Chapter 54: Let’s Go Find the Fox

Li Shi was called away by her boss, and her reluctance to leave was written all over her face.

Wen Qian was Li Shi’s favorite human on this planet. Plus, Li Shi had had a really tough time these past two years...

It took her a long time to adapt to life on Blue Star. Before that, she had no identity and no background, and she had to live in constant fear of being captured by bad people.

She wished she could be like her younger cousin, taken home by Wen Qian to live the good life—eating apples without having to work.

’It must be true what they say: fortune favors the foolish!’

"Qianqian, let’s head back after we eat," Gu Mian said, swallowing a bite of potato. His downcast eyes made it impossible to guess his mood.

Shooting him a glance, Yin Zhi set down his spoon and chimed in, "I agree."

Li Shi clearly had no intention of taking Li Jiu with her. If they lingered here, they might just end up with another member in the household.

’That was absolutely not happening!’

On this point, Yin Zhi and Gu Mian were in complete agreement.

Whether it was a female or male Beastman, knowing Wen Qian’s personality, she would take excellent care of them... which meant they would have even less time with her.

"I’ll go talk to Li Shi, then," Wen Qian said with a nod.

"No need." Gu Mian picked up a napkin and elegantly wiped his lips. He paused for a moment before explaining, "The Hundred Bird Clan is massive. Nine out of ten members are related in some way. Li Jiu probably doesn’t even remember this ’sister’ of his."

The implication was that Li Jiu and Li Shi weren’t as close as Wen Qian assumed.

Realization dawned on Wen Qian, and she nodded. No wonder Li Shi hadn’t shown much concern when she heard about Li Jiu. Instead, it was more like...

"Oh, right..." Wen Qian pursed her lips, as if remembering something. She had almost said the words "Critical Stone" out loud. She paused for a few seconds, then deliberately lowered her voice. "I want to go find the Little Fox."

The chances were slim, but Wen Qian still wanted to try. After all, it was the only clue they had so far.

"Alright. We’ll go together." A small smile played on Gu Mian’s lips.

...

Outside the restaurant, the long, narrow road was bustling with traffic, and a tide of pedestrians flowed over the asphalt. The leaves of the ginkgo trees were still a fresh green, swaying gently in the sun and wind.

The three of them left the restaurant after their meal. As they were leaving, Li Shi waved to Wen Qian, showing no sign that she planned to take Li Jiu with her.

Wen Qian breathed a sigh of relief. After all, the search for the Critical Stone depended on him.

"Qianqian, I have to leave for a moment." Yin Zhi’s gaze swept past the crowd and landed on an orange cat sitting perfectly still. His brow furrowed slightly.

Wen Qian followed his gaze and saw the cat sitting ramrod straight, unmoved no matter how people around it tried to get its attention.

Just then, its dark, deep eyes pierced through the crowd, staring right at her without blinking.

For some reason, it made her skin crawl. The feeling was far more unsettling than when she’d met Chi Heng.

"Is something wrong?" Wen Qian pulled her gaze away and looked at Yin Zhi.

At her words, the young man gave her a reassuring smile. "It’s nothing. Don’t worry, Qianqian."

The man’s figure receded into the crowd, the orange cat following with a steady gait, possessing that arrogant elegance unique to felines.

Wen Qian watched quietly until a hand took hers and gave it a gentle squeeze, startling her back to the present. She instinctively glanced around. "A Mian..."

’Good, no one noticed. Otherwise, we’d end up on the forums again.’

Behind his glasses, the man’s gaze was deep. He leaned down, his warm breath ghosting over Wen Qian’s ear. "Weren’t we going to look for a fox?" he murmured.

"Ah... right." Wen Qian nodded, flustered. Her face flushing, she pulled out her phone to search for the fox’s general location.

She had stumbled upon that place by chance. So much time had passed that she’d long forgotten the exact location.

Luckily, she remembered the news reports from back then and could use them to pinpoint the location online.

"Abandoned lot ten years ago," "City A downtown," "prime real estate"... After entering a few keywords, Wen Qian quickly narrowed down the area.

As expected, the area had been demolished five years ago and was now a wealthy residential district.

"Should we bring Li Jiu?" Wen Qian asked. With so many people in the district, trying to find one fox would be like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Besides, after all this time, the fox would have surely taken on its human form by now.

"Yes," Gu Mian said, patting Wen Qian’s head.

They went home to pick up Li Jiu. The moment the boy got in the car, his eyes were practically overflowing with excitement. He cautiously poked and prodded at the interior, a grin stretching from ear to ear.

It was a stