Chapter 27: Reader Group, Meow?

A Narrow Escape

“Xiao Xi, why do you look so pale all of a sudden?”

“Haha, I’m… fine. Probably just tired from work today.”

Xiao Xi forced a smile, feeling Ye Xinglan’s words pierce her conscience like arrows, leaving it riddled with holes.

The good news? Ye Xinglan seemed to buy her story. The bad news? Her conscience was stinging.

Though Ye Xinglan found Xiao Xi’s explanation reasonable, she wasn’t fully convinced. Verifying the truth was simple enough, wasn’t it?

“So, you can contact [Eternal Star], right?” Ye Xinglan crossed her arms. “Since she appeared on South Street recently, she’s probably still in Xiahai City.”

Xiao Xi’s face stiffened. She knew Ye Xinglan wouldn’t be so easily fooled.

“Well, I can’t always reach her. You know [Eternal Star] is super secretive. She always contacts me first…”

“You don’t even have her contact info? Or you don’t remember how she reached you last time?”

Xiao Xi knew the best way to prove her story was to produce Eternal Star, but where was she supposed to find her?!

“I… I’ll try? But I can’t guarantee I’ll get through…”

Xiao Xi stalled for time. This excuse would only buy her a moment’s reprieve—she’d be exposed eventually, but she was out of options.

“Just give me [Eternal Star]’s contact info. I’ll find her myself.”

Ye Xinglan pressed harder, giving Xiao Xi no room to breathe. But just as Xiao Xi’s mind went blank, grasping for excuses, Ye Xinglan suddenly backed off.

“…Never mind. You don’t need to contact her. I believe you. Let’s leave it at that.”

Ye Xinglan realized she couldn’t meet Eternal Star so easily.

She’d just lied about Eternal Star being a scumbag who broke her heart. Meeting her would expose the lie instantly.

Ye Xinglan knew Eternal Star’s strength. A direct confrontation would be bad for her—especially since she was still a fugitive from Bone Vault.

Plus, it hit her: if Xiao Xi was Eternal Star, why didn’t she react when Ye Xinglan lied about her?

Eternal Star couldn’t be so clueless as to forget her own actions, right?

With that, Ye Xinglan concluded she’d made a mistake. Xiao Xi just knew Eternal Star.

That explained everything. Why were Xiao Xi’s novels so vivid? Eternal Star must’ve told her those stories herself.

The South Street monster attack made sense too. As a fan who knew Eternal Star, it was normal for Xiao Xi to hide meeting her.

Thinking back to her actions at the café, Ye Xinglan felt a pang of guilt. Good thing she hadn’t gone too far.

And thank goodness she’d double-checked Xiao Xi’s identity at home. If she’d drained her mana earlier… that’d be awkward.

“By the way, I know what you were up to today, Xinglan.”

Xiao Xi grabbed Ye Xinglan’s sleeve, flashing a sincere smile. “Thanks for supporting me—buying stuff, ordering my maid service, and waiting to go home together.”

Ye Xinglan: “…”

After a few seconds of silence, she grabbed Xiao Xi’s hand. “Xiao Xi, how about I waive your last two months’ rent?”

“Huh? Why so sudden?”

“And I’ll cut your future rent in half, okay?”

“No way! Don’t say weird stuff like you’re trying to keep me… Whoa, don’t just hug me out of nowhere!”

Xiao Xi’s bedroom door flew open. Barefoot and flustered, she fled to the living room to escape Ye Xinglan’s clinginess.

A Determined Sister

Meanwhile, in the Magical Girl Association’s gym, Xiao Keke was working out with earphones in, sweat dripping down her face, her expression focused.

It was nearly dinnertime, but she showed no signs of stopping.

Recalling her recent defeats, beaten soundly both times she faced enemies, Xiao Keke burned with frustration and determination.

Useless as she was now, how could she ever become a powerful magical girl like Eternal Star?

She thought of her new teammate, the magical girl called Sirius. That girl had a great figure—abs, even… No, one more set!

“Keke, still training this late? Let’s grab dinner.”

A familiar colleague approached, holding a milk tea.

“You can’t bulk up in one bite. Come on, my treat for milk tea.”

“No way! You won’t sway my resolve!”

Xiao Keke glared, staunchly refusing to join the dessert-and-milk-tea crowd.

“No need to be so hard on yourself. I was gonna ask you to hang out during break.”

“Look, a new maid café opened on South Street.”

The colleague showed her phone, and Xiao Keke’s eyes widened after a few seconds.

In the short video, a cute girl in a Bocchi-chan cosplay outfit was surrounded by customers waiting for photos…

“Huh? Big Sis?”

Xiao Keke’s shocked cry echoed through the Association’s gym.

A Suspicious Clue

“Achoo!” Xiao Xi sneezed. “Who’s talking about me this late?”

She’d finished dinner and was checking messages from her editor.

“Data’s looking good post-recommendation. Keep it up.”

“I suggest starting a reader group. It’ll make asking for votes easier, you know?”

A reader group? Xiao Xi rubbed her chin. It wasn’t much trouble, so why not?

She opened the group creation page on her social app, pondering.

Group name… Using her book’s title felt awkward, especially since it was about defeated magical girls—not exactly a classy title.

Calling it “XXX Reader Group” was too embarrassing… Got it!

In a flash, she typed “Send Me 50 for Crazy Thursday Insights Group” and set a KFC logo as the avatar.

Done. Xiao Xi clapped her hands, pleased, and her gaze fell on the lock on the floor.

The one from the third drawer? She’d almost forgotten where she’d put the key.

Ye Xinglan clearly hadn’t bothered with it, opting for a more direct approach.

Examining the lock’s cut edge, Xiao Xi sensed something off. It was smooth, clean, precise. She racked her brain but couldn’t think of any tool at home that could slice a lock like this.

No, it didn’t even seem like a tool. It looked more like… a claw? No ordinary tool could cut a sturdy lock so neatly, right?

Xiao Xi hesitated but decided not to confront Ye Xinglan. Instead, she carefully stored the lock in a cabinet under her desk.