Chapter 6: Yandere Magical Girl.

“Don’t listen to her. Come with me, sis will take you on the roller coaster, okay…”

The girls chattered one after another, their enthusiasm almost overflowing.

They were generally over 1.6 meters tall. As they crowded around and leaned down, they formed a wall of people carrying a sweet fragrance.

Lin Xibai felt the light around her dim slightly. Countless pairs of eyes full of curiosity and goodwill focused on her, along with hands reaching out as if wanting to touch her hair or cheeks…

This physical height difference brought a sense of oppression she had never experienced as Lin Bai.

“I… I…”

Lin Xibai instinctively wrapped her arms around her chest, lowered her head awkwardly, and let her ruby eyes dart left and right. For a moment, she truly didn’t know how to respond appropriately to such excessive enthusiasm.

The experience she had gained dealing with students from the podium completely failed her here.

“This is my friend.”

Just as Lin Xibai was about to suffocate, Luo Xingli naturally took her hand.

Her pale golden eyes swept once around the surrounding girls, a polite smile on her face.

“We have important business this time and need to pay a visit to the Layer Lord. Time is tight, so we must regretfully decline your kind invitations.”

“Eh— the Layer Lord?”

“They’re actually going to see Layer Lord sis…”

Hearing the title “Layer Lord,” the girls’ expressions visibly restrained. The chatter instantly died down.

Many subconsciously took a step or two back, making more space.

The rest showed regretful expressions, some even pouting before simply turning and leaving the crowd to return to their previous play.

The oppressive feeling finally disappeared. Only then did Lin Xibai secretly breathe a sigh of relief. She raised her free hand and wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the back of it.

“Th-thank you.” She muttered softly, somewhat awkwardly trying to pull her hand back.

“No problem. After all, we’re partners~”

Luo Xingli seemed in a rather good mood. She naturally released her hand and began leading Lin Xibai deeper inside, explaining softly as they walked.

“Most of them are newcomers who only arrived at the Tower in recent years, so they naturally never saw Sister Xibai’s glory back then. But don’t worry…”

She turned her head to size up Lin Xibai’s petite figure and lovable face, her smile deepening. “Everyone just thinks Sister Xibai is cute and wants to get close. It’s very normal between girls.”

“I-is that so…”

Lin Xibai wiped her sweat again, crying bitterly in her heart.

She of course knew these people had no ill intentions and could even feel their pure affection for cute things.

But it was precisely because this affection was so direct and overwhelming that she couldn’t handle it.

Everyone wanted to approach, touch, and express goodwill… As someone who had once been accustomed to maintaining distance and an aura of authority as an adult male, being surrounded by such adoration was less of an enjoyment and more of a socially draining experience that required highly focused mental effort.

Being a girl is really tiring.

She once again confirmed this conclusion she had reached many years ago in her heart.

The subtle interpersonal relationships she had to deal with, the omnipresent gazes and evaluations, and this overly direct way of expressing emotions…

This was indeed one of the major reasons she had chosen to retire back then and return to the simpler male identity.

“Speaking of which,” Lin Xibai said, both to change the subject and to clarify the current situation as she looked around.

The real coastline was not far behind them, the sound of waves faintly audible. “This… should be the edge area of this layer, right?”

She could guess from how close the seawater was.

“Mhm. Teleportation access points are usually set at the edge so they don’t disturb daily life in the center.” Luo Xingli nodded.

“But the Layer Lord’s residence should be at the very center of this layer, right?”

Lin Xibai gazed into the distance. Apart from endless seas of flowers and the occasional passing birds, she couldn’t see any large buildings at all.

She didn’t know the way, and because she had retired too long ago, she had already forgotten how to use magic to sense the presence of her own kind.

Would they have to ask for directions the whole way?

“Don’t worry, Sister Xibai.”

Luo Xingli was clearly much more familiar with this place. She calmly took out a phone from her skirt pocket and shook it.

A lily-of-the-valley-shaped wind chime pendant hung from the phone case, tinkling softly.

“I’ve already called a car~”

“Hm? You can call cars here too?” Lin Xibai had thought they would fly, which would consume magic power, and she was somewhat reluctant.

“Of course, of course,” Luo Xingli was amused by her surprised expression. “Sister Xibai, don’t look like this is some virtual fairy-tale world. Magic is only a means; living is the goal.”

Her tone carried a matter-of-fact air.

“I believe that all magical girls are essentially human. And if they’re human, they will have needs and will create rules and tools suited to their own lives.”

As she spoke, a uniquely designed vehicle had already glided up to them.

It had no wheels and floated a few centimeters above the ground. The side of the car body was decorated with light golden patterns of vines and flowers. It looked more like some kind of sightseeing tour vehicle.

“Let’s go~”

“Mhm…”

The tour car started and smoothly glided across the boundless sea of flowers.

