The Fox Girl Awakens

I heard the solemnity in his voice, tinged with apology, and felt a stir within. I was about to speak when I suddenly heard Linghu Ruoxu’s voice from outside the door.

“Second Brother, why are you standing there? Didn’t you say you needed to use the toilet while brushing your teeth, and then ran back to get paper? Why are you standing at the door instead of going in? Don’t tell me you shit your pants and are embarrassed?”

Though his tone was teasing, both Brother Guo and I inside the door were startled. Then with a creak, the dormitory door was pushed open from outside, letting in a faint, hazy light. I could see Yang Chun standing stiffly in the doorway, backlit, making his expression hard to read—only that it seemed unsettled.

The moment we saw this, we realized that he must have overheard our conversation outside the door, and now knew the reason why Brother Guo had initially concealed from us the fact that he had found the little fox.

For a moment, all four of us—including Linghu Ruoxu, who was clueless—kept silent, until Brother Guo spoke hoarsely, “Second Brother, I…”

“Do you think I, Yang Chun, am that kind of person?” Second Brother Yang interrupted coldly.

“I…” Brother Guo Hao uttered a single word, full of guilt, but couldn’t continue.

“Guo Hao, we’ve been friends for over a decade! Do you really think I, Yang Laoer, would harm heaven and reason, and bring disaster to the innocent, just for some so-called inner core essence?” Second Brother Yang’s voice rose, still frighteningly cold.

“No, I didn’t… I was because…” Brother Guo also stood up abruptly and said loudly, “I was because…”

“Because of what? Go on, tell me. I never thought that with our friendship, our relationship, you would still guard against me, against Third Brother, and even plan to deceive Fourth Brother if she weren’t so clever?” Second Brother Yang demanded bitterly.

“I, I was because this matter might indeed have serious implications, so I didn’t tell you. I was planning to secretly return it to the back mountain woods today…” Brother Guo raised his voice, but lacking justification, he didn’t have the same momentum as Second Brother Yang.

“Well said, so high-sounding, claiming you don’t want to implicate us. How do we know you, Guo Hao, aren’t planning to hog that so-called inner core all to yourself?” Second Brother Yang, seemingly enraged by Brother Guo’s lack of trust, lashed out without choosing his words.

“Bullshit! Who said I want to hog it? Who said I would do such a selfish, life-harming thing?” Brother Guo, also stung by the accusation, shouted back.

“Who knows what you, Guo Hao, are really thinking? If I hadn’t discovered that fox girl this morning, you would never have told anyone, right? I’ve known you for so many years, and this is the first time I realize you have such deep schemes!” Second Brother Yang grew angrier with each word.

“Bullshit, bullshit! Yang Chun, if you keep talking nonsense, don’t blame me, Guo Hao, for getting rough!” Brother Guo roared, his right hand already clenched into a tight fist.

“Getting rough? Go ahead, I’d like to see just how rough you can get!” Second Brother Yang retorted angrily.

Seeing this, I snapped back to reality and quickly stepped in to mediate, “Brother Guo, Second Brother Yang, calm down. Don’t fight, don’t fight…”

“Brother, Second Brother, what’s going on? Why are you suddenly fighting like this?” Linghu Ruoxu asked, holding a washbasin, completely clueless.

“Fourth Brother, Third Brother, you two stay out of this. Today I’m going to teach this kid a lesson for being so reckless and spouting nonsense!” Brother Guo, even more embarrassed and furious after Yang Chun’s provocation, was about to lose control.

“Hey, telling them not to interfere—isn’t that because you’re feeling guilty? In this matter, you, Guo Hao, have wronged all three of us!” Second Brother Yang said coldly, showing no fear as Brother Guo prepared to lunge at him.

“You bastard!” Brother Guo, even more enraged by his attitude, gave a furious shout and prepared to charge. But I, having lost all my inner strength and being in a delicate female body, couldn’t possibly stop him.

Linghu Ruoxu hastily dropped his washbasin and was about to dart over and block Yang Chun, who stood unafraid, even wearing a look that said, “If you have the guts, come hit me.”

Just as the four of us were in a complete mess, suddenly, a delicate, weak voice came from Brother Guo’s bed.

“Ah woo… so noisy… what’s happening… ah woo…”

The tense Guo Hao and Yang Chun, along with Linghu Ruoxu and me who were trying to break up the fight, all turned toward the sound at once. We saw, on Brother Guo’s bed, first a pair of fox ears emerge, then a small, naked body. The little girl was rubbing her eyes and speaking dazedly.

The four of us, who had been in chaos, instantly froze.

That little fox demon girl had finally woken up?