The 30-Year-Old Magical Girl - Chapter 39

Was this some kind of cruel joke from the gods?

You Dong stared blankly at the phone screen.

At the image of…

Himself.

He wasn’t the narcissistic type.

Ever since becoming a magical girl, he’d never really taken the time to admire his transformed appearance.

But no matter what…

It was still his own body.

There was no way he could mistake it.

The blue magical girl smiling from Chen Xi’s wallpaper…

Was Tidal.

Without question.

“…Tidal?”

“Huh?”

Chen Xi blinked.

“How do you know her codename?”

“It hasn’t been made public yet.”

“I only found out through… special channels.”

How do I know?

That’s a good question…

You Dong forced a bitter smile.

Because…

I am Tidal.

Of course…

There was no way he could actually say that.

If he did…

Chen Xi would probably think he’d gone insane.

He could always transform to prove it.

But…

There was no need.

And more importantly…

He didn’t have the heart to do it.

Your favorite magical girl…

Is actually the ex-boyfriend who cheated on you.

Just imagining the look on Chen Xi’s face…

Her blood pressure shooting through the roof…

Her worldview shattering into pieces…

Was already painful enough.

“Anyway.”

Chen Xi quickly changed the subject.

“Stop trying to distract me.”

“The company phone.”

“Hand it over.”

“…”

“You don’t have to pretend anymore.”

“I already checked.”

She opened the anonymous message she’d received that day and shoved the screen toward him.

“This message.”

“It was sent from your company’s work phone.”

“I think you planned everything yourself.”

The message contained only one thing—

The hotel’s name.

Its address.

Even the room number.

No one knew better than You Dong that he had personally typed and sent every word using his company-issued phone.

“…I never take that phone home.”

He answered calmly.

Which…

Was technically true.

Besides…

Even if he did hand it over now…

It wouldn’t matter.

The message had long since been deleted.

The company phone wasn’t even a smartphone.

It was an old-fashioned business handset.

Designed purely for communication and battery life.

It could even function as a walkie-talkie during equipment inspections.

Simple.

Reliable.

Efficient.

But because it was so simple…

It had no internet.

No camera.

Nothing besides calls and text messages.

After sending the anonymous message that day…

You Dong had switched it into Group Number Mode.

From that point on…

It could only receive calls and messages from internal company numbers.

Every outside number was automatically blocked.

Which explained why…

When Chen Xi later tried calling it from different phones…

None of them ever connected.

She had even asked Xiao Tang about that mysterious number.

According to him…

The company phone was stored in a shared work area.

Besides Manager You…

Several supervisors and team leaders could all access it.

There was no way to determine who had actually sent the message.

“…You seriously think I sent this?”

You Dong laughed casually.

“Come on.”

“Who cheats…”

“And then anonymously reports themselves?”

“…Not you?”

“Definitely not.”

“Oh…”

Chen Xi smiled.

“If that’s true…”

“You should actually thank me.”

“…Thank you?”

“What for?”

“If you really didn’t send it…”

“Then I just warned you.”

“Someone in your department is secretly watching you.”

“They know exactly where Manager You goes.”

“They even knew when you slipped away for your little affair.”

“You’d better be more careful.”

“Getting caught cheating is one thing…”

“But if they discover problems at work too…”

“That’ll be much worse.”

“Hehe.”

Every sentence dripped with sarcasm.

Before this conversation…

She had only suspected him.

Now…

She was almost certain.

The reason was simple.

Instinct.

And experience.

At just thirty years old…

You Dong had already become a department manager at a major multinational company.

To outsiders…

He appeared calm.

Smooth.

Calculating.

The perfect corporate professional.

But Chen Xi knew better.

That confident persona…

Was only a mask.

A survival tool.

The real You Dong…

Was painfully awkward.

Hopelessly shy.

And absolutely terrible at lying.

They were six years apart.

To everyone else…

Their relationship probably looked like the classic story of a dependable older man taking care of a younger woman.

The truth…

Was the exact opposite.

Throughout their relationship…

Chen Xi had often felt…

Like she was the older one.

If she never said she was hungry…

He’d never think about eating.

If she wanted to shop for clothes…

He’d obediently sit outside the fitting room like a student waiting for instructions.

Sometimes…

They’d be walking together…

Only for Chen Xi to realize he had disappeared.

Turning around…

She’d find him absentmindedly kicking an empty soda can along the sidewalk…

Completely absorbed in entertaining himself.

She had always joked…

That raising You Dong felt more like raising a giant child.

Because of that…

She could read every tiny expression on his face.

Every shift in emotion.

Every guilty glance.

Every lie.

Nothing escaped her.

That had been true before.

And it was still true now.

“…I didn’t come here because I want us to get back together.”

“You know me.”

“I’m not some pathetic woman who refuses to let go.”

Seeing the opportunity…

Chen Xi finally spoke the words she’d kept inside.

“I just want to know…”

“Why.”

You Dong lowered his head.

Unable to answer.

“…Is it because of Xiao Xi?”

“Are you refusing marriage because of her?”

“I already told you.”

“I can wait.”

“I can wait until Xiao Xi grows up.”

“I can even help you raise her.”

“You know that’s true.”

“She doesn’t hate me.”

“She even calls me Sister Xi.”

“I really love that child…”

“So…”

“So why…”

“Chen Chen.”

Seeing her emotions spiral out of control…

You Dong gently rested his hands on her shoulders.

Trying to steady her trembling body.

“…I’m sorry.”

It sounded like an apology.

But it also sounded…

Like a farewell.

“It has nothing to do with Xiao Xi.”

“This was entirely my own decision.”

“I’m truly…”

“Deeply…”

“Sorry.”

Smack.

Chen Xi slapped both of his hands away.

“Don’t apologize.”

“It only makes me look pathetic.”

“And remember this.”

“You didn’t dump me.”

“I’m the one dumping you.”

With that…

The proud…

Passionate…

Stubborn girl…

Turned around and walked away without once looking back.

Watching her retreating figure…

You Dong suddenly had a strange feeling.

A feeling…

That their story…

Wouldn’t end here.

He was right.

Only…

Not in the way he imagined.

Yes…

Their fates would intertwine once again.

But in a form…

Beyond anything he could have ever anticipated.