Magical Girl Heavy Dependence

Chapter 18, Instigation

Drizzling.

The water jets from the showerhead hit the girl's forehead. She closed her eyes, letting the warmth dispel the chill and fill her entire body.

A misty fog filled the small shower room, enveloping Yan Xi completely, as if it had become an empty space where only she existed.

She slowly raised her hand, and through the misty fog, a raven feather wand shaped like a hair tie was attached to her wrist.

"That bastard!"

He punched the wall hard.

The thought of Cheng Chen makes me want to grit my teeth.

When he spoke up in the meeting and stood next to her, Yan Xi was completely stunned.

Then came a surge of complex emotions: shock, shame, gratitude, worry... His superior attitude, calm and composed tone, and effortless protection of her were all part of the equation.

But when she tried to express her gratitude, she was mercilessly scolded...

Yan Xi was not angry at the man, but at herself.

"Great, I wasn't wrong."

No matter how much you try to remain calm and disdainful, you'll still feel fear when faced with the unquestionable judgment of a group of people stronger than yourself.

She was isolated and helpless.

Being tough is a form of self-protection; deep down, Yan Xi still longs for someone to stand up for her and defend her.

When desires come true, a strange emotion arises that is far greater than gratitude, and is difficult to explain.

That's why she chased after that figure and struck up a conversation with him.

After being reprimanded, she suddenly came to her senses.

What exactly am I doing?

He's not protecting you, he's protecting this company. Yan Xi, how arrogant do you have to be to think he would do something like that for you?

But if she was angry at herself, why did she take it out on that man?

Why pretend to be so nonchalant when you're clearly terrified of dying?

She originally hated magic the most, but ended up becoming a magical girl herself; she originally hated demons the most, but suddenly felt gratitude and other emotions because of a sudden act of kindness.

Just like all the previous reasons that made her hate herself.

They were not in control of their own lives, and they were hypocritical.

"What am I doing?"

I ask myself the same question again.

Since obtaining the "Heart of Wishes," I seem to have spent more time hesitating and wavering.

She slowly turned off the water and exhaled a breath of hot air. Yan Xi grabbed a bath towel, wrapped it around herself, and stepped out of the shower room onto the cold tiles.

"Hey, what was that producer thinking? He just took office and made the company's employees participate in real-world scenarios, including such dangerous ones. I was terrified for a long time afterward."

A voice suddenly came from beside her, startling her.

"who!"

Yan Xi suddenly tensed up and turned to the side, on guard.

On the partition wall outside the shower room, Gui Lingtan was leaning lazily, seemingly having been waiting for a long time.

"Lingxia... what do you want to do?" Yan Xi wrapped the bath towel tighter and looked over coldly.

Gui Lingtan wore an adorable light blue sweatshirt, tucked into a dark gray high-waisted cargo skirt, revealing a section of her slender and straight legs, simple yet casual.

She waved her hand, her tone sweet and charming: "I just wanted to vent to a friend, I'm exhausted today."

Yan Xi stepped aside from her, creating some distance between them: "I don't remember being friends with you."

"Don't be so cold, we're on the same side."

"I don't remember being on the same side as you either."

"Working in the same project team, facing the same situation, and having the same enemies—aren't we on the same side?"

Gui Lingtan smiled mischievously, her eyes crinkling. "Those producers used to be magical girls, but now they've all become ordinary people. They're afraid of getting hurt, so you could just pretend to be a grumpy, unapproachable person to scare them away. But this time it's different."

"He's a demon, and his relationship with the CEO is quite unusual. Judging from the past two days, the CEO has given him a lot of power; the current troubles are just the appetizer."

Yan Xi walked to the locker with the name "Hui Ya" on it, opened the door, and used it to block Gui Lingtan's view before starting to change her clothes.

"You want to get rid of him?" she asked indifferently.

"I hate demons just like you."

Gui Lingtan nodded without hesitation, then exaggeratedly said, "Demons and calamity beasts are the mortal enemies of us magical girls. It's one thing to work at the same company, but how can we let him manage us?"

She looked worried. "Fighting monsters, you know? I don't want to be bossed around. You feel the same way, right? Besides, you can't find such an easy job outside. Not only do you not need to work full-time, but you can also earn a high salary just by showing up occasionally and training."

Are you short of money?

Yan Xi didn't turn around. She buttoned her shirt one button at a time and then put on her gray tracksuit jacket.

"Who doesn't need it?"

Gui Lingtan spread her hands proudly, then smiled and walked around the cabinet door to Yan Xi, extending a fair hand. "So, let's cooperate."

"What kind of cooperation?"

"Let's team up and kill our arrogant new producer."

Gui Lingtan spoke cruel words in a cute tone.

Yan Xi stopped what she was doing and looked at her with an absurd expression.

"He's a demon, and he became the vice president as soon as he joined the company. He's so trusted by the president, he could probably tie you and me up, throw us on the bed, and eat us without being questioned."

Gui Lingtan deliberately exaggerated her threats, then squinted her eyes:

"To protect yourself, you have no choice but to strike first. Isn't your [Heart of Desire] severely tainted? Killing him will allow you to claim credit with the Association or the [Kaleidoscope Prison], which might help you get rid of the mark and escape judgment."

Yan Xi coldly scrutinized Gui Lingtan, while Gui Lingtan calmly met her gaze.

A moment later, she ignored Gui Lingtan's outstretched hand and walked straight past her:

"I'm not interested."

"Feed—"

Gui Lingtan didn't chase after them. Instead, she kindly reminded them from behind, "If you refuse, I'll team up with that other girl. Once we succeed, you won't get any of the spoils."

"You had already seen her before you met me, hadn't you?"

Yan Xi glanced at her, but didn't stop walking.

"Hehe. So what?"

Gui Lingtan, unfazed by being exposed, crossed her arms and shouted at Yan Xi's retreating figure, "For some people, the power of magical girls isn't a blessing, but a curse. Rather than suffering endlessly, why not take a gamble? Either end it sooner, or be reborn, isn't that right?"

Yan Xi paused almost imperceptibly.

In the end, she said nothing, pushed open the locker room door, and strode away.

Gui Lingtan watched with a sly smile until the dressing room became completely quiet before she put away her expression.

"This is really troublesome... isn't it?"

Her gaze shifted to the top of the wardrobe, where a white kitten, belly up, was sleeping and idly wagging its tail.

……