Chapter 39: White Card, Character Card, Flower Card

Lin Xiaolu's question came suddenly, making Cuique ask in return: "Why do you want to ask this?"

"Because the other day, you said on the phone that we shouldn't come…" Lin Xiaolu replied softly.

"Do you think I look down on you for being useless?"

Cuique raised her eyebrows slightly and explained: "No, I have absolutely no such intention."

"But aren't you actually always acting alone?"

Lin Xiaolu stared into Cuique's eyes: "There was a time when you'd just stare at your hands, often saying you needed to investigate something—I often wondered: Could it be that you've been fighting alone somewhere we never knew about?"

She gripped the hem of her clothes, her voice growing louder: "I know you're strong, but even now, I still feel worried—I don't want to just sit helplessly in the back, worrying. I want to help you!"

"There will be a day."

Cuique lowered her eyes, her voice cool but carrying a hint of reassurance: "You're newcomers—you just need time to grow. Us older generations will step off the stage; the future will always belong to you."

"The future…?"

Chewing on the word, Lin Xiaolu thought, then shook her head: "But compared to the future, I still think the present matters more."

"I said before I want to become a magical girl like you—I don't want to grow used to standing behind you and eventually lose the courage to stand beside you."

"So I'll work hard to become stronger. I'll be careful not to get hurt. When you face a corrupted beast I can handle, let me come with you, okay?"

Her words were earnest, and the intensity of her emotion stirred in Cuique a subtle sense of envy.

It was the father in her, envious of the magical girl in her—envying how this identity of Cuique could make Lin Xiaolu open her heart so willingly.

"... I understand your heart. I'm glad."

Suppressing the strange emotion, she decided to take Lin Xiaolu's question seriously: "Then I'll answer you directly."

"First, I can take you with me when I go out—but if we encounter a Huo-class corrupted beast, you must observe from a distance, because this is truly a battle you're not ready for yet."

"Second, you want to know exactly how strong you need to be to help me—I'll explain it to you now."

"I mentioned before that I'm a Flower Card certified, with a number. Has Mo Ke told you what the 'Flower Card' actually is?"

At these words, Mo Ke, dozing in Xia Liang's lap, twitched her ears and lifted her head dazedly: "Huh, what?"

"The certification card," Cuique repeated.

"Certification card…? You haven't told us yet—is Inspector planning to have Xiaolu and Xiaoliang take the certification test?"

Mo Ke looked confused: "The exams this year are already over, right? Isn't it a bit too early to mention this to them now?"

"It is a bit early, so I'm just telling them now to give them a goal."

Cuique turned to Lin Xiaolu: "Let me explain first: In the Magic Realm, a magical girl's combat strength is officially rated through a system called 'Certification Cards,' like this one."

She removed the deep blue badge from her collar and gestured: "Certification Cards are ranked from low to high as White Card, Character Card, and Flower Card. Only the Flower Card is issued directly by Wang Ting; White and Character Cards require taking a special test."

"You and Senior Xiaojin are currently unlicensed magical girls. To advance to White Card, you must take the test in the Magic Realm."

"But the exam is usually scheduled for March. It's already June now. You'll have to wait until next year's session—if you keep practicing, you should be able to earn the White Card then."

"If you become a White Card, I'll recognize you as capable of standing alone and let you join more dangerous battles; when you become a Character Card, you'll be able to assist me in perilous fights; when you become a Flower Card, I can safely entrust my own safety to you."

"Flower Card…"

Lin Xiaolu froze, repeating the phrase under her breath.

Beside her, Xia Liang also fell into thought, then grew visibly eager.

"Put the Flower Card aside for now—think about your White Card exam. Even though it's next March, with your current progress, you need to start preparing now—it's already tight on time."

Cuique extended a finger: "If you want to pass the exam next year… hmm, isn't your summer vacation coming up soon?"

Both nodded instinctively.

"Then, for the entire summer, I'll train you daily with brutal drills—aiming to get you both into the Bud Rank and master your magical constructs within two months." She pointed at the two before her and declared this.

"Eh, two months?"

"Isn't that a bit…"

Both newcomers simultaneously wore expressions of discomfort, for after a month of training, they knew well how far they still were from reaching the Bud Rank.

"That's why I said it's tight—you can still back out anytime," Cuique said, expressionless.

"Hmm… but if it's to help Cuique!"

The discomfort didn't trouble Lin Xiaolu long—she quickly weighed priorities and reignited her determination.

No matter how hard the path ahead, she would work hard—she would catch up to Cuique's steps!

That's what she thought inside.

—"But speaking of exams and summer vacation, I have one more question for you."

Cuique lifted her teacup again, sipped, and let her bangs hide her gaze: "Bai Mei, Senior Xiaojin—how did you do on your school final exams?"

The moment she asked, Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang, who had just been brimming with determination, felt a chill—unexplainably, their bodies shivered.

It was no surprise—when this topic came up, Cuique's tone grew several times colder than usual.

The reason? It traced back to the parent-teacher meeting two days ago.

Lin Yun, drenched in rain, arrived at Lin Xiaolu's classroom and received a report card he suspected had been printed wrong.

Full score: 100. Chinese: 77. Math: 53. English: 63. Physics: 42… The grades weren't shocking—they were unbearable to look at.

But that wasn't all. After the meeting ended, Lin Xiaolu's homeroom teacher specifically asked him to stay behind. Polite about his appearance, she first criticized his tardiness, saying it set a bad example; then she spoke earnestly about the need to pay attention to the child's education.

Lin Yun had no reply—he could only smile awkwardly and apologize, then return home with his daughter under her slightly guilty gaze.

On the way, he tried bringing up the grades, but Lin Xiaolu's attitude was utterly defiant—like a dead pig unafraid of boiling water—leaving him unsure how to continue.

After much thought, he realized there was only one efficient solution.

Looking at the two photos of report cards on his phone, Cuique fell into deep thought.

If Lin Xiaolu's grades were merely ordinary failures, Xia Liang's were nothing short of horrifying.

"All subjects failed? Math in single digits?"

She looked up, studying Xia Liang, who sat there neatly and obediently, the very image of a good student, then took a deep breath and locked her phone screen.

"Since it has come to this, there is no other way."

She crossed her arms, looking seriously at the two before her: "From today on, we enter the devil training phase, and in addition to preparing for the certification test, one more item will be added."

"Every night, you must study hard for me."