Chapter 18: Misunderstood by My Little Girlfriend, Meow?
A Locked Door and a Lingering Misunderstanding
Click. The door cracked open slightly, but the gap was too narrow for Xiao Xi to show Ye Xinglan the object.
Through the sliver, she could only see Ye Xinglan’s evasive gaze.
“Um… I know this kind of thing is normal,” Ye Xinglan said. “So, you know… you could just tell me next time! I definitely won’t bother you!”
With a bang, the door slammed shut, leaving Xiao Xi alone outside, silent for a long moment before letting out a helpless sigh.
Now she’d never clear her name!
Xiao Xi glared at the black sphere in her hand. It had gone quiet the moment Ye Xinglan left her room. ‘You set me up on purpose, didn’t you?!’
But it had been still the whole way home. Why did it start acting up here?
Was something triggering it? The only people in the room were her and Ye Xinglan.
Ruling herself out as a constant factor… was it Ye Xinglan? The thought crossed her mind, but she couldn’t figure out why.
With Ye Xinglan now locked in her room like a turtle in its shell, Xiao Xi couldn’t call her out to test it again. She had to let it go.
A Sleepless Night
That night, Ye Xinglan couldn’t sleep. Her bed held a restless, wriggling figure wrapped in a blanket, like a squirming Shimokitazawa snake.
A-Lan had told her such things were normal, but every time she closed her eyes, the earlier scene flashed in her mind.
To be fair, Xiao Xi was undeniably cute—exactly her type, if she was honest. So, the idea of such a cute girl secretly… and with a toy that vibrated that strongly… No!
Ye Xinglan bolted upright, realizing her thoughts were veering off course.
Just days ago, she’d teased Xiao Xi about fake-dating turning real. Was she the one catching feelings now?
No, no, no. She’d only moved here to hide from the Association’s pursuit, not for Xiao Xi. What was she thinking?
Ye Xinglan clutched her flushed cheeks, trying to calm herself.
Besides, she, the Blood Moon Witch, dating an Eternal Star fan? That’d be a laughingstock!
Returning the Trouble
The next morning, Xiao Xi returned the ticking time bomb of a black sphere to Miss L.
After a night of poking at it, she was certain it was tied to the Divine Assembly. Even if they weren’t the masterminds, their villain tech was definitely involved.
Miss L looked at the sphere, sealed tightly within layers of starlight magic, puzzled.
“A-Xing, is this thing dangerous?”
“Very dangerous!” Xiao Xi’s face darkened. “It got me horribly misunderstood! Never make me take something like this home again!”
“Misunderstood? By who?” Miss L’s gossip mode activated. “Your little girlfriend?”
“Get lost! I told you, I don’t have a girlfriend!”
A Hospital Visit
After the Association, Xiao Xi and Ye Xinglan went to the hospital. Perhaps because of last night, Xiao Xi felt Ye Xinglan avoiding her gaze the whole way.
Seeing her sister in a hospital bed, arm wrapped in bandages, Xiao Xi’s brows knitted tightly.
“If I hadn’t noticed something off during our call, were you not going to tell me you were hospitalized?”
“It’s not a big deal,” Xiao Keke said, lowering her head guiltily. “Just a scratch. I’ll be out soon.”
Xiao Xi sighed. She knew Xiao Keke wouldn’t tell her, so she’d deliberately video-called her, “accidentally” noticing the hospital setting to force the truth out.
Xiao Keke claimed she’d fallen while acting heroically. Knowing the real reason, Xiao Xi didn’t press.
“Next time, protect yourself first. Let the tall ones handle the sky falling. Stop rushing into things.”
It sounded like a lecture, but she was hinting at last night’s incident. Honestly, couldn’t Xiao Keke just join the Association’s logistics team instead of being a magical girl?
Then a thought struck her. Xiao Keke had just become a magical girl and already faced such danger. If this made her realize how risky it was and quit, that’d be perfect.
“I just want to protect others, like [Eternal Star],” Xiao Keke muttered, pouting. “You wouldn’t get it, Big Sis. You don’t understand magical girls and hate [Eternal Star].”
So much for learning her lesson.
“Don’t keep idolizing magical girls,” Xiao Xi said sternly. “It’s not just about the glamorous surface. This job is dangerous!”
“Same old speech. You don’t get me at all! I’m not some shallow fan who likes [Eternal Star] just for her looks!”
“You… Fine, whatever. What do you want for lunch? I’ll get it.”
Xiao Xi wanted to say more but held back, considering Xiao Keke was still recovering. Arguing wasn’t good for her health.
She knew why her sister admired Eternal Star, which was exactly why she didn’t want her to.
A Sister’s Concern
Outside the room, Xiao Xi rubbed her temple. Her phone pinged with a message from her editor.
“Recipient has successfully received your file ‘Submission.docx’.”
“Looks good, no major changes needed. Get ready to publish. Let me know once it’s approved for signing and posting.”
Finally at this stage? Xiao Xi’s heart leaped. She’d poured so much time into drafting and writing. If not for recent distractions, she’d have finished revising sooner.
Ye Xinglan, watching Xiao Xi reply to the message, asked curiously, “Why did Keke say you hate [Eternal Star]? Aren’t you her fan?”
“I don’t hate her. On the contrary, I respect the magical girl profession,” Xiao Xi said, shaking her head as she put her phone down.
“I’ve badmouthed [Eternal Star] to Keke to stop her from idolizing magical girls so much.”
“Wanting to protect others is admirable, but being a magical girl is too dangerous. I don’t want… my sister to get the idea of becoming one because of [Eternal Star].”
“You sound like some retired magical girl with an old soul,” Ye Xinglan teased.
“Do I? But it’s no secret magical girls are in danger. Years ago, when monsters and villains ran rampant, magical girls died in battle all the time.”
“Protecting others means betting your own life…” Xiao Xi coughed, realizing she’d said too much, and shifted the topic. “So, why do you hate [Eternal Star] so much?