Chapter 8: The first stop on a date.

“Um?”

Gu Ranying’s movement, which was about to stand up, suddenly froze.

She slowly turned her face. Her pale pink eyes stared straight at Lin Xibai, the surging emotions inside rapidly cooling from joy, replaced by heavy astonishment and hurt.

“You… don’t remember my name?”

“Well, ah, how should I put it.”

Lin Xibai scratched her cheek somewhat embarrassedly. Her red eyes guiltily shifted to the side. “Even though I look like this, I’ve actually been a magical girl for decades… As you know, magical erosion isn’t just physical. Lately my condition has been getting worse, my memory isn’t very good anymore, and sometimes it’s hard to concentrate on recalling the past…”

This wasn’t entirely a lie.

Before today, he had indeed often felt exhausted due to life pressure and physical aging, becoming forgetful and unable to focus on things outside of work.

The pink-haired girl stared at her for several seconds, seemingly judging the truth of her words.

In the end, she pouted, her tone carrying a coquettish grievance, though the shadow deep in her eyes did not fully dissipate.

“Seriously… you even forgot such an important name.”

She reached out and lightly tapped the tip of Lin Xibai’s nose. The intimate action nearly made the latter lean back. “Listen carefully, I’ll only say it once. My name is Gu Ranying. This time you must remember it firmly, carve it into your heart! As punishment, you have to compensate me properly~”

“Mhm mhm, got it, Miss Gu Ranying.”

Lin Xibai repeated the name and quickly continued, “Qingchuan City has many nice places. I’ll accompany you properly when the time comes.”

She deliberately glossed over the specific meaning of “compensation.”

After speaking, while Gu Ranying was still immersed in the joy of securing the date, she took out her phone and quickly swiped her slender fingertips across the screen.

She sent a message to Luo Xingli.

【Mission successfully completed. The Layer Lord has agreed to assist. You can head back first, no need to wait for me.】

Luo Xingli replied almost instantly.

【As expected of Sister Xibai! Then I’ll go prepare the handover procedures. Stay safe~ (heart heart)】

Lin Xibai looked at the heart emoji, her eye corner twitching slightly. Her finger hovered over the input box for a long time.

After this, once she got the medicine, she would truly cut off all contact with the magical side.

Luo Xingli… this old friend who had always gently accompanied her and even helped greatly today would probably also become part of the past.

Her fingertip moved slightly as she typed out several lines.

【Luo Xingli, after this, I will completely cut off all contact with the magical girl side and live as an ordinary person. Thank you for your care all these years and for today’s help. In the future, I wish you happiness every day.】

However, just before her thumb pressed the send button, she looked at the overly formal, even somewhat cold message on the screen. She recalled the warmth of Luo Xingli holding her hand in front of the teleportation gate, the expression on her face when mentioning the old cup, and the smile when she said “After all, we’re partners.”

Cut off completely…?

Could she really do it? For Luo Xingli, would such a farewell be too cruel and sudden?

Between them, perhaps they still owed a more solemn explanation and goodbye, not just this cold message.

After hesitating for a moment, Lin Xibai finally sighed and deleted the words character by character.

The screen dimmed. That unsent farewell, along with her complicated feelings at this moment, was temporarily locked back into the bottom of her heart.

“Then,” Lin Xibai put away her phone. Her face also showed a slightly relaxed expression, and her tone brightened a little.

“Where do you want to go for the first stop? Or should I arrange it?”

Since she had already obtained the special medicine and Miss Gu had agreed to help, this person who had been drifting in the vast sea,随时可能溺亡, finally saw a glimpse of the shore called deliverance.

Lin Xibai silently calculated in her heart.

Once Lin Yuan recovered, and she saved up enough money for him to finish university and even start a family, her mission as a father would be completely fulfilled.

By then, she might truly be able to lay down all burdens and peacefully leave this overly exhausting world.

As long as her child could live well.

“First stop~ Let me think.”

Gu Ranying tapped her cherry-colored lower lip with her index finger, pretending to think seriously. Then she smiled sweetly, as if recalling some beautiful memory. “How about a café? Our first meeting was there too.”

“…Is that so.”

Lin Xibai maintained the smile on her face, though her mind remained blank.

But as a teacher skilled at guiding students, she knew that following the other party’s lead was the best choice right now.

“Of course.”

She pursed her lips into a reserved arc. “If you don’t mind, I recommend Starlight Sparkle next to Central Square. Their pour-over coffee and desserts are said to be excellent.”

To treat her son’s illness, Lin Xibai had lived extremely frugally these years and had never once visited such a luxurious café. But this favor, she was willing to pay.

“Hm? An unfamiliar shop name. Is it newly opened?”

Gu Ranying instead showed a puzzled expression. She blinked her pale pink eyes, then said with certainty, “I want to go to Cat Salt Café.”

“Oh…” Lin Xibai was slightly stunned.

That was a small, unremarkable café tucked away in an old district alley.

The storefront was old, and it kept more than a dozen cats with quirky personalities.

She remembered it so clearly because it was once the favorite place for their family of three.

When her son Lin Yuan was little, he loved the cats there, and his wife also liked the quiet atmosphere.

A long-buried memory fragment was gently pried open by the name, bringing an unexpected sourness.

She quickly suppressed the emotion and nodded. “Alright, then let’s go to Cat Salt Café.”

……

…

Morning, 6:50.

Sunlight pierced through the dust-covered curtains.

Lin Yuan had already woken up long ago.

He didn’t get out of bed. He simply curled up in the quilt printed with outdated anime patterns, staring blankly at the ceiling with hollow eyes.

He raised his hand and irritably ruffled his messy hair, then boredly opened his phone and aimlessly scrolled through short videos. His gaze was soon drawn to several trending topics.

【Qingchuan City Student Disappearance Case Continues to Escalate, Police Urge Citizens to Provide Clues】

【Experts Remind Students to Strengthen Safety Awareness When Going Out, Avoid Solitary Travel to Low-Population Areas. All City Schools on Holiday from Afternoon Onward】

“Damn it…!”

Lin Yuan cursed in a low voice. His delicate face instantly twisted.

Ordinary void beasts mostly acted on instinct and couldn’t create such targeted continuous disappearances that perfectly avoided surveillance and investigation.

There must be a witch manipulating things behind the scenes!

Those who fell from magical girls into witches for various reasons, feeding on human negative emotions or lives — they were the existences he hated most.

Thinking of this, he abruptly sat up and slammed his phone hard onto the bed.

His most respected mother… was harmed by those damn witches!

Surging anger mixed with powerless pain instantly swept over him.

He wished he could rush out right now, drag out the witches hiding in the dark, and beat them severely so they too could taste pain.

At that moment.

‘Knock, knock, knock.’

The door was knocked three times, neither too lightly nor too heavily.