My ex-girlfriend is a magical girl junior?

Chapter 124 Can you call me Xiao Li?

Faced with the sudden silence, Lin Che waited patiently outside the door without urging him in the slightest.

For a moment, the only sounds in the cramped bathroom were the dripping of condensed water droplets and the barely audible breathing of the two people.

After a long silence, just as Lin Che thought she wouldn't answer and was about to speak again to ease the tension, Luo Bingli's slightly deep voice came from inside the door: "What—do you want to know?"

Lin Che's tone remained gentle, as if afraid of disturbing the girl behind him: "Luo, I know there must be a special reason why you suddenly suggested staying at our house today."

"Is something happening at home that makes you not want to go back for the time being, right?"

Silence fell again inside the door. Luo Bingli lowered her head even further, the steam blurring her figure and the expression on her face.

She longed to confide in someone, to release the pain and loneliness that had been bottled up in her heart for years and never mentioned to anyone.

At the same time, she was afraid of exposing her most vulnerable side to him, afraid that this newly established relationship, which she felt was not yet stable enough, would change because of it, and afraid of being hurt again in ways she could not bear.

Lin Che keenly sensed the suppressed hesitation and struggle within him. Not wanting to put any pressure on the other person, he spoke in an even gentler tone:

"If you are still hesitant or don't want to talk about it, that's okay. No one will force you to say what you don't want to say. Your feelings are the most important thing."

It was this concession, full of understanding and respect, that, like the gentlest key, completely unlocked Luo Bingli's heart, which had been locked for over a decade.

A strong urge to confide suddenly surged within her, making her want to muster the courage to tell the person in front of her, who was willing to listen to her, all those unbearable past experiences without reservation.

And so she did it.

Although her voice trembled uncontrollably, she did begin to recount the suffocating relationship between herself and the man she called "Father".

She revealed to Lin Che outside the door the real reason why she repeatedly chose to escape that cold "home" and preferred to wander outside rather than share a room with him.

She recounted the indifference and neglect that were deeply etched into her memory since childhood, the arguments and unpleasant endings during each brief reunion, and the suffocating feeling of being superfluous and unwanted.

Lin Che listened quietly outside the door, without interrupting or saying a word.

As he listened to Luo Bingli recount her heavy past—enough to crush an adult—in a calm, almost numb tone, his fists clenched quietly at his sides, his knuckles making a soft "crackling" sound from the excessive force.

An uncontrollable rage burned fiercely in his chest, threatening to devour his reason. He was furious at the irresponsible, even cruel, father who had inflicted such immense and profound harm on his own daughter.

But he forcefully suppressed the anger that was about to burst forth, without revealing it in his tone.

Because he knew that what Luo Bingli needed most at this moment was not anger in solidarity, but unconditional understanding, support and comfort.

When Luo Bingli's voice finally choked with sobs and could no longer continue, Lin Che broke the heartbreaking silence with a voice as gentle as possible, yet as firm as possible:

"Luo, these past few years must have been very tough for you, haven't they?"

He didn't say "I understand you" because he knew that some pain can never be truly understood by those who haven't experienced it firsthand.

He expressed his compassion in the simplest and most direct way.

"Thank you for telling me all this. Please believe that you did nothing wrong, so please stop blaming yourself and stop bearing the pain that you shouldn't have to suffer alone."

"You can stay here as long as you want, we'll take good care of you. This will always be your home."

After pouring out her deepest secrets and receiving such warm and firm comfort and promises from Lin Che, Luo Bingli's emotions seemed to finally find an outlet.

She could no longer hold back, letting her long-suppressed tears fall like pearls from a broken string, rippling in the warm bathwater.

After a long while, as her emotions calmed down a bit, a question that had long troubled her also clearly emerged in her mind.

She lifted her tear-streaked face, her voice tinged with confusion and inquiry, and softly asked, "Lin Che—I—I don't quite understand."

"Hmm? Don't understand what?" Lin Che's voice remained gentle.

