Chapter 64

After finishing the study of the Demon Armor's functions with Xia Liang, the time was already close to midnight. The three parted ways at the open ground, each setting off on the path back to their own homes.

Senior Cuique walked slowly away from the open ground, then glanced toward the distance. Just as she found a relatively secluded spot and prepared to take flight from there to return home, she discovered someone still following her.

It was Lin Xiaolu.

Lin Xiaolu stood beside her with her head down, hesitating, about to speak but stopping, clearly wanting to say something.

"What's wrong?" Senior Cuique asked directly.

Lin Xiaolu looked up at her, then lowered her gaze again: "Senior Cuique."

Hearing her call her codename, Senior Cuique turned around and looked at her seriously to show she was listening.

"A few days ago I heard, um, that, about my mother."

Lin Xiaolu did not meet Senior Cuique's eyes, speaking softly: "She was actually a Magical Girl too, right?"

"Mm."

"And she was once your teammate."

"Yes."

For these questions, Senior Cuique concealed nothing. Because she knew Lin Xiaolu would have such doubts only because she had shown her that old photo a few days ago.

Whether to tell Lin Xiaolu that "Senior Cuique" knew Anya was something he had seriously considered. After all, without doubt, this would link the identity of Senior Cuique with Lin Yun in Lin Xiaolu's mind.

Although she had no reason to notice the two were the same person, the risk had increased nonetheless.

But Senior Cuique also knew clearly that she could not deceive Lin Xiaolu with two identities forever. As the time she spent with her Daughter grew longer, one day Lin Xiaolu would realize the fact that "Lin Yun" and "Senior Cuique" never appeared together.

She actually did not like the feeling of deceiving her Daughter; it was just that given the father-daughter relationship before and even now, the identity of "Senior Cuique" still had its necessity.

There were many questions she could not explain in detail when she was Lin Yun, but as Senior Cuique, she did not mind saying a little more.

At this moment, seeing that her Daughter indeed had doubts about the photo, she felt she had an obligation to answer properly.

After receiving Senior Cuique's affirmative answer, Lin Xiaolu continued asking: "Then, my mother... what kind of Magical Girl was she?"

"Your mother..."

What kind of Magical Girl was Anya? Senior Cuique could not help but begin to recall this.

From her perspective, powerful, upright, shining... all these beautiful words could be applied to Anya, because she was indeed an excellent Magical Girl who upheld a kind heart.

But if one had to choose the most outstanding quality, these words were not comprehensive enough.

To describe Anya, there was a more suitable word.

"Probably, optimistic," Senior Cuique said softly as this thought occurred to her.

"Optimistic?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat puzzled.

This was not the answer she had expected; after all, the word sounded too ordinary, even as if it did not describe a Magical Girl.

"Never despairing no matter how strong the enemy, never giving up no matter what predicament, never sinking no matter what blow she suffered. She was probably just that kind of person."

Facing Lin Xiaolu's confusion, Senior Cuique's explanation was this: "Although she might not have been the strongest or the wisest, and sometimes you might feel she was just a fool who only knew how to smile foolishly, her emotions could always infect you, making you feel things had not reached the point of no return, that there was still a chance, that as long as she was there, hope still existed."

This answer made Lin Xiaolu somewhat wistful.

But following that came a sense of inferiority lingering in her heart:

"In that case, my mother must have been a Magical Girl greatly loved by others, right?"

"In terms of fact, yes." Senior Cuique did not avoid it, nodding straightforwardly.

"Then, are you a bit disappointed now?" Lin Xiaolu suddenly asked.

"Hm?" The shift in topic made Senior Cuique somewhat uncomfortable.

"I've been thinking about this these past few days, because Senior Cuique, you actually came to Fang Ting because of my mother, right?"

Lin Xiaolu unconsciously pinched the hem of her clothes: "So, compared to mother, I must have disappointed you."

"Is that what you think?" Her thought made Senior Cuique frown as well.

"I actually don't want to think this way... but I also feel there's no other possibility."

Lin Xiaolu's voice was somewhat dry: "I know what kind of person mother was; I can actually imagine that if she was a Magical Girl, such an enthusiastic personality must have been very popular with everyone."

"In comparison, my talent is poor, my personality is terrible, I don't know how to please people like Xia Liang, and I always make requests that put people in difficult positions. It's really quite annoying, isn't it?"

"Then, seeing that I'm so different from mother, do you feel a huge gap? After all, if it weren't for this relationship, what good qualities do I have to make your gaze linger on me?"

Senior Cuique moved a little closer to Lin Xiaolu.

She tried to see the expression on her Daughter's face as she said these words, but Lin Xiaolu turned her head away, continuing to state things somewhat to herself:

"I heard that woman named Hong Siyu say that Senior Cuique, you are an Inspector, actually a big shot in the Magical Kingdom too, right? And coming to Fang Ting City seems to be only to investigate the disappearance of that senior Mokou. In the end, because you discovered an unworthy me, you have to waste energy on me every day like this; that's too unfair to you."

Senior Cuique's cold voice carried a hint of confusion: "Are you saying you hope I would just leave you alone like that?"

"No, that's not it!"

Lin Xiaolu quickly raised her head and explained in some panic: "I'm not driving you away; how could I think that! I really hope you stay here, it's just, I now..."

"You now feel you don't have this worth?" Senior Cuique summarized while thinking along with her.

"C-can say it that way," Lin Xiaolu answered somewhat stutteringly.

"If I tell you now that's not the case, you'll think I'm just comforting you, right?"

"... Mm."

Lin Xiaolu's soft reply melted into the night sky.

Seeing her answer that way, Senior Cuique knew her Daughter indeed had a lack of self-identity, even felt inferior, so her mood was very low.

This low mood had actually been very obvious these past few days; after all, Lin Xiaolu was not a child good at hiding her emotions.

Senior Cuique had originally wanted to find a chance to talk with her, and now it seemed this was the moment she had been waiting for, so she suggested going with the flow:

"Then, shall we take a walk together?"

"Take a walk at this time? What for?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat bewildered.

"Let's walk and talk about other topics."

Senior Cuique turned sideways, pointed toward the road ahead, and signaled Lin Xiaolu to accompany her: "For instance, now that you know your mother's identity, do you have any other thoughts?"