A Morning’s Reflection and a Shadowed Resolve

The night passed uneventfully.

The next morning, Bai Muxue cupped some water and splashed it onto her face, letting out a languid yawn.

A few strands of her delicate hair clung damply to her cheeks, while scattered droplets of water trickled from the corners of her eyes.

A faint blush bloomed on her cheeks, which were almost transparently pale.

Pale and tender, yet utterly captivating, she resembled an endearing kitten—undeniably a beauty in the making.

‘She’s the kind of child who easily evokes a desire to protect…’

Bai Muxue gazed at her reflection in the mirror, letting out a soft sigh.

In her former life, if she had seen such a child pass by her, she would likely have inwardly grumbled about whose child this was, wondering how their parents could be so negligent, allowing them to be so frail.

But now…

The young girl let out a self-deprecating laugh, then turned her head to look at the crimson digits displayed in the corner.

[Death Countdown: 24 days 15 hours]

An extra seven days.

Not bad.

Her life-threatening machinations hadn’t been in vain.

And now that little girl, Shen Jingyi, was firmly within her grasp.

She could slowly unfold her plans in due course.

Bai Muxue pulled a tissue and meticulously wiped away the water droplets from the corners of her eyes.

Compared to her initial bewilderment, she had now pretty much gotten used to lifting her clothes and peeking down, that utterly empty feeling…

What’s more, while her current body was somewhat frail, looking on the bright side, at least she didn’t suffer from frozen shoulder, high blood pressure, or lumbar muscle strain.

She could sleep until she naturally woke up every day, and didn’t have to face obnoxious bosses or endless overtime.

What more could she possibly ask for? (TL Note: “还要什么自行车” is a Chinese idiom meaning “What more do you want?” or “What else could you possibly need?”, implying that one should be content with what they have.)

As Bai Muxue inwardly grumbled, she changed into her clothes with the assistance of a maid, then leaned back on the sofa and casually switched on the television.

****

The female anchor on screen, clutching a microphone, spoke with a grave expression towards a teetering skyscraper:

“Just moments ago, the Bat Monster, who suddenly appeared in the city center, has once again been defeated by the Magical Girl who intervened!”

The scene shifted.

In the shaky camera footage, the grotesque winged creature clashed with Shen Jingyi, who had transformed into a streak of purple lightning.

Their speed was astonishing.

They continuously weaved and leaped between towering skyscrapers, at times plummeting towards the ground, at others soaring upwards in reverse.

The footage showed only two blurred afterimages.

The constant, thunderous explosions shattered glass, sending shards raining down.

A hapless building even had a massive hole punched straight through it, eliciting continuous screams from the crowd.

Ultimately, the Bat Monster gradually fell into a disadvantage, its body pierced by a light arrow shot by Shen Jingyi.

It wailed as it plummeted from the sky.

“In recent years, monsters and 怪人 (TL Note: A term often used in Chinese web novels, meaning ‘strange beings’ or ‘mutants’ rather than just ‘weirdos’ in a derogatory sense, often referring to superpowered villains.) have continuously appeared across the globe.

However, most of those appearing in Wangdu have been defeated by these mysterious Magical Girls.”

“The true identities of these Magical Girls remain undisclosed, with various research institutions, including the Special Investigation Department, still actively investigating…”

Listening to the anchor’s incessant commentary, Bai Muxue blinked, a hint of surprise blossoming on her pretty face.

“Wow, Teacher Shen is already working overtime this early in the morning.

How strenuous.”

Yesterday, Shen Jingyi had been thoroughly exhausted by her.

She likely hadn’t slept well upon returning, yet here she was, having to wake up early to fight tooth and nail against a 怪人 (TL Note: A term often used in Chinese web novels, meaning ‘strange beings’ or ‘mutants’ rather than just ‘weirdos’ in a derogatory sense, often referring to superpowered villains.).

And if she wasn’t mistaken, didn’t she also have a part-time job today?

