“Click.”
“Here, have some water. It’s a bit hot, though.”
A cup with a fox carrot print was placed on the coffee table. Hua Ling gently picked it up and blew on it, a wisp of hot air rising.
Su Tianqing sat opposite the coffee table, holding a warm cup of milk, her tail wagging behind her.
Hua Ling forced herself to shift her attention from the swaying tail and looked at Su Tianqing’s worried face.
“Hua Ling Meimei, why are you still out so late? What exactly happened?”
Su Tianqing asked with concern.
The girl held the hot water in her hands, letting the steam fog up her glasses, unwilling to let the Golden Fox in front of her see her tired eyes.
Should I really tell her?
The resolve she had just made wavered again upon hearing Tianqing Jie’s gentle words.
She had planned to confess to her, tell her that she was Magical Girl Iris, and then inform her about what had happened to Xiao Feng and Mu Yao today.
But on second thought, even if Tianqing Jie knew all this, what could she do?
She was just an ordinary person!
Was she supposed to expect Tianqing Jie to help solve the Xin Yuehu problem? Was she supposed to expect such a delicate little fox to fight to the death with Hellcat?
Hua Ling, oh Hua Ling, you are truly selfish.
Shifting all her pressure onto Tianqing Jie, while she herself enjoyed the fluffy tail at ease—how could such behavior befit a Magic Girl born to protect?
“…Hua Ling Meimei, did something very bad happen?”
Seeing the girl in front of her fall silent, the Golden Fox’s face showed even more worry.
“If I can help you, just tell me. But if you don’t want to talk about it, chatting about other happy things is also nice.”
“Or is it something very private, something that would make you shy if you said it? How about this, I’ll exchange a secret with you, a secret that’s definitely an equal exchange, okay~”
Su Tianqing smiled slightly and said softly.
Ben Hu already had an idea.
It was truly unexpected that Hua Ling would come here so late at night. Ben Hu hadn't expected that just the disappearance of her companions would deal her such a heavy blow.
But since Hua Ling came to Ben Hu, it meant that the image of a spiritual anchor Ben Hu had built in her heart was completely solidified, which was also a good thing for Ben Hu's villainous activities.
If that was the case, Ben Hu had just thought of a brilliant plan.
—Simply having Razor Freak kidnap the defenseless “Su Tianqing” would be too cruel for Hua Ling, and might even backfire.
Ben Hu truly couldn't imagine how Hua Ling could rescue “Su Tianqing” from Razor Freak. Could she possibly use a magic cannon to send Razor Freak and Ben Hu's own body flying into the sky?
Therefore, there was only one best solution for now:
If nothing went wrong, Hua Ling should personally admit today that she was Magical Girl Iris, and Ben Hu would exchange secrets with her, following her words to reveal the identity of “Dandelion.”
A trustworthy, close older sister, and also a Magic Girl companion who provided assistance—such an identity would make Hua Ling feel an even stronger sense of belonging.
The subsequent room for manipulation and the show's effect would also become very interesting.
It avoided making Hua Ling re-experience the pain of losing loved ones and friends, while also inspiring her desire to protect her teammates. Ben Hu was simply a genius!
A close older sister being controlled by a Monster and in a critical situation, while former teammates also fell into enemy hands, and only by awakening Star Shadow could she save her companions—this was the most suitable method for Hua Ling.
Imagining Hua Ling’s possible expression when Ben Hu had Razor Freak restrain Ben Hu, Su Tianqing’s mouth curved upwards wildly.
Cough cough! Now was not the time to be arrogant!
Forcibly suppressing the urge for her lips to curl, Su Tianqing tried to make herself serious and solemn.
“…Tianqing Jie, you and Xiao Feng and Mu Yao are good friends, right?”
Hua Ling suddenly spoke.
Hearing her say this, the Golden Fox nodded.
“Mm.”
“And, Hua Ling, you are also my good friend.”
“Is that so…”
As if taking a calming pill, Hua Ling breathed a sigh of relief, put down the steaming cup, and said to the Golden Fox across the coffee table:
“Tianqing Jie, can I trust you like Xiao Feng and Mu Yao do?”
“Of course you can.” Su Tianqing answered without hesitation, puffing out her flat chest.
“I will definitely keep your secret, don’t worry!”
“Then… then I’ll say it.”
The girl straightened her back, cleared her throat, and slowly said:
“Actually, actually I… that, actually I am… Magical Girl Iris…!”
Silence.
Hua Ling’s face flushed, she clutched the hem of her skirt, and her knees rubbed together nervously, as if she had said something embarrassing.
Su Tianqing’s mouth was slightly open, and she didn’t answer, which made Hua Ling even more nervous.
Was there something wrong with what she said?
But this wasn’t right, she had already expressed her thoughts very sincerely, why was Tianqing Jie…
“Hehe… I see, Hua Ling Meimei, you are Iris…”
Su Tianqing, however, didn’t show much surprise, and said with a light chuckle.
“Looking at it this way, it really is a super big secret.”
“Tianqing Jie… why aren’t you surprised at all…?” Hua Ling asked, puzzled.
In her opinion, the Golden Fox in front of her should have shown quite surprised eyes, but there wasn’t much surprise on her face, which instead made Hua Ling herself feel uneasy.
“If Hua Ling Meimei you are Iris… then, Hyacinth and Nightingale, they should have already told you, right?”
Hua Ling froze for a moment.
Yes, how could she forget such an important detail?
Xiao Feng had transformed into Hyacinth in front of Tianqing Jie, and Mu Yao had also transformed into Nightingale to protect Tianqing Jie.
And her relationship with the two of them was the closest; if she was Iris, wouldn’t that complete Rong City’s Magic Girl team?
“So Tianqing Jie, you are… you are so calm and composed…”
“Of course. However, since Hua Ling Meimei you are willing to tell me such a big secret, then I will not go back on my word!”
Hua Ling was dazed for a while again.
Tianqing Jie said she wanted to exchange secrets with her, and she had already revealed her biggest secret, so what kind of exchange would she make?
Hua Ling felt a strange sense of anticipation.
But before that anticipation could settle, a sound suddenly came from the bedroom, the doorknob twisted open from the inside, and a small Golden Fox floating in mid-air poked its head out.
“Ah… I was going to keep it a secret for a bit longer, but I didn’t expect something like this to happen…”
“Xiao, Xiao Yue? Why are you…?”
Hua Ling looked at the Fox Astrologer in front of her in astonishment, then turned her gaze to the smiling Su Tianqing, suddenly realizing something:
Xiao Yue was here.
Dandelion was a small Golden Fox.
Tianqing Jie was also a small Golden Fox.
“Wait a minute! …Tianqing Jie, could it be, could it be you…?”
“That’s right, just as Iris you thought.”
The Golden Fox smiled and took a sip of the warm milk in her cup, handing the lines over to Observer Fox Fox.
“Tianqing—she is the new Magic Girl, 【Dandelion】.”