The Tail Predicament

The blazing red sun hung high, its light streaming through the window grille at the end of the corridor. In the clear, crystalline rays, specks of dust danced wildly.

I, Yang Laoer, and Linghu Laosan stood in the hallway outside the dormitory, staring at each other. Then, as if on cue, we all turned our gazes toward Elder Brother Guo, whose face was a mix of shame and anger. He glared back at us, then with a “whoosh” and a “bang,” slammed the dormitory door shut.

Just moments ago, he had frantically managed to find a few pieces of clothing to cover the naked little fox girl, Xiao Qi. Then, after a few hurried pushes, he drove the three of us out of the room, all the while red-faced, explaining to Xiao Qi: “Anyway, just put the clothes on first… um… we’ll wait until you’re dressed before coming back in. Go, all of you, get out!”

Though we understood the principle of gender segregation and modesty, being chased out like ducks was somewhat grudging. When Elder Brother Guo himself set an example and stepped out, slamming the door shut with what seemed like a threat, sending dust flying, we all started complaining.

“Damn it, Boss, if you want to be a gentleman, just be one yourself. Why drag us all into this? This is a once-in-a-century chance to see a beast-eared moe girl changing clothes! What a waste! If I miss out on something like this, I’ll be struck by lightning!” Yang Laoer said, somewhat agitated.

Linghu Laosan, his face red enough to drip blood, waited until Yang Laoer finished before quietly adding, “Second Brother, didn’t you always say you prefer the mature type?”

Yang Laoer, who had been ready to argue with Elder Brother Guo, was caught off guard by this stab in the back from his teammate and found himself speechless.

That reminded me. Compared to Yang Laoer, who was always going on about this teacher or that lady, Linghu Laosan had a penchant for 2D island girls. Xiao Qi the fox girl was probably more to his taste…

Elder Brother Guo seemed to have realized this as well, and his expression darkened further. Seeing that these two scumbags likely harbored no good intentions, he turned to me, as if seeking some comfort, only to find my face full of resentment.

“Lao Si, you… don’t tell me you have similar thoughts?” Elder Brother Guo asked, looking a bit deflated as he glared at me.

I gave a helpless wry smile and spread my hands. “Why would I want to watch someone else change when I can just look at myself in the mirror in the bedroom? Honestly, Big Brother, why did you kick me out too? I mean, now I’m…”

Elder Brother Guo suddenly realized his mistake and said apologetically, “Uh, sorry, I just did it out of habit, so I…”

“Hey, wait, damn it, Lao Si, I just remembered—you sneaked into the girls’ dorm and even share a room with Senior Sister Xiao Ru. So… does that mean you’ve already seen her naked?” Yang Laoer suddenly exclaimed, as if his tail had been stepped on.

I froze, then felt a chill run down my spine. I saw Elder Brother Guo’s face sink instantly, and Linghu Laosan was momentarily stunned before a look of realization dawned.

“I, I…” Betrayed by Yang Laoer, I stammered. After all, sharing a dorm with Xiao Ru, living in such close quarters—though I hadn’t actually seen her completely naked, it was inevitable to catch occasional glimpses of spring and fleeting peach blossoms in daily life.

“I, I… haven’t seen… everything…” I was searching for words when the lustful and faithless Yang Laoer and Linghu Laosan grabbed hold of me, just like they had done with Elder Brother Guo earlier. It looked like I was about to be subjected to a “torture session” as well…

Just as Elder Brother Guo’s expression was fluctuating and the three of us were in chaos, the dormitory door slowly opened from inside. A cloud of dust swirled up, and we all instinctively looked over. There, in the middle of the room, stood Xiao Qi, wearing only a shirt, holding a pair of pants, looking at us with a troubled expression.

“Awoo, um, I don’t want to wear this…” she said timidly. Though still half-dressed, thanks to Elder Brother Guo’s robust build, his shirt was large enough to cover the necessary parts.

Still, the attire—loose and flowerless—was somehow more alluring, a kind of reluctant tease.

“Huh, why?” I was probably the only one still capable of rational thought, being held in a reversed arm lock and suspended in midair.

“Because, because, awoo, if I wear these, there’s no place for my tail…” she said cautiously, yet somewhat aggrieved.

Our eyes then focused behind her. Beneath Elder Brother Guo’s oversized old T-shirt, a pure white, silky-smooth, fluffy, and bushy tail swayed back and forth. Not a single strand of color marred its pristine whiteness.

If not for the fact that these three comrades had cultivated internal energy from childhood, leaning toward a Daoist foundation, and possessed relatively deep concentration, that single image alone would have made their noses gush blood…

After a long moment, Elder Brother Guo seemed to snap out of it. Without a word, he closed his eyes and rushed inside. We heard some rummaging, and when he ran back out with his eyes still shut, he held the pants in one hand and a pair of scissors in the other.

Seeing this, we more or less understood what he intended to do: he was going to cut an opening in the pants so that Xiao Qi’s tail could stick out, finding a place to rest.

Hastily, he used his heel to push the door ajar, then the honest man, face red, raised his own pants and brandished the scissors, hesitating to actually make the cut. After a moment of bewilderment, we realized—though the action seemed unrelated, carrying it out would be incredibly sensual and embarrassing!

It stirred the imagination, made one’s mind wander, and looking at the spot where the cut was to be made, one couldn’t help but think…

Even for a righteous gentleman like Elder Brother Guo, who always acted properly and remained unperturbed by temptations, this must have stirred some not-so-innocent thoughts.