Chapter 47: Past Events

By the time she returned home, the sky had grown completely dark.

Pushing open the door, Bai Youqing saw her brother busy in the kitchen. The aroma of cooking wafted through the air, and though she hadn’t been very hungry before, her stomach now gave an uncontrollable growl.

“It’s Youqing back! Want some shrimp tonight?”

“Shrimp...?”

“Yeah, what kind of shrimp do you want? Braised lobster, spicy crawfish, steamed lobster, chilled lobster, garlic butter lobster...” Although he had no intention of fangirling over Teacher Yao, since his sister had helped out, he figured he should reward her somehow.

Thinking of the composed way his sister had eaten tonight, Bai Yuze smiled faintly, knowing without asking that she hadn’t eaten enough.

“Spicy crawfish!”

Without hesitation, Bai Youqing blurted out.

But the next moment, her eyes dropped as if recalling something.

“What’s wrong? You don’t look very happy,” he asked.

“Nothing, just thinking about some old geezer.”

Bai Yuze paused, then chuckled. It had been many years, yet she still remembered.

Their father, Bai Xingjian, liked to fish in his spare time.

Once, luck was on his side; he caught several big fish and traded them for a bucket of crawfish. He cooked up a pot of spicy crawfish himself. The red shells glistened with oil and smelled heavenly. Not waiting for his wife and children, he ate greedily at the table, oil running from his mouth.

Little Bai Youqing, playing in her room, was drawn out by the smell. She stood nearby, eyes wide and hopeful. “Daddy, what delicious thing are you eating?”

Bai Xingjian tossed her a crawfish head. She hugged it eagerly and began nibbling, thoroughly enjoying herself, though it was a bit prickly on her lips, which made her father laugh.

He picked up another crawfish head, peeled back the hard shell to reveal the roe inside, plucked off the gills on both sides, and stuffed them into her mouth. “Silly child, eat this part—it’s the meat.”

Young Bai Youqing never questioned her father’s words and started looking for more crawfish heads on the table, imitating peeling the hard shell to eat the “meat” inside.

She ended up spending the entire afternoon eating crawfish gills.

It wasn’t until Bai Yuze came home from school at noon, peeled a crawfish, and handed her the succulent meat, that Bai Youqing realized she had been tricked.

From then on, her gaze toward their father subtly changed.

“Hmph, the memorial day is coming up soon. Old Deng never gets to eat lobster all year round; maybe this year we should just prepare spicy crawfish heads for him!” Bai Youqing offered a heartfelt suggestion as the devoted little daughter.

“...”

One wonders if their father, Bai Xingjian, would be deeply moved hearing such filial words from his daughter.

“Enough about that old geezer; you’ve ruined my good mood,” Bai Youqing pouted, annoyed.

“What good mood? Are you in love?” Bai Yuze turned his head casually. “I heard from Teacher Zhang in the office today that you and that guy Liu Guangze…”

“Ugh, it’s so annoying! It has to be that bastard Ye Qing. Not only does he make outsiders bully classmates, he’s so shameless as to spread rumors. Even you heard about it,” Bai Youqing interrupted, bitterness dripping from her words.

“Don’t worry, the Discipline Office has already stopped the rumors. They haven’t spread widely yet. But tell me more about this Ye Qing from your class,” Bai Yuze said as he resumed washing the crawfish, narrowing his eyes.

“It’s nothing serious. If it comes to it, I’ll just avoid dealing with him,” Bai Youqing replied.

She wasn’t naive. Hearing that the school took action but Ye Qing remained untouched meant he had powerful backing.

Thinking of her brother suddenly transferring from the advanced class to the regular one, something didn’t add up.

A pang of guilt welled up inside her, quickly replaced by fierce anger and gritted teeth.

Fine, Ye Qing bullying classmates was one thing, but to mess with her brother too? That was unforgivable.

Maybe she should find a time to transform into a magical girl and feed him to the disaster beasts.

No, no—she was the embodiment of justice as a magical girl. She couldn’t think like that. Besides, her magical spirit, Little Ai, was currently residing in her green vine star. What if it leaked everything?

