"If Xiaolan could turn into a human like Shasha, that would be great..."
Ah Qing, crying and laughing at the same time, forcibly collected her emotions, wiped away the tears at the corner of her eyes, looked at the little fox with fur wet from tears, and couldn't help herself.
Just now, Xiaolan was saying that Huhu's world was raining, but Huhu didn't have hands and clumsily couldn't handle it well.
As it turns out, it really was a self-fulfilling prophecy, now the little fox's fur is indeed wet.
"By then, the two of us can live-stream together, you can help me hold the phone, or we can even go hiking together, and catch you directing orders at the tea factory."
Ah Qing with a wide smile, lightly tapped the little fox's nose, sharing her inner thoughts.
"Yes, yes, yes, just afraid that you'll say 'Xiaolan, quickly turn back'."
Ansheng teased lavishly, raising a paw to tap Ah Qing's head.
"How could I?" Ah Qing huffed, looked at Ansheng and said, "When we go hiking, I'm counting on you to help carry the backpack and take pictures for me!"
"Friend, you're employing child labor..." Ansheng asked with a quirky expression, "So... if I turn into a human, am I sleeping on the bed or under it?"
"If we don't clear this up, I daren't recklessly try hard to lower my status in the family!"
"Of course, you sleep on the bed..." Ah Qing blurted out without thinking. But, halfway through, she suddenly froze and looked at Xiaolan's belly, "Pfft," causing a rosy blush to spread across her cheeks.
"I'll... I'll buy a two-meter-wide one, place a long bolster in the middle, ensuring it's doable."
"Don't you have any ambition? Since you're buying, just go for it and buy a grand villa!" Ansheng chuckled joyfully.
"Can't afford it!" Ah Qing's cheeks showed a hint of grievance, speaking quite pragmatically.
In Jiule City's suburbs, housing prices are at least ten thousand, with somewhat nicer properties being two or three times that. Some real estate near the tea region starts at a hefty forty to fifty thousand.
Buying a house costs several million, while buying a bed is only two thousand bucks—the disparity between the two is clear to Ah Qing.
The difference is practically like a universe within one's fingers.
"That's not right! You have property in the Imperial Capital!"
Thinking about housing prices, with a slightly deflated mouth and feeling rather unhappy, Ah Qing recalled that Xiaolan has a large flat in the core business district of the Imperial Capital, which made her even more frustrated.
"You say this, yet I don't even know where my house is! Get up quickly to help me brush my teeth, you promised to accompany me today."
Ansheng shrugged, nudging the seemingly deflated Ah Qing due to her bruised pride.
Ah Qing picked up the little fox to go to the balcony, preparing to help Huhu brush his teeth and wash up, surprised to see a skull and a little tea tree wrestling in the corner.
The little tea tree reached out its branches, grabbing the skull and shaking it frantically.
The skull extended its tendrils, pulling at the root system in the little tea tree's flower pot with force.
A black-chested cockroach lay on the floor, munching on two stolen chips, savoring each piece.
"What are you doing..."
Ah Qing asked with surprise, the black-chested cockroach turned and looked at Ah Qing, making a "zzz" sound.
Nothing much, just competing for the first sip of morning dew.
The loser will be thrown downstairs. The two of them are currently worked up, even I can't persuade them out of it. Would you care for some chips while watching the show?
"This..."
Ah Qing's expression turned quirky, completely unexpected that while she wasn't in the dormitory, there would be two plants at home putting on a show of showing their true colors.
"Leave them be, Spirit Beasts won't stop until one emerges as a King."
Ansheng nonchalantly waved his paw, letting them continue their dramatics on the balcony.
"Oh...."
After cleaning Xiaolan, Ah Qing called Professor Huang to request a day off, saying that the little fox seems to be feeling a bit down today.
Upon hearing this, Professor Huang was taken aback, murmuring with a puzzled face as he scratched his head.
You are quite polite; even after getting leave approved by the administration with a stamp, you still remember to report to me.
No wonder you're the graduate student I admire!
"Let's go!"
Ah Qing put Huhu on her shoulder and grabbed the selfie stick to set up the live-streaming phone, entering the stream name: [Skipping Work Today to Live-stream with Fox]
The stream had just started, but owing to Ah Qing's "love for food" and the timing, not many people were in the live room.
Nonetheless, Ah Qing didn't mind, raising the phone and smiling widely at Ansheng:
"This is my first time asking for leave. During class hours, if there's anywhere fun at school, you gotta lead the way."
Ah Qing is quite robust, rarely needing to take sick leave. The only occasions she might take time off would be to help out at home due to family matters. Otherwise, she attends classes honestly and diligently.
Yet due to the little fox's adorable antics, Ah Qing ended up in tears, and boldly took the day off to accompany the little fox.
Though Xiaolan isn't a yellow fur, his charm is nothing short of enchanting, rivaling any golden blond.
"Fun wise....."
Ansheng pondered slightly before humorously chiming in, "Have you ever played with Australia's golden kangaroo? Purely imported species."
"Australia's timid mouse?"
Ah Qing furrowed her brows, shaking her head, entirely unfamiliar with the creature Ansheng mentioned, a face full of curiosity.
"Hmm!? You know it's timid?" Ansheng was taken aback, looking at Ah Qing, but it made sense upon remembering her uniquely unbeatable machine translation system, so he didn't press further.
Previously focused on speaking human language, almost forgetting Ah Qing's system that machine-translates beast language.
"Head to the School of Animal Science dormitory; the cowardly creature is currently hiding there to treat his phobia."
The boxing kangaroo initially lived in the Security Bureau, but due to losing his spirit, was unsuitable for group living, so the Security Bureau sent him to Xinxing Agricultural Science College.
Hoping the boxing kangaroo can face his fears, overcome his internal shadows, and muster the courage to return and sign a partnership to work.
Though among Guardian Level Spirit Beasts, he can't beat the Golden Leopard or Eland, but he's still a Guardian, right?
"Oh..."
Ah Qing nodded understandingly after digesting the little fox's playful murmurs, then turned to the live-stream audience and said:
"The little fox said he'll take us out to play; he has a foreign timid mouse friend in our school."
In the live-stream room chat, scattered comical emoji floated by.
[Could the timid mouse the little fox mentioned possibly be his hidden stashed food?]
Regular viewers of Ah Qing's live stream know that in the primitive forest hierarchy, although foxes aren't on par with stray warriors, they still have big brothers above them.
But in urban settings, a fox is practically a deity-level predator within the food chain.
Everything seen at flower and bird markets, frequently heard in goldfish street, various kinds of pets, are all reserve food for urban foxes.
In cities, a fox is a lone overlord, all normal pets need to keep their heads bowed.
Of course, excluding large dogs and certain giant serpents.
So.
The viewers immediately recognized that the mouse referred to by the little fox was definitely his stashed golden hamster, or some other big rodent hunted and hidden.
"Knock, knock, knock——"
Ah Qing politely knocked on the dormitory door, inquiring, "Hello, is anyone inside? I'm Xiaolan's friend here to visit."
"Man?"
Just when Ah Qing thought there'd be no classmates inside during class time, a voice called out from within.
"Clack——"
The door opened, a kangaroo taller than the dormitory entrance, with golden muscular knotted physique, opened the door.
"Man!?"
The boxing kangaroo was still wondering who Xiaolan was, only to open the door and see Master Fuli.
It instantly went weak in the legs, fell to the ground and scurried under the bed, lifting it up, with a meter-long strong tail left trembling outside.
In the live-stream room.
[???]
[This y'all call a mouse?]
[Is it timid? It can punch me dead, and then promptly]