Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 23: False Compromise

At 9 PM, Lin Yun dragged his exhausted body through the front door.

That afternoon, after returning to the office, his superior had reminded him about his increasing absences. Then, back at his desk, he turned on his work phone only to find multiple missed calls from subordinates and clients.

Thankfully, he had shut off his phone and left it in the office—otherwise, even when facing a Ravager, he might have been bombarded with calls.

After a hectic day, he finally left work under the night sky and caught the train home.

Stepping into the living room, he immediately spotted Xia Liang sitting on the couch, playing on her phone.

Since she hadn't brought any change of clothes, she seemed to be wearing Lin Xiaolu’s instead. What had originally been a slightly loose-fitting pajama set on Lin Xiaolu now looked snug and well-fitted on her.

Hearing the commotion at the entrance, Xia Liang turned her gaze toward Lin Yun. Upon seeing an unfamiliar older man step inside, she froze for a brief moment before quickly processing the situation. She stood up, smiled politely, and greeted him in a sweet and well-mannered tone:

"Hello, Uncle!"

Xia Liang’s appearance naturally gave off a “quiet” and “obedient” vibe. Now that she was deliberately emphasizing those traits, she gave off an impeccable first impression—perfectly fitting the stereotypical "model child" that parents always admired.

Loosening his tie, Lin Yun silently made that assessment.

But he wasn’t in a position to call her out on it. Right now, he was Lin Xiaolu’s father, not Veronica, so he had to act like he had no prior acquaintance with Xia Liang.

"Oh, are you Xiaolu’s classmate?"

Though he wasn’t accustomed to smiling, he made an effort to lift the corners of his lips, making his expression appear more approachable. "Are you here to hang out with Xiaolu?"

"Yes! We were just doing homework together!" Xia Liang replied cheerfully, not showing the slightest hesitation as she told what was most likely a lie. "We finally finished!"

"It’s pretty late. Aren’t you heading home?" Lin Yun asked, showing no intention of exposing her.

"Xiaolu wanted me to stay over, so I took the liberty of saying yes!" Xia Liang answered smoothly, both polite and considerate.

"I see. Did you let your family know?" Lin Yun kept his tone gentle.

"I told them the situation, but we were waiting on your approval, Uncle."

"Haha, of course, I don’t mind. It’s good for young people to spend more time together..."

Just like that, the two of them engaged in a pleasant conversation in the living room.

Playing the role of a parent, Lin Yun casually asked about Xia Liang’s home life and studies, trying to glean some information. However, Xia Liang’s responses were just as airtight. She kept up her act flawlessly while revealing absolutely nothing about herself.

Before long, a single ponytailed head peeked out from a nearby room.

Lin Xiaolu was lurking by the doorway, curious about what was being discussed in the living room. She was secretly observing the situation.

But her hiding spot wasn’t exactly sophisticated—Lin Yun noticed her right away. Not intending to indulge her, he called out directly:

"Xiaolu, have you been a good host to your classmate tonight?"

"Uh..."

Caught in the act, Lin Xiaolu had no choice but to step out from behind the door. She glanced at Lin Yun, then at Xia Liang, who was grinning beside him, before reluctantly responding, "I ordered takeout."

"And have you figured out where your classmate will be sleeping?"

"Uh..."

Once again, Lin Xiaolu was at a loss for words. She stammered for a moment but ultimately admitted in a defeated tone, "Not yet."

In truth, what Lin Yun didn’t know was that just half an hour ago, Xia Liang had been lounging in Lin Xiaolu’s room.

But since Xia Liang had nothing to do while Lin Xiaolu was doing her homework, she kept pestering her, leading to her eventual eviction from the room.

Forget preparing a place for Xia Liang to sleep—Lin Xiaolu would have kicked her out of the house entirely if she weren’t too soft-hearted to do so. In the end, she had simply banished Xia Liang to the living room while she stayed in her room alone.

"Wait here. There are spare blankets in the master bedroom. I’ll go find one."

Lin Yun hadn’t expected his daughter to be particularly thoughtful, to begin with. The fact that she had lent her clothes to someone was already a surprise. Since he was the adult in the household, it was only proper for him to prepare a place for Xia Liang to sleep.

Heading to the master bedroom, he pulled out a few unused blankets from the top shelf of the wardrobe, selecting one that was both a suitable size and had a decent pattern. After giving it a good shake to make sure it was clean, he folded it up and carried it to Lin Xiaolu’s bedroom door.

"I’ll leave this here for now. I’ll find a sleeping mat next."

Handing the blanket to Lin Xiaolu, he added, "Let me know if you need anything else."

"...Thanks, but this is enough."

Lin Xiaolu held the blanket, her head slightly lowered. "This is my responsibility. I’ll take care of it."

"Do you even know how to set up a floor bed?" Lin Yun raised an eyebrow. "Or are you planning to share your bed with her?"

"I know how to do it. Don’t worry about it—go do your own thing." Lin Xiaolu was firm in her stance.

It was clear that she didn’t want Lin Yun to be involved in hosting Xia Liang.

After spending so many days with her as Veronica, Lin Yun had started to understand her personality a little better.

Even though she didn’t like Xia Liang, the girl was still connected to her life as a Magical Girl. Lin Xiaolu had her own ideals and aspirations when it came to being a Magical Girl, and she didn’t want anything related to that world crossing over into her relationship with her "annoying old man."

What a stubborn kid. He had no idea who she got it from.

If he were Veronica right now, she’d probably be more than happy to accept his help.

Lin Yun sighed internally, but there was nothing he could do. So, he simply took a step back, raised his hands slightly to signal that he wouldn’t interfere any further, and said, "Alright, I’ll leave it to you then."

The tense atmosphere by the bedroom door hadn’t gone unnoticed by Xia Liang.

She had been discreetly watching the situation unfold, and after witnessing the interaction between Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu, she finally realized that their father-daughter relationship seemed a little too distant.

Looks like I’ll have to step in and smooth things over.

Putting her phone away, she cheerfully approached them, playing dumb as if she were completely unaware of the situation.

"Ah! So Xiaolu and Uncle were getting a bed ready for me? Oh no, I feel so bad—thank you so much!"

Her exaggerated gratitude broke the tense silence, easing the strained atmosphere between the father and daughter.

Lin Xiaolu didn’t like Xia Liang, and she didn’t like her dad either. But with both of them in front of her, she couldn’t bring herself to completely reject either one. So, she could only mumble a sullen, "Mm."

"Great! I’m actually feeling a little tired."

Clapping her hands in an over-the-top manner, Xia Liang grinned as she pushed Lin Xiaolu forward. "Let’s set up the bed together!"

Lin Yun watched as the two girls gradually made their way into the room.

At one point, Lin Xiaolu turned back to look at him. In response, he simply raised one hand in a casual wave and silently mouthed, "Good night."

Oh well, let the kids sort it out themselves.