Aftershocks and Soft Inquiries

“Oh, it seems we’re not dead after all.”

Amber managed to turn her head, her previously suspended heart slowly settling into a calmer rhythm.

“No, actually, we’re already dead.”

Lying beside them, Bai Muxue let out a soft sigh, her voice tinged with a hint of daze.

“I just wonder if there’s any news to watch in heaven…”

“No way? News? Are you serious?”

Amber found herself chuckling at Bai Muxue’s remark, her lips pursed as she teased, “Is Xiaoxue some middle-aged corporate drone (TL Note: A slang term for someone overworked and uninspired by their job, often implying a monotonous routine.)? Still fixated on the news?”

‘Is she going to put two goji berries in her thermos too? Surely, that’s not how one attempts to feign maturity, is it?’

“You don’t understand… it’s quite beneficial, isn’t it, to stay informed about the day’s major events by watching the news?”

“You’ll know when you reach my age,” Bai Muxue retorted, turning her head in displeasure.

Upon hearing this, Amber froze for a brief moment before an uncontrollable snort of laughter escaped her.

Yet, with wounds searing every inch of her body, she dared not indulge in a full, unrestrained peal, making the effort to stifle her mirth an arduous task.

Even more intimate than their earlier clandestine moment behind the mirror was the position they had just found themselves in: their bodies pressed tightly together, Amber’s fervent body heat seemingly transmitting through the softness of her chest onto Bai Muxue’s skin.

Simultaneously, Bai Muxue’s lips had been pressed firmly against Amber’s delicate collarbone, her warm breath caressing the skin around Amber’s neck, sending shivers of tingling pleasure through her.

Yet, as they lay side by side now, the recent intimacy was utterly forgotten; the scorching heat from the explosion still stung their skin, and every inch of their bodies throbbed with unbearable pain, rendering even the simple act of breathing arduous.

Compared to the sheer elation of having survived, their ambiguous physical contact truly paled into insignificance.

‘Hmm, since this girl still has the presence of mind to joke, she must be mostly fine; my sacrifice to save her wasn’t in vain after all…’

Amber, assuming Bai Muxue was merely attempting to lighten the oppressive mood with a deliberate jest, was just about to respond when she heard Bai Muxue’s soft inquiry: “And what about you? Are you hurt?”

“Oh, so now you deign to show concern for this lady?”

Amber pouted, letting out a soft scoff.

“I was the one who shielded you from all the blast damage just now, you know!”

“So… are you hurt? I’m sorry.”

In the enveloping darkness, Bai Muxue’s clear eyes fixed intently on the blonde girl lying beside her as she spoke with genuine earnestness.

“Huh? You…”

Apparently unprepared for Bai Muxue’s truly earnest apology, Amber found herself staring fixedly at the other girl’s exquisite face.

Thanks to her exceptional eyesight, she could discern every detail: the subtle eyeliner tracing the delicate curve of the girl’s eyelids, highlighting the slightly downturned corners, and her perfectly neat, slender eyelashes, which fluttered faintly like a butterfly’s wings.

‘I have to say, Xiaoxue… she’s truly beautiful.’

Despite having encountered numerous beautiful girls in the past, Amber still felt a profound sense of “awe-inspiring beauty” as she observed this particular girl up close.

Even with Bai Muxue’s hair disheveled and her fair, pretty face smudged with a considerable amount of dust, her charming allure remained undeniably captivating.

She was akin to a delicate doll perpetually displayed within a shop window; though the passage of time had left a faint film of dust upon her, her extraordinary, refined aura shone through, perfectly discernible.

‘Come to think of it, if Xiaoxue hadn’t reminded me, I might never have discovered that disaster beast’s weakness… So, I owe her a favor?’

‘I had boasted so grandly before, yet in the end, I still relied on her to secure the victory? A wave of shame washed over me…’

An inexplicable ripple stirred within Amber’s heart, and though she wasn’t quite sure what thoughts swirled within her mind, a faint, delicate blush quietly bloomed across her fair cheeks.

As Amber’s thoughts scattered like autumn leaves, Bai Muxue remained quietly beside her, using the scant, ambient light to silently gaze upon her.

“W-why are you constantly staring at this lady? Honestly, it’s so annoying…”

Amber, whose mind was already in a state of flux, found herself growing increasingly flustered under the girl’s unwavering gaze; her tightly drawn face and darting eyes betrayed her burgeoning panic.

