This “colorful black” was clearly a feather from Qin Suixi’s wing. Ning Qi’an took a photo of it and sent it over.
[Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Image] [Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Look, your feather!] [Good Monster: Toss it in the trash.] [Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Don’t do that. It’s your first feather; it’s very commemorative. If you don’t know where to put it, I’ll keep it for you.] [Good Monster: Then I’ll leave it to you.]
Ning Qi’an hid the feather under his pillow. He had hidden his first lost baby tooth in that same spot.
Just before noon, Auntie Liu came over to cook. As soon as she walked in, she found herself face-to-face with Ning Qi’an.
She still remembered this young man; he lived in the same apartment complex. The first time he’d come to the city, he hadn’t known how to use the elevator, and she had been the one to teach him.
“Young man, what are you doing here?” Auntie Liu asked, looking puzzled. Then, as if a lightbulb had gone off, she added, “So, you’re the friend Mr. Qin was talking about!”
Ning Qi’an had known this conversation would happen eventually. He’d prepared his excuse in advance. “I happened to meet his father, and through a series of coincidences, I ended up staying here for a bit.”
Auntie Liu smiled. “Then we really are fated to meet. I didn’t expect to see you here. I forgot to ask last time when I went back to cook—what should I call you, young man?”
Ning Qi’an said, “Just call me ‘An’an.’ The elders back in the mountains all like calling me that.”
His words only confirmed Auntie Liu’s suspicions. Auntie Liu had a son of her own, but he had been incredibly rambunctious as a child, and now that he was older and more sensible, he was rarely seen since he lived in Beijing. She was very fond of quiet, obedient kids like Ning Qi’an, so she sighed with emotion: “An’an, it seems your parents hoped you would grow up safe and sound (ping’an). Well, it makes sense—what parent doesn’t hope for their child to be safe and healthy?”
Ning Qi’an had lost his parents when he was five. Although he hadn’t heard those beautiful wishes from them in person—perhaps because he was too young to remember—he knew from the elders and neighbors that long before he was even born, while he was still in his fox-mother’s womb, his arrival had been awaited with a lifetime of expectations and blessings.
He gave a bright smile and said, “Yes, that’s why I’m very healthy now.”
Auntie Liu was amused. After chatting for a few more moments, she went to wash her hands and cook.
Since only one person would be eating, she only made two dishes. Originally, Qin Suixi intended to return for lunch, but something came up at the last minute, so he told Ning Qi’an to eat by himself.
After finally resolving the urgent matters at hand, Qin Suixi left his computer to head to the company cafeteria downstairs. As he passed through the employee office area, he happened to hear two employees chatting after their meal.
“In today’s society, even men aren’t safe anymore.”
Qin Suixi didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but that one sentence made him stop in his tracks immediately.
“What do you mean?”
The chatterbox was a capable-looking woman with a ponytail who had been with the company for several years. The other person was a new intern.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” the woman said. “Just look at the news. A pervert suddenly appeared recently, specifically targeting delicate-looking young boys.”
“Targeting?” The intern was confused. “Murder?”
“Sexual assault.”
The straight-laced intern looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He said in disbelief, “Huh?”
“Don’t believe me?” the woman continued. “If that pervert hadn’t been blind in the dark and caught a girl with short hair, realizing she was a girl before letting her go, no one would even know about it.”
The intern asked, “Why would no one know? Don’t the victims report it to the police?”
The woman threw up her hands: “Because they’re men. They all have egos. Who wants to admit that a grown man got screwed by another man? Would you?”
The intern shuddered and hugged himself: “I wouldn’t. I’m still a pure, innocent guy.”
“But,” the intern pressed, unable to suppress his curiosity, “do men actually like men?”
The woman smiled mysteriously: “Foolish straight guy, you don’t understand the mysteries of it. Men and men can also spark love~”
“And,” the woman added, shielding her face with her hand, whispering, “Young President Qin likes men, too. And that talent the company spent so much effort headhunting, Ouyang Xiu? I heard he has a fiancé.”
Cough, cough—
Secretary Chen appeared beside them and coughed twice, saying sternly, “What are you chatting about? Is your work finished?”
The woman was startled. Once she saw who it was, she patted her chest, relieved, and said, “Oh, Secretary Chen, you scared me! Gosh, it’s lunchtime—what kind of ‘work’ are we supposed to be doing?”
Secretary Chen tried hard to keep a straight face, his lips twitching as he said, “Turn around.”
The woman: “What?”
The intern’s hearing was a bit sharper. He turned around, straightened his posture instantly, and shouted, “Hello, Young President Qin!”
The woman: I’m done for!
She gulped, immediately stood up facing Qin Suixi, and shouted, “He… Hello, Young President Qin!”
