Chapter 99: New Home and Pranks

The completion of the secret base was faster than imagined.

When summer vacation ended and the several newcomer magic girls each returned to campus life, Lin Yun received a call from Hong Siyu: the venue was ready.

At this moment, only ten days had passed since the proposal of the secret base.

Feeling the efficiency of the Anomaly Strategy Bureau in such matters, and having nothing else to do, Lin Yun drove to the pre-arranged venue—a villa district on the city's outer ring road—to meet with Hong Siyu.

To prevent being seen by other Anomaly Strategy Bureau staff, after parking the car, Lin Yun specifically transformed into Senior Cuique before walking toward the location provided by Hong Siyu.

The secret base prepared by the Anomaly Strategy Bureau was a four-story detached villa; besides the living areas on the ground floors, it came with a basement, specially wrapped in magic-resistant materials to serve as a training ground for the magic girls.

With a blank expression, she walked into the villa and, at Hong Siyu's greeting, carefully toured the entire building—even the interior decoration was fully completed and brand new. Senior Cuique asked Hong Siyu for some photos and sent them to the magic girls' group chat.

Although it was still class time and they would likely not see them, it did not hinder Senior Cuique from sending them to the girls for future reference.

Then she saw a message suddenly pop up in the group chat:

【Senior Xiaojin: So luxurious! When can we move in?】

【Senior Cuique: Focus on your classes, don't play on your phone.】

【Senior Xiaojin: Got it 【emoji】.】

The brief conversation ended just like that.

Senior Cuique looked at the screen somewhat displeased, and after a while set it aside, shifted her body backward, and sat down on the living room sofa.

"What's wrong?"

Hong Siyu, walking beside her, was somewhat curious, but quickly put the matter aside and said proudly: "How about it? The efficiency of the Anomaly Strategy Bureau!"

"Only efficient in matters like this," Senior Cuique evaluated coolly.

"Really, Senior, you're still as insincere as ever."

Paying no mind to Senior Cuique's indifferent attitude, Hong Siyu propped her chin on her hand, smiling on her face: "Speaking of which, I suddenly remembered recently that you've already quit your previous job, right?"

"Indeed so. Is there something you need?" Senior Cuique raised an eyebrow.

"The newcomers' special training period has also ended; classes will resume as usual, so your daytime hours are now free."

Hong Siyu narrowed her eyes slightly: "That is to say, are you interested in working for our Anomaly Strategy Bureau using your original identity?"

"The Anomaly Strategy Bureau?"

Senior Cuique looked at her skeptically: "What could I do at the Anomaly Strategy Bureau? I cannot use magic formulas as an ordinary person."

"It's not that only magic users must be hired by the Anomaly Strategy Bureau; it's just that most positions are held by magic users."

Hong Siyu explained: "Look, like me, I am now a weak woman with absolutely no magic, even more ordinary than an ordinary person. But the Anomaly Strategy Bureau also has jobs suitable for me."

"You mean..." Senior Cuique frowned slightly, "a liaison?"

"Yes, a liaison."

Hong Siyu nodded: "Because of last month's incident, your team has completely appeared in the Anomaly Strategy Bureau's field of vision, including Senior Xiaojin, who previously had no official contact channel. Now the bureau's stance is to send someone to establish contact with her as soon as possible and then designate a liaison responsible for Senior Xiaojin."

"What do you mean?" Senior Cuique roughly guessed what Hong Siyu wanted to say but still asked rhetorically as a formality.

"I think, Senior, you could use the name Lin Yun to serve as Senior Xiaojin's liaison," Hong Siyu said seriously.

However, after she made this suggestion, which she considered very constructive, she noticed Senior Cuique's expression was somewhat off; specifically what was off, she couldn't quite say.

"Is there some difficulty?" she could only ask.

Difficulty? It was far more than that.

Senior Cuique thought in her heart.

Asking her to act as Xia Liang's liaison under the identity of Lin Yun—setting aside what Lin Xiaolu would think, if this matter was also concealed from her, then Xia Liang would likely become completely lawless.

In fact, even now, that child had already made a request that left Senior Cuique quite helpless.

—On weekends, to go out and play together for a whole day under the identity of Senior Cuique.

This was the "hush money" that Xia Liang had tried to propose that night but was interrupted by Lin Xiaolu's sudden appearance and never finished. Xia Liang even tried to call this behavior a "date," but Senior Cuique had very seriously rejected it.

But regardless of how to name this agreement, Senior Cuique ultimately agreed to Xia Liang's request, and the two initially set the time for the third weekend after school started.

