My ex-girlfriend is a magical girl junior?

On Saturday afternoon, Lin Che sat in the back seat of the SUV, watching the street scenes rushing past the window, with Xiao Ye's clear laughter in his ears.

Lin Chen drove, humming an off-key tune, glancing at the two children in the rearview mirror every now and then, a relaxed and happy smile on his face.

As agreed at dinner yesterday, the three of them were to go to a nearby shopping mall this afternoon to buy groceries for the next few days, especially the dumpling filling and snacks that Xiaoye had been longing for.

The mall was bustling with people, noisy and lively. Lin Che held Xiao Ye's hand and followed behind Lin Chen, weaving through the crowd.

"Brother Lin Che, I want to go over there!" Xiao Ye pointed to the snack area not far away, her eyes sparkling.

"I'll get the snacks you want. You go with Dad to buy some other things first, and I'll come find you later, okay?" Lin Che bent down and gently instructed, "Don't run around, okay?"

"Okay!" Xiaoye replied, took Lin Chen's hand, and followed him in another direction.

Lin Che smiled as he watched the two walk away, then headed towards the snack area.

Before he even reached the spot Xiaoye had pointed out, his gaze suddenly fixed on a familiar figure.

Luo Bingli was standing in front of a shelf not far away, dressed in simple casual clothes.

Unlike the somewhat monotonous school uniform, she wore a light gray hooded sweatshirt on top and dark jeans on the bottom.

The cuffs of her trousers were rolled up slightly, revealing a slender ankle, paired with a pair of clean white sneakers.

She wasn't wearing makeup, and her clean-cut face looked exceptionally delicate under the soft lighting. Her short, ear-length hair flowed smoothly along the lines of her face, revealing her small earlobes.

Although she was dressed casually, she still exuded a sense of detachment, as if she were out of place with the lively atmosphere around her.

She was holding a box of self-heating rice in her hand, looking down at the instructions on the packaging, her expression indifferent and focused, as if everything around her was irrelevant.

Lin Che paused slightly, feeling a little surprised. He had been "searching" for her at school for the past few days, silently checking on her from afar to make sure she was alright. He never expected to run into her in the mall today.

However, when his gaze fell upon the several boxes of self-heating rice, several bags of instant noodles, and some compressed biscuits piled up in the other person's shopping basket, his heart sank slightly.

He knew that since Luo Bingli's earnings as a magical girl were enough to cover the costs of the stray cat sterilization center, this money should be more than enough to support her normal food expenses.

So, her choice to buy these things was probably not due to financial difficulties, but rather a habit formed from her long-term solitary life—a habit of eating alone, a habit of simple meals that did not require waiting or sharing.

Perhaps it has been a long time since she has had a proper, lively meal with anyone.

This thought made Lin Che's heart twitch slightly, and immediately an impulse arose—an impulse to pull her out of this habitual loneliness.

Without much hesitation, Lin Che stepped forward, walked to Luo Bingli's side, and greeted her in a gentle tone: "Luo, what a coincidence."

Upon hearing the voice, Luo Bingli slowly turned her head, her eyes meeting Lin Che's smiling gaze. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, but she quickly regained her indifferent calm.

"It's you again." Her voice was soft, tinged with surprise, but no longer as wary as it had been that day. "What are you doing here?"

"I came with my family to buy some things," Lin Che explained, pointing behind him, "to buy some ingredients to make dumplings at home."

Luo Bingli glanced in the direction he was pointing, then returned her gaze to his face, her eyes filled with a hint of doubt: "Where's Yuqing? Didn't she come with you?"

"She went shopping with her new friends," Lin Che answered truthfully.

He noticed a very slight fluctuation in Luo Bingli's eyes when she heard the words "new friend".

Although things quickly returned to calm, he still managed to catch the ripple.

"Is that so?" Luo Bingli's reply sounded indifferent, just a simple response, but Lin Che sensed an indescribable loneliness in this brief reply.

Looking at the self-heating rice and instant noodles in Luo Bingli's shopping basket, his urge to invite her to his home for dinner became even stronger.

Such an invitation might be too abrupt for her, might make her uncomfortable, and might trigger her defense mechanisms again.

But he didn't want to miss out, didn't want to see her continue to fill her stomach with these cold, fast food meals, and didn't want to see her face the loneliness of life alone.

He took a deep breath, his tone sincere and natural: "Luo, if you're free tonight...would you like to come over for dinner?"

