"Too... too beautiful, too cute, too tempting, senior!"
Among those who were most enthusiastic about taking photos, Hong Siyu probably topped the list. Aside from the constant flashing of the camera on her phone, her lavish praise continued to flow:
"The national fashion magazine should have you as their cover model... no, their annual cover model!"
"Is it really that exaggerated?" Emerald Sparrow couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
"Well, well, do I even need to say it? If you walk up and down the streets of the Royal Capital right now, I'm afraid all the girls passing by would look at you with eyes filled with stunned admiration!"
Hong Siyu was so excited her face turned beet red, "Ah, to see you dressed up so well for once, I would die with no regrets right now..."
"Don't seek death for such a trivial reason."
Emerald Sparrow sighed helplessly, "So, what you're saying is that the way I'm dressed right now is very conspicuous?"
—"To quantify it, if your head-turning score was originally 70 when walking down the street, it's now reached 90. Does that feel about right?" Xia Liang, who was also taking photos with her phone, pondered.
"What's a head-turning score?"
"It roughly means 'how strongly you want to turn your head for another look after seeing this person.'"
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Xia Liang giggled, holding up a finger, "How about that, doesn't it sound vivid?"
"... I think I should go back and get them to make a more low-key set of clothes." Emerald Sparrow critically examined her cheongsam and then came to this conclusion.
"Don't, senior, it's great just the way it is!"
"Yeah, yeah, it's such a beautiful outfit, it would be such a waste to send it back!"
However, this decision was quickly persuaded against by a chorus of objections.
In the end, Emerald Sparrow had to accept the fact that she would likely have to dress prominently in public for some time, and despite Hong Siyu's objections, removed the faux jewelry that altered the appearance of her outfit.
The reassuring dark blue dress returned to her.
After a day's work had ended and the tasks had been mostly taken care of, Emerald Sparrow casually did some housekeeping, watched TV with Lin Xiaolu and Bai Jingxuan, and then prepared that day's dinner with Asou Haruka.
It wasn't until dinner time that the trio from Bai An City squad, who had been nowhere to be seen earlier, finally came down from upstairs.
Although Emerald Sparrow did not know what the three had been doing earlier, according to the information she had, it must be because Mu Baihe had achieved her purpose of coming to Fangting City and discussed when to return to Bai An.
The conversation during dinner later confirmed Emerald Sparrow's thoughts.
Having found a clue to the "Gate of Ascension," Mu Baihe naturally had no reason to linger in Fangting City any longer. Together with Bai Ji, they made amends at the dining table for the argument the day before, and once again bid farewell to the Fangting City squad.
The day of departure was set for the following week, about a week before Fangting City's team would leave for the national examinations.
Even for a Magical Girl, traveling between cities repeatedly was not an easy task, so this farewell would likely mean they wouldn't see each other for quite some time.
"Then, since that's the case, we really should throw a proper farewell party, shouldn't we?" that's what Xia Liang said at the dinner table.
"No, no, no, we have already been enough of a bother during this time, there's no need to spend extra effort on this matter."
Bai Ji immediately declined, "Besides, you all need to go to the national examinations soon, time is very precious, and we shouldn't take any more of your time."
"But if we leave without doing anything, we wouldn't feel right either."
Off to the side, Hong Siyu spoke up, "Even if we only use one evening, shouldn't we do something?"
Bai Ji wanted to dissent again, but before he could speak, Lin Xiaolu suddenly chimed in.
—"Do something... isn't that just a temple fair?"
She spoke with her chopsticks in her mouth, a matter-of-fact expression on her face, "The timing matches up, the schedule matches up, there's a New Year's prayer festival at the temple at the month's end, let's all just go together."
This proposal left everyone at the table in a brief silence.
Then, aside from Bai Ji, who was still struggling, and Bai Jingxuan, who didn't know what a "temple fair" was, it was unanimously approved by everyone in the restaurant.