After returning home and before her mother finished preparing breakfast, Yan Qi hurried upstairs to take a hot shower.
Freshly changed and invigorated by the effects of the Spiritual Vortex Technique, she hummed a cheerful tune as she headed downstairs to join her parents for breakfast.
Once the meal was over and the chores were done, she glanced at the wall clock in the living room.
Remembering her promise to Old Man Wu the day before—that she would find a way to cure his daughter’s leukemia—Yan Qi hesitated.
Her parents were still in the living room, and sneaking out by transforming into Electronic Diva carried the risk of being discovered. Recalling what she had told her mother yesterday, she spoke up.
“Mom, I need to go out for a bit.”
“Oh? What for?” Li Caifeng, who had been watching TV with her husband, turned to look at her daughter.
Yan Qi quickly replied, “Didn’t I tell you yesterday? I want to pay back the money you lent me for the new phone by the end of the month, so I thought I’d go out and look for a job.”
“Looking for a job now? Xiao Qi, that’s not a good idea,” Li Caifeng said, frowning.
“Huh? Why not?” Yan Qi blinked, feigning confusion. She had hoped this excuse would let her slip out unnoticed.
Before her mother could answer, Yan Zhenyi cut in.
“Xiao Qi, I do support you earning your own money, but after the terrorist attack at Fangfeng City’s train station, plus the government’s announcement about supernaturals and Abyssal Beasts, things are chaotic out there. It’s better if you stay home this month instead of job-hunting.”
Hearing this, Yan Qi finally understood her parents’ reluctance.
Her excuse had been shot down.
Annoyed but careful not to show it, she quickly adjusted her approach.
“Alright, I get it. Then… can I at least look for some online part-time work?”
“You can, but be careful. Don’t get scammed,” her mother warned.
“I’ll be careful! I’ll go upstairs and check now.”
“Go ahead.”
“Thanks!”
With her parents’ permission, Yan Qi retreated to her room on the second floor.
“So I can’t leave the house normally. That means I’ll have to use Electronic Diva’s transformation to sneak out. I just hope Mom and Dad don’t knock on my door while I’m gone.”
After a quick prayer, she locked her door.
Then, visualizing the Electronic Diva Transformation Card in her mind, she waited until its outline solidified—and in the next instant, she transformed.
“I need to wrap this up in fifteen minutes.”
Muttering to herself, she placed a hand on her computer.
Her body dissolved into streams of data, merging with the internet.
Following the digital pathways, she traced the information she had gotten from Old Man Wu and soon arrived at the hospital where his leukemia-stricken daughter, Wu Qingqing, was being treated.
“This is the place. Good. Now, find a spot to rematerialize.”
Checking the hospital’s security cameras to confirm her location, she searched for a secluded area where she could safely revert to her physical form.
Soon, she found a rarely used storage room.
Perfect.
Once there, she rematerialized.
After ensuring no one was around, she dismissed the Electronic Diva form and activated another card—Fox Loli.
In a flash, her appearance shifted: a petite girl in pale red Hanfu, a large gourd strapped to her back, a fluffy tail swaying behind her, and fox ears twitching atop her head.
Without hesitation, she slipped out of the room.
The sharp scent of disinfectant hung in the hospital hallway, but the newly transformed Fox Loli Yan Qi didn’t mind.
Recalling the details she had memorized, she strode confidently toward Wu Qingqing’s room.
Her unusual appearance—a child in cosplay garb, complete with animal features—drew bewildered stares from doctors, nurses, and patients alike.
But she ignored them.
Soon, she reached the right door.
Knocking lightly, she called out, “Hello? Is this Wu Qingqing’s room?”
A weak voice responded.
The girl on the bed turned her head—and froze in shock at the sight of the fox-eared girl in the doorway.
“Uh… who are you? What do you want?”
“I’m Hu Yao’er. The doctor your father hired to cure your leukemia.”
Yan Qi’s reply was blunt.
“Hu Yao’er?!”
Before Wu Qingqing could react, the woman sitting beside her bed shot to her feet, towering over Yan Qi with wide eyes.
“You’re the Hu Yao’er who used supernatural powers to save people during the Fangfeng Station terrorist attack a few days ago?”
Yan Qi’s breath hitched.
She recognized this woman instantly.
“Bai Yuling?! Why is she here?!”
Her mind raced.
The last time she had seen Bai Yuling was at Longyuan Elementary School—during another crisis.
What was she doing in this hospital?
And more importantly—
How was Yan Qi going to explain herself now?