Chapter 219

Chapter 219: Famous Paintings; the Strange Crane Jar

The sunset light fell like a thin mist indoors, casting a layer of hazy charm over the slightly moved chair.

The delicate and trivial whispers, which did not form words, rose and fell with the shifting light and shadows.

Chu Yuanqing lowered her eyelashes, her snowy white hair spread out like ink on the table. Her elegant bone structure and long, slender hands held up her chin with strength, as if cradling the falling dusk. The sunset shimmered in her eyes, creating a dreamy glow.

Little Sakura was lost in the mingled breaths around her. She felt dazed, as if a thousand trees were blossoming in her mind. The air was filled with a cool yet distant scent, peaceful like incense but richly fragrant. Memories from the past rushed by like a train, revealing a forgotten painting in the corner.

At that moment, she suddenly remembered the Hitachi station.

That glass platform in Tokyo, like a delicate little house in the sky, is as beautiful as a piece of art. She had looked at the ocean there, through the bright floor-to-ceiling windows, where the sea seemed to stretch infinitely at eye level, the sunlight dancing on the water painted the whole platform in different shades of blue.

If it was sunrise or sunset, the shimmering light on the waves would gaze far away at the fiery clouds in the sky, as if they were meant to intertwine in the endless lines and points, filling her eyes with the same scenery.

Kirimi Miyuki admired the beauty of the scenery there, but she couldn’t help feeling lonely. The platform was open, the design was simple and neat, and surrounded by large glass, sitting there alone, she naturally felt it was too empty.

At that time, the girl took many photos with her phone and sent them to her mom and dad, and Yuki, but some loneliness could not be comforted by her family far away in Hokkaido.

Tokyo is so big, dreams are so far away, the teachers at school are very strict, even the sun feels cold.

Especially after she saw the lively chat in her class group, her feelings grew stronger.

She wanted friends, she wanted love, she wanted to be liked, she wanted to share little things, she wanted to joyfully enjoy beautiful views…

Wanting so much for herself, was it too greedy?

At first, Miyuki thought a lot. She hesitated many times but still didn’t share the photo in the class group. Instead, she quietly put on her headphones to listen to music, waiting for the bus to take her lonely self away.

Strangely, the loneliness from many years ago, after looking into that person’s eyes at sunset, felt like a sponge filled with water, being taken into the bright sunshine to slowly evaporate, making each tender breath feel warmer, like the smell of sunshine.

So happy.

Those little feelings from her youth that seemed unimportant, and that she almost forgot, received affirming answers from the Pure White Witch’s patient comfort. It felt like she was carefully listening to her past, gently kissing her earlobe, and saying with kindness and seriousness, "It’s okay, you are worthy."

How could she not be happy?

The girl’s mood was calm. She was no longer as passionate, as lost, or as reckless in her desires. Instead, she was quiet, slow, detailed, and sincere, as if she were dancing the Kagura Dance deep in her soul, perfectly in tune with the wonderful rhythm, enjoying the taste of magical interaction.

The golden gauze of dusk swayed, and the Artificial Lantern named Rose Oath transformed from the desktop into light, flowing into the Cocoon of the Heart, speeding up the transformation of life forms.

The enhancement from the Pure White Witch seemed to provide a massive amount of nutrients for life to grow, making the long-nurtured sprouts inside the cocoon grow stronger, pushing forward the lighting process, and preparing for future blooming.

Chu Yuanqing then regained her spirit. The fog in her eyes disappeared, her tired appearance vanished, and her skin turned a lovely light pink, as if it could squeeze out water.

The Pure White Witch enjoys the feeling of soaking in the hot spring. She gently holds Little Sakura’s chin, letting her soft hand fall, then wraps her arms around her neck. Her eyelashes droop, her whole body relaxed, and her once confident pose changed to a warm embrace as she sits on Little Sakura’s lap.

Magic restoration, so happy.

…

…

On the other side,

Tang Liuli is snuggled up on the couch. She just finished playing a game with Chu Wang Shu and feels relieved.