By that time, the school's placement exams would also be over, and even the results would be out; naturally, the several newcomers could relax a bit and arrange some more entertainment activities outside of class.

If there was anyone whose name caused Senior Cuique the most headache upon hearing it recently, it was probably "Xia Liang." Now, with Hong Siyu proposing that she go to the Anomaly Strategy Bureau to serve as its liaison, Senior Cuique's feelings were naturally complex.

However, the proposal to work at the Anomaly Strategy Bureau did seem to have a certain feasibility to her.

On one hand, it was a well-known fact—the work at the Anomaly Strategy Bureau was actually not very busy; except for a small number of civil investigation personnel, most employees did not even need to go to work every weekday.

This was also the reason Hong Siyu looked so idle. Plus, her current position was a liaison, only responsible for coordinating and relaying requests between the magic girls and the Anomaly Strategy Bureau, which made her even more idle.

If Lin Yun really needed to find another job, this liaison position, which sounded like a leisurely post, was indeed a very worth-considering option.

Unable to decide immediately in her heart, Senior Cuique did not give an immediate reply but casually agreed: "I understand."

"Also, if you really plan to come, remember to complete the recruitment registration before the end of this month."

Hong Siyu continued to remind: "Although if Senior you come, you definitely won't need to participate in next month's unified examination like others, registration is still required."

"Mm, I will consider it."

This handover work ended amidst Senior Cuique's words.

Without any complicated procedures, with the help of the Anomaly Strategy Bureau, the ownership of this villa was given a green light all the way and smoothly transferred to the name of the Fang Ting City Magic Girl Squad.

After this, came the various follow-up cleaning work surrounding the secret base. When time arrived at the first weekend after school started, the magic girl squad, having finished a week of coursework, finally truly moved into their secret base.

"So luxurious, so amazing!"

Walking into the entrance hall, pulling her suitcase, Bai Jingxuan almost instinctively exclaimed: "Is this really a place we can live in?"

"You can live here, you can live here; if you want, you can even occupy two rooms by yourself."

Behind her was Xia Liang, also dragging several large suitcases; she looked at the villa, now brightly lit due to everyone's arrival, with eyes sparkling.

Looking from the entrance hall into the house, one could easily see the furnishings inside: with large areas of white walls as the base tone, combined with black and gray home decor items, the overall style was fresh and simple.

The spacious, bright living room connected to the dining room and kitchen, making the entire space look even more roomy. In the center of the living room was a set of black leather sofas and a glass coffee table, surrounded by minimalist decorations.

A huge TV screen hung on the wall; opposite the entrance hall, at the back yard door, was a set of sliding floor-to-ceiling windows; LED light strips on the roof made the indoor lighting tone quite soft and warm; the construction style of the entire villa was simple and practical without losing modern aesthetics.

As the team members filed through the door one by one, even Moke shouted, "I want my own room too!" and rushed in, while Senior Cuique and Lin Xiaolu, shoulder to shoulder, were the last to step through the villa's main gate.

"Are you nervous because it's a strange place?"

Seeing Lin Xiaolu's expression was somewhat tense, Senior Cuique turned her head with concern: "If you're not used to it, you don't actually have to stay here immediately; spending a few days getting familiar with the environment would be fine too."

She knew very well that her daughter was a child who was extremely shy with strangers.

Not only was she very wary and distant toward strangers, but she also showed unease when going to a strange place; when the three of them went traveling as a family in her childhood, she couldn't sleep because they were staying in a hotel; one could say she was very picky about beds.

Precisely because of this, while the rest of the team showed ample curiosity and enthusiasm, taking advantage of the novelty to tour the house, she still had to walk awkwardly at the very back.

And when Senior Cuique posed this question to her, Lin Xiaolu first showed a fairly obvious inclination, but quickly shook her head and replied, "I can manage, no need."

Staying overnight at the secret base with the whole team was also something worth looking forward to for her. She believed that if she was with everyone, she should be able to overcome her unease toward unfamiliar environments.

Moreover, with Senior Cuique by her side, she felt she could muster a bit more courage: she had to strive to prove herself in front of Senior Cuique and not appear so childish anymore.

Only by shedding the image of a child in Senior Cuique's mind could she, one day, stand properly by her side and become a partner capable of fighting alongside her.

Sneaking a glance at Senior Cuique, Lin Xiaolu mustered courage in her heart, then began to settle her luggage.

