Hong Siyu is a familiar stranger to Lin Yun.

Familiar because they have known each other for a long time, in fact, they can be considered old friends. They met in elementary school and were partners back then.

But they have grown apart over the years, and now he can't understand what she is thinking.

Although she has been contacting him frequently lately, it seems like she wants to restore their old friendship, but he doesn't really understand her intentions.

Or rather, he doesn't really want to know her intentions.

"For the Kingdom, last month they announced the new Magical Girl Flower Card evaluation list, and there are two new rookies."

For example, now.

Amidst the clinking of glasses and holding wine glasses, a woman with a teasing expression spoke to him.

To be honest, although she is already in her thirties, she still looks charming and youthful.

When Lin Yun heard this, his hand paused, but he maintained a expressionless face and responded, "What's the point of talking about this now?"

The woman laughed, "Is it meaningless to pay attention to the younger generation?"

She took a sip of lemon water and said vaguely, "It's already something unrelated to me, why should I pay attention?"

"Don't lie, you can't completely ignore it, can you?"

The woman followed him and took a sip of red wine, implying something, "After all, you were..."

"Stop."

She stopped halfway through her words when she saw a finger tapping on the table.

Lin Yun extended his index finger, but did not make eye contact with her.

"I should have said that I don't want to bring it up."

The two fell into silence for a moment.

Hong Siyu stared at him for a while, then revealed a smile with an ambiguous meaning.

"Alright, let's not talk about it. Let's talk about the house I bought before."

The topic then shifted to trivial matters in their lives.

Lin Yun absentmindedly picked at his food, while the woman drank her wine with a smile on her face.

The atmosphere in the upscale restaurant was quite elegant, and the progress of the dinner gradually advanced as the waiters changed the plates.

But just when Lin Yun felt that the meal was already halfway through, the woman suddenly brought up a topic that made him have to take it seriously.

"Oh, there's one more thing."

When she said this, she was obviously a little tipsy, so her tone became more casual, "The new Magical Girl in Fangting City has already connected with us today."

Across the table, the woman's charming smile tugged at his heartstrings, "So, does this have anything to do with you?"

The two sat at opposite ends of the table, forming a sharp contrast. The woman looked young and beautiful, while Lin Yun looked tired and worn out, as if he had experienced a lot.

People who didn't know the truth might think that the two of them were at least ten years apart, and they couldn't imagine that they were actually the same age.

"I've heard a little about it. What do you want to express?"

Lin Yun held his cup with one hand, took another sip of lemon water, and continued to act as if he didn't care.

"Ah, you already know? Your information is more well-informed than I thought. Clearly, I'm the official personnel, uh, I'm so embarrassed..."

The drunk woman wiped her eyes upon hearing this.

"If you know that you are an official personnel, then don't loudly discuss insider information in public."

Lin Yun tapped the table to stop her and said, "Also, don't cry in the restaurant. Haven't you noticed the strange looks from the other diners?"

"What's wrong with being thirty-five? Are thirty-five-year-old women not allowed to cry in public?" Hong Siyu widened her eyes.

"And don't take this opportunity to make a fuss. Get to the point."

Busy all day and already exhausted, Lin Yun listened to the other party's noise and felt a slight headache.

If it weren't for the other party's phone call, he could have been lying on the sofa at home enjoying peace and quiet, instead of listening to a drunk woman's rant in an expensive restaurant that made his wallet ache.

"The point?"

The woman on the opposite side tilted her head, showing a cuteness beyond her age, "I want to chat with you?"

"...I mean, the topic you just mentioned, about the Magical Girl."

"Hmm? Don't you already know?"

"If I know, why don't you say it?"

"Don't say it?"

"Just say it."

"Wuwuwu, senior is scolding me... Clearly, I'm the one treating you tonight!"

Lin Yun felt a severe fluctuation in his blood pressure.

It's impossible to reason with a drunk and crazy person, but the nonsense that this woman spouted after getting drunk also gave him a headache.

