Mu Ci carried the little fox into her boudoir. As usual, the finest incense was burning in her room, filling the air with a warm, hazy scent.
Silver-thread charcoal had been lit, making the entire room feel as warm and gentle as springtime.
She sat on a soft silk cushion, cradling the little fox in one arm while gently prying open its wound with the other, wanting to check its injuries.
It seemed to have indeed been hit by an arrow. Its leg was not only bleeding but also swollen and red. Such an injury was quite serious, and she wondered if there was poison on the arrow.
Seeing the pitiful state of the pure white fox, Mu Ci couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. She reached out, her fingertips slowly stroking the fox's fur.
Her voice was low.
"You poor thing."
Her nanny brought over some ointment. Fortunately, they had come prepared for a long stay, so their provisions were quite complete.
The nanny glanced at the little fox curled up in her young mistress's arms and couldn't help but softly caution her.
"Miss, this is, after all, a wild creature. Its nature is untamed. Miss should be more careful."
"Why don't I apply the medicine to this little one..."
As she spoke, she reached out to tend to the fox, but the little fox bared its teeth, its eyes ferocious, refusing to let the nanny approach.
The nanny gasped in alarm.
"Unfathomable! This little creature is so fierce..."
But the moment this pure white fox was in Lin Mu Ci's arms, it became docile and adorable, its eyes soft and pitiful, its wet gaze as if it had been bullied.
It was as if... it changed its demeanor in an instant.
The nanny was speechless. She had never seen such a two-faced fox. And her young mistress, being incredibly kind-hearted, had truly been charmed by it. She looked up, giving the nanny a look of gentle reproach, her tone tinged with concern.
"Nanny, what are you doing? You'll frighten it!"
"Never mind, never mind. Nanny, just place the ointment here, and I'll apply it myself."
The nanny looked up, as if in disbelief, at her young mistress.
"Miss, you're not one for such menial tasks..."
The young girl pouted slightly, looking displeased.
"How difficult can this be? Why wouldn't I be able to learn? It's just applying medicine to a small animal. Don't worry, it's so well-behaved and obedient, and it understands humans. It won't hurt me."
The nanny was still hesitant.
Primarily, this little creature was picked up from the wild... it looked quite fierce. If it were to bite her young mistress, and the second young master returned, she would inevitably be held responsible.
Her young mistress was raised with skin as delicate as ice and jade, her skin so fair and translucent. What if she were bitten?
The more the nanny thought about it, the more worried she became. Yet her young mistress was so fond of this little creature.
She looked again and again. Her young mistress didn't even lift her head, clearly completely captivated by the little fox. Trying to snatch the untamed little fox from her young mistress's hands seemed like an impossible mission.
She sighed.
She could only give up and turn to leave.
She could only hope that her young mistress was merely taken by a new whim, and that after a few days, she would naturally lose interest in the little fox.
...
However, the nanny's wishes were destined to be unfulfilled.
Mu Ci gazed at the little snow fox before her, patiently applying medicine. The little fox quietly curled up in her arms. The ointment felt cool, but it must have been painful when applied to the wound.
Yet, the little snow fox remained motionless, as if it felt no pain at all. Instead, it snuggled softly against her chest, making Mu Ci's heart melt.
So cute.
She really wanted to... really wanted to give it a good cuddle.
As soon as the thought occurred, she reached out and gave its fluffy tail a good rub. The snow fox, curled in her arms, its fluffy tail warmed by the heat, almost made Mu Ci melt.
The little system could hardly bear to watch.
"Host, calm down!"
"You must calm down. Don't show that perverted expression!"
Lin Mu Ci was completely lost in the cuteness of the fluffy little fox.
"But its tail is so fluffy!"
"Ah, I don't need that pig-footed Ling Qianhe anymore. What do I need Ling Qianhe for? I only need this little fox!"
