The situation finally came under control. Ning Qi’an relaxed slightly, shuffled along the door in small steps, and climbed onto the sofa once he reached the edge, carefully circling around to Qin Suixi’s back.
Throughout this, Qin Suixi’s gaze followed him until Ning Qi’an disappeared from his field of vision.
Where did he go?
A flicker of confusion crossed Qin Suixi’s mind, and just as he was about to turn his head, a strange sensation suddenly appeared on his spine.
He froze.
Wings suddenly sprouted, tearing two holes in his shirt, and a few inches of skin—which had never seen the light of day—were exposed through the torn fabric.
His breath hitched, but he quickly returned to normal.
Ning Qi’an curiously used his fingers to trace the base of the wings. His warm fingertips brushed over the area, occasionally gently tapping and scratching the fragile parts of the wings that were covered in fine, dense down.
It was very itchy.
Qin Suixi didn’t have time to stop him, as that feather-like exploration soon pulled away.
“Congratulations,” he heard Ning Qi’an say. “You can fly now.”
Qin Suixi was silent for a moment before saying, “I’m afraid of heights.”
Whenever he traveled by plane, he would pull out an eye mask and put it on; if he couldn’t see it, he wouldn’t worry.
Ning Qi’an: …This was the first time he’d ever met a bird-like creature afraid of heights.
He attributed this to Qin Suixi’s impure avian bloodline.
The most urgent problem wasn’t that, though. Ning Qi’an said, “You should retract your wings first.”
To avoid getting slapped again, Ning Qi’an hurriedly gave him some space; his face still hurt from earlier.
Qin Suixi tried hard for several seconds, but to no avail. He asked, “How do I retract them?”
Ning Qi’an said, “Just retract them the same way you brought them out.”
Qin Suixi didn’t know how he had brought them out in the first place, and he stood there listening to Ning Qi’an, his entire body tensed and motionless.
Seeming to realize his question was brainless, he stammered, “It seems I can’t retract them. How do you do it?”
???
Ning Qi’an said, “Just… retract them like that.”
“Like what?”
For the first time, Qin Suixi realized he was asking so many questions.
Ning Qi’an didn’t know how to explain it clearly. His own ears and tail changed at will, something he had been able to do since he was a child. This ability was almost etched into his bones, just as a human couldn’t explain why they were able to breathe automatically.
“How about this,” Ning Qi’an suggested. “Let’s just leave it for now? Maybe they’ll suddenly retract while you’re asleep, just like how they suddenly grew out.”
He emphasized the word “suddenly.”
At this point, Qin Suixi had no better options. It was his own fault, perhaps, for having that unnecessary curiosity. He had no choice but to take the suggestion and wait until tomorrow to see.
Maybe I can even use this as an excuse to take a day off, the hardworking Young Master Qin thought, finding a silver lining in the misery.
Then he turned around. The moment his foot touched the ground, he heard a rush of wind, and his body suddenly felt much lighter.
“Wow,” Ning Qi’an clapped twice, saying, “You retracted them.”
Qin Suixi rolled his shoulders, feeling the tension in his back muscles. Being relieved of that extra dozen-plus pounds of wings made him feel much lighter.
He didn’t have to be a bird-man anymore, but he also had no way to use it as an excuse for a day off.
The area under the table was a mess. Qin Suixi went to the balcony to get a broom to pick up the glass shards and sweep them into the trash can, while Ning Qi’an went to the bathroom to get a mop to wipe up the water stains. Their tacit cooperation was finally evident in this moment.
After cleaning up the mess, Ning Qi’an yawned. He didn’t cover his mouth with his hand, and Qin Suixi noticed those two petite canine teeth again.
As soon as Ning Qi’an opened his eyes, he saw Qin Suixi staring at him intently.
“What?”
Qin Suixi said, “Why is your face so red?”
Ning Qi’an reached out and touched his cheek. With a slight poke, a faint pain radiated across his face. He said irritably, “You hit me.”
Qin Suixi did not admit to this crime: “When did I hit you?”
He didn’t have a habit of hitting people.
Ning Qi’an sneered, “It was you. The moment your wings sprouted, you came at me and gave me two big slaps. You didn’t hear how crisp the sound was?”
The more Ning Qi’an talked, the more aggrieved he felt. He couldn’t help but complain: “My parents never even hit me, and you’re the first.”
So it really was his crime. Qin Suixi accepted it, panicked and at a loss: “I’m sorry. There’s a medicine kit at home. I’ll apply some medicine for you right now.”
“Wait,” Ning Qi’an called out to Qin Suixi, who was preparing to rummage through cabinets. “I want to take a shower first. I’ll apply the medicine after I shower.”
