Fangting City’s First Social Welfare Institute was located in Lixing District and was one of only two large welfare institutions in the city.
Children who had lost their parents due to accidents and had no one to care for them, as well as elderly individuals without family support, could be placed here with their consent under the city's governnt care. The institute provided them with relatively comprehensive assistance.
The welfare institute covered a vast area, with nearly 3,000 beds and a staff of over 400. It also had fairly good dical resources, enough to provide rehabilitation and therapy for elderly residents and children with disabilities.
Bai Jingxuan had lived here for three years.
Over these three years, she had grown from a confused and naive child into soone who could understand the world around her. Most of the other children at the institute ca and went, adopted into new families after a short stay. But she was the one left behind—like a piece of unwanted produce at a marketplace.
The truth was, Bai Jingxuan wasn’t particularly difficult to get along with. She was quiet and well-mannered. Compared to other eleven-year-olds, or even older children, she often appeared more mature in her words and actions.
In terms of appearance, she was quite cute—fair-skinned, with delicate features, and a chin-length bob that frad her face. Her choice of clothing and slightly boyish deanor only added to her charm.
But the dical eye patch covering her left eye revealed an undeniable truth: sothing was wrong with her eye.
In fact, she was missing it entirely.
And that wasn’t her only issue. She also suffered from a congenital illness that couldn’t be diagnosed or cured, causing intermittent dizziness and fatigue. In severe cases, she would even lose control of certain body parts.
Because of these conditions, couples who had initially considered adopting her would hesitate upon learning the truth—so even backed out imdiately. Over ti, no one was willing to take her in.
And so, three years passed, and Bai Jingxuan remained at the welfare institute.
People occasionally asked if she was sad about it. But to her, life here wasn’t so bad. The caretakers were kind and took good care of her. The elderly residents liked her and often invited her to chat with them. Even the head of the institute, Aunt Liu, frequently checked in on her.
Perhaps the only downside was the loneliness.
Lately, she had developed a habit of spending her afternoons alone in the shaded corners of the courtyard, quietly reading.
This was a new habit. In the past, she had never specifically sought out quiet places—she preferred livelier environnts. As long as she had soone to talk to, even briefly, she felt a sense of comfort.
The reason for this change was simple: she had a secret.
Or, to be more precise, she had made a new friend.
"Xiaoxuan! I’m here!"
A cheerful voice called from above.
As expected, on this agreed-upon afternoon, Bai Jingxuan's awaited guest arrived.
She set down her book, glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then discreetly waved at her "friend" and whispered, "Good afternoon, Miss Fairy."
She had made friends with a fairy.
This friend looked like a small pink cat, no larger than her two hands put together. It had a pair of transparent wings on its back, fluttering gently as it hovered in the air. Tiny orbs of light drifted around it, making it look just like the fairies from storybooks.
"I've told you so many tis! Just call 'Moko'—calling 'fairy' feels way too distant!"
Moko descended slowly as it spoke, sounding almost indignant.
"It’s just like how I wouldn’t call you 'human'—it’s actually kind of rude, you know?"
"Mm, got it, Moko." Bai Jingxuan obediently nodded.
She had t Moko just a few days ago, one afternoon.
She had been passing by this spot when, due to the sweltering sumr heat, she impulsively decided to rest in the shade for a while. That simple decision led to her first encounter with the airborne fairy.
At first, she didn’t even know what a fairy was. She had simply spotted a floating cat and, finding it fascinating, struck up a conversation.
What shocked her even more was that the cat could talk.
It was then that she learned this creature was what people called a "fairy."
Moko was witty and loved chatting with her. It shared all kinds of fairy-tale-like stories, and before long, the conversation turned to sothing else—Magical Girls.
Bai Jingxuan knew about Magical Girls.
In fact, a Magical Girl had saved her life.
When she was eight years old, her parents had taken her to the hospital for a routine check-up related to her congenital illness. That day, they encountered a Ravager.
She had no idea what was happening at the ti. She only rembered sitting in the hospital lobby, chatting and laughing with her parents, when suddenly, a powerful shockwave ripped through the building.
A frenzied Ravager had crashed into the hospital, going on a rampage.
The hospital was devastated by the attack. Many doctors, nurses, and patients lost their lives that day. Later, Bai Jingxuan overheard people saying it was the deadliest incident in Fangting City in the past decade.
In that tragedy, she lost her parents. She lost her left eye.
Yet, she alone survived.
A Magical Girl had arrived just in ti, saving the remaining civilians and defeating the Ravager.
At the ti, she had been too young to grasp the concept of life and death. But as she grew older, she ca to understand just how much she owed that Magical Girl.
So, she had always admired them.
But in Moko’s stories, Magical Girls weren’t the untouchable, radiant figures that others imagined. Instead, they were real—flawed and human.
Moko shared amusing anecdotes about them, claiming to know the Magical Girls of Fangting City personally.
According to Moko, so of them flunked their school exams. So were so clumsy they couldn't even figure out how to use their magic. Others were outright bullies who liked to pick on fairies.
Bai Jingxuan wasn’t sure how much of it was true, or if Moko was exaggerating. So of its remarks were even negative.
But she still found them interesting.
And, strangely, her admiration for Magical Girls grew even stronger.
Because she realized—if Magical Girls were just normal people, then their willingness to fight and protect others was even more remarkable.
Then, two days ago, as she and Moko were chatting under the afternoon sun, Moko suddenly said sothing unexpected.
"Xiaoxuan, did you know? You could beco a Magical Girl too!"
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