Her blurred vision cleared as she blinked her long, curled lashes. Her dark eyes, now bright and clear, sparkled like morning dew.
A sudden chill made Huazhi wrap her arms around herself, trying to hold onto her body heat. Only then did she realize she was completely naked.
Her magic no longer worked in this new world. Unable to conjure clothes, Huazhi spotted a pair of striped pajamas neatly folded on the single bed.
The cotton pajamas were far too big for her. After putting them on, the sleeves hung well past her wrists, and the hem reached just above her thighs. Huazhi marveled at the sensation for a moment before fumbling with the buttons. Finally, she turned to the mirror.
The girl in the reflection had skin as white as Huazhi’s rabbit fur.
Her black hair cascaded down her back, silky and luminous. Her eyes were shaped like almond pits, their surfaces shimmering with a moist, crystal-clear light. A faint, peach-blossom pink touched the corners of her eyes, and her lips were naturally red, contrasting with her white teeth.
The collar of the pajamas was also too loose, slouching to reveal a large portion of her collarbone and a glimpse of her shoulder. Below the hem, her legs were slender and perfectly proportioned, ending in small, delicate, and pristine feet.
Huazhi wiggled her toes in fascination, then gently pinched her cheek. Her skin felt smooth, soft, and delicate.
Her eyes sparkled as she leaned closer to the mirror. The lightning strike had been too sudden; she hadn’t even had a chance to see what she looked like.
I’m actually quite pretty! Huazhi thought, her satisfaction growing with every glance.
After all, she was destined to become a celestial rabbit. If she weren’t beautiful, she wouldn’t fit the part.
Still, there was no hint of her rabbit nature.
Huazhi pondered for a moment, and suddenly, two white rabbit ears sprouted from the girl’s head in the mirror.
She nodded in approval. Now people will know I’m a rabbit.
The mirror was so clear she could see the fine fuzz on her ears. She was so engrossed that she lost track of time.
But before her curiosity and excitement could fully subside, the sound of water in the bathroom abruptly stopped.
Huazhi’s rabbit ears twitched. A few more muffled sounds followed, then the thud of the bathroom door swinging open.
He was coming out.
Huazhi scrambled to take off the clothes and return them, but her fingers seemed to knot up, unable to undo the buttons.
Feng Jinghuai emerged from the bathroom, drying his hair. He noticed the rabbit was gone from the living room. With its sparse furnishings and lack of hiding spots, he gave the space a quick glance before heading straight to the bedroom.
The footsteps grew closer. A faint golden light flashed.
Feng Jinghuai stopped in the doorway, his gaze falling on the pajamas scattered across the floor. The rabbit sat atop his clothes, wagging its tail at him.
He leaned against the doorframe, watching her coolly. He wore only a towel wrapped around his waist, his hair still dripping as he patted it dry with another towel. His features were sharp and elegant.
His physique was flawless, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist, his lean frame devoid of any excess fat.
The light traced the contours of his muscles, highlighting every line with precision. A stray droplet of water trailed from his hair, trickling down his abs before disappearing beneath the towel.
Huazhi stared, completely stunned by his state of undress. A fierce blush crept up her face. She had always thought he looked tall and lean in his clothes, but she never imagined he would look so… so good without them.
No, no, no, what am I thinking?
Her face felt like it was on fire. With no idea where to look, she simply flopped onto the floor and buried her head in the clothes.
Feng Jinghuai dried his hands, walked over, and scooped her up. “You got my clothes dirty.”
So close now, Huazhi could feel the heat radiating from his body and smell a faint, clean, crisp scent. Too embarrassed to look at him, she kept her head down, her tail wagging guiltily.
The fluffy, snowball-like tail swayed back and forth, a sight that would have cheered anyone up.
Sensing her guilt, Feng Jinghuai said nothing more. He placed her on a nearby soft cushion, then picked up the clothes and set them aside.
Then, Huazhi watched as he materialized an identical set of clothes.
Huazhi blinked, marveling at his space. It seemed he could conjure anything from it, just like a magic trick. The sheer wonder of it all made her forget her embarrassment.
Feng Jinghuai dried his hair and reached for the towel to change. He paused when he noticed Huazhi tilting her head, watching him.
He gently turned her head away and draped a piece of clothing over her. “I’m changing. No peeking.”
I’m not peeking! I’m not a lewd rabbit! Huazhi didn’t think the cloth was enough; she covered her eyes with her paws.
Only after the rustle of fabric ceased and Feng Jinghuai moved to remove the cloth did she lower her paws.
Huazhi expected him to rest, but instead, he retrieved a pile of items from his space.
These were the things he had taken from the pet store. After cleaning them, he arranged the parts on the floor by size and began to assemble them.
Huazhi, you need to get closer to him to share his light, little gray rabbit reminded her.
She had completely forgotten.
Huazhi hopped lightly off the table and snuggled up to Feng Jinghuai. The golden aura surrounding him remained, and as she drew closer, it enveloped her too.