Although Little Shu is very smart, she is a total beginner at games. Trying to have a fun back-and-forth with her is truly a challenge.

The cute daughter is completely unaware and even feels a bit unfinished. She thinks she might be a gaming genius for being able to compete with the skilled Liuli. She looks toward another room and says,

"Liuli, it’s already four in the afternoon. Do you think Little Qing will cook for us after she wakes up?"

The green-eyed cat sleepily yawned, rubbed her eyes, and remembered the taste of Honey Qing’s cooking. She secretly swallowed her saliva and earnestly encouraged,

"If you want to eat, we can go buy some delicious ingredients now. Little Qing will surely cook for us later!"

Chu Wang Shu felt a bit tempted. Honey Qing’s cooking matched what she imagined her mom’s meals would be like. After trying it a few times, she couldn’t help but turn into a little glutton. She hesitated and said,

"But cooking is really tiring. Will it be too much trouble for Little Qing?"

Tang Liuli replied confidently,

"No way! We can help Little Qing cook. We can let the hotel staff handle washing the dishes. It won’t be a hassle at all!"

The green-eyed cat’s eyes sparkled more and more as she talked, feeling it was just right. She was still worried about what happened at noon with Little Sakura and Honey Qing, and now she felt it was a great chance to make things right.

Even though they had to include Little Shu, having her along would give them a lovely family feeling.

She would be the dad! Little Qing would be the mom! Little Shu would be the daughter!

Isn’t this similar to cosplay?

The girl felt a shining "WIN" appear over her head. She happily took Chu Wang Shu, who hadn’t thought of anything yet, and they went out to the nearby supermarket to buy groceries.

While walking halfway,

Tang Liuli felt something was wrong. Honey Qing was indeed sleeping, but where had the other teammates gone? Miyuki seemed to still be in the room, but Qingxuan had been out for two hours and hadn’t returned. Could it be that she was preparing for a new strategy?

The green-eyed cat felt like it was in danger. That colored dog, feeling bold, was trying to wear shameless clothes to tempt the pure and holy Honey Qing. It must be another trick this time.

How ridiculous! Honey Qing wouldn’t be so easily tempted!

Others might not know, but she understood clearly.

Tang Liuli had been cozy with the other person in bed many times, and even counting the times she eavesdropped, Honey Qing had never truly crossed that line. She was as pure as could be.

Hmm, she was like a strict little widow who had to betray her husband but was trying hard to control her feelings due to her moral beliefs.

The most important thing is that Honey Qing really held back, unlike her usual self who would change the sheets every time, showing a strong will.

So even if Xie Qingxuan looks very plain, there’s no way someone like Honey Qing would easily fall!

Tang Liuli understood Chu Yuanqing’s personality very well, and because of that, as she kept an eye on the golden retriever, a sudden thought struck her, and she realized a very important question.

Right, if Honey Qing is very resistant to outside interference, leading her to hold back her feelings every time, why not break through from the inside?

The green-eyed cat suddenly understood; she should help Honey Qing clearly see that cuddling in bed is really not right, and then strengthen other senses to reach a breaking point and successfully "break the defense."

To achieve this, wearing that kind of lingerie wouldn’t help.

Because if the Pure White Witch is shy, she wouldn’t be able to look at you much and would instinctively pull you into the blanket, hiding her view with a hug.

As long as you can’t resist Honey Qing’s hug, then this secret weapon is already half wasted!

Tang Liuli rationally analyzed and finally came up with a plan to turn the tables.

That’s right, she should buy sexy clothes for Honey Qing to wear!

When such clothes are worn by others, they lose their appeal in the dark and up close, but when they are worn by oneself, it becomes a subtle form of identity recognition, much like cosplay, creating a feeling of connection, which then imposes a certain understanding.

The green-eyed cat was increasingly shocked; could she really reach such a great truth using her astonishing wisdom?!

Could she truly be a genius in love?

Tang Liuli was very inspired. This afternoon, she quietly sneaked into several fan support groups of shipping fans to see what strange fanfiction they had written.

—This was certainly not because she felt excited watching Honey Qing and other women together!

