Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 48: The Descendants of the Seniors

"You have a doorbell?"

Lin Xiaolu, who had been resting her chin on her hands, lifted her head and straightened up. "At this hour?"

Xia Liang poked her head out from the side and asked, "Is it a delivery?"

"No idea, I didn’t order anything," Lin Xiaolu denied outright.

"Then maybe your dad did?" Xia Liang suggested another possibility.

"Him? I’ve never seen him buy anything online."

Still unconvinced, Lin Xiaolu was about to dismiss the thought entirely, but then hesitated. "But… I guess it’s not impossible."

"So, should we open it?"

Xia Liang glanced at the front door, looking eager. "It’s broad daylight, so it should be fine, right?"

"Daylight or not, our neighborhood’s security should be fine," Lin Xiaolu seemed to be convinced.

Xia Liang made a quick gesture, and a wand formed in her hand from purple magic. "Then I’ll transform into a Magical Girl and stand by. If it’s a bad guy, I’ll just blast them?"

Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes and stared at her for a moment. She almost asked, Why don’t you open it yourself? But then she remembered—this was her house, so she should take responsibility. Pushing that thought aside, she got up from the couch. "That sounds reasonable."

With a wave, she dismissed her own Magical Girl transformation. Wearing her house slippers, she shuffled towards the entrance. Meanwhile, Xia Liang clutched her wand and sprawled over the sofa, leaving only her head peeking out to secretly observe.

Frowning slightly, Lin Xiaolu reached the door, hesitated for a moment with her hand on the handle, then cautiously pressed down and opened it.

—What met her gaze was a completely unfamiliar woman.

The woman looked to be in her mid-twenties, relatively tall, with striking features. Her black hair was styled into a simple C-curl perm. She wore a white, floral-patterned open-front T-shirt paired with a high-waisted denim maxi skirt. A small crossbody bag hung from her shoulder, giving off a polished office-lady vibe.

"Who are you?" Lin Xiaolu was dumbfounded.

"Oh my, so this is Senior’s… how adorable!"

But the woman before her showed no sign of unfamiliarity. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw Lin Xiaolu. "I’ve only seen photos before, but you’re even cuter in person!"

Her unabashed enthusiasm left Lin Xiaolu even more confused. "So… who are you?"

"Who I am isn’t important. What matters is—it’s our first meeting! You’re Lin Xiaolu, right? Come here and give Auntie a hug!" The woman spread her arms wide, beaming.

"Why? No way!" Lin Xiaolu instinctively took two steps back.

Her overwhelming confusion left her momentarily speechless. The commotion had also drawn the attention of Xia Liang and Moko, who peeked into the doorway from the living room.

Seeing the stand-off, Xia Liang blinked, quickly pieced things together, and turned to the woman at the door with a polite smile.

"Ah, hello, Miss! Who are you looking for?"

Her demeanor was graceful and courteous, making it impossible to find fault—like she was the real resident of the house.

The woman at the door instantly lit up. "Ah? You called me Miss? Hahaha, you’re such a sweet talker!"

Since she was wearing outdoor shoes, she didn’t step inside but waved enthusiastically instead. "You come over too! Let me give you a kiss!"

"Uh, that’s a bit…"

Even Xia Liang looked slightly overwhelmed by the woman’s excessive enthusiasm.

"So, seriously, who are you?!" Lin Xiaolu, who had been shoved to the side, demanded once again.

It wasn’t until the third time she asked that the woman seemed to snap out of her overly excited state. Studying the two girls’ confused expressions, she realized she hadn’t even introduced herself.

A complete stranger acting so familiar would obviously leave people at a loss. So, she cleared her throat and toned down her expression slightly.

"Ahem. Looks like neither of you know who I am. Let me give a brief intro."

She lifted her small crossbody bag and pulled out a sleek black ID card, flashing it in the air.

"I’m Hong Siyu, a liaison from the Countermeasure Bureau. I’m responsible for coordinating with your Senior—Veronica. Also, ten years ago, I was Fangting City’s resident Magical Girl."

Her movements were crisp and professional, and her smile had a friendly warmth. Yet, her simple statement carried a lot of weight, leaving the two girls at the door momentarily stunned.

"Veronica’s… liaison?"

"A Magical Girl from ten years ago?"

Clearly, they each focused on different parts of the revelation.

For Lin Xiaolu, Veronica’s social circle was naturally her main concern—of course, she was curious about what kind of person her liaison was.

Meanwhile, Xia Liang had similar thoughts, but the latter half of Hong Siyu’s words held far greater significance.

Seeing that her introduction had successfully piqued their interest, Hong Siyu knocked lightly on the doorframe, her earlier excessive enthusiasm now replaced by a more casual approach.

"I’ve said quite a bit already. Aren’t you going to invite me in for a chat?"

The two girls exchanged glances. Xia Liang gave a quick wink, and Lin Xiaolu, still reluctant, fumbled through the shoe cabinet and pulled out a pair of disposable shoe covers, handing them over.

"Here."

"Hehe, well then, I’ll gladly accept."

Taking the shoe covers from Lin Xiaolu’s hands, Hong Siyu deftly slipped them over her square-toe shoes and stepped into the apartment with a barely contained excitement.

As she entered, she instinctively scanned her surroundings—her gaze moved from the dining area to the living room, from the dining table to the clock, to the cabinets… then landed on the neatly arranged sofa. For a moment, a faint expression of nostalgia crossed her face.

It’s been so long.

She murmured inwardly.

Her odd reaction didn’t go unnoticed—both Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang found themselves staring at her in confusion. But out of politeness, they still led her to the living room.

Xia Liang turned to the kitchen to make tea, while Lin Xiaolu casually gestured towards the sofa, though her body remained tense. "Here. Sit."

"Are you shy?" Hong Siyu asked, glancing back at her.

"No."

Lin Xiaolu stiffly denied it. "Please don’t treat me like a child."

"Shyness isn’t necessarily a childish trait."

Hong Siyu found a comfortable spot on the couch and plopped down. "Even us adults get shy sometimes. But we give it a fancy name—social anxiety."

"…I said I’m not shy."

"Alright, alright, you’re not shy."

Hong Siyu chuckled knowingly, then patted the empty space beside her.

"Come sit next to me, so I can take a good look at you?"

"Uh…"

Faced with the request, Lin Xiaolu froze on the spot, completely unmoving.