The Lingering Toxin and Unexpected Ears

“Senior Meng, how is Senior Shen Xian doing now?” Zhuang Xun asked the doctor earnestly, rising to her feet as the office door opened.

Meng Miao flipped through the records in her hand. “She’s fine; she just fainted from shock.” Her voice paused slightly, her expression turning grave. “However…”

Zhuang Xun asked anxiously, “Senior Meng, is there something else going on?”

“Not exactly.”

“Ah Miao, if you keep speaking in riddles, my junior will start crying,” Ning Qi interjected, placing a hand on Meng Miao’s shoulder, her tone light.

Meng Miao shifted a step to the side, but Ning Qi followed like a shadow. After three more steps, with nowhere left to move, Meng Miao stood her ground and pushed up her glasses. “I was just about to explain. If you hadn’t interrupted, I would have said it already.”

Ning Qi blinked innocently. “Are you blaming me, then?”

Zhuang Xun greeted her softly, “Senior Ning.”

Ning Qi waved to Zhuang Xun, her tone strikingly similar to a worried mother. “I distinctly told you two to rest. How did you both manage to end up in the hospital one after another?”

At this, Zhuang Xun awkwardly scratched her cheek with her fingertips. She had woken up on her day off to a message from Senior Shen Xian, who wanted to go shopping and buy her something as an apology for the previous incident. While she had considered refusing, opportunities to spend time alone with her senior were rare.

Unfortunately, they had encountered a monster in the mall—one that could cause human ears and tails to sprout.

Zhuang Xun bowed deeply, apologizing, “Senior Shen Xian’s injury this time is my responsibility. I’m truly sorry.”

If she hadn’t stepped away to buy oden at that moment, Senior Shen Xian wouldn’t have been caught off guard and affected by the toxin.

Ning Qi reached out and lifted Zhuang Xun’s chin, forcing her to meet her eyes. She said calmly, “Hold your head high. As a Magical Girl, constantly apologizing to others isn’t a good habit.”

“Ning Qi, don’t bully my junior,” a slightly hoarse voice suddenly called out from the bed.

Zhuang Xun’s pupils dilated, and she immediately turned her head toward the hospital bed. “Senior Shen Xian! You’re awake?”

Shen Xian’s body was still somewhat weak. Instead of letting her struggle to sit up, Zhuang Xun quickly cranked the bed into an upright position.

Shen Xian’s lips curved slightly, revealing a faint, tired smile. “Thank you, little Zhuang Xun.” Then, her gaze shifted to Ning Qi. “Don’t bully her.”

Ning Qi shrugged. “I didn’t do anything. Ah Miao can testify.”

Hearing this, Meng Miao turned to leave, but as she moved, Ning Qi firmly grabbed her shoulder. “Ah Miao, you’re the attending physician. Where are you going?”

“……”

While Ning Qi and Meng Miao bickered, Zhuang Xun poured a cup of warm water from the nearby table and offered it to Shen Xian. “Senior, would you like some water?”

Though she desperately wanted to help feed her, she felt that might be overstepping.

Shen Xian took the cup with both hands and drank in small sips. “Thank you.”

“Aren’t you going to explain things for me?” Ning Qi blinked at Meng Miao, acting cute.

“Stay away from me.” Meng Miao pushed Ning Qi away, slipping one hand into her white coat pocket while adjusting her glasses with the other. She looked at the patient. “How are you feeling now?”

Meng Miao ignored Ning Qi’s antics and focused on Shen Xian’s condition. Ning Qi, beside them, pretended to sob, wiping away non-existent tears. “Ah Miao is so mean…”

Zhuang Xun took the empty cup from Shen Xian’s hand and spoke up for Ning Qi. “Senior Ning came to see you, Senior. She wasn’t actually bullying me.”

Shen Xian seemed unconcerned by the answer, nodding before replying to Meng Miao’s question. “I feel like my hearing is more sensitive… and I keep feeling something rubbing against my lower back…”

“As expected, some of the monster’s toxins are still in your body.”

Shen Xian froze. “What… what does that mean?” She immediately turned to look at Zhuang Xun, hoping for an answer.

Zhuang Xun received Shen Xian’s frantic gaze, momentarily unsure how to respond.

