Off Work, Then Transform into a Magical Girl

At nine o'clock in the evening, Lin Yun dragged his exhausted body through the front door.

After returning to the office in the afternoon, his superior had reminded him about his increasing absences. Back in his office, he turned on his work phone only to find numerous missed calls from subordinates and clients.

Fortunately, he had turned off his phone and left it in the office; otherwise, he might have been harassed by calls even when encountering a Brutal Beast.

After a busy half-day, he finally left work under the cover of night and took the subway home.

As he walked into the living room, he saw Xia Liang sitting on the sofa, playing with her phone.@@novelbin@@

Since she hadn't brought a change of clothes, she seemed to be wearing Lin Xiaolu's clothes. The loose pajamas that were a bit oversized on Lin Xiaolu fit Xia Liang snugly.

Hearing the noise at the entrance, Xia Liang looked over in Lin Yun's direction. When she saw a stranger entering, she was momentarily stunned but quickly understood the situation. Standing up, she smiled politely and said, "Hello, Uncle!"

Xia Liang's appearance naturally gave off an impression of being "quiet" and "well-behaved." At this moment, she fully embraced these traits, leaving a very favorable impression. She perfectly fit the stereotype of the "good child" in the eyes of many parents.

She’s quite the actress.

Lin Yun loosened his tie and evaluated her in his mind.

However, he had no right to criticize Xia Liang. At this moment, he was Lin Xiaolu's father, not Cui Que, so he had to act as if he didn't know Xia Liang at all.

"Oh, are you Lu Lu's classmate?"

He wasn't used to smiling, but he managed to lift the corners of his mouth to appear more amiable. "Here to play with Lu Lu?"

"Yes, we were just doing homework together!" Xia Liang said with a bright smile, likely lying through her teeth. "We finally finished!"

"It's quite late. Aren't you going home?" Lin Yun asked, maintaining a calm expression and not intending to expose her lie.

"Little Lu asked me to stay over, so I took the liberty!" Xia Liang responded politely.

"Oh, I see. Have you told your family?" Lin Yun's tone was gentle.

"I've explained the situation, but nothing's confirmed yet. I need your approval, Uncle."

"Hehe, why wouldn't I agree? You young people should spend more time together..."

The two of them continued chatting happily in the living room.

Using his role as a parent, Lin Yun asked many questions about her family and studies, trying to gather some information about her background. However, Xia Liang's answers were flawless, revealing nothing about herself while maintaining her act.

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from ".

Before long, a head with a single ponytail peeked out from a nearby room.

Lin Xiaolu was peeking from the doorway, curious about what the two in the living room were discussing.

Her attempt at hiding was rather clumsy and was quickly noticed by Lin Yun. He didn't hold back and called out directly, "Lu Lu, have you been a good host to your classmate tonight?"

"Uh..."

Caught in the act, Lin Xiaolu had no choice but to step out from behind the door. She glanced at Lin Yun, then at Xia Liang, who was giggling beside her, and reluctantly replied, "I ordered takeout."

"You're letting your classmate stay over. Have you prepared a place for her to sleep?"

"Uh..."

Lin Xiaolu was at a loss for words again, stammering for a while before finally muttering, "Not yet."

In fact, what Lin Yun didn't know was that until half an hour ago, Xia Liang had been lounging in Lin Xiaolu's room.

But because Xia Liang was idle while Lin Xiaolu did her homework, occasionally bothering her, she was eventually kicked out of the room.

Forget about preparing a place for Xia Liang to sleep; Lin Xiaolu wished she could kick her out of the house altogether. But she couldn't bring herself to be that heartless, so she ended up banishing Xia Liang to the living room while she stayed in her room alone.

"Wait a moment. There are spare blankets in the master bedroom. I'll go get one."

Lin Yun didn't expect his daughter to be very considerate. The fact that she had lent her clothes to someone else was already surprising. Following basic hospitality, he felt it necessary to prepare a place for Xia Liang to sleep.

Returning to the master bedroom, he rummaged through the top of the wardrobe and found several sets of unused blankets. He picked one that was the right size and pattern, shook it out to ensure it was clean, and then folded it up, carrying it to Lin Xiaolu's room.

"Here, put these in your room. I'll go find a mattress."

Handing the blankets to Lin Xiaolu, he instructed her briefly.

"…Thanks, but this is enough."

Lin Xiaolu held the blankets, her head slightly lowered. "This is my responsibility. I'll handle it."

"Do you know how to make a floor bed?"

Lin Yun, accustomed to this, didn't feel slighted. He simply raised an eyebrow and asked, "Or are you planning to share your bed with your classmate?"

"I know how. No problem. You go do your thing." Lin Xiaolu's attitude was firm.

Clearly, she didn't want Lin Yun to continue hosting Xia Liang.

Having spent so many days with his daughter as Cui Que, Lin Yun had become somewhat attuned to her thoughts.

Even though she didn't like Xia Liang, Xia Liang was connected to her identity as a Magical Girl. Lin Xiaolu had her own ideals and aspirations about being a Magical Girl and didn't want this aspect of her life to intersect with her annoying father.

What a stubborn child. I wonder who she takes after.

If he were Cui Que now, she would probably be happy to accept his help, right?

With a sigh, Lin Yun had no choice but to step back, raising his hands to show he didn't intend to interfere further. "Alright, do it your way then."

The strange and tense atmosphere at the bedroom door caught Xia Liang's attention.

She had been secretly observing the situation from a distance. Seeing the interaction between Lin Yun and Lin Xiaolu, she finally realized that the relationship between this father and daughter seemed overly strained.

I need to help smooth things over.

So she put away her phone, feigning ignorance, and approached with an innocent look.

"Ah, are Little Lu and Uncle preparing a bed for me? I'm so sorry, thank you!"

Her somewhat forced gratitude broke the tense atmosphere, easing the strained conversation between the father and daughter.

Lin Xiaolu didn't like Xia Liang, nor did she like her father. But with both of them in front of her, she couldn't show too much hostility towards either, so she could only sullenly agree, "Mm."

"Great! I'm actually a bit tired."

With an exaggerated clap, Xia Liang smiled and pushed Lin Xiaolu towards the room. "Let me help you. Let's make the bed together."

Lin Yun stood in place, watching the two of them walk into the room. Lin Xiaolu turned back to look at him, and he simply waved a hand, silently mouthing "Good night."

Well, let the young people spend more time together.