In the chaotic night, at the ruins of a broken temple, a silver-haired girl with a fox tail squatted among the debris, stuffing her mouth with rotten vegetable leaves she had pulled from a trash bag.
Meanwhile, Yu Sheng, who had died three times, stood behind a broken wall, staring at her in stunned silence.
They faced each other quietly through the night, and in this moment of their first real meeting (the earlier incident with the blunt force didn’t count), Yu Sheng knew this scene would remain etched in his memory for life.
Then, he saw the girl with the fox tail slowly widen her golden-red eyes, her expression shifting to one of overwhelming shock and joy—perhaps mixed with disbelief.
She finally stood up, still holding a handful of vegetable leaves, and suddenly seemed to snap back to reality.
She pointed at Yu Sheng and, in a voice nearly choked with surprise, exclaimed, “A person!? Ah, a person! You are a person?! Who... who are you? Where did you come from...?”
Yu Sheng had prepared an opening line, which included his introduction and how to inquire about her circumstances while expressing that he bore no grudge for the earlier incident.
However, the moment she spoke, he froze, forgetting most of what he had planned.
Her reaction took him by surprise.
What did she mean by “you are a person”? Did it really have such a profound impact on her? Had she never seen a human before, or had it simply been too long since she had? More importantly...
Whether it was an illusion or a misunderstanding, Yu Sheng felt that her reaction was as if she had never seen him before, when in fact, she had witnessed his struggle with that strange creature earlier.
Of course, their earlier encounter was somewhat unconventional, and it was likely that after her head collided with him, he appeared quite different from how he looked now.
But at the very least, his face should not have changed much...
Even if she hadn’t inspected the scene after the collision, she should have had some impression of him, rather than acting like he was a complete stranger.
“We... we’ve met before,” Yu Sheng stammered after two or three seconds, unable to hold back. “Just a moment ago, in the open space outside, you said you came to rescue me... forgot?”
The fox girl tilted her head, seemingly puzzled by Yu Sheng’s words.
But soon, her attention shifted to something else.
She pointed at the bag of kitchen scraps on the ground, her eyes glimmering in the dark, “Is this... yours?”
Her speech was punctuated by strange pauses, as if she hadn’t conversed with anyone in a long time, needing to recollect each word before speaking.
Yu Sheng felt a bit awkward, “Uh, yes...”
“Can I... eat it?” the fox girl blurted out, still with a hint of stammering.
She tightly clenched the vegetable leaves in her hand, as if struggling against the urge to shove them into her mouth.
Her jaw worked, as if she was chewing something she had just eaten, then she glanced at Yu Sheng and quickly added, “I’m hungry. I want to eat, I’m sorry...”
Her hands shook slightly, and her tone was frantic, but there was a visible restraint, as if she was trying to hold back something more dangerous than mere hunger... something that was on the verge of losing control.
Yu Sheng felt a bit dazed, as fleeting shadows seemed to hover behind her, slowly creeping closer, like a predator lurking in the darkness, waiting for the prey's moment of neglect.
But the shadows quickly vanished.
Yu Sheng stepped out from behind the broken wall, realizing there was something off about the girl before him (though the messy tails alone were already quite out of the ordinary).
He mustered his courage and approached, “You can’t eat those. They are...”
He found himself at a loss for words—after all, he had never been this hungry.
At this moment, the girl had already crouched down, seeming unable to wait for Yu Sheng’s reply as she began to gather the scattered food on the ground.
“Wait! I think I have some food!” Just then, Yu Sheng suddenly called out to the girl, as if something came to mind.
He spoke quickly while rummaging through his clothes pockets.
Finally, he pulled out two small packaged buns and a piece of chocolate about the size of his palm, which he had originally planned to keep for a late-night snack.
Due to work commitments, he had developed the habit of staying up late.
The fox girl watched him with a mix of wariness and confusion.
Yu Sheng approached her and demonstrated how to rip open the bun’s packaging—along with the sound of tearing plastic, the aroma of bread wafted into the air, instantly illuminating her eyes.
Almost in a blur, she grabbed Yu Sheng’s hand, pulling it towards her mouth along with the bun.
Yu Sheng barely reacted in time; the girl was not only quick, but surprisingly strong.
He had to pull with all his might to free his arm before she could bite his fingers off.
Yet, even so, her sharp teeth grazed his index finger, and blood quickly oozed out.
“Goodness, how long have you been starving...?” he couldn’t help but mutter.
