Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Book 2: Chapter 100: Temple Fair Prayer

Vol 2 Chapter 100: Temple Fair Prayer

Fangting City, Sandalwood Hill, Bai Lao Temple.

This was a temple located within Fangting City, known for its ever-flourishing incense and prayers.

Sandalwood Hill wasn’t really a proper mountain. With an elevation of only a few dozen meters, it was technically just a slightly taller mound. But in old times, the residents of Fangting found it easier to call it a “hill,” and over time, the name stuck and was passed down through generations.

Legend had it that the temple enshrined a doctor from ancient times who had once been highly respected in Fangting. His surname was Bai. He was renowned for his exceptional medical skills and kind-hearted nature—often waiving fees for poor patients. The people held him in great esteem. After his passing, grateful citizens built a temple in his honor to commemorate his virtues.

Later, as the city expanded and modernized, Bai Lao Temple underwent several renovations and eventually became a well-known local landmark. At the end of every January, marking the conclusion of the New Year festivities, Fangting City would host a public temple fair at Bai Lao Temple.

Lantern displays, riddles, dragon dances, fireworks, and many other traditional cultural activities were all part of the fair. In addition, there were food stalls, games... all in all, it was a massive event.

“Then, let me officially declare: the joint outing of Fangting City and Bo’an City Magical Girl Squads, as well as the farewell party for the Bo’an Squad, now—begins!”

Not far from the temple fair, in an open area, a group of girls in varied outfits stood gathered together, all looking in one direction.

In their sights stood the pink, cat-shaped fairy Moko, waving a stick of sandalwood incense from who-knows-where and loudly announcing the event with great gusto.

“Why is it the one making the announcement again?”

Bundled up in a thick winter coat and long scarf, looking just short of rolling into a ball, Lin Xiaolu turned her head toward Xia Liang and asked.

“Well, strictly speaking, Moko is the Seeder of our squad. So for joint activities with other city squads, it kinda makes sense for it to take the lead.”

Xia Liang exhaled a white puff of breath and rubbed her red, frozen face with gloved hands. “And besides, no one else wants to fight it for the job. Letting it have a little fun doesn’t hurt.”

“So we really have to go out in this weather?”

Nearby, Wood Lily squinted and grumbled, “Did none of you check the weather forecast? Do you even know what the temperature is today? Minus ten degrees! And we’re out here for a temple fair? Whoever came up with this idea—is their brain okay?”

Lin Xiaolu glared daggers at her.

“Hey, it's cold, yeah, but look at the crowd—there are tons of people here. So clearly, we're not the only ones crazy enough to come out.”

Before the argument could escalate, Asou Madoka, standing next to Wood Lily, suddenly reached out and ruffled her hair. “And hey, someone invited you out with good intentions. Don’t be such a brat.”

“…You're just here because you wanted to have fun,” Wood Lily muttered, her voice muffled.

“Now how could you say that? I’m here as your guardian, making sure you’re all safe.”

Asou Madoka smiled brightly and turned to Lin Xiaolu. “So, what's next, our little tour guide? What's our first stop?”

“Huh? Oh, let me think.”

Distracted by the question, Lin Xiaolu started going over the plans she had carefully researched online. “Hmm… we should head to the mountain path first, because the dragon dance will start there. We can follow the performers down the road and then head to the lantern riddle zone.”

Following the “you plan it, you lead it” principle, Lin Xiaolu had taken full charge of organizing the temple fair tour. The older girls basically left everything to her, and to her credit, she had done a thorough job, digging through tons of online guides to come up with an itinerary. That’s why she was a little annoyed that Moko had stolen some of her spotlight.

Following her lead, the group began moving toward the mountain path. A group of energetic teenage girls like this naturally drew attention along the way. Passersby kept stealing glances, and with their youthful, pretty faces, some even mistook them for a performance troupe and moved aside to let them through.

The group of nine walked along the path for over ten minutes before finally arriving at the spot Lin Xiaolu had mentioned. Sure enough, a large crowd had already gathered. From the middle of the crowd came the sound of gongs and drums—lively and festive music that could only mean one thing: the dragon dance was about to begin.

Lin Xiaolu tried squeezing into the crowd but quickly realized it was too packed to get through. So she took the group further ahead to the roadside, hoping to catch the parade as it passed.

