Off Work, Then I Become a Magical Girl
Chapter 98: Summer Coolness

Over a month ago, during the mix-up at the shopping mall where someone was mistakenly thought to be following them, Xia Liang had already noticed something was off when she dialed Lin Yun’s “Veronica’s phone.”

At the time, to avoid embarrassment and cover up the truth, Lin Yun explained that he and Veronica knew each other and that she had left her phone at his place.

There were plenty of contradictions in that explanation, but given the urgency of the situation and the lack of time to think, he couldn’t come up with anything better.

Now, as Xia Liang once again used a nearly identical trick and asked the same question, Veronica knew—there was no room for further excuses.

Even if she tried to flip the story and say, “Lin Yun left his phone at Veronica’s place,” it wouldn’t hold up. Why would she be carrying someone else’s phone?

A lie requires more lies to patch up the inconsistencies. The more you try to hide something, the more unnatural your behavior becomes.

Veronica wasn’t a skilled liar or a professional speaker. She had neither the will nor the patience to weave an endless web of deception.

So, she narrowed her eyes and let out a slow sigh.

“Clinging onto things like this makes you seem a little too stubborn, you know.”

“What things?”

Xia Liang tilted her head slightly while holding the phone, looking innocent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about, Senior.”

Before she could react, Veronica flicked her forehead.

“Ow!” Xia Liang yelped, instantly covering her head.

“If you’ve already figured it out, why keep pretending?”

Veronica retracted her hand, looking at Xia Liang with half-lidded eyes. “So, when exactly did you start noticing?”

“Senior, are you admitting it now?” Xia Liang pressed her forehead and asked in surprise.

“There’s no point in denying it at this stage.” Veronica took a few steps back and leaned against the balcony railing. “Even though it’s a rather awkward thing to talk about, I wouldn’t stoop to outright lying to a kid.”

“Hehe, that’s good.” Xia Liang grinned, letting go of her forehead. She leaned in slightly, lowered her voice, and whispered in Veronica’s ear, “So, ‘Uncle Lin’ and you… are actually the same person?”

Veronica didn’t answer.

She simply looked at Xia Liang with an unreadable expression, then subtly nodded toward the balcony door.

The message was clear: Close the door before we continue.

Xia Liang caught on immediately. She turned around and eagerly shut the balcony door, making sure Lin Xiaolu inside wouldn’t overhear. Then, she turned back to Veronica with eyes brimming with curiosity and anticipation.

“...Start by telling me how you figured it out,” Veronica said, lowering her gaze.

“You want me to give an acceptance speech?”

“You can think of it that way. I’d like to understand your thought process.”

“Hmm… If I had to pinpoint a moment, I’d say it started after I called that phone?”

Xia Liang tapped her chin thoughtfully. “At first, I didn’t think much of it. I just assumed you and Uncle Lin knew each other. After all, you said it yourself—since you used to be teammates with Xiaolu’s mom, knowing her dad wouldn’t be surprising.”

“But then, last time, when that magical girl with the claw marks showed up, you appeared at Uncle Lin’s workplace right away.”

“That got me thinking. Xiaolu also told me something before—that the day Uncle Lin went to her parent-teacher meeting, a Ravager showed up on the light rail train. And guess who took care of it? You.”

Veronica’s expression stiffened slightly before she nodded. “That’s true, but that’s still not enough evidence. If that’s all you had, you could still argue that I just have a close connection with him.”

“But this is the second time now. The phone.”

Hearing Veronica’s response, Xia Liang pointed at her pocket. “If you and ‘Uncle Lin’ were really two separate people but were as closely connected as you say, to the point where you always rush to the scene whenever a Ravager appears, there’s no reason for either of you to leave the other’s phone behind and risk losing contact.”

“Just like how you told Xiaolu to notify you immediately if she spots a Ravager. If you and ‘Uncle Lin’ had that kind of close relationship, wouldn’t you also make sure to get your phone back as soon as possible?”

“There are plenty of other suspicious points, too. Like how you and ‘Uncle Lin’ seem close, but your movements overlap a lot. And how Hong Siyu seems interested in ‘Uncle Lin,’ yet she has no issues with your relationship…”

As Xia Liang explained point by point, Veronica’s expression shifted from helplessness to contemplation before finally settling into an indifferent calm.