She carefully applied medicine to the little fox. Looking around, she couldn't find a suitable place for the fox to sleep. After some hesitation, seeing how well-behaved and adorable the little fox was, she directly bundled it up and stuffed it into her own bed.
Her quilt still carried a faint scent of a young girl. The little snow white fox seemed shy, its cheeks blushing slightly.
Mu Ci's fingertips traced patterns on the fox's body.
"Be good."
"If you need to pee, go down. Hmm, do you understand?"
The little fox shyly covered its face with its paws.
Mu Ci glanced at the incredibly cute fox and then remembered something very important.
"Right, I haven't figured out yet if you're a male or female fox."
She reached out, her fingertip gently stroking the little fox's nose. The little fox seemed to yawn in that instant, looking at her pitifully. She then lifted the pitiful little fox.
And Mu Ci took the opportunity to give the little fox a check-up!
Her gaze moved down, and down.
Then, a satisfied smile bloomed on her lips.
"So it's a little male fox."
"Hmm, truly exquisite and adorable."
Her finger even flicked it lightly, and the little fox's body stiffened instantly, not moving at all. Whether it was Mu Ci's imagination or not, she felt as if the entire fox was emitting a faint pink hue.
She couldn't help but chuckle.
Is it that shy?
But it was clear that this little fox was extremely shy. The little fox couldn't help but burrow into her arms. She stroked its head.
Having taken care of the little fox for a few hours, she was tired.
Soon, she fell into a deep sleep!
...
When Mu Ci fell asleep, the little fox in her arms trembled slightly and, with an almost imperceptible force, wriggled out of her embrace.
Then, the little fox leaped, landing at the foot of the bed. It rolled nimbly, and when it touched the ground, it transformed into a stark naked, handsome young man.
However, on the young man's head, there were fox ears, and a fluffy fox tail swayed behind him. He frowned, his eyes conveying a mixture of annoyance and embarrassment.
His fox tail swayed, covering the crucial parts of his body, making him feel less ashamed.
His gaze fell upon the sleeping maiden, with a hint of confusion.
This was the younger sister of the Mu family's second young master? She hadn't expected such a burly man to have a delicate and beautiful sister. The maiden lay there quietly, her face exquisite. With each breath, her chest rose and fell slightly, exuding a delicate, charming allure of youth that made one's heart flutter.
This young man with fox ears sized up Mu Ci.
Of course, she was exceptionally beautiful. Her skin was almost transparently fair, and even the veins beneath her skin were faintly visible. Yet her eyelashes and hair were jet black. Snow-white skin, black hair, and exquisitely shaped lips, like the petals of a blooming flower.
She was undoubtedly a beauty.
Moreover, the kind of beauty that could bring down nations and captivate countless men.
No wonder the Duke's mansion had kept this beauty so well hidden, afraid that she might suffer even the slightest harm.
Thinking of this, the young man couldn't help but frown.
If it weren't for... his injury, and the sudden awakening of his half-demon bloodline, transforming him into a fox, he wouldn't have had to flee here.
His mother was a demon. She had once bewitched the human emperor and given birth to him. Because he carried the half-demon bloodline, he was considered extremely inauspicious, so he was sent to the Northern Territory. Fortunately, he was naturally adept at restraining the Rong tribe, allowing him to become a general and thus survive, becoming the King of the Northern Lands.
However, over the years, his demon bloodline had been suppressed quite well.
He was almost identical to a human.
He had almost forgotten himself that he possessed a half-demon bloodline. Now that his half-demon bloodline had awakened—the young man felt a wave of difficulty, sighing softly with helplessness.
He knew that this was the first time his demonic bloodline had awakened in over a decade, so his fox form would last for an exceptionally long time. His subordinates were everywhere, and he couldn't let them discover his secret as a half-demon.
And the only good place to go now was the residence of the Duke's daughter.
Others would not dare to search her boudoir at will. He could recuperate here until the awakening period, which was long for a half-demon, passed.
But—
He suddenly thought of something extremely important, and his head began to ache.
