn’t free, Ye Qing. You owe me another one now~”

Ye Qing remained silent.

‘I’d have to actually see her to collect on that.’

“Then can you divine her purpose for entering the Magical Girl Academy?”

On the other end of the phone, the girl fell silent once more, seemingly concentrating on her divination. This time, however, it took quite a while.

A moment later, the girl began to gasp, as if waking from a nightmare. It took her a long time to finally speak, her voice dry.

“It might sound strange, but this is the result of my divination—for the battle between black and white.”

Though the answer was peculiar, Ye Qing had no difficulty extracting useful information from it.

‘Black and white’ might refer to the evil organization and the Magical Girls, or perhaps to specific individuals. ‘White’ was most likely Gu Xuanyu. As for ‘black’…

Ye Qing twisted a strand of black hair by her cheek, remaining silent.

‘It’s most likely Qin Yuqian, but I can’t rule out the possibility of it being myself.’

The ‘battle’ was also intriguing. If it was literal, Gu Xuanyu would face danger. However, it could also be symbolic, as Lin Shaoyao’s divinations rarely gave such cryptic instructions.

“Thank you, I understand…”

It was then that Ye Qing noticed the other end of the phone had fallen silent at some point.

Lin Shaoyao lay limp on the ground, her forehead beaded with fine sweat. The dim crystal ball slipped from her hand, rolling across the floor.

Despite her mastery of divination, she had miscalculated.

She hadn’t expected to completely drain the remaining magic from the crystal ball.

‘It’s all your fault, Ye Qing, for giving me such a difficult question… but I’m a magnanimous person, so… I’ll forgive you.’

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