Before long, a troupe dressed in red and yellow practice uniforms, each wearing a red headscarf and holding up a dragon lantern, came down the road to the beat of the drums.

The dragon lantern, several dozen meters long, was raised and twirled by the performers. The dragon’s head bobbed, its whiskers swinging, and its body—covered in colorful scales—shimmered in the sunset.

With coordinated steps, the dancers moved rhythmically, bending, twisting, rising and falling in sync. Under their lead, the dragon seemed almost alive—twisting through the air, soaring and spiraling with each drumbeat.

The crowd around them all had their phones up—snapping pictures and recording video. Cheers and claps rang out here and there, along with the playful chatter of parents with their kids. What was once a quiet path had now transformed into a river of festivity.

Veronica stood calmly at the edge of the path, watching silently and clapping along with the crowd now and then.

“Not interested?”

Asou Madoka had appeared behind her at some point.

“This year’s troupe is actually pretty good. Not even gonna record a little?”

“It’s not that I’m not interested. They’re quite good, actually.”

Veronica shook her head. “It’s just that it happens every year. I’ve seen it too many times, filmed it too many times. It just doesn’t excite me anymore.”

“…Fair. You’ve been in Fangting all these years. I guess it’d get old.”

Asou Madoka chuckled. “But not for those girls—it’s their first time.”

She pointed toward the girls from Bo’an. They were already squeezed up to the very front, visibly thrilled. Even Wood Lily, who’d been the most reluctant earlier, now had her hand outstretched, nearly touching the dragon lantern.

Apparently her enthusiasm had caught the troupe’s attention. A few of the performers let out loud shouts, and the dragon suddenly swerved, circling around behind Wood Lily. The shimmering body of the dragon lit up her pale blonde hair like it was glowing.

The impromptu move drew fresh cheers from the crowd.

“That kid’s unexpectedly into traditional culture?” Veronica asked, intrigued.

“Who, Wood Lily?”

“I thought she was in that rebellious phase—too cool for grownups or anything old-fashioned.”

“Oh, her?”

Asou Madoka nodded knowingly. “You’re right—she is pretty rebellious. But she’s always had a thing for music and dance, so it makes sense she’d like something like this.”

“I see. That explains it.”

“You’re not gonna ask for the full backstory?” Madoka raised an eyebrow, a little surprised.

“Nope.”

Veronica’s expression didn’t change. “Most Magical Girls have... complicated backgrounds. And since she’s in your squad now, I’m sure you’ve got it handled.”

“Cold, aren’t you?” Madoka sighed.

“Still better than a Magical Girl who can ditch her team and spend half the year away from the city.” Veronica shot her a glance.

“Haha, fair enough.”

Madoka laughed and smiled. “So, you’ve been to Bo’an before, right? You’ve seen our squad base?”

“That music shop?”

“Yup, Mingyin Music Shop. The old owners were friends of mine. But due to health issues, they retired early and handed the shop to their daughter—Deng Zhan, the Magical Girl.”

Madoka’s voice took on a nostalgic tone. “As for Wood Lily, her parents were also acquaintances of the shop’s old owners. They were both in a band, never married, and eventually split up. Her dad took custody.”

“And later, he decided a kid was a burden on his music dreams. So one day, he just left her at the shop and vanished.”

“Funny thing is, he left behind a thousand-word apology letter and his guitar. The letter was full of emotional crap about how hard it was to abandon her. He even said he’d pawn the guitar as child support—except, it was a guitar he’d bought on credit from Mingyin Music Shop, and he never even finished paying for it.”

Neither spoke for a while after that, as the dragon dance troupe continued onward and they moved with the crowd.

“That’s why she’s into music and dance?” Veronica asked.

“Yup. Her scumbag dad used to take gigs wherever he could—venues, streets, whatever—just to get by. But he always brought her along.”

Madoka smiled faintly. “Guess it’s true what they say—passions are shaped early on.”

“If possible, I’d prefer you not give me such detailed accounts of a scumbag’s life.”

After thinking it over, Veronica finally commented, “Honestly, after hearing all that, I just feel sorry for her... and angry.”

“Same here. But luckily, the old shop owners were genuinely kind people. Once they realized there was no fixing the situation, they took her in. So technically, she’s Deng Zhan’s little sister now.”

Madoka shrugged. “Still, even though her dad’s a total piece of sh*t, no one at the shop has told her the truth. She still thinks she’s just being temporarily fostered. Believes he’ll come back one day. So yeah—don’t badmouth her dad around her. She won’t take it well.”

