Chapter 209: The Aquarium Witch, A Miracle, and the Shrine Maiden Outfit

Shortly after he parted ways with Xi Ziyue and stepped out of the empty classroom, an idea struck Ke Mingqing.

I said I'd contact the witch... but how am I supposed to summon her?

He froze, stopping in his tracks to lean his back against the corridor railing and think.

It was completely unexpected. Usually, Ke Mingqing wished he could burn incense at a temple and pray for the witch persona to stay dormant forever. Now that he actually needed to talk to her, he had no clue how to drag her out.

Xia Zili was wide awake, after all. Anything he tried might alert her.

It was like sneaking away from gym class to play games on the classroom computer, only to walk in and find the homeroom teacher sitting by the door grading papers.

Unless the teacher was blind or deaf, there wasn't a sliver of a chance.

I just have to wait. Maybe Little Grey will sneak into the bathroom in the middle of the night and text me.

With a sigh, Ke Mingqing slumped forward over the railing and rested his chin on his crossed arms.

He was the only person left in the elementary school. He stared blankly out over the silent playground. In the distance, a Ferris wheel spun lazily, the clamor of a nearby amusement park drifting through the air.

Then, the phone in his pocket pinged.

[Chali Jiushi: Brother, I miss you.]

Ke Mingqing raised an eyebrow and typed a reply.

[Ke Mingqing: Is the aquarium really that boring? Did you lose a game of truth or dare to Little Red Riding Hood?]

He stared at the sent message for a second, a sudden realization hitting him as he figured out who else could have sent that text...

The witch.

He stared at the screen, a cold sweat breaking out across the back of his hand.

Wait, what's going on here? Isn't my sister touring the aquarium with Little Red Riding Hood and Third Sister? If Little Grey pops out now, it'll ruin everything.

No, I can't be sure yet, he thought. What if it really is just Xia Zili? If I answer her like I'm talking to Little Grey, she'll instantly catch on.

After agonizing over it, Ke Mingqing sent the briefest, safest reply possible.

[Ke Mingqing: Where are you?]

[Chali Jiushi: The bath, room. Outside is a blue blue place, with lots of water tnks, lots of fsh in the tnks, and jellyfish!]

[Chali Jiushi: But Brother isn't in the aquarium. It's only fun with Brother here.]

Ke Mingqing frowned. That tone definitely belonged to Little Grey.

But he and the witch Cinderella had an agreement: she was absolutely never allowed to take over Xia Zili's body on a whim.

Cinderella always listened to him. He didn't think she would break that promise so casually, especially in a crowded public place like an aquarium.

Hesitating, he sent another text.

[Ke Mingqing: What's wrong with you? Did you forget how to type? Do you want me to come to the aquarium to keep you company?]

Ke Mingqing watched the screen in silence, but a long time passed without a reply.

Sunlight struck his fair face. Shadows from his bangs hid his eyes, the strands plastered to his forehead with cold sweat.

A horrifying possibility surfaced in his mind: what if everyone in that aquarium was already dead, including An Youlu and Xia Ningzhi?

Ke Mingqing switched to another chat window. Taking a deep breath to brace himself, he typed a message with trembling fingers.

[Ke Mingqing: Third Sister, which aquarium are you guys at? Send me the address. I don't have anything to do right now, so I might as well come join you.]

One second... two seconds... three seconds. Time trickled by. Ke Mingqing stepped up onto the railing. Just as he was about to put his phone away, it gave a sudden ping.

His eyes widened, and he quickly looked down at the screen.

[Xia Ningzhi: Hurry up and come over. (Attached: Address - Leijing, China, Lingmu Commercial Street, Lingmu Aquarium)]

"Why does Third Sister sound perfectly normal?" he murmured blankly. "Is it because Little Grey is hiding in the restroom?"

He stood there in a daze for a long moment, the aquarium marker on his screen reflecting in his pupils.

Finally letting out a quiet breath of relief, he rapidly typed a reply.

[Ke Mingqing: On my way. By the way, where's Xia Zili?]

[Xia Ningzhi: She's right next to me.]

[Ke Mingqing: Then why isn't she answering my texts? What is she throwing a fit about now?]

[Xia Ningzhi: I don't know, how did you manage to tick her off again? Come over and apologize to her yourself. You'd better kowtow a few times while you're at it. Thump thump thump.]

[Xia Ningzhi: (Sticker: Blue Pigeon sprinting full speed!)]

[Ke Mingqing: Got it. Can you stop sending Blue Pigeon stickers? They're so tacky.]

[Ke Mingqing: (Sticker: Magical Girl Ember forming a finger gun and pointing it at you.)]

[Xia Ningzhi: Eldest Brother and Second Sister told me they've become huge fans of Blue Pigeon lately. You better pray they never see this chat!]

[Ke Mingqing: Childish.]

Ke Mingqing put his phone away, his confusion only deepening.

"Judging by Third Sister's reaction, it doesn't look like Little Grey has shown up," he muttered. "Then why... who exactly was texting me just now?"

"Damn it, Xia Zili already knows I've been texting Little Grey every night. I shouldn't have trusted that idiot witch to wipe the chat history clean."

