Cornered in the Sauna with No Escape

“Little Red Riding Hood, sorry to bother you.”

“Remember what I told you about coming to the Magical Alliance periodically to test your compatibility with Divinity Particles?”

“Today?”

“Yes, there’s a branch in Jiuming Sea. Drop by when you have time.”

“Fine.”

Luo Zining glanced reluctantly at Luo You nearby.

Luo You had already slipped into a one-piece swimsuit, ready to soak in the hot springs.

Ugh, I wanna go too…

On the phone, Zhao Xin asked, “I heard your aunt’s there too?”

“Yeah, what about it?”

“You dummy… Don’t you realize how rare it is to have someone you know among the magical girls?”

“Huh? Isn’t that pretty common?”

“Idiot! A magical girl’s true identity is top secret.”

“It’s not uncommon for a mother and daughter to work together for years and never know each other’s identities offline.”

“You’ve been a magical girl for so long, and has the Magical Alliance ever asked about your identity?”

“If you hadn’t stupidly dropped your transformation in front of me, I wouldn’t even know your real name is Luo Zining.”

Ha.

Luo Zining hadn’t realized there were so many rules.

She’d been brought into the magical girl world by Ji Yue.

During her newbie training, she was indeed taught never to reveal her identity.

For a magical girl, her true identity was her lifeline.

Exposing it was like putting her safety on the line.

The Magical Alliance took secrecy to extremes, even more than undercover cops.

When selecting magical girls, they didn’t care about backgrounds—just a glance, and whoever was chosen was it.

After hanging up, Luo You asked, “Heading out?”

Luo Zining, a bit annoyed, replied, “Yeah, my friend called me. Go enjoy your soak.”

“Guess I’ll bathe alone then.”

Luo You didn’t miss the regret in Zining’s eyes.

Like a smug little gremlin, she tugged at the side of her swimsuit, grinning.

“Don’t worry, I’ll snap some pics for you~ Where should I shoot? Navel? Bare back? Thighs? Nape? Or maybe… my feet?”

“Pfft! Who wants to see you? Get lost!”

“Take like two hundred shots. I’ll use ‘em for my doujin material.”

“You’re still on about your doujins? Wait, aren’t you drawing BL stuff?”

“A male♀lead counts as BL too. Same thing.”

“…”

All that effort, and for what?

Luo You instantly lost any desire to take photos.

Whatever, I’ll just snap a couple of some random uncle for Zining.

With the holidays over, the hot spring pool was nearly empty.

Luo You could luxuriate in the spacious waters to her heart’s content.

There was a spot called the “fish therapy pool.”

Tiny, thumb-sized fish swam in lukewarm water, nibbling dead skin off anyone who soaked, giving a ticklish, top-tier experience…

Luo You didn’t buy it.

The moment she sat in, the fish swarmed, nibbling all over her body.

[The sign’s full of nonsense… With my flawless beauty, how could I have dead skin?]

She shook her head, then suddenly shuddered, letting out an “Ah~♥.”

Clutching her stomach, she stood up.

“You little dead fish, picking that spot to bite?”

Blushing, she didn’t dare get back in the pool.

She sat on the edge, dipping only her feet, then had an idea.

Lifting one wet foot, she snapped a photo against the pool, then another of her damp foot on the ground.

She posted them with the caption, “Living worse than a fish.”

The post went live, and likes flooded in instantly.

Comments rolled in: “prpr,” “Foodie influencer!” and “Which bro got reincarnated successfully?”—all sorts of pervy nonsense.

Luo You felt a mix of irritation and delight.

This was the social media account she’d made the day she reverted to being Elera.

She’d post mildly spicy photos in her spare time.

In just a few days, she’d racked up over 500 followers, and the count was climbing fast.

If she showed her face, that number would probably skyrocket tenfold.

“Speaking of, I need to sort out my money situation…” Luo You mumbled, tilting her head back.

Strictly speaking, she was jobless—a freeloader living off her daughter’s meager magical girl paycheck.

She wasn’t sure if she could keep her gym job.

It was the only thing she knew how to do.

Her youth had been spent hunting magical girls.

After retiring, she’d poured her time into fitness knowledge.

Beyond that, she was clueless.

Without the gym, she’d be a useless nobody in the job market.

Hmm, a female coach should be pretty popular at the gym, right?

She could teach kickboxing too—the gym offered it.

And honestly, her skills weren’t bad.

She could pin Zining to the ground in a few moves, thanks to her kickboxing chops.

“Might as well recommend myself as a veteran employee.”

Using her old WeChat, Luo You messaged the manager of the gym she used to work at.
– Manager Zhou, it’s me. Can I recommend someone for a coaching job at the gym? Here’s a photo.
– Attachment: Front_shot.jpg

Ten seconds later, the manager sent a voice message.

Luo You played it.

