Something's off about this magical girl.

Chapter 33 Initially Arrogant, Then Respectful

Disaster Zone 047, a little after 10 a.m.

When Gu Bai arrived, Tao Zhuo was standing at the street corner.

Compared to the first time I saw her sweeping the streets, the overall layout didn't seem to have changed much: the fluorescent orange vest, the broom, and the small pile of trash pushed in front of her.

What's noticeable is that the auntie in charge of registration is standing next to Tao Zhuo.

The last time he saw her, her droopy eyelids only lifted when she looked at Gu Bai; she seemed indifferent to this group of aspiring magical girls. But today, she stood smiling next to Tao Zhuo, holding a cup of hot tea, her eyelids raised higher than all the times Gu Bai had seen her in the past.

"Zhuozhuo, look, this section of the road is a bit chaotic today. If you feel tired, go to the rest room to rest. I'll hold your registration for you over there!"

"No."

Tao Zhu smiled politely and continued sweeping up the broken glass shards at her feet.

"Hey, Zhuozhuo, is the news about the star-level upgrade true? I was wondering why I wasn't around last week, turns out I was breaking through!"

The aunt didn't leave either, staying right beside me and talking non-stop:

"That's truly amazing, Zhuozhuo! So many aspiring magical girls can't overcome this hurdle, but I, your aunt, have always believed you could do it. After all, the girls you're close to are all outstanding magical girls like Fuyutsubaki and Natsuori!"

"Haha, how can it compare?" Tao Zhuo didn't say sarcastically.

"How can we not compare? You're too modest, kid. We hope you'll come back and visit often, we're all family!"

Gu Bai approached and listened to the entire conversation.

Tao Zhu noticed him, glanced at him slightly, smiled, then looked away and continued sweeping the floor with her head down.

The meaning of that look can be roughly translated as: "Do you see that? That's the difference."

Gu Bai found a nearby curb to sit down and looked ahead.

On one side of the street, Tao Zhuo was being coaxed not to work, while on the other side, a similar story was unfolding.

In the middle of the road, several magical girls squatted on the curb, using long tongs to pick up the broken bricks left in the drain. The magical star marks on their hands did not flash; they were just doing simple, ordinary physical labor.

On the other side, a volunteer team composed of local residents was diligently carrying out their work.

Of course, it's not that their quality and attitude have improved, but rather that they feel it's worthwhile to make a change, at least for today.

After finishing their work, the group gathered around the group of aspiring magical girls:

"You've all worked so hard coming here every week. We've prepared some fruit for you. Also, does Zhuozhuo have any particular favorite fruits?"

"..." The aspiring magical girls didn't want to reply.

"Oh dear, we were a little wrong before, but we understand now. Magical girls naturally have a closer relationship with the public. Oh, please don't be so polite."

Gu Bai compared this scene with the one in his memory, noting the change from arrogance to obsequiousness; how could one not laugh at such a revelation?

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The lunch break arrived as usual, and the aspiring magical girls rested in the same temporary prefab house.

As Gu Bai followed Tao Zhuo to the door, before his hand could even touch the doorknob, the sounds from inside abruptly stopped.

It wasn't the kind of pause that comes naturally after a sentence is finished; it was a silence that felt like someone had grabbed you, a complete sinking silence.

Tao Zhuo pushed open the door.

There were five or six people sitting in the room, mostly the same faces who were there last time.

But today, no one was cursing at the ceiling, no one was throwing trash at each other. They just glanced over, their gazes landing on Tao Zhuo, pausing for a moment, and then they dispersed. Some fiddled with their phones, some stared at the water dispenser, and some started rummaging through their bags. Everyone was busy, but no one was really busy with anything.

"Oh dear, don't be so formal during lunch break, okay?" Tao Zhuo's tone was light and cheerful, just like last time.

"Mmm," someone responded softly, but no one looked at her anymore.

"..." Tao Zhuo found a seat in the corner and sat down. Gu Bai went to get two cups of hot water and handed one of them to Tao Zhuo.

Tao Zhuo took the cup, held the rim, and didn't drink. She stared at the water for a while, her eyes fixed on something that seemed to be moving around, but nothing actually fell.

