Chapter 135: The Awkward, Clumsy Fox

For the past two days, Little Fox had been giving Wen Qian the cold shoulder.

He spent all day with a sullen face, watching Wen Qian and Yin Zhi flirt. Well, that might be an exaggeration. It was more like Yin Zhi unilaterally fawning over her.

And even though Wen Qian mostly just soaked up the attention without reciprocating, it was still a total eyesore for Little Fox.

’Just the day before, Yin Zhi was right there with him on the same starting line. How, in the blink of an eye... had he already reached the finish line?’

This feeling sucked.

"I’m going back to City A tomorrow," Wen Qian announced to everyone after dinner.

"I’ll go with you." Yin Zhi froze for a second before putting some food on Wen Qian’s plate.

Wen Qian shook her head. "It’s too dangerous for you to go back to City A right now. Besides, I’ve already bought my high-speed rail ticket. It’s only a twenty-minute ride to City A."

Yin Zhi propped his chin on his hand, looking displeased. His new ID was still with Ling Xuan, so he couldn’t take the high-speed rail.

But he really didn’t feel at ease letting Wen Qian go back alone.

"I’ll go with you," Little Fox said, taking a bite of food and nonchalantly glancing at Yin Zhi.

Yin Zhi sneered. Just as he was about to ask what right he had, he saw Little Fox calmly pull up his new identification on his phone.

’Seriously? His best bro was a tech guru; getting a new ID was a piece of cake.’

Besides, unlike Yin Zhi, he hadn’t made enemies everywhere he went. The previous scandal had mostly blown over. If he wanted to, he could even make a comeback in a while without any issues.

After all, those people from South City had no actual law enforcement authority.

They were more like street thugs, willing to do anything to get what they wanted.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be sitting here enjoying a meal so peacefully right now.

Little Fox had specifically sent someone to check; the crime he was wanted for was quite obscure. It was for dining and dashing.

’A joke. How could a huge star like him... possibly do something like that?’

It was just a pretext the other party had cooked up to have a "legitimate" reason to arrest him.

’But this pretext was just too... insulting.’

The usually boisterous Yin Zhi fell silent. He dropped his chopsticks halfway through the meal, grabbed his phone, and squatted in a corner to call Ling Xuan.

After confirming it several times, Yin Zhi’s heart sank when he learned the documents really wouldn’t be ready in the next couple of days.

Ling Xuan had said the new ID could get him past routine checks, but if he wanted to get online or take the high-speed rail... that would take more time.

Yin Zhi’s gaze fell on Qi Ke, who was eating in silence. ’This kid is pretty crafty,’ he thought. ’He probably started working on his ID the very day he arrived.’

’He wasn’t just waiting for this very day, was he?’

Yin Zhi was in low spirits all night. To comfort him, Wen Qian did something she’d never done before and let him into her room.

The man pestered her all night, even suggesting he could turn into a kitten and sneak onto the train.

Wen Qian grew tired of his pestering and threatened to throw him out if he didn’t stop making a scene. Only then did the man quiet down. But what followed was his symbolic "punishment."

The next morning, Wen Qian emerged from her room, rubbing her aching back.

The man behind her was practically glued to her, his tail constantly brushing against her calves as he gazed at her with pitiful, misty eyes.

"What was it you promised me yesterday?" Wen Qian narrowed her eyes, warning him not to go back on his word.

Thinking about what happened last night, the thick, long tail immediately gave a couple of happy swishes. He nuzzled Wen Qian’s neck with his beast ears, his voice full of delight. "After breakfast, I’ll take you all to the station."

Marveling at how quickly his mood could change, Wen Qian headed downstairs. Little Fox was already there, having obediently set the table, which was laden with breakfast.

There was a complete spread of all kinds of breakfast foods; there were even steamed buns with four or five different fillings. It was clear just how good his mood was.

Because of the Critical Stone, Li Jiu needed to return with Wen Qian and the others.

Fortunately, he had only ever appeared in his bird form, so he wasn’t on any wanted list. The identity Gu Mian had prepared for him before could still be used.

After breakfast, the person, the fox, and the bird all piled into Yin Zhi’s car.

On the way, Yin Zhi was still pressing her. "Can the prison visit really not be rescheduled?"

Wen Qian had already answered this question three times, but seeing his red-rimmed eyes, she patiently explained again, "It’s possible, but then we’d have to wait another month."

Rescheduling was an option, but all the upcoming slots were already booked solid.

His fluffy beast ears drooped. Yin Zhi recalled how smug he had been on the phone with Gu Mian the other day, and he felt even more dejected.

’What did I call him then?’

’I think it was... Mr. Ex-Husband?’

Glancing at the composed-looking fox in the back seat via the rearview mirror, Yin Zhi gritted his teeth. He hoped the kid would play by the rules and not think he could pull anything with Wen Qian just because he wasn’t around.

Little Fox, of course, understood exactly what Yin Zhi meant. From behind his back, he flashed a dazzling smile.

’Don’t you worry,’ he thought. ’I absolutely will.’

The car quickly reached the station. Yin Zhi pressed a strawberry milk tea he’d prepared in advance into Wen Qian’s hands. "It’s getting chilly. Drink something warm."

Wen Qian nodded. She took a sip and found the milk tea a little strange. Tasting it more carefully, she realized there were red dates in it.

She recalled feeling some discomfort in her lower abdomen that morning. Counting the days, she realized it must be today.

A wave of warmth washed over her heart. Wen Qian stood on her tiptoes and planted a quick SMACK on Yin Zhi’s cheek.

The man blushed all the way to the tips of his ears, and he nearly sprouted his beast ears and tail right there in public.

Little Fox stood nearby with his arms crossed, watching with a cold expression. After a moment, he snorted and strode into the station first.

The station was swarming with people. Little Fox wore a mask, but he still drew a fair bit of attention. To avoid causing trouble for Wen Qian, he deliberately kept his distance from her, only rejoining her and Li Jiu after they had passed through security.

He was holding two bottles of water; he handed one to Li Jiu and kept the other for himself. As he drank, he kept stealing glances at the milk tea in Wen Qian’s hand. His staring made her skin crawl, and she asked hesitantly, "Want to try some?"

"Well, since you’re begging me, I guess I’ll have some," Little Fox muttered, taking Wen Qian’s hand, leaning down, and starting to drink from her straw.

Wen Qian looked down at him and smiled faintly.

’First of all, she was just being polite. She hadn’t begged.’

’Second, isn’t he drinking a bit too much...?’

He drank a third of the milk tea Yin Zhi had prepared in one go. Wen Qian was so exasperated she had to laugh. Just as she was about to say something, the young man, as if performing a magic trick, pulled a bottle of red date milk out from his jacket.

Wen Qian took it, confused, and discovered it was warm.

"Hmph. A replacement for you," he said, not forgetting to throw in a jab at Yin Zhi. "Strawberry with red dates? What a disgusting combination... Tastes awful."

’Wait a minute... If it was so awful, why did you drink so much of it?’

Wen Qian rubbed her temples. She was completely helpless when it came to Little Fox’s prickly attitude.

But seeing his awkward expression also made her want to laugh. ’What a... silly fox.’