—But to adhere to the strategic spirit of "know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be defeated," to understand the enemy’s core ideas, and then use that knowledge against them!

In short, the green-eyed cat’s position in the fanfiction was too pure and healthy, so much so that those bad characters nicknamed her the "innocent wall corner saint," nearly making her cry with anger.

But now, everything will be different!

She, Tang Liuli, is not a genius who eavesdrops, but a noble and naturally gifted woman in love, and she is the one who is about to win over Chu Yuanqing!

Tang Liuli was full of energy; she decided to swiftly plan her attack, to quickly advance to the tower, shatter the enemy’s crystal, and claim her first victory among the little idols.

Hmm, first, she needs to think about what clothes to have Honey Qing wear. At first, the outfit definitely can’t be too revealing; otherwise, no matter how she tries to act cute, the other person won’t agree. She needs to take it step by step.

A tight bandage dress, a super thin JK uniform, a lace maid outfit, a backless sweater, a military-style hollow cheongsam, a high-slit pure and innocent nun dress…

The imagination of the green-eyed cat is so vivid; before she even fully visualizes a few styles, she’s already gone crazy thinking about the different Honey Qings in her mind. Her cute face has turned a shy pink, and her emerald green eyes are swirling with excitement; even her CPU might melt in that scene.

Darn it, I can’t just fall down like this!

Liuli, don’t stop imagining, you can do it! If even the imagined Honey Qing can’t resist, how can you be a super-awesome cat and push forward to victory?

The girl seriously picked up a box of colorful beef, silently repeated ten times "I don’t like to be shy," and only then, under the cute and curious gaze of her daughter beside her, did she manage to regain her calmness and show a confident smile.

"Liuli, do you really like to eat beef? You’re smiling so strangely."

Chu Wang Shu poked the shy cat’s face; her intuition was sharp, and her mood felt strangely delicate.

Hmm, it was like… when I used to walk with Dad and saw a big sister asking him for her contact information; that odd feeling.

But how strange, why did I feel this sense of familiarity?

Tang Liuli put down the beef, and she nervously realized that she had been imagining silly scenes about Little Shu, who was related to Honey Qing!

As soon as that thought crossed her mind, the "Cocoon of the Heart" trembled slightly, filled with a strong sense of guilt.

Tang Liuli felt guilty; she thought she was being really bad, and awkwardly changed the subject:

"It’s nothing, I just think the quality of the ingredients at this supermarket is really good; dinner will surely be delicious!"

The cute daughter suspiciously pinched the shy cat’s face, said nothing more, and pointed at the ingredients in the shopping cart, saying:

"Let’s choose about this much; if we get more, it will be hard for the two of us to carry it back."

Tang Liuli nodded repeatedly. She decided to wait until she and Little Shu brought the groceries back before finding an excuse to go out and see if there were any strange shops nearby.

At that moment, the shy cat was blinded by confusion and completely forgot whether she could walk into an adult store alone.

…

…

The twilight faded away like a tide.

Kirimi Miyuki suddenly came back to herself. She showed a sweet smile, but a hint of confusion flashed in her eyes, and she asked,

"Little Qing, your place is so hard; what is this?"

Chu Yuanqing looked like she had just finished a spicy meal, her lips bright and shiny, and she was adjusting her slightly hurried breathing. She glanced down at the fabric, pulling out the strange object with hesitation, and quietly said,

"This is… the swan necklace that Liuli gave me. I forgot to take it off when I went to sleep."

The Pure White Witch spoke, and it felt as if she were a wife caught with a wedding ring during a secret meeting. She quickly hid the swan necklace, shimmering with the last rays of sunlight and gently waving like a sapphire, back to a place close to the Lantern Gem.

Then, she quickly stepped down from Little Sakura.

Kirimi Miyuki also felt a bit guilty, but she couldn’t help but enjoy the warm and comfortable feeling throughout her body, experiencing the joy of being in the "Cocoon of the Heart."

Three minutes passed.

