5
Yun Li endured the examination with her heart pounding, but after confirming that these people weren’t doing anything bad to her, she couldn’t help but feel relieved.
Once the medical staff left, Yun Li, who had been pretending to be unconscious, secretly sat up and looked around.
The walls were stark white, and the air was filled with an unpleasant smell.
She had heard the handsome man mention that this place was a hospital but what exactly was a hospital?
Thinking of making a run for it, Yun Li slipped out, only to be caught in the act.
“Where are you going?”
Yun Li was startled. Her nonexistent fox tail bristled, and her fluffy fur puffed up.
“I-I…” She couldn’t form an answer.
She had only come down the mountain to find her brothers, but now it seemed she was lost!
The young nurse recognized Yun Li. Dr. Ding had specifically instructed them to keep an eye on her. “It’s late. You should go back to your room and rest.”
Yun Li obediently said “oh,” turned around, and climbed back into bed.
After the nurse left, Yun Li quietly opened the door again and peeked out. The nurse was still stationed not far away. Was she going to stand guard all night?
Yun Li hung her head and trudged back to her bed in defeat. Just then, her stomach let out a loud growl.
She sighed heavily and pressed a hand to her empty belly. She was so hungry.
Ever since coming down the mountain, she hadn’t eaten a single thing. When had this little fox ever endured such hardship?
She flopped onto the soft bed, biting the corner of the blanket in frustration. Boo hoo, she wanted a chicken leg so badly.
Clutching her stomach and rolling back and forth on the bed, she soon found herself distracted by how soft and comfortable the mattress was.
Rolling around blissfully, Yun Li forgot her hunger and drifted off to sleep.
As soon as the examination results were ready, they were sent to Ding Zhen.
Ding Zhen propped his chin in his hand, deep in thought. All indicators were normal. No injuries at all.
How strange.
Fu Residence.
Uncle Yang, the butler, had cared for Fu Qingheng since he was a child. When he heard that Fu Qingheng had nearly been in a car accident, the old man was terrified out of his wits. He scrutinized Fu Qingheng from head to toe until he was certain there were no injuries. Only then did his tense heart relax.
If anything had happened to him, how would he face the late Master Fu?
He launched into a long, nagging lecture, driving Fu Qingheng up the wall.
After reassuring him, Fu Qingheng finally retreated to his room for the night.
That night, he dreamed of a little girl, around four or five years old. She wore her hair in two braids, her round, bun-like face was fair with a rosy blush, and her features were delicate and exquisite. Her eyes were big and round, and when she laughed with joy, they narrowed into crescents, her smile bright as a little fox.
The little girl ran toward him, her voice sweet and crisp as she called out, “Brother Fu.”
Fu Qingheng jolted awake from the dream, staring at the dim ceiling. The image of the little girl who called him “Brother Fu” lingered in his mind.
He ran a hand through his hair. Who was that little girl in the dream?
And why did she bear an eighty or ninety percent resemblance to the girl from last night?
What was going on?
It’s just a dream.
At noon, after finishing his work, Fu Qingheng received a call from Ding Zhen. “What is it?”
“The girl brought in last night—her test results are out. She’s not injured. Are you sure you guys actually hit someone? Or was she faking it?”
Not injured?
Fu Qingheng pressed his lips together, deep in thought.
The car had definitely hit something. But aside from that girl, there was nothing else around.
“Are you certain there’s no mistake?”
“I’ve looked over the reports so many times I could flip through them in my sleep. There’s no error. She doesn’t have a single bruise.” Offended that Fu Qingheng would question the hospital’s competence, Ding Zhen rolled his eyes. “My guess? She’s faking it to extort money.”
Faking it for money?
The image of the girl drenched in rain, looking disheveled and pitiful especially those eyes, so sorrowful and aggrieved, suddenly came to mind. Fu Qingheng instinctively dismissed the idea.
“Is she awake?”
“She’s been awake for a while. Up and about, running around even.”
Yun Li had woken up hungry that morning, her stomach growling incessantly.
Shortly after she woke, a nurse came in for rounds.
As soon as the nurse arrived, Yun Li lay still and obediently let her take her temperature.
Yun Li was exceptionally pretty and well-behaved, especially when she sat quietly letting the nurse do her job. The nurse couldn’t help but feel fond of her. “Are you feeling unwell anywhere else?” she asked with concern.
Yun Li shook her head. She was a fox, she wasn’t as fragile as humans.
But just after shaking her head, her stomach let out a loud rumble.
Yun Li’s face flushed red. She quickly covered her belly and looked up at the nurse in embarrassment, wishing she could dig a hole and bury herself.
This was such a loss of face for a fox.
“Well, um… my stomach is growling because I haven’t eaten anything for too long.”
“Wait here. I’ll have someone bring you food right away.”
Those were the most touching words Yun Li had heard all day. Not only did the nurse not laugh at her, but she also offered to get her food.
Yun Li looked at her with teary eyes. “Sister, you’re so kind!”
The nurse took the chance to pat Yun Li’s hair, thinking to herself: No wonder men liked women who acted cute—even she couldn’t resist this.
“Stay here. I’ll bring it over soon!”
Yun Li nodded eagerly, promising to stay put and not go anywhere.
