Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

"So, one of our main tasks for today, I believe everyone is clear about it, right?"

Standing in the open kitchen of the small cabin, with her hands resting on the kitchen counter, Lin Xiaolu struck what she considered an imposing pose and said, "Before Emerald Sparrow returns, we will use the entire day to finish making all the desserts we need to make! Do we have confidence?"

"...Yes, I suppose?" Xia Liang weakly grinned.

"Yes!" Bai Jingxuan, on the other hand, was quite energetic and gave her support.

It was now the second day. Having bought the chocolate ingredients and magic tools the previous evening and secretly hiding the purchases from Emerald Sparrow overnight, the trio could finally discuss the matter openly.

Emerald Sparrow left later than she had the day before, spending the morning overseeing the three juniors as they reviewed for their written examination at the Exam Institute, then spent half the day poking at her phone by the desk. She left only after saying, "I'll be back late tonight, you guys should head to the restaurant earlier," and departed from the Colorful Cloud Wetland.

Although this arrangement meant that the three of them only had an afternoon and an evening to prepare, clearly, it couldn't extinguish their enthusiasm.

Dragging out the things they had bought in advance from under the bed—these were what they brought back, and what Xia Liang had stealthily hidden away while Lin Xiaolu was making a ruckus. Among them were the so-called "Universal Dessert Machine," a magic tool boasted by the dessert restaurant, and several ingredient packs tightly sealed in packaging.

"Fruit-flavored, royal-flavored, classic-flavored..."

Lin Xiaolu identified the texts on the sealed packaging, arranging them one by one on the kitchen counter until finally, she dragged out a package from the deepest part of under the bed that was different from the other materials.

Unlike the chocolate ingredients, this package was not just tightly sealed but also emitted a cold sensation that could be felt by hand as if some technology was used to maintain a constant internal temperature.

The outer packaging had the same font but bore completely different words:

——Fresh Flower Fresh Milk Mille-Feuille Mousse Cake.

Indeed, this was not chocolate, but a pack of ingredients to make a cake using the complementing tools.

And the reason for buying this pack of ingredients was because the day before at the shop, Bai Jingxuan secretly asked Lin Xiaolu a question:

"Sister Xiaolu, aren't you going to take the opportunity to send something to Uncle Lin?"

"My dad? Why?"

Lin Xiaolu, who was in the middle of selecting a dessert machine model, did not understand Bai Jingxuan's intent and looked at her puzzled. "Didn't the store say it's Valentine's Day today?"

"Ah, no, I wasn't talking about Valentine's Day…" Bai Jingxuan waved her hands and hesitantly said, "It's just, tomorrow, it seems to be Uncle Lin's birthday too."

"...Huh?"

My dad has a birthday? Why don't I have any memory of it?

That was Lin Xiaolu's first reaction.

Oh, back then my mom was around, and the two of them probably spent Valentine's Day in their own little world, not involving me.

That was Lin Xiaolu's second reaction.

So, my dad didn't just pop out of a stone crack?

That was Lin Xiaolu's third reaction.

Her mind raced with thoughts, experiencing a whirlwind of considerations. Lin Xiaolu felt her brain working faster than it ever had before and, at the end of her three-tiered reaction sequence, she reached the true opposite shore of her thoughts:

——"How did you know?"

Yes, that was the question Lin Xiaolu ultimately asked.

Because she truly couldn't understand: how was it that her father's birthday, which she herself was unaware of, was known to a teammate from the same squad?

"Um… Uncle Lin once told me about it." Bai Jingxuan looked down.

"Why would he tell you that?" Lin Xiaolu's eyes widened even more.

Bai Jingxuan remained silent and did not answer.

However, her lack of response didn't mean Lin Xiaolu couldn't guess the answer, because she did remember the mess she made at the end of last year, including but not limited to convincing her biological father to remarry Emerald Sparrow, adopting Bai Jingxuan and even Xia Liang, which would turn the Fangting City squad into her very own Fangting City sisterhood, thereby becoming the eldest sister in both law and spirit, holding all the power... It's just that, recalling it now was too embarrassing and humiliating, so she decided to seal those memories away.

