Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 55: Anti-Tracking

At the Jewelry Store

Lin Yun stood at the jewelry store counter.

The sales clerk enthusiastically introduced various products, frequently checking in to confirm his preferences. But Lin Yun paid no attention.

His focus was entirely on Moko.

At this moment, Moko was boldly sitting atop the glass display case in front of him, eyes gleaming with excitement at the dazzling array of jewelry. Every now and then, it would turn its head to glance at Lin Yun before continuing to revel in its own little world.

From its perspective, the people around—including Lin Yun—shouldn’t be able to see it.

And it wasn’t an unreasonable assumption. After all, Lin Xiaolu and Moko had never once suspected Lin Yun’s supposed “ordinary person” status. Moko frequently strutted around right in front of him, completely at ease. Meanwhile, Lin Yun had always maintained the composure of an adult, never reacting to Moko’s antics no matter how outrageous they were.

The result? Even now, as Moko tailed him, it had no qualms about making itself completely visible.

If Lin Yun remembered correctly, just over half a month ago, when he had assigned Moko to supervise two new recruits in their magic training, the creature had been full of enthusiasm and determination. Yet now, here it was—siding with them instead.

With a sigh, Lin Yun initially planned to keep ignoring it. But Moko was now sprawled out directly in his line of sight, completely blocking the jewelry the sales clerk was presenting. Inevitably, his attention was drawn to it.

What to do?

He had no choice but to consider the problem.

After a brief moment of weighing his options, he decided that letting Moko continue acting so brazenly wasn’t an option. He had to at least startle it a little—just enough to make it back off. So, he extended a finger and reached out toward Moko’s direction.

“Meowah?!”

Startled by Lin Yun’s sudden movement, Moko let out a yelp, tumbling over itself in a panicked retreat. Now crouched at a distance, it stared at Lin Yun with wide, wary eyes, looking both anxious and confused.

"Could you show me this one?"

Lin Yun, ignoring Moko entirely, pointed toward a crystal pendant inside the display case. "It’s hard to see clearly through the glass."

Truthfully, he hadn’t even thought about which piece to point at. He had only wanted to spook Moko. But since he had already made the gesture, it was best to follow through.

His actions were perfectly natural—nothing about them seemed suspicious. It was as if he had simply wanted to inspect the jewelry.

Relieved, Moko let out a breath, quickly relaxing again.

Once more, it convinced itself that it couldn’t possibly have been noticed.

It shuffled back into Lin Yun’s field of vision, settling into a different spot, and resumed its "stealthy" surveillance.

"Ah, excuse me—"

Lin Yun reached out again, this time in Moko’s new direction. "Could I see this one as well? Thanks."

"Whoaah!"

This time, he hadn’t even aimed to touch Moko, merely gesturing vaguely. But after the last scare, Moko was already on edge. It jumped reflexively, its nerves getting the better of it.

Only after realizing that Lin Yun’s hand hadn’t actually reached toward it did Moko understand—it was another false alarm.

But Lin Yun wasn’t about to let it off the hook so easily.

He continued his game, subtly interacting with Moko in half-truths and feints, mixing in enough randomness to keep it utterly confused. On one hand, Moko still believed Lin Yun couldn't see it. On the other, it kept getting startled by his sudden movements. Eventually, it even began doubting its own luck.

Finally, it wised up and retreated to a safer distance, no longer daring to hover so close.

That was the perfect range.

Satisfied, Lin Yun stopped messing with it.

And so, the two—one man, one fairy—maintained this bizarre, silent battle as they wandered through the mall.

At some point, Moko, growing bored, picked up the phone hanging around its neck. After making a show of talking and then listening, it suddenly seemed to receive some new instructions. It glanced at Lin Yun twice, then fluttered its wings and flew off.

Lin Yun immediately sensed his opportunity.

He had no idea whose idea it was for Moko to tail him, but that didn’t matter. What mattered was that he could now tail Moko in return and see what they were up to.

So, after taking a brief glance at the display case in front of him, he politely bid farewell to the sales clerk and followed Moko’s path.

The Pursuit

The mall was packed on a Saturday, and even in the luxury section, customers bustled about. Lin Yun had no need to actively conceal himself—he only had to keep a reasonable distance and occasionally shift behind cover when Moko glanced back.

He trailed it onto the escalator and up to the third floor. Soon, he saw Moko fly toward the central atrium, where two girls were waiting.

Just as expected.

He recognized them instantly.

The one with a simple ponytail, wearing a short-sleeved top, shorts, and sandals—Lin Xiaolu. The other, with loose shoulder-length hair, a T-shirt, and denim overalls—Xia Liang.

Both girls were leaning against the railing, peering down at something below.

When Moko arrived, it seemed to spark an argument—likely due to a disagreement from their earlier phone call.

"What do you mean you’re worried about being bumped into when you’re too close? Just back up a little!" Lin Xiaolu grumbled.

"You’ll lose track if you’re too far? He’s a full-grown adult—how could you possibly lose him?"

"Why don’t I follow? Watching from up here is the safest. What if he notices me if I go down?"

Their conversation carried over clearly, as Lin Xiaolu made no effort to lower her voice.

Lin Yun curiously followed their gaze downward. From this angle, the atrium provided a clear view of the luxury goods section below. He instantly understood why the girls had chosen this vantage point.

“Xiaolu.”

Xia Liang’s voice carried a hint of concern. "Can you still see your dad?"

"Do I even need to check? He’s been wandering those same spots for over an hour now—all by himself."

Lin Xiaolu rested her arms on the railing, tilting her head lazily. "I’m starting to think he’s been stood up."

"But… I can’t see him anymore." Xia Liang hesitated. "Can you find him?"

"Huh?"

Realization dawned on Lin Xiaolu. She quickly scanned the floor below, glancing around—but no matter where she looked, her father was nowhere to be seen.

"You’ve gotta be kidding me. Did we actually lose him?"

Her own words from just moments ago—"There’s no way you’d lose a full-grown adult"—had come back to bite her almost immediately.

Flustered and embarrassed, her ears turned red.

She hurriedly pulled out her phone, intending to check his location—only to remember that her tracking method relied on Moko. And Moko… had already flown back.

Which meant she had lost her only way to find him.

She stood frozen, clutching her phone in place.

The two girls were left awkwardly hanging by the railing. Moko, the culprit, remained blissfully indifferent. The scene was downright comical.

From a short distance away, Lin Yun sighed.

This had gone on long enough.

Might as well ask them directly.

He stepped forward, silently approaching Lin Xiaolu from behind. Then, gently, he patted her on the shoulder.

"What are you up to?"

"YAAAH!"

Lin Xiaolu nearly jumped out of her skin.