I'm a magical girl in the future

Chapter 11 Conversation

After listening to Noah's account, Shen Zixin fell into a long silence.

Although he did not personally experience these things, Noah's account was enough for him to understand some of the pain and darkness that Noah had encountered.

Moreover, according to her previous statement, this was only the beginning of all the misfortunes.

So what kind of despair did she bear alone for the next ten years or so?

Noah, standing before him, maintained a calm expression. But beneath that calm lay a heart riddled with wounds.

However, Shen Zixin noticed that in the story just now, Xiaoling, Ye Han, and Noah all had their stories explained. But among the magical girls who survived that calamity, there was one whose final fate was not mentioned in her narration—

"After what happened tonight, what happened to He Yuran?" Shen Zixin asked. "What happened to her afterwards?"

"She... is probably the one in the best situation among the four of us."

Noah's expression was a mixture of nostalgia, sadness, and... hatred.

"Although she was also seriously injured, she was not seriously injured and recovered quickly. In the time that followed, she naturally became my most trusted companion."

"We developed a deep affection for each other and vowed to be together forever. I once believed that this kind of life would continue forever."

"Even though I've lost so much, I still have her by my side, and that's enough. Until... she betrayed everything, personally leading this world into that abyss of destruction, becoming that demon."

Hearing about this again put Shen Zixin in a dilemma.

...Although Noah had mentioned at the beginning that He Yuran was a future villain, Shen Zixin subconsciously took those words as a joke.

"You weren't joking about that, were you?"

"Do you think I would joke about something like this?" Noah looked at him, her expression extremely serious.

"Let me tell you, even at this point in time, He Yuran, who seems harmless, probably already has such thoughts deep down."

"How is this possible?"

Shen Zixin felt that this statement was absurd.

"If people's personalities and behaviors can undergo significant changes due to their experiences over the next decade or so, I admit that's entirely possible. But right now, He Yuran is just an ordinary college student like me. How could she possibly have any dark thoughts?"

"ordinary?"

Noah smiled softly, a bitter smile tinged with sadness.

"The 'ordinary' itself is an incredibly fragile existence. It's normal that you can't understand it now, after all, you haven't yet witnessed how vulnerable those 'everyday' things and 'bonds' are in the face of extreme malice."

After saying that, Noah turned around.

"As for He Yuran's inner thoughts, I can also help you get a glimpse. Suppose someone suddenly tells you that in the distant future, you will become a supervillain who commits all kinds of evil and brings huge disasters to the world. What would your first reaction be?"

Shen Zixin answered without hesitation, "Of course I would refute it immediately! How could I possibly do such a thing?"

"Very good. So do you remember what He Yuran's first reaction was this afternoon when I told her that she was the ultimate mastermind behind the destruction of the world?"

"Huh?" Shen Zixin was slightly taken aback.

He recalled the conversation at the time, and after realizing the problem, his expression gradually turned somewhat ugly.

"That's right."

Noah turned around and stared intently at Shen Zixin.

"He Yuran did not deny that she would do such a thing. Her first reaction was to ask me why I didn't just kill her now and solve all the problems."

"Because deep in her subconscious, she had no doubt that she was capable of doing such a thing."

After Noah finished speaking, the two fell silent again. Only the sounds of cars driving and horns echoed from the road, and the occasional passerby glanced at them casually.

For Shen Zixin, it was simply unacceptable that her childhood sweetheart harbored such a secret.

As for Noah, she also knew that this was not a piece of information that Shen Zixin could accept immediately.

The two sides stood there in place.

"Well, let's change the subject." After a long while, Noah's face broke into its usual smile again. "Talking about such awful topics all the time is making me feel bad."

Shen Zixin nodded, and the two continued to stroll along the streets at night, as if trying to dispel the heaviness brought about by their previous conversation.

Although Shen Zixin still had many questions in her mind, such as why He Yuran would do those things in the future, and the inside story of the Civil Defense Bureau—

But some things are better left unexplored; there will be many more opportunities to ask later. So, let's leave these topics at that.

The two walked side by side in silence for a while. Shen Zixin looked at Noah beside her and finally spoke: "Do you have any specific plans for the future?"

"Hmm? Well... the main task is, of course, to save the world."

Noah's tone had shifted back to its usual languid and calm manner.

"Of course, you should also help 'me' out of the way, so you can avoid some detours. After all, I've already suffered enough, there's no need for you to fall into the same traps."

Shen Zixin smiled. Although he was touched by Noah's answer, that wasn't what he actually meant.

"I mean, something more specific. Like, where are you planning to spend the night? A hotel?"

"Hmm?" Noah was clearly surprised by the question, and she looked a little confused. "This... shouldn't be something I need to think about, right? I can just go home."

Shen Zixin was stunned; for a moment, he didn't understand what Noah meant.

Going home? Does she even have a home in this era? Could it be… wait, she wouldn't be referring to…

"You...you don't mean...you're planning to live in my house?" Shen Zixin belatedly realized what was going on.

Noah blinked. "What nonsense are you talking about? Isn't that 'my' house? Does it mean anything else?"

"..."

Shen Zixin felt her head start to hurt.

"Then you should know very well that there are only three bedrooms in 'your' house right now. Me, Xiaoling, and my older sister are already enough to fill the room. There are no extra guest rooms for you to stay in."

"Hmm?" Noah stretched out her slender fingers and touched her chin. "Isn't 'my' bed pretty big? There's plenty of room for another person to sleep in."

Shen Zixin rubbed her forehead: "Are you serious?"

"Otherwise what?"

Noah feigned surprise: "Or are you really willing to let a pitiful and beautiful girl like me sleep on the streets in the cold night?"

She blinked her watery eyes, and with her sailor uniform and petite figure, she could indeed be described as pitiful.

"..." Shen Zixin was speechless.

Shen Zixin didn't necessarily have to pretend to be a gentleman—if other women, even He Yuran, wanted to sleep with him, he wouldn't feel that much of a burden.

But what do you call it to let your future self, who is biologically female, sleep in the same bed with you?

Or should I let her sleep on the sofa in the living room?

However, looking at this face that had just revealed such a heavy past, Shen Zixin found it hard to speak.