Why are you so unconditionally kind to me? Is it—just because I'm Qing's friend?

"This definitely has nothing to do with my magical girl identity, right? You only found out about this last night."

Upon hearing this, Lin Che, who was outside the door, remained silent for a moment, seemingly trying to recall and organize his thoughts.

Then, he raised his head and spoke in a gentle yet solemn voice:

"Luo, you asked me why—actually, I don't know how to accurately describe that feeling, perhaps—"

—Because I've seen it before.

"I once saw a girl who, when faced with danger far beyond her imagination, was clearly afraid and hesitant, but in the end she still chose to muster up the courage to stand in front of her and use her not-so-strong strength to protect what she considered important."

Luo Bingli, inside the door, was slightly taken aback. The image of herself transforming into Liuli last night and standing in front of Lin Che to fight against the Void Beast involuntarily surfaced in her mind.

But she quickly shook her head. Lin Che, are you talking about this?

Lin Che's voice continued, tinged with admiration: "I've seen her. She quietly helps those lives weaker than herself, even if her kindness might not be understood or even attract criticism."

"I've also seen her, and when faced with misunderstandings and injustice, although she gets hurt and sad, she never loses her pursuit of 'right' and 'justice.'"

Lin Che paused, his tone softening further, a faint smile playing on his lips:

"So, when I see such a strong yet gentle and kind girl showing her vulnerable side and need for help in front of me—how could I possibly remain unmoved?"

"Helping you, caring about you, and hoping you can be happier is something that feels very natural and worthwhile to me."

"This has no necessary connection to who you are friends with or what your status is."

"Simply because—you are you, the one and only, the one who deserves to be treated well—Luo Bingli."

Listening to Lin Che's description, Luo Bingli felt her cheeks getting hotter and hotter, and a complex emotion welled up in her heart.

Was he really talking about himself? Was he really as good as he claimed?

She never imagined that in other people's eyes, she could be "strong-willed," "gentle and kind," and "worthy of being treated well."

Lin Che seemed to notice her silence and thought that his words might have put pressure on her, so he added in a relaxed tone:

"I'm sorry, Luo, it might have been a bit abrupt to bring this up so suddenly tonight. Why don't you take a nice bath and relax? I won't bother you any longer—"

Hearing that Lin Che was about to leave, Luo Bingli suddenly felt a strange sense of panic and reluctance, and at the same time noticed the slightly jarring way he addressed her.

She instinctively called out to him, "Wait—wait a minute!"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Luo?" Lin Che stopped turning around, his voice tinged with doubt.

Luo Bingli stared intently at Lin Che's blurry silhouette outside the door. She took a deep breath, as if using all her strength:

"Um—Lin Che—"

"Could you—from now on—stop calling me 'Classmate Luo'?"

Lin Che was slightly taken aback, feeling somewhat surprised, but quickly understood her meaning. He then asked with a knowing smile, "Then—how should I address you from now on?"

"Just like—Yuqing—" Luo Bingli's cheeks instantly flushed, her voice barely audible, "Call me Xiaoli, okay?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Che, standing outside the door, broke into a genuinely happy smile: "Okay, Xiao Li."

"Um!"

From inside the door came a soft response, thick with nasal tone, yet filled with indescribable joy and relief.

Luo Bingli pursed her lips tightly, trying her best not to cry again due to excessive excitement, and a bright smile that she had never seen before bloomed on her face.

The bathroom returned to tranquility, with only the soft sound of rippling water remaining. Luo Bingli soaked in the tub for a while longer, calming her overly excited emotions, before slowly getting up from the tub.

She casually picked up a clean bath towel from the shelf next to her, wrapped it around her shapely body, and then walked to the bathroom door, carefully pulling open the frosted sliding door.

At first glance, she saw her school uniform in the laundry basket by the door, along with the few plain-colored undergarments on top of it, and her expression immediately froze slightly.

When he knocked on the door just now, he had his back to the door and talked to me for so long.

So he did see it after all, didn't he?

Luo Bingli's cheeks flushed red again in an instant.

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