The Fox Girl’s Trust

We hurried back to the boys’ dormitory, covered in dust. As we reached the door, we saw Big Brother Guo and Second Brother Yang standing back to back, each ignoring the other. Big Brother’s face was dark as he frowned in silence, while Second Brother tilted his head with a pout, looking indignant.

Seeing this scene, both Linghu Ruoxu and I knew exactly what was going on. It was probably that Yang Laoer had pulled some dirty trick again, and Big Brother Guo, stirred by a strong protective urge after Xiao Qi called him ‘brother,’ caught him red-handed. Now they were sulking over it again.

‘Big Brother, Second Brother, we’re back!’ Linghu Ruoxu broke the awkward silence by greeting them first.

‘Mm, Old Third and Old Fourth, you’re back!’ they both said, speaking in unison. Whether to show goodwill or to pull us to their side, they greeted us warmly, even while treating each other like air.

But that very unison made it impossible to ignore each other. So these two stubborn fellows snorted in unison again, making things even more awkward.

‘Did you get the clothes?’ After another moment of silence, Big Brother Guo finally asked me in a low voice.

‘Yes, here they are.’ I lifted the bundle in my hand slightly.

‘Mm… well then, Old Fourth, go in and help her change clothes. The three of us will stand guard outside to prevent anyone from barging in…’ Big Brother Guo nodded, then suddenly said this.

This remark surprised the other three. Naturally, I was amazed that he had suddenly done a one-hundred-and-eight-degree turn, actually letting me go in and see Xiao Qi naked and disheveled… But then I figured he must have finally come to terms with it. After all, my gender was now what it was…

Meanwhile, Yang Laoer was concerned about the same thing I was. He immediately complained, ‘Hey, Big Brother, that’s not fair! You’re letting Old Fourth swagger in for a feast for the eyes? I was lying on the floor trying to peek through the crack in the door, and you beat me to a pulp!’

Linghu Ruoxu quietly protested, ‘It’s noon on the weekend. Everyone else in the other rooms is either lying dead or out for the night. Who would come to peep?’

His words came almost at the same time as Yang Laoer’s, and no sooner had they left his mouth than he was slapped in the face by Second Brother’s thief behavior. One could imagine just how frustrated and hurt Old Third felt.

Truly, one must guard against fire, theft, and Second Brother…

****

Creaking open the dormitory door, I tiptoed inside. Then I warily glanced back and saw a lewd right hand holding a phone, trembling as it extended through the crack of the door that hadn’t been fully closed. Then came a soft click, accompanied by a blinding flash.

In that instant, I was quick of eye and hand… oh no, quick of butt. Without turning around, I leaned back hard, using my butt to slam the door shut. That bastard outside probably thought he was being stealthy, not expecting my swift reaction. Then I heard a familiar cry of pain: ‘Ah!’. His hand was squeezed by the door crack, but he still stubbornly clung to the phone.

Big Brother Guo’s roar came from outside. Inside, I pressed against the door to keep that sinful ‘hand’ from pulling back, and instructed, ‘Tickle his right armpit, make him let go of the phone first!’

They followed my instructions outside, and amid Second Brother Yang’s screams, I finally snatched the phone from his claw, then released his hand.

After furiously deleting the photos, I noticed that Xiao Qi, who had only been wearing a top, had somehow slipped back onto Big Brother Guo’s bed. She was now covering herself with the blanket, watching this hilarious ordeal.

‘Sorry, Xiao Qi, please forgive me for this embarrassment…’ I tried to clear my anger at Second Brother Yang from my mind, putting on what I thought was a gentle smile, and apologized to her with some guilt as I walked over to Big Brother Guo’s bunk.

Her round eyes fixed on me. Seeing me approach, she seemed to shrink back slightly into the blanket.

‘Mm, Xiao Qi… I’ve brought you clothes, the kind that won’t hurt your tail. Come down, and I’ll help you change, okay?’ I said softly, seeing she was still a bit afraid of me. As I spoke, I slowly extended the hand that wasn’t holding the bundle toward her.

At first, she seemed even more frightened at my movement and shrank back again. But when she saw I made no other move, she cautiously poked her head out.

Though my arm was a bit sore, I was afraid of startling her, so I kept my arm raised, waiting for her reaction.

Xiao Qi looked at me warily, then carefully brought her little face closer. First, she stopped at a distance, closed her eyes, and sniffed. Then she tentatively edged a bit closer…

Her tiny nose touched my palm, and then she extended her pink tongue and gently licked my hand. A slight ticklish sensation spread from my palm. I tried hard not to giggle.

‘Your aura… ah, I feel your aura is very pure, very clean… ah, it’s very similar to Big Brother’s… though they’re two different extremes… ah…’ She seemed to notice my reaction and suddenly said this out of nowhere.

I found it both amusing and bewildering. I couldn’t figure out what kind of aura Big Brother Guo had. Was it the smell of his socks?

Even as I silently griped, I kept a gentle expression on my face. After looking at her for a while, until she seemed to relax her guard a bit, I softly said, ‘Xiao Qi, come down and let me help you put on your clothes, okay?’

She still hid in the blanket, blinking her big eyes. After a long moment, she finally nodded slightly.

‘Then come down!’ I said, walking toward the ladder of the bunk bed. She seemed to understand my intent, obediently crawled out from Big Brother Guo’s blankets, and carefully climbed down the ladder.

I watched her big tail sway back and forth. When she finally got off the bed, she looked a bit nervous, still shaken as she lowered her little head, pointing her sharp fox ears toward me.

I couldn’t help but reach out and gently stroke the top of her head. She first trembled in fear, as if about to flinch back, but in the end, she didn’t. Instead, she let me continue petting her, and later, a hint of enjoyment even appeared on her downcast face.

‘Sister…’ I thought I heard her call me that.