Bai Yue’s voice, clear yet tinged with dissatisfaction, echoed distinctly through the phone’s speaker, reverberating throughout the silent forest.
Bai Zhiqiu’s body stiffened abruptly, his cheeks flushing crimson with a potent mix of anger and shame.
His ruby-like eyes, once sparkling, now seemed to dim, filling with an overwhelming sense of terror and despair.
‘It’s over! Everything’s ruined! My identity is exposed! And right in front of a magical girl, no less!’
“Brother! Speak to me! Why are you so silent?”
Bai Zhiqiu parted his lips, attempting to utter a reply, yet his throat felt as though a large, invisible hand had clamped down, stifling every sound.
Yan Qingzhu’s initially playful and teasing smile slowly solidified, then vanished, replaced instead by a complex expression… one woven from threads of disbelief and burgeoning curiosity.
Her deep, dark eyes were now intently fixed on Bai Zhiqiu’s face, only shifting their gaze after a prolonged moment.
Despite her immense reluctance to believe it, the truth could only be one thing: the legendary Higanbana Witch was, in fact, a boy!
Upon arriving at this conclusion, a subtle curve appeared on Yan Qingzhu’s lips, as an excellent idea sparked to life within her mind.
With Bai Zhiqiu’s terrified and pleading gaze fixed upon her, she raised the phone to her ear, then spoke into it with a sweet, soft, and remarkably intimate tone:
“Hello? Is this little sister Bai?”
The voice on the other end of the line ceased abruptly, clearly bewildered by the unfamiliar, pleasant-sounding female voice.
And it was true; Bai Yue, bustling in the kitchen, halted even her movements for preparing a late-night snack upon hearing that voice.
‘In the middle of the night, a girl?’
‘Could it be…?’
To verify her suspicion, Bai Yue resolved to ask, for if she didn’t inquire thoroughly now, she might very well end up with an unexpected little nephew later.
“Who are you?” Bai Yue’s voice was laced with both caution and confusion. “Where’s my brother? Let him answer the phone!”
“Your brother, he…”
Yan Qingzhu glanced at Bai Zhiqiu, who was now shaking his head frantically, gazing at her with a pitiful, imploring expression.
While Yan Qingzhu was undeniably tempted to witness Bai Zhiqiu’s despair once his sister learned his true identity, seeing him in such a state ultimately softened her resolve.
After all, a white-haired, red-eyed loli begging for mercy was simply too much to resist… even if this particular loli reverted to a boy after transformation.
“What should I tell her?” Yan Qingzhu leaned closer to Bai Zhiqiu, her voice barely a whisper audible only to them.
‘Just don’t tell Bai Yue I’m a witch, please! Quickly think of something to fool her, I’m begging you~’
“Understood!”
Yan Qingzhu gave Bai Zhiqiu an ‘OK’ gesture, then, speaking into the phone, uttered words that Bai Zhiqiu could never have anticipated:
“Ah! Hello there, little sister Bai Yue~ Allow me to formally introduce myself: I am your brother Bai Zhiqiu’s girlfriend, Yan Qingzhu. You can simply call me Sister Qingzhu. As for Zhiqiu, he’s already fast asleep right now~ Whatever happened, he can tell you tomorrow, since we’re both quite exhausted after our deep conversation tonight~”
‘Boom—’
As if a small boy had just landed on Hiroshima, Bai Zhiqiu felt a searing rush of blood surge straight to the crown of his head, leaving his mind utterly blank.
‘Girlfriend? What madness are you spouting? Why don’t I know anything about this? And what in the world is that “deep conversation” supposed to mean?’
She yearned to refute her, but as her gaze met Yan Qingzhu’s warning eyes, every word ultimately caught in her throat.
She distinctly felt Yan Qingzhu transmitting a clear message: ‘Dare to contradict me, and face the consequences.’
“Girl…girlfriend?! Is that for real?” Bai Yue’s voice abruptly pitched several octaves higher, brimming with utter disbelief. “My brother, that blockhead, has finally wised up?”
