Qiao An just wanted to stream in peace. She had even gone out of her way to scout for information, and while this abandoned building was deserted, its main advantage was its safety.
Of course, her idea of "safe" wasn't about avoiding danger, but about not wanting to dig up anything strange and end up back at the station.
But as fate would have it, luck wasn't on Qiao An's side. This time, she didn't dig anything up, but she did get attacked.
All Beast Taming Clan People are born with keen senses. If not for that, she would have never noticed someone approaching, as all her attention had just been on the Little Fox. It was only because she first caught the scent of a stranger and felt the rush of wind by her ear that she was able to dodge.
Unfortunately, this body on Blue Star was just too weak. She had no choice but to awaken her innate power—the abilities of a Werewolf.
Thick fur, like steel needles, burst from the surface of her skin. The powerful defense made Qiao An's frame more imposing. Her beast ears twitched, and she raised her sharp claws defensively.
Faced with this transformation, the man's eyes were cloudy. As if he hadn't noticed a thing, he raised his iron shovel.
Just as the man was about to strike the Little Fox with the shovel, Qiao An took the full force of the blow. Though a dull pain throbbed in her arm, she immediately pulled the trembling darling into her arms.
As if smelling the scent of its own kind, the Little Fox burrowed directly inside Qiao An's sweatshirt.
"This is my home! Anyone who comes near deserves to die!"
Qiao An couldn't understand the reason for the man's breakdown. 'His home? The Beast Taming Clan's entire planet was destroyed by other races, and yet I'm still trying my best to live. Even if I'm poor, it's better than being dead.'
Seeing the Little Fox lying quietly in her arms, Qiao An was free from worry. She charged forward. Not daring to leave any incriminating marks, she could only rely on brute force, sending the man flying with a powerful collision.
The ruined wall shattered on impact, and the man coughed up a mouthful of blood before falling unconscious.
After Qiao An tied the man up with hemp rope and strung him up from a tree, she finally took the little one out from her embrace.
"There, there, that was scary, wasn't it? He's a bad guy, but I'm one of the good guys."
Its fluffy tail curled around Qiao An's wrist. The Little Fox whimpered, burrowing deeper into her arms. It looked completely terrified, a truly pitiable sight.
'People say foxes are malevolent creatures? Nonsense! This is clearly a sign of good fortune, my precious little darling!'
While comforting the fox, she kept pulling cheap sausages from her pocket, feeling that this stuff, usually meant for dogs, wasn't good enough for her precious darling.
But they were out in the middle of nowhere, with nowhere to buy anything. A pang of guilt struck her. 'I've wronged you, my darling!'
(Little Qing, gnawing on a bone: Wronged? What does 'wronged' even mean? o(╥﹏╥)o)
"There, there, don't be afraid. Someone will be here to pick us up soon. I'll buy you all sorts of yummy treats, okay?"
Soothed by Qiao An's constant petting, the Little Fox finally calmed down, but it still leaned into her embrace, whimpering coquettishly. "Big sister, that bad guy is always bullying people here. I usually don't even dare to play around this area..."
From the Little Fox's tale, Qiao An got the gist of the situation.
This stretch of ruins was once the man's home. After it was slated for demolition, he refused to leave, stubbornly staying put and flying into a rage at anyone who dared to approach.
Eventually, for some unknown reason, the developers skipped town. This so-called "high-end community" became a collection of abandoned buildings. The man continued to wander the area every night, still going berserk and beating up any passersby who got too close.
This little fox originally lived on the mountain behind the neighborhood. It would often come down to play, and there used to be many kind humans who would feed it.
But after the demolition began and all the neighbors moved away, it would still come back from time to time to reminisce about the good old days. Unexpectedly, it was targeted by this man, who would chase it relentlessly.
Hearing all this, Qiao An now knew exactly what kind of story to spin to get herself out of this mess.
Cuddling the Little Fox, she sat on a ruined wall to wait for the police. Soon, she saw beams of blinding light, followed by the sight of Mu Zimo's still-handsome face.
"Brother Mu, I'm really innocent! I was just here digging a hole when he suddenly popped out and tried to attack me. I only fought back in self-defense."
No matter how Qiao An explained herself, she was still escorted into the police car to give a statement. Looking at her phone, which had fallen and shattered on the ground, she could do nothing but sigh, feeling utterly spent and out of options.
The familiar police car, the familiar seat. Mu Zimo sat in the front passenger seat with a serious expression. Qiao An sat obediently in the back, holding the Little Fox, with Xie Shan—that talkative young master who knew nothing of the world's hardships—beside her.
"Little Qiao, I'm begging you, please stop live-streaming your treasure hunts. If you keep this up, the bags under my eyes are going to be hanging down to my navel. I can't take any more overtime! I'm about to die from overwork..."
Qiao An had just been about to order the Little Fox to bite Xie Shan, but now her heart softened. Her fighting spirit instantly vanished, and she became meek and conciliatory.
"I'm sorry. This time I didn't even dare go out to the suburbs. Even though these are abandoned buildings, they're still in a high-end downtown area. I figured I wouldn't dig anything up here, but I ended up running into this lunatic instead."
Qiao An, who had started out sounding perfectly justified, spoke quieter and quieter. The Little Fox, on the other hand, now feeling emboldened, leaped up from her lap and snarled at Xie Shan, putting on a ferocious display.
However, the Little Fox was simply too cute. Xie Shan wasn't scared at all. Instead, he cheekily pulled a piece of beef jerky from his pocket. The moment he opened the package, an incredibly enticing aroma filled the car.
It wasn't just the Little Fox who was drooling with greed; Qiao An's eyes went wide as well.
'Waaah, (╯▽╰) it smells so good~~ It's a completely different scent from the cheap sausages in my pocket!'
"Hey, little guy. No snarling at police officers. If you behave, there's plenty of beef jerky to go around..."
The ostentatiously wealthy Xie Shan, like some kind of Doraemon, pulled a few more pieces of beef jerky from his pockets. The Little Fox seemed to understand and looked at Qiao An with a wronged expression.
"Big sister, do I still have to bite him? I don't have to eat the beef jerky."
'This baby is wronged, but this baby won't say it!'
"Be a good boy and listen. Let's have the beef jerky, shall we?"
Upon getting Qiao An's approval, the Little Fox immediately started whimpering again, coquettishly wrapping its fluffy tail around Qiao An's wrist. With a hint of cunning, its tail also brushed against Xie Shan's palm, causing a look of delighted surprise to flash across his face.
"This little guy is so much fun! Can I take him home and keep him?"
Xie Shan kept tearing open beef jerky packages and feeding the Little Fox piece by piece. Watching it chew with its eyes blissfully narrowed, his heart nearly melted from the cuteness.
Only Mu Zimo, sitting in the front, was as cold-hearted as ever, pouring cold water on the idea. "Foxes belong to the canid family, so you can't raise them like cats. These are wild animals. The procedures to domesticate one are complex, the review process is a hassle, and it might even be a protected species that can't be privately owned."
Xie Shan paid him no mind and continued feeding the beef jerky. Qiao An pretended not to hear. 'Nonsense! This isn't a fox, it's a sign of good fortune!'