Luo Bingli looked up abruptly, her eyes widening slightly in shock. The indifference on her face was instantly shattered, replaced by obvious astonishment and panic.

"Eat?" She almost instinctively took a step back, her voice filled with obvious resistance and uncertainty. "No...no need."

"Why? My family is making dumplings and other dishes tonight, it's a big feast." Lin Che didn't give up, he knew that a direct refusal was the other party's instinctive defense.

"No need, I... already have plans." Luo Bingli insisted on refusing, her voice slightly stiff. She gripped the handle of the shopping basket tightly, as if she was ready to escape at any moment.

Lin Che looked at her, his heart filled with a fierce interplay of his desire to help her and his fear of provoking her to resist even more.

He knew he couldn't force her, but he was unwilling to give up just like that. For a moment, the two of them were locked in a stalemate.

Just then, a loud voice came from afar: "Xiao Che! What are you doing here? Xiao Ye has almost picked out all the snacks!"

Lin Chen, holding Xiao Ye's hand, was walking towards them. He had a puzzled look on his face, as if wondering why Lin Che hadn't returned for a while.

"Brother Lin Che!" Xiao Ye immediately saw a pretty girl in a gray hoodie standing in front of her, her eyes filled with curiosity. "Who is this older sister?"

Lin Chen approached, his gaze falling on Luo Bingli. He paused slightly, then looked at Lin Che, waiting for his explanation.

"This is Luo Bingli, Yuqing's friend," Lin Che introduced immediately.

He secretly thought that Xiaoye's arrival was just in time. Perhaps the presence of family members would make the invitation less abrupt and easier for the other party to accept.

"Ah! It's my sister's friend!" Xiaoye immediately let go of Lin Chen's hand and rushed up like a small cannonball to hug Luo Bingli's leg.

Luo Bingli was stunned for a moment; she hadn't expected the child to suddenly rush over and hug her.

She instinctively tried to dodge, but Xiaoye held her tightly, his small body seemingly containing astonishing strength and passion.

"Sister Luo," Xiaoye looked up and sincerely invited, "Come to my house for dinner! My mom's dumplings are delicious!"

Watching this scene unfold, Lin Che secretly thought to himself that Xiao Ye was a divine assist!

A child's invitation always makes it easier to lower one's guard, especially for someone like Luo Bingli who craves pure love but is also afraid of being hurt.

Lin Chen also walked over at this moment. His gaze inadvertently swept over the items in Luo Bingli's shopping basket, and a barely perceptible hint of understanding and worry flashed in his eyes.

As an experienced adult, he noticed the habitual aloofness in Luo Bingli's attitude and also caught the information conveyed by the food in her shopping basket.

Instead of asking directly, he stepped forward and stood beside Lin Che, looking at Luo Bingli with a steady and kind smile on his face.

"Hello, Luo," Lin Chen's voice was gentle yet strong, carrying a reassuring quality. "I heard from Xiao Che that you and Yu Qing are good friends."

He paused, his gaze returning to Luo Bingli's shopping basket, his tone softening, carrying just the right amount of concern: "Seeing you bought so much instant food, it might be inconvenient to cook at home, right?"

Luo Bingli tightened her grip on the shopping basket handle; she hadn't expected Lin Chen to notice these things.

"Xiaoye likes Yuqing very much, and she also likes Yuqing's friends very much," Lin Chen continued, his tone sincere and natural, trying to close the distance and integrate Luo Bingli into the atmosphere of this family.

"Look, she's already clinging to you the moment you meet her, she's practically ready to carry you home." He said half-jokingly, pointing to Xiaoye who was still clinging to Luo Bingli's leg.

"We're making dumplings tonight, and it'll be quite lively at home. If you don't mind... how about we have dinner together?"

Lin Chen extended a formal invitation, "Just consider it an opportunity to meet Yuqing's family; we'll all be very happy."

Instead of using a tone of "charity" or "pity," he used phrases like "the house is very lively," "everyone likes Yuqing and her friends," and "come over to play," turning the invitation into a natural and welcoming gesture that felt like part of the family.

This invitation came from a steady and reliable adult, who understood her predicament while still giving her ample dignity.

Furthermore, with Xiaoye's sincere invitation and Yuqing acting as a bridge, Luo Bingli's resolve gradually wavered.

She looked at Lin Che, then at Xiao Ye, and then at Lin Chen—all three pairs of eyes held different forms of kindness and expectation, but none could deny it.

She bit her lower lip, her fingers unconsciously clenching, as if she was still hesitating, but in the end, she nodded slowly and very lightly.