I dug up the magical girl's corpse.

Chapter 87 Choice

"I... I still need to ask my advisor."

Finally, Lin Yongxi avoided her gaze.

Duan Zhiyao immediately frowned: "You mean that man? I know he's [Dawn's] husband, but he only knows some theoretical knowledge. What practical skills can he teach you?"

"You are not allowed to belittle him."

Although Lin Yongxi often bickered and complained with Chen Mu, she unexpectedly stood firmly in his defense at this moment.

"Oh?"

Unexpectedly seeing Lin Yongxi's resolute attitude, Duan Zhiyao released her hand: "Always listening to adults won't make you grow up, you know?"

Lin Yongxi never expected that she would be lectured by a girl two years younger than her, and she became dissatisfied:

"What do you know? If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be where I am now!"

"Hmph, then you can continue being your good child."

Duan Zhiyao snorted coldly; her attitude had changed. Perhaps those words had touched a raw nerve. She gritted her teeth and said:

"I've had enough. Sister Yulan is a good person, that's true, but if I listen to her, I've been wallowing in this for a year... This time, I have to make my own decision!"

"Haruka...?"

Lin Yongxi was taken aback. It seemed like there was some hidden story behind her words, but she was about to ask further.

Duan Zhiyao had already turned and walked away, leaving only her back view and the echoes that continued to reverberate in the corridor:

"Lin Yongxi, just you wait! Fine, you don't want the [Imaginary Body] secret technique, but I hope you won't regret it. I'll utterly crush you in the arena!"

...

"Oh? That's what she said?"

After returning home, Lin Yongxi immediately told Chen Mu everything about their conversation in the contestant passage, without hiding a single word.

Lin Yongxi's expression was still somewhat dazed and disappointed:

"Yes, she left right after saying that, and then she didn't reply to my messages."

Although she herself kept saying, "There should be a sense of rivalry, it's not right to be so intimate," the difference in their relationship was too great. They were good friends before, and now they suddenly broke up. The shock that this brought to Lin Yongxi was still very impactful. After all, she was only an eighteen-year-old girl. Even though she was an adult, she had not fully grown up.

Chen Mu suddenly asked:

"So what do you think?"

"Um?"

"Do you want to learn about [imaginary bodies]?"

Chen Mu, of course, didn't care about those girlish thoughts. What he asked was this: "Tomorrow is a rest day. The finals won't start until the day after tomorrow. There's still time to learn now."

"Uh." Lin Yongxi paused, holding up her phone. There were no replies. "But we've already broken up. It would be too awkward for me to go see them now!"

She couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Whatever you want, I can teach you."

Chen Mu glanced at her speechlessly and said, "Moreover, I can guarantee that it's more complete and better than the version Yulan is going to get. It's not the kind that's been passed around by who knows how many people, so there won't be any problems. She's actually right. As long as you learn [Imaginary Body], you'll be basically invincible at this stage, and your chances of winning tomorrow will rise to 90%."

"Well……"

Lin Yongxi hesitated for a moment, observing Chen Mu's expression, and whispered, "You mean, it would be better for me to learn this?"

"I'm asking you."

Chen Mu suddenly said in a deep voice.

"what?"

"So what do you think? Don't try to guess what I'm thinking. What I want is your own 'choice'—to learn or not to learn. It's your choice."

Chen Mu stared at her seriously.

"But...but..." Lin Yongxi didn't quite understand and asked, "Brother-in-law, aren't you more knowledgeable and more professional? Wouldn't your advice be better for my career development?"

This has always been her idea; whether it's cultivating magic, learning magic, or anything else, she's always done it according to her brother-in-law's arrangements.

She felt very safe doing this, or perhaps it was just laziness on her part. She knew her brother-in-law was very capable, and as long as she listened to him, there would be absolutely no problems.

At least based on our time together, that's always been the case. Chen Mu has never caused any problems, and his advice is always the most reasonable. Even if someone had doubts about him before, they would eventually understand.

That's why she said, "I still need to ask my mentor," when faced with Duan Zhiyao's question.

Unexpectedly, her brother-in-law let her "choose for herself".

"Because I can't be by your side all the time, nor can I be your nanny for life."

Chen Mu calmly said, "I only understood this after hearing about Duan Zhiyao and Yulan's situation. If you want to become a capable magical girl, you can't rely on me for everything. If you develop that kind of mindset, you'll never grow. In the future, many people will ask you this, and you'll ask yourself the same question:"

"Should I choose to pursue advanced studies in magic, or use my fame to make money and gain followers?"

"Should I remain anonymous and hide my true self, or become a legend and make a name for myself?"

"Who are the friends worth making, and who are the enemies who hide a knife behind a smile? At this moment, will your opponent attack or defend? How should you respond to their moves?"

Chen Mu spread his hands out, as if holding a scale and chips, with countless cards overlapping, flashing, and slipping in his hands.

"From big to small, from the stage to the audience, you will face such choices countless times. Sometimes you will only be given a moment to think, and then you must give an answer."

"So, if you want to become a magical girl who can stand on her own... or rather, a person who can stand on her own, you must start making your own choices from now on."

After he finished speaking, Lin Yongxi remained silent for a long time.

"I see."

These words seemed to pierce the girl's heart. She remembered that when she ran away from that well-off home, it was her own choice.

I was so determined back then, but now I'm hesitant, which is so unlike me. Perhaps I've been too lazy lately.

She remained silent for a long time, but this time she was thinking.

After thinking it over, Lin Yongxi looked up and said, "I've made up my mind, brother-in-law, I'm not going to study [Imaginary Body]."

"Oh?"

Chen Mu waited patiently, but was slightly surprised at this moment.

He had expected Lin Yongxi to choose "studying," since her initial goal was simply to win the competition in Shenyue City. If she won the competition the day after tomorrow, her goal would be achieved. After that, nothing else mattered. Even if it meant sacrificing future possibilities, she probably wouldn't care and would insist on taking the shortcut. What changed her mind?

"I understand now."

Lin Yongxi's tone was extremely firm at this moment, without the slightest hesitation: "I can't stop here. My future is more than just this. Although at first I only thought winning a championship would be enough, the longer I stay here, the more I see what's above, and the endless brilliance it holds. I want to catch up, I want to climb up, and reach the top."

Seeing the long-lost wildness and ambition in the girl's eyes, revealing her sharp fangs:

"Besides, she's been making such threats at me, so I have to use my own strength to defeat Duan Zhiyao fair and square."

"it is good."

Chen Mu smiled and stood up: "Then let's go and win that trophy."