"What's your name?" The fox spirit's voice suddenly became gentle. It seemed as if she was only now seriously looking at Mu Anqi, her voice winding and soft in an incredible way.
"…Mu Anqi." Mu Anqi said, then explained which three characters it was.
"That's such a lovely name." The fox spirit smiled in praise. "My name is Bai Yulai — Bai for white, Yu for language, Lai for heavenly sound. I came up with this name two years ago~ If you call me, just call me Sister Bai—"
"White fox spirit." Ji Huaichu interrupted Bai Yulai and gave her a warning glance. "She has too many names. She's also been called Bai Lili, Bai Bingqing, Bai Yujie, and a whole bunch of other names. Just remember this one; next year she'll change it again. Just remember she's the White Fox Spirit."
Bai Yulai: "…"
Bai Yulai tried to protest: "I think calling me Sister Bai is also—"
"How old are you this year?" Ji Huaichu stared at the fox spirit. "Not long ago, you told me you had recruited a player like a scholar, who could sit unmoved in your lap without being affected by your charm?"
"…That's different." Bai Yulai lowered her head, her fox ears twitching. "There are scholars who sit unmoved, scholars who are upright and unyielding, and scholars who are pure and adorable. There are so many scholars in the world—am I not allowed to get to know a few more?"
Mu Anqi: "…But, I'm not a scholar, right?" Mu Anqi felt she couldn't keep up with the thought processes of these two.
"You're cute~" Bai Yulai cast a flirtatious glance at Mu Anqi. Her big tail wagged, then she held it in her arms again. Her peach-blossom eyes stared straight at Mu Anqi. "Don't you want Sister to hold you?"
Mu Anqi blinked. This fox spirit seemed to be using charm magic again. Mu Anqi could sense that the fox spirit appeared even more attractive and alluring in her eyes. But… Mu Anqi quietly tugged on General Ji's sleeve and softly called, "General."
"Don't play these tricks on me." Ji Huaichu said calmly. "You've touched enough. You can leave now."
"…But I just got here. Aren't you even going to treat me to a meal?" Bai Yulai said helplessly. "Xiaohua? Doesn't she miss me?"
Ji Huaichu let out a cold laugh. "Do you still not understand Xia Fenghua's temper? Always sweet-talking—you actually take it seriously?"
"Ah, I'm just 'playing along'~" Bai Yulai waved her hand, clearly unconcerned with such details. "I heard that after that trial dungeon, you beat up the Peony Demon and the Green Bamboo Demon?"
"Yes."
"And last week you went to the amusement park and rode the carousel?"
"Yes." Ji Huaichu's expression remained unchanged. "Also rode the Ferris wheel and tried a lot of attractions. Do you have a problem with that?" At the end, she even added a smile.
Bai Yulai's fox ears drooped, and she didn't dare make a sound. After a long silence, she said softly, "It's nothing… I'm just… happy for you. Well, I'm going back… the player I recently recruited just finished the game, so I happened to go and reward her."
Mu Anqi thought for a moment. Although she believed there were probably many White Fox Spirits in the Underworld, this one had recruited a player—and it was a recent recruitment. Moreover, according to Ji Huaichu, that player was not affected by charm magic…
"The one you recruited—is it a female player?"
"Yes~" As soon as she heard Mu Anqi's question, the white fox's ears perked up again. She looked at Mu Anqi. "How did you know~"
"Her name is Wu Sansheng?"
"How… how do you know?!" Bai Yulai's eyes widened. She looked at Mu Anqi, then at Ji Huaichu. No, no, no—she hadn't told the Ghost General about this at all! "Ji Huaichu, did you investigate me? Oh my, I'm truly flattered. So you actually…"
"No, no. I have a friend named Wu Sansheng." Mu Anqi said anxiously, "After I finished playing last game, I saw her news. She told me she joined the Underworld faction and sided with a white fox demon."
"Oh? You know her?" Bai Yulai's eyes flicked around as she asked, "Then how did she mention me to you?"
"Uh…" Mu Anqi opened the message and read it aloud: "Underworld faction. A white fox demon king recruited me. How about you?"
"Just three sentences in total."
Bai Yulai: "…" As expected of the player she recruited.
In the end, Bai Yulai still left. She went to play with little Xia Fenghua. She was very familiar with Ji Huaichu and understood her temperament. This guy wouldn't bother entertaining her. Every time she came to Taiyin, she had to take care of everything herself, and she had long been accustomed to it.
As for that cute little player… Bai Yulai had a few thoughts, but only as thoughts. Seeing Ji Huaichu act like that—calling her over just to let that little player touch her tail—really left Bai Yulai speechless. Just touching a tail and she was so serious, as if she, a fox, would eat someone. Bai Yulai had never seen Ji Huaichu treat anyone else so seriously. When little Xia Fenghua ran errands all over the place, Ji Huaichu never showed the slightest concern.