The indoor temperature was not high, and the wind seeped in through the gaps in the panels, making the silence in the environment even colder.

"It's a bit stuffy, want to go for a walk?" Gu Bai suggested.

"it is good."

They went outside and walked along the cleaned path.

After walking for a while, the surroundings quieted down, with only the occasional clatter of the Little Qi robot's wheels as it passed by. It seemed that it had finished its maintenance and was returning to its standby position, ready to resume work by this evening.

Things remain the same, but people are not.

"Were you ostracized?"

"Sigh~" Tao Zhuo took two steps and slowly said, "I understand that I won't be prejudiced against them, and she also understands that I won't be prejudiced against them, but reality is always like this."

"That's why I really don't like magical girls like that. When I was little, I thought magical girls were all sparkly and radiant when I watched TV, but now that I'm older..."

"So realistic?"

"Don't be so direct, okay?! This kind-hearted magical girl like me hasn't even gotten used to it yet!"

Gu Bai didn't respond to the joke and steered the conversation back on track: "What did you talk about with Dong Chun and Zhen Yue this morning?"

"Ah, well, let me tell you some good news first."

Tao Zhuo's expression relaxed slightly, then changed to a more complex one: "I did well on the exam the week before last, and Senior Zhenyue told me that I was promoted to Class One."

"so?"

Tao Zhuo, with a knowing look on her face, gave Gu Bai a brief explanation.

Class 1 of Qixin Academy is the place with the most resources allocated to it, and the magical girls there can directly enter the university if they wish.

The question arises: why didn't outstanding magical girls like Fuyutsubaki and Natsuori advance in rank?

"This one~"

Tao Zhuo pronounced those three words slowly, making Gu Bai think she was considering whether to say them, but after casually munching on a melon seed, she continued lightly:

"Class One gets subsidies, and quite a lot of them. After signing the contract, we can save a lot on the magic supplements sponsored by An Yu and Jin Jiang. What's more, having the title of Class One also brings a lot of traffic."

"University offers more freedom, but it also means you have to rely on yourself. You basically have to sign contracts with those four big companies, so fighting monsters and building up your reputation during high school is a key step in increasing your bargaining power."

"What do magical girl idols rely on for their livelihood? Popularity, achievements, and commercial value—in short, they rely on online traffic and inherent star power, giving them confidence wherever they go!"

Gu Bai listened to everything he said from beginning to end, and finally spoke:

"Congratulations."

"Now, let's get down to business. First, I apologize. As you can probably guess, I've heard from Natsumi that you joined Qixin in search of a magical girl."

Tao Zhuo, carrying a broom, looked up at the sky above and said in a light tone, "Perfect timing. Senior Zhenyue assigned Dong Chun and me this morning that we would be going to Ximing Sect as exchange students for a while."

"I see..."

Gu Bai understood. This was essentially equivalent to Qi Xin handing over the two magical girls to him for use. Well, that was fine too.

The two stood at the intersection for a while. The wind came from the other side of the street, blowing a few leaves that hadn't been cleaned properly across to the other side. The Xiaoqi robot bumped past diagonally across the street, and a voice prompt sounded, broadcasting today's cleaning progress as usual.

"And also, teacher," Tao Zhuo suddenly called out to him.

"Um?"

"So, you could say my advancement to five stars was thanks to you, right?"

"No." Gu Bai answered without thinking for long, offering only a one-word reply without further explanation.

Tao Zhu tilted her head, waiting for the next part to come, but as expected, it didn't. She squinted at Gu Bai's profile for a moment, then finally let out a sigh, turned her face back to the front, planted the broom on the ground, and assumed a working posture.

"Okay, let's assume that's what Teacher Gu thinks. Anyway, I've added a entry to that column in my ledger, and I'll pay it back sooner or later."

"Let's talk about it when you've retired with a million dollars."

"That's not just a matter of time, it's a done deal. Well then, I'm going to get to work!"

Tao Zhuo's tone returned to its usual lively self, and she pushed the broom forward with a whoosh, gathering the debris on the ground into a pile.