Qin Suixi had to relent: “Okay.”
But this involved another issue. Ning Qi’an asked, “Can I borrow some of your clothes?”
Qin Suixi had only moved in a few months ago, and most of his clothes were new. He finally managed to find a set of pajamas that were a size too small, and then he pulled open another small compartment, paused subtly, and unwrapped a new pack of underwear.
Holding these clothes, he knocked on the bathroom door. A moment later, it opened; steam rushed out, and a wet hand reached out, droplets snaking down the back of the hand and wetting that small patch of floor.
“Where are they?”
The crisp voice brought Qin Suixi back to his senses. He turned his head and shoved the clothes into his hand.
The bathroom door slammed shut. Qin Suixi rubbed the dampness remaining on his fingertips, then unbuttoned his shirt, stripped to the waist, threw the shirt—which had been ruined by the wings—onto the floor, and took his pajamas into the bathroom in his own room.
Ning Qi’an came out feeling refreshed, almost tripping over the long pant legs.
Qin Suixi’s clothes were still too big for him; the cuffs and pant legs were much longer than his hands and feet. Ning Qi’an sighed and had to roll them up several times until his hands and feet were exposed.
He didn’t see Qin Suixi. His bedroom door was wide open, and the sound of spraying water came from inside. Knowing he was showering, Ning Qi’an went back to his room to play on his phone for a while. After about ten minutes, Qin Suixi, dressed in pajamas and holding a tube of ointment, knocked on the door that Ning Qi’an had left ajar.
“Door’s unlocked, come in.”
Getting permission, Qin Suixi pushed the door and entered.
Ning Qi’an sat cross-legged, the wide collar revealing a long, slender neck, his collarbones half-hidden, glowing with a jade-like luster under the room’s lights.
“I’ll take you to buy some tomorrow night,” Qin Suixi said.
“And underwear,” Ning Qi’an tugged at the crotch area over his pants, complaining: “Yours are too big, they keep falling off.”
The fox didn’t seem to have much human shame, stating his discomfort quite frankly.
Qin Suixi lowered his eyes, squeezed out a pea-sized amount of ointment, and replied: “Okay.”
The side of the bed dipped. Qin Suixi sat on the edge, next to Ning Qi’an, and said: “I’m applying the medicine; it might be a bit cold.”
“Mm.”
The weather was cold, and combined with the cooling sensation of the ointment itself, Ning Qi’an shrank back slightly the moment it made contact.
Seeing this, Qin Suixi pulled back: “How about I soak it in some hot water for a moment first?”
“It’s already on, don’t be so troublesome.” Ning Qi’an sat still and said: “Go ahead, I won’t dodge.”
He reached out and rubbed the remaining ointment on his cheek, his index finger drawing circles that expanded layer by layer. The touch under his fingertips was soft and delicate, like a piece of tender tofu, slightly depressing as he moved.
Only, the tender skin had two distinct red marks on it. Qin Suixi felt guilty and apologized again: “Sorry, I hurt you.”
Actually, it was alright. A fox was inherently thick-skinned, and it had only hurt a little at the very beginning. Ning Qi’an waved his hand, magnanimously saying: “I know you didn’t mean it, don’t take it to heart.”
But Ning Qi’an couldn’t be completely without a temper, lest the other person think he was easy to bully. He opened his big round eyes, made a stern face, and threatened: “But if there’s a second time, I will definitely bite you.”
…
Early the next morning, Qin Suixi, having finished washing up, stood at the guest room door and knocked, asking: “Fox… Ning Qi’an, get up for exercise.”
The words slipped out, then he hurriedly pivoted. Now that he knew the fox wasn’t really a fox and had its own name, he found it hard to change his habit of address for a moment.
Woken up unexpectedly, Ning Qi’an covered his head with the quilt, too sleepy to open his eyes, and said weakly: “I want to sleep in tomorrow, you go by yourself.”
When he was a fox, he couldn’t speak and had no choice. But now that he could speak, Ning Qi’an refused to go running four kilometers early in the morning.
As soon as Qin Suixi heard this, he knew something was wrong and said firmly: “You stayed up late last night.”
After all, he had raised a fox for over ten days; its biological clock was almost synchronized with his own. Every time he got up, the fox would wake up, too; it had never been this sleepy before.
Hearing this while half-asleep, Ning Qi’an felt a slight twinge of guilt. Last night, he had finally used his long-lost phone and gotten so carried away that he didn’t put it down until past 2 AM, which was why he couldn’t get out of bed today.