Leaning on the sofa, a pang of emotion stirred within Bai Muxue.

‘Of course, they’re working hard, but isn’t she working just as hard?’

‘If Teacher Shen didn’t deal with those 怪人 (TL Note: A term often used in Chinese web novels, meaning ‘strange beings’ or ‘mutants’ rather than just ‘weirdos’ in a derogatory sense, often referring to superpowered villains.), this world would be doomed.

And if she didn’t find a way to absorb more negative emotions from Magical Girls, she would be doomed too.’

‘From that perspective, they were both in the same boat.’

At this thought, a faint curve graced the young girl’s lips.

She gently wiggled her dainty toes, exuding an indescribable aura of languid contentment.

‘That’s right.

Magical Girls only needed to worry about defeating monsters and 怪人 (TL Note: A term often used in Chinese web novels, meaning ‘strange beings’ or ‘mutants’ rather than just ‘weirdos’ in a derogatory sense, often referring to superpowered villains.) and saving the world.

But she had so much more to consider… like what to eat for breakfast this morning.’

Gently reining in her wandering thoughts, Bai Muxue pursed her lips, then turned to address the maid who stood respectfully by her side.

“Today’s schedule remains unchanged.

I will be attending…” She paused, then continued, “…attending the funeral of the Disaster Prevention Bureau’s assessor.”

The Disaster Prevention Bureau was established to cope with increasingly frequent monster disasters, primarily focusing on investigating, analyzing, and preventing anomalous disasters, while also being responsible for risk assessment and disaster early warning.

In her previous life, Bai Muxue had served as a field assessor within this very bureau.

Her main responsibilities included surveying disaster sites and identifying potential hazards, and compiling corresponding assessment reports to facilitate subsequent disaster reconstruction efforts.

As Bai Muxue uttered these words, she felt a slight pang of pain in her heart.

Barely a week had passed, yet it felt as distant as something from the last century.

“Young Miss…”

Hearing this, the maid revealed a hesitant expression.

After a moment of hesitation, she spoke with difficulty: “If you are truly concerned about this matter, you could simply send someone to express condolences.

There’s no need for you to attend in person…”

‘Although their company did have some business dealings with the Disaster Prevention Bureau, for someone of the Young Miss’s status to attend the funeral of a mere employee, it would be rather odd and undignified.’

‘Ultimately, why was the Young Miss so invested in an employee’s funeral?’

As the maid was still pondering how to persuade her, she noticed the languid, casual expression on her Young Miss’s face gradually vanish, replaced by a chilling frostiness:

“I said I would attend today.

Is there a problem?”

The young girl’s indifferent tone carried an undeniable air of command.

The maid’s heart lurched.

She suddenly remembered that the Young Miss was never one to be easily swayed.

She hastily lowered her head: “No, no, Young Miss.

Please decide as you wish.”

Having spoken, she dared not say another word and hurriedly departed.

After watching the maid’s retreating figure disappear, Bai Muxue’s expression remained blank.

Only then did she lift her head, gazing absently at the luxurious chandelier on the ceiling.

She knew, of course, that for her current identity as a “young lady of means”, attending the funeral of a mere employee was strange and went against her established persona.

She also knew that the people and events of the past had no bearing on her current self, and her immediate priority should be finding ways to absorb more negative emotions from Shen Jingyi, but…

‘But… some things just can’t be forgotten…’

A vivid, somewhat troublesome, yet charming figure gradually emerged in her mind, and a bitter smile slowly curved Bai Muxue’s lips.

The young girl shook her head in self-mockery, casting all the jumbled thoughts out of her mind.

She then pulled out her phone and dialed Shen Jingyi’s number.

However, Bai Muxue waited for a long, long time, only to receive the automated reply: “The number you have dialed is temporarily unreachable…”

‘Eh?’

Bai Muxue, who had already prepared her spiel, raised an eyebrow in surprise, muttering softly:

“…Seriously, was that just a small joke yesterday?

No need to be so aloof, right?”