"You... What are you going to do?!"
Zhi Yao struggled, trying to crawl away, but even if she was in human form, she likely wouldn't be able to budge Pei Chiyao an inch, let alone as a small fox she was now.
The little fox was immediately pressed against the sink.
Zhi Yao's golden eyes burned with anger as she glared at Pei Chiyao, huffing, "You! Scoundrel!"
Pei Chiyao chuckled softly, "You've known me for a while now, haven't you?"
He had been used to abstinence, even thinking he was cold-natured, until he met Zhi Yao...
Whether she was a little fox or a young lady, he adored her immensely.
His fingertips gently caressed her tail and her velvety, bouncy ears.
Trailing down from her ears, his fingers delved into her fluffy belly.
The little fox blushed furiously, startled as if pricked by something, hastily rolling over and squeezing her eyes shut, shrieking, "Can't I even transform?!"
What a scoundrel!!!
Pei Chiyao's smile deepened, and the next moment, the little fox on the sink vanished, replaced by a stunningly beautiful young woman.
Zhi Yao clutched her chest tightly, glaring fiercely at Pei Chiyao, even baring her teeth...
Only to have her face seized and pinched firmly by Pei Chiyao.
The young lady cried out in pain, her already aggrieved state worsening.
She would never, ever, ever talk to Pei Chiyao, that big meanie who bullied her, again!!
Zhi Yao lowered her head angrily, tears welling in her eyes. But soon, Pei Chiyao noticed something amiss.
He cupped her face, lifting it up, and upon seeing the teardrops in her golden eyes, Pei Chiyao grew deeply exasperated.
"Silly Yao Yao, why are you crying again?"
Zhi Yao sniffled, unable to stop her tears. "You... You bullied me... It hurt so much."
As she finished speaking, Pei Chiyao saw a reddened patch on Zhi Yao's fair cheek.
His heart ached.
The softness of Zhi Yao's cheeks was too exquisite, like the finest tender tofu. He hadn't restrained his strength earlier, intending only to tease the little fox but ending up going too far.
"Don't cry, my dear. Let me blow on it, and it won't hurt anymore, okay?"
"No!"
Zhi Yao pushed Pei Chiyao away and, not caring if he saw her naked, hid in the bathtub.
The tub was filled with water and foam from dissolved bath balls, completely shielding Zhi Yao's body.
Zhi Yao sank into the tub with a satisfied sigh, the grime washed away.
But her peace was short-lived.
Because... splashing sounds came from behind her.
Then, a searing body enveloped her tightly. "Baby, forgive your husband, won't you?"
Zhi Yao had no intention of acknowledging that scoundrel Pei Chiyao.
She turned her head away with a cold snort, "You're not my husband."
This response made Pei Chiyao narrow his eyes, the guilt in his heart instantly dissipating.
"I'm not? Then who is?"
By the time Zhi Yao sensed the danger, it was too late.
...
When the young lady emerged from her bath, she looked as if she hadn't washed at all, drenched in sweat and feeling rather uncomfortable.
Her eyes were half-closed, clearly exhausted.
But she was still preoccupied with Shen Yilian and Jiang Zhu's situation. Just as she was about to pinch her thigh to stay awake, Pei Chiyao grabbed her hand. "Don't rush. I've already had your brothers tie them up. You can see them tomorrow."
Tie them up?
Zhi Yao was perplexed. "Tie up Jiang Zhu?"
"Shen Yilian."
Shen Yilian?!
Zhi Yao's eyes widened in surprise. "Isn't Shen Yilian your childhood friend? You're treating her like this?"
It was an utterly simple statement, yet for some reason, Pei Chiyao detected a tinge of jealousy in it.
The already satiated man's mood improved further, and he nuzzled Zhi Yao's nose affectionately. "Jealous, hm?"
Zhi Yao: "..."
Really not, okay?
Before she could deny it, Pei Chiyao cut her off. "Childhood friends, at most. Besides, even if she was, she's nowhere near as important as you."
In his eyes, Shen Yilian didn't even measure up to a single strand of Zhi Yao's fox fur.
"Sleep now." He gently patted Zhi Yao's back, soothing like with a baby, his deep voice unusually tender in the night.
Zhi Yao soon drifted off, no longer able to stay awake worrying about other matters.
After gazing at the young lady's serene sleeping face for a while, Pei Chiyao still couldn't resist peppering kisses on her lips.
Only when his phone in his pocket started vibrating uncontrollably, as if out of control, did he reluctantly let go of Zhi Yao.
The messages from the Ling family nearly shook his phone to pieces.
He glanced at them and put his phone back in his pocket.
Donning a windbreaker, the man took a long look at the young woman lying on the bed before grabbing his keys and leaving.
...
By the time Pei Chiyao reached the place arranged by the Ling brothers, it was already the dead of night.
Shen Yilian was thrown on the ground, disheveled, her face twisted as she hollered with a hoarse voice, "What kind of monsters are you, daring to kidnap me?!"
She struggled fiercely.
Ling Si looked disdainfully at Shen Yilian, crouching before her with a knife, tracing circles on the ground. "Coming out into the world, but you didn't even bother to find out who's the boss around here."
His smile was sinister as blood lust surged after so long without violence.
The other Ling brothers shared his sentiment.
Concealing themselves among humans had become far too dull and tedious, utterly lacking the freedom of living in the wild.
With prey delivered to their doorstep, they could hardly contain their excitement.
In the night, their green eyes gleamed, like... wolves!
As this thought emerged, Shen Yilian was so scared that goosebumps rose all over her body. "Who are you people?! Don't you know that I'm from the City South Shen Family?!"
Not just in the entire city, but even overseas, those who heard the name of the City South Shen Family would be wary of them to some degree! Just who were these people? Why had she never seen them before?
"What bullshit City South Shen Family," Ling Si sneered coldly, licking the blade of his knife with his tongue. "Dare to harm my sister, you can be the Heavenly Emperor and it still wouldn't fly!"
As his words fell, an extremely swift blade slashed across Shen Yilian's cheek, and she let out a terrified scream. "You people! You dare! I have evidence that Zhi Yao turned into a vixen! If you dare harm me, I'll release it right now!"
"Tsk..." Ling San also sneered coldly. "You mean this? Fool."
