Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

"Can\'t say it?"

Xia Liang grew even more curious, "Why does little junior need to agree?"

"What? Little junior… Hahaha!"

Hearing Xia Liang\'s nickname for her, Hong Siyu couldn\'t help but burst out laughing, "That nickname is interesting. You actually call her little junior?"

At this, Xia Liang just tilted her head in confusion, clearly not understanding what was so funny.

But the sharp-witted girl immediately sensed a good opportunity and leaned in, showing a slightly pitiful expression, "Little junior is so kind, she definitely won\'t blame you. Please, tell us sister."

"Playing cute is cheating!"

Struggling to resist Xia Liang\'s charm offensive and nearly spilling the beans, Hong Siyu still didn\'t give in easily, "I can tell! But you guys have to admit that what I know is somewhat useful, right? Emerald Sparrow wouldn\'t tell you these things. She\'s afraid you\'ll aim too high."

The remark was obviously aimed at Lin Xiaolu, who was still fixated on the previous conversation about not being as good as Emerald Sparrow.

"Hmm…"

Her curiosity piqued and now put on the spot, Lin Xiaolu had to set aside the threads of worry in her mind, considering the new issue.

She really wanted to maintain her pride, but what Hong Siyu was hinting at might have a substantial relation to Emerald Sparrow, making it hard for her to refuse.

"Fine, let\'s just say what you know is useful."

After a while, she could only puff her cheeks and admit somewhat unwillingly, "So I\'ve acknowledged it, now can you talk?"

"Hmph! That\'s more like it!"

Finally getting the acknowledgment she wanted, Hong Siyu lifted her mouth corners with satisfaction and began, "Since you\'ve asked so nicely, I suppose I can make the effort to enlighten you."

"First a question, have you ever paid attention to your own code names?"

"Code names?" Lin Xiaolu was clueless about Hong Siyu\'s intentions and could only reply with some bewilderment, "My code name is Bai Mei, right?"

"And this little sister here…" acknowledging her, Hong Siyu then looked towards Xia Liang.

"My name is Xia Liang."

"Alright, then Xia Liang, your code name?"

"Mine is Xiao Jin, probably referring to little brocade or cryptanthus, I guess?" Xia Liang answered, tapping her chin.

"Now I can tell you, my former code name was Chaoyan, and as you all know, Emerald Sparrow\'s code name. Do you see the common theme?" Hong Siyu winked at them suggestively.

"They are all flowers?"

"Flowers indeed."

Both magical girls, one after the other, gave the same answer.

"Yes, that\'s correct. The code names of magical girls are actually all flower names."

Hong Siyu raised her chin proudly, as if the conclusion was her own, "The moment you became a magical girl, your code name would emerge in your mind along with the awakening of the Seed of Heart. It\'s the proof that you have gained power. You can think of it as your wish enabling the Seed of Heart to blossom into a flower."

"However, you might\'ve guessed that there are always exceptions to anything."

"While it\'s true that every magical girl has a code name corresponding to a flower, in reality, there are also magical girls whose code names do not follow this convention."

"Why, don\'t their Seeds of Heart have code names?" Lin Xiaolu asked doubtfully.

"No, that\'s not it."

Hong Siyu shook her head, "But to explain it clearly, I need to tell another story here."

"Can\'t you just say it directly?" Lin Xiaolu was somewhat annoyed by her cryptic manner.

"No way. I must tell a story first!" Hong Siyu insisted firmly.

"Why do you have to insert a story here?"

"You\'ll regret it if you don\'t listen!"

"Oh come on, cool it, Xiaolu. We\'ve come this far," Xia Liang got between them playing peacemaker, persuading Lin Xiaolu, "Anyway, it\'s almost lunchtime, so why not just listen to it, right?"

Her words indeed managed to soothe Lin Xiaolu.

"Fine… but make it short," Lin Xiaolu, who was actually a bit easier going with a soft approach, reluctantly agreed after Xia Liang\'s gentle persuasion.

"Alright, alright, alright."

Hong Siyu responded perfunctorily, then adjusted her state and tone, speaking as if narrating:

"The reason why the Magic Kingdom is called a kingdom is that it\'s a nation, yes, just like the \'nation\' described in history books."

"Since it\'s a nation, naturally, it has its leaders, and within the Magic Kingdom, ruling over everything is the Queen from Rose Palace."

