Intensified Conflicts (1)

“…Um.”

“Hmm?”

“Let’s say… you have someone you really hate. But then, that person ends up joining your company and becoming your coworker. What would you do?”

“Why are you suddenly asking this?”

You Dong gripped the steering wheel, eyes fixed on the road ahead.

The Clover sped steadily along the elevated highway. Today was the day they were visiting Mo Li’s family—to offer condolences and formally apologize.

“It’d be really hard, right? You can’t stand the sight of her, but you still have to work together. See her every day, unavoidable.”

You Xi sat in the passenger seat, gazing out the window.

On either side of the overpass, skyscrapers of varying heights unfolded like a scroll painting. The sky hung low, so close it felt like she could reach out and touch the endless blue.

Shangjing was undeniably a beautiful city. The thought of contributing to it filled You Xi with quiet pride.

But the idea of having to team up with Mo Li—that girl, that bully—made her heart sink with frustration and dread.

You Dong knew exactly what was troubling her, but he couldn’t say so. All he could do was offer advice from the perspective of an elder.

“I don’t know what’s on your mind, but… actually, I do have some experience with this,” You Dong said.

“How should I put it… I do have a colleague I really dislike. Honestly, I can’t stand his attitude or the way he works. But I can’t deny—he’s a good employee. Highly capable. If I were picking a team for a project or experiment, I’d include him without hesitation.”

“Ask yourself—what’s your goal? Are you doing this so people will like you, or so you can like them? Probably not. It’s okay to dislike someone on a personal level. It’s okay not to approve of their behavior.”

“Just treat them as a tool. Use them for the job. If you mix in too much emotion, you’ll lose sight of what matters… Can you understand that?”

“…So boring.”

You Xi rolled her eyes.

“That’s exactly why I don’t want to listen to you.”

“You’re still too young for this kind of talk.”

“I’m not too young…”

You Xi pouted.

At that moment, she felt utterly drained.

She wanted to confide in someone—but then realized, whether it was classmates, friends, or even family, no one knew she was a magical girl. No one could understand where her pain came from.

In that instant, her heart felt more fragile than ever. She almost blurted out the truth to her uncle.

After all, they lived under the same roof. Keeping such a huge secret from someone so close was a constant test of her will and acting skills.

But after a few seconds of hesitation, she let the idea go.

She knew exactly how much You Dong cared about her safety—too much, in fact. If he found out she was a magical girl, fighting monsters that disrupted peace and order, he’d lose it completely. He’d do anything to make her quit.

“…By the way, you said you hit Mo Li because she was bullying your friend, right? What exactly did she do?”

You Dong asked—pretending ignorance.

He just wanted to keep the conversation going. It wasn’t often they could talk like this without arguing.

“Oh, you don’t even know the full story, do you?”

Since Senior Tidal had told her last night to listen more to her elders, You Xi didn’t resist talking about it today.

So she recounted the whole incident—just as she had done for Tidal the previous day. You Dong listened, nodding along as if deeply understanding.

“…I see. So this Mo Li girl really did go too far.”

“Right? See?!”

You Xi’s eyes widened. She couldn’t believe her normally boring, overly rational uncle was actually on her side.

“But… hitting someone is still…” You Dong sighed. “I heard from the teacher that it drew blood. Where did you hit her?”

“No problem. I made sure to avoid vital spots. Didn’t touch her face either.”

“All surface wounds?”

“Just some scrapes. They took her to the hospital? Total overreaction.” You Xi crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed.

“Don’t say that in front of her family, okay?”

“Haha, yeah, fair.”

They chatted all the way, sharing a rare moment of peace—no bickering, no tension.

When they arrived at Mo Li’s apartment, they pulled the bags of gifts from the trunk and headed upstairs.

Mo Li’s neighborhood was upscale—her unit was a spacious, single-family flat per floor. Clearly, her family was well-off. Then again, most students at Xinwang High, a private school, probably came from comfortable backgrounds.

“Hello, I’m You Xi’s uncle. We’re here to apologize to Mo Li. Fighting is never acceptable—no matter what happened, violence is absolutely wrong.”

The moment the door opened, You Dong activated a core office-worker skill: instant face-switch. In a flash, the 180cm-tall man transformed into a bowing, grinning clown.

“Oh, you’re early. Please come in.”

The man who opened the door was likely Mo Li’s father—a middle-aged intellectual with a calm, scholarly air. He led them into the living room and called to his wife in the kitchen to bring tea.

“—Ugh, the she-ape’s here!”

Mo Li, in loungewear, was the first to react.

She was a pretty girl with a sun-kissed complexion and light makeup.

Contrary to You Dong’s expectations, she didn’t look like the relentless bully his niece had described. Instead, she radiated a bright, healthy energy.

“Huh? Who’re you calling a she-ape?!”

Called a she-ape, You Xi’s temper flared instantly.

“You. Who else?”

“Say it again?”

“I said it. Again and again.”

“Wanna get punched?”

“Bring it. Last time I got careless. This time, I’ll flatten you.”

Just as they were about to lunge at each other, You Dong and Mo Li’s father sprang into action, each grabbing one of the girls—preventing a second brawl.

“…Oh. So you’re the ones.”

Mo Li’s mother entered, carrying tea, only to find the two girls posturing like fighters.

She let out a cold “Hmph.”

“This could’ve been minor or major. You said you came to apologize, so I thought—if you’re sincere, we can resolve this. But judging by your attitude, there’s no point. Leave it to the school and the police.”

With that, she turned away, refusing to engage further.

…This was the worst possible start.

You Dong’s heart sank to the bottom of a dark well.