Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 70: Before the New Year

Vol 2 Chapter 70 Before the New Year

As the year-end approached, on the second-to-last workday before the holidays, Lin Yun didn’t get home from the Countermeasure Bureau until nearly nine in the evening.

It wasn’t just because he had a meeting with government officials that afternoon. These days, his post-work routine almost always included a stop by the base while wearing the face of Veronica—a habit that had become part of his regular duties.

Normally, he might have stayed the night at the base. But today was different—Lin Xiaolu had come home.

Roughly once a week, or sometimes every other week, Lin Xiaolu would come back to switch out laundry and toiletries, take what she needed, leave behind what she didn’t, and tidy up her room a bit.

For her, it was routine—something she didn’t think twice about. But for Lin Yun, deciding whether to come home required much more consideration.

In the first two months after they moved into the Secret Base, his schedule was almost perfectly aligned with Xiaolu’s. Every time she returned home, he’d find an excuse to leave the base too. After all, Xia Liang already knew the truth, and Bai Jingxuan didn’t care. As long as he was home when Xiaolu came back, it helped minimize the risk of any identity slip-ups.

But as time passed—especially after the Moon Festival—things changed. Lin Xiaolu discovered her father wasn’t just an ordinary man. Eventually, she learned he was the Director of the Countermeasure Bureau. One night, she asked him a question that left a lasting impression:

—“You don’t work overtime or have late-night meetings anymore?”

Lin Yun could’ve answered simply: “I don’t need to anymore.” But explaining the why in a way a daughter could understand was not so easy.

After all, it wasn’t just a personal decision—it also involved politics in Fangting City.

Objectively, he had plenty on his plate. From internal decision-making at the Bureau to dealing with government officials and navigating city politics, he could easily work himself into staying out every night—if he wanted to.

But the truth was, he didn’t.

His approach to Bureau work was straightforward: eliminate destabilizing elements in Fangting City. Beyond that, he had little interest in deep involvement with policymaking or the city’s political games.

That was both personal preference and strategic judgment.

Lin Yun may have been born and raised in Fangting City, but he had never been involved in politics before. No résumé, no political experience. Even now, as Director, he was still seen as an “outsider” by the local government.

And not just any outsider—he had been appointed directly by the Central Bureau in Tiandu City, and it was suspected that the Magic Kingdom itself had a hand in the decision. Anyone who dug even slightly into Lin Yun’s background, even without uncovering anything about Anya or Xiaolu, would learn that much.

“How to deal with the new Countermeasure Bureau Director” had quickly become one of the thorniest problems for Fangting’s city government.

The relationship between the Bureau and city government wasn’t hierarchical. It was more like two sides of the same coin.

The Bureau managed individuals with extraordinary powers—Magicians, Magical Girls, and even forces linked to the Magic Kingdom. The government, on the other hand, handled civilian life, infrastructure, and public services.

In most cities, the Bureau and government had a tenuous, arm’s-length relationship. They generally stuck to their own responsibilities but still needed to collaborate often.

A classic point of tension was funding. The Bureau needed to request money from the government, and once money was involved, all sorts of interests got tangled in.

Typically, when a city’s Bureau asked for funding, it meant the beginning of shady backdoor dealings. How much would be given, in what form, and when—it was all subject to negotiations. People on both sides often used this as an excuse to extract personal gain, with a large chunk of “operational funds” ending up in certain officials’ pockets.

That was the unspoken rule in Fangting too—even during Mors’ time as Director. Despite all the dirty work done under Black Cinders Dawn, it still needed funding and resources.

But as soon as Lin Yun took office, that system collapsed.

Not because he didn’t understand the rules—but because he simply didn’t care.

He didn’t see the point of fabricating false requests to squeeze money from the government. He preferred a simple method: take what was needed, and nothing more. He wasn’t about to slash budgets, but neither would he ask for more than necessary.

To the city officials, this was a double-edged sword.

On one hand, the books looked great—expenses were way down. Compared to past years, when the Bureau always asked for extravagant amounts, Lin Yun’s version seemed upright and frugal. On the other hand, they’d lost a key channel to line their own pockets—and an opportunity to bring Lin Yun into their inner circle.

This new Director was just too clean, too principled. They had no idea how to win him over. And if they couldn’t recruit him, he’d always be an “outsider.” And outsiders weren’t invited into deep conversations.

Their biggest headache? They couldn’t even suppress or isolate him. After all, he’d been appointed by the Kingdom. Who knew how high up his connections went? If someone from the top decided Fangting didn’t deserve Magical Girl protection anymore, the consequences would be catastrophic.

Still, they knew they were lucky in a way.

In smaller cities, the Bureau was never directly appointed by the Kingdom. Most Bureau members would never even get a chance to visit the Kingdom, let alone request anything. Often, all they could do during Ravager attacks was clean up the mess or hope for a strong enough Magical Girl to emerge.

That’s how Fangting used to be. Isolated and small, the city had long been invisible to the Kingdom. Ravager incidents happened constantly, leaving the public anxious and helpless.

