"I Became a Witch, but Now Everyone's in Love with Me!"

Chapter 66: He Qin Returns
 
“I’m back!”

Lina really knew how to enjoy herself.
Lying in the arms of a maid, she ate heart-shaped omelette rice and drank high-end black tea.
Only at times like this did Jiang Cha remember that this girl was the little princess of a big family—not some street girl.
"Well, you're back?"
Jiang Cha smiled gently and reached out to rub her little head. "That's great, Lina."
"Although my heart is broken into pieces, and each piece falls in love with a different girl, Chabao, you have to believe me—the piece that loves you is the biggest!"

Lina laughed as she said some cheesy love lines she must've picked up somewhere.
So oily.
“Ah~~”
Jiang Cha shuddered and scratched the goosebumps on her arms.
"Annie is the best, after all. The playboy loli should just be a loser."
“Hey! Tea treasure!!”
“Hahahaha~”

Even the maids couldn't help but laugh.
They were professionals and didn't laugh easily, but the expression on the golden-haired loli’s face was so vivid and funny they couldn’t hold back.
"You two have such a good relationship."
Anne sighed softly.
"Is there nothing about Lina in the future ~Nоvеl𝕚ght~ you saw?"

"Of course there is, but I can't tell you."
Annie shook her head with a mysterious smile. "Girls are more charming when they keep some mystery… You taught me that."
“Eh——”
Jiang Cha stretched out her voice, eyes rolling with amusement. "Did my future self tell you that even if Annie isn't mysterious, she’s still cute and attractive?"
“Hmm!”
The red-haired witch’s face turned red instantly.
Straight ball—breaking the defense!

“How cute.”
Jiang Cha gently rubbed Annie’s head.
Still very immature.
But just the right amount.
That feeling of pretending to be experienced in love but being easily flustered—it was exactly right, and very cute.
"Hmph~"
"Flower heart Luo Bei."
Annie muttered with her head down.
Jiang Cha heard it clearly, but didn’t refute it.
There was no need.
Annie understood her better than she thought.
And it seemed her ability was more than just glimpsing fragments of the future.

...
Leisurely moments always passed quickly.
After hanging out at Annie’s café, Jiang Cha and Lina turned around to welcome the last member of their three-person team.
Well, it was normal for a three-person team to have four people: Jiang Cha, Lina, He Qin, and Estelle.
You understand, right, Yuxing?

"Qinbao~~!"
Lina started with a flying pounce, using her dragon girl fighting skills and bionic dragon tactics to imitate a red dragon swoop.
Then she was slapped away by the puppet trailing behind He Qin.
"Lina-chan!"
Miss Yamato Nadeshiko ran over worriedly.
Yes, she was chasing after Lina, who had just been swatted aside.

"Sorry, I haven’t added you to the golem’s whitelist yet."
"N-Never mind…"
Lina's voice was weak like she was on her deathbed.
But Jiang Cha just sipped her tea and watched the show, while Estelle didn’t even glance her way.

Xiao Longniang had thick skin and a tough body.
If she could be taken down that easily, Jiang Cha wouldn’t have to spar with her every day.
This dramatic act of collapse… was 99.9% performance.
"As long as Mother Qin lets me hug her, I’ll die without regrets."
"Then go to hell."

He Qin, annoyed, tossed the pervert aside.
The girl had quietly wrapped her evil little hands around her waist.
"Mother Qin doesn’t love me anymore."
"I’ve never loved you, okay? And stop calling me Mom!"

He Qin shouted, but she wasn’t actually that mad.
Lina was just like that, and she was used to it.
He Qin walked over to Jiang Cha and Estelle.
Having been busy all day, she picked up a cup of black tea and took a sip.
"How was your vacation?"
She turned to Jiang Cha.

"Same as usual, huh? Mom~"
The girl put down her book and leaned in, her voice sticky and low.
They were both calling her "Mom," but Lina’s sounded like “Mom! I’m hungry!” at home, while Jiang Cha’s sounded more like something from a hotel room and a very special game.
Spicy.
That was probably Chabao’s special talent: dragging the entire atmosphere into shady territory.

pfft!!
He Qin spat out her tea and wiped her mouth furiously.
“Echa-chan!!”
“Hahahahahahaha~”
The girl’s laughter was crisp and sweet—but also absolutely infuriating.
She laughed so freely that even He Qin’s fists started to itch.

"Long time no see, He Qin~"
But then the beautiful girl suddenly stopped laughing, her voice turning soft with tenderness and nostalgia.
Her black hair and red eyes gave her a deeply gentle aura.
It was like when a normally goofy older sister suddenly turned serious and beat up all the hooligans bothering you—with a baseball bat.
Huge contrast.

Like a naughty catgirl suddenly whispering, “Welcome back.”
If it had been any other witch, the scene might’ve been too spicy to broadcast.
But this was He Qin.
Mother Qin was just stunned for a second, then smiled in relief.
"Yeah, I'm back."

“Eh hey hey! Could this be the legendary ‘short absence makes the heart grow fonder’?”
Lina jumped up and shouted, stirring the pot.
"No?"
Jiang Cha tilted her head and blew a kiss to Lina.
"I still love you, Lina baby~"

"Mua! I knew Chabao was the best—wait! Are you trying to change the subject?"
Lina responded instinctively, then suddenly caught on.
"Hey~"
"Hey what?"

...
He Qin’s return didn’t change their lives—but somehow, it also changed everything.
For one, she took over the kitchen again.
The three hungry mouths in the dorm all relied on her to be fed.

Also, Estelle became noticeably livelier.
She normally didn’t join in when Jiang Cha and Lina were being silly, but when He Qin was around, she’d hang out in the living room more.
It felt like… lubrication.
He Qin was the lubricant for the dorm.

She cared for the quiet youngest daughter (Estelle), disciplined the noisy older and younger daughters (Jiang Cha and Lina), and kept the home running smoothly.
So yes—still Mom.
Come on, say it with me:
Qin's mom is so cool!

Most importantly: the atmosphere.
The whole dorm just felt more harmonious.
"Did He Qin bring us any gifts this time?"
"Ah... I was so busy I didn’t have time to shop… next time?"
He Qin blinked awkwardly, then looked at Jiang Cha and Lina: "What about you two?"

"Ahahaha~ Don’t worry about things like that!"
Lina laughed, brushing it off.
As for Jiang Cha...
“We were out for five days, four of which were spent floating in space. Next time I’ll bring you meteorites?”

“I want titanium concentrate.”
Estelle suddenly perked up.
“No! I can’t even afford that if I sold myself!”