Emerald Sparrow looked at the girl in front of her, her heart stirring slightly.
It wasn't because of the girl's clothing and appearance, as she disliked judging people by their looks.
Instead, it was the "cat cat" the girl mentioned, which was obviously Moke, who had been following them around.
Ordinary people couldn't see fairies like Moke, and they often couldn't even sense the presence of fairies, which showed that the girl before her was no ordinary person.
Combining her question with Lin Xiaolu's reaction behind her, it wasn't hard to deduce that she was the girl with "magic power talent," the very person they were looking for.
"You, when did you sneak up here!"
Somehow, Lin Xiaolu had already hidden behind Emerald Sparrow, facing the girl with a somewhat blustering courage, "I clearly saw you and your group walking ahead!"
"Walking ahead... ah, I found an excuse to split off from them."
The girl blinked her eyes and smiled, "Because I saw you following me, I wanted to come over and ask what you were doing."
"Seeing me? Impossible!"
Lin Xiaolu shook her head and pointed at the girl, "With so many people on the street, I have been blending into the crowd, how could you have noticed that I was tracking you!"
"But, you are wearing the uniform of the same school as me."
As the girl said this, she tilted her head, "In this area, I only saw you as a fellow student, so you stood out in my eyes."
"The same school? Don't try to explain it with that kind of reason..."
Halfway through her sentence, as if realizing something, Lin Xiaolu took a closer look at the girl's appearance, then exclaimed with shock, "Ah, I remember now! That group of bad girls from our grade, you're one of them!"
The term "bad girl" caught the attention of Emerald Sparrow beside her; she couldn't help but take another glance at the girl.
With her makeup, dyed hair, and pierced ears, this look could indeed be considered "bad girl" at the middle school level, but there wasn't any manifestation of the "bad" element.
"Bad girl group... hahaha."
The girl didn't show any clear aversion to the term, and even laughed as though she had heard something amusing, "That's a funny way to refer to us. Is that how the school calls us? Or is it your original creation?"
Lin Xiaolu didn't answer but stepped back a couple of steps and grabbed onto Emerald Sparrow, "Emerald Sparrow, this person is very dangerous!"
"Dangerous?" The girl seemed puzzled by such a label.
Lin Xiaolu spoke with conviction, "I've seen girls like her in that bad girl group bullying other girls before!"
"But I've never bullied anyone."
The girl retorted, "That's slander!"
"Even if you haven't bullied anyone, your appearance is still corrupting public morals!"
"This is simply dressing oneself normally."
The girl pouted, "Isn't it better for a girl to make herself look a little more fashionable?"
"Because it's too shameful!"
Lin Xiaolu shook her head repeatedly, "Dressing like that is one thing, but that group flirts with boys every day! There was even one who got suspended for being in an empty classroom with a boy..."
"Doing it with your boyfriend, huh? That wasn't me either."
The girl raised an eyebrow, sounding a bit exasperated, "And I haven't even been flirting with guys because I think dating is such a hassle. I've properly turned down every confession that I should."
"Doing... Why did you just say that word outright, you, are you a hooligan?"
Lin Xiaolu's cheeks flushed with a mix of shame and annoyance, "Even if I haven't done that kind of thing, you dressed up like that is meant to attract the attention of boys, isn't it!"
"Well, that part is true."
The girl admitted frankly, though her smile remained serene and she looked rather innocent, "But don't you find the reactions of the boys amusing? The way they want to look but are too shy to actually do it is so funny."
"You actually, actually..." Lin Xiaolu was truly flustered.
Seeing that the topic of the girls' conversation was veering off course, Emerald Sparrow finally couldn't help stepping in, sighed, and interrupted them, "Ladies, could you both pause for a moment, please?"
She gestured towards the side, indicating, "I won't comment on whatever issues you have with each other, but making a commotion in the street like this is really not appropriate. Look, people around us are already watching."
Only then did Lin Xiaolu and the girl stop to look around and realized that indeed, many people were watching them and some were even taking photos with their phones.
It wasn't hard to understand why: three youthful-looking girls, one of whom was quite young, all standing together. Each one fresh-faced and cute, almost like idol celebrities, arguing on the street—it wouldn't be surprising for people to think it was a new pop group filming a variety show or a web video.
To avoid drawing further attention, which would make many topics unapproachable, Emerald Sparrow took the lead and brought up a suggestion, breaking the increasingly outrageous conversation by pointing in a different direction, "Have you thought about going somewhere else to talk this out?"
Upon hearing this, the girl first looked startled, then smiled with a touch of confusion, "Eh? But, I don't even know what you guys do, why should I follow you?"
"We're tracking you."
Emerald Sparrow stated flatly, "Because you're special, and we have something to discuss with you."
"Tracking?"
The girl immediately covered her mouth, showing a somewhat scared expression, "How can that be, actually being tracked, what do you want to do? I'm feeling unsafe and confused, can I pay you to let me go?"
"Since you approached us on your own, it's obvious that you're actually interested, right?"
Emerald Sparrow did not comment on her somewhat exaggerated act but continued in a calm tone, "Up to now, you're still curious about that pink cat flying in the air, aren't you?"
"Well... maybe?" The girl's response was still noncommittal.
Magic Power, seeing that Emerald Sparrow mentioned her, fluttered her wings and moved towards them, about to speak and showcase herself, but she was stopped by a look from Emerald Sparrow. Intimidated by her authority, she obediently waited there, silent.
"I can tell you that all your vague sensations are correct—they all truly exist."
Emerald Sparrow kept Magic Power in check and turned back to the girl, hands on her hips, "Whether it's the attraction you sense from that pink cat or the inexplicable sense of danger you felt when you saw me, it's all real."
"If you want to know why, then come with me."
Seeing a touch of astonishment finally appear in the girl's expression, clearly struck by her words, she felt the timing was about right, a good moment for a display of 'catch-and-release' tactics. So, she lifted her chin, her demeanor turning slightly haughty: "I'm not going to force you. You can refuse right now and leave, but my invitation won't come a second time."
With that said, she turned and walked away, leaving the girl staring at her retreating back.
And Magic Power and Lin Xiaolu also quickly caught on; Magic Power immediately fluttered her wings to catch up, while Lin Xiaolu turned back to give the girl a fierce glare, then hurried to follow Emerald Sparrow.
"...Ah, can't help it, in the end, I'm the one who got hooked,"
The girl paused for a moment, then let out a somewhat resigned smile and stepped forward, following the others.