“Hey, are you even listening to me seriously!” Seeing Bai Zhiqiu still looking utterly dazed, Yan Qingzhu gave her a playful tap on the head.
“Ow! That hurts! I *was* listening!” Bai Zhiqiu exclaimed, clutching her head in mock surrender. “That blow must have damaged so many cells; you’re not allowed to dock half a year’s worth of my salary for this!”
Hearing Bai Zhiqiu’s dramatic complaint, Yan Qingzhu couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
‘That little rascal is completely obsessed with money…’
“Oh, right, what were you just telling me?” Having only just truly woken up, Bai Zhiqiu’s attention had been almost entirely consumed by her first dream, causing her to miss Yan Qingzhu’s words.
“I said, I invited Bai Yue to dinner, and she should already be waiting near the restaurant. Also, tonight, you’re going to meet her as Higanbana!”
Yan Qingzhu glanced at her wristwatch. It was eight-thirty, and knowing Bai Yue’s eagerness, she would undoubtedly have arrived by now.
After all, Bai Yue’s excitement upon seeing the Little Witch was akin to a bee encountering nectar.
“Me, as Higanbana, to meet Bai Yue?” Bai Zhiqiu pointed at herself, her voice laced with uncertainty.
“Of course! And I also told her that it was because of *you*, the *male* you, that your Little Witch cosplay was so incredibly good, that Higanbana herself was deeply impressed, and thus extended an invitation for her to join Higanbana and her ‘sister’ for dinner!” Yan Qingzhu’s eyes crinkled into a smile. “Well? Are you grateful? Just imagine, you’re about to become the perfect older brother in your sister’s heart, the one who helps fulfill her dreams.”
“While it achieves the goal… isn’t this reason a bit off? When have I ever worn *this* outfit as a boy? If Bai Yue truly believes this, what if she actually starts hounding me to cosplay? And what if Bai Yue discovers that I’m Higanbana…”
Instantly, a terrifying scene unfolded in Bai Zhiqiu’s mind.
The timid Little Witch cowered in the corner of the bed, while not far away, a devil, clutching an assortment of dresses, advanced relentlessly.
“Oh my! Oh my! I never imagined you, big brother, were the Little Witch!” The devilish girl drew steadily closer, leaving the Little Witch to cower helplessly in the corner.
“I… I’m… your big brother…”
“But now you look much more like my little sister! Isn’t that right, Bai Zhiqiu, my little, little sister? Let big sister help you change!”
“Ah! No!”
How utterly terrifying!
Bai Zhiqiu violently shook her head, hastily discarding her recent thoughts as if tossing them into a trash can. The mental image was simply too shocking to dwell on any further.
“Don’t worry! I already have a foolproof plan.” Yan Qingzhu gently patted her head. “The private room at the restaurant is exclusive to the Magical Girl Association. All we have to do is this, this, and this… then that, that, and that… and finally, this, this, and this… Bai Yue will never find out.”
“The plan is good, but… do I *really* have to eat eggplant?” Hearing Yan Qingzhu’s words, Bai Zhiqiu felt a sudden shudder. ‘Why must such a thing as eggplant even exist?’ she wondered.
“What’s there to be afraid of? Tonight, there’ll only be one eggplant dish, and it’s a flavored eggplant at that. It’s already quite palatable! Little Witch, you don’t want your sister to recognize you, do you? This is a necessary sacrifice.”
Listening to Yan Qingzhu, Bai Zhiqiu nodded in agreement. While eggplant was indeed difficult to stomach, it was still far more acceptable than being recognized by her sister.
“Alright then! Let’s head out now!”
With that, Bai Zhiqiu threw off the covers and sprang from the bed.
“Wait a moment!”
“What is it?” Bai Zhiqiu’s eyes widened, filled with profound confusion as she looked at Yan Qingzhu.
“You forgot to get dressed!” Yan Qingzhu covered her eyes with her hand, though her fingers were, of course, slightly parted.
“Ahhh—Who did this?!”
Gazing at her body, clad only in loose pajamas, Bai Zhiqiu’s face flushed crimson. To make matters worse, the pajamas were a size too large, and the fabric on her shoulders perpetually threatened to slide down.
“You should change first. This was bought specifically for you—Loli Tower, an internationally renowned brand.” As she spoke, Yan Qingzhu pulled out a white long dress. “I’ve asked Rosemary to engrave a few magic circles onto your Little Witch outfit to help you store magic.”
“Well, aren’t you surprisingly thoughtful!” Bai Zhiqiu took the fluffy dress and held it up against herself, measuring it.
Soon, she discovered an awkward predicament.
“Um… Yan Qingzhu… how do I put this on?”
“Idiot! How do you put on your Little Witch outfit?”
“That outfit has self-cleaning functions! I never have to take it off…”
Under Yan Qingzhu’s meticulous guidance, and after being teased several times, Bai Zhiqiu finally managed to put on the dress.
“Not bad at all! Just a little… flat!” Yan Qingzhu stood a short distance away, chuckling as she admired the sight.
“Aaaah! I’ll beat you up!” Bai Zhiqiu’s face instantly flared crimson as she hurled a pillow from the bed at Yan Qingzhu. “Pervert, lecher, trash! A disgrace to magical girls!”
Yan Qingzhu deftly dodged the pillow attack, laughing heartily as she retreated from the room. “Hurry up and get going! If you don’t come soon, little sister Bai Yue will get impatient!”
With that, she pointed meaningfully at her own magic coordinates.
This was clearly a hint at their identities.
After all, in the plan, they were sisters…
Originally, they had intended to pose as partners, but the Little Witch had stubbornly refused.
****
A restaurant near Nandou University.
Bai Yue sat in the private room, nervously fidgeting with her napkin. Her light blue dress appeared both cute and playful, her hair meticulously styled into a ponytail, and her eyes constantly darted towards the entrance.
–Momo! I’m so nervous! I wish you could have come with me.– Bai Yue quickly typed a few words to her best friend.
–Don’t worry, Yueyue. It’s a shame I’m busy tonight. There’s nothing to be nervous about… actually, maybe you *should* be nervous! After all, she’s the Little Witch!–
In a residential complex near Nandou No. 1 High School, Bei Momo was sprawled on her bed, replying to her best friend.
In truth, she had nothing at all to do. As for why she wasn’t coming… well, that was the Little Witch! The formidable person who had nearly given everyone a “full-body character” mark! Every time she recalled that clear, starry night, Bei Momo’s face would burn with a blush.
She had tried to warn her best friend, but all she received in return was suspicion.
She couldn’t very well expose her thigh to show her best friend that ‘正’ mark, could she? Moreover, magical girls weren’t allowed to reveal their identities…
Thus, when her best friend called her to “share the blessings” tonight, she decisively chose to play dead.
Just as Bai Yue was contemplating sending a few more messages to Bei Momo, some sounds suddenly echoed from the private room door.
“You go first! I’ll cover the rear!”
“You’re the protagonist, you go first!”
“You first! You first!”
“You first! You first!”
It sounded like the Little Witch and Lady Peony…
Their relationship must truly be wonderful!
They must have a very intimate relationship, she mused… Thinking back to the Little Witch shyly hiding in Peony’s embrace that afternoon, Bai Yue broke into an auntie-like smile…