After being captured by her own brother, Ruan Tao once again became a mouse hostage.
Only this time, the person who captured her didn’t seem to want to use her for any kind of leverage. Ruan Tao observed Fang Shan Huai for a long time and helplessly came to a conclusion—
He probably just found it amusing.
Fang Shan Huai put Ruan Tao into his pocket, sealing it with a barrier, just as Bo Yutong had done before.
Outside the Residential Area, he had set up something that looked like a Mongolian tent.
Ruan Tao was carried there in his pocket.
Inside the Mongolian tent, the space was large. He took Ruan Tao out and placed her on a table.
Because she had been in the pitch-dark pocket until now, the sudden light made Ruan Tao dizzy. Before she could even get her footing, a small piece of chocolate was placed in front of her.
Ruan Tao recoiled as the chocolate’s wrapper poked her and fell backward onto the ground.
She instinctively hugged the chocolate with both tiny paws.
“Can you eat this?” Fang Shan Huai asked. “Hamsters aren’t supposed to eat this, right?”
Ruan Tao: “……”
She didn’t know if she could eat it in this form, but she shoved it into her portable storage space anyway.
Whether it was some “automatic feeding” skill that hamsters had or not, she always felt that wherever she went, she would be fed a mountain of snacks before she even said two words.
Ruan Tao was very pleased; stockpiling snacks was truly joyful.
After organizing the snacks, she looked around. The interior of the “tent” resembled the inside of a Mongolian tent from a TV drama, with animal skins hanging on the walls.
Fang Shan Huai touched his chin and began speculating about Ruan Tao’s state: “You probably can’t control the timing of your transformations, right? When will you turn back next?”
He lowered his eyes slightly and smiled faintly. “I wanted to talk to you for a bit.”
Ruan Tao: “……?”
Fang Shan Huai looked vaguely sad, in a way that made one instinctively want to comfort him—or even hug him.
Ruan Tao remembered.
Back when she was young and in school, she loved reading coming-of-age stories full of heartbreak. Every character’s youth was full of twists, pain, excitement, and romance—
But she was a natural optimist… or, as Lu Yingzhu put it, a little silly.
She herself couldn’t have tragic youth experiences.
As for Fang Shan Huai,
He was a prominent figure in the school, the dream of every girl in those stories. Excellent grades, athletic ability, and other talents were standard, but the real bonus that made him “legendary” was… his aura.
His seat was always by the window, and he liked to prop his chin on one hand, staring absentmindedly outside.
He always seemed melancholic, just as he did now, as if shrouded by an unending sadness and loneliness, evoking sympathy.
If Ruan Tao hadn’t known him, she might have assumed he had suffered some misfortune, encountered some unspeakable events alone…
But she knew him; he had always been this way.
Ruan Tao thought he was indulging in melodrama, almost like scrolling through a five-year-old Q/Q space.
Laughing here would have been inappropriate.
Ruan Tao, well-mannered and raised with good etiquette, tried not to laugh and scurried over to Fang Shan Huai on her short legs.
She reached her tiny pink paw toward his hand on the table and lightly touched his index finger, making a perfunctory comforting gesture.
Fang Shan Huai, however, took it seriously.
He smiled again gently. “Tao Tao, did you come suddenly? Are you scared?”
Ruan Tao shook her head.
Fang Shan Huai asked, “When can you turn back?”
Ruan Tao thought: how should she answer that?
She saw Fang Shan Huai reach into his portable storage space, probably intending to take something out to make communication easier.
But before he could retrieve it, someone at the door shouted, “Mr. Fang!”
The voice was loud and firm.
Fang Shan Huai let go casually and said, “Come in.”
The door of the Mongolian tent was opened, and a middle-aged man in coarse linen clothes walked in.
The man cupped his hands toward Fang Shan Huai in salute. “Sir, the items you requested are ready. When would you like to check them?”
Fang Shan Huai rubbed his temple. “In a few days. It’s inconvenient at the moment.”