Chu Yuanqing smoothed out every wrinkle in her clothes, quickly returning to her neat and serious elegant appearance. She folded the tissue used to wipe her lipstick and put it in her pocket, looking at the table where only colorful paper remained, with no paper cranes left, and continued:

"Your ‘Tempering of the Heart’ and your potential as a magical girl have both grown."

"But too much can be a bad thing. Your soul is overflowing with magic and needs some time to process. Unless something unexpected happens, I won’t come to find you in the next few days."

After Chu Yuanqing seriously finished speaking, she felt something was off; even though she was very serious, the words still felt strange.

Meanwhile, Little Sakura from Dongliu Island had already begun to think in a different direction. She felt as if she had made a secret agreement with the neighbor’s wife about when to go to the hotel, feeling both awkward and secretly happy. She nodded obediently and continued:

"Little Qing, if I fold paper cranes like I used to, that will be helpful to you, right?"

Hearing this, Chu Yuanqing ignored the earlier strange feeling and checked the paper crane jar in her soul. There were 37 more paper cranes inside, the result of Miyuki’s efforts all afternoon, bringing the total to 1,037.

Although the added number is still far from the total, after the growth from the Tempering of the Heart, as well as changes in magic and intentions, and the recent enhancement from replenishing magic, there was indeed some improvement.

Among these, the buff that eases pain and slightly speeds up soul recovery increased by 10%.

As for the buff that blocks curses, it hardly changed; at most, it can now slow the speed of damage from curses by 0.1%. However, the magic bank’s function changed from a daily interest of 10% to 15%, and the stored magic capacity increased from 1 cup to 1.5 cups.

Chu Yuanqing was a bit surprised; she came to find Miyuki this time.

Ninety percent of the reason was because she had decided on her way of leaving this world, realizing that her remaining time was less.

Therefore, she wanted to be nicer to the little idols, hoping that these "old friends" could remember some things before she passed away, allowing for a proper farewell and slightly making up for the regrets of the previous timeline.

The method to regain memories was clearly shown with Xie Qingxuan’s example; her dreams and the recovery of her memories only occurred when they were in a team, increasing their bond every day and even showing notable changes after replenishing magic.

As for why she chose Little Sakura…

Well, with Xie Qingxuan not around, Liuli is playing games with Little Shu, and only Miyuki is free.

In other words, she had no expectations for the paper crane jar, yet it gave her a pleasant surprise.

It is worth mentioning that the 37 new paper cranes did not seem to be the key to transforming this gift.

Chu Yuanqing recalled the earlier events, her feelings becoming more complicated, and she murmured to herself:

"Why can this paper crane jar evolve through the magical energy replenishment chemical reaction?"

"Is it because I told Miyuki that magical energy replenishment can turn one into a magical girl, which changed her thoughts on it? Or did this function already exist?"

Chu Yuanqing found it strange; she couldn’t help but think that since the paper crane jar is now bound to her, the evolving function through magical energy replenishment might activate without Miyuki, meaning…

During her time with Qingxuan tonight, could the paper crane jar also become a little stronger in the process?

If I’m not mistaken, isn’t this a bit too much?

Chu Yuanqing imagined it for a moment and felt a bit ashamed. She pressed her lips together to hold back her guilt and sin, and couldn’t help but start blaming herself. The gift that Miyuki gave was so pure, but adding the magic of others made it feel very unreasonable, right?

But now time was running out. If the paper crane jar could be strengthened several times, there was a chance it could make a difference in the final performance. If they gave up other opportunities to strengthen it, in a big way, it would be irresponsible to the future of all humanity!

Kirimi Miyuki didn’t realize that the Pure White Witch in front of her was subconsciously putting herself down. She thought it was Honey Qing who didn’t want to trouble her, so she said earnestly:

"Don’t worry too much; as long as it helps Little Qing, it doesn’t matter what happens to me."

Hearing this, Chu Yuanqing felt conflicted for a while. The light in her clear eyes shimmered, and in the strong sway of her thoughts, she struggled hard. In the end, she still nodded shamefully and whispered:

"Thank you, Miyuki."

"I understand. I… I will definitely use it well."