“Does Ye Qing’s family have a lot of influence?” Bai Yuze pressed.

“Oh, Bai Yuze, I’m starving! Let me help you wash the shrimp; you go prepare the seasoning.”

Rolling up her sleeves, Bai Youqing revealed her smooth, pale arms, ready to help.

“Go away, don’t mess things up,” Bai Yuze pushed her out of the kitchen and reignited the stove.

“Don’t bother me while I cook. If I get oil and smoke all over me, you should just go shower first if you have nothing else to do.”

“Hmph, good intentions taken for granted,” Bai Youqing muttered but obediently went to the balcony to collect the laundry and then showered.

Watching her retreating figure, Bai Yuze’s previously smiling face darkened.

A rich kid had set his sights on his sister? No, that didn’t seem quite right, or they wouldn’t have fabricated rumors. What were they after?

He decided to investigate when he had time.

While he was lost in thought, Bai Youqing returned from the balcony and said, “I hope when I come out of the shower, I can eat some crawfish.”

Her delicate face twisted playfully, voice slightly hoarse. “You get what I mean, right?”

“Got it, got it. Hurry up and shower. You’re not a kid anymore; sort your clothes properly. Don’t always be so careless.”

Bai Yuze’s lips curved as he turned back to cooking.

Bai Youqing timed her shower perfectly, stepping out just as Bai Yuze brought the crawfish to the table.

Her bright eyes and pearly teeth shone; her gaze sparkled like stars. Her figure was just right in its development.

Beneath her nightdress, her legs were taut and strong, like a poised leopard—powerful, graceful.

Her delicate, petite feet were fully exposed to the air.

From head to toe, everything was perfect—except she was a bit lacking above.

“Dinner’s ready, dinner’s ready.”

At the table, the two fell into a rare silence.

Bai Youqing wanted to recount the experiences she had as a magical girl but decided it was best not to tell her brother, so as not to worry him.

Bai Yuze pondered how to arrange his time more reasonably.

He couldn’t always ask Teacher Yao to rearrange classes whenever something happened; it would be too troublesome.

Unconsciously, Bai Youqing felt a thin veil of distance growing between her and her brother.

She imagined how, after she saved him in the future, he would respectfully call her “Magical Girl, my lady,” making her want to laugh.

Ah, perhaps this was the cost of growing up.

After dinner, Bai Youqing stood up to clear the dishes.

Bai Yuze snapped out of his thoughts, watching his sister with a mixture of surprise and suspicion.

Huh? Has his sister really changed so much since becoming a magical girl?

If he had known earlier, he would have caught a magical spirit too—why wait until now?

But it wasn’t a loss; who didn’t like a little laziness?

“Boom!”

Suddenly, thunder rumbled outside. Lightning flashed, and the rain poured down fiercely, hammering against the window.

Bai Yuze went to the balcony to close the windows, joking to Bai Youqing in the kitchen, “Do you think Dad’s warning me? How dare I let my sister wash the dishes.”

Bai Youqing rolled her eyes, sighing, “Hmph, if that old geezer were still alive, I wouldn’t just wash dishes—I’d have to cook every meal, as if he’s afraid I won’t find a husband someday.”

“Boom!”

Another crack of thunder split the dark night sky.

“Geez, could it really be that old geezer warning me?” Bai Youqing’s gaze shifted to the window; her voice softened, though her lips continued to mutter.

The summer rain came fast and left quickly. Just as Bai Youqing finished washing the dishes, the rain stopped.

Bai Yuze expected his sister to feel down, but instead, she disdainfully clicked her tongue.

“What a joke—this rain barely lasted a moment. Pathetic rain.”

She turned and slipped into her room.

Bai Yuze noticed a few bright, clear raindrops dripping on the floor.

Stepping out onto the balcony, he reopened the window and felt a cool breeze brush his face, tinged with moisture and the scent of nature.

Looking up at the bright moon, he said in a low voice, “Don’t worry, Dad. I absolutely won’t let Youqing be harmed.”

“No matter if they’re human or ghost...”