"Wait, Little Grey is a witch..."

"If she wanted to mimic Xia Zili's exact appearance, she absolutely could." With that chilling thought, he vaulted over the railing like a bird.

Ke Mingqing plummeted straight down from the fifth floor of the academic building. He had to reach the aquarium on Lingmu Commercial Street before a disaster happened.

The moment his feet touched the ground, he blasted forward as a streak of deep blue lightning, plowing a dark trench through the school's overgrown lawn.

........

........

Meanwhile, at the Lingmu Aquarium.

The unlit tunnel felt like the deep ocean. Ghostly schools of fish drifted through the tanks, casting faint, scattered patches of fluorescence. A map of the aquarium on the wall marked out the jellyfish exhibit, the giant whale shark tank, and the dolphin theater.

Xia Zili and An Youlu were illuminated by the sky-blue glow, making them look as though they were submerged in the deep sea.

They walked slowly, one trailing the other. One had her head bowed, focused on her phone, while the other snapped pictures. Above them, fish glided past, exhaling trails of white bubbles.

Xia Ningzhi walked further ahead, wearing a Winnie the Pooh crossbody bag.

Every time she spotted a new marine creature, she ooh-ed and aah-ed, drawing sideways glances from passersby. Embarrassed, the two behind her kept their distance.

Xia Zili looked completely absent-minded. Her eyes were locked on her phone's chat window. She swiped gently across the screen, pulling up a conversation from the early hours of yesterday morning.

[Chat Log — September 9, 00:30 AM.]

[Chali Jiushi: Brother, Brother, she fell asleep. Keep me, company! Can I, go into your room, want to hear you tell a story. The story of Cinderella.]

[Ke Mingqing: I have to go out tomorrow morning. Let's do it another time, hurry up and go to sleep.]

Xia Zili hung her head, her bangs hiding her eyes.

"Liar..."

Her lips parted, but the faint whisper was completely drowned out by the splashing of the fish.

Xia Zili walked on in silence, accidentally bumping into a man's shoulder.

The man grabbed her shoulder with a curse, but she merely turned her head and shot him a cold glare. A flicker of grayish-blue flame danced at the corner of her eye. The man froze, then slinked away meekly.

[Chali Jiushi: Are you still going to play dumb, Brother? Who was texting you on my phone last night?]

Xia Zili stared down at her phone. She typed the message out, but couldn't bring herself to hit send.

"Who are you talking to, Senior?" An Youlu finally asked, stopping in her tracks. "You haven't looked up once since we got here. So mysterious."

"Yeah, Comrade Xia Zili! We're here to enjoy the aquarium. You can play on your phone anywhere!" Xia Ningzhi turned around, her hands clasped behind her back as she frowned in mock severity.

Xia Zili stayed silent for a moment before putting her phone away. "My stomach hurts. I'm going to the restroom. You guys go on ahead—text me later and I'll find you."

"Is it that time of the month?" Xia Ningzhi raised an eyebrow, unzipping her bag. "I have pads and tampons, do you need one?"

"No, stop worrying."

Xia Zili replied coldly. She stalked down the hallway leading to the restrooms without looking back.

Startled, Xia Ningzhi silently zipped her bag shut.

Just then, An Youlu yawned. Smacking her lips, she said, "I hate to break it to you, but magical girls don't get periods." She shook her head. "You really have no idea, do you?"

Xia Ningzhi wondered if all magical girls were this unguarded with their secrets, hurriedly trying to smooth things over:

"But my sister isn't a magical girl, Little Deer. What are you talking about?"

An Youlu froze, instantly slapping a hand over her mouth. "I was just joking! Us country girls just like to talk nonsense. I'm sorry, Big Sister."

"It's fine. I wish my sister was a magical girl too," Xia Ningzhi said, patting her on the head.

"Why?"

Xia Ningzhi thought for a second, then grinned. "She's adorable. If she became a magical girl, she'd definitely be a superstar. Then I could be her manager, ride her coattails, and live on easy street for the rest of my life."

An Youlu fell silent for a moment. "I wish I had an older sister too."

Xia Ningzhi paused. Just as she was about to reply, a tall, thin figure wearing an orange windbreaker suddenly came sprinting over.

She turned to look. The teenage boy skidding into view was none other than Ke Mingqing.

"Are you a stalker?" An Youlu rested a hand on her chin, eyeing him suspiciously. "Good heavens, so this is what sister-complex weirdos are really like."

Ke Mingqing ignored her. Bent slightly over with his hands braced on his knees, he took a breath and looked up at Xia Ningzhi.

Xia Ningzhi raised an eyebrow, asking curiously, "How did our A'Qing get here so fast? I texted you less than three minutes ago."

Despite sprinting several kilometers straight in his Thunder God state, Ke Mingqing recovered after just a few breaths. "I happened to be at a nearby cafe," he said immediately. "Where's Xia Zili? I need to talk to her."

"The restroom." Xia Ningzhi pointed toward the corner of the tunnel. "She's in a foul mood, so you should chat with her when she comes out. Little Deer and I are going to keep looking around."

