Li Shu was a white fox, different from the fox clan on the neighboring mountain. Since he was young, he had always been alone. No parents, no family, no clan. From the moment he was born, he had only himself.
When he was very young, the little fox would often fantasize about his family appearing before him one day, just like how the neighboring fox cubs would always have elders step forward when they were bullied. He imagined that his family would appear at the moment he needed them the most and tell him that he hadn’t been abandoned on purpose.
As time passed, the little fox learned more and more. He also realized that his family might never appear before him.
The first time he understood that he had been abandoned, he fought with a fox cub from the neighboring mountain. Though he defeated the fox cub, who was loved and protected by its parents, he didn’t gain anything.
He had traded injuries for injuries; while the other cub was seriously hurt, he wasn’t much better off.
He hid in a secluded cave to avoid being found by the big foxes on the neighboring mountain.
A child suffering such serious wounds—how could the parents not be heartbroken? And knowing who the culprit was, how could they not seek revenge for their child?
Perhaps it was fitting that it rained heavily that night. Li Shu curled up in the deepest part of the cave, feeling anger and sadness for the first time.
The small fox huddled there, his fur soaked from the rain and clumping together in wet strands. A faint smell of blood spread throughout the cave. His once snowy white fur had become a dull gray, and blood continued to seep from his wounds, making him look pitiful.
The sky darkened, and the little fox forced himself to stay alert to his surroundings. He knew that, from the beginning, he could only rely on himself.
As the seconds ticked by, the rain outside grew heavier and heavier. The downpour scattered the little fox’s scent and made it harder for those seeking revenge to find him.
His wounds remained untreated. The blood had stopped flowing, but the pain hadn’t lessened at all; in fact, it was only getting worse.
Waves of dizziness came over him, and the little fox fought to keep his eyes open. He knew he couldn’t fall asleep. He had to be ready to respond quickly to whatever might happen.
Amid the sound of the rain, footsteps suddenly rang out.
The little fox crouched low to the ground and took a defensive stance.
It was the sound of human footsteps.
The little fox knew that the big foxes on the neighboring mountain could transform into human forms.
His scarred head rested on his front paws, ears perked, not missing a single sound from outside.
The little fox’s eyes were dull. He knew it would be difficult to escape this time. Once they found him, he wouldn’t have a good outcome.
He didn’t regret it. Not at all. He didn’t regret hurting that fox cub. In his memory, almost all the harm he had suffered had come from that fox cub. If it weren’t for those big foxes, how could he, how could he…
The little fox’s sharp ears twitched, and a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes. Something was different about these footsteps.
Maybe he was too injured to sense things correctly, the little fox thought weakly. And with the rain pouring so heavily outside, it wasn’t unusual for the footsteps to sound different.
Could he escape this time?
If he couldn’t, would he end up like the humans who mistakenly wandered onto the mountain, drained by the foxes until even their souls were gone?
The footsteps came closer and closer. The little fox tried to move his legs, wanting to inch further into the cave, but he failed.
Reaching this cave had already taken all his remaining strength. His wounds hadn’t been treated in time, and now he could hardly move.
His consciousness began to fade. Just as he saw a figure appear at the cave entrance, the little fox completely lost consciousness and fell into darkness.
‘Am I going to die?’
At the moment his consciousness faded, he felt his body being gently lifted by a pair of warm hands. A soft sigh from an unfamiliar voice reached his ears.
‘Who is it?’
The little fox woke up in warmth. He groggily opened his eyes and saw clean, tidy stone walls. He turned his small head and looked around in confusion.
It was a simple cave, bright and clean, with no unnecessary items. Beneath him was a stone bed.
He moved his body and staggered to his feet. It was only then that he noticed the soft cushion under him and the fresh-smelling outer robe.
‘Was it left by that person?’
‘Had he been saved?’
His wounds had been properly treated, and there wasn’t the slightest discomfort. The little fox cautiously moved his hind leg. Aside from a slight pain, there was none of the previous feeling that his leg might break at any moment.
After being cleaned, the little fox no longer looked as pitiful as before. It stood on the black robe, which made his white fur appear even whiter. His big, bright eyes looked around, full of life.
When the man entered, this was the scene he saw.
The little fox froze, his ears perked up, and he assumed a defensive stance as he watched the man approach step by step.
He was a very handsome man, with black hair tied high, sword-like eyebrows, and bright, sharp eyes, exuding a commanding presence. This man was different from anyone the little fox had ever seen before. The hem of the man’s robes swayed with each step, and the little fox stared at it in a daze.
Was this the person who had saved him?
In the midst of his daze, the man was already standing by the stone bed.
“You’re able to stand now. It seems your injuries are healing well.”
The man sat on the stone bed and extended his hand. “Let me take a look and see how your wounds are healing.”
Sensing the hand getting closer, the little fox instinctively backed away, his eyes filled with more wariness.
He had never received much kindness since he was young. He still remembered the last time someone made such a gesture—it was for his fur. It had taken him a great deal of effort to escape from that person’s hands.
Was this man also after his fur?
“Don’t be afraid,” the man said in a low voice. Seeing that the little fox was shrinking away, his tone became even softer. “I won’t hurt you. Your wounds need fresh medicine.”
The little fox twitched his nose, and sure enough, he smelled a hint of medicine. He didn’t let his guard down because of the man’s words, but instead backed up a few more steps.