In her memory and perspective, the whole process was just her making a fuss, and theoretically, her two teammates were only subjected to her boasting and shouldn't have been deeply involved...

Right?

Lin Xiaolu suddenly remembered the candies that Bai Jingxuan often pulled out of her pocket, which seemed to come from nowhere. Because they actually tasted quite good, so she would often pester Bai Jingxuan for a couple.

The origin of these candies became clear when she visited her biological father's Abnormal Strategy Bureau office on New Year's Eve, as she learned that those candies were taken by Bai Jingxuan from her father's office.

Bai Jingxuan taking out candies from her pocket was not a one-time occurrence; even yesterday, when they went to register at the Exam Institute, Lin Xiaolu saw her secretly ripping open a package while in line, clearly worried about Lin Xiaolu snatching them. However, Lin Xiaolu, being generous, didn't make a fuss about it.

Combining the fact that Bai Jingxuan knew about her biological father's birthday, the truth of the matter spoke for itself.

With that thought, Lin Xiaolu had already reached out and pinched Bai Jingxuan's cheek.

——"I really do have a 'lovely little sister' who knows how to act sweet..."

She grabbed Bai Jingxuan's face with a sardonic grin, pulling it from side to side.

"Wuuu..." Knowing she had been up to no good toward Lin Xiaolu, the "biological daughter," Bai Jingxuan did not dare resist too much.

"Sigh."

But Lin Xiaolu didn't go too far. When she noticed tears forming in the corners of Bai Jingxuan's eyes, clearly distressed, she let go and sighed:

"If I really had a sister like you in the past, I'm afraid I wouldn't have any status in my family within two years."

"Uncle Lin still likes Sister Xiaolu very much."

Bai Jingxuan, feeling relieved, stepped back and rubbed her face: "He often asks me about you."

"...I know."

Lin Xiaolu stopped picking on Bai Jingxuan and, instead of choosing a style of dessert machine, turned her head to look at another shelf by the door. There, ingredients other than chocolate were laid out for making various other sweets.

The three had already skimmed through what was on the shelves when they entered the shop. Since their pocket money was limited, and they were focused on chocolate, they didn't take anything from there at that time.

"How about making a cake?" she suggested to Bai Jingxuan.

"Make a cake... Why?" Bai Jingxuan was a bit puzzled.

"Of course, it's for a birthday celebration. Once it's made, we can video call my dad and wish him a happy birthday together," Lin Xiaolu replied naturally.

"But in that case, Uncle Lin won't be able to eat the cake, will he?" Bai Jingxuan was still hesitant.

"Eat, eat, eat, is that all you think about?"

Lin Xiaolu crossed her arms: "Listen well, the most important part of a birthday is the blessings and celebration, not just eating cake! We can celebrate for my dad here, and if necessary, we can just courier the cake to the Material Realm."

"...But the cake would go bad by then," Bai Jingxuan still fretted over whether Lin Yun would be able to enjoy the actual cake.

Lin Xiaolu was rendered speechless by her response.

Afterward, the two of them consulted the shop assistant and confirmed that such a service exists in the Kingdom. Since Magic Kingdom's confectionery is famous across realms, it is often exported to the Material Realm. To maintain their reputation, the Kingdom even has special cold chain logistics for transporting sweets, ensuring these treats arrive on the tables of outsiders in relatively perfect condition.

With that, the technical issue was also resolved.

"Are you saying that tomorrow is Uncle Lin's birthday, and so you plan to make a cake for him and celebrate via video call?"

The last to know about the plan was Xia Liang. Unlike Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan, she was a bit surprised to learn about Lin Yun's birthday, but quickly, that feeling of surprise vanished. In its place was an almost irrepressible amused expression, yet one that conveyed sheer delight.

"Pfft... That's a nice idea. I think it's wonderful."

She covered her mouth, barely restraining her laughter:

"Let's do that. We'll send chocolates to the young predecessor and make a cake for Uncle Lin. I believe they will both be touched by the gesture."