That changed twenty years ago.

A powerful generation of Magical Girls emerged in Fangting, not only eliminating local threats with ease but even covering nearby cities across the Wasteland. Fangting became one of the most stable cities in the southern part of Donghua Province.

With that reputation came growth. People moved in droves, spurring a decade of rapid development. The new districts and economic zones were all born from that boom.

Twenty years ago, Fangting was a forgotten town. Twenty years later, it had become a rising star among small cities.

Earlier this year, that momentum wavered. The generational transition between Magical Girl teams left a gap. Ravager incidents increased. Public confidence started to falter.

But then, the new squad began to shine. On the night of the Moon Festival, the old generation made a high-profile appearance and slew a massive Ravager. Trust in the city's safety was restored.

Today’s peace in Fangting rested largely on the Kingdom’s protection. That made dealing with Lin Yun a delicate matter—officials couldn’t get too friendly, but they also couldn’t afford to be cold. They were stuck.

Lin Yun was fully aware of this.

And he liked it that way.

If he had to lead the Bureau into deeper cooperation with the government, it would mean endless meetings, banquets, socializing... Just the thought of it gave him a headache.

He knew he didn’t have time for that. So why bother? He just needed to do his job.

As for his work at the Bureau—thanks to Hong Siyu, he already had help. There was no need to burn the midnight oil. Anything unfinished could be taken home or back to the base.

That’s why he could come home more often now, unlike before.

Of course, all of this—the politics, the unspoken deals—was not something he could explain to Lin Xiaolu. Maybe one day she’d have to face it, but for now, he didn’t want her involved.

“I’m the Director now. If I don’t want to work overtime, no one can make me.” That was the line he settled on.

Still, using that excuse every time was a bit flimsy. More importantly, he worried that if he was always home when she was, it might feel suspicious—too coincidental.

So occasionally, even if she came home, he’d stay at the base as Veronica—to maintain the illusion that Lin Yun was “busy with work.”

But tonight was different. The new year was right around the corner. This time, he had to be home as her father.

Not for anything dramatic—just to ask for time off.

After all, New Year’s meant family gatherings. During the Moon Festival, he had celebrated with the squad as Lin Yun. But with the Bo’an City team now involved, it made more sense for Veronica to appear.

Which meant Lin Yun needed to disappear.

He had the perfect excuse ready. He’d recently implemented a holiday rotation schedule at the Bureau. As Director, staying behind on New Year’s Eve sounded perfectly reasonable.

Unfortunately, just as he was sitting across the dinner table, wondering how to bring it up, Lin Xiaolu spoke first.

“...Dad.”

That one word made Lin Yun freeze.

Their relationship had softened over time. These days, talking to her wasn’t rare—but because of their past cold war, her calling him “Dad” still carried weight.

From what he could remember, every time she used that word to start a conversation, what followed was always something significant.

This time was no exception.

“I want to spend New Year’s at home,” she said, setting her chopsticks down.

“Oh? You mean… here at home?”

Thankfully, Lin Yun had mentally prepared. He didn’t show much surprise, just casually followed up, “Like during the Moon Festival? You bringing your teammates too?”

“Yeah, I want to invite everyone. Is that okay?”

Xiaolu nodded. “It might be even more people this time.”

“From Bo’an too? This place might be a bit small,” Lin Yun replied calmly. “And we’d probably need a bigger table.”

Xiaolu glanced at the dining table, looking conflicted.

“...Should we get a new one?” she asked softly.

“Buy a new table just for one holiday?”

Lin Yun raised an eyebrow. “Do we look like the kind of people who throw money around?”

“But you’re the Director…” Xiaolu muttered. “Such a big shot—buying a new table shouldn’t be a problem, right?”

“How many times do I have to say it? Your dad’s a clean official. No abuse of power.”

He picked up more food as he spoke. “Besides, your mom bought this table. We’re not replacing it. A new one would just gather dust on the balcony. Forget it. You might as well celebrate at your base.”

The moment he mentioned Anya, Xiaolu went quiet. After a moment, she spoke again.

“Then you come to our place.”

“Can’t,” Lin Yun shook his head with a smile. “I was just about to tell you—Dad has to stay at the Bureau this New Year’s. I won’t be able to celebrate with you. Sorry.”

“On duty?” Xiaolu blinked.

“Yep. After all, what happened before the Moon Festival was partly because the Bureau didn’t act fast enough. So this year, we’ve got shifts.”

“At the Bureau?” she pressed.

“At the Bureau,” he confirmed.

“Then I’ll go to your office.”

“You’re coming to my office…”

He repeated her words, then finally realized what she meant. “...Huh? My office?”

“Yeah. I’ll spend New Year’s with you there,” Xiaolu said flatly, eyes half-lidded with irritation—as if daring him to come up with another excuse.

“Why?” Lin Yun, for once, was caught completely off guard.

“Because you’re my dad. And I’m your daughter.”

Xiaolu emphasized every word:

“Spending New Year’s together—isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?”