Molly

Ever since she could remember, Mo Li had a talent for winning people’s favor. In other words, she had high emotional intelligence—a natural social chameleon.

Because of this trait, from elementary to high school, no matter the class or school, she always reigned at the center of the social hierarchy like a queen—untouchable, unchallenged.

During breaks or lunchtime, girls would flock around her like homing geese. Boys, drawn by her good looks, willingly ran errands for her, eager to please.

To teachers, she was the ideal student—excellent academically, well-behaved, and charming. Sure, Mo Li was a bit too obsessed with fashion and appearance—dyed hair, ear piercings—but for a private high school like Xinwang, where wealthy families sent their kids, the rules on appearance were relatively relaxed.

Combined with her likable personality and top grades, teachers turned a blind eye. They didn’t encourage it, but they didn’t stop it either.

Mo Li had a strong sense of vanity. She loved being the center of attention.

When everyone focused on her, she’d pretend indifference while secretly basking in joy. But if a group excluded her, she’d grow furious, scheming to tear it apart and belittle its members.

After entering high school, Mo Li continued to carefully cultivate her “Mo Li Kingdom.” As expected, nearly every student and teacher adored her.

…Nearly every one. That meant there were exceptions.

You Xi and Bai Mian were the only two who hadn’t yet become subjects of the “Mo Li Kingdom.” And that annoyed her.

Take You Xi—she was different.

When Mo Li first saw her, she thought, Damn, she’s got looks—model-level body and face. As a girl, that’s seriously unfair.

But as they interacted more, Mo Li realized You Xi wasn’t just a pretty face.

If she had to describe the feeling You Xi gave her, Mo Li thought of a quiet stream deep in a winter forest.

Passersby would admire its clarity and grace. But if someone carelessly reached in, their fingers would be numbed by the icy water—forcing them to pull back in pain.

No matter who it was—teachers, classmates, strangers—You Xi remained calm, never submissive, never fawning. Clearly, she had her own principles, light-years apart from the spineless, personality-lacking fools around her.

Because of that, Mo Li classified her as “untamable” and adopted a hands-off policy—avoiding direct conflict. In truth, she was wary of You Xi.

But Bai Mian was a different story.

She seemed timid, her eyes darting when speaking. Her catchphrases were “I’m sorry” and “excuse me,” as if she felt guilty just for existing.

Mo Li had tried talking to her a few times. She found her opinionless, bland—just another average high school girl.

Someone like that should be obediently kneeling at her feet. Who gave her the nerve to keep refusing?

To make Bai Mian a subject of the “Mo Li Kingdom,” Mo Li had repeatedly invited her to karaoke, shopping, or other hangouts.

Every time, Bai Mian politely declined: “I’m sorry, I have something else to do.”

In Mo Li’s eyes, this was a blatant snub.

She felt her “queenly” dignity had been trampled. Others might not say it, but they were probably laughing at her behind her back.

She had to teach Bai Mian a lesson.

Later, Mo Li did a little digging and discovered Bai Mian wasn’t lying.

The girl really was absorbed in her creative work—too busy to socialize.

…What could someone so shy, so afraid of eye contact, possibly be creating?

Mo Li thought she was making excuses, yet couldn’t help feeling curious about her work.

What happened next was within her plan—but the one variable she didn’t account for was You Xi.

She hadn’t expected to get pinned and beaten by You Xi with what felt like ground-fighting techniques. And then, days later, to be ambushed again at her own home.

Of course, You Xi paid a price.

She’d been suspended, banned from school. Right now, she was probably flying over the city as Raging Flame, patrolling the skies… that idiot.

Thinking of this, Mo Li yawned lazily in class, her gaze drifting to the endless sky outside.

Ah…

I really want to brag about being a magical girl…

With her love for attention, she almost wanted to rush to the morning assembly, grab the principal’s microphone, and proudly announce her secret identity to the entire school.

To transform in front of everyone’s awed, admiring eyes…

Just imagining it sent a surge of uncontrollable joy through her. She shivered, her legs pressing together, rubbing slightly.

But last night, after carefully weighing the pros and cons, she realized revealing the truth wasn’t the right move.

First, she wasn’t ready for such a drastic shift in identity. And her parents would definitely oppose it. If they found out, they’d probably ground her, forcing her to give up being Huangxing forever.

And that? Unacceptable. She couldn’t let go of that radiant, glowing form.

She’d wait for the perfect moment to show off.

Suppressing her excitement, Mo Li spent the day as a normal high school girl, completing her classes.

When she got home, her mother was cleaning the living room.

They exchanged greetings. Mo Li headed to her room to rest before transforming into Huangxing and meeting up with Tidal and Raging Flame.

“Lili.”

Her mother’s voice stopped her.

“When you went to school today, did any teachers or police come to ask about You Xi?”

“Police?” Mo Li blinked. “Mom, why would the police come see me?”

“Oh, you know—after I reported the incident with You Xi to the station, the police probably went to your school to investigate. I just wanted to know if they—”

“Mom, wait.”

At the word reported, Mo Li’s heart jumped. She cut her mother off.

“Mom. Are you saying… you filed a report?”

“Of course. I did. What’s wrong?”

Seeing her mother’s calm, matter-of-fact expression, Mo Li’s emotions surged—conflicted, chaotic.

For a moment, she didn’t know whether to feel happy… or devastated.