Chapter 59 – If a Person Has No Dreams, How Are They Any Different from a Salted Fish

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“Miss Lin Xi! Lead us ordinary people to conquer Z City No. 1 Middle School!” Su Xiangxue cried.

What was this, some hot-blooded high school delinquent drama??? Lin Xi did not feel fired up in the slightest.

“From the sound of it, you want me to stand shoulder to shoulder with Xia Xun? Become a school super-idol like her and make ordinary students understand that Magical Girls aren’t the only ones who can stand onstage-ordinary people can do it too?”

“No,” Su Xiangxue said solemnly, passion blazing in her voice. “Miss Lin Xi, you have to surpass Xia Xun!”

Lin Xi: “…”

“Good grief. You want me to become Z City’s ‘Annual Moe Queen’ too?”

“Of course,” Su Xiangxue admitted.

Lin Xi treated it like a joke.

Surpass Xia Xun?

With what?

By exposing her identity as a witch? Mm, sure, that would definitely put her at the top of Z City’s trending searches. And then… there would be no then. Xia Xun would absolutely take her out on the spot.

Lin Xi could tell now that Su Xiangxue had been bottling up some serious determination. “Miss Su Xiangxue, why are you so obsessed with having ordinary people compete against Magical Girls?”

“No way. You don’t hate Magical Girls, do you?”

Lin Xi found it hard to imagine that anyone could hate a perfect magical beauty girl like Xia Xun.

“No,” Su Xiangxue said, shaking her head. “How could I possibly hate Magical Girls? Miss Xia Xun’s greatness goes without saying.”

“Then why are you…”

“Miss Lin Xi, I’ll tell you a secret. You absolutely can’t tell anyone else.”

“No, you really shouldn’t tell me. My mouth is about as secure as a drawstring on old sweatpants.”

“I’m telling you anyway!”

Lin Xi: “…”

The sharp, capable class study committee member was also a willful child???

Such was the diversity of life, Lin Xi silently grumbled.

Since Su Xiangxue insisted on talking, Lin Xi could only tune in.

Su Xiangxue said, “I’m an ordinary person, but my older sister isn’t. Her name is Su Tang.”

“Huh???!!!” Lin Xi’s scalp tingled. “You’re the younger sister of Su Tang, our Z City’s Chief Magical Girl???”

“Then why did you come to school here in District 3?”

Su Xiangxue gave a bitter smile. “What do you think?”

“Ah-” Lin Xi’s thoughts spun, and realization dawned.

Su Xiangxue was an ordinary person, while her older sister was a Magical Girl-and not just any Magical Girl, but the strongest Magical Girl in Z City. Under the glow of her sister’s halo, Su Xiangxue had become practically irrelevant???

“You’re trying to compete with your Magical Girl sister???” Lin Xi asked. “Being ignored really is painful. Did even Su Tang herself ignore you, her own little sister???”

“No. My sister treats me very well. I was the one who insisted on leaving District 1, stepping out from under her halo, and coming to District 3 for school.”

“No, Miss Su Xiangxue, are you sick in the head?”

Su Xiangxue: “…”

Lin Xi went all in. “Since your sister treats you well, what are you pointlessly fighting for?”

“If I had a Magical Girl for an older sister, even if she treated me badly, I’d still cling to her shamelessly every single day!”

“With such a powerful sister, why struggle at all? Wouldn’t it be pure bliss to just lie flat and rot?”

Lin Xi’s declaration of giving up on life left Su Xiangxue stunned.

“Miss Lin Xi, if a person has no dreams, how are they any different from a salted fish?”

“Miss Su Xiangxue, my dream is to be a salted fish!”

Su Xiangxue instantly broke. She raised a hand, signaling for a pause in the conversation. She needed to sort out her thoughts.

Several minutes later, Su Xiangxue finally spoke. “Miss Lin Xi, I don’t look down on ordinary people. I am an ordinary person myself. I just want to prove that ordinary people are no worse than any Magical Girl or superpower user.”

“Then do it yourself,” Lin Xi said. “Start a fan club, become the school’s super-idol, beat Xia Xun at it step by step, and then beat your sister too.”

“No, I can’t,” Su Xiangxue said with a bitter smile. “Ever since I was little, no matter what I did, no matter how excellent I was, I could never be more excellent than my sister. So my confidence was worn away a long time ago.”

“Then I definitely can’t,” Lin Xi said. “I’ve never had any confidence to begin with.”

“No, Miss Lin Xi. You can do this.”

“I can’t.”

“You can.”

“I can’t.”