Ning Qi, never one to miss out on drama, pulled a mirror from who-knew-where and held it in front of Shen Xian. “Do you want to see for yourself, little Shen Xian?”

Zhuang Xun immediately reached out to block the mirror, her voice nervous. “Senior… you need to be mentally prepared.”

Shen Xian swallowed hard, her expression turning anxious. “You… little Zhuang Xun, don’t speak in riddles like Ning Qi… What exactly happened?”

Meng Miao broke the tension, delivering the startling truth with a yawn. “Nothing much. It’s just that your cat ears and tail haven’t disappeared yet.”

“!!!”

Shen Xian’s eyes widened instantly, and her hand flew to the top of her head.

Ning Qi pouted unhappily. “Ah Miao, you have no sense of humor.”

“Stay away from me.”

“Senior… Senior Meng…” Zhuang Xun whispered. How could she just say it so directly!

Zhuang Xun immediately turned her attention back to Shen Xian. The senior had taken the mirror from Ning Qi and was staring at her reflection.

One second, two seconds, three seconds…

Tears gushed out.

Suddenly, a soft body pressed into Zhuang Xun. Looking down, she found that Shen Xian had completely buried herself in her embrace. Zhuang Xun’s face flushed a deep crimson, and her heart skipped several beats.

“Se-Senior…”

“Wuwu… Wuwu… What should I do, little Zhuang Xun? Am I still human like this…?”

Shen Xian’s body trembled. Zhuang Xun, initially startled by the sudden intimacy, quickly regained her composure. She gently patted Shen Xian’s back. “It’s okay, it’s okay, Senior. I believe Senior Meng must have a solution…”

Zhuang Xun turned her head to look at Meng Miao, her eyes filled with hope.

Meng Miao’s gaze shifted from the pair to her records. “This was a new type of monster, currently being analyzed by the research institute. According to our examination, this amount of toxin poses no threat to your health.”

“Then… what about my cat ears and tail, Miao Miao…?” Shen Xian’s tear-streaked face peeked out from Zhuang Xun’s embrace.

Meng Miao sighed. “This will require extracting an antidote from the monster’s remains. The earliest it could be ready is tomorrow at noon.”

“Tomor… tomorrow noon?” Shen Xian looked as if the sky had fallen.

Zhuang Xun asked on her behalf, “Senior Meng, Senior Shen Xian has an important presentation to give tomorrow morning. Is there really no way to shorten the time?”

Meng Miao flipped to the second page of the record sheet, her gaze wandering between Zhuang Xun and Shen Xian. “There is.”

“Oh, that method.” Ning Qi’s lips curved into a mischievous smile.

“Senior Meng, what is the method?” Zhuang Xun asked. Even if it were a strange or difficult method, she would go through fire and water if it meant helping Shen Xian return to normal.

“You need to—” Ning Qi began to interject, but Meng Miao clapped a hand over her mouth, silencing her forcibly.

“That method cannot be used. But there are other ways to monitor this.” Meng Miao left no room for negotiation. “You, come with me for a moment.” She pointed at Zhuang Xun.

Zhuang Xun nodded. She whispered to Shen Xian, who was still clinging to her, “Senior, is there anything you’d like to eat? I’ll go buy it for you. I’ll definitely find a way to help, don’t worry.”

Shen Xian clutched the hem of Zhuang Xun’s shirt, unwilling to let go.

Ning Qi stepped forward. “Hey, stop acting so spoiled with your junior. Ah Miao just needs to discuss the medical details with her. Shall I peel you an apple while you wait?”

Shen Xian clicked her tongue. “Tsk.”

Ning Qi gritted her teeth, prying the two apart. “Go talk to Ah Miao. I’ll handle things here.”

Shen Xian’s cat ears perked up, her expression turning sour.

Zhuang Xun quickly soothed her, “Senior, I’ll bring you your favorite pudding. I’ll be right back!”

She hurried out after Meng Miao. Before the door closed, the sound of the seniors bickering followed her.

“Still unhappy? Me peeling an apple for you is a blessing you wouldn’t get in a hundred lifetimes!”

“Who wants you here? Little Zhuang Xun is much better…”

“Are you a cat with separation anxiety now?!”

“Otherwise, what are the cat ears on my head for? You want to fight?!”