[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl":3,"chapter-off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-53":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","Off the Clock, Then a Magical Girl",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2349973,4594,"Chapter 53: Lin Xiaolu Gives Up Thinking","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-53",53,"\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu did not listen carefully to the conversation between Hong Siyu and Lin Yun.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Because, in that instant, her mind was a complete blank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The two's dialogue, with only fragments like \"junior\" and \"get along well\" drifting into her ears, could no longer stir any reaction from her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She could not recall at all what she was doing at that time; it seemed she was just standing there blankly, and only after seeing Hong Siyu leave did she bolt into the elevator like she was fleeing, then ran back home.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fact that her father knew the liaison for Cui Que was too great a shock, leaving her momentarily unable to figure out what she should be worried about.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did he already know she was a magical girl? If her father already knew she was a magical girl, wouldn't her deception these past few days be like a joke?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Did that woman named Hong Siyu really come to visit her home just because of Cui Que's request? Since he knew that woman named Hong Siyu, what exactly was their relationship?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There was even a question she least wanted to think about: did Cui Que also know her father?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>All sorts of possibilities made her feel as though her mind was in chaos whenever she thought of them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She had actually always had a vague suspicion: was Cui Que being too gentle and caring toward her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Previously, she hadn't thought about it seriously, and had even been actively ignoring the issue. Because subconsciously, she actually hoped that Cui Que's care was simply because she thought well of her and liked her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Cui Que was the perfect magical girl in her mind, like a virtual character who had stepped out of an anime, satisfying all her beautiful yearnings for magical girls. She admired and respected Cui Que from the bottom of her heart, which was why she hoped she was special to Cui Que as well.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But she couldn't actually convince herself: what exactly did she have that earned her Cui Que's attention?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Clearly, in terms of strength, she could only stand behind Cui Que as a background character; in terms of talent, Xia Liang was more outstanding than her; in terms of personality, she also knew her own prickly words and actions were not likable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What reason did such a perfect magical girl have to be so special to her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And it wasn't until today, the moment she saw the conversation between her father and Hong Siyu, that she realized this question could actually have an answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If her father really knew Cui Que, then Cui Que's intentional care was very likely just a request from her father, merely a matter of human favors between adults.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This situation was not uncommon in school; students with connections at home might receive more attention and guidance from teachers, which was almost an open secret.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was just, as an ordinary person, what kind of reward could her father offer to make Cui Que care for her?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If one thought more extremely, was it possible that Cui Que had a deeper connection with her father?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She always emphasized that she was an adult; could that also be a hint that she might actually have a closer relationship with her father? Could they be...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu did not want to think any further; there were too many possibilities, and she could not delve into them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She only knew that because she was in such a state of mind, she was somewhat absent-minded for the entire night afterward.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even when she later received a message from Cui Que in the newly created group, notifying her to go to Xia Liang's home for a study session, Lin Xiaolu still couldn't shake off these messy thoughts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Liang's comfort, filled with a hint of worry, failed to calm her down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When the night grew deep and Cui Que was explaining problems to her in a cold, clear voice under the lamplight, she didn't take in a single word either.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She really wanted to ask clearly right there, to ask if Cui Que knew her father; to ask if her attention toward her was merely out of human favor. But she was also afraid that if she received an affirmative answer, this beautiful scene before her would cease to exist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And even though she was so distracted that she couldn't grasp a problem after it was explained several times, Cui Que would still repeatedly and patiently explain the logic of the problem to her, seeking to make her understand. Such beautiful yet illusory gentleness made Lin Xiaolu increasingly unwilling to break this dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If she couldn't figure it out, then she wouldn't think about it; she would wait until something happened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At the table, she developed this ostrich mentality.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pretend she knew nothing, continue to hypnotize herself, and just enjoy the present moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu gave up on pursuing the answer.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet, just a few days later, when Lin Xiaolu thought she had successfully forgotten everything, another matter pulled her forcibly out of her state of self-deception.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>—She discovered her father was actually grooming himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It wasn't the way he did on normal workdays, keeping his hairstyle and formal attire meticulous; it was truly dressing up from an aesthetic perspective.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found a casual shirt in his closet that he hadn't worn in who knows how long, pairing it with a summer-style silk-wool-linen blazer. For the first time in ages, he used those men's skincare products he rarely touched to cleanse his face, and went to a barbershop to get a haircut, making his entire demeanor appear much younger.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Yun's looks weren't bad to begin with; after being carefully groomed, his even, tall physique paired with a handsome face that carried a hint of mature vicissitudes made him look every bit the gentleman.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This behavior would be fine for an ordinary person, but for Lin Yun, who originally had almost no leisure life, it was quite strange, and even felt like a bolt from the blue to Lin Xiaolu.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No, no... this is just too abnormal.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next morning, Lin Xiaolu lowered her head, clutching her temples, and said with a dazed expression: \"This is absolutely not something he would normally do.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Haha, even if you say that...\" Xia Liang, standing to the side, laughed dryly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These past two days, she had been worn out by Lin Xiaolu's jumpy mental state. She had breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the other girl improve slightly, but she hadn't expected her state to become even more abnormal today, so she could only offer weak consolation: \"Maybe your dad just has an invitation for some special occasion coming up?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Him? An invitation?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lifting her head from her depression, Lin Xiaolu glared with bloodshot eyes: \"What kind of occasion could make a middle-aged man over 35 dress up so flamboyantly?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Um... maybe, attending someone's wedding?\" Xia Liang tried hard to play dumb.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's an affair, it's an affair!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Patting the sofa beside her, Lin Xiaolu said loudly: \"It means he's going on a date with a woman!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I feel like calling your dad's situation an affair is a bit...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Xia Liang felt her face had almost stiffened from smiling: \"And there's no sign to prove he wants to find you a stepmother, right?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"If he wants to find one, he can; I don't care about that.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pouting, Lin Xiaolu complained: \"I just don't want the person he's dating to be that woman named Hong Siyu; that person doesn't look very upright at all.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, there was another possibility she hadn't voiced.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That was, if, by any chance, if it happened, the person he was dating wasn't Hong Siyu, but... what should she do?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Once she thought of this possibility, the restless emotions that had been suppressed would constantly surge, to the point of swallowing Lin Xiaolu's remaining reason.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No! I must get to the bottom of this!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>She suddenly braced herself and stood up abruptly: \"Moke!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hm?\" Moke, being called by name, had no idea what the situation was and responded in a daze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The day he actually goes out in private, you help me!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lin Xiaolu clenched her fists and shouted: \"I'm going to tail them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>",1377,"2026-06-21T02:45:47.620Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","dbd99fe6a6edecfbdbd759780273b70292c947837fe39ac5eb8341ab054f5136","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-54","off-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-chapter-52",364,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Foff-the-clock-then-a-magical-girl-cover.jpg"]