"Master Fuli...."
Lin Bingyun looked a bit dazed, watching Master Fuli's figure almost disappear in a blur. She glanced at the gemstone Master Fuli had just handed her and let out a helpless smile, saying:
"When it comes to gifts, it would be more meaningful for Young Master Fuli to personally give it to Miss Lin..."
On the eve of National Day, Lin Ying went to the Imperial Capital. After a meeting lasting several days, Lin Ying called to ask where Master Fuli was.
She asked if he was free for a late-night snack and then to go shopping together tomorrow.
It only takes two hours to travel from the Imperial Capital to Northern Potou City by high-speed rail or plane.
But before Lin Bingyun could finish speaking, Master Fuli had already disappeared from the prairie.
"Young Master Fuli? Isn't it Master?" The Medicine Spring Mountain Lord, sitting cross-legged on the ground, was momentarily stunned at Lin Bingyun's helpless murmuring.
Does Master have that many titles outside?
"Master Fuli's nickname changes according to different scenarios, but...."
Lin Bingyun explained to the Medicine Spring Mountain Lord, then looked at him with confusion, asking, "Shouldn't you be following Master Fuli home now?"
"Why are you still sitting on the prairie, feeding gray wolves?"
If Lin Bingyun remembered correctly, the Forest Rangers of the Security Bureau had just mentioned that, at Master Fuli's strong recommendation, the Medicine Spring Mountain Lord enrolled in the Xinxing Agricultural Science College.
And before going back to enroll, he was under the guardianship of Master Fuli and Ah Qing.
"........"
The Medicine Spring Mountain Lord was stunned upon hearing this, his expression changed dramatically, and he sprang up, sprinting crazily, leaving a trail of dust across the prairie, exclaiming, "Master! Master Fuli, slow down! I don't have a key for the door!"
Lin Bingyun watched the scene with a speechless face.
...
Master Fuli returned to the park and led the Medicine Spring Mountain Lord into the dormitory, helping him turn the TV on. Ansheng couldn't help but mumble:
"Cat, home, key — putting these words together is a revolutionary innovation. Whose cat goes out with a key to get back home? They have to climb window to get home....."
"But..."
"Better not let the apprentice handle this; such a large gecko roaming the dormitory could undoubtedly randomly scare a few fortunate students to death."
Ansheng muttered indistinctly, quickly running toward where Ah Qing was.
Upon entering the concert venue, the audience began to gradually leave, but instead of departing, they dispersed across the park's open spaces.
After the concert ended, before the fireworks show at the clearing, there was a traditional Northern wrestling performance.
Ansheng sniffed around for Ah Qing and Momo's scent in the park and soon saw Ah Qing and her sisters sitting on the wooden steps of the equestrian field.
Ah Qing's cheeks were red, with a slight whiff of alcohol, but her spirit was clear as she spoke into the live stream about wrestling. She enthusiastically turned to Tang You to inquire about Northern wrestling's tradition.
"Northern wrestling, also known as Bokh, was previously one of the man's three skills, along with horse racing and archery, showcasing male charm....."
"Huh? Are you asking if I like muscles?"
"Sorry, to me they feel like soft girls, only the Type 99 charging through the battlefield, with a flying skirt armor, is the true iron male in my eyes..." Tang You responded earnestly to the audience's barrage of questions.
Wrestling, horse riding, archery.
None compare to how cool a Type 99A tank is when speeding, its turret spinning rapidly, firing a powerful shot.
When a tough guy confesses to a girl, he should drive a tank, hang a golden ring on the barrel, take her hand, bring her onto the tank, inhale the passionate smell of gunpowder together, and romantically kiss while holding the wedding ring.
A marriage lacking iron is imperfect!
[.......]
The entire screen was filled with ellipsis, expressing speechlessness at Tang You's ideal of a hardcore male.
Good grief!
Your ideal seems to be marrying a tank, with a guy's role just adding involvement to the marriage.
"Eh-eh-eh——"
While everyone was discussing their ideal future partners, Ansheng casually rounded from behind, quietly arriving beside Ah Qing, poking her waist with his muzzle.
"Hmm? Xiaolan is back?"
Ah Qing, holding up her streaming phone, noticed the little fox's smiling face, showing an odd expression and asked, "Did you secretly do something naughty?"
"Your expression looks a bit mischievous."
Every time the little fox returned home smiling, Ah Qing would lift it by the hind legs, probing out of him items including but not limited to gold, luxury items, watches or downright shady companions.
Now, upon seeing the little fox with a cheeky chicken-stealing grin, Ah Qing's heart leaped.
Knowing...
Sister Lin is not in Northern, so if the little fox came back with something precious, it wouldn't be an easy task to find the owner.
"Eh～"
The little fox pawed at Ah Qing's hand, gesturing for her to open her palm, bringing his muzzle closer to place the item he was holding inside onto Ah Qing's hand.
"Ta-da～"
"I found a pearl in the river!"
The little fox sat on the wooden steps, proudly raising his head, puffing out his chest as if saying to Ah Qing: Look, aren't I the bringer of wealth!
"A pearl?"
Ah Qing was puzzled upon hearing it; under the curious gaze of her sisters, she rubbed the small glass ball spit out by the little fox on her pant leg and looked at the thumb-sized pearl in her hand, showing a confused expression.
"Momo...is this a pearl? Xiaolan said he pried it from a mussel's mouth and brought it back as a gift for me."
Ah Qing turned to Momo, showing her the faint blue, semi-transparent jewel-like pearl, asking if she had seen such a pearl before.
But this thing.....
Ah Qing instinctively felt it didn't resemble a pearl; it looked more like a sapphire from a jewelry exhibit.
"I don't know."
Momo glanced at it, shook her head, and said, "The most common form for pearls is powder or a perfectly round white necklace. I don't know about special varieties."
"It might be influenced by metal elements in the water, giving the pearl a special hue. You could snap a photo and ask a professor from the School of Animal Science; they'd know."
Momo wasn't versed in jewelry.
Some viewers in the live stream began discussing when they saw the faint blue pearl.
[Blue pearls are usually from the Mazatlan Sea Area; the pearl doesn't seem real or maybe the little fox stole it. Why not send it to me; I'll assess where the little fox took it from for free.]
[I know! That's the blue pearl, commonly known as a basket around here! Ah Qing, hold your small basket pearl!]
"You guys.....sound quite unserious."
Ah Qing glanced at the screen, throwing a shade at the viewers' teasing.
"But....."
"Xiaolan is truly impressive! Heading out and remembering to bring me a gift on his return!"
"Yet I still have to criticize you; stay away from rivers or lakes! Be cautious not to slip; a dog's life is precious!"
Ah Qing handed over the phone to Lingren, hugging the proudly smiling little fox, rubbing his chest with her cheek, giving him a massage.
"What about us?"
Momo, sitting behind Ah Qing, raised her hand, poking the little fox's head, curiously asking the little fox what gift he brought for her.
"Gift? Bring your head closer!"
"Ah Qing, what did the little fox say?"
"....Xiaolan said he wants to whisper to you."
"Oh?" Momo leaned in curiously.
The little fox raised his paw, opened it slowly in front of Momo to form a paw-pad flower.
Momo showed an puzzled expression.
The little fox showed a disdainful look, pushing her away.
"You don't get a gift!"
"After all...I really dug through the mussel shell, and there was really nothing left inside."