That is why the encouragement of others is so important

After crying for a good while, Bai He’an gradually calmed down. She released her hold on Meng Shan’s arms and sat on the bed, wiping away her tears.

Meng Shan handed her a pack of tissues. “Feeling better now?”

“I’ve made a fool of myself. I look pretty pathetic like this, don’t I?” Bai He’an said softly. “I usually act like the big-shot captain, leading the other two girls around and constantly causing trouble for you. During my time as a Magical Girl, I always felt omnipotent—like I could beat any enemy easily. But the moment I faced someone I couldn’t handle, I completely lost my nerve.”

“Knowing you might be in danger, Brother Dashan, those two rushed over. Only I stayed here, cowering in this room. Am I… just useless?”

Meng Shan gave her forehead a gentle flick. “Looking strictly at this incident, yes, you were useless. Like a deserter, you abandoned your teammates and ran. That’s why I have to criticize you—and punish you.”

Bai He’an lowered her head in shame, not daring to meet his eyes.

Meng Shan flicked her forehead again. “Those two flicks were your punishment. Pretty severe, right? Alright, regardless of what happened, this matter is behind us.”

“It’s not…” Bai He’an murmured. “That’s not a real punishment.”

“Then what do you want? Do you want me to give you a harsh spanking? Forget it. Even if you asked, I wouldn’t have the heart to do it.” As he spoke, Meng Shan rubbed the corners of her eyes, where the heavy dark circles had become even more pronounced. “Besides, haven’t you already experienced the real punishment? That guilt that pierces to the bone, and the regret that fills your entire heart.”

Placing his hands on her shoulders, Meng Shan forced her to look him in the eye. “I said ‘strictly at this incident’ just now. Do you know what that means? It means you’ve always done a great job before.”

“For the past six months, every time a monster appeared in this city, you were the one charging the front lines. Every single time, you led Xiao Yi and Xiao Yun to take them down. You never once let them destroy the city. Can you even count how many people you’ve saved? You probably lost track long ago because you never read your post-action reports.”

Seeing that her gaze was no longer dodging his, Meng Shan patted her cheek and sat back in the chair. “It’s a fact that you made a mistake this time. But it’s also a fact that over these six months, you protected the city and saved many lives. Don’t use this one failure to deny your past self. Remember this failure, face it bravely, and just make sure your future self does better.”

Bai He’an’s eyes were still clouded with fear. “But I’m scared…”

“Being scared is normal. When I first went to the battlefield, my performance was way worse than yours today,” Meng Shan laughed, reminiscing about his own blunders. “Hearing the artillery fire all around, I was so nervous I forgot everything from my training. I spent ages spraying bullets with a gun that still had the safety on, until a teammate pointed it out. At lunch, my mind was a total blank. I put the field rations in my mouth and started chewing before I even opened the packaging. I nearly cracked my teeth. And then there was…”

As she listened, the corners of Bai He’an’s mouth began to curl upward, and the guilt in her eyes receded significantly.

Seeing the timing was right, Meng Shan stroked her hair. “Compared to my embarrassing experiences, what do your troubles even count for? No one is brave at the start. We all use the setbacks and failures we’ve lived through to constantly motivate ourselves. That’s how you slowly become strong.”

He fell silent, waiting for her response. After a long pause, Bai He’an finally spoke. “Brother Dashan, can I ask you a question?”

“Ask away. I promise to tell you everything I know.”

“When Bian forced me to choose between my two teammates, I hesitated for so long and couldn’t make a choice. If it were you, Brother Dashan… how would you have chosen?”

The question stumped him. He thought for a long time before saying, “I’ve been trying to find a story from my past or something I’ve heard—you know, a positive story—to use as inspiration for you. But I can’t think of a single one. I can’t just make one up, either, because if I don’t believe the story myself, how could I expect you to?”

He paused. “Xiao Yi and Xiao Yun already told me what happened. So, I can only give you my honest answer as if I were in your shoes. I don’t know. I have no idea how I would have answered. Maybe I would have hesitated and picked one, or maybe I would have been just like you and been unable to choose at all. So, I don’t have an answer. It’s a pretty rotten answer, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s a wonderful answer.”

