I am here

The dormitory after lights-out was so quiet that only the sound of breathing remained. Beneath a light, airy duvet, two girls—one larger, one smaller—were hidden away.

Xu Xiaoyu lay on her side, cradling Xu Feng in her arms with her eyes gently closed. Xu Feng, however, was somewhat reluctant to be used as a bolster. She glanced back over her shoulder, and assuming Xu Xiaoyu was likely asleep, she thought about sliding her way out.

Just a little more… just a little more and I’m free.

Xu Feng cautiously buried half her head under the covers, but Xu Xiaoyu’s eyes cracked open just a sliver.

“Weijiu, sleep properly. Don’t wriggle around.” Like she was cradling a kitten, Xu Xiaoyu effortlessly hauled Xu Feng back up. Xu Feng had finally managed to hide her head under the blanket, only to be dragged right back out.

“A child as cute as you was born to be held by me~” Xu Xiaoyu pulled Xu Feng tighter, the softest parts of their bodies pressing against one another without reservation.

Woah, I can’t compete in terms of size!

Wait! What kind of weird thing am I comparing!

The “skinship” was nice and all, but if it was with her younger sister, Xu Feng’s answer was a firm “no”!

“Ugh… it’s hot. Don’t hold me like this.” Xu Feng didn’t know where to push; her hands found no leverage, so she could only try to shimmy backward against the bedding. But Xu Xiaoyu treated her resistance as futile—after all, her strength was just too meager.

“What do you mean ‘hot’? The AC is on. Don’t catch a cold; your body is ice-cold. Quick, let Big Sister warm you up.”

“That’s… a sophistry!” Xu Feng retorted. She wasn’t cold at all. The duvet was clearly big enough that they didn’t need to sleep in this posture.

Seeing Xu Feng’s persistent struggle, Xu Xiaoyu finally revealed her true colors.

“Weijiu, to tell you the truth, I’m actually very jealous that Big Brother gets to live with you all the time. So, I’m kidnapping you now to be my bolster as a punishment!” There wasn’t a trace of jealousy on Xu Xiaoyu’s face; instead, she wore the smug grin of someone whose wicked plan had succeeded.

“That’s a total fallacy!” Xu Feng protested fiercely. There was absolutely no logic to this! It was purely because she was cute and small enough to be bullied!

“You’ve got quite the vocabulary. Did Big Brother teach you that? Those aren’t very nice words. Better let Big Sister ‘heal’ you and build some team spirit.” Taking advantage of being more physically developed than Xu Feng, Xu Xiaoyu tucked Xu Feng’s head directly under her chin.

Looking at her sister’s fair neck right in front of her eyes, Xu Feng instinctively hesitated and swallowed hard.

“I’m a vampire!” Xu Feng offered a tiny threat, attempting to make Xu Xiaoyu let go.

“So what if you’re a vampire? I think you’re the ‘Neighbor Sophie’ type—easy to raise and well-behaved.” Xu Xiaoyu saw right through her. Xu Feng’s brow twitched; she was speechless.

Just because I’m cute doesn’t mean I’ll let you bully me, you bratty sister! I’m your elder brother!

With that thought, Xu Feng opened her mouth, baring two small silver fangs. She flexed her facial muscles, doing her best to look fierce.

“Oh? You can even act tough.” Xu Xiaoyu feigned surprise, covering her mouth with her hand, though her eyes danced with mischief as she watched Xu Feng. She’s gotten even cuter.

“I… I really will bite!” Noticing her threat wasn’t working, Xu Feng hesitated oddly. This only made Xu Xiaoyu more relaxed.

Weijiu definitely wouldn’t dare bite Big Brother.

Having made her judgment, Xu Xiaoyu slowly loosened her arms and granted Xu Feng her freedom.

“Alright, I’ve had my fill of hugging.” Xu Xiaoyu rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling with her eyes closed.

Suddenly released, Xu Feng felt a bit curious, but she didn’t want to ask questions. Both of them faced the ceiling, but neither was asleep.

“Weijiu, what do you plan to do in the future?” Xu Xiaoyu reached a hand out from under the covers and made a fist toward the ceiling.

“Um… go to school.”

“Weijiu, you’re a kid! Don’t you have any dazzling dreams? Like being a painter, a pianist, a dancer, or something?” Xu Xiaoyu didn’t believe Weijiu’s imagination could be so sparse. When she was Weijiu’s age, she had a wild new dream every single day.

“I haven’t thought about it. As long as I graduate university smoothly and find a job, that’s enough.” Xu Feng gave a definitive answer, her tone cold and detached, as if she had long ago realized the impracticality of such things for an ordinary family.

“Wow, what did you go through? Did your parents burn those thoughts into your brain from a young age?” Pained by the answer, Xu Xiaoyu glanced sideways at Xu Feng.

“Let’s just say that’s the case,” Xu Feng replied briefly.

“Sigh… Then, how about listening to my story? The story of how I became a magical girl.” Xu Xiaoyu lowered her hand, letting it rest coincidentally on Xu Feng’s silver hair.

Regarding her sister becoming a magical girl, Xu Feng had actually always been quite puzzled.

“I want to hear it,” Xu Feng took the initiative to ask.

“Then we have to tell each other everything. I want to know your story too.” Xu Xiaoyu reached out, her pinky finger hooked in a promise.

“Got it?”

“I got it.”

Silver moonlight shone upon a pitch-black hood as the whistle of a speeding vehicle tore through the quiet street.

When the sound died down, a motorcycle had come to a stop in front of an old company building.

“’Orange Sincerity Co., Ltd.’—what a lovely company name.” The motorcyclist, dressed in black leather, removed her helmet to reveal long brown hair. She swung a tight, leather-clad leg over the bike and dismounted, glancing down at her watch. The time read 2:12.

Beep, beep.

The woman answered the phone at her waist.

“Hello~ Boss.”

“Feiguang failed the mission. No surprise there, he’s just a freelance hunter after all. You go and finish the job he couldn’t. Anyway, you have plenty of lives to spare.”

“Boss, you really don’t know how to treat a lady. I’m sensitive to pain, you know. I heard there’s a little Dragon Girl hiding in this company who hits quite hard. I’m afraid I’ll be torn to shreds in an instant.” The woman held her face, shaking her head in feigned terror.

“Wuhua, I think you know better than anyone whether or not you’re actually afraid of pain or death.” The Boss clearly lingered on the line, showing much more patience than he had with Feiguang.

“Hehe~” The woman called Wuhua flashed a wicked smile, like a pet that had successfully amused its master.

“Sigh, regardless, focus on stealth. The Dream Protection Bureau isn’t useless. The high-grade potion I gave you won’t have any trouble fooling low-to-mid-level members. Do your best to avoid their main forces and forcibly open the Dream Gate for me.”

“Understood, Boss. Actually, I have one humble request.”

“Speak, Wuhua. We can provide any resources from the association.” The Boss promised.

“I want a drop of blood from a different species. And I want to take it myself, on the spot. Is that okay?” Wuhua covered her face in excitement, a flush rising as if she’d just taken some kind of stimulant.

“Since you probably won’t keep that life anyway, do as you wish. Just open the Dream Gate.” The Boss gave her free rein.

“Thank you for agreeing, Boss. Bye-bye.” Wuhua hung up. She raised her right hand, and a silver needle point suddenly pressed against her pink lips.

“Little Dragon Girl, Little Vampire… I’m coming for you.”