“Is that really necessary? Creating a lie that’ll fall apart eventually?” Veronica frowned.

“Yeah, is it really necessary? Creating a lie that’ll fall apart eventually?”

Madoka paused, gave her a teasing look, and repeated the words back, word for word.

Veronica was left speechless.

“…So this whole long story was just to set up that line?” she said after a while, exasperated. “You knew I’d ask that?”

“Who knows?” Madoka shrugged. “Maybe I just felt like sharing something I’ve seen over the years.”

“Really, there’s no deeper meaning. It just felt like the right time to tell it. Treat it as just a story, no need to overthink it.”

“Not exactly a pleasant one.” Veronica sighed.

“My bad.” Madoka grinned, clearly unapologetic.

The dragon dance troupe continued down the path, heading into the temple fair’s main venue amid a festive roar.

By then, the sun had fully set. The lanterns hanging throughout the fair became the centerpiece of everyone’s gaze.

The clang of drums merged with the parade and flowed into the main square, leading to a massive stage set up ahead. Meanwhile, the Magical Girls—guided by Lin Xiaolu—broke away from the crowd and headed toward a slightly quieter section of the fairgrounds.

“Slightly” being relative. There were no deafening drums here, but the place was still packed with people.

This courtyard of the temple had been converted into a riddle zone. Rows of hanging lanterns dangled from wooden racks that created a ceiling-like canopy, blocking out the night sky. Each lantern had a red slip of paper with ink-written riddles pasted on it.

In a corner of the courtyard, a middle-aged man in scholar’s robes was writing riddles at a table. Next to him were a pile of lanterns still awaiting their riddles. His calligraphy was bold and powerful, drawing in quite the crowd.

Farther out near the courtyard exit, several staff members stood guard over a mountain of prizes—ranging from small furniture sets to toothbrushes and tissue packs, along with discount vouchers for purchases within the fair.

Veronica, somewhat fond of word games, strolled around twice before picking a riddle she could solve.

“A red maiden, climbs a tower, heart aches, tears shower—guess the object.”

It wasn’t hard. After a moment’s thought, Veronica figured the answer must be a candle.

She subconsciously reached out to tear off the red slip—only to find that even with her arm extended, her fingers still couldn’t reach.

She looked around. The other Magical Girls were absorbed in solving their own riddles, so no one was nearby. She turned back, stood on tiptoe...

—Still too far.

Veronica’s eyes drooped slightly.

She looked around again to make sure no one was watching, then pursed her lips, bent her knees, and gave a small hop—without using any real magic strength.

—Her fingers barely grazed the bottom of the paper.

The jump was exaggerated enough to draw a few glances from nearby visitors. Embarrassed, Veronica gave up on the riddle and turned to walk away.

But just as she was a few steps out, a voice called out from behind—

“Little girl, were you trying to grab this riddle?”

She turned around and saw a young staff member had already taken the red slip from the lantern and was now holding it out to her.

Veronica stood still for a moment, staring at the red slip.

“Ah, you weren’t? Did I get it wrong? My bad…”

Seeing no reaction from her, the staffer scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. But before he could pull the slip back, Veronica swiftly snatched it from his hand and tossed out a hurried, “Thanks.”

“Good luck! Win a bunch of prizes to show your mom and dad!”

The staffer called out behind her, prompting Veronica to quicken her pace even more. Holding the red slip, she made her way back to where the other Magical Girls had gathered, then crossed her arms and silently stood off to the side—clearly done with riddle-solving for the night.

Roughly ten minutes later, Wood Lily, the slowest of the group, finally found a riddle she thought she could solve. One by one, the girls brought their red slips and answers to the prize booth.

Everyone who answered correctly got to draw a prize from the box, and most of the squad had gotten their riddles right—everyone except Moko and Asou Madoka.

“Come on, how is ‘almost black’ not gray? Why is the answer a bird?” Moko grumbled in protest.

“Haha, your Donghua Province riddles are impossible to understand. We folks from Toyo Province are totally lost,” Madoka defended herself with a grin, clearly not taking it seriously.

Then came the prize drawing. Starting with Lin Xiaolu, the younger members drew first, then the older ones, and Veronica drew last.

Reaching into the raffle box, she slowly unfolded her slip and saw a line of black text: “50% Off Tangyuan Coupon.”

