Something's off about this magical girl.

Chapter 63 Another Possibility

I accepted the invitation.

Xiaoyue picked out the restaurant; it was just around the corner outside Rongguang Community.

It wasn't high-end; the roller shutter door was half-open, and the owner was wiping water stains off the table. When he saw Xiaoyue come in, he just glanced up and nodded, showing neither surprise at recognizing a celebrity nor the embarrassment of pretending not to.

She's probably a regular customer.

"The casserole here is pretty good; I often come here to eat after work."

Xiaoyue pushed the menu to the center of the table, grabbed a pair of chopsticks, opened them, and tapped them on the edge of the table: "How about it? If it's okay, I'll order the extra-large portion!"

"Senior Xiaoyue..." Tao Zhu seemed to want to ask something.

"Let's eat first. I just finished reading my script and I'm exhausted," Xiaoyue complained, letting out a long yawn.

The food wasn't served quickly, but it was indeed quite delicious.

Midway through, Xiaoyue placed her phone face down on the table, her crescent-shaped ahoge (antenna-like hair sticking up) bobbing slightly on her head. Her gaze swept over Taozhuo, Dongchun, and Gu Bai in turn, finally settling on Gu Bai:

"Gu Bai, I know you. Would you consider marrying me?"

"Huh???" Tao Zhuo immediately stepped between Gu Bai and Xiao Yue, waving her hands wildly, "No, no, no, this plot is completely wrong!"

"What's wrong with that? I retired at 23, and I'm already... 17 years old. If you think about it, I'm almost at the age to get married."

Xiaoyue gestured for Taozhuo to sit obediently like Dongchun.

However, she personally didn't see anything wrong with what she said: "It's good to marry the right person when you meet them. Gu Bai, what do you think?"

"I don't understand, and I can't accept it." Gu Bai shook his head, choosing to reject Xiao Yue's direct approach.

"It's alright, we can learn more about it gradually in the future if there's an opportunity."

Having said all she needed to say, Xiaoyue didn't elaborate further, instead turning to Taozhuo: "After today's visit, what do you think of the magical girl's retirement life?"

"Do you want to tell the truth?" Tao Zhuo twirled the teacup in her hand, not answering immediately.

"certainly."

"It's utterly hopeless." Tao Zhu put down her chopsticks, her voice slightly low. "Although I understand Qi Xin is trying to warn me, I still can't accept it after witnessing it with my own eyes..."

"The residents of the fourth courtyard in Rongguang Community are typical examples. They haven't recognized themselves and think that their past popularity will always exist. They are typical, not isolated cases. Magical girls have been out of touch with society for too long."

Xiaoyue rested her chin on her hand, her tone as indifferent as if she were discussing the weather: "Also, the three you met today were all my contemporaries. The one who committed suicide went into prostitution to make quick money, which doesn't really matter. The main thing is that she still held the title of former magical girl, and she was immediately exposed by Qixin."

"The key issue is actually in the later part of the problem?" Tao Zhu clicked her tongue in amazement.

"In short, I'm here to remind you two not to mistake temporary glory for eternity, and to remember that one must be down-to-earth."

"Mmm." Dongchun nodded and continued eating.

"I haven't had my moment of glory yet," Tao Zhuo said helplessly, as she still had a considerable amount of debt to pay.

However, Tao Zhuo seemed to have a thought, so she put her chopsticks on the rim of her bowl and asked, "By the way, Sister Xiaoyue, I remember you should be considered Zhenyue's senior, right?"

"Yes, although I arrived a few years earlier, she is more talented than me and younger, so Qi Xin asked me to step down."

"Oh, and then?"

"And then?" Xiaoyue picked up a piece of tofu, blew on it, swallowed it, and then added to what she had said earlier: "I retired gracefully, which can be considered as contributing to the creation of 'Sun, Moon and Stars' for Qixin."

I've heard that name again.

I wonder if it's really related to Zhenyue's unwillingness to advance to the Seven Stars.

With this question in mind, Tao Zhu leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice even more: "Um, I heard that Senior Xing's cause of death was..."

"The knife wound is considered semi-public information in Qi Xin's case."

Tao Zhuo looked serious: "Senior Xiaoyue, there's definitely more to it than just this!"

Xiaoyue finished eating the hot tofu on her plate, glanced at Taozhuo and Dongchun, then at Gu Bai. Seeing that he seemed interested as well, she finally spoke earnestly:

"I'm certain that Xing was killed by humans."

"And it was because of the presence of the sun and the moon that the sun dropped out of school, leaving only the moon. Sigh, she was under a lot of pressure."

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

After finishing our meal, we paid the bill, exchanged contact information, and then parted ways.

Tao Zhuo sat by the roadside, pondering what Senior Xiaoyue had just said, and finally spoke in a very soft tone:

"Winter, that can't be right! Hoshi is a magical girl!"

"Four stars. They haven't mastered automated magic barriers. At this stage, most magical girls' bodies aren't much different from ordinary people's."

Dongchun spoke calmly, presenting the reality of the situation.

"vomit--"

Tao Zhuo felt nauseous and thought the wind outside had picked up, but she couldn't tell whether it was the environment or her mind that made her feel so uncomfortable.

Gu Bai then went over Xiaoyue's words again.

Upon first hearing the words "knife wound," the possibilities of a monster or a witch were ruled out, and it was concluded that it was a strange person. However, the final answer was unexpectedly dramatic.

The knife wound was inflicted by an ordinary person, so Qi Xin's decision not to disclose it seems like a reasonable inference.

has a problem!

Gu Bai's intuition told him that something was wrong, but fortunately, he could rely on more than just his intuition.

I'll edit a message and send it to Xia Zhi. I think I can get the answer through this connection.

But is it meaningful?

Gu Bai suddenly felt that he had gone astray. He had only planned to stay at the academy for a while, but how did Tao Zhuo lead him astray?

Now, it's definitely the best course of action to wait until Qixin Academy confirms the mysterious witch's identity before setting off alone and following the witch's trail to find Moxin.

As for the rest, none of that matters...

Sigh, that's no longer the way to put it.

After all, he had some connections with Tao Zhuo and Dong Chun, and his heart wasn't made of iron.

Such an outcome is inevitable when interacting with others. Fortunately, Luoshui Heavy Machinery will provide the two of them with expensive custom-made combat uniforms as a farewell gift.

Strange, why am I thinking so sadly?

Perhaps, given time, once we find Mo Xin, we can ask her to teach these two strange magical girls some tricks for advancing to the seventh star level.

—Didi.

Just then, two cell phone notification sounds pierced the silence of the night.

Dongchun and Taozhuo took out their phones and, as expected, the notification sound came from the Qixin APP again.

[Pray for Battle Deployment - Please proceed immediately to Calamity Zone 083]

[Warning: The beast appears to have an explosive device embedded in its body. The triggering conditions are unknown. Please proceed with caution!]

[A gentle reminder from Qixin: Survive first, then perform meritorious service. The life of a magical girl is never just your concern.♡]