Just as evening passed, the sky began to rain. On the streets where the crowds were slowly thinning, a drizzling rain fell. The sun had not yet fully set, and its gentle light shimmered from the horizon, slowly spreading across the puddles on the road.
Clo, seemingly satisfied after teasing Li Yue, left the shop early. She didn't forget to give her a wink before she went, to which Li Yue responded with a helpless roll of her eyes. Clo then walked away with a smile.
The customers at the square tables gradually departed, leaving behind a mess of tables and chairs and the weary girls. The day reached its conclusion amidst this bustle.
Li Yue wiped the tables clean and flipped the chairs onto them. This would make cleaning the floor much easier and more thorough in a little while.
She felt a wave of exhaustion and straightened up, patting her lower back. The protection brought by the God's remains was starting to fade. She now had to consider her own health. She wondered if death would feel more real this time.
Li Yue would ask herself this during the quiet moments of a tiring day. But whenever she thought of it, she could feel the God's remains within her further assimilating and fusing. It seemed that even when she wasn't using them, they were slowly adapting to and assimilating her. She could feel the power she was reluctant to use growing stronger and stronger.
She let out a soft sigh, only to feel a hand on her shoulder. Strands of pale green hair fell beside her own, carrying a faint fragrance.
“You should go rest. I can handle the closing tasks,” Manager Bai Cha said as she stepped out from the side, skillfully tidying up the items near Li Yue.
“You're quite skilled.”
“Before I started learning magic, I worked for a long time as a waitress, a receptionist, and an illustrator,” Li Yue said indifferently. She rubbed her aching lower back and moved aside to avoid getting in the other woman's way.
“Then why did you decide to study magic? Couldn't you live a good life without it?” Bai Cha paused. Most people who studied magic stopped at the trainee level and took ordinary jobs at the association, earning about the same as commoners.
“That's right... why indeed?” Li Yue sighed. “Maybe it's because...”
Li Yue shook her head and gave a small smile.
“Maybe I still dream of becoming a powerful mage.”
“I had the same dream back then. But keep at it; the talent of those who come here to study is never low,” Bai Cha said seriously. Li Yue could roughly sense her strength; it was fluctuating within the Magician stage, stronger than most.
Why study magic? She had never really thought about it because there was no answer. It wasn't a choice she had made. For her, magic had chosen her, not the other way around.
“I'll do my best.” Li Yue smiled and walked over to rest by the counter. The others hadn't left yet, so it was a good time for small talk. Getting to know her colleagues better was a good choice; otherwise, she would just be back in her small apartment, staring at the ceiling in solitude.
“Thanks for your help today.” The girl with grey green hair had already changed her clothes and was sitting nearby eating ice cream. There was a bit of cream on her face. Li Yue took a tissue and carefully wiped away the pale red cream.
“Do you want some?” The girl held the ice cream out to Li Yue's lips. Li Yue waved it off and sat down somewhat stiffly.
“It's usually not this busy. For some reason, there were so many customers today.” The girl's cheeks puffed out, seemingly dissatisfied. “Actually, I didn't want to come to this academy... I miss my mom and dad.”
“Your mom and dad?”
“Yeah, they wanted me to come to school, but I didn't want to. I didn't want to leave them. Xiao Lin just wants to be with them. I'm afraid that next time I go back, they'll suddenly be old, just like in the books...”
Li Yue was stunned. In all her time in this world, this was the first time she had heard someone speak of their parents in such a way. It made her feel an inexplicable surge of loneliness.
Li Yue found that she still preferred talking to simpler people. It meant she didn't have to overthink every word she said, and her meaning wouldn't be distorted by someone else's deep analysis.
“Big sister, would you like something to eat?” The girl stood up, seeing that Li Yue looked tired and wanting to do something for her.
Li Yue waved her off and saw the manager signaling her. she walked over and stood beside Bai Cha. The manager leaned in and whispered to her.
“I'm sorry... she's actually my cousin, much younger than me,” Bai Cha said softly. “She went through a major disaster, and her mental state has remained stuck at the age of twelve or thirteen.”
“She's a normal child... well...” Bai Cha didn't know how to continue. “She just has a simple, childlike heart.”
“Is that so... that's actually quite nice.” Li Yue sighed. Bai Cha blinked, seemingly surprised by the response. “It just means her childhood lasts longer than ours. That's wonderful.”
“............”
Li Yue hesitated for a moment. “I... I've forgotten the last time I had a warm conversation with my parents. Later, it was mostly cold discussions, even negotiations.”
“I don't particularly like the world as it is now,” Li Yue said, her eyes downcast. “The world is so big. I often miss the world of my childhood. It was very, very small—so small that my family was my entire world.”
“And now?”
“Now?” Li Yue looked toward the corner. “Now I have nothing. Everything I cherished has left me, and everything I cared about has almost faded from my memory, leaving only fragments and shadows.”
Bai Cha stopped what she was doing. She sensed a profound sadness emanating from this girl who usually radiated a cold, deathly aura. Beneath that peerless beauty worshipped by the world, there were also joys, sorrows, loves, and hates. At this moment, she finally looked like a part of the mortal world.
Li Yue changed into her own clothes. Even though they were expensive, she didn't seem to care at all. The rain outside had stopped. She waved her hand and walked into the last embers of the sunlight, gradually merging with the encroaching night.
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