My ex-girlfriend is a magical girl junior?

Lin Che turned and sat down at his desk, gazing at the night view outside the window. His fingertips tapped rhythmically on the table, making a soft "tap-tap" sound, as he recalled the system's suggestion and the decision he had made.

Doing so will take up a lot of the host's private time.

The system's response was cold and direct, devoid of any emotion.

"I know," Lin Che replied in a low voice, his voice carrying a deep sense of certainty. He stopped tapping on the table and turned his gaze away from the window.

"I just want her to have more time that belongs to 'Luo Bingli' rather than 'Magical Girl Liuli,' that's all."

He is not a saint, he cannot and has no intention of taking all the risks, and he does not intend to solve all of Liuli's problems—that is unrealistic and cannot truly help her.

Even so, the host's frequent absences from school will still attract the attention of the family.

The system continues to list the facts without any guidance, simply providing an objective analysis of the risks.

"Of course I understand. After all, I'm a high school student now. If I skip class every few days, my family will definitely worry, especially after something like what happened today." He sighed.

"Moreover, this may not achieve the desired effect. If an alarm is received at the same time, even if I deal with the virtual beast in advance, she may become more persistent in looking for the next target after discovering it."

"Telling her as Xingshuang that I would handle it wouldn't work either." He suddenly laughed self-deprecatingly, the image of that awkward girl firmly occupying his mind. "She would definitely refuse my 'help,' seeing it as a denial of her abilities."

He knew that stubborn child all too well—preferring to bear it all alone rather than accept any form of "charity" or "sympathy."

From a logical perspective, this strategy lacks practical significance.

"It's just a makeshift solution." Lin Che's voice was low, as if he were talking to himself, a hint of pity flashing in his eyes.

He knew it didn't sound efficient, even a little naive, but for an adult who wanted to help that wounded child, even just a second less of her exposure to danger, a second less of feeling isolated, was good.

"The reason why Liuli skips class to deal with the infiltration of the virtual world is that deep down she doesn't feel that she is valued and that no one cares about her 'normal' life. The key to completely solving this problem is to change this perception of her."

This process is expected to take a considerable amount of time.

"That's not necessarily true." Upon hearing this, Lin Che suddenly smiled with a hint of confidence. "Deep down, that child actually craves care and affirmation from others, but he just doesn't know how to accept it."

"Moreover, even before she changes her mind, my efforts will not be in vain; I will gain something else as well."

[What the host means]

"I realized that during the last battle," he said, looking down at his palms. "With my current level of magic manipulation, I'm simply not qualified to be their senior."

Before the self-deprecating smile had faded, his eyes sharpened: "And if you want to improve your magic control, practicing in your room is far from enough. These low-risk small-scale infiltrations of the dimensional rift are the best training ground for real combat."

This strategy is highly feasible.

"So we've reached an agreement?" Lin Che confirmed. "In the future, if any small-scale infiltration of the virtual world is detected, you must notify me promptly."

[Instructions confirmed. Please ensure you balance your studies and current job.]

"Okay, okay, I got it," he replied, as if this cold system really was a nagging old woman.

"Next, it's time to get busy with the next thing." Lin Che let out a long sigh, took out the newly issued SIM card from his pocket, and then took out the cell phone that Su Wanyi had given him at the previous dinner party from the drawer.

He performed the series of actions—taking out the card, inserting the card, and turning on the device—with practiced ease. As soon as the screen lit up, he quickly typed a message: "This is Xing Shuang's contact information."

After sending it to Su Yuqing, he leaned back in his chair with a sigh of relief: "I've finally fulfilled this promise."

Unexpectedly, the phone vibrated immediately. Lin Che sat up abruptly and saw a new message pop up on the screen: "Senior Xing Shuang? Can I call now?"

His finger hovered above the screen, trembling slightly involuntarily. His heart suddenly raced. He looked around—the room was fairly soundproof. His parents were watching TV in the living room downstairs, and Su Yuqing, if nothing unexpected happened, was in her room next door.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and replied, "Okay."

The moment he pressed the send button, he felt a strange tension. This would be the first time he spoke to Su Yuqing as "Xingshuang," and she would be completely unaware of the connection between the two identities.

"Oh well, I'll get used to it sooner or later anyway." Lin Che took another deep breath, suppressing this strange emotion, and took out the transformation device and pressed the button.

A pinkish-gold light poured out like flowing water, starting from his fingertips and wrapping around his entire body. Within the light, his figure gradually shrank, eventually settling into a petite frame of about 1.4 meters tall. When the last ray of light dissipated, "Starfrost" was already sitting upright at the table.

Looking down at her feet, which could barely touch the ground, Xing Shuang pouted uncomfortably. Her height still made her feel awkward. She got up from the chair and sat on the edge of the bed, so that her feet could easily touch the ground.

The phone rang almost simultaneously, as if timed perfectly to coincide with her transformation. Xing Shuang pressed the answer button and held the phone close to her ear: "Feed?"

