Chapter 69 Confusion: "That little fox is me"

Tinglan couldn't tear his eyes away no matter what. He stared intently at that familiar face, his wide sleeves hanging down to hide his trembling hands.

Could this be true? Has Ji Qing really returned? Not as a ghost, but as a living, breathing person?

He watched the little prince breathe his last, and he personally placed the little prince into the coffin.

Ji Qing is indeed... gone.

Is it really possible for someone to die and be brought back to life?

"Who are you?" Tinglan's voice was cold, making it impossible to detect any emotional fluctuation in him.

"It's me, Ji Qing. I left you a letter before I left, saying I would come back." The fox was extremely anxious. He went up and tugged at Ting Lan's sleeve, looking down and asking with a somewhat aggrieved expression.

"Why don't you recognize me?"

What a big idiot.

The fox turned its face away, walked past Tinglan, lifted the carriage curtain, plopped down in the carriage, and began to sulk with its arms crossed.

“…Your Highness?” Tinglan’s voice trembled slightly. He pressed his fingertips hard against the wound on his left palm and subconsciously turned around, his gaze following Ji Qing’s movements.

A piercing pain shot through his palm as his already healed wound was forcibly torn open, causing it to bleed again.

It hurts; this shouldn't be a dream.

Tinglan casually pinched the wound through her sleeve to prevent the blood from soaking into her clothes and flowing down directly.

What happened then? Did he suddenly have a hysterical episode?

Tinglan stood in front of the car, staring blankly at Ji Qing sitting inside. Suddenly, he felt dizzy and staggered, grabbing the car frame for support.

The fox quickly reached out and helped him inside. "Now you know it's me, right?"

"Then Your Highness...why has your appearance changed?" Tinglan's eyes were bloodshot as he raised his right hand to touch the fox's cheek.

The fox tilted its head and immediately started to argue, "What's changed? Nothing's changed, you're mistaken."

Tinglan reached for nothing, her hand froze, and just as she was about to pull it back, the fox grabbed it and shoved it toward her face.

"Feel it, it's soft, it really is me back," the fox said proudly.

Hmph, I'm such a genius, I was able to come back to life so quickly.

"Then how did Your Highness... return..." Tinglan raised her hand and gently brushed the strands of hair behind Ji Qing's ear.

The fox was completely stunned. "This...this, I..."

He was still afraid of scaring Tinglan away, so he didn't dare tell Tinglan that he was a fox spirit.

I don't know whether it's the fox spirit that's terrifying, or the sudden resurrection of the dead that's frightening...

The fox began to rack its brains, trying to come up with some believable reasons: "Actually, I didn't die. It was... my sister who came and rescued me."

"elder sister?"

"Yes, my sister is amazing, she can eat a whole cow in one meal... No, we have... a family heirloom medicine that saved me." The fox started babbling nonsense.

Although it's impressive that he can eat a whole cow in one meal, Tinglan still couldn't understand what the little prince had gone through.

The fox waved its hand and immediately went to cover Tinglan's mouth, starting to act spoiled, "I won't say it anymore, I won't say it anymore."

He really couldn't come up with anything else.

Fox Head leaned on Tinglan's shoulder, hugged him tightly, and gently patted his back, comforting him, "Okay, now that I'm back, you don't have to be afraid of anything."

He suddenly looked up, somewhat puzzled, and asked, "Why is there a smell of blood? Tinglan, are you injured?"

Tinglan's left hand instantly loosened and then clenched again. "I went out to handle a case... I might have gotten some blood on my hands."

He had never noticed before that the little prince had such a keen sense of smell.

"Oh." The fox then put its head back down, relieved.

"Your Highness, will you leave again this time?" Tinglan's voice trembled slightly, and tears belatedly welled up in her eyes.

He still suspected that it was all a dream, and that when he woke up the next morning, he would still be all alone.

The fox hesitated for a moment, "Maybe... I won't stay for too long."

I've already made a promise with my sister that I'm going to take you back and marry you.

"What is Your Highness going to do?" Tinglan's voice was almost pleading.

The fox lowered its head, blushing slightly, and didn't notice Tinglan's expression. "This... I can't tell you now."

The carriage rumbled along the cobblestone path, preparing to head into the palace.

Tinglan suddenly lifted the carriage curtain and said to the driver, "Wait a minute, we're not going back to the palace today, let's go back to the residence."

The fox happily hugged his roast chicken. "Going to the house? That sounds nice."

Tinglan turned around, her eyes slowly tracing the young prince before her.

He couldn't figure it out.

He didn't know what had happened. If what Ji Qing said was true, and he had survived thanks to his family's miraculous medicine... then why had his appearance changed, and even his height had changed?

Tinglan closed his eyes. It wasn't that he couldn't believe it, but that he was afraid that if he believed it, his hopes would be dashed again.

That's worse than...death.

He feared that Ji Qing was just a fleeting illusion.

These myriad emotions only flashed through Tinglan's mind; she did not show them on her face.

"Have you eaten? Are you hungry?" Tinglan asked softly, holding Ji Qing's hand.

"I'm a little hungry," the fox replied with a smile.

The carriage slowly drove into the courtyard. The fox, carrying a bundle, hopped off the carriage and looked around.

He had only been to this courtyard once before, so it still felt somewhat unfamiliar.

Tinglan walked to the fox's side and said softly, "I have some bad news. His Highness's pet fox is missing. I've been looking for it for a long time, but I haven't been able to find it."

Ji Qing was taken aback, looking quite guilty, and stammered, "It's okay, it's okay, it won't get lost, the fox will come back on its own."