Qin Suixi said coolly, “Good afternoon.”
Then, without stopping for a moment, he walked quickly straight to the cafeteria.
“Secretary Chen,” the woman slumped over her desk, looking hopeless, “do you think my pay will be docked?”
Secretary Chen habitually pushed up his glasses and said, “Not if Young President Qin doesn’t say anything.”
The woman let out a long sigh and began to pray openly: “I hope Young President Qin is a man of great character and will let me off the hook.”
At 1:00 PM, Qin Suixi was preparing for a nap. When he plugged his phone in to charge, a message from Ning Qi’an popped up along with the charging notification.
[Ning Qi’an: I want to go out this afternoon, is that okay?]
Thinking of what he’d heard at lunch and connecting it to Ning Qi’an’s looks, Qin Suixi refused immediately.
[Random: No, it’s too dangerous.] [Ning Qi’an: What kind of danger could there be in broad daylight?]
Qin Suixi wanted to say “there are perverts,” but he was afraid the word “pervert” would teach the fox something bad, so he changed his wording.
[Random: There are some people with ulterior motives who specialize in catching foxes like you to sell them.] [Ning Qi’an: … I’m an adult.] [Random: Even more reason not to go out. Wait until I get back tonight, and I’ll go with you.] [Ning Qi’an: Alright then.]
Looking at Ning Qi’an’s cartoon fox avatar, Qin Suixi changed his nickname: Ning Fox.
“Ning… Fox.”
Qin Suixi whispered the name, and a faint smile involuntarily spilled out.
I should be the only one who calls him that.
Not bad. As expected of me, coming up with such a fitting nickname.
“Sister Li, is someone coming later?”
The receptionist watched as Li Xin tidied her clothes next to the front desk and helpfully handed her a small mirror.
Li Xin, who was usually not one to smile easily, hurriedly took the mirror and checked her reflection, combing back the stray hairs on both sides. She forced the corners of her mouth upward, but the smile remained stiff and awkward.
“Hmm,” Li Xin responded perfunctorily, then turned to ask: “Do I look a little weird?”
The receptionist thought, Your smile is too fake, and your makeup is a mess, but she put on an enthusiastic smile and lied: “No, you look great, Sister Li.”
Chapter 26: The Feather
This “colorful black” was clearly a feather from Qin Suixi’s wing. Ning Qi’an took a photo of it and sent it over.
[Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Image] [Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Look, your feather!] [Good Monster: Toss it in the trash.] [Fox Doesn’t Eat Pears: Don’t do that. It’s your first feather; it’s very commemorative. If you don’t know where to put it, I’ll keep it for you.] [Good Monster: Then I’ll leave it to you.]
Ning Qi’an hid the feather under his pillow. He had hidden his first lost baby tooth in that same spot.
Just before noon, Auntie Liu came over to cook. As soon as she walked in, she found herself face-to-face with Ning Qi’an.
She still remembered this young man; he lived in the same apartment complex. The first time he’d come to the city, he hadn’t known how to use the elevator, and she had been the one to teach him.
“Young man, what are you doing here?” Auntie Liu asked, looking puzzled. Then, as if a lightbulb had gone off, she added, “So, you’re the friend Mr. Qin was talking about!”
Ning Qi’an had known this conversation would happen eventually. He’d prepared his excuse in advance. “I happened to meet his father, and through a series of coincidences, I ended up staying here for a bit.”
Auntie Liu smiled. “Then we really are fated to meet. I didn’t expect to see you here. I forgot to ask last time when I went back to cook—what should I call you, young man?”
Ning Qi’an said, “Just call me ‘An’an.’ The elders back in the mountains all like calling me that.”
His words only confirmed Auntie Liu’s suspicions. Auntie Liu had a son of her own, but he had been incredibly rambunctious as a child, and now that he was older and more sensible, he was rarely seen since he lived in Beijing. She was very fond of quiet, obedient kids like Ning Qi’an, so she sighed with emotion: “An’an, it seems your parents hoped you would grow up safe and sound (ping’an). Well, it makes sense—what parent doesn’t hope for their child to be safe and healthy?”
Ning Qi’an had lost his parents when he was five. Although he hadn’t heard those beautiful wishes from them in person—perhaps because he was too young to remember—he knew from the elders and neighbors that long before he was even born, while he was still in his fox-mother’s womb, his arrival had been awaited with a lifetime of expectations and blessings.
He gave a bright smile and said, “Yes, that’s why I’m very healthy now.”
Auntie Liu was amused. After chatting for a few more moments, she went to wash her hands and cook.
