He had barely finished speaking when Ling Si rushed over like a madman, moving at lightning speed to drag Shen Yilian into the cave.
Then his two front paws flashed, completely burying Shen Yilian, "Done! Little sister, aren't I awesome?"
He raised his head, looking adorable as he seemed to demand cuddles and praise.
Zhi Yao struggled to get down from Pei Chiyao's body and rolled right onto Ling Si, his soft fur like a fluffy blanket. Zhi Yao excitedly rolled around on him several times.
"Fourth brother is amazing!"
The little girl had felt a bit cold earlier, but now lying on Ling Si's back, she felt wonderfully warm and didn't want to get up.
Ling Si smugly glanced at Pei Chiyao, his eyes full of pride and defiance.
Pei Chiyao couldn't be bothered to indulge him.
Ling Si had seemed quite normal before, but now he was acting so childishly.
"Pei Chiyao, it seems Yao Yao likes me better."
Pei Chiyao didn't want to engage with Ling Si, instead leaning down to poke Zhi Yao's ear, "Baby, get up. We'll be leaving soon, and if someone sees a wolf here, they'll probably call the police out of fright."
His words seemed to snap Zhi Yao out of her daze.
Zhi Yao instantly stiffened, quickly climbing off Ling Si's back and stretching out her two front paws for Pei Chiyao to hold her.
Pei Chiyao supported her paws with one hand and placed her in his coat pocket.
The moment the cozy warmth of her fur disappeared, Ling Si immediately glared at Pei Chiyao in displeasure, "You're just jealous!"
He was just grasping at excuses. They had purposely found this deserted place to do this, so who could possibly see him? When they went back by car, they'd drive straight back to the Ling family home. Who would spot him as if he was wandering the streets?
Pei Chiyao ignored Ling Si and instead said to Ling Er, "Yao Yao is tired, I'm taking her back to sleep."
"Alright."
Ling Er nodded, "Go ahead, I'll handle this matter."
Just as Pei Chiyao was about to leave with Zhi Yao, she suddenly noticed Tie Zhu looking at her pitifully from the side.
Since she had been on Ling Si's back earlier, Tie Zhu hadn't dared approach.
Now with just Zhi Yao's pointed ears and golden eyes peeking out from Pei Chiyao's pocket, Tie Zhu cautiously moved closer to Pei Chiyao.
"Mmm..."
Tie Zhu called out to Zhi Yao softly.
It was only then that Zhi Yao remembered why Tie Zhu had called out to her before - "Wait, wait, little Tie Zhu, where is Jiang Zhu?"
It was Shen Yilian who had dragged Jiang Zhu away earlier. Then after Ling Si discovered Shen Yilian, he knocked her out and dragged her and Jiang Zhu here together. Zhi Yao recalled that Jiang Zhu had been seriously injured and might be in mortal danger without immediate treatment.
That was why Tie Zhu was so frantic.
"Jiang Zhu?" Ling Er raised an eyebrow, "Ah, that man, I see."
Tie Zhu nodded vigorously in affirmation.
Perhaps...that man would know the origin of this thread.
Ling Er narrowed his eyes, glancing at the drowsy Zhi Yao in Pei Chiyao's pocket before saying, "Pei Chiyao, you take Yao Yao back to sleep first. Leave that man to me."
Tie Zhu didn't know if she was imagining it, but she sensed a hint of danger in Ling Er's gaze.
She shook her head anxiously, looking at Zhi Yao almost pleadingly.
Though a city fox, she had heard of the wolf clan's formidable reputation as the most fearsome creatures in this world.
She dared not trust the wolves.
Of everyone here, she only trusted Zhi Yao.
"Second brother, don't hurt that man," Zhi Yao urged. "He hasn't actually harmed me, and he was being controlled too. None of this was his true intention."
Zhi Yao was afraid Jiang Zhu would be implicated because of her.
Ling Er smiled, a dark current seeming to swirl behind his mirrored gaze, "Don't worry, little sister, I've always been reasonable."
He glanced at the fox splayed on the ground, "You need not worry, I won't do anything to a human."
Humans were but insignificant insects to him.
Sensing Ling Er's gaze, Tie Zhu's fur instantly stood on end as she instinctively took a defensive stance.
This was the innate, bone-deep warning animals felt when facing a far superior predator.
"Tie Zhu, are you reassured now?"
It wasn't that Zhi Yao was unwilling to accompany Tie Zhu, but she simply couldn't stay awake any longer.
If she didn't get a good night's rest, she would be completely out of sorts the next day.
Seeing how Zhi Yao was about to doze off, Tie Zhu felt pity despite herself.
Zhi Yao was a complete stranger who had done so much for her, and Tie Zhu was deeply grateful.
She glanced at the four towering figures before her and carefully retreated several steps.
...
Pei Chiyao took Zhi Yao home.
The little fox curled up in his pocket made no sound at all. Carefully opening the pocket, he found Zhi Yao asleep in a furry little ball, tail wrapped around herself.
If not for her breathing causing her body to rise and fall slightly, one might have mistaken her for an actual plush toy.
Worried she might overheat in the pocket but also not wanting to wake her, Pei Chiyao decided to cut open the coat pocket after some thought.
Once done, he gently wiped away any dirt on Zhi Yao's fur with a damp cloth.
Throughout, Zhi Yao slept soundly, her nose twitching at a scent she liked that made her feel safe. Unable to resist, she slept on her back like a human, exposing her soft belly while using her bushy tail as a pillow.
That night, Zhi Yao dreamed.
She dreamed of a tail.
A tail utterly unlike her own fluffy one.
Scaly, warmly heated yet cool at the tip, with an oddly fascinating texture.
The unruly tail wouldn't stay still when she tried to hug it, instead whipping away. By the time she ran over huffing and puffing, it had whipped off in another direction.
The little fox was furious, showing her gritted teeth. She ran over at an extremely fast speed, hugged the disobedient big tail, and then... ah, she bit down on it.
Right after that... Zhi Yao woke up.
She met a pair of jet-black pupils, but the owner of those pupils was now frowning deeply.
Zhi Yao belatedly opened her mouth and spat out the wet finger she had bitten.
The finger was a bit red, but fortunately, it wasn't broken skin.
"Pei Chiyao, you, you pervert, why did you put your finger in my mouth?"
Pei Chiyao: "..."
It was unclear who, while sleeping, had to hug his finger and wouldn't let go, crying and whimpering if he didn't give it to her, and still wouldn't wake up.
Now she was even blaming him. Hah!