Was it a prize? Technically, yes. Was it exciting? Hard to say—it didn’t exactly light up the soul.

Accepting the “Third Prize” coupon while hearing the staffer’s enthusiastic announcement, Veronica’s expression remained inscrutable. On the other hand, Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan, both lovers of sweets, practically cheered with delight.

And just like that, their dinner was decided—tangyuan it was.

The Magical Girls left the riddle zone and drifted into the bustling snack market. The area was packed with food stalls and the kind of carnival games that tried to swindle kids with ring tosses and spinning wheels. The 50% tangyuan coupon was only good here—any tangyuan vendor, any flavor, any amount, all half off.

With a complicated expression, Veronica paid for a bowl of tangyuan. In true traditional fashion, she ordered black sesame filling. Compared to the rest of the girls, her choice was plain to the extreme. Xia Liang ordered purple sweet potato, Hong Siyu picked peanut—both still within reason. But Lin Xiaolu’s strawberry flavor and Asou Madoka’s coffee filling? Those were just confusing.

Since when did tangyuan become this flashy?

Nibbling at her black sesame tangyuan, Veronica felt as if her worldview had been shaken. Back when she was younger, when she used to visit temple fairs with Aya, Su Shengzi, and the others, wasn’t tangyuan just a plain, traditional dessert?

As her thoughts started drifting into nostalgic dismay at how out of touch she felt, Bai Jingxuan appeared beside her, bowl in hand.

“Mom, try mine,”

she said brightly, casually pushing her bowl toward Veronica.

“You picked this one?”

Veronica looked at her, hesitated, then didn’t refuse. She scooped one out of Bai Jingxuan’s bowl and tasted it.

A mild sweetness and creamy texture filled her mouth—it was custard filling.

A little modern, sure, compared to her sesame tangyuan, but nowhere near the insanity of coffee flavor. It almost felt normal by contrast.

Swallowing the bite, Veronica gave her verdict:

“Tastes good.”

“Really? Thanks!”

Beaming, Bai Jingxuan pulled her bowl back and inched closer. “Then, Mom, I wanna try yours too.”

“Hm… I guess that’s fine, but it’s just regular black sesame, same as the kind from the supermarket.”

Veronica blinked, slightly confused. “You really want to?”

“Yes!” Bai Jingxuan nodded firmly.

“All right then.”

Veronica pushed her bowl over.

But the moment she did, Bai Jingxuan pushed it back.

“What is it? Changed your mind?” Veronica frowned.

Bai Jingxuan shook her head and softly hummed a no.

“Then wha—”

Before she could finish the question, she saw Bai Jingxuan adjust her eyepatch, lean slightly forward, and open her mouth.

“Ahh~” the girl said sweetly.

Veronica’s hand twitched.

She glanced around, looked back at Bai Jingxuan, and after a moment of helpless hesitation, lowered her spoon, scooped a white-and-black tangyuan from her bowl with Bai Jingxuan’s spoon—

“Ah~”

She gave it a few cooling puffs, then—with visible awkwardness—fed it to Bai Jingxuan.

The girl chomped it down, chewed a few times, and swallowed with a grin: “Yummy!”

“…Good then.” Veronica responded stiffly, quickly scanning the crowd to make sure no one had seen that awkward little scene.

Unfortunately, she turned her head less than ninety degrees and spotted someone new beside her.

BANG!

Lin Xiaolu slammed her bowl onto the table, glared at Bai Jingxuan, then turned her expression into the picture of innocent sweetness as she looked at Veronica.

“Veronica, I wanna try yours too!”

“Nope!”

Bai Jingxuan instantly objected. “I was here first!”

“You already had a turn! It’s my turn now!” Lin Xiaolu fired back.

“I was first!”

“My turn!”

The two of them went back and forth like bickering elementary schoolers, getting louder and louder.

Sensing trouble, Veronica quickly intervened and, face blank, scooped out another tangyuan and fed it to Lin Xiaolu.

She watched as Lin Xiaolu happily gulped it down.

At that moment, she felt like a mother bird feeding a nest of hatchlings—each one screeching for their share, fighting over who gets fed first. She had to feed them while keeping peace among the chicks.

