Chapter 6: Necklace
The car entered an upscale residential area, finally stopping in front of a luxurious villa.
“Alright…”
Jiang Yao snapped out of her tense state.
She blinked, releasing the steering wheel.
“Mom, wait a moment. I’ll open the gate.”
“Mm…”
Dizzy in the back seat, Jiang Lingwei barely registered the words.
Through the windshield, she saw Jiang Yao’s back as she darted to the villa’s gate and slipped inside.
“Why’s this kid so rushed?”
Jiang Lingwei muttered.
Jiang Yao’s driving had stunned her.
They’d narrowly avoided collisions—mere centimeters from a Dayun truck or other vehicles.
Even with instant transformation, they’d have been seriously injured.
That speed far exceeded any road’s limit.
Since becoming a magical girl, Jiang Lingwei had overcome fears like heights.
Simple logic: if you can fly, how can you fear falling?
But no one said magical girls needed racing skills.
Was this just how people were in 2032?
‘Am I already outdated?’ (Sad)
“Mom!”
Jiang Yao reappeared, clutching a small white medicine box.
She rushed from the yard and opened the car’s back door.
“Mom, let me bandage your hand.”
“Really, it’s fine. Just minor cuts—ow, ow!”
Her hand was seized without warning.
Jiang Yao pulled bandages from the box, wrapping them around her hand.
A cool, familiar yet strange sensation radiated from the bandages, soothing the wounds.
‘Healing magic bandages?’
After finishing, Jiang Yao didn’t relax.
She inspected Jiang Lingwei’s body closely.
The clothes, sturdy despite the car rollover, were only slightly worn, protecting her skin well.
No major exposure risked.
Still, Jiang Yao fretted, treating tiny scratches on her head and neck that Jiang Lingwei hadn’t even noticed.
“Mom, anywhere else hurt?” she asked seriously.
“Nowhere, really.”
Jiang Lingwei adjusted the neck bandage, exasperated.
This kid was overly worried.
Magic bandages, unless made by specialists, took patience to craft.
Using them on scrapes that’d heal naturally felt wasteful.
“Mom! Tell me if you feel any discomfort!”
Jiang Yao’s tone was firm, her face serious yet adorable.
The care warmed Jiang Lingwei’s heart.
After a moment, she admitted sheepishly:
“If I must say, I twisted my ankle.”
“Your ankle?”
Jiang Yao hesitated, then lifted Jiang Lingwei’s pant leg.
Her left ankle was slightly red from the car’s impact with the earth demon worm.
“But it doesn’t affect walking. I made it to the safe zone and back with you.”
Jiang Lingwei pulled her foot back.
“No need to bandage it. Does this taxi still charge? Let’s get out.”
“No, no! That doesn’t matter. I’ll treat it first.”
Jiang Yao grabbed her foot, deftly removing her black sneaker and white sock.
A sudden shame hit Jiang Lingwei.
Exposing her feet… as a male, it’d be fine, but in female form, it felt wrong.
She couldn’t pinpoint why—just discomfort, like someone was staring.
Jiang Yao held her mother’s pale, bare foot, its toes wiggling cutely from unease.
As Crystal, the magical girl, and a high schooler, Jiang Yao saw her mother’s beauty anew.
Even as a woman, she was captivated—not with impure thoughts, but pure admiration.
Having rarely seen her mother active, Jiang Lingwei’s liveliness felt unreal.
Every action confirmed her mother was awake, a true family member.
Despite the ordeal, heat, and sneakers, Jiang Lingwei’s feet were only slightly sweaty, exuding a faint fragrance.
Jiang Yao’s gaze drifted from the ankle’s injury to her smooth, rounded toes…
Gulp.
‘Yaoyao, stop staring! Mom’s feet are pretty, but focus on healing! Get back to work! ヽ(≧□≦)ノ’
A tiny, haloed knight-angel Jiang Yao appeared on her shoulder, shouting.
‘Hehe, what’s the big deal? A daughter admiring her mom’s feet? Some people need to stop overthinking! It’s just appreciating beauty—perfectly fine! (￣︶￣)↗’
A horned, armored demon Jiang Yao grinned on her other shoulder.
‘Morally dubious!’
‘Embrace your desires!’
Jiang Lingwei, foot still held, watched Jiang Yao’s solemn expression turn red, her eyes distracted.
Before she could speak, Jiang Yao shook her head vigorously.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled a brown bottle from the box, applying cool ointment to the ankle.
She swiftly replaced the sock and shoe.
“Done, Mom!”
Jiang Yao stood quickly.
“We’re really home now!”
Her eyes shone with light and hope, like an ancient sage leading her people, brimming with sanctity.
“Mm.”
Jiang Lingwei exhaled, stepping out of the car.
Magical girls had quirks—her daughter was no exception.
Odd behavior was normal.
Right.
She gazed at the villa.
Four stories plus an attic—five total.
It looked new, not old construction.
Jiang Lingwei doubted Jiang Yao could afford it normally.
Likely her father’s legacy, or magical girl welfare from the government.
Magical girls weren’t hidden heroes anymore.
They seemed like civil servants backed by the Fairy Kingdom.
Following Jiang Yao, she watched her scan her face at the door.
It opened automatically.
They stepped into a spacious, finely decorated hallway.
Not overly lavish, but clearly valuable.
Compared to Jiang Lingwei’s old tube-shaped apartment, it was a leap.
“Is our family this rich?”
Jiang Yao, bending to fetch slippers, looked up.
“Well… Dad left a lot of money.”
Her voice faded to a mosquito’s hum.
“…Got it.”
Jiang Lingwei dropped the topic.
“Oh, right.”
Jiang Yao led her to a small elevator, heading to the third floor.
“Mom, your… your room is here. I live on the second floor, I…”
Her eyes grew vague.
“Anyway, I’ll go downstairs to sort some things.”
“Okay.”
Jiang Lingwei smiled, using her less-bandaged hand to ruffle her hair.
“Go ahead. I’ll look around.”
“Mom…”
The head-pat quickened Jiang Yao’s breathing, leaving her flustered but not pulling away.
“Don’t be nervous.”
Jiang Lingwei winked.
“Don’t forget, in my memories, I’m seventeen—just a year older than you. You can call me sister outside.”
“Uh-huh.”
Jiang Yao nodded, a sweet smile blooming as she headed downstairs.
“Phew.”
Jiang Lingwei sighed.
She’d kept up the good-mother image, despite the panic of sudden motherhood.
She desperately wanted to search online:
“How do I bond with a daughter a year younger than me? Urgent, waiting online!”
Pushing open a door, she found a bedroom.
A large bed sat in the center, flanked by wardrobes and furniture.
On the bedside table, a rose-red box with a note caught her eye.
Palm-sized, it looked like a jewelry store gift, its color clashing with the room.
Jiang Lingwei approached, picking up the box.
The note bore two lines of elegant script:
[For my wife Lingwei to open personally.]
[To my eternal love.]
Reading those words, a magical energy flowed from her fingers into her body.
Like an invisible eraser, the text vanished instantly.
The blank note ignited without flame, dissolving into light black smoke.
Click.
A mechanism triggered, and the box’s lid opened slowly to its fullest.
The magical energy faded, like a gust of wind settling.
Jiang Lingwei’s heart raced, far from calm.
Sitting on the bed, she peered inside.
One item lay within, unmistakable.
Her hand trembled as she reached in, feeling a familiar touch.
She lifted out a necklace.
A necklace with a pink heart-shaped gem, slightly cracked.