"Senior Xingshuang?" Su Yuqing's voice came through the receiver, her deliberately lowered tone revealing her undisguised urgency and unease.

A soft "click" can be heard in the background, indicating that she quickly locked her door to prevent her family from overhearing their conversation.

"It's me, what's the matter?" Xing Shuang tried to keep her voice steady.

"Senior..." Su Yuqing's voice suddenly became hesitant, "I've recently learned some things about Liuli..."

"Hmm, tell me about it?" she gently guided, her fingertips lightly stroking the edge of the bed.

She listened quietly to Su Yuqing's narration—fragmented and hurried words depicting Luo Bingli's broken family, lonely life, and her always solitary figure.

Although she already knew every detail, hearing it from Su Yuqing's mouth seemed to carry an added layer of real pain.

She could almost picture the girl on the other end of the phone, curled up in bed, her fingers gripping the blanket tightly, her eyes red and glistening with tears.

"She keeps saying 'It's okay,' but clearly..." A soft sob came from the receiver, like the whimpering of a wounded animal. "Senior, how can I help her? I feel like I can't do anything..."

Xing Shuang's heart felt like it had been tugged, and a sour feeling welled up in her nose. Before dinner, as Lin Che, she had naively thought that she had distracted the other person with snacks, and that she thought the other person was just worried about her friend.

Only now did she realize that Su Yuqing had simply buried this worry, this sense of powerlessness, and this heartache for her friend's plight deep in her heart, in a place that even her "brother" could not reach.

In this girl's eyes, the secrets of the magical girl world and the hidden pain of Luo Bingli are heavy matters that she cannot confide in "Lin Che"—Lin Che is just an ordinary person and cannot understand all of this.

Only Xing Shuang, a "senior" who understands Ruri's struggles as both a magical girl and an ordinary student, and who is both powerful and gentle enough, can comprehend the predicaments of both identities.

Only in front of "Xingshuang" could she speak of all her worries without reservation, which is why the call request came so urgently, like the last piece of driftwood a drowning person desperately clung to.

At this moment, Xing Shuang felt genuinely grateful for the first time that she could exist in this identity. This identity, which she had once rejected and felt ashamed of, had now become Su Yuqing's only support and a haven where she could confide her deepest worries.

"You're already helping her," Xing Shuang said, her voice gentle yet firm, as if it possessed the power to soothe all wounds. "You're the only person she allows to get close to, and that's extremely important."

"But that's not enough! She skipped class again today, I'm worried—"

"I understand." Xing Shuang interrupted at the right time, her tone carrying the composure befitting a senior. "As a senior, I will pay close attention to her condition in the battles to come, gradually build trust, and ensure her safety. This is the responsibility of us magical girl seniors."

"Then I'll give you Liuli's contact information? That way it will be easier for you two to contact each other!" Su Yuqing suddenly raised her voice.

"No need." Her reply was decisive yet gentle. "If she trusts me, she'll tell me herself. Having you pass it on might backfire, making her feel like you're worrying about her and causing her to react negatively."

A soft "Ah" came from the other end of the phone, followed by Su Yuqing's annoyed voice: "You're right... I was too hasty and didn't consider these things."

In the brief silence, Xing Shuang could hear the mattress creak slightly—Su Yuqing must be fidgeting restlessly.

She let out a soft breath and continued to guide her: "As a senior, there's only so much I can do. After all, I can't be involved in all aspects of her life. But as a good friend in her daily life, you might want to think more about what else you can do to make her feel cared for and supported."

The other end of the phone suddenly went silent. Xing Shuang could imagine Su Yuqing's current state—when she was thinking, she would unconsciously bite her lower lip, her eyes slightly narrowed, as if she were quickly sorting through various possibilities in her mind.

"You must remember," she added softly, her voice low yet carrying a power that reached the heart.

"What she needs is recognition, to know that someone cares about her existence, her choices, and her feelings. She needs to know that someone wants her to be well so that she will have the motivation to stay in the classroom and return to a 'normal' life."

Suddenly, Su Yuqing's voice rose eight octaves: "Wait! Senior! I've got it!"

"Hmm?" Xing Shuang responded subconsciously, but a sense of unease swept through her heart. Su Yuqing's "thinking of" usually meant unpredictable developments, and often affected her (Lin Che).

"I'll go talk to my brother!" she exclaimed excitedly, gesturing louder and louder. "We can organize a study group! Ah Che is a super good student, he can tutor Xiao Li! Or we can invite Xiao Li out more often! To the library! To the movies! That way she won't always be alone!"

Xing Shuang's pupils suddenly contracted. This suggestion was too dangerous—if Su Yuqing really went to "Lin Che" to discuss how to get close to Luo Bingli, while he also had to maintain his identity as "Xing Shuang"...

"Wait, Yin Xue—" she hurriedly tried to stop him, her voice tinged with panic, but it was too late.

"I'll go discuss the details with him right now!" Su Yuqing's cheerful voice came through the receiver and outside the door simultaneously, accompanied by the "bang" of the door next door opening.