Soon, the four morning classes concluded, and the two had gotten along with an unusual degree of harmony. Of course, a significant portion of this rapport was owed to the incriminating evidence Yan Qingzhu held; after all, any dissenting opinions simply vanished under the threat of photos and her identity as a witch.
Just moments ago, they had reached their final agreement.
Yan Qingzhu guaranteed that those dozens of photos would cease to spread, provided Bai Zhiqiu took her and Bai Yue to lunch today. After all, she had only been exposed within the magical community.
Compared to the magical world, Bai Zhiqiu valued his image among humans far more.
After all, Higanbana was not like other destructive witches who caused chaos everywhere; in fact, Bai Zhiqiu had actively participated in several emergency situations that arose in Jiangnan Province. Consequently, Higanbana enjoyed an excellent reputation among the populace, even if every magical girl knew what kind of witch she truly was.
To explain her existence, the Magical Association Headquarters even promoted her to the public as the Higanbana Magical Girl.
Should those photos circulate, however…
If she were seen transforming again, the public’s reaction might shift from, ‘Wow! It’s Higanbana, the magical girl who saved Nandou!’ to ‘Wow! It’s Higanbana, the lewd one from those photos!’ The contrast would be stark!
What’s more, his own sister seemed to be a fan of his.
He tried to imagine his sister meticulously poring over those kinds of photos of him.
Unthinkable!
Ultimately, after Yan Qingzhu’s amicable discussion, he reluctantly agreed.
Nevertheless, Yan Qingzhu did possess a decent side; at the very least, she directly deleted the post, which somewhat redeemed her image in Bai Zhiqiu’s eyes, if only slightly.
****
As the minute hand on the clock dial completed several rotations, the lunch break bell shattered the classroom’s tranquility. Yet, for Bai Zhiqiu, this was nothing short of a death knell.
He sat stiffly in his seat, constantly regulating his breathing, appearing much like a martyr heading to their sacrifice. He remained seated until most of the class had departed.
“Let’s go, my dear little witch~ my deskmate~” Yan Qingzhu’s voice was sweet as strawberry cake. “We mustn’t keep Sister Bai Yue waiting. After all~ it wouldn’t be very good to be late for your sister-in-law’s first meeting, would it~?”
She deliberately used the term ‘sister-in-law,’ and watching Bai Zhiqiu’s face flush crimson, she tilted her head in satisfaction.
‘Damn it! The mischievous girl is oddly endearing!’
“Are you… serious?” Bai Zhiqiu lowered his voice, clinging to a final flicker of resistance. How he wished to hear the words “just kidding” from Yan Qingzhu’s lips.
“What do you think?” Yan Qingzhu’s fingertip traced across her phone screen, where the wallpaper prominently displayed Higanbana’s flushed face from last night after being tickled.
‘This girl actually has a private collection…’
Observing the photo, Bai Zhiqiu felt both indignant and relieved.
Indignant that such a humiliating photo of him had been taken, yet relieved that it hadn’t been posted online along with the others.
“Then let’s go… Just remember what you promised me… Don’t do anything too outrageous.”
Bai Zhiqiu walked towards the cafeteria with an air of resignation.
‘It’s just one meeting… it shouldn’t be a big deal, right?’
****
On the second floor of Nandou No.1 High School’s cafeteria, in the specialty stir-fry section.
Bai Yue had secured a table early, her small face taut with anticipation, her eyes sweeping the entrance like searchlights.
The table was already laden with dishes the two loved: sweet and sour pork ribs, braised chicken with mushrooms, scrambled eggs with tomatoes…
When Bai Zhiqiu’s figure appeared, her eyes lit up, but then she immediately noticed the girl practically glued to his side.
Upon seeing the beautiful girl with long, straight black hair and a radiant smile, Bai Yue’s delight instantly vanished, replaced by a complex mix of hostility, wariness, and perhaps even a hint of curiosity and excitement?
“Brother!” Bai Yue stood up, her voice clear and crisp, waving towards Bai Zhiqiu.
Seeing her sister’s location, Bai Zhiqiu immediately quickened his pace.
As Bai Zhiqiu neared the table, Bai Yue swiftly moved to meet him, hooking her arm through his and pulling him closer to her side. Like a kitten guarding its food, her gaze pierced Yan Qingzhu with an unreserved scrutiny.
“Hello there, Sister Yan Qingzhu!”
****
Rewind to earlier that morning…
After the first class ended, just as Bai Yue was, figuratively speaking, sharpening her knives and heading towards Bai Zhiqiu’s classroom, Yang Yuze arrived at Bai Yue’s classroom. He handed her a letter, then left looking utterly crestfallen, as if he’d lost a month’s worth of milk tea on a bet.
It was that very letter that instructed her to wait at the restaurant after school, promising that her brother would arrive shortly with a friend.
‘A friend… or a girlfriend?’
****
“Hello there, Little Sister Yue.” Yan Qingzhu seemed oblivious to Bai Yue’s defensiveness, her smile remaining bright. She even extended her hand proactively. “Let’s formally introduce ourselves; my name is Yan Qingzhu, and I am Zhiqiu’s gi— um, good friend.”
Although Yan Qingzhu did not use the term ‘girlfriend,’ the suggestive warmth in her eyes when she looked at Bai Zhiqiu was undeniable.
Bai Yue did not take her hand; instead, she merely stared at her. “Good friend? What kind of good friend? So good that you need to go stargazing in the suburbs in the middle of the night, and then have a ‘deep exchange’ afterwards?”
She directly posed the question that had plagued her since last night, her gaze sharp.
Hearing this, Bai Zhiqiu, standing nearby, felt cold sweat stream down his back. He had anticipated a somewhat intense confrontation between the two, but ‘Sister! Who opens with a trump card like that? And there are other people present! Didn’t you see the stares from those junior girls who just walked past? My lifelong reputation is at stake!’
Facing Bai Yue’s sudden attack, Yan Qingzhu remained completely unruffled. She naturally withdrew her hand, as if everything was within her expectations. Just last night, she had consulted the relationship expert Rosemary, who advised finding a way to toss the question back to the other person.
“Little Sister Yue is truly perceptive! The stars last night were indeed beautiful! Zhiqiu and I hit it off so well, we accidentally lost track of time, which is why we stayed out until late. As for a deep exchange, we were naturally discussing astronomy! After all, Zhiqiu is very keen on entering Nandou University’s astronomy department!” With a blink, Yan Qingzhu continued innocently, “Could it be… that Little Sister Yue was thinking of something else?”
“I… I wasn’t… I was just afraid my brother would be bullied by you!” Bai Yue was momentarily choked by this counter-accusation, her small face flushing slightly. “My brother doesn’t want to go to Nandou University’s astronomy department at all; he wants to go to Xijing University for aerospace engineering!”
Now it was Yan Qingzhu’s turn to be momentarily stunned. ‘No good, I’ve exposed a weakness!’
However, she didn’t panic. In situations like these, the first one to panic loses!
“Anyway, that’s what Zhiqiu said last night. If you don’t believe me, ask Zhiqiu!” Yan Qingzhu decisively shoved the blame onto Bai Zhiqiu.
‘Huh? What did I say?’
Still completely bewildered, Bai Zhiqiu found a massive black pot of blame inexplicably dumped on him.
‘You two can fight your own battles! Why drag me into this?’
“Brother, tell me! Is any of this true?”
Meeting his sister’s scrutinizing gaze, Bai Zhiqiu opted to pick up some food.
‘The sweet and sour pork ribs are getting cold…’