Chapter 57: Fresh-Squeezed Veggie Juice, Meow?

Relentless Training

Over the next few days, Xiao Xi had planned to train Xiao Coco every two or three days. However, she hadn’t expected Coco to grow tougher, gradually adapting to the training intensity.

As a result, Xiao Xi switched to daily sessions, ramping up the difficulty even further. Under this pressure, Coco finally started to falter, doubting herself.

High-intensity training alone wouldn’t have broken Coco’s spirit. But every time she collapsed, exhausted, Xiao Xi would put on a disappointed, shocked expression, saying things like, “You can’t handle this level of training? You’re the worst I’ve ever trained!”

Over time, Coco began to wonder if [Eternal Star]’s training wasn’t actually that tough—she was just too weak to keep up.

Though she’d done well in the Association’s preliminary exams, with examiners praising her talent, [Eternal Star] wouldn’t lie, would she?

Thus, Coco sought a straightforward solution: compare herself to a peer. She approached Sirius, her teammate and fellow D-rank magical girl, for a spar.

Sirius agreed eagerly… and promptly crushed Coco, leaving her questioning her existence.

Now, Coco truly believed she was weak. Losing to [Eternal Star], even at suppressed strength, made sense—she was a top-tier magical girl. But losing to Sirius, a fellow D-rank? That had to be her fault, right?

Feeling dejected, Coco’s confidence wavered. Noticing this, Xiao Xi planned to press her advantage, aiming to shatter Coco’s resolve to be a magical girl.

A New Strategy

The challenge was how to escalate further. Xiao Xi knew physical training and verbal criticism were already at their limits. As her sister, she felt a pang of guilt pushing Coco harder.

Moreover, if she intensified the training further, even Xiao Xi couldn’t shamelessly say, “You can’t handle such simple training?”

She needed a new way to pressure Coco, beyond physical and mental strain. Hmm…

The next morning, as Ye Xinglan shuffled out of her room, yawning and bleary-eyed, Xiao Xi was in the kitchen, aggressively juicing with the blender.

“Yawn—Xiao Xi, up so early? Making breakfast?”

“Sorry, Xinglan, did I wake you?”

The juicer’s noise was loud. Seeing Ye Xinglan leaning sleepily against the kitchen door, Xiao Xi quickly apologized.

“No big deal. I’ll get up early for once… Wait, this isn’t our breakfast, is it?”

Ye Xinglan stepped closer, and a strange smell hit her, snapping her awake.

Staring at the juicer’s contents—a murky, not-quite-green, not-quite-gray liquid—Ye Xinglan’s eyes widened in horror.

Breakfast? She hadn’t upset Xiao Xi lately, had she? Why was Xiao Xi trying to poison her with food? Maybe she should apologize first.

“Sorry, Bao Bao, I know I messed up! I won’t do it again, please forgive me!”

Seeing Ye Xinglan’s instant groveling, Xiao Xi chuckled helplessly.

“What are you thinking? This isn’t breakfast. It’s, uh… a recipe I learned. Nutrient-packed fresh veggie juice. Healthy, detoxifying, and great for beauty.”

“You sure… this stuff is healthy? You’re not serious, right?”

Ye Xinglan gaped at the kitchen counter, where Xiao Xi’s ingredients—bitter melon, onion, cilantro, coffee grounds, and more—were piled up. Anything with a strong flavor had gone in.

The resulting concoction? Ye Xinglan thought it was more disgusting than [Eternal Star] herself. Healthy? She suspected it might shorten her lifespan.

Worried, she touched Xiao Xi’s forehead. No fever… So why was Xiao Xi falling for scam wellness trends?

“I’m serious! Ever heard of traditional medicine? Food is the best supplement,” Xiao Xi said, doubling down with pseudoscientific flair. “I’ve been morning training lately. This is for post-workout. Want a taste?”

As Xiao Xi offered a spoonful of the viscous sludge, Ye Xinglan hesitated. Curiosity won, and she gulped it down.

Moments later, watching Ye Xinglan flee to the bathroom to rinse her mouth and brush her teeth, Xiao Xi grinned, satisfied. The veggie juice was a success.

“Xiao Xi, if you’re struggling, just tell me. I’ll help however I can. Don’t do something drastic…”

Soon after, seeing Xiao Xi pack three large bottles of the juice into a plastic bag to head out, Ye Xinglan teared up, grabbing her sleeve. Was Xiao Xi so broke she’d lost hope, planning to end it all with this monstrous drink?

“What? I’m just going for my morning run. I’ll be back soon. What do you want for breakfast?”

“Oh… tofu pudding and fried dough sticks. Savory pudding, please… You have to come back, Xiao Xi!”

A Dubious Supplement

Twenty minutes later, in the park’s wooded clearing, Coco took deep breaths to psych herself up as [Eternal Star] approached. She was getting used to the training and was determined to endure today.

“Sorry, I bumped into someone on the way and got delayed.”

Juicing had taken longer than expected, so Xiao Xi tossed out a vague excuse. In Coco’s eyes, [Eternal Star] was flawless, so an accidental bump sounded better than oversleeping.

“No problem, Senior! I’ve warmed up and I’m ready!”

But Coco hadn’t expected what came next. Before training, her senior pulled out a bottle… of what?

“Senior, is that… cement for training?”

“Cement?” Xiao Xi frowned. “This is a… magical girl supplement I prepared for you. It boosts training. I used to drink it all the time.”

Coco’s eyes widened. A supplement? Could supplements be this color? She’d never heard of one that helped magical girls grow stronger.