Chapter 43: The Manager’s Secret, Meow?

A Sweaty Situation

Ye Xinglan was having a blast badmouthing, but Xiao Xi was sweating buckets!

Ye Xinglan showed no signs of stopping. Xiao Xi desperately wished she could beg her to shut up. If she kept going, Xiao Xi would be toast!

However, Ye Xinglan genuinely didn’t know Mu Xingge had read the novel. She was still reveling in the thrill of dissing Mu Xingge to her face without her catching on.

Naturally, every word of her loud chatter floated straight into Mu Xingge’s ears.

Mu Xingge: “…”

Hmm… those plot points the customer mentioned sounded awfully familiar.

Mu Xingge had been religiously reading Xiao Xi’s novel, her sole goal being to spot clues that might reveal the author’s identity.

And those scenes Ye Xinglan just mentioned? She remembered every single one.

With that thought, Mu Xingge couldn’t help but glance at their table a couple more times.

A Tense Standstill

Across from Mu Xingge, Little Red Riding Hood was also sweating. She’d overheard Ye Xinglan talking about her sister’s novel, and not quietly either.

What now? Xinglan and her sister had no idea Mu Xingge had read the book. If they kept talking, Mu Xingge would surely catch on!

Little Red Riding Hood wanted to subtly warn them to stop, but as the magical girl Little Red Riding Hood, she wasn’t supposed to know Xiao Xi or Ye Xinglan.

So, she sat there awkwardly sipping her lemon water, already brainstorming how to plead their case later.

Still… Mu Xingge usually seemed gentle and easygoing with her. Even if she found out about the spicy fanfic, she wouldn’t do anything too harsh to her sister… right?

Just then, Mu Xingge stood up and walked toward Xiao Xi’s table.

Oh no!

Catching Mu Xingge approaching from the corner of her eye, Xiao Xi’s heart sank. It wasn’t just about Mu Xingge discovering the fanfic—she absolutely couldn’t let her find out she was Eternal Star!

A Polite Facade

“…Excuse me, could we order something?”

Mu Xingge sized Xiao Xi up, flashing a kind, gentle smile.

“O-Of course!”

Xiao Xi shot to her feet. Clearly, Mu Xingge cared about her public image and wouldn’t act without solid proof.

Breathing a quiet sigh of relief, Xiao Xi noted Mu Xingge hadn’t gone full rage mode and folded her into a triple-screen phone. But ordering food? That was probably a test.

No problem. She’d just treat Mu Xingge like any other customer!

As Xiao Xi left with Mu Xingge, Ye Xinglan blinked. Uh… just a coincidence, right? Maybe Mu Xingge just wanted to grab a bite.

While taking their order, Xiao Xi felt Mu Xingge’s gaze scanning her like an X-ray, making her squirm.

No way! She had to find a way to shut Ye Xinglan up or make an excuse to slip to the counter and avoid chatting with her altogether.

A Shocking Discovery

Suddenly, a sharp shout came from behind the counter.

“She’s suspicious! Pin her down—don’t let her escape!”

The unexpected outburst interrupted Mu Xingge’s probing. She exchanged a glance with Little Red Riding Hood, and both dashed toward the counter.

Xiao Xi recognized the voice as one of the Association staff. Who was suspicious? Not the manager, surely?

Hurrying to the corridor behind the counter, Xiao Xi saw Su Ying’s private room wide open. Little Red Riding Hood and Mu Xingge had already rushed in, restraining someone.

Xiao Xi spotted wings sprouting from the person’s back and bird-like tail feathers at their waist.

A monster? Her heart raced. She considered finding a spot to transform into [Sirius] to help, but when she saw who was pinned down, she froze.

“I-I haven’t hurt anyone! I just didn’t want people to know I’m a monster. I only… only wanted to run my café in peace…”

Su Ying, pinned to the floor by several people, had a bruised elbow. Her eyes were red, tears streaming down her cheeks, her voice soft and fragile.

“Manager? Are you okay?”

Xiao Xi rushed forward, ignoring everything else, wanting to help Su Ying up. She didn’t know what had happened, but she was certain Su Ying wasn’t a bad person.

Yet, seeing the monstrous traits on Su Ying, Xiao Xi couldn’t help but share the same suspicion as the others.

Miss Su Ying, a monster? Then the monster attack on the café before…

Come to think of it, this was her first time in Su Ying’s private room. Su Ying had never let her in before, even fetching a Band-Aid herself that one time.

A Hidden Truth

“Cuff her! Everyone else, step back—watch for collateral damage!”

The Association staff didn’t let Su Ying’s frail appearance lower their guard. Soon, they slapped magic-suppressing handcuffs on her wrists.

Pushed aside, Xiao Xi couldn’t interfere with the Association’s work. She stepped back, noting the obvious monster traits—wings and tail feathers. How had she not noticed this after working together so long?

The answer came quickly. Xiao Xi watched as Mu Xingge and Little Red Riding Hood pulled a magical device from the room and found a disc-shaped metal object on Su Ying.

It looked familiar. Xiao Xi recognized it as similar to the Divine Assembly’s old disguise tools, used for two things: hiding magical auras completely and mimicking a human appearance.

The Divine Assembly’s monsters used these to infiltrate cities, posing as humans. How did Su Ying have one?

Still, seeing Su Ying sobbing, her eyes ringed with red, Xiao Xi couldn’t stand by. She didn’t know if Su Ying tied to the monster attack, but she couldn’t ignore her now.

Standing Up for Su Ying

Mu Xingge and Little Red Riding Hood held Su Ying against the wall. Ignoring the others’ attempts to stop her, Xiao Xi stepped forward to check if Su Ying was hurt.

Danger from a monster? Please. With her and Mu Xingge here, and no Blood Moon Witch in sight, what danger could there be?