Although moving into the secret base like this, she still felt somewhat concerned about her father, who was staying home alone, but staying overnight at the secret base with her team companions was also something she had been looking forward to these past few days.

Before leaving home, carrying a subtle sense of guilt toward her father who had recently reconciled with her, Lin Xiaolu had made an agreement with Lin Yun: she would send a text message every day while staying away to report her safety.

The girls and the fairies ran around the house together, then gathered in the living room for a heated discussion, finally completing the allocation of the villa's rooms:

Lin Xiaolu, Xia Liang, and Bai Jingxuan would live on the second floor; Senior Cuique and Moke on the third; as for the fourth floor, it would remain temporarily vacant and be activated only when needed in the future.

As for why this was the result, it naturally came about from a dispute between Lin Xiaolu and Xia Liang.

First, Lin Xiaolu stepped forward voluntarily, saying she wanted to live next to Senior Cuique; then Xia Liang also demanded to live next to Senior Cuique. Both wanted to yield to the younger child and were unwilling to send Bai Jingxuan alone to another floor, so they began persuading each other to move to the third floor.

This meaningless argument continued for several dozen minutes; the two argued from various reasons why the other should live alone on a floor, until finally, having exhausted all fabricated reasons and having nothing left to say, it devolved into a quarrel at the elementary school level.

Senior Cuique, who had been cleaning in the basement, could no longer bear to listen; she came out carrying a broom and announced face-to-face that she would live alone on the third floor while the three newcomers would live on the same floor, to show fairness and impartiality. Then, under the resentful gazes of Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu, she coldly walked back to the basement.

Although it was a rare weekend, the girls faced a school diagnostic exam next week, so after arranging the sleeping quarters, the evening study session would proceed as usual.

Unlike before, this time the participants included Bai Jingxuan.

Because of numerous physical ailments, and having previously lost her left eye in an accident, she had been hospitalized for a considerable period, so Bai Jingxuan was currently on leave from school.

She had not attended the corresponding elementary school; previously, she had always been convalescing within the Fuli Academy.

And now, having become a magical girl, although her lost eye would not return, her congenital strange illness had improved to a certain extent.

After all, this intermittent limb dysfunction was actually caused by an overly strong soul and magic power. Becoming a magical girl had unlocked Bai Jingxuan's potential; as she gradually became proficient in mastering her own magic power, the "strange illness" was no longer strange.

According to Bai Jingxuan's own plans, once her illness was basically cured, she wanted to return to school to continue her studies. Therefore, she also needed to make up for the elementary school courses she had dropped over the past three years.

Thus, with the move into the secret base, the evening study session scaled up to four people. If the fairy who had been sleeping soundly on the side was also counted, then it could be considered a full assembly.

"For the factorization here, if you can't find the common factor, try applying the formula first; if that doesn't work, then group them first..."

Concentrated around the desk in the new room, Senior Cuique pushed the exercise book toward Lin Xiaolu with her left hand, explaining as she went, while attempting to lift her right hand to demonstrate the solution in her own handwriting.

However, when she applied force to her wrist, she felt her right hand was grabbed.

Turning her gaze slightly, Senior Cuique discovered the culprit was Xia Liang.

She made no sound, maintaining a poker face, and tried to pull her hand out of Xia Liang's grasp. But as soon as her palm was half withdrawn, Xia Liang reversed the grip and even hooked her fingers.

Senior Cuique glanced at Xia Liang again, seeing her staring intently at the textbook, looking as if she were studying seriously, with absolutely no sign of the mischief happening under the table.

"Is something wrong?"

Lin Xiaolu, still waiting for Senior Cuique to demonstrate with her pen, looked at Senior Cuique in confusion, only to find she was just sitting there with no intention of proceeding.

"As for this problem... I've changed my mind. Try solving it yourself first; I think the difficulty isn't very high."

Unable to pull out her right hand, and forcing herself to write with her left hand would look too strange, so Senior Cuique could only feign composure and continued, "After you finish writing it once, I'll tell you the correct answer."

"Oh, okay." Unable to see what was happening under the table, Lin Xiaolu didn't suspect anything else; she lowered her head without doubt and began trying to solve the answer herself.

Senior Cuique sighed with slight relief, but before she could make any further move, she felt the back of her hand lightly scratched; the sudden itch made goosebumps rise all over her arm.

She immediately glared at Xia Liang beside her, only to see her stick out a tiny tip of her tongue, barely perceptible.

Clearly, it was she who had scratched the back of Senior Cuique's hand just now.

And such pranks had not been the first time in these past few days.

(End of this chapter)