She had never seen anything like this before and had no idea what he was doing. Huazhi simply leaned against him obediently. After sitting for a while, she grew tired and lay down on the floor.
Her head rested near his knee, and she caught another whiff of his cool fragrance. It was an indescribably pleasant scent that inexplicably calmed her.
Her snow-white fur spilled across the floor like a bolt of satin. Feng Jinghuai glanced at her and couldn’t resist rubbing the soft flesh behind her ears.
The gentle itch made Huazhi want to flatten herself against the floor, but before she could, he withdrew his hand and went back to his work. Huazhi twitched her ears, finding the spot he had touched felt even itchier now.
A moment later, he held a woven grass ball.
Feng Jinghuai placed it in front of her. “Chew on this if you need to grind your teeth.”
Huazhi couldn’t resist sniffing the grass ball.
It gave off a rich, sweet aroma of dried hay, though it lacked the freshness of the grass she used to eat. While rabbits did need to gnaw on things to grind their teeth, she was a rabbit spirit who had cultivated a human form, so she no longer had that need.
Still, Huazhi decided to play along. She batted the ball with her paw, rolling it back and forth. After a few more sniffs, she decided it actually smelled quite delicious.
Seeing her so entertained, Feng Jinghuai began crafting something else.
His movements were deliberate and unhurried, yet he worked with surprising speed. Before long, he had woven a soft, cozy nest for her.
He had no intention of keeping her in a cage.
After settling Huazhi into her new nest and placing water and carrots nearby, Feng Jinghuai finally stood up.
He was tall, and from her low vantage point, Huazhi could only see his ankles. She had to crane her neck all the way back just to catch a glimpse of his face.
Feng Jinghuai looked down at her, resisting the urge to pet her. “Go to sleep.”
Sunlight streamed into the room, and it was indeed time for a rabbit to rest.
Huazhi surveyed her surroundings.
The apartment wasn’t high, and it had a balcony. If anything went wrong, she could jump from there or through a window. The bathroom also had a vent; her small body could squeeze through it.
Only after mapping out every possible escape route did Huazhi finally lie down. Rabbits were light sleepers, but they fell asleep quickly. Within minutes, she was out.
Seeing her settle in and obediently close her eyes, Feng Jinghuai couldn’t resist stroking her head once more before walking into the living room.
After setting up a mental power barrier around the area, Feng Jinghuai retrieved a white jade pendant from his space. He had “picked it up” from Jiang Xu’s clothing.
He examined the pendant closely. It looked like cheap plastic, shaped like a traditional safety buckle coin and only the size of a small coin. It was a far cry from the translucent, warm, mutton-fat jade he had seen in his past life. He ran his fingers along the edge, but there was no sign of the two-clawed, three-toed dragon carved into it.
He extended his mental power, letting the undulating glow envelop the entire pendant. Nothing happened.
As he prepared to withdraw his ability after a moment, he suddenly felt his mental power draining away at a terrifying speed.
Feng Jinghuai’s gaze sharpened instantly. He forced his mental power back, but the two forces remained locked in a vicious tug-of-war, their energies hopelessly entwined.
He acted without hesitation. A wall of dense wind erupted from his skin, creating an invisible barrier that shoved the pendant away. The suction vanished, and the jade piece was ripped free.
As it flew into the air, a blade of condensed wind sliced through it. A flash of white light streaked across the room. The pendant slammed into the wall, bounced off, and clattered to the floor with a crisp, faint ring.
Even with the barrier active, the wind blade had left a shallow gouge in the wall. Yet the pendant remained flawless, without a single crack.
In an instant, Feng Jinghuai felt the air pressure and wind speed around him shift.
It’s that pendant.
【Huazhi, wake up! Energy! There’s energy!】
The little gray rabbit decided that the golden-shining Feng Jinghuai was its lucky star. It had been wondering where to find some energy, and here it was, delivered right to its doorstep!
Sob, sob, it loves this man so much!
Huazhi’s eyes fluttered open. Through her grogginess, she saw the pendant on the floor, now wreathed in black qi.
The black qi erupted like a spark dropped on dry brush, spreading with the fury of a wildfire. It writhed around the pendant, twisting and churning before lunging toward Feng Jinghuai. With every pulse, it swelled in size, doubling and tripling in mere breaths.
The barrier he’d erected with his mental power was being devoured, vanishing rapidly.
Air currents surged. The temperature plunged. The pendant vibrated violently on the floor, and a howling wind whipped around it, forming an invisible vortex.
Jiang Xu really did get this pendant during that mission, Feng Jinghuai realized.
The moment Huazhi saw the black qi, a wave of dread washed over her. This was nothing like the black qi inside the crystal core, which, though dark, was calm and serene.
The entity before her was a monstrous, snarling beast, desperate to consume.
Without a second thought, Huazhi leaped from the rabbit burrow and charged toward the pendant.
The little gray rabbit watched the jade piece with wide eyes. Here it comes, here it comes! My energy is almost here!