Her neutral expression revealed no emotion, making Xia Liang, who had been feeling quite smug, suddenly hesitant and even a little guilty.

“I know it’s still not enough to be absolutely certain. And honestly, my theory sounds pretty out there—it could just be my imagination running wild. That’s why I used this opportunity to mess with you a little and see if I could get a real answer.”

After laying out her reasoning, Xia Liang hesitated and finally asked, “Did I… make you mad?”

—Am I mad?

Veronica silently asked herself.

Logically speaking, when someone exposes a secret you’ve been trying to keep, it should be frustrating, even embarrassing—like having your privacy invaded.

But she didn’t feel that way at all. If anything, instead of shame or frustration, she felt… relieved.

Because deception had never been her goal in the first place.

Veronica’s gaze softened as that thought settled. Finally, she closed her eyes.

When you spend enough time around someone, little clues will always slip through. Xia Liang had simply been sharp enough to put the pieces together.

“…Sometimes, kids who are too smart can be a little annoying.”

She murmured her conclusion.

“Hehe, thanks for the compliment.”

Seeing Veronica finally respond, Xia Liang’s smile returned. “But I don’t want you to dislike me, so I’ll start acting like a clueless kid now. Will that help?”

“As long as you don’t dislike me, that’s enough.” Veronica opened her eyes, her gaze clear. “Honestly, I thought you’d be upset.”

“After all, I did lie to you. Just because I wasn’t ready to be honest about my relationship with Xiaolu, I kept you in the dark too.”

“Besides, a thirty-something-year-old man secretly being a Magical Girl is pretty weird, isn’t it? A grown man, acting like your senior, giving you Magical Girl advice… doesn’t that make you uncomfortable?”

“...Huh?”

Xia Liang blinked in surprise before shaking her head. “Not at all.”

“I mean, who am I to judge what’s weird? And besides, it’s you we’re talking about. You’re the person I respect and rely on the most right now.”

She walked over to the balcony railing and stood beside Veronica. “I know I have a pretty messed-up personality. When I was little, I never tried to stop my parents from fighting because I was too caught up in my own feelings. Then, I spiraled and became what most people would call a ‘bad kid.’”

“But now, after finally finding a place where I belong in the Magical Girl squad, I still crave more—I want to be cared for and loved even more.”

“So someone like me… has no right to call anyone else ‘gross.’”

She spoke with a hint of self-mockery.

Veronica turned to look at her. They locked eyes for a few moments before Xia Liang suddenly spread her arms.

“…What?” Veronica asked, puzzled.

“I want a hug,” Xia Liang said, arms open.

“Why?”

“To prove I don’t dislike you.”

Veronica turned her head away. “I already believe you. No need for this dramatic nonsense.”

“If you won’t, I’ll go tell Xiaolu.”

Veronica was speechless.

With a sigh, she reluctantly opened her arms.

Xia Liang grinned triumphantly.

She stepped forward, bent down slightly, and hugged Veronica.

The late summer air carried the coolness of the approaching autumn, as the lingering heat was slowly drawn away by the gentle night breeze. The city skyline stood tall under the dark sky, the quiet rustling of the wind sweeping through the low-rise balcony.

Below, the chirping of cicadas was hoarse and weak—signaling the end of their short-lived existence, their final farewell to the summer.

“…Well? Do you feel it now?”

Xia Liang tightened her embrace slightly, resting her chin on Veronica’s shoulder as she murmured, “I don’t hate you, Senior.”

“Even if it were ‘Uncle Lin’ standing here instead of you, this feeling wouldn’t change. Though… if that were the case, I probably wouldn’t have the guts to hug you.”

“Honestly, you didn’t have to hug me in the first place,” Veronica replied stiffly, her body still slightly rigid. “I already told you—I believe you.”

Xia Liang didn’t respond right away. She merely held onto her, silent and still, as if pretending she hadn’t heard.

After a brief pause, she finally spoke again.

“You know… hugging Senior feels really comforting. You’re cool, soft, and you smell nice.”

After a long silence, she suddenly asked, “Actually, I wanted to ask this last time—what kind of shampoo do you use?”

