Chapter 12
Chi Jun turned around to look.
Xu Qingzhou wrote two words on the paper: 【Don't go】
Chi Jun was still smiling, but his eyes narrowed slightly.
Xu Qingzhou seemed a little afraid to look at him. She glanced at him with a fleeting look, then quickly lowered her eyes, and her face turned a little red.
It's as if there's something he's embarrassed to say, something he wants to say but hesitates to.
Chi Jun raised an eyebrow slightly.
Over the years, he had seen this kind of gaze on different girls countless times, and he understood that Xu Qingzhou, as a human child, would have this fantastic and wonderful feeling when he first saw a fox spirit.
As for fox spirits, any one of them that has taken human form would easily outshine the rest in terms of looks and charisma.
But it's okay, he's good at saying no.
It allows you to politely decline without making people feel awkward, and even makes them feel a sense of warmth and comfort.
So, Chi Jun smiled and bent down to look into Xu Qingzhou's eyes.
"Why?"
Xu Qingzhou's eyes flickered, and his expression became even more hesitant and conflicted.
Chi Jun maintained his smile and waited patiently.
After a while, he finally saw Xu Qingzhou bite her lip, and after hesitating for a moment, it seemed that she had finally made up her mind.
Then, her elegant handwriting slowly appeared on the paper—
If you go out dressed like this in the middle of the night, you'll be mistaken for a pervert.
Chi Jun: "..."
Xu Qingzhou's face was still red.
She knew that her words seemed somewhat offensive, but in her haste, she didn't know how to make it sound serious enough to keep Chi Jun there for the time being.
So, after struggling and hesitating for a while, I finally mustered up the courage to say those words.
But--
She looked up and quickly glanced at Chi Jun.
His expression seemed a little stiff.
Xu Qingzhou glanced at him, silently picking at her fingers. After a while, she glanced at him again and finally realized that she had messed things up again.
Would an angry Chi Jun rather risk being seen as a pervert than live under the same roof as someone who is clumsy with words and has low emotional intelligence?
"That's it?"
After a long silence, Chi Jun's voice finally came through.
Xu Qingzhou was taken aback, somewhat bewildered by the question. He looked up and saw Chi Jun staring at him.
After a moment's hesitation, he nodded nonetheless.
Chi Jun smiled again and turned to look elsewhere.
For some reason, Xu Qingzhou felt that the smile looked like someone was laughing because they were angry, with a hint of "speechlessness".
Xu Qingzhou tried to decipher the other meaning behind his words, but despite his rapid thinking, he couldn't make heads or tails of it.
Given that he had most likely already displeased Chi Jun, Xu Qingzhou thought for a moment and decided that this time he shouldn't make any more presumptuous guesses, but instead humbly seek advice and ask questions without shame. So—
Is there anything else...?
Chi Jun: "..."
Xu Qingzhou didn't know why the air suddenly seemed to freeze, but he was still inevitably embarrassed by the strange atmosphere, his body stiffened and his scalp tingled.
She silently clenched her fingers, already mentally preparing herself for Chi Jun's sarcasm and ridicule.
After waiting for a long time, Chi Jun only uttered two words:
"It's gone."
After saying that, he turned and walked towards the bed.
Xu Qingzhou stared at his retreating figure, blinking for a few seconds before finally letting out a soft sigh.
So it seems that even though it offended him, it still convinced him, right?
*
Since last night, Chi Jun had been experiencing alternating bouts of cold and hot sweat. Now that he had some free time, he felt sticky, heavy, and uncomfortable all over.
He asked Xu Qingzhou for a shower card and went to the public bathroom on the first floor to take a shower.
When Xu Qingzhou returned, he had already cleaned up the messy house and replaced the wet bed with a new one. He was now making a makeshift bed on the floor.
Upon seeing Chi Jun, Xu Qingzhou said, "There are some steamed buns warming up in the rice cooker. You haven't had dinner yet, have some."
Chi Jun said "Oh," picked up a steamed bun, leaned against the small desk to eat it, and his gaze fell on the back of Xu Qingzhou, who was squatting and busy.
After watching for a while, he suddenly asked:
Where do I sleep?
Xu Qingzhou heard this, turned around to look at him, and pointed to the bed.
Does he sleep in the bed while she sleeps on a makeshift bed on the floor?
Chi Jun nodded without saying anything.
The storm had subsided considerably sometime during the day, with only the occasional gust of wind and raindrops pattering on the leaves and bricks.