She was not just a casual business partner that he could easily deal with during a normal dinner. She was someone he genuinely needed to communicate with, which made the conversation at the dinner table extremely difficult.

"Put aside the inappropriate address for now. Can you tell me first, what's the situation with the new Magical Girl? Did she just appear recently? How long has she been active? How far have you progressed in your interaction with them?"

So, Lin Yun broke away from the rhythm of the conversation and took the initiative to seek the information he wanted.

The term "interaction" mentioned in his words actually referred to the attitude of the authority towards Magical Girls.

In this world, there exists a transcendent power.Brutal Beasts and Magical Girls, both are entities distinctly different from ordinary people.

Every corner of the world could potentially spawn Brutal Beasts, and every city in the world would have a Magical Girl.

Therefore, in every city, whether in the open or in the shadows, there would be specially established organizations, designed to gather capable individuals to deal with matters related to Brutal Beasts. At the same time, they would liaise with the Magical Girls in the city, assisting them in swiftly, efficiently, and safely dealing with the Brutal Beasts that appear, thereby protecting ordinary people.

Over time, this has become a tradition.

The government agency responsible for liaising with Magical Girls and dealing with Brutal Beast affairs is known as the "Bureau of Special Tactics", or "BST" for short.

The BST is responsible for reaching out to the Magical Girls in the city, extending goodwill, offering help, and establishing cooperation. This has become a standard procedure.

And the Hong Siyu in front of him is actually a member of the BST.

That's why she would call herself an "official personnel" and reveal information related to "Magical Girls".

"Ah ha... what did you ask again? Magical Girl?"

Hong Siyu, whose speech was becoming increasingly slurred, squinted her eyes as if searching for the remnants of rationality in her brain, and stuttered, "Ah, right, I remember now, Magical Girl! So, that should be starting soon, right?"

"...What's starting soon?" Lin Yun was slightly taken aback by her words.

"I mean, the interview report on the new Magical Girl, on the city channel. It's tonight!"

Hong Siyu seemed to regain a brief moment of clarity, patting her forehead, "Remember to watch it! All your questions will be answered then!"

After saying this, she seemed to completely lose her strength and slumped onto the table.

Before long, the sound of even breathing came from across the table. Lin Yun looked carefully, confirming that this woman had indeed fallen asleep on the dining table.

"All the answers? Why?"

He asked another question, but unfortunately, this question was destined to go unanswered.

He called the waiter, paid the bill at the front desk, and returned to the table. Looking at Hong Siyu, who was sprawled there, fast asleep, Lin Yun sighed helplessly.

After several unsuccessful attempts to wake her, he had no choice but to carry Hong Siyu, leaving the restaurant under the strange gazes of the people around.

He found the car keys in her purse, opened the car door, threw her onto the passenger seat, buckled her seatbelt, and then got into the driver's seat and started the engine.

On the night road, the car was heading towards Hong Siyu's home.

The rush hour had passed, and the traffic on the street had become smooth. Looking at the night view on the street, Lin Yun felt his mood slightly improved.

A hand rested on his knee.

"Senior..."

Hong Siyu's drowsy voice sounded beside him.

"What is it?" Lin Yun glanced at her and responded.

"You know... it's been over two years since Aya left, why can't you consider me?"

A somewhat downcast voice came from the passenger seat.

"I'm still unmarried, you know. It's so hard for me to wait."

Lin Yun was silent for a moment.

He didn't really want to answer this question, nor did he know how to answer it.

The car drove on the highway for a while before he figured out how to express his feelings, and then he spoke:

"I... haven't been able to convince myself."

He paused, then added:

"I haven't been able to convince myself to let her go."

However, the conclusion he had pondered over for so long was not heard by the other party. The sound of shallow breathing rose, and in this brief silence, Hong Siyu seemed to have fallen asleep again.

In a daze, Lin Yun seemed to hear a very soft sob:

"I'm sorry."

The voice was so vague and hazy that it took him a while to understand that it was actually saying "I'm sorry".

Whether this voice was Hong Siyu's sleep talk or his illusion, it was no longer possible to determine.