It was dinner time.
Lin Muyao sat primly at the dining table, eating the food in front of her in small bites.
Su Tianqing sat beside the young girl, chatting animatedly with Nan Xiaofeng and Hua Ling across the table.
"Green Heart Park has so many maple trees with falling leaves lately, and the ginkgo trees have all changed color too; they're super beautiful."
"I really like it when the ginkgo turns yellow, and Rongcheng Medical College even has a ginkgo path, which should be very pretty."
"I really want to go see it."
"Next time, if there's a chance, I'll take you all to Rongcheng Medical College to play~"
Su Tianqing said with a smile, bringing a spoonful of rice to her mouth.
Then she glanced at Lin Muyao beside her.
"Muyao Meimei (Muyao Little Sister), did you have fun today?"
"!"
The girl nodded repeatedly.
Her drawing board was now put away in her shoulder bag, meaning Lin Muyao had lost a large part of her ability to communicate with people, and could only use body language to express herself.
But her joyful expression was enough to convey her mood.
Lin Muyao had almost never gone out specifically to play, let alone played for an entire day like today:
In the morning, she went boating in Green Heart Park and watched the maple leaves, the brilliant autumn foliage and shimmering water leaving the girl in a daze for a long time.
At noon, she ate Burger King at Tianfu Square; the luxurious triple Whopper made Lin Muyao, who had only ever eaten five-yuan chicken leg burgers, so full she could barely walk.
In the afternoon, she went to a nearby permanent anime convention, where she saw many interesting merchandise items.
Su Tianqing happened to meet them at dinner time, and the four hit it off immediately, deciding to go to a rather famous restaurant.
It was a plain day, yet it felt like a novel experience she had never had before.
"I heard that shop had a limited edition figure released this afternoon."
Hearing that the three of them had visited that familiar shop, Su Tianqing recalled the news she had seen yesterday and said.
Nan Xiaofeng immediately responded:
"That's right! It's new figures of Iris and Hyacinth! I heard they're limited to two hundred pieces!"
"They're really pretty."
"Then did you manage to get one?"
Nan Xiaofeng immediately fell silent, burying her head in her food.
Su Tianqing chuckled softly, covering her mouth.
"It's okay, this just shows that everyone really likes Magic Girl."
"Tianqing Jie (Tianqing Elder Sister) has a point," Hua Ling interjected, also smiling faintly.
Dinner was very pleasant.
Association High School was not very far from Tianfu Square; after seeing off Nan Xiaofeng and Hua Ling, who needed to take the subway home, at the subway entrance, Su Tianqing chose to walk back with Lin Muyao.
Rong City in the evening was still lively and full of life.
The streets were filled with men and women out for a walk after dinner, as well as elderly grandpas and grandmas sitting on stools by the roadside, chatting and joking.
Lin Muyao followed behind the Golden Fox.
The girl wore a simple autumn top, with overalls and thick cotton tights covering her lower body, a very ordinary autumn outfit.
Although she wasn't as elegant as Hua Ling, nor as vibrant as Nan Xiaofeng, it was a completely different look compared to her gloomy appearance when she stayed at home.
She secretly watched the fluffy large tail swaying from side to side with each step in front of her.
A week ago, this cute Fox Fox sister had entered her dorm room.
Lin Muyao was not very used to her arrival.
— Anyway, she'll probably be like all those people before, after interacting with me for a while, we'll never see each other again.
However, she accurately stated the type of Iris poster on the wall and could blurt out the code name 'Red Snow' from the art book.
She even knew about 'Albatross,' who had been out of sight for more than ten years.
Moreover, she also felt that Xin Yuehu was not a bad person, having the exact same feeling as herself.
For the first time in her life, someone discussed Magic Girl with her,
For the first time, someone shared rare merchandise cards with her,
For the first time, she chatted so happily with someone, even if it was in the form of a drawing board.
Even Teacher Meteor had never communicated with her like this.
Su Tianqing.