Must exercise some restraint, Ning Qi’an thought.
He didn’t speak. He had been worried that Qin Suixi would barge in and drag him away, but after waiting for a long time, there was no sound. A moment later, he heard the faint sound of a door opening—but it wasn’t the guest room door, it was the main entrance.
It seems Qin Suixi is quite polite; he won’t come in without permission.
Ning Qi’an turned over contentedly and returned to his dreams.
By the time he woke up, it was already 10:30 AM. After washing up, he checked his WeChat and saw three messages. He clicked on the first one, from Secretary Chen.
[Secretary Chen: Good morning, Mr. Ning. Young Master Qin instructed me to send over a set of clothes; I’ve left them at your door.]
Ning Qi’an’s fingers moved.
[Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Okay, thank you Secretary Chen.]
He returned to the main interface; Qin Suixi had sent messages at two different times.
7:40 AM [Qin Suixi: There’s breakfast on the table, remember to eat.]
9:34 AM [Qin Suixi: Your clothes from yesterday have been washed. I had Secretary Chen send over a new set. I’m not sure if you like the size and style, but I’ll take you to buy more fitting ones tonight.]
How thoughtful, he thought, covering everything from food to clothing.
He sent a WeChat sticker.
[Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Okay!]
On the other end, almost the second the phone vibrated, Qin Suixi picked it up. Looking at the Q-version kitten in the phone holding a blue ball and saying “Okay,” he couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh from deep in his throat.
Putting work aside for a moment, Young Master Qin openly slacked off in his office, lying lazily on his chair, hands cupping his phone.
[Qin Suixi: The porridge on the table is probably cold already, so don’t drink it. If you’re hungry, I’ll have Aunt Liu come over to cook.]
[Ning Qi’an: Ah, I’ve already almost finished drinking it.]
Speedy, Qin Suixi thought. He figured he must have replied instantly, but in that short time, the fox had already finished a bowl of porridge—a real “rice-gobbling” fox.
[Qin Suixi: Don’t drink the rest, it’s not good for your stomach.]
[Ning Qi’an: I’ve already finished eating.]
Across the screen, Ning Qi’an let out a satisfied burp. Famished upon waking, as soon as he saw food on the table, he had immediately gulped it down at lightning speed, which was why he hadn’t seen Qin Suixi’s message right away.
He wiped his mouth, saw that the phone displayed “typing…”, and sent a voice message.
[Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Hey, don’t worry. Back in the mountains, I used to lick snow to quench my thirst. This temperature is nothing to me.]
Presumably, this move by Ning Qi’an left Qin Suixi at a loss for words. The words “typing…” flashed back and forth for several seconds before a reply appeared.
[Qin Suixi: I will pay more attention in the future.]
?
Ning Qi’an slowly typed out a question mark. What did that mean?
Does it mean he’ll be careful not to let me drink cold food in the future?
Qin Suixi really is a good guy.
Ning Qi’an thought, and changed his nickname: Good Person.
But then he thought, Qin Suixi wasn’t a pure human, so he added another character.
Nickname: Good Spirit-Human.
Ning Qi’an vaguely felt the term “Spirit-Human” sounded familiar, but he couldn’t remember where he had heard it. Seeing the two characters together, maybe it was just another term for a half-spirit, which fit Qin Suixi’s identity perfectly.
He went to the door to pick up the clothes. Upon unwrapping them, it was an orange hoodie and a pair of black fleece-lined pants. A very simple outfit, much like the one he had worn yesterday, just a different color. Maybe Qin Suixi thought he liked this style.
Hiding in the heated room, Ning Qi’an stripped completely, leaving only his underwear. But as soon as he lifted his foot, the underwear fell off automatically.
Didn’t Qin Suixi tell Secretary Chen to prepare smaller underwear? These are simply impossible to keep on!
Afraid he hadn’t been careful enough, he searched the box thoroughly and even turned the pockets inside out, but there really were no underwear to be found.
With no other choice, Ning Qi’an had to put on the pants first. At least the pants were a good fit, so the underwear wouldn’t drop easily.
He took his dirty pajamas to the balcony’s washing machine, followed the operating instructions he’d learned from the Spirit Bureau’s videos, and strictly followed the process. Even though he had done this several times at the Fuxin Community apartments, he remained exceptionally serious every time, as if he were performing some precise, monumental task.
Watching the machine fill with water and start tumbling the two items of clothing, Ning Qi’an clapped his hands triumphantly, a strange sense of accomplishment surging in his heart.
As he walked through the living room to return to his room and nest, he saw, in the glow of the sunlight, a single, colorful, black feather hiding in a corner of the floor.