"The Queen has a very exquisite and magnificent Gemstone Scepter, and set at the tip are five extremely lavish gems, all her most cherished jewels."

"One day, the Queen bestowed the gems from the scepter to the Magical Girls she appreciated and trusted the most, at the same time delegating her power and authority to them."

"The so-called power refers to the power of the Five Major Institutes, giving both the institutes and the gems to those Magical Girls; and authority meant an even more transcendent power within the kingdom."

"At the same time, the Magical Girls who were given the gems no longer bore the names of flowers as their code names, but instead were granted the names of those gems by the Queen."

"Because of this, these Magical Girls were also known as \'Gemstone Scepter,\' the pinnacle of power and strength among Magical Girls in the kingdom."

"The investigation bureau we\'re talking about corresponds to the power of one of the Gemstone Scepter, the Magical Girl who corresponds to the golden green gem on the scepter—her code name is Golden Green Cat\'s Eye."

"Using the Queen\'s gems as code names..."

Lin Xiaolu\'s eyes sparkled as she listened: "It sounds so magnificent!"

Even Xia Liang was full of longing as she nodded.

"Right?"

Hong Siyu shrugged her shoulders, speaking with a hint of nostalgia: "Every Magical Girl reacts the same way when they first hear the story. I was no exception in the past."

"Only your senior, Emerald Sparrow, remained as expressionless as if her face were frozen when she heard the story, without any reaction whatsoever."

As soon as this was said, Lin Xiaolu, who had been enthralled with the idea of "using gems as code names," immediately halted and then stood up straight, also adopting a calm demeanor.

"So, that \'Golden Green Cat\'s Eye\' is the one in charge of the investigation bureau, and thus also the top boss of your Abnormal Strategy Bureau?" On the other side, after grasping the content expressed by Hong Siyu, Xia Liang asked once more.

"You child! Always bringing up the most troublesome topics, why do you keep asking these kinds of questions?"

Hong Siyu couldn\'t help but sigh: "But if I must say, indeed, Lady Golden Green Cat\'s Eye should be considered our top boss."

"What about the Magical Affairs Institute?" Xia Liang continued to inquire.

"The Magical Affairs Institute... its power has not been delegated and still lies with the Queen, that is, within the royal court."

Hong Siyu stroked her chin, her thoughts inspired: "Come to think of it, can the Queen also be considered our direct superior?"

"Ah, you\'re starting to flatter yourself," Lin Xiaolu teased, without mincing words.

"You too! Haven\'t I told you not to say things that make you less adorable?" Hong Siyu retorted with slight annoyance after being consistently poked where it hurt.

After broaching the topic of the Gemstone Scepter, they chatted a bit more about the current state of the Magic Kingdom. As noon struck twelve, Hong Siyu stood up, stretching languidly.

"Hmm—what do you all plan to eat for lunch? Takeout?"

"There are leftovers cooked by the hourly maid in the fridge," Xia Liang replied honestly, slouched on the sofa.

"Leftovers?"

Hong Siyu waved a hand dismissively: "No need for those! Since I\'m here, let me show off my culinary skills! What else is in the fridge?"

"That... If you\'d like to eat fresh food, I can actually cook a bit,"

Xia Liang sat up cautiously and suggested with a smile: "It might not be gourmet, but it should be edible."

"Letting a kid cook for you is just not proper. Now watch me demonstrate the culinary skills of a single young lady!" Hong Siyu declared grandly.

"You\'re more of a middle-aged woman, aren\'t you?" Lin Xiaolu said mercilessly from the side.

"You little rascal, if you keep talking like that, your sister is going to cry!"

"I get it, I get it, be nice. Don\'t come any closer, okay?"

Amidst the chaos, Hong Siyu eventually put on an apron and made her way into the kitchen, rummaging through the fridge for various vegetables and frozen meats.

Behind her, Xia Liang and Lin Xiaolu watched her busily moving back and forth. Her movements seemed adept, yet they felt an unease in their hearts.

"It should be fine, right?" Lin Xiaolu couldn\'t help murmuring.

"Ah haha, she said it herself, so let\'s trust her,"

Xia Liang offered a reassuring smile, then looked toward the kitchen. But as she observed Hong Siyu\'s increasingly concerning spice ratios, her own smile began to freeze:

"It should... right?"