It seemed humans weren’t all bad. Some were genuinely kind.
Like the sister in front of her, and the man who’d brought her into the car last night—he was so wonderful, taking her somewhere she could eat and sleep.
The nurse returned shortly with a tray in hand.
Yun Li’s eyes lit up with anticipation. With a sweet call of “Sister!” that made the nurse’s heart swell, the nurse placed a bowl of congee in front of her. “Eat up. It’s fresh from the kitchen.”
But as soon as the lid was lifted, Yun Li’s smile faded.
Instead of the big chicken leg she’d imagined, the bowl was filled with something green. She leaned closer and sniffed, there wasn’t a trace of meat.
The nurse noticed she wasn’t eating. “What’s wrong? Not hungry?”
Yun Li looked up pitifully. “I want a chicken leg. I don’t want this green stuff.”
Not a bit of meat. How was a carnivore supposed to eat this?
“You just got into a car accident. You can’t eat anything too greasy right now. Try the congee—it’s really good!”
Congee? As in rice porridge boiled with vegetables?
The explanation only made Yun Li want it even less.
Ever since she was little, she’d hated all kinds of leafy greens.
Yun Li gazed at her pleadingly. “Sister, I want chicken.”
“Ah? Well…”
The nurse hadn’t expected Yun Li to be a picky eater, especially one who avoided vegetables.
With those beautiful eyes blinking so coaxingly, the nurse felt like running out to buy a chicken on the spot.
Who could resist that?
Seeing that Yun Li was about to cry, the nurse tried to reason with her. “How about this—you finish this first, and then I’ll get you a chicken leg. Sound good?”
Yun Li glanced at the congee. She’d been picky since childhood and hated greens. Her mother had scolded her for it many times.
“Sister!” Yun Li tried again, her voice soft and pitiful.
The nurse steeled herself. “No amount of coaxing will work. You have to finish the congee!”
Yun Li: “…”
She was starving, and since chicken legs were out of reach, she had no choice but to settle for the congee.
After she finished eating, Yun Li proudly held up the empty bowl to the nurse. “Sister, when can I have a chicken leg?”
The nurse: “…”
Yun Li was still covered in dirt. The nurse had only given her a simple wipe-down the night before.
The nurse handed her a clean set of hospital pajamas and told her to go take a shower.
Not that she needed reminding—she’d been wanting to wash up herself.
She was a clean little fox after all.
It was Yun Li’s first time using a human bathroom. Staring at the showerhead, she was completely lost.
“Sister, I don’t know how to use this!”
Back in the demon realm, she either bathed in a stream or used a cleaning spell.
The nurse paused. “You’ve never used one before?”
Yun Li shook her head honestly. Human things were so strange.
How did this thing even make water come out?
The nurse demonstrated. “Lift this up, and the water comes out. These two knobs control the temperature.”
Little Yun Li watched like an eager student, as if mentally taking notes.
Fu Qingheng couldn’t stop thinking about the strange dream from the night before.
He was certain he didn’t know the little girl in the dream. So why had he dreamed of her?
After some thought, he decided to go to the hospital to see the girl from last night.
His assistant happened to be dropping off lunch. When he heard Fu Qingheng was heading to the hospital, he gave him a puzzled look. “Mr. Fu, are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m visiting someone.” Guo Ziyang hadn’t heard about the car accident last night and was even more confused about who Fu Qingheng was going to see.
The driver, still shaken from the accident, had taken the day off, worried he wouldn’t drive well.
Guo Ziyang drove Fu Qingheng to the hospital, cautiously asking, “Mr. Fu, who are you visiting?”
He had been with Fu Qingheng the longest but hadn’t heard of anyone in the hospital. Someone worth a personal visit from Fu Qingheng had to be important.
When Ding Zhen found out Fu Qingheng had come to the hospital, he asked, “What are you doing here?”
Fu Qingheng gave him a room number.
Ding Zhen raised an eyebrow. “You’re really going to see her? Aren’t you worried she’s trying to scam you?”
“Don’t tell me you’ve been charmed by her. I’ll admit she’s pretty, but keep a cool head. The prettier they are, the more likely they’ll fool you.”
Fu Qingheng shot him a glance and retorted, “Who fooled you?”
Ding Zhen sputtered. “When did anyone fool me? That line’s from Zhang Wuji. Haven’t you read The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber?”
Fu Qingheng remained unfazed by Ding Zhen’s outburst.
He was interested in the girl.
Why did she look so much like the little girl from his dream?
Yun Li had stripped down and followed the nurse’s instructions to turn on the shower. Cold water poured from above.
She wanted so badly to turn back into a fox and wash her fur properly.
Not that she could, of course.
Curious about human contraptions, she fiddled with the showerhead and noticed two knobs—one red, one blue.
The nurse had mentioned something about temperature control, right?
Driven by curiosity, Yun Li twisted the red knob all the way.
The cold water instantly turned scalding hot. Yun Li shrieked.
Ahhh, it’s so hot, so hot! This little fox is getting boiled!
Just then, Fu Qingheng, about to knock on the door, heard a scream from inside.
Without hesitation, he pushed the door open and rushed toward the bathroom.
He flung the door open. “What’s wrong?”
**