Ruan Tao thought: this “inconvenient” was likely related to Lu Yingzhu. After all, Lu Yingzhu had mentioned “killing,” so these days must be hard for him.
“Do you still have the trained civet cats on your side?” Fang Shan Huai pointed at Ruan Tao. “Transform two hamsters and bring them over.”
The man looked at Ruan Tao and frowned. “These…? Might be difficult to transform.”
Fang Shan Huai furrowed his brow. “Watch your words.”
The man hesitated slightly, lowering his voice. “Yes. Civet cats are skilled at transforming into creatures larger than themselves; transforming into these… hamsters might be difficult.”
Fang Shan Huai: “Then find a way to overcome the difficulty.”
He said “difficulty,” not “impossible,” meaning there was still a solution.
Ruan Tao couldn’t help feeling a little anxious.
She had thought Bo Yutong would be away from A9 for many days, but he hadn’t left at all. And now Fang Shan Huai, who had accompanied him, was right in front of her… Who knew if Bo Yutong had already returned to the A9 Administrative District?
She had escaped on the day Li Yudong was feeding her, so she hoped she wouldn’t cause any trouble.
After the man left, Fang Shan Huai took out a small bottle from his pocket, which looked like blue ink.
Upon opening it, a sweet blueberry scent wafted out.
He poured some of the blueberry-scented ink into the cap and placed a sheet of paper in front of Ruan Tao. “Write it for me?”
Ruan Tao nodded eagerly.
She dipped her paw into the blueberry ink and, on the white paper, pressed pawprint by pawprint to spell four words—
I.
Want.
To.
…Go.
Home.
Fang Shan Huai’s eyes darkened.
Ruan Tao turned her head and caught a glimpse of his expression, thinking he would be angry.
But he only lowered his gaze, looking lonely. “Is it not as good here as it is with Bo Yutong?”
Ruan Tao: …Not really.
“Tao Tao,” Fang Shan Huai hurriedly stood up, “I have a very urgent matter here. Once I finish, I’ll come back to talk with you. If you really want to go back, then I… can send you back.”
Seeing him rush to leave and sensing the sincerity in his words, Ruan Tao happily pressed two more pawprints on the paper: Good Man.
Fang Shan Huai, holding the “Good Man” card: “……”
He took a small cage from his portable storage space, lined it randomly with something resembling cotton, and placed Ruan Tao inside, locking it.
Ruan Tao: “……” She should have written Bad Person instead.
“This is for your safety,” Fang Shan Huai said, adding a layer of barrier to the cage.
Ruan Tao slumped inside, covering her face, sighing.
—This time, she had really messed up.
She had always relied on being a hamster to be inconspicuous, running around recklessly even in dangerous places.
I’m really stupid.
I knew that outside the Residential Area were wastelands with ferocious beasts and magical beasts, but I didn’t know the Residential Area itself could have them… I…
Wait.
Ruan Tao suddenly scrambled upright. Her round, black-pearl-like eyes glimmered with hope!
“Big Brother!” Ruan Tao grabbed the bars of the cage with one paw and reached out with the other, calling passionately, “Big Brother! Save me!”
The little animal she called “Big Brother” paused.
The creature was extremely agile, covered in deep brown fur. Slowly turning, its raccoon-like face showed astonishment and disbelief.
“…Are you talking to me?”
The small animal stood upright, holding a leaf in one paw while scratching its face with the other, eyes wide as it stared at Ruan Tao.
Ruan Tao nodded. “Brother Civet, can you help me unlock this?”
Her voice was soft and delicate, her eyes seeming to fill with tears, impossible to refuse.
The small animal’s heart melted halfway. He quickly climbed over toward Ruan Tao while murmuring, “Don’t call me Civet Cat. Just call me Brother Qianbian.”
“…Alright, Brother Qianbian.” Ruan Tao pointed to the right. “Here, here. The lock is here.”