The girl seemed completely oblivious to her surroundings, shoving the food into her mouth as if trying to swallow it whole.
Her cheeks stuffed, she would widen her eyes with each chew.
Yu Sheng worried she might choke, but miraculously, she managed to swallow the food and soon focused her gaze on the other bun.
“Slow down, catch your breath. Eating like that will choke you,” he had to intervene, looking seriously into her eyes as he spoke. “Okay? Do you understand?”
“I... understand...” the fox girl nodded vigorously, trying to swallow her saliva.
Only then did Yu Sheng hand her the second bun, watching as she struggled awkwardly with the plastic wrapping—her technique was flawed, yet she possessed immense strength and tore it apart almost immediately.
She split the bun in half and began stuffing it into her mouth but seemed to remember Yu Sheng's words or realized the food’s value; she hurriedly slowed down, tearing off small pieces and carefully placing them in her mouth.
Meanwhile, her gaze kept flicking towards Yu Sheng's hand, landing on the last small piece of chocolate.
“This is chocolate...” Yu Sheng said casually, raising his hand to pass it to her.
However, he hesitated halfway, his expression growing strangely somber.
He quickly contemplated, then called out in his mind, “Ailin.”
The chattering voice of the puppet from the painting suddenly filled his mind, “Yu Sheng! What’s going on with you? Why have you suddenly gone silent again? I’ve been calling you...”
“The situation here is complicated. I’ll explain later. For now, I need to ask you something...”
“Okay, ask.” Ailin’s tone sounded impatient, yet there was an air of reluctant patience.
“Dogs can’t eat chocolate, right?” Yu Sheng ignored the strange feeling in his heart and stole a glance at the eagerly waiting fox girl, trying to make his tone sound serious.
“... Yes,” Ailin replied, finding his question baffling. “That stuff is toxic to dogs. But why do you suddenly ask about this? You're trapped in a foreign land, and you still have time for this...”
Yu Sheng ignored her rambling, “Can foxes eat it?”
“Foxes probably shouldn’t either... right?” Ailin hesitated. “They are all carnivores. Look, I’m telling you, many foods that humans eat are toxic to other species. Let’s put it this way: your diet, not just from an animal's perspective, but even in the eyes of an ‘outlander’ like me, seems bizarre. It’s like eating poison mixed with strong alkali and drinking acidic liquids, followed by biochemical concoctions—just disgusting...”
Yu Sheng cut off her long-winded monologue, “What about foxes that have cultivated to become spirit beings?”
Ailin was momentarily speechless, “... What?”
It turned out that even the most talkative spirit couldn’t handle such a bizarre topic shift.
“I mean foxes that can take human form, like fox immortals or fox demons. Get it?” Yu Sheng rushed to explain, realizing the fox girl was almost done with the bun and was about to make a grab for his chocolate. “Are fox immortals still considered foxes? Do they have more human traits or more fox traits? If it’s the latter, do they count as canines?”
Ailin: “... What’s happening on your end?!”
“I have a starving fox here, with white fur, red eyes, and nine tails... or maybe six or seven tails. They’re so messy that it’s hard to tell, but I only have one piece of chocolate left.”
Ailin listened, stunned, then with surprising composure replied, “If it has nine tails, it should be fine. If it doesn’t have even a little cultivation, how would it manage to grow so many tails? Is it just to use as a propeller while swimming? Wait, what is happening with you? Didn’t you say it was an uninhabited realm? How did it suddenly get a...”
Yu Sheng found Ailin's earlier statement quite sensible, so he didn’t respond to her ongoing chatter but offered the chocolate to the girl, all the while reminding her, “I’m giving this to you, but it’s best to try and eat only a little. I’m worried it might not be good for you.”
“Thank... thank you!” The fox girl hurriedly accepted the chocolate, clumsily unwrapped it, and cautiously took a bite.
A look of wonder spread across her face, followed by her eyes narrowing in what seemed like immense happiness.
“Alright, there isn’t any more to be had,” Yu Sheng said, shaking his head and spreading his hands. “I don’t know if this will be enough to fill you up... um, I also don’t know what to call you.”
“Thank you,” the fox girl said again, this time her gratitude felt more sincere.
After her hunger had lessened, she looked into Yu Sheng’s eyes, lifted her hand to point at herself, and seriously declared, “Hu Li.”
“Huh?” Yu Sheng was taken aback.
“Hu Li,” the fox girl smiled slowly, “I have a name!”
(End of Chapter)