The small rented room was quiet. Xu Qingzhou squatted on the ground, spreading out the sheets and folding the blankets. His thin, small figure was bathed in the dim light from the ceiling.
Many important things happened tonight, but she didn't seem to want to ask Chi Jun about them.
For example, was Zhang Pengfei scared away by him, and will he come back?
Was his hallucination about the giant beast a figment of his imagination?
For example, besides being a fox spirit, does he have any other special identity? Otherwise, why would he come here, and under what circumstances would he be lying by a trash can in such terrible weather with torrential rain?
She didn't ask any questions, she just focused intently on laying out the bedding.
It seems that she only cares about Chi Jun himself.
The fox transformed into Chi Jun and needed a new place to sleep. Other than that, there was nothing else, and nothing else mattered.
But--
Chi Jun glanced at the wind and rain outside, which had softened considerably, and frowned slightly.
Looking at Xu Qingzhou, he suddenly spoke:
"Xu Qingzhou".
Xu Qingzhou turned around.
The eyes that looked at him were very clear, as if they had never held a trace of malice or hostility towards the world.
Chi Jun looked away, took another bite of the bun, and walked towards the bedside.
"If it's sunny tomorrow, I'll still leave."
Xu Qingzhou's fingers, which were gripping the pillow, trembled slightly.
She didn't say anything, but simply continued to place the pillow at one end of the mat on the floor, then lowered her eyes and nodded.
*
The night grew deeper.
After the storm subsided, the rental courtyard could finally be punctuated by the sounds of other tenants talking or moving around. However, the last small rental room on the second floor in the southwest corner was unusually quiet; the lights were turned off early that night.
The small rented room was pitch black. Xu Qingzhou lay quietly on the floor in a very proper posture, his hands folded over his abdomen.
She knew that she wouldn't be able to concentrate on her test paper tonight, so she decided to go to bed early and study again tomorrow morning.
As I lay down, I knew that it would be difficult to fall asleep tonight.
After all, a series of impactful events had occurred tonight, making it difficult for her to calm down quickly.
However, perhaps it was precisely because the impact was too strong that Zhang Pengfei's malicious attacks, the giant beast's intimidation, and Chi Jun's astonishing transformation all consumed too much of Xu Qingzhou's emotions and energy at that moment.
Afterwards, when she rested, all she could do was clear her mind.
Like falling into a calm pool of water, knowing you are sinking without any foothold, yet you are so tired that you just want to sink quietly like this, even thinking feels exhausting.
She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep without realizing it.
While in the same darkness, having suffered the same shock and been equally sleep-deprived and exhausted, Chi Jun lay in bed, his mind perfectly clear, his thoughts racing.
He went to bed earlier than Xu Qingzhou, but with the ticking of the clock, it was already past one in the morning, and he was still tossing and turning in bed, unable to fall asleep.
At three in the morning, he suddenly sat up in bed.
The wind and rain outside have mostly stopped.
The cabin was quiet, with only the ticking of the clock and Xu Qingzhou's soft breathing.
Chi Jun stared out the window, lost in thought. When he came to his senses, he was already out of bed, wrapped in a floral blanket, and had come to Xu Qingzhou's side.
He paused for a moment, then simply squatted down and, using the faint light coming in from outside, began to scrutinize Xu Qingzhou.
The little girl is very thin.
Even when wrapped in a thin blanket, it still appears as a long, thin strip at first glance.
Yet this seemingly gentle and weak Xu Qingzhou, who appeared harmless, was trembling like a leaf in fear in front of the enormous beast that was vastly different in size and strength tonight. Yet, she still instinctively lunged forward and tightly protected the fox in her arms.
Chi Jun frowned.
What kind of idiot would value a beast more than their own life?
Xu Qingzhou suddenly shuddered.
Chi Jun blinked and realized that Xu Qingzhou must have been having a nightmare. His body tensed up instantly, and in addition to writhing uncomfortably, he was also uttering soft moans.
He rested his elbows on his knees, quietly observing with a detached eye.
After a while, he still reached out and waved his hand gently in the air.
The tiny specks of light in the sky converged into an arc, slowly flowing towards Xu Qingzhou. In the darkness, they dispersed into several small patches, as if they had eyes, purposefully and gradually applying themselves to Xu Qingzhou's injured face, hands, and body...
The restless body seemed to relax, and the breathing gradually returned to a steady and long rhythm.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