After awakening, the half-demon's powers would be uncontrollable, and he would occasionally reveal demonic features, such as his ears and tail, which would be difficult to retract.
But before the three hundred thousand troops, he absolutely could not appear in this form. Mortals were ignorant and would only see him as a monster. Even his subordinates might not stand by him and protect him.
And to conceal this secret.
He had to find a human to form a bond with.
Forming a bond meant he would establish an extremely close connection with that human—thinking of this, the young man's expression turned chillingly cold.
Unless absolutely necessary, he would never want to form a bond with a human.
But—
He turned his head to look at the maiden and suddenly felt as if the maiden had moved her fingers. He stiffened slightly, worried that the maiden would wake up. The next moment, he heard the maiden's soft, childish voice call out.
"Little fox... fluffy big tail... fluffy, fluffy big tail... hehehe, I really want to rub it until it's bald..."
The expression of the decisive Prince Yan became extremely awkward.
The maiden was being utterly unceremonious.
"I like little foxes... I want hugs, pets, and cuddles!"
"Hehehe, I'll raise it to be my own little fox! A little fox that I can nuzzle and rub against!"
Prince Yan: "..."
Is it too late for me to kill someone?
But the young lady had already started reaching out to touch him, as if in her dreams she wouldn't be satisfied until she grabbed the little fox's big tail.
Her eyes were closed, and she was still calling out.
"Where's my little fox?"
"My little fox is gone, *yingyingying*, someone stole my little fox!"
Seeing that the maiden was about to wake up, Prince Yan sighed and, resigned, transformed back into the form of a little fox. His fluffy, white tail wagged. Then the maiden precisely grabbed its big tail and sniffed it.
"Smells delicious, big tail, hehehe."
She hugged the little fox's big tail and slept soundly.
And the resentful Prince Yan, with his tail held tight, felt that he, oh no, the entire fox, was not well.
...
The next day, Lin Mu Ci woke up feeling refreshed. However, she noticed that her little fox seemed listless.
She was very worried.
"Is the ointment not good? Do you need me to find a veterinarian for you?"
The little fox wagged its tail. Then, to prove it was fine, it leaped from the bed onto the table, landing steadily, almost like a circus performance.
Mu Ci stared in astonishment, and then she actually clapped enthusiastically and sincerely.
"Wonderful!"
"My Bai Ruan Ruan is so amazing!"
Prince Yan: "..."
"Aow ao!"
He wanted to speak, but only the sounds of a little beast came out. He was extremely frustrated and didn't want to speak anymore. This was too much of a blow to his pride. Lin Mu Ci walked over and earnestly discussed with him.
"I've given you a name: Bai Ruan Ruan. You see, you're entirely snow-white, a snowy white little fox, so 'Bai' is your surname. As for 'Ruan Ruan'—it's because your big tail is so soft, it feels like clouds when you touch it."
"So I named you Bai Ruan Ruan. See, isn't my naming good?"
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at the little fox. Prince Yan was still very angry.
What Bai Ruan Ruan.
Bai was fine... but Ruan Ruan sounded weak and feeble. He was a man of iron and blood, how could he be called Ruan Ruan!
A man must never be soft!
He dejectedly waved his little paws, wanting to protest. However, Lin Mu Ci's next words made him feel even more lightheaded.
"Oh, and later I'll have the nanny find some pink floral fabric. How about I make you a little outfit? You're so white, pink would suit you best!"
"Pink is delicate and cute. You'll be the cutest little fox in the world! I want to carry you out and show everyone how adorable you are!"
"I'll collect all sorts of colored skirts for you! My Bai Ruan Ruan, I'll pamper you into a little princess!"
Prince Yan's vision went black.
Did she forget she was a male fox?
Pah! He was a man!
But this little county princess was already excitedly imagining the scene of him wearing a pink skirt and going out with her!
"It's happily decided, Bai Ruan Ruan, I'll get you lots of little skirts!"