Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 53: Lin Xiaolu gave up thinking

Lin Xiaolu wasn’t really listening to Hong Siyu and Lin Yun’s conversation.

At that moment, her mind went completely blank.

She only caught bits and pieces like “junior” and “get along,” but none of it stirred any reaction in her.

She couldn’t even recall what she was doing at the time. It was as if she had just been standing there in a daze. Only when she saw Hong Siyu leave did she snap back to reality—like she was fleeing, she darted into the elevator and rushed home.

The fact that her father knew Veronica’s contact was too overwhelming for her to process. She didn’t even know what exactly she should be upset about.

Did he already know she was a Magical Girl? If her father knew, wouldn’t all her recent deception be nothing more than a joke?

Did that woman, Hong Siyu, really visit her home just because of Veronica’s request? If her father knew Hong Siyu, then what exactly was their relationship?

And worst of all—the one question she dreaded even thinking about: Did Veronica… also know her father?

The possibilities tangled in her mind, leaving her utterly restless.

She had always harbored a vague suspicion—was Veronica being too kind and caring toward her?

She had never seriously considered it before. In fact, she had deliberately ignored the thought. Deep down, she wanted to believe that Veronica’s concern came from a genuine liking for her.

To her, Veronica was the perfect Magical Girl—like a character who had stepped out of an anime, embodying everything she idolized about Magical Girls. She admired and respected Veronica from the bottom of her heart, so of course, she hoped that she was special to Veronica too.

But no matter how she tried to convince herself, she couldn’t answer one crucial question—why her?

When it came to strength, she was nothing more than a background character standing behind Veronica. In terms of talent, Xia Liang was far superior. As for personality… she was well aware that her awkward, blunt way of speaking wasn’t exactly likable.

Why would someone as perfect as Veronica have any reason to treat her so specially?

It wasn’t until today—when she saw her father talking to Hong Siyu—that she realized this question might actually have an answer.

If her father really knew Veronica, then her supposed “special treatment” might just be a favor—nothing more than an arrangement between adults.

It wasn’t uncommon at school for students with connections to receive extra attention and guidance from teachers. It was an open secret, barely hidden.

But her father was just an ordinary man—what could he possibly offer to make Veronica take care of her?

And if she took it a step further… was it possible that Veronica and her father had an even deeper connection?

Veronica always emphasized that she was an adult—was that a hint? Could their relationship be even closer than she dared to imagine?

Would they…

Lin Xiaolu refused to think any further. There were too many possibilities, and she couldn’t bring herself to dig deeper.

All she knew was that because of these thoughts, she remained distracted for the rest of the night.

Even when she received a message in the newly formed group chat, inviting her to Xia Liang’s house for a study session, she couldn’t shake off the chaotic thoughts.

Even Xia Liang’s gentle attempts to comfort her did little to ease her mind.

And when night fell, and Veronica sat under the lamp, explaining a problem to her in that cool, clear voice—she couldn’t process a single word.

She wanted so badly to ask—ask if Veronica knew her father, ask if her concern was nothing more than a favor repaid. But she was terrified of the answer. If it was true, then this beautiful moment would crumble into nothing.

Yet even in her distracted state, even when she failed to grasp a problem after countless explanations, Veronica remained patient, tirelessly going over the solution again and again.

That kind, almost dreamlike patience… made her even more reluctant to shatter the illusion.

If she couldn’t figure it out, then she wouldn’t. She would deal with it when the time came.

Sitting at the desk, she decided to bury her head in the sand.

She would pretend to know nothing, continue lying to herself, and just enjoy the present.

Lin Xiaolu gave up on searching for answers.

But just a few days later, when she thought she had successfully pushed everything out of her mind, something happened that yanked her right back to reality.

—She discovered that her father was dressing up.

Not in his usual, impeccably neat work attire, with a perfectly combed hairstyle and crisp suit. No, this was real dressing up.

He pulled out a casual button-up shirt from his wardrobe—one he hadn’t worn in who knows how long—and paired it with a stylish linen blazer suited for summer. He even used the expensive men’s skincare products that had been sitting untouched on his shelf and went to a barbershop to get a fresh haircut. The result was a younger, more refined appearance.

Lin Yun had never been bad-looking to begin with. Now, with his tall, well-proportioned figure and mature yet sharp features, he radiated a gentlemanly charm.

If it were anyone else, this wouldn’t be a big deal.

But for Lin Yun, who had almost no leisure life to speak of, this was practically earth-shattering.

“No, no… this is way too suspicious.”

The next morning, Lin Xiaolu sat hunched over, clutching her head, her face blank with shock.

“This is definitely not something he’d normally do.”

“Haha… even if you say that…” Xia Liang let out a nervous laugh.

She had been dealing with Lin Xiaolu’s unpredictable mood swings for the past few days and had only just started to relax when things seemed to be getting better. But now, Xiaolu was acting even weirder.

“Well, maybe your dad just has an important event coming up?” she offered, trying to sound reasonable.

“Him? An event?”

Lin Xiaolu lifted her head from her slump, bloodshot eyes glaring.

“What kind of event would make a man over 35 suddenly start dressing like that?”

“Um… maybe a wedding?” Xia Liang forced a clueless expression.

“It’s an affair. It has to be an affair!”

Slamming her hands onto the couch, Lin Xiaolu shouted, “He’s obviously going on a date with a woman!”

“…I think calling it an affair is a bit much,” Xia Liang said, her face twitching.

“And besides, there’s no proof that he’s trying to get you a stepmother, right?”

“He can do whatever he wants. I don’t care about that,” Lin Xiaolu huffed, puffing up her cheeks. “I just don’t want him going on a date with that woman, Hong Siyu. She doesn’t seem trustworthy at all.”

And then, there was another possibility.

One she really didn’t want to say out loud.

If… by some wild chance… what if it wasn’t Hong Siyu?

What if it was… her?

The thought alone made her suppressed emotions surge back up, drowning out any remaining rationality.

“No way! I have to figure out what’s going on!”

Suddenly snapping to attention, she jumped to her feet.

“Moko!”

“Huh?” Moko, startled by being called, blinked in confusion.

“When the day comes and he actually sneaks out, you have to help me!”

Clenching her fists, Lin Xiaolu declared with determination:

“I’m following him!”