I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 19 The Battle at the Dining Table

It was getting late afternoon.

After placing the last dish on the table, Shen Zixin took a deep breath before inviting each member of the family to come and eat.

After everyone was seated, a rare sight appeared at the dining table: five people together in one frame.

Shen Zixin felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He Yuran was to his left and Noah was to his right.

Both girls wore identical smiles. However, to Shen Zixin, those smiles seemed rather terrifying…

Across the table sat sisters Lu Yue and Qin Xiaoling.

Lu Yue was staring at her younger brother, who was in trouble, with an expression of "I knew it."

Qin Xiaoling kept glancing between He Yuran and Noah, her expression filled with worry and a hint of... well, anticipation?

He Yuran, needless to say, went shopping with Shen Zixin, and after returning to his home, she naturally asked to stay for dinner.

Because He Yuran often stayed at home for meals, Shen Zixin didn't initially think there was anything wrong with it.

It wasn't until he took out his phone to check with his sister and older sister to see if they wanted to come back for dinner that he suddenly remembered that there was now a Noah in the house!

So, after Noah returned home, the scene evolved into what it is now.

The aroma of food wafted through the air, yet no one dared to pick up their chopsticks. Everyone remained in this awkward situation.

"—I didn't expect Noah to be having dinner at Axin's house too."

Finally, He Yuran broke the silence first. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze skipping over Shen Zixin who was blocking the way, and looked at Noah with a smile.

"Yes," Noah returned a similar smile to He Yuran, "After all, I'll be staying here for a while, so I'll be having dinner at Zixin's place."

With just one sentence, the tension in the air instantly escalated to a level that could trigger an explosion.

He Yuran's smile remained, but a hint of gloom seemed to have settled on it. Her gaze shifted to Shen Zixin. "Noah's actually going to live at Axin's house? How come I didn't know anything about this?"

"Because I'm staying at Zixin's house," Noah replied casually, "there's no need to report this to others, is there?"

"..."

In an instant, He Yuran's smile vanished. Beneath that warm facade, indifference and anger surged forth.

But then, as if remembering something more important, she suppressed the emotion that was about to burst forth.

"There probably aren't any extra bedrooms in A-Xin's house, right? Where do you sleep at night?"

Here it comes!

Shen Zixin smiled bitterly to herself, "I've finally stepped on a landmine."

"Of course, I'll sleep with Zixin."

Noah's answer was understated.

Then, time seemed to stretch on endlessly, and everyone fell silent.

Given Shen Zixin's understanding of He Yuran, this provocation, which bordered on a direct declaration of sovereignty, made it entirely possible for He Yuran to overturn the table on the spot.

He felt a headache coming on and instinctively raised his hands to press on his temples.

Lu Yue, sitting opposite her, sighed, her eyes revealing a sense of "young people really have a lot of energy"—even though she herself was only twenty-eight years old, and by some definitions, she could still be considered young.

Qin Xiaoling subconsciously swallowed, awaiting the impending storm.

However, the expected thunderous wrath did not materialize.

He Yuran simply stared at Noah for a few seconds, her various emotions eventually settling into calm. Her gaze slowly shifted from Noah back to the food in front of her.

"I see."

As she spoke, she reached out, picked up the chopsticks on the table, took a piece of meat, mixed it with rice, and put it in her mouth.

This sudden calm is more unsettling than any violent outburst.

However, the tense atmosphere eased considerably. Since someone had started eating, the others seemed to receive some kind of signal and gradually began to eat as well.

The table finally regained some life, preventing the food from getting completely cold before we even started eating.

Over the next few minutes, the atmosphere at the dinner gradually warmed up under a strange facade of peace.

He Yuran smiled again and began to talk about the various interesting things that happened during her shopping trip with Shen Zixin today (of course, omitting Ling Bo's part).

Then, she recounted their shared experiences during their childhood and high school years. She only highlighted those moments that demonstrated their close bond, her words filled with the tacit understanding and warmth that only childhood sweethearts possess.

Whenever she spoke of something she was proud of, she would look at Noah with a victorious smile—

See? The bond between me and Axin that has lasted for over a decade is not something that a "fish-stealing cat" like you, who suddenly appears out of nowhere, can easily shake.

However, Noah seemed completely unconcerned. Her smile remained unchanged as she listened quietly to He Yuran's story.

This calm made He Yuran's attacks seem like hitting cotton, completely ineffective.

Shen Zixin ate his dinner in silence, but he was well aware of the unspoken war between the two girls—

For Noah, the "precious memories" that He Yuran mentioned were things that she "herself" had already experienced, and they had no impact whatsoever.

However, for He Yuran, the core of the problem is that she never truly believed that Noah was "the future Shen Zixin".

When they talked about Noah while strolling on the street during the day, He Yuran showed disdain.

"Ah Xin, don't believe Noah's nonsense! From any angle, that woman has absolutely nothing in common with you! She's just a pretentious magical girl!"

Yes, even with Shen Zixin's ability to transform into the magical girl Rei Ayanami as evidence, and Noah's ability to accurately foresee the future, and even possessing the incredible power to help others awaken as magical girls—

He Yuran still stubbornly believes that Noah is a magical girl with ulterior motives. The so-called "future Axin" is just a persona she created to get close to Shen Zixin.

"Because, that guy's 'heart' is completely different from yours, Ah Xin's! That cold, iron-hearted feeling... how could I possibly accept that kind of guy as you, Ah Xin!"

This was He Yuran's explanation. However, this explanation left Shen Zixin somewhat confused—"Inner self"? Did it refer to personality?

Even when asked, He Yuran only said it was "a feeling," indicating that she couldn't explain it clearly.

Finally, after dinner, Shen Zixin stood up as if she had been granted a pardon and began to clear the table of dishes.

It's finally over—

Just as Shen Zixin breathed a sigh of relief, He Yuran's voice came again—

"Ah Xin, may I stay the night?"