"Oh. Well, I need to use the restroom anyway."

With that, Ke Mingqing took off, striding briskly toward the restrooms.

An Youlu hesitated for a second before cupping her hands around her mouth like a megaphone. "Hurry up!" she yelled. "The dolphin show is about to start!"

She paused, whispering softly to herself, "Dolphins are humanity's best friends. We can't let the dolphins down."

......

......

Ke Mingqing lingered by the outer sinks for a moment. Checking out of the corner of his eye to ensure the coast was clear, he slipped into the women's restroom.

Looking around, he saw only a single stall door closed.

He held his breath, walking toward the stall step by step. The sound of his footsteps overlapped with the dripping of a faucet, echoing with distinct clarity in the absolute silence.

The next moment, a sudden ping came from his pocket. He pulled out his phone.

[Chali Jiushi: Brother, she passed out. I'm in the restroom, do you want to come see me?]

Ke Mingqing shoved the phone away and pushed open the stall door, instantly met with a terrifying visage. A stick-figure girl wearing an orange hoodie sat on the toilet, quietly playing on a phone.

She let out an "Ah!" and looked up, tilting her head to stare at Ke Mingqing.

"Brother, you're here!"

Ke Mingqing closed the stall door and cut straight to the point.

"Kiyono Sakura isn't dead. Her corpse was a fake you created with magic."

Cinderella was silent for a moment before she suddenly giggled.

"That's right! I never said she was actually dead! I was just playing a little joke on you, Brother. Hehe, I was planning to wait until your next birthday to give Sakura to you as a present."

The veins bulged on Ke Mingqing's hand where it pressed against the back of the door.

"So she's still alive?" he asked softly.

"Mm-hmm." Cinderella nodded vigorously.

"She's not missing any arms, legs, or organs?" Ke Mingqing pressed.

"Nope. Little Grey isn't a bad person." The stick-figure girl shook her head. "I just locked her up. I put her in a place where nothing ever changes—the place where Little Grey usually stays."

"Does Kiyono Sakura know you?"

"She doesn't know about Little Grey," Cinderella said, puffing out her cheeks indignantly. "Little Grey is super amazing."

Ke Mingqing considered this. "What does Brother have to do before you'll let Kiyono Sakura go?"

"This is for you... Little Grey sneaked it in," Cinderella said suddenly. "Brother, stick this on your forehead." The girl opened her palm, revealing a cartoon dolphin sticker.

Ke Mingqing stared blankly for a second, then shrugged and took the sticker.

Hesitating briefly, he peeled off the backing and stuck it to his forehead.

"Are you happy now?" he sighed, raising his head to look at the stick-figure girl sitting on the toilet.

"Brother—so cute!" Cinderella clapped gently.

"Keep your voice down. This is the women's restroom. If I get caught in here, my reputation is ruined." Helpless, Ke Mingqing crouched down.

The stick-figure girl reached out and gently stroked the little dolphin on his forehead, giggling happily.

"Little Grey, you promised me," Ke Mingqing said softly, looking into her eyes. "I want to see Kiyono Sakura back before the day is over."

He paused. "You value your promises more than anything, don't you?"

"Mm-hmm. Little Grey won't ever go back on a promise to Brother."

The girl's fingers still lightly caressed his forehead and the hair at his temples.

"Good. I'm leaving now." Ke Mingqing stood up.

"Brother is leaving already?"

"Yeah." Ke Mingqing instructed, "Same as always: wipe the chat history clean, then let Xia Zili wake up... Remember, absolutely no traces."

The girl nodded, looking aggrieved. She watched him turn around with obvious reluctance.

Ke Mingqing gently opened the stall door and poked his head out. Seeing the coast was clear, he stepped out—only to bump straight into a white-haired boy in a sweater right at the entrance.

It wasn't just his hair; his eyelashes and skin were snow-white, and the veins on his arms were clearly visible. He looked distinctly sickly.

[Codename: Magical Girl Winter Hunt (Danger Level: A+ Rank)]

"If I remember correctly, that's the women's restroom, isn't it?" the albino boy asked, freezing.

"I'm transgender."

Pitching his voice higher, Ke Mingqing delivered the line deadpan as he shuffled over to the sinks.

"I understand." Surprisingly, the albino boy nodded and sighed. "I often walk into the wrong restroom myself. Sometimes it's a real struggle."

Ke Mingqing didn't follow up on that. Instead, he turned on the faucet, rinsed his right hand, and walked away, not bothering to tangle with this male magical girl.

Just as he stepped back into the dim tunnel that felt enveloped by the ocean, he looked up and witnessed an unimaginable sight.

He saw... a miracle.

A young girl wearing a shrine maiden outfit had suddenly plunged into the massive water tank of the dim tunnel. Like a beluga whale diving into the sea, she kicked up a cloud of snow-white foam.

Kiyono Sakura's hair drifted in the water like seaweed, sky-blue fluorescence washing over her cheeks. She slept as peacefully as a mermaid.

Further down the tunnel, An Youlu turned her head. Staring at the scene, she murmured:

"Sakura?"