The 30-Year-Old Magical Girl - Chapter 1

“Xixi? What are you doing…”

Smack!

Before You Dong could even finish speaking, a fierce slap crashed across his face.

On the second floor of the love hotel, outside Room 206.

A cleaning lady passing through the hallway barely reacted. It was obvious she’d witnessed scenes like this countless times before. Covering a smile, she quietly pushed her cleaning cart past the commotion without stopping.

The sting spread across his cheek like fire.

The last time someone hit me this hard… was probably when the old man was still alive.

You Dong stood there in silence, almost absent-mindedly accepting what was happening. He had already prepared himself for the anger of his girlfriend—or rather, the woman who was about to become his ex-girlfriend.

“You Dong… you… you bastard!”

Like countless women whose hearts had just been shattered, Chen Xi cried, screamed, and finally pounded her fists against his bare chest without restraint.

You Dong neither fought back nor tried to defend himself.

He simply endured every blow while calmly reaching for his clothes and getting dressed.

On the opposite side of the bed, another woman hurriedly put on her clothing as well. In her panic, she merely wrapped herself in a coat, unable to completely conceal her alluring curves beneath it.

Eventually, Chen Xi seemed to exhaust all her strength.

Her fists slowly fell to her sides.

“…Why?”

Her trembling lips quivered as if trying to grasp words that refused to come.

“…I don’t understand.”

The broken whispers were followed by tears that silently streamed down her face.

“Xixi.”

Lighting a cigarette, You Dong spoke in an unusually calm voice.

“You’ve already seen everything. Even if I explained myself now… would you really believe me?”

Although he had been caught red-handed, there wasn’t the slightest trace of panic, shame, or guilt on his face.

Either this man had no conscience at all…

Or he had long expected this day to arrive.

An explanation…?

For a fleeting instant, Chen Xi clung to those words like a drowning person grabbing the last floating piece of driftwood.

That’s right…

You Dong wouldn’t betray me.

There has to be a reason. Someone must have forced him…

Holding onto that final thread of hope, she waited for him to explain himself.

“Xixi… I still love you.”

His voice remained steady.

“But don’t you think your father has always been too strict? Too unreasonable? Until we’re married, this isn’t allowed, that isn’t allowed…”

As he continued speaking, his emotions gradually rose.

“I’m a man. A normal, healthy man. For three whole years after we started dating, I kept every promise I made to you. I never touched you, and I never touched another woman either.”

“But now… I’ve reached my limit.”

“I only satisfied my urges this one time.”

“What’s so wrong about that?”

“Is it really such an unforgivable crime?”

“…”

For a moment, Chen Xi couldn’t find a single word to say.

During that brief silence, every ounce of affection she once had for this man…

Every bit of trust she had placed in him…

Every dream she had imagined for their future…

All of it was burned away by the flames raging inside her heart.

Perhaps one minute passed.

Perhaps five.

The light slowly disappeared from Chen Xi’s eyes.

The passion that had filled them only moments ago faded into the lifeless gray of cold ashes after a fire had burned itself out.

“…What I don’t understand anymore…”

She looked at him with nothing but bewilderment.

“…is why I ever fell in love with someone like you.”

There was no anger left.

Only disappointment.

“Tell me…”

“Out of everything you’ve ever said to me…”

“…how much of it was actually true?”

Without waiting for an answer, Chen Xi turned around and walked away.

She never looked back.

You Dong quietly watched her disappearing figure.

Somehow, he knew…

This would probably be the last time he would ever see her.

Only after she was completely gone did he quietly let out a shaky breath.

Xixi…

You asked me how many of the things I told you were true.

I admit… I lied to you.

Sometimes I was entertaining clients or singing karaoke, but I told you I was working overtime.

Sometimes I simply didn’t want to spend time with your bureau-chief father, so I’d make up an excuse and leave halfway through dinner.

…

But when I said…

“I still love you.”

“…That was the only sentence I can swear was true.”

Facing the now-empty doorway, You Dong silently made a promise that would never reach the person it was meant for.

The room gradually fell silent.

Even the air seemed colder than before.

It felt as though he had been abandoned inside an empty, frozen world.

“…Bravo.”

Just as loneliness threatened to consume him, applause echoed from behind.

The beautiful, curvaceous woman lounged lazily across the bed, supporting her head with one hand.

Having watched the entire scene unfold, she finally couldn’t hold back her opinion.

“Dongzi, I’m not trying to nag you, but your girlfriend is young, beautiful, and completely devoted to you. Saying she’s out of your league would actually be an understatement. Honestly, I can’t understand why you’d go through all this.”

“Old Lin.”

You Dong kept staring at the doorway.

He was afraid that if he looked away now, the image of Chen Xi’s departing back would fade from his memory forever.

“I’m thirty this year.”

“Chen Xi… she’s only twenty-four.”

“So you’re six years older?”

Old Lin raised an eyebrow with obvious disdain.

“And that’s supposed to matter?”

“I don’t know what six years means to humans.”

A bitter smile crossed You Dong’s face.

“But for us…”

He paused before shaking his head.

“Forget it.”

“Anyway… thanks for helping me today, Old Lin.”

“No need to be so polite.”

She chuckled.

“It’s been a while, but my shapeshifting skills haven’t gotten rusty, have they? So? Want to check whether the disguise was convincing?”

She leaned toward him teasingly.

“Get lost.”

You Dong waved her away with obvious disgust.

“Tsk. What a waste.”

The moment the words left her mouth, the beautiful woman’s body suddenly dissolved into thin air.

Her clothes dropped onto the floor.

A moment later, a strange creature resembling a lucky cat crawled out from beneath the abandoned coat.

“I did you a favor.”

“So shouldn’t you show a little gratitude?”

“I’ll repay you another day.”

“Why wait?”

The lucky cat grinned mischievously.

“How about signing the contract today?”

“Are you out of your mind?”

The moment he understood what she meant, You Dong snapped.

“How many times do I have to tell you?”

“I can’t do that job.”

“I’m a thirty-year-old man.”

“And you’re asking me to become a—”

He suddenly glanced toward the hallway to make sure nobody was outside.

Only then did he lower his voice.

“A thirty-year-old male magical girl.”

“Does that combination sound even remotely normal to you?”

“Why are you getting so emotional?”

Old Lin let out a helpless sigh.

“You humans really are strange.”

“You wake up before sunrise, work until long after dark, and willingly spend your entire lives as beasts of burden.”

“If you’re already living like that…”

“Why is becoming a magical girl somehow unacceptable?”

“…”

Her words nearly shattered the last of You Dong’s resistance.

“Still,” Old Lin continued after a brief pause, “I have my own principles.”

“I never force anyone.”

“That includes you.”

“Even though your magical potential is absurdly high—so high that even I can’t fully understand it—if you refuse, then I can’t make you accept.”

“I’ll simply come back.”

“And if necessary…”

“I’ll keep coming back again and again.”

“No matter how many times you ask…”

“It still won’t happen.”

“What can’t be done… simply can’t be done.”

You Dong refused without hesitation.

“Don’t reject it so quickly.”

Old Lin reached somewhere behind her and produced a thick brown file folder before tossing it beside him.

“Our Connectors recently captured these photographs while surveying the skies above Shangjing City.”

“Take a look.”

“After you’ve seen what’s inside…”

“…you might find my proposal much harder to refuse.”

“Well…”

“I still have plenty of candidates to search for, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

“If you need me…”

“Just call.”

With those final words, Old Lin leaped out through the window just like an ordinary stray cat.

Before disappearing completely, she casually snatched the unopened pack of cigarettes resting on You Dong’s bedside table.