Ying Er found it amusing. He thought that Ying San probably didn’t know that, apart from Huaxiang Lou, a new pastry shop called Manfujia had opened in Tancheng. Manfujia's pastries were just as good as those from Huaxiang Lou, and in fact, some of their varieties were even better. But, he wasn't going to tell Ying San.

  Ying Er decided to go to Manfujia to buy pastries. He was clever!

  After the hour of Xu had passed, the four dark guards had gathered at the National Master’s residence. Unlike previous gatherings, each of them was holding a box of pastries—some elegantly packaged, others simple and unadorned.

  "Hahaha, look at you all. You don't look anything like your usual selves," Ying San stood beside Ying Er, laughing heartily at Ying Yi and Ying Si.

  It wasn’t surprising that Ying San was laughing; Ying Yi and Ying Si usually exuded an aura that kept strangers away, but now, holding pastries, they looked out of place.

  "Ying San," Ying Si clenched her fists, "If you laugh again… I might just take you back to the North Tower."

  "Haha... haha," Ying San forced his laughter back, but it slipped out in a few broken laughs.

  "Ying San," Ying Si’s face darkened.

  "Uh… Ying Si… don’t be impulsive… um... I’ll go see the master," Ying San quickly excused himself, dashing toward the back yard.

  Since returning to the National Master’s residence, Li Nuxiu hadn’t gone anywhere. He had been in the room, keeping watch over the sleeping little fox. For some reason, ever since the change in her tail, Little Fox hadn’t woken up yet. Li Nuxiu feared that if he left for even a moment, Little Fox would wake up and not find him. She knew no one else here, and if something happened while she was alone... what could he do?

  Li Nuxiu lay sideways on the bed. Little Fox lay beside him on the pillow, covered with his blanket. Her position hadn't changed. She clung to her big tail, only occasionally moving her little paw to swipe at her nose when her tail fur brushed it, before settling back into sleep.

  Li Nuxiu, seeing Little Fox scratch her nose again because of her tail, reached out to help her move the tail aside. But as soon as he moved it, the tail returned to her face. He tried again, and the tail went back again.

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  Could it be that Little Fox's tail has a will of its own?

  "Chirp... chirp... chirp..." Just as Li Nuxiu was playing with Little Fox's tail, she opened her eyes, still groggy from sleep. She sluggishly sat up from the pillow.

  Little Fox had sat up too quickly and wasn’t stable. Before she could adjust, she fell back down.

  "Chirp." Her head was facing down, her back half still resting on the pillow. Her ears drooped, and she blinked hard. What happened? What was going on?

  Li Nuxiu waited for a while, and after a cup of tea, Little Fox finally woke up, slowly wriggling down from the pillow. She lazily turned her body and looked at Li Nuxiu, making a couple of soft sounds. She was so tired.

  Li Nuxiu noticed the exhaustion in her eyes. He reached out and gently rubbed her head. "Little Fox, don't you know what happened?"

  Little Fox shook her head. She had been sleeping, how could she know what had happened? Maybe she had slept too much, and now her whole body felt tired.

  "Silly fox, look at your tail." Li Nuxiu picked up her tail from behind her and held it up to her eyes. Little Fox blinked and thought, yes... this soft, beautiful tail, it's hers.

  Li Nuxiu rubbed her head. "Look carefully, can’t you see it?"

  Little Fox stretched out her paw to touch her tail. Huh?

  "Chirp?" Little Fox had forgotten that her tail was still in Li Nuxiu's hand. She quickly sat up, causing herself some discomfort and crying out in pain.

  "Slow down, slow down. Why are you being so fidgety?"

  Li Nuxiu lovingly helped Little Fox, knowing how delicate her tail was. It would be painful for her if she pulled it too hard.

  "Chirp chirp." Little Fox didn’t even have time to feel the pain. She quickly sat up and leaned against the pillow. She grabbed her tail with both paws, pulling it hard. Then, as if startled, she suddenly let go, and the tail floated behind her.

  Little Fox was stunned. How could this be?

  After thinking for a while, Little Fox took Li Nuxiu's hand in her paw and placed it on her other paw. "Chirp chirp." She wanted him to pinch it.

  "You want me to pinch you?" Li Nuxiu wasn’t sure if Little Fox really meant that.

  "Chirp chirp." Little Fox nodded. She wanted him to apply some force.

  Li Nuxiu frowned. "It will hurt."

  Little Fox shook her head and extended her paw. Pinch me!

  Li Nuxiu smiled and gently pinched her paw. Little Fox felt a slight pain.

  So it was true?

  "Chirp~" Little Fox suddenly jumped up and leapt into Li Nuxiu's arms, rubbing against his neck non-stop. She could only express her happiness this way.

  She now had two tails! How could she not be happy? In such a short time, Li Nuxiu had truly been her good luck star.

  Li Nuxiu held Little Fox in his arms, understanding what made her so happy. "So happy, do you want some pastries?"

  "Chirp chirp." Little Fox nodded. Li Nuxiu was so good to her, and she liked him more and more.

  Just as the two of them were enjoying their happiness, there was a noise from outside the door.

  "Master, the four dark guards have arrived."