Lin Muyao remembered the name of this Fox Fox sister.
She would buy her many merchandise items she had never seen before.
She kept her promise, coming to play with her almost every day.
She even brought her new friends, and her friends were all very friendly too.
Lin Muyao felt that she had changed a lot.
Just seeing her would involuntarily make her happy,
Just seeing that sun-like brilliant smile, she also wanted to laugh along.
"Compared to when we first met last week, Muyao Meimei (Muyao Little Sister), you've changed quite a bit."
Su Tianqing suddenly said this.
Lin Muyao remained silent, pursing her lips quietly.
Thinking about it, it really seemed to be true.
At least the old her would never dare to go to an anime convention, and would absolutely never dare to take photos with those cosplayers dressed as Hyacinth and Iris.
"Anyway, as long as Muyao Meimei (Muyao Little Sister) can become more cheerful, I, your elder sister, will be very happy."
"We're almost at school. Let me help you carry these things to your dorm. You can't play too late tonight, okay?"
Su Tianqing turned around, shook the paper bags containing the merchandise in her hand towards Lin Muyao, and said with a smile.
Lin Muyao quickly tried to reach for her drawing board in her bag, but Su Tianqing stopped her with the tip of her tail.
"No refusing! I'm your elder sister! I must help you carry them to your dorm!"
The fluffy, smooth touch made Lin Muyao tremble, but the tail only swept past, not letting Lin Muyao linger for too long.
...Tianqing Jie (Tianqing Elder Sister), she's so cute.
Following behind the Golden Fox all the way, the girl's thoughts gradually drifted, and her hand quietly reached into her pocket.
But she didn't touch the drawing board; instead, she reached into a deeper compartment, gently pinching a hard object.
A cross star.
Last night, she saw a strange Bai Diao (White Sable) by the window sill.
Lin Muyao remembered it; it had previously been hiding in Nan Xiaofeng's backpack, peeking out and looking at her.
"Hello, Lin Muyao, my name is Bai Ling, and I am an Observer Spirit from the Star Realm."
The Bai Diao (White Sable) spoke, almost scaring Lin Muyao half to death.
"Since you can see me and hear me speak, it means you have great potential to become a Magic Girl!"
"I'll give you this guardian star. If it's willing to respond to you, then you'll have a chance—"
"To become a Magic Girl!"
—The White Sable Spirit said so.
After it flew away, Lin Muyao tried it that night, but there was no movement; the guardian star did not respond.
Was this a dream she had? Lin Muyao couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
Perhaps she was too happy about making new friends, so she had a super realistic dream?
But the feel of the guardian star in her pocket reminded her that this was not a dream.
This made Lin Muyao feel a little troubled, and also a little excited.
...Can I also become a Magic Girl?
Su Tianqing walked ahead, quietly noticing Lin Muyao's small movements behind her.
She had already learned what happened to this child last night from the secret codex's information page.
"Obtained a guardian star from the Observer, but did not successfully gain the guardian star's approval."
Indeed, things were as she expected.
The Bai Diao (White Sable) Spirit beside Nan Xiaofeng noticed Mu Yao's Magic Girl potential, extended an olive branch to her, and tried to recruit her.
What a pity, Observer, you are too impatient.
If it were that easy for a Magic Girl to transform, wouldn't the world already be full of Magic Girl?
From Hua Ling's case, Su Tianqing had summarized the necessary conditions for a Magic Girl to be recognized by a guardian star:
A strong wish! A belief in wanting to protect something!
These were clearly not something an ordinary child like Lin Muyao could possess. At least not yet.
Su Tianqing led Lin Muyao through the school gate.
Before entering, the Golden Fox turned back and glanced at the shadows in the corner of the street.
Her cat familiar was burying a Monster capsule in the bushes; sensing its master's gaze, it immediately meowed towards her.
Good.
Su Tianqing grinned.
The cat should also be on its way here now.
Association High School tonight... will be quite lively.