Bai He’an hugged Meng Shan again. Unlike the previous hug where she was seeking a lifeline, this embrace was full of resolve.

“Thank you for that. I understand now. I don’t need to think of an answer. I just need to crush any enemy who dares to give me a question like that.”

“Good answer.” Meng Shan returned the embrace. “That’s more like it. That’s the Bai He’an I know. Not that anxious, wavering girl, but full of life like this.”

“Now, chin up, chest out. Tidy up this room and get a good night’s sleep. Tomorrow, once your energy is back, we have plenty of work waiting for us at the Dispatch Center.”

“Mhm!” Bai He’an nodded vigorously, her face finally brightening.

“So that was my day. What do you think? Those three aren’t bad, right?”

After work, Meng Shan returned home and chatted with Ran Jiuyi, who was lying in bed, her body looking slightly more restored.

“So you didn’t tell them about Ken the Werewolf?” Ran Jiuyi asked.

“No rush. Let them rest up first. It won’t be too late to tell them tomorrow. So, what’s your take on the three of them?” Meng Shan brought it up again; it was clear he was quite satisfied with the girls’ performance today.

“You want my evaluation?” Ran Jiuyi thought for a moment. “In my opinion, they’re subpar.”

Meng Shan frowned. “Why?”

“Is it that hard to see? Jiang Yunshu and Yi Ziling were all courage and no brains today. They rushed in without any preparation. It’s lucky I wasn’t actually their enemy, otherwise, they’d both be dead.”

Since Meng Shan had already criticized them for this, he nodded and pressed on, “And Bai He’an?”

“Her performance was atrocious. Setting aside the fact that as the team leader she had no contingency plan for such a situation, the mere fact that she abandoned her teammates to hide at home is pathetic.” Ran Jiuyi’s voice was laced with contempt. “Even if we assume she was ‘preserving their forces’ by not going, she changed her mind at the last minute without notifying her teammates. She left them waiting for nothing. That’s just backstabbing your own side.”

“You’re the only one who would put up with her. If it were me, I would have kicked her off the team long ago.”

Hearing her harsh critique, Meng Shan tried to defend her. “There’s no need to be so severe. she’s still young. She’ll have plenty of chances to change.”

“Youth isn’t an excuse, and youth doesn’t guarantee chances!” Ran Jiuyi’s voice rose. “Being young just means you’re young! Will an enemy show mercy because of her age? No, they’ll target her lack of experience and crush her.”

“I wouldn’t put it like that,” Meng Shan scratched his head. “I just mean she’s young and has room to grow.”

“Don’t give me that. It doesn’t matter how young or talented you are if you never get the chance to realize that potential. You were a soldier; you’ve been to war. Tell me, how many ‘promising’ soldiers have you seen die in the dirt before they ever did anything great?”

Ran Jiuyi’s tone grew sharper and louder. “And your little counseling session—it pisses me off. A Magical Girl who loses the courage to face a strong enemy and needs someone to coddle her just to stand back up? What kind of joke is that?”

“She’s just a student, an underage kid. There’s no need to hold her to such impossible standards,” Meng Shan argued.

“Standards? You call the bare minimum ‘impossible standards’?” Ran Jiuyi snapped. “This is the most basic requirement for a Magical Girl! If she can’t even handle this, she should stop playing hero, use her status to make a quick buck, and retire!”

In the short time he’d known her, Meng Shan had never seen Ran Jiuyi this furious. “You don’t have to be so nasty. I’m starting to feel like you’re personally targeting Xiao An.”

“Yeah, I am targeting her! I can’t stand the sight of a coward who ditches her teammates to hide under a blanket! I’m targeting her, so what?!”

Hearing this, Meng Shan’s temper flared as well. “Why are you so volatile today? What did she ever do to you? And don’t forget, you’re the one who put her in that state. You caused all of this! What right do you have to talk?”

As he vented his frustration, a thought suddenly cleared in his mind. He remembered that Ran Jiuyi used to be a government-contracted Magical Girl. She must have had a team back then. Could it be…

“Wait… did your former teammates—or maybe even you—ever abandon someone on the battlefield?”