“Nice one! You’ve done great! A coach? No problem, immediate hire, top-tier salary! When can they come sign the contract?”

Holy crap, that was fast!

She hadn’t even said what she could do!

Luo You replied, “Day after tomorrow,” then closed her phone.

Time to hit the sauna and head back to rest.

Maybe sneak in some hypnosis brainwashing for Xue while Zining was out.

“The sauna’s empty too. Lucky~~”

Mist swirled, steam rising…

Wearing her swimsuit in the sauna, Luo You was soon drenched.

Playful sweat beads slid down her smooth, slightly plump thighs, glistening with a hue of raw allure.

If any of the magical girls she’d once humiliated saw this, those thighs would be covered in bruises.

Assuming, of course, they could take her in a fight.

After about half an hour, a silhouette appeared outside the frosted glass door.

Someone was coming in.

“Time to go… Uh!”

The door opened, and a graceful woman wrapped in a towel stepped inside.

It was Ji Yue.

She stood like a gatekeeper, motionless.

Luo You’s right eyelid twitched.

“Yo, looking for Zining? She’s out on an errand. Relax and enjoy; I’m heading out.”

With that, she stood to leave for the door.

Click—

Ji Yue, expressionless, yanked the frosted glass door shut behind her, blocking the exit with no intention of moving.

The subtle action made Luo You’s smile stiffen.

She pointed behind Ji Yue.

“Uh… I need to get out.”

Ji Yue glanced down at Luo You’s body, her voice as cool as the sauna was hot.

“No rush. You can soak a bit longer.”

“I’ve been in here half an hour.”

“Then stay a bit more.”

“What if I dehydrate?”

“Women are made of water. Don’t worry, I’d help you rehydrate.”

“Hahaha, good one… Now open the door!!”

Luo You’s face darkened as she lunged for the handle.

Ji Yue dropped the pretense.

“Don’t want to get involved with me? If it’s because I was too harsh before, I apologize. I misunderstood you.”

She stepped closer, grasping Luo You’s hand.

“Stay and chat for a bit.”

“…You’re awfully forward.”

Despite the sauna’s heat, Luo You felt an even hotter intensity radiating from Ji Yue.

“Want to know more about my niece’s guardian. Is that a problem?”

“Fine.”

Luo You sighed and sat back down.

To her surprise, Ji Yue ignored the empty seats and plopped right beside her.

Close enough to touch.

Luo You could feel the soft, full warmth of Ji Yue’s body against her arm.

[What’s she playing at?]

Luo You glanced over calmly, unfazed.

Please.

Who was she?

A veteran who’d savored countless delicate magical girls, a connoisseur of beauty.

This little temptation was nothing… Okay, she was just in sage mode from this morning’s satisfaction. That’s all.

She pulled out her phone and snapped a shot of Ji Yue from the neck down.

Posted it with the caption: “Got cornered in the sauna by a gorgeous, curvy big sister. No way out! So scared (≧﹏≦).”

The post went live, racking up over a hundred likes in seconds.

“Your han… hand’s really well-maintained,” Ji Yue suddenly said.

“How do you take care of it?”

Before Luo You could react, Ji Yue grabbed her right hand again.

“My hands?” Luo You glanced down.

“Just natural, no special care.”

Her tone was smug.

She thought Ji Yue would drop it, but instead, Ji Yue took her other hand, caressing her right hand with delicate intensity.

“Such powerful fingers… So resilient yet soft. They’d be perfect for piano or guitar.”

“Uh… Don’t you think this is a bit too intimate?”

Luo You called it out, trying to pull her hand back.

Ji Yue didn’t resist, letting go easily.

“Where were you yesterday?”

“Didn’t Zining tell you? We planned to visit the Canglan Ruins but didn’t make it. Ended up at an arcade… Why the detailed interrogation?”

Luo You teased, “Playing detective?”

“Something like that. I’m looking for a female pervert from years ago.”

Ji Yue pressed, “Which arcade?”

“So you think I’m the pervert?!”

Luo You feigned outrage, confronting her boldly.

“Isn’t that a bit rude?”

“I just want to know where you were yesterday.”

“The arcade, that’s it! Don’t believe me? Go check yourself!”

Luo You made a move to leave.

Ji Yue shot up, pinning her shoulders against the sauna’s steps.

“What are you doing?!” Luo You struggled, fuming.

“Talking about catching a criminal, but you’re the real pervert here!”

Honestly, if Luo You didn’t know she was that pervert, she’d almost believe she was the victim.

[Am I destined to be an actress?]

As she mused, Ji Yue leaned in closer, pressing down.

Luo You’s vision went dark, her breathing stifled.

“Hey! I can’t breathe!”

She muffled a shout from Ji Yue’s embrace.

“Let go, you freak!”

“But your hands are wrapped tightly around my waist,” Ji Yue teased.

Oh, crap.