After saying that, he ran into the house.

Tinglan frowned as she watched his retreating figure. Why was Your Highness so certain that the fox would return on its own?

Moreover, given His Highness's usual affection for foxes, his reaction shouldn't have been so indifferent.

Tinglan suddenly felt a sense of unease, but she didn't know where it came from.

He slowly exhaled and stepped into the house.

Today, the kitchen was unusually busy, with a dazzling array of dishes filling the table.

The fox took off its outer robe, sat down at the table, and feasted.

That's great, that's great! I couldn't eat before because I was sick, and I've been starving for so long. Finally, I can have a good meal.

Tinglan was not at the table; instead, he went to the side room alone.

No one but him can enter this room.

Tinglan unlocked the door with the key, pushed open the heavy wooden door, and lit the candles one by one, revealing the room in its entirety.

The room was filled with the scent of sandalwood, mixed with a faint smell of blood. On the ebony altar sat a memorial tablet and an incense burner, and on the wall hung a portrait of Ji Qing, the ink of which indicated it was not newly painted…

Tinglan lit three incense sticks and placed them in the incense burner.

Then he sat on the prayer mat, staring blankly at the memorial tablet on the table.

He asked in a low voice, "Ji Qing, is it you who came back?"

*

The fox finally finished eating and drinking, patted its belly, but Tinglan was nowhere to be seen.

What's wrong with you? You seem like you don't miss me at all, even though I'm at home and I miss you terribly.

I'm getting angry!

The fox, puffing out her cheeks and hands on her hips, plopped down on Tinglan's bed.

Wow, it's so soft.

The fox reached out and touched the pillow again.

Wow, it's so soft!

The fox lay down comfortably and then pulled the blanket over its belly.

Hmph, serves you right for ignoring me. I'm going to sleep now, I'm not waiting for you.

He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

The fox was really tired. After all, he had been working hard to cultivate at home, but before he had fully mastered it, he rushed to the capital. Now, he fell asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow.

This was the scene that Tinglan saw when she came in.

The boy lay exhausted on his couch, the blanket not properly covering him, his arms and calves exposed.

Tinglan couldn't help but sigh, and stepped forward to cover him with the blanket.

The curtains obscured the view, and Tinglan only noticed something amiss when she approached.

A pair of white, pointed fox ears appeared on the boy's head.

Hearing a noise by the bed, Ji Qing, who was sleeping soundly, turned over, revealing his tail behind his buttocks.

Its big, fluffy white tail drooped on the bed and swayed a few times.

Ji Qing was completely unaware of this and continued to sleep soundly, still wrapped in her blanket.

Tinglan pinched her hand hard and then turned her gaze to the small knife on the table.

Is he still dreaming...?

The fox, still half asleep, opened its eyes and scratched its head.

What's going on? It feels like there's something extra on my head when I scratch it...

The fox touched its head again.

Oh, so it's just the fox ears sticking out. It's alright then.

Just as he was about to lie down and continue sleeping, his eyes widened suddenly as he stared blankly at the person in front of the bed. "Tingting...Tinglan, what are you doing here?"

We're doomed! We're doomed!

The fox, still trying to deny it, grabbed the pillow and covered its head. "Looks good, right? Uh... I bought these ears on the street, clipped them on..."

Tinglan lowered her gaze, gesturing for him to look towards the bedside.

The fox looked down, then reached out and covered his tail with his paw, the tail wagging under his hand. "This...this...this..."

The fox couldn't come up with anything more, so he pouted, let go of the pillow covering his head, and lowered his head.

“Then you saw it all. I am a fox spirit. You’ve seen my true form before. That little fox is me… but I am also Ji Qing.”

Tinglan bent down and covered him with the blanket again, saying, "I'm sorry."

The fox, clutching its tail, stared at him blankly. "Aren't you angry?"

Tinglan shook her head. "I'm not angry."

The fox was delighted and generously released its grip on the tail, tilting its rear end to present the tail to Tinglan's hand.

"You're so kind, let me pet my tail."

Tinglan lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly.

He knew that the little prince was gone, and what had returned was the little fox from before. Perhaps the little prince was afraid that he would be suicidal, so he specially had the fox transform into his own appearance to keep him company for a while.

No wonder the fox said he wouldn't stay long.

The fox demon might be able to communicate with spirits, but it's unclear how the young prince managed to persuade him. This little fox demon clearly lacks cultivation; he can't even hide his tail, and his transformed form is quite different from the young prince's.

But since... Your Highness and the fox have gone to such lengths, we shouldn't let them down.

Tinglan squatted down, trembling as she reached out her right hand to touch the soft, fluffy fox tail, tears streaming uncontrollably from her eyes.

The fox had no idea what was going on. He had been enjoying himself, but when he looked down, he saw Tinglan crying and quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

Then she generously rubbed her head against his, saying, "Don't be sad, you can touch my ears too, they're really nice to touch, do you want to try?"

Tinglan shook her head. "I'm sorry, I'm a little tired today. You should get some sleep."

After saying that, he turned and left.

The fox blinked blankly, not knowing what was wrong. It rubbed its head, wondering how anyone could dislike fox ears.

Tonight, Tinglan fell asleep holding Ji Qing's memorial tablet.

The cold memorial tablet couldn't be warmed no matter how he held it in his arms. Tinglan lowered his head and murmured, "Your Highness has been rude, but I miss you so much."

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The author says: There won't be a scene where the Nine Thousand Year Old falls in love with the Fox Demon again [crying]. In his guess, the Fox Demon was just helping a friend out of kindness, and ran away after the performance was over.