“…I can just send you the brand if you want.”

Veronica’s tone was flat. “Anyway, you’ve been holding on long enough. Can you let go now?”

“Nope.”

Xia Liang remained unmoved, her voice dropping to a whisper. “If anything, I feel this twisted sense of happiness inside me right now.”

She tightened her grip slightly. “It’s like… I finally found a secret of yours that you didn’t want to talk about. Now we have something in common—a shared secret. Finally, our relationship has changed.”

“I need to say this many times—I won’t ever hate you. After all, you were the one who pulled me back from the edge.”

“I just want to know more about you. I want to understand you better.”

“I already told you, didn’t I? I’m a kid who craves love. So please don’t blame me for holding on so tightly.”

“If I don’t, all I’ll ever get is the leftovers of the love Xiaolu receives—the scraps at the edge of the plate.”

“That’s my ugly, greedy desire. But what I want isn’t just scraps—I want something that’s mine, something just for me. It doesn’t have to be more, just as long as it belongs to me.”

For the first time, Veronica found herself at a loss for words.

Xia Liang’s words had been vague, but she understood exactly what she meant.

She didn’t just want the same care that Lin Xiaolu received. She didn’t want to be a mere afterthought—she wanted something just for herself.

Veronica could give Lin Xiaolu her full affection without hesitation. But to Xia Liang, she had always held back—whether intentionally or unintentionally.

And there was only one kind of bond that could be shared equally between both Xiaolu and Xia Liang.

Family.

Xia Liang’s request was, in essence, a plea for Veronica to treat her like a daughter.

To be a parent figure to her.

Understanding that only made it harder for Veronica to respond. If Xia Liang had been making some casual, joking request, it would be easy to laugh it off. But this was different.

This was something that should be taken seriously.

Family and parental bonds weren’t things to be treated lightly.

If she were a person who could easily agree to something so profound without considering the responsibilities and consequences, then she wouldn’t be who she was.

From being her senior as a Magical Girl to being her guardian in a familial sense—the shift in their relationship would be too drastic. And the weight of that responsibility… was heavy.

Even raising Lin Xiaolu had been filled with challenges and struggles. Could she really take on another?

After a long silence, Veronica finally pushed lightly against Xia Liang’s shoulders, separating them from the embrace.

“…Think it over carefully. I need to think about it too.”

She kept her voice gentle, careful not to trigger any disappointment or hurt in Xia Liang. “You’re a wonderful, exceptional kid. And I’m happy that you think of me this way. But I don’t want you to regret this later. And I want us both to be responsible for your future.”

“I’ve already—” Xia Liang started to speak but stopped when she saw Veronica raise a hand to motion for silence. The older girl simply shook her head.

“Tonight’s time for being willful is over. You should remember, there’s a limit to how much you can indulge in it.”

Veronica’s voice was calm.

Xia Liang stared at her for a moment before letting out a small, exasperated laugh.

“Alright. We’ll talk about this some other time, then.”

“But I still have one last request.”

She slapped her cheeks lightly, trying to shake off the lingering emotions. Then, with a playful grin, she looked straight at Veronica.

“As my final act of rebellion as a ‘bad kid’… even though I wasn’t planning to tell Xiaolu about any of this… I’m gonna need some hush money.”

“…What exactly do you mean by that?” Veronica folded her arms and raised an eyebrow.

“I mean—”

—“Ah! So this is where you guys were hiding!”

Before Xia Liang could finish, a voice called out from inside.

The balcony door suddenly slid open, and Lin Xiaolu appeared, holding a stack of test papers in one hand and wearing her indoor slippers. She stomped toward them with the righteous indignation of someone left out of a secret.

“You two just left me behind! What are you talking about out here? I want to hear it too!”

Xia Liang immediately shut her mouth.

This wasn’t a conversation that should be had in front of Lin Xiaolu. So, instead, she simply turned to Veronica with a knowing smile.

Veronica, of course, understood the meaning behind that look.

For what felt like the hundredth time that evening, she fought the urge to sigh.

But she wasn’t ready to reveal the truth to Lin Xiaolu yet.

So, lowering her gaze slightly, she spoke at the exact same time as Xia Liang:

“Nothing much. We were just going over a math problem.”