Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

"Suspicious."

Several days later in the evening, after finishing her patrol and returning home, Lin Xiaolu sat alone on the sofa, her expression solemn, her voice deep as she sighed, "It's really too suspicious."

Because there had been no sightings of Remnant Beasts in Fangting City for some time, and because they had gained a certain understanding of their own areas, the girls' patrol work had inevitably become less rigorous. What used to take nearly two hours after school was now compressed to just one hour.

After completing their set tasks, the girls who had nothing to do and didn't want to study, would naturally gather in the living room and occupy their favorite spots on the sofa.

Next to her, Xia Liang had been intently watching the television, but upon hearing Lin Xiaolu's murmurs, she glanced at her and then expressionlessly turned her gaze back to the TV screen.

"Too suspicious," Lin Xiaolu repeated, and for some reason, she raised her voice, "I feel that something is happening behind the scenes, and I'm left in the dark."

Xia Liang continued to ignore her, watching the television with an impassive face.

Glancing at Xia Liang and seeing that she had no intention of responding, Lin Xiaolu narrowed her eyes. She stood up from her seat and walked behind Xia Liang, crouched down to her ear, and said emphatically, "Too, suspicious."

"...What are you trying to say?"

Reluctantly shifting her gaze away from the television, Xia Liang smiled feebly, "Suspicious? Have you come across any suspicious characters recently?"

"Suspicious characters? Hmm... possibly?" Lin Xiaolu stood up straight, a thoughtful look on her face.

"Who?"

"That woman."

"'That woman'? How am I supposed to understand who you're talking about with that?"

Xia Liang let out a forced laugh, "Don't you have a more distinctive way to refer to her?"

Lin Xiaolu couldn't help but feel frustrated, pursing her lips and pausing for a long time before reluctantly squeezing out a sentence, "It's... that woman named Hong Siyu."

"...Ha."

Xia Liang sighed slightly, an "I knew it" expression flashing across her face, "You're talking about Hong... Sister, right? What about her?"

"Don't you find it strange?"

Lin Xiaolu rested her hands on the back of the sofa, half her face peeking from behind, "Why did that woman disappear for such a long time and then suddenly come back as a Magical Girl? After all, how can a retired Magical Girl regain her power? She brushed off that issue, but why has her cooking been so much tastier these past few days? That's preposterous!"

"Isn't that a good thing..."

Xia Liang frowned slightly, looking troubled, "Look, Sister Hong has become a Magical Girl again and has also overcome her cooking obstacles. It's all good for us."

"I'm not saying it's a bad thing. The key question is why? Lately, there have been too many strange occurrences, and I always feel like they happen when I'm not aware. Like the gas pipeline explosion in that community two weeks ago, that destruction was definitely the work of Remnant Beasts, right? Then a few days ago, there was the collapse of the just-completed Abnormal Strategy Bureau building, and Emerald Sparrow had warned us in advance of a formidable enemy. It all points to an attack on the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, doesn't it?"

Lin Xiaolu was obviously not convinced by this answer, counting on her fingers the various anomalies, "As for Hong Siyu, nothing falls from the sky for no reason. What happened during the days she disappeared? I always feel she's hiding something from us! And it definitely has to do with these weird incidents!"

"Haha..."

Not sure what else to say, Xia Liang could only continue to give a dry laugh, "So what now?"

"I need to know the truth!" Lin Xiaolu slapped the back of the sofa forcefully, her stance firm, "Even if I have to use some means!"

Just as she said this, Bai Jingxuan happened to come up from the training area in the basement. She was holding her cat Moke in one hand and wiping sweat from her face with a towel in the other hand, looking somewhat puzzled at Lin Xiaolu in the living room, "The truth? What is Sister talking about?"

"About all the strange things happening in Fangting City recently, and the most suspicious one is that woman, Hong Siyu."

Lin Xiaolu turned her face towards Bai Jingxuan, "Both the community gas explosion and the collapse of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau building, don't you wonder what's going on behind them?"

"Community gas explosion...?" Bai Jingxuan slowly chewed on these words, slightly opening her mouth but then suddenly covering her mouth as if she had remembered something.

"Why are you covering your mouth?" Lin Xiaolu looked at her suspiciously, and after a moment, she also suddenly reacted, rising from behind the sofa, "Wait, isn't Lixing District your patrol area?"

"Ah!"

Bai Jingxuan couldn't control her outburst and then quickly shook her hands, "I don't know anything! I didn't see anything when I was on patrol!"

"What do you mean you didn't see anything? You must know something, right?"

Lin Xiaolu took strides towards Bai Jingxuan, "Come on, confess!"

"Mom said not to... no, I mean I can't!" Bai Jingxuan stepped back slightly, holding the staircase railing.

"Mom? Emerald Sparrow? Huh?" Find adventures at My Virtual Library Empire

Lin Xiaolu's eyes widened slightly, "You mean to say this has to do with Emerald Sparrow? And I'm the only one who's out of the loop?"

Even Xia Liang, who had been feigning indifference, looked up in surprise, turning her head towards Bai Jingxuan's direction.

"Bai Jingxuan, as your senior, and theoretically your future sister, let's not lie to each other, okay?"