You can’t trust others easily.
This was the most important lesson life had taught him as he grew up alone.
“Grr—”
—Don’t come near me!
The little fox bared his teeth and took an aggressive stance.
“Why is your temper so fierce?” The man seemed unfazed by the little fox’s hollow threat and continued to reach out.
As the hand drew closer, the little fox suddenly remembered the feeling of being lifted by a pair of warm hands when he was unconscious. He shook his head, trying to rid himself of those thoughts.
He stared hard at the hand approaching him, his emotions shifting rapidly. Just as the hand was about to reach him, the little fox suddenly lunged forward and bit down.
The little fox bit down with all his strength. Don’t be fooled by his small size—his teeth were incredibly sharp. In no time, he tasted blood in his mouth.
The man didn’t mind being bitten. His hand hung in the air, with the little fox clinging to it, his entire body suspended off the ground. He ignored the blood dripping from his hand, and it was as if he was holding a small, white furball.
With his other hand, the man scooped up the little furball, which had lost most of its attacking strength while dangling in the air. It was easy for him to pull the little fox into his arms.
“Do you feel better now?” The man didn’t seem to feel any pain, allowing the little fox to hold onto his hand. However, with both his hands occupied, it was hard for him to apply the medicine to the little fox.
The man’s embrace was warm, and more importantly, the little fox couldn’t sense any ill intent from him. Gradually, the little fox loosened his grip.
Though the little fox was small, his bite was strong. In just a short time, the skin on the man’s hand had peeled back, revealing raw flesh. Feeling embarrassed by the damage he had caused, the little fox stuck out his tongue and licked the wound.
In contrast to the little fox’s spotless white fur, his tongue was a vivid red. When the soft tongue touched the wound, the man closed his eyes silently.
Now lying on the man’s lap, the little fox—small as he was—stayed still as the man freed one hand and gently stroked his back.
This time, the little fox didn’t resist, although his body remained somewhat tense.
“My injury is fine. You don’t need to feel guilty.”
The man’s voice came from above. The little fox twitched his ears, but he didn’t believe him.
How could it be fine? He knew how strong his bite was. Being bitten by him caused far more damage than it appeared.
Burying his small head in the man’s palm, the little fox tirelessly licked the wound over and over. As the little fox continued, the bleeding stopped, and upon closer inspection, the wound no longer looked as scary as it had at first.
“I brought you some food. Are you hungry?”
The man also noticed that the little fox was stubborn. Since they didn’t know each other well yet, the little fox wasn’t likely to listen to him, so the man decided to change the subject to distract him.
At the mention of “food”, the little fox’s movements paused, and his ears twitched unconsciously. He hadn’t realized how hungry he was until the man brought it up.
It had been a long time since he’d eaten. Previously, he had been too busy escaping the big foxes from the neighboring mountain, fleeing for his life with no time to think about food. Then, he didn’t know how long he had been unconscious, and his stomach couldn’t take the lack of food any longer.
“Look, it’s not bleeding anymore. How about you eat something first?” The man lowered his voice, speaking in a coaxing tone. “I brought some seasoning, so I’ll grill you some meat. It’ll be fragrant and delicious…”
The little fox swallowed unconsciously, even swallowing some of the blood in his mouth without realizing it. He knew grilled meat—it smelled amazing, even from a distance.
The man carefully pulled his hand from the little fox’s mouth. The white fox paw was resting lightly on his wrist without applying pressure, so the man easily withdrew his hand.
He didn’t put the little fox down. The fox was small enough to fit in one hand. The man used his free hand to light a fire, set up a grill, skewered some fresh meat, and sat by the fire with the little fox in his arms.
Seeing the fire, the little fox instinctively wanted to run, but the enticing aroma held him in place. Just as he was about to move, the man gently stopped him, and the little fox nestled back into his arms with peace of mind.
The man’s embrace was warm, and as the delicious smell wafted into his nose and the comfortable warmth of the man’s body surrounded him, the little fox began to seriously consider the possibility of keeping this man on the mountain.
He definitely wouldn’t eat the man like the big foxes on the neighboring mountain did…
That thought reached its peak when he finally tasted the delicious grilled meat.
The little fox had lived on the mountain all his life and had never experienced the delicacies of the human world. Even though this food wasn’t meticulously prepared, just being seasoned and grilled made it taste far better than eating raw meat.
At first, the man tore the meat into thin strips to feed the little fox, but gradually, the little fox began to actively search for food in the man’s hand.
The little fox had a pointed mouth, and its long fur brushed against the man’s hand. A low chuckle came from above.
The little fox had been completely captivated by the delicious food, and was too focused on eating to think about the man.
It wasn’t until he felt full that the little fox realized the one feeding him hadn’t eaten anything yet.
He nudged the food in the man’s palm, trying hard to resist the temptation of the grilled meat, and looked up at him. “Aoaoa—”
—You should eat too.
Unfortunately, the man didn’t understand what he meant. He patted the little fox’s fluffy head, and asked with concern. “Are you full? Why did you eat so little?”
The little fox pushed the food towards him a few more times, but the man still didn’t show any intention of eating. Getting anxious, the little fox grabbed a piece of meat and began to climb onto the man.
The man carefully protected him, and then suddenly felt warmth on his lips.
—It turned out that, in its hurry, the little fox had directly pressed the meat to the man’s mouth.