Since only one person would be eating, she only made two dishes. Originally, Qin Suixi intended to return for lunch, but something came up at the last minute, so he told Ning Qi’an to eat by himself.
After finally resolving the urgent matters at hand, Qin Suixi left his computer to head to the company cafeteria downstairs. As he passed through the employee office area, he happened to hear two employees chatting after their meal.
“In today’s society, even men aren’t safe anymore.”
Qin Suixi didn’t intend to eavesdrop, but that one sentence made him stop in his tracks immediately.
“What do you mean?”
The chatterbox was a capable-looking woman with a ponytail who had been with the company for several years. The other person was a new intern.
“Exactly what it sounds like,” the woman said. “Just look at the news. A pervert suddenly appeared recently, specifically targeting delicate-looking young boys.”
“Targeting?” The intern was confused. “Murder?”
“Sexual assault.”
The straight-laced intern looked as if he’d been struck by lightning. He said in disbelief, “Huh?”
“Don’t believe me?” the woman continued. “If that pervert hadn’t been blind in the dark and caught a girl with short hair, realizing she was a girl before letting her go, no one would even know about it.”
The intern asked, “Why would no one know? Don’t the victims report it to the police?”
The woman threw up her hands: “Because they’re men. They all have egos. Who wants to admit that a grown man got screwed by another man? Would you?”
The intern shuddered and hugged himself: “I wouldn’t. I’m still a pure, innocent guy.”
“But,” the intern pressed, unable to suppress his curiosity, “do men actually like men?”
The woman smiled mysteriously: “Foolish straight guy, you don’t understand the mysteries of it. Men and men can also spark love~”
“And,” the woman added, shielding her face with her hand, whispering, “Young President Qin likes men, too. And that talent the company spent so much effort headhunting, Ouyang Xiu? I heard he has a fiancé.”
Cough, cough—
Secretary Chen appeared beside them and coughed twice, saying sternly, “What are you chatting about? Is your work finished?”
The woman was startled. Once she saw who it was, she patted her chest, relieved, and said, “Oh, Secretary Chen, you scared me! Gosh, it’s lunchtime—what kind of ‘work’ are we supposed to be doing?”
Secretary Chen tried hard to keep a straight face, his lips twitching as he said, “Turn around.”
The woman: “What?”
The intern’s hearing was a bit sharper. He turned around, straightened his posture instantly, and shouted, “Hello, Young President Qin!”
The woman: I’m done for!
She gulped, immediately stood up facing Qin Suixi, and shouted, “He… Hello, Young President Qin!”
Qin Suixi said coolly, “Good afternoon.”
Then, without stopping for a moment, he walked quickly straight to the cafeteria.
“Secretary Chen,” the woman slumped over her desk, looking hopeless, “do you think my pay will be docked?”
Secretary Chen habitually pushed up his glasses and said, “Not if Young President Qin doesn’t say anything.”
The woman let out a long sigh and began to pray openly: “I hope Young President Qin is a man of great character and will let me off the hook.”
At 1:00 PM, Qin Suixi was preparing for a nap. When he plugged his phone in to charge, a message from Ning Qi’an popped up along with the charging notification.
[Ning Qi’an: I want to go out this afternoon, is that okay?]
Thinking of what he’d heard at lunch and connecting it to Ning Qi’an’s looks, Qin Suixi refused immediately.
[Random: No, it’s too dangerous.] [Ning Qi’an: What kind of danger could there be in broad daylight?]
Qin Suixi wanted to say “there are perverts,” but he was afraid the word “pervert” would teach the fox something bad, so he changed his wording.
[Random: There are some people with ulterior motives who specialize in catching foxes like you to sell them.] [Ning Qi’an: … I’m an adult.] [Random: Even more reason not to go out. Wait until I get back tonight, and I’ll go with you.] [Ning Qi’an: Alright then.]
Looking at Ning Qi’an’s cartoon fox avatar, Qin Suixi changed his nickname: Ning Fox.
“Ning… Fox.”
Qin Suixi whispered the name, and a faint smile involuntarily spilled out.
I should be the only one who calls him that.
Not bad. As expected of me, coming up with such a fitting nickname.
“Sister Li, is someone coming later?”
The receptionist watched as Li Xin tidied her clothes next to the front desk and helpfully handed her a small mirror.
Li Xin, who was usually not one to smile easily, hurriedly took the mirror and checked her reflection, combing back the stray hairs on both sides. She forced the corners of her mouth upward, but the smile remained stiff and awkward.
“Hmm,” Li Xin responded perfunctorily, then turned to ask: “Do I look a little weird?”
The receptionist thought, Your smile is too fake, and your makeup is a mess, but she put on an enthusiastic smile and lied: “No, you look great, Sister Li.”