Along the way, the scenery outside was indeed exaggerated.

Highly saturated colors, dreamlike flowing lights, and distant delicate buildings with Rococo style made this place look like an eternal paradise specially built for girls.

“How many layers does this place have in total? It looks… like it has been expanded again?”

Lin Xibai couldn’t help but tilt her head up, looking toward the shadows stretching into the sky.

She remembered that when she retired eighteen years ago, this so-called Flower Tower had only just begun to take shape, at most three layers.

“Right now…”

Luo Xingli also followed her gaze and gently shook her head. “To be honest, I’m not too sure either. I usually work at headquarters and don’t come inside the Flower Tower much. However, I’ve heard that there are always sisters willing to come here, or rather who need to stay here long-term. Expanding the tower layers was inevitable.”

“I see,” Lin Xibai said thoughtfully.

It seemed this place had already developed into a rather large and self-contained community.

The two continued chatting casually like this.

Lin Xibai discovered that even chatting had become more strenuous than usual in this petite body.

Due to the change in lung capacity, she had to breathe in small frequent gasps, which made her sound like she was coquettishly panting.

About half an hour later, the vehicle slowly stopped in a particularly quiet area.

Before them stood a delicately designed pink two-story villa. The outer walls were covered in blooming roses, and there was a fountain with flowing clear spring water in front of the door.

Thanks to Luo Xingli, none of the several checkpoint sentries they passed along the way came out to stop them.

“Good luck, Sister Xibai. I can only escort you this far.”

Luo Xingli stood in front of the villa door, holding Lin Xibai’s hand with the back of hers, her eyes sparkling brightly. “The Layer Lord has a peculiar temperament and probably won’t allow me inside.”

“Mhm. No matter what, thank you for your help.”

Lin Xibai thanked her solemnly.

She was sincere. If not for Luo Xingli leading the way, this old thing who could barely tell east from west would probably have been dragged off to play by that group of enthusiastic girls long ago.

“Do we still need to say such things between us?”

Luo Xingli released her hand and waved at her with a smile. “Go on. I’ll be waiting for your good news~”

Lin Xibai nodded again and turned to face the cute villa.

Next, she would truly be facing it alone.

She straightened her already tidy dress, raised her hand, and gently knocked on the exquisite door.

“Knock, knock, knock.”

Before she could even rehearse a proper set of polite greetings in her mind, the door lock clicked and automatically slid open inward.

The interior was brightly lit and even more exquisitely decorated.

Her gaze was immediately drawn to the sofa by the window not far from the living room.

There, a dazzling figure was sitting.

Long cherry-pink hair cascaded like silk, gleaming under the sunlight filtering through the sheer curtains.

Her pale pink eyes were like freshly bloomed cherry blossom petals, carrying a hazy charm.

She wore a thin silk nightgown, her long legs crossed lazily as she held a book scroll.

Lin Xibai’s breathing stopped for a moment, but she quickly steadied her mind.

She gave a light cough, stepped into the house, and gently closed the door behind her.

Habitually lowering her head slightly to hide her inner awkwardness, she walked toward the girl and began her self-introduction.

“Hello, my name is Lin Xibai. I am an… unofficial magical girl from Qingchuan City. I’m very sorry for disturbing your rest.”

As she approached the sofa, she noticed a small stove on the tea table was heating a kettle, with wisps of white steam already rising from the spout. The water had clearly boiled.

Almost out of habit from many years of living alone, and to avoid the embarrassment of just standing there, she naturally bent down slightly, skillfully picked up the kettle, and began rinsing the tea set to prepare tea.

Warm steam rose and slightly eased the initial restraint of their first meeting.

“Speaking of which… this is actually my first time formally visiting the Flower Tower.”

Lin Xibai spoke while brewing the tea, murmuring softly in a gentle, sweet voice to ease the awkwardness. “Everything here is so beautiful.”

However, she failed to notice that the moment she spoke, the cherry-haired girl on the sofa, who had originally looked indifferent, suddenly trembled violently with her fingertips.

The book scroll silently slipped and fell onto the carpet.

The girl slowly raised her head. Her pale pink eyes stared fixedly at Lin Xibai’s figure. Her pupils trembled wildly from extreme shock and an emotion that had been suppressed for far too long.

That was…

That voice.

That voice which, no matter how many years had passed, had appeared countless times in her midnight dreams…

That person’s voice.

“…Xier?”

The girl’s voice trembled intensely, filled with longing.

Lin Xibai’s hand, which was pouring tea, froze in mid-air. Due to inertia, a drop of scalding tea splashed onto the back of her hand, bringing a faint sting.

She slowly turned her head and met those pink eyes that were gradually twisting with狂热 enthusiasm.

This is bad.

She thought.

That kind of look… she seemed to have seen it eighteen years ago as well.