Chapter 52: An unknown little grass on the list, a treasure in the arms of her sister.

“Have you… found Snow White’s rank?”

Jin Ling’s question snapped Wei Re out of her self-pity.
Her dimmed almond eyes flickered back to life, and she jolted as if remembering something critical.
Right.
She’d been so caught up in her own despair over being ranked last that she’d forgotten about her most important comrade!

Where was Snow White?
Where was Qingya’s rank?!

“I’ll check from the top!” Wei Re bit her lip, forcing down her sadness, and began scanning the list from Rank 001.
Ling Lan and Xin Lü sharpened their focus, their eyes locking onto the massive blue holographic screen.
Ling Lan started from the bottom, while Xin Lü took the middle.
Their gazes combed through the cold list once more.

[Rank 001: God]
[Rank 002: Scholar]
…
[Rank 021: Ling Lan]
[Rank 022: Jin Ling]
…
[Rank 067: Xin Lü]
…

Nothing.
No “Snow White” in the top 100.
Ling Lan’s expression grew heavier, her scanning quickening.
Still nothing at 150.

The air thickened, filled only with the sound of their increasingly rapid breaths.
“How… how could there be nothing?” Xin Lü’s voice trembled as she checked the names around hers multiple times, finding only unfamiliar codenames.

Wei Re’s heart sank further.
Her eyes slid to the list’s end, landing on her own lonely name: [Rank 200: Wei Re].
And then, the list ended.
From start to finish, 200 ranks, 200 codenames.
No trace of Snow White.

“Nothing…”
“How is there nothing?”
“Did we… miss it?”
Clinging to a shred of hope, Wei Re stubbornly scoured the 200-name list three or four more times, from bottom to top.

Ling Lan, silent, rechecked the list from top to bottom, then slowly shook her head.
Her usually composed face was now etched with incomprehensible shock.

In the abandoned factory, the silence was so deep you could hear dust settle.
The atmosphere wasn’t just oppressive—it was an eerie, chilling confusion.

“What… what’s going on?”
Wei Re was utterly lost, looking to Ling Lan, then Xin Lü, and finally to Jin Ling for answers.
Ling Lan and Xin Lü exchanged bewildered glances, equally unable to comprehend.

Jin Ling remained silent, her eyes fixed on the list, her golden pupils reflecting the blue glow, as if trying to pierce through the cold data.
Her earlier theory had been too conservative.
She’d thought Snow White had only temporarily blocked the transformation device’s ability to define her as “Snow White” during her execution of the three scumbags, forcing it to use the internet-coined “White Shadow” for the bounty.

But now, it was far more complex—terrifying, even.
This wasn’t just a matter of “undefined.”
It was as if… her existence had been erased from the source!

“It’s not just that her codename can’t be defined.”
Jin Ling finally spoke, her voice low, carrying a gravity even she hadn’t noticed.
“It’s that… in all the contracts tied to the transformation device, ‘Magical Girl Snow White’… may have been completely erased.”

Even a nationwide ranking of all magical girls couldn’t include her.
This meant Snow White had fundamentally broken free from the “magical girl” identity framework.
Could she really have shielded herself so completely?

It’s like a teacher calling roll in class. Missing your name once might be luck.
But if they call every name in the class and skip you entirely, that’s no coincidence.
How had Snow White done it?

Meanwhile, in Gan City’s quiet night, a cool breeze rustled.
While Jin Ling and the others reeled from the list’s anomaly, the girl absent from it walked alone on the road back to her hotel.
The chilly wind lifted Lin Qingya’s sweat-dampened bangs.
She was lost in thought, her face heavy with exhaustion—mental and physical—after the night’s ordeal.
The trial had drained her, her prolonged use of her void ability consuming all her magic and stamina.

As she turned a corner in her daze, a pair of soft, cool hands suddenly covered her eyes from behind.
Her vision plunged into darkness.
But Lin Qingya’s body didn’t tense or resist.
The intoxicating, familiar fragrance she craved day and night enveloped her first, wrapping her entirely.
It was her.

Lin Qingya’s taut body softened instinctively.
Without a hint of struggle, she leaned back, falling into a warm, soft embrace.
It was her beloved Sister Xiaobai.

Bai Wanting held her gently from behind, her stunning face pressing close to Qingya’s cheek, her warm breath grazing her ear.
“You worked hard, my little hero.”
Her soft whisper carried a smile and boundless affection.

Qingya, already exhausted, was dizzied by the scent and warmth.
Her foggy mind didn’t immediately catch the meaning of “little hero.”
Like a kitten finding its nest, she let out a soft, dependent murmur.
“Sister Xiaobai…”

Bai Wanting,adina, lowering her hands from Qingya’s eyes, tightened her arms around her waist.
Under the dim streetlight, their cheeks pressed together, they shared warmth and heartbeats.
Qingya breathed in the scent that captivated her, her mental exhaustion and physical relief blending, nearly lulling her to sleep in the embrace.

Bai Wanting gazed at the worn-out girl in her arms, her eyes brimming with tenderness.
She brushed a strand of hair from Qingya’s temple.
“Want to stay with me, Xiaoya? We could share a room.”
Her voice was softer, almost hypnotic.
“You’re so tired. It breaks my heart.”

“Okay, Sister Xiaobai…” Qingya mumbled dreamily.

Suddenly, Bai Wanting bent down, slipping an arm under Qingya’s knees and back, scooping her up in a princess carry.
Qingya gasped softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around Bai Wanting’s neck, burying her face in her soft, fragrant warmth.
Bai Wanting carried her steadily toward the hotel, booking the most luxurious suite with a king-sized bed.

In the room, the door clicked shut.
Bai Wanting gently placed the dozing Qingya on the soft, wide bed.
Leaning over, she gazed at Qingya’s tired, sleeping face, her voice laced with affection.
“Xiaoya, if you’re going to sleep, you should change first.”

Qingya, eyes closed, clung to Bai Wanting’s neck, whining softly.
“Sister Xiaobai… I’m so tired…”

Bai Wanting smiled tenderly, stroking Qingya’s cheek.
She must be exhausted from sending those three scumbags ten thousand meters underground with her void ability.
Gently, she unbuttoned Qingya’s dress, stained with dew and dust, and tucked her into the soft blankets.
After washing up and slipping into a silk robe, Bai Wanting returned to the bed.

Before she could pull Qingya close, the “sleeping” girl wrapped herself around her like an octopus, nuzzling into her neck for the perfect spot.
Those big, adorable eyes, open now, sparkled in the dim light, staring at Bai Wanting.
“Sister Xiaobai…”

Qingya’s voice was soft, her throat tight with suppressed trembling.
She knew this was her chance.
Tonight’s events had ignited a desperate need to seize this moment of warmth.
She understood now—having stepped onto this path against the world, she couldn’t wait any longer.
Delay could turn into regret.
Summoning all her courage, her heart pounded wildly.
Tonight, she would say those words.

I love you!
I’ve loved you for so long!
I’ve had a crush on you for nearly ten years!
I’m… the girl who loves you most in the world!

“I… I…”
Her voice trembled, but carried a near-defiant resolve.