“Miss Lin Xi,” Su Xiangxue asked coldly, “are you picking a fight on purpose?”

Lin Xi: “…”

Given the current situation, who exactly was picking a fight on purpose here???

“Fine, have it your way.” Lin Xi was too lazy to argue with this girl.

Su Xiangxue said, “Like I said, if you’re going to get out there, the most important part is getting out there. Miss Lin Xi, you’re already ‘out’ in person, so your heart needs to come ‘out’ too. Be more confident!”

Up on the rooftop, the breeze was gentle, the sunlight was just right, and Su Xiangxue’s smile was warm.

Faced with a stubborn girl like this, one who showed every sign of becoming the queen of overachievers, Lin Xi knew there was no point trying to preach her “salted fish theory” to her.

In that case, she might as well go along with what Su Xiangxue wanted.

Just like she’d gone along with Zhao Xinning and agreed not to disband the fan club.

“You and the fan club can do whatever you want,” Lin Xi said. “Anyway, if I get popular, it’s not like I’ll lose anything.”

“Most likely, you’ll just be wasting your effort. I’m not going to get popular.”

Lin Xi didn’t want to be Zhao Kuangyin draped in the yellow robe of authority. What she really wanted was to become A lost cause.

Snuggling up with beautiful girls-if someone asked, “Are you happy here?” Lin Xi would definitely answer in a heartbeat, “I’m in heaven!”

Su Xiangxue said she would work with Zhao Xinning to properly run the “Lin Xi Fan Club.”

Make it bigger, make it stronger, and boldly create glory!

Lin Xi gave a dry chuckle. “I’m going to eat.”

“Mm. Go ahead.”

“You’re not eating?”

“I’m not hungry. I want to think some more about our plans going forward.”

“You’re going to climb back onto the water tower to think? I’d advise you not to. It’s pretty dangerous.”

“Thank you for your concern, Miss Lin Xi. You’re such a good person.”

Beep-Nice Person Card acquired… And just like that, after coming to this world, Lin Xi received her very first Nice Person Card.

Su Xiangxue didn’t listen to her advice, so Lin Xi could only give up.

“Miss Lin Xi! I’m not afraid of heights!” Standing on the water tower, Su Xiangxue waved at Lin Xi. “My sister has a spatial ability. She used to take me to play in really, really high places all the time!”

Lin Xi: “…”

Must be nice having a Magical Girl for a big sister…

She waved back at Su Xiangxue, then turned and left.

“Sigh…” Lin Xi sighed as she went down the stairs. “If Su Xiangxue knew I wasn’t an ordinary person, and that I’m even a witch, she’d definitely be both angry and sad…”

Lin Xi wasn’t afraid of Su Xiangxue. The girl had brought this on herself. What Lin Xi was afraid of was her sister…

“What’s so bad about being an ordinary person?”

“I want to be an ordinary person, but I can’t.”

“When am I finally going to achieve my dream of becoming a salted fish…?”

When Lin Xi came downstairs, Yang Shanshan, who had said she would wait to eat with her, really was waiting below.

“Miss Lin Xi, are you okay?” Yang Shanshan asked.

“What could possibly happen to me?” Lin Xi said lightly. “Come on, let’s go eat.”

“Oh.” Yang Shanshan walked beside Lin Xi. “Hurry and tell me. Who asked you to meet, and what did they want?”

Lin Xi gave Yang Shanshan a rough summary of what had happened on the rooftop.

Of course, she didn’t mention that Su Xiangxue was Su Tang’s younger sister.

For now, the secret could be considered safe. Lin Xi couldn’t guarantee she wouldn’t let it slip in the future.

Even if she did let it slip, that wouldn’t be her fault. Su Xiangxue was the one who’d insisted on telling her…

After hearing the whole story, Yang Shanshan declared excitedly:

“As expected of Miss Lin Xi!”

“Even the always clever and capable Miss Su Xiangxue has been conquered by your personal charm and willingly become your fangirl.”

“No, wait,” Lin Xi corrected her. “Don’t you think Su Xiangxue is using me to prove her point that ‘ordinary people can shine brighter than a Magical Girl’?”

“It does kind of feel that way. But,” Yang Shanshan said, “in my eyes, Miss Lin Xi, you’re already shining brighter than any Magical Girl.”

Lin Xi: “…”

So this was what a real fan was like, huh?… Lin Xi thought. Having a little fangirl like this actually felt pretty nice…

Footnote:

1. Salted Fish: A Chinese internet slang term for someone with no ambition who just wants to laze around or coast through life.