“I’m asking you, are you hurt?”

Bai Muxue blinked, saying softly.

Perhaps the intensity of that gaze was simply too piercing, for Amber, flustered, subtly shifted her eyes away… ‘Tsk, it’s not as if this lady hasn’t encountered beautiful girls before; there’s no need to get this rattled!’

Though their acquaintance spanned mere hours, Amber found herself having to concede that she might have already grown accustomed to the girl’s subtle mischievousness and her practiced pretense of maturity.

Perhaps it was precisely because of this that she was touched by Bai Muxue’s sudden concern.

‘Its rarity made it all the more touching.’

The last vestiges of annoyance quietly dissipated from her heart.

Amber, her delicate lips pursed, whispered, “It’s nothing major… just a rock hit my back, but a magical girl’s outfit provides some decent protection, so I’m not going to die.”

“Really?”

Bai Muxue’s gaze remained fixed on Amber’s wavering eyes, even though, in that dimness, she could discern nothing beyond the shimmering pattern adorning the girl’s neck.

“I’ve heard from the Supernatural Investigations Department that a magical girl’s magic isn’t limitless, is it? Amber, are you truly alright?”

Although she couldn’t precisely gauge their time spent within the amusement park, a rough estimate suggested several hours had passed.

Amber had been in her transformed state even prior to their arrival, and throughout their journey, she had endured numerous grueling battles, even taking the brunt of a massive explosion after finally defeating the disaster beast…

Indeed, Amber’s combat intensity this evening might well have surpassed even Shen Jingyi’s daytime efforts.

Her magical patterns had unmistakably begun to flicker, yet she still showed no intention of releasing her transformation.

“What are you trying to do? Are you hoping to see this lady detransform, and then ‘open my box’ (TL Note: A Chinese slang term, ‘kāi hé,’ meaning to expose someone’s identity or private information, often maliciously.)?”

Amber pouted, speaking with an exasperated tone, “Heroes are meant to conceal their true identities, don’t you understand that?”

“Alright, alright, conceal your true identity,” Bai Muxue chuckled, choosing not to press the topic further.

Instead, she remarked with a seemingly casual air, “Speaking of which, we’ve created such a huge commotion here; I wonder if Zijing will come to investigate…”

“Zijing?”

Amber paused, momentarily taken aback by the name, before a flicker of understanding crossed her face.

“Oh, you mean that purple magical girl from your Wangdu (TL Note: ‘Wangdu’ refers to a specific city or region, likely the setting of the story.)?”

‘Your Wangdu’…?

Bai Muxue subtly lowered her eyes, feigning a bewildered expression.

“Indeed, she’s our Wangdu’s hero; doesn’t Amber know that?”

“As fellow magical girls, I thought you two would know each other.”

Upon hearing the word “hero” uttered from Bai Muxue’s lips, Amber’s delicate mouth puckered slightly in annoyance, and she let out a soft scoff.

“The way you put that, with so many magical girls around, am I expected to personally know each and every one of them?”

‘It’s not as if this lady hasn’t seen her combat footage… there’s truly nothing remarkable about it.’

“Alright, alright, just let this lady rest for a little while, and then we’ll finally leave this wretched place!”

Apparently disinclined to prolong the discussion, Amber struggled to push herself into a sitting position, then softly closed her eyes, offering no further words.

Noticing Amber’s silence, Bai Muxue’s eyes subtly shifted, and her mind began to hum with renewed activity.

‘Hmm… this young girl claims she’s perfectly fine, but I suspect her injuries are quite severe.

After all, had she not shielded me, my own life would likely have been forfeited right here…’

‘According to her, however, she must have journeyed to Wangdu from a different city.

Heh, I hadn’t anticipated her having such a strong aversion to Teacher Shen…’

‘Still, considering Teacher Shen’s earnest disposition, it’s unlikely she’d be fond of Amber’s boisterous nature, would she?’

‘If those two were ever to cross paths… that would certainly be quite amusing.’

Bai Muxue’s lips curved into a subtle smile, and she refrained from speaking further, quietly waiting for Amber to complete her recovery.

An indeterminate amount of time later, a faint, almost imperceptible rustling suddenly pierced Amber’s ears, sounding exceptionally sharp and intrusive within the hushed confines of the tunnel.

Amber abruptly opened her eyes, instinctively beginning to scan her surroundings.

“What was that… sound?”