“Of course, little sister Yue, your brother can be a bit slow at times,” Yan Qingzhu remarked, deliberately casting a sidelong glance at the utterly humiliated Bai Zhiqiu lying on the ground. “But he’s actually very gentle~ and incredibly considerate~”
Bai Zhiqiu: “…” ‘My only desire right now is to bite you to death!’
“Then, Sister Qingzhu, could you wake my brother up? I want to say a few words to him! And what exactly did you mean by ‘deep conversation’?” Despite Yan Qingzhu’s assertion that Bai Zhiqiu was asleep, Bai Yue remained unconvinced; she wanted to hear the admission from Bai Zhiqiu himself.
‘It’s over! The truth is about to spill!’
At that moment, Bai Zhiqiu was like an ant on a scorching pan, frantic with panic.
“Well, now…” Yan Qingzhu drew out her words, observing Bai Zhiqiu’s body instantly tense and his eyes fill with entreaty, then whispered, “Beg me. Say something nice.”
Bai Zhiqiu trembled with rage, yet his sister’s relentless questioning felt like a harbinger of doom.
He bit down hard on his lower lip, finally forcing out a voice as faint as a mosquito’s hum from between his teeth: “Plea…please…Sister…Qingzhu…help me…don’t say anything reckless…”
That utterance of “Sister Qingzhu” was exceptionally humiliating for him, yet it unexpectedly brought a pleased smile to Yan Qingzhu’s face.
She nodded in satisfaction, then gently patted Bai Zhiqiu’s head and whispered:
“So adorable! Remember to always be like this from now on! Little lolis are much better when they’re cute; don’t go around using foul language.”
‘Damn her! How dare she lecture me. When one is under another’s roof, one must bow their head. A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, so I’ll endure it for now!’
“Then…Sister Qingzhu, please hurry and handle my sister for me…”
“It’ll be done in a moment…”
Having said that, Yan Qingzhu began explaining to Bai Yue: “Oh, little sister Yue, we… actually, we were stargazing in the city’s outskirts! We were having a deep conversation about the stars! Your brother was simply too exhausted and fell asleep on my shoulder. Fearing I’d disturb him, I answered the phone on his behalf.”
“Stargazing? Asleep?” Bai Yue was clearly not so easily placated. “When did he suddenly become so romantic? Hand the phone to him; I want to hear it from his own lips!”
Yan Qingzhu’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly; clearly, this sister was not so easily deceived.
Her mind raced, swiftly devising a countermeasure.
“Oh, little sister Yue, your brother is in a very deep sleep; he truly can’t be woken.
Whatever you wish to say, let’s leave it for tomorrow! I’m hanging up now! Goodbye!”
With that, before Bai Yue could even respond, Yan Qingzhu abruptly ended the call; any further interrogation would undoubtedly expose their deception.
Hearing the click of the phone disconnecting, Bai Zhiqiu let out a long, shaky breath. ‘That was a close call! I almost got exposed!’
“So, how was it? Are you satisfied with your little girlfriend’s service, little witch? Or perhaps I should say, big brother Bai Zhiqiu?” Yan Qingzhu extended a slender finger, gently lifting a strand of Bai Zhiqiu’s sweat-dampened silver hair. “I perfectly appeased your sister for you, and even threw in some romantic and intimate details, didn’t I~?”
‘But this is completely out of character for me, and I’m about to be exposed! How am I supposed to explain this tomorrow?!’
“You can’t blame me for this! Who could have imagined that the Higanbana Witch—who has flirted with everyone from the Chief of Jiangnan Province to newly-recruited magical girls—would, in reality, be a complete novice when it came to matters of the heart?”
Having said her piece, Yan Qingzhu waved a dismissive hand.
“Alright! Your sister’s matter is settled! Now, let’s talk about *you*! Why can you, a boy, transform into a witch?”