"You're right, that day, it was indeed I who called her back."
Lin Xiaolu immediately curled up her lips, "I knew it, so it was you and Emerald Sparrow..."
"But it's not because there's any romantic relationship between us."
Lin Yun slightly narrowed his eyes, "The real connection between her and me is actually you."
"...Me?" Lin Xiaolu was suddenly stunned.
"Yes. The reason I could contact her is that I'm your father, and she's your senior and happens to be your mother's friend."
Lin Yun nodded, "She came back, not because of me, but to protect you, to protect all of you."
"Then, why do you know so much about the magic side of things..." Lin Xiaolu said in a low voice.
"Because I'm actually from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."
Lin Yun, with a deadpan face, made up his mind internally and finally decided to lay out this truth: "I've been an insider at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau for a very long time, and now I've returned to work there."
However, he slightly modified the truth, omitting the fact that he was "airdropped" in, instead adopting the story that Golden Green Cat's Eye had created for him when fabricating his false resume.
And this fact was seemingly significant enough to Lin Xiaolu that she forgot to speak for a moment.
"You... are from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"
After a while, she finally asked, seeming a bit slow on the uptake, "How is that possible? I've been to your workplace when I was young, and it wasn't the Abnormal Strategy Bureau..."
"That's because I used to be just an external staff member, registered to assist your mother's actions."
Since he had started lying, Lin Yun went all the way with his fabrication, "Later, the director of the Bureau had a problem, and my qualifications just happened to be enough, so I returned to the Abnormal Strategy Bureau a few days ago, and now I'm the current director."
This word clearly baffled Lin Xiaolu even more because she had never seen such a high-ranking official in her life.
"Dad, you're the director of the Abnormal Strategy Bureau?"
Then, she let out an ear-piercing exclamation.
"Quiet, do you want the neighbors to hear?" Lin Yun quickly covered her mouth, "This isn't something you can just talk about outside!"
"But, isn't it... the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, director?"
Lin Xiaolu, looking a bit dazed, said, "So I'm actually the daughter of an official?"
"No, you're not, our family doesn't have much power, I am just me, and you are just you."
Lin Yun tapped on the cutting board, "And I think you need to realize, being a Magical Girl is actually more important than the position at the Abnormal Strategy Bureau..."
——"So that's why you knew I became a Magical Girl?" But Lin Xiaolu interrupted him before he could finish.
"That's right." Lin Yun simply went along with this logic and continued the story, "I am a person from the Abnormal Strategy Bureau, so Hong Siyu came to me right away and told me things related to you."
"So, is that why you've always ignored what I do?"
"Yes, because even the secret base where you guys are living now is a location provided by the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."
"The first few days when I thought I was acting without you knowing, you actually knew exactly what I was doing?" Lin Xiaolu's expression was complicated.
"Not precisely, but I knew you were fighting for this city."
Lin Yun was vague, "I don't have such a severe need for control, I don't monitor what you do all the time."
"But if you're the director, why are we still not rich?"
Lin Xiaolu was puzzled, "Shouldn't it be easy for you to accept a little bribe and drive luxury cars and live in a mansion?"
"Your dad is a clean official, I don't take bribes."
Unable to refrain from patting his daughter on the head again, Lin Yun educated her, "Paying special attention to your information and giving the green light to your activities is already me abusing my private power, how could I do something like taking bribes."
"...So that's how it is."
Lin Xiaolu suddenly sighed, "I thought that..."
"You thought what?" Lin Yun glanced at her sideways.
"I thought you and Emerald Sparrow were dating, and that's why she told you all this."
For some reason, after the brief shock passed, Lin Xiaolu seemed a bit disappointed, "So it was because you are with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau."
"Rather, it's because I'm with the Abnormal Strategy Bureau that I got in touch with your senior Emerald Sparrow, and Hong Siyu."
Having cut the ingredients, Lin Yun ignited the stove and began to pour oil into the wok, "Today's afternoon scene included, that was indeed me, but not because I'm having a fling with someone, it was just accompanying Hong Siyu to pick out clothes."
"Picking out clothes isn't considered flirting?" Lin Xiaolu's eyes widened in astonishment.
"Professional attire, don't overthink it, just normal friend interaction."
Lin Yun averted his gaze feeling somewhat guilty, "Overall, there isn't any other implication here."
"So that woman truly was Hong Siyu, not her daughter or niece or something?" Lin Xiaolu continued to inquire.
"Yes, that was indeed her."
Lin Yun nodded, "You can ask her or Emerald Sparrow for the specific reasons, but that certainly is how she looks after regaining her Magical Girl powers."
Lin Xiaolu inexplicably breathed a sigh of relief.
"That's good. I was worried about the worst case scenario, wondering what if she was your illegitimate daughter."
She patted her chest, "If suddenly a sister popped up, I wouldn't know how to interact with her."
Lin Yun raised his hand, and Lin Xiaolu subconsciously dodged to the side, but instead of a knock on the forehead, she realized a palm open in front of her.
"Salt." Lin Yun stated succinctly.
"Oh." It was only then that Lin Xiaolu remembered she was helping with the cooking and picked up the bag of salt from the shelf nearby.