Chapter 2: Magical Girl Headquarters.

Lin Bai’s fingers gripping the phone twitched violently.
The short but piercing message on the screen instantly killed any trace of his appetite.

He no longer cared about heading to the cafeteria for lunch.
Fortunately, all of today’s classes had been scheduled in the morning, leaving his afternoon free.
Without even taking the time to pack his things, he hurried out of the school and flagged down a taxi.

“Go… to the Magical Girl Headquarters building.”

The driver glanced at him through the rearview mirror, asked no questions, and stepped on the accelerator.

Qingchuan City bordered the sea, and the Magical Girls’ regional headquarters was located on the edge of the newly reclaimed land district.
From afar, it resembled a massive white seashell washed ashore along the coastline.

It wasn’t too far from the Third Middle School where he worked.

About half an hour later, the taxi pulled over on a quiet roadside.

Lin Bai hastily paid the expensive fare and broke into a run toward the imposing building ahead.

His chest ached with a faint stinging pain from the rapid sprint and lack of oxygen.

This place has changed so much…

Lin Bai stopped, breathing slightly hard, and looked up in a daze.

It was completely different from the shabby little building in the depths of his memory.
So many years had passed that he barely recognized the place.

At the entrance stood two neatly dressed security guards in suits, backs straight and gazes forward.
Through the glass doors, multiple security gates and identity verification screens were clearly visible.

Lin Bai nervously tugged at the hem of his somewhat shabby shirt, repeatedly rehearsing in his mind how to speak.

“Teacher Lin, you’re here.”

A clear, bright voice suddenly rang out from the side, like sea breeze carrying the sound of wind chimes.

Lin Bai jumped in fright, his body instinctively tensing into a defensive posture.
He turned toward the voice.
His originally wary pupils trembled violently, locking onto that figure.

She… she was…

Luo Xingli?

The girl who appeared before him stood in the shadow of the side door.
Her long sea-blue hair was not tied up but cascaded like silk over her shoulders, the tips curling slightly and swaying lightly in the wind.
Her golden eyes were clear and bright, like molten amber.

She wore a simple white uniform jacket with a small silver badge pinned at the collar.
A thin chain rested at her waist, its pendant shaped like a tiny seashell.

At the unfamiliar headquarters entrance, seeing this old acquaintance from the past naturally brought a trace of warmth to Lin Bai’s heart.
But what followed was an even deeper suspicion.

He looked at Luo Xingli as a cruel secret from the magical girl world surfaced in his mind.

Magical girls were not entirely one with the human bodies that gave birth to them… or rather, the two could not coexist long-term in essence.
Although all magical girls awakened from human wishes or certain opportunities, the two existences were like the opposing sides of a coin.

As magic was used without restraint, the “human” side would be continuously weakened and eroded, ultimately often assimilated and overwritten by the “magical girl” side.
It was like twins fighting for nutrients in the womb—the stronger one would eventually absorb the weaker.

This was perhaps also why males could not become magical girls.
After assimilation, females at most experienced changes in appearance and figure.
But males… a male’s body simply could not withstand such a drastic transformation.
The vast majority would collapse and turn into a pile of mangled flesh during the transformation process.

Lin Bai was the only exception.

Chaotic thoughts flashed through his mind.

Lin Bai suppressed the alarm in his heart, stepped forward quickly, and spoke with a hint of unfamiliarity from long separation.

“Miss Luo… long time no see.”

He lowered his head slightly, avoiding those intense golden pupils.

Standing before this magical girl at her peak, in the prime of her beauty, his own dispirited middle-aged self felt particularly out of place.

“Sorry to trouble you by coming to meet me personally.”

He replied somewhat awkwardly, his body shrinking inward as if trying to reduce his presence.

“Let’s go~ Teacher Lin.”

Luo Xingli chuckled lightly and walked ahead.
The sea breeze scattered her hair.
Lin Bai stared at her back, his expression complex.

Luo Xingli had awakened in the same early batch as him, yet in his memory, Luo Xingli from fifteen years ago already looked exactly like this—blue hair, golden eyes, pure and adorable.
Fifteen years had passed.
Time had carved fatigue and wrinkles onto his face, yet she remained perfect.

This meant she had long since completed the full transformation and stably existed in her magical girl form.

“Sister Xibai, a lot has changed here during the years you’ve been away.”

Luo Xingli’s tone was light and carried a trace of nostalgia.

“Cough!?”

Lin Bai stumbled, nearly tripping over his own feet.
He frantically looked around in panic until he confirmed the corridor was empty.
Only then did he tremblingly wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.
“Don’t… don’t call me that.”

“Is there a problem~?”

Luo Xingli tilted her head slightly, her pale golden eyes rippling with innocent amusement.
“Anyway, there’s no one else here.”

“Never mind that for now,” Lin Bai said through gritted teeth as he hurried to catch up, asking urgently, “Did you really find that special medicine?”

“Mhm.”

Luo Xingli restrained her playful expression and nodded.
“To be precise, I used some channels to submit an application and your case report to the upper-level special pharmaceutical management department.
They only approved it recently and prepared an experimental dose.”

As she spoke, she stopped in front of an elevator requiring permission verification and lightly touched the sensor area with her fingertip.
“Let’s go upstairs to talk in detail.
The documents and medicine are both in the secure vault above.”

The elevator doors were smooth as mirrors, reflecting Lin Bai’s weary figure.
Standing beside the radiant girl, the contrast was jarringly discordant.

Lin Bai watched the floor numbers steadily decreasing and felt his calves cramp with tension.

“Do… do we really have to go upstairs?”

“That’s right~”

Luo Xingli smiled as she looked at him, her eyes sparkling with something called anticipation.

Lin Bai immediately fell into painful inner conflict.

This was the old rule that had existed since back then.
The first floor was the reception area open to ordinary citizens and politicians, where human rules applied and a few administrative staff mingled.

From the second floor upward, it was the absolute domain of the magical girls.
Only “they” could work, walk, and move about up there.

If Lin Bai wanted to go up and get the medicine, he would have to personally kill the man and father named “Lin Bai” inside this elevator and transform into a magical girl.

For fifteen years, he had carefully built an ordinary life called “Lin Bai,” locking the thrilling past—along with the name “Lin Xibai”—deep in the most hidden corner of his heart.

He had thought that if he ran far enough and hid well enough, he could sever all lingering attachments and forget everything.

Yet at this moment, fate seemed to have pushed him to the edge of a cliff.