Transform into a magical girl after getting off work

In that moment, at some silent hour, the sound of "tap, tap" echoed as a knock on the door.

The sound was so soft, so faint, as to make one doubt whether it was merely a hallucination, so Emerald Sparrow did not immediately get up. It wasn't until the knocking came again that she confirmed it was not an illusion—someone really was knocking on her door.

Upon opening the door, she saw Bai Jingxuan standing outside, clutching a pillow.

"What's the matter?" she asked, lowering her voice as much as possible.

"I can't sleep," Bai Jingxuan replied in a whisper.

"Still can't sleep this late?"

Emerald Sparrow glanced at the wall clock; it was already one in the morning. "Is something bothering you?"

Bai Jingxuan didn't speak, her eyes just pleadingly fixed on Emerald Sparrow.

It's hard for anyone to withstand such a gaze for long, so Emerald Sparrow had no choice but to step aside and let Bai Jingxuan in.

"So?"

She somewhat helplessly asked, "What's really going on?"

"I want to sleep with Mom," Bai Jingxuan said.

"Oh, you want to sleep with Mom—Hmm?"

Emerald Sparrow muttered halfway before realizing something odd in her words: "Why?"

"For no reason."

Bai Jingxuan tightened the grip on her pillow. "I just want to sleep with you."

"I mean, it's fine, but... my side of the bed isn't that big."

Turning to look at her single bed, Emerald Sparrow then faced Bai Jingxuan again, "Isn't it more comfortable to sleep on your own big bed? Why squeeze in here?"

"...because, this is the only time Sister Xiaolu isn't here."

Bai Jingxuan pursed her lips. "Lately, Sister Xiaolu has always been by your side during the day, and it's been a long time since you and I slept together."

Emerald Sparrow then understood.

She had noticed this issue herself, or rather, she had been trying hard to find a balance between the two, so neither child would feel neglected. However, it seemed she hadn't been very successful.

Bai Jingxuan was a sensible girl, meaning she wouldn't start conflicts with others, but that didn't mean she lacked opinions. In fact, when she set her mind to something, her stubbornness was unmatched in the Fangting City team.

In other words, by the time she appeared at Emerald Sparrow's door with her pillow, there was no turning back.

Knowing Bai Jingxuan as she did, Emerald Sparrow didn't doubt that if she refused her now, the girl would likely be willing to spend the night standing at her door, clutching her pillow.

With this thought, she really couldn't bring herself to turn her away, especially since she had done a lot of self-mental preparation lately and could now block out thoughts like "middle-aged man sharing a bed with an unrelated minor" from her mind, mitigating her sense of moral guilt.

"Alright, then, Mom will sleep with you."

Maybe there is something off with me now?

Emerald Sparrow thought self-deprecatingly, but her face remained expressionless as she climbed into bed with Bai Jingxuan.

Although the room had only a single bed, Emerald Sparrow herself was petite, and Bai Jingxuan was just a child, so it did not feel too cramped for two. In fact, Emerald Sparrow generally had a low body temperature, while Bai Jingxuan was like a little furnace, so when Bai Jingxuan crawled under the blanket, the originally somewhat chilly bed warmed up considerably.

Honestly, it was quite comfortable.

That thought passed through Emerald Sparrow's mind, but she quickly shook her head, trying to shake off such dangerous thoughts.

And most crucially, Emerald Sparrow had once shared a bed with Xia Liang due to some serendipitous circumstances. Compared to Xia Liang's sleep-disruptive sleeping posture, Bai Jingxuan's was remarkably tidy.

Unlike her usual clingy demeanor, Bai Jingxuan, saying she wanted to sleep, really meant just sleeping. She didn't move about, and she stayed neatly on her side of the bed, not encroaching on Emerald Sparrow's space at all. Such civilized behavior made Emerald Sparrow feel guilty for her prior wariness and couldn't help but steal a glance at Bai Jingxuan.

Then, she found Bai Jingxuan's eyes staring straight at her.

— "Pfft, cough, cough, cough..."

Emerald Sparrow nearly choked up, coughing fiercely.

"What's wrong, Mom?" Bai Jingxuan asked with concern.

"...Nothing, just suddenly felt an itch in my throat."

Emerald Sparrow tried to suppress the strange quiver in her voice, maintaining a calm tone. "What about you? Why aren't you sleeping and just watching me?"

"I want to see when Mom falls asleep," Bai Jingxuan honestly replied.

"...Is it important when I fall asleep?" Emerald Sparrow asked curiously.

"Yes."

"Why?" Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire

"Because then I can hold Mom while sleeping..." Bai Jingxuan said in almost an inaudible voice, also tucking her lower face further into the blanket.

"...Can't you sleep like this?" Emerald Sparrow looked at the ceiling.

"Yes."

"Then why not just hug me directly?"

After a brief thought, Emerald Sparrow turned on her side to face Bai Jingxuan. "Mom doesn't mind such a request from you."

"Because Mom seems to dislike sleeping close to others."

Bai Jingxuan blinked her eyes visible from the blanket. "I guessed."