One bite for Lin Xiaolu. One bite for Bai Jingxuan. Another for Lin Xiaolu…

By the time she looked up again, the other Magical Girls had gathered around the same table, bowls in hand, watching with interest. Only Veronica looked even remotely fazed. The rest, including Bai Jingxuan and Lin Xiaolu, had completely abandoned any sense of shame and were just happily being fed. Judging by Hong Siyu’s expression, she’d be next if there was room at the table.

This torturous process lasted over ten minutes. Only after finishing her entire bowl did Veronica finally let out a long breath.

But before she could relax, both Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan pushed their bowls toward her.

“Try mine too!”

“You can eat mine!” they chimed in unison.

Veronica’s already-numb expression didn’t change.

She glanced across the table at Asou Madoka, who was grinning and giving her a thumbs-up. She looked at Hong Siyu, who nudged her bowl forward. Then at Xia Liang, who stared at her with slightly resentful eyes and mouthed two words—

“You deserve it.”

As the unspoken accusation hung in the air, fireworks bloomed above the night sky. Streaks of silver light streaked through the darkness, blossoming like flowers in full bloom.

BOOM. THUD!

Brilliant, noisy, dazzling fireworks pulled everyone’s attention skyward, signaling that the temple fair was entering its climax. The atmosphere reached its peak.

People gathered in clusters, eating snacks while watching the fireworks and stage performances in the distance. Despite the freezing temperatures, the warmth of the crowd and the excitement in the air made everyone forget the cold—it felt like warmth from within.

Thanks to the fireworks’ distraction, Veronica finally managed to escape the table with a quick “I’m full,” avoiding any further embarrassment.

Then, perhaps to redirect everyone’s attention, she surprisingly suggested they try out the ring toss game.

No one objected. Lin Xiaolu had actually included games in her itinerary, so the plan merged perfectly.

Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan threw themselves into the competition, almost like they were resolving their earlier food fight with rings. Veronica focused completely, trying to mentally reset. Soon, the Magical Girls’ scary accuracy left the game stall owner sweating and begging them to leave before they won every major prize.

From the plaza to the stage to the lantern displays, they continued through the preplanned route, almost completely covering the entire fair. Even with their enhanced stamina, the Magical Girls eventually started feeling tired.

At last, they arrived at the final stop of the evening:

—The Blessing Ritual.

In truth, this was the temple’s original and most sacred purpose.

Only now did the bundle of sandalwood incense Moko had been carrying all night finally become useful. The girls followed the line of worshippers, lighting their incense and stepping into the temple through the drifting smoke.

The air was thick with the scent of burning incense. The massive bronze incense burner gleamed under the candlelight. Supported by three thick legs, it held a mountain of ash and emitted wisps of white smoke. Worshippers held burning incense—some with three sticks, others nine—moving forward slowly. At the front, they solemnly inserted the incense into the ash, pressed their palms together, and whispered their wishes.

The crowd was endless. Some came alone, others with family. Couples held hands, friends gathered in small groups. Amid the diverse crowd, the Magical Girls still stood out most.

But after a night under countless stares, they were nearly used to it.

For them, the most fitting wish tonight was the upcoming national assessment.

May everything go smoothly in the upcoming trip to the Kingdom. At the very least, may it be safe—even if not uneventful.

Veronica placed her incense in the burner, looked toward the bronze statue symbolizing Bai Lao, and lowered her head to silently pray.

The younger girls followed her lead—pressing their hands together and making silent wishes.

No one spoke them aloud. In Donghua Province, everyone knew that saying your wish out loud would make it lose its power.

“I hope I can level up to Flower-tier this year…”

The only one who broke the silence was Wood Lily—and was promptly whacked on the head by Asou Madoka, who silenced her.

Lin Xiaolu, Bai Jingxuan, Xia Liang, Hong Siyu, even the usually irreverent Asou Madoka, and the utterly clueless Moko—all bowed their heads and quietly made their wishes.

After a long moment, in the smoky air, Veronica lifted her head and opened her eyes.

She didn’t believe in gods or spirits, didn’t believe in the power of prayer. But even so, on the brink of entering the Kingdom, she couldn’t help but feel a little nervous.

Forging identities, infiltrating the Kingdom, healing old wounds, reclaiming lost power…

Would everything really go as planned?

She didn’t know. She couldn’t know.

But the arrow had already been nocked—there was no turning back now.

“Queen’s Year…”

She whispered, feeling the weight in her heart grow heavier—but the light in her eyes never wavered.

She was ready.