However, when Bai Yulai finally found little Xia Fenghua and grabbed her face to squish and pinch it, she couldn't help but think of Mu Anqi, whom she hadn't gotten to touch. Sigh, perhaps this is the frustration of what you can't have~
After Bai Yulai left, Ji Huaichu asked, "Next game, do you want to enter the Black Mirror Vortex with me, or with your friend?"
"Of course with you, General." Mu Anqi replied. Going through the Black Mirror Vortex with Wu Sansheng… she had spent points to get in, while Wu Sansheng might need a few more dungeons to strengthen herself. Mu Anqi blinked seriously, with a completely unburdened expression.
Ji Huaichu stared at her, unconsciously exuding some pressure. But Mu Anqi remained calm, looking at General Ji with an innocent and sincere expression, until Ji Huaichu showed a faint smile, raised her hand to press on her head, and gave it a rub. "Good."
That was an agreement.
Mu Anqi was a little stunned. To be honest, very few people had ever ruffled her head like that. She was an only child, had gone to university, and in the years before her death… her parents had never touched her head like that. Ji Huaichu didn't use much force; instead, there was a hint of intimacy in the gesture, which made Mu Anqi feel somewhat embarrassed and shy.
Ji Huaichu noticed Mu Anqi's ear tips gradually turning pink. When she withdrew her hand, she couldn't help but gently pinch them once—soft and warm—then pulled her hand back naturally. She lowered her eyes toward Mu Anqi and said softly, "I have high hopes for you."
Mu Anqi's ear tips grew even hotter. The spots Ji Huaichu had touched felt especially warm. Her fingers were clearly cold, yet it felt as if some magic had been cast. She stared blankly at Ji Huaichu's face, and hearing this gentle, encouraging words, she somehow couldn't help lowering her head and quietly responding, "Okay."
It seemed… she had been affected by charm magic again.
This daze lasted all the way until she left the General's residence to meet Mu Xiaobai. Sitting on the sofa in thought, smelling the sour and spicy aroma coming from Mu Xiaobai's kitchen, her mind finally emerged from the haze and regained some clarity.
It was sauerkraut fish!
Sauerkraut fish, Mapo tofu, mouth-watering chicken, and seaweed egg-drop soup! These were the dishes Mu Anqi had just ordered, and Mu Xiaobai had carefully begun preparing each one. The rice was also steaming, promising a good meal soon.
Mu Anqi stood and went to the kitchen, silently watching Mu Xiaobai busy at work. Staring at that pale, paper-like face, she found herself, in a daze, able to see the General Ji's features in it. Mu Anqi pinched her own face hard—she really was someone who cared about appearances, but today felt especially off.
It was all that fox's random charm magic! Mu Anqi thought. That strange magic must have thrown her hormones all out of whack.
When the three dishes and one soup were all laid out on the table, Mu Anqi served two bowls of rice for herself and Mu Xiaobai, then sat on the other side. Looking at that pale face, she couldn't help but ask, "Xiaobai, do you like General Ji?"
Mu Xiaobai looked up at her, thought for a moment, and said, "I like her."
"Mm." Mu Anqi nodded, everything seemed normal. She picked up a piece of sauerkraut fish and was immediately amazed by the flavor. "This sauerkraut! It's amazing!"
"I made it myself," Mu Xiaobai said. "I looked at a lot of recipes and learned many techniques. Not just this kind of sauerkraut—I also pickled quite a few other vegetables."
Mu Anqi could only give Mu Xiaobai a thumbs-up in the midst of her busy admiration. She hadn't expected Mu Xiaobai to start a new culinary career in Taiyin. The dishes were simply exquisite, fit to open a restaurant in the amusement park. Whether it was Mapo tofu or mouth-watering chicken, just one bite made you want more, and even after finishing the meal, the flavors lingered delightfully.
Mu Anqi collapsed onto the soft sofa, rubbing her round belly, a feeling of satisfaction welling up inside her. Looking at Mu Xiaobai, she couldn't help but sigh, "You're really amazing."
"No," Mu Xiaobai corrected seriously. "You're worth being treated this well." After saying this, she paused, tilted her head as if thinking, then added a few seconds later, "You deserve even better."
Mu Anqi let out a small laugh. What kind of image did she have in Mu Xiaobai's eyes? This was way too exaggerated.
"All right, thank you!~" Mu Anqi said. "After finishing a game, coming here to sit and relax is really nice. But you don't need to stay in the house every day. Isn't the amusement park fun? This world is huge, with so many places you haven't been to—you can explore them slowly."
Mu Xiaobai nodded, answering with the same earnest seriousness: "I will."
After resting for a while, Mu Anqi teleported back to the space. She looked forward to the upcoming Black Mirror Vortex, not knowing what kind of story awaited this time. Mu Anqi took a shower, put on her pajamas, lay on the recliner with a mask from a lottery sheet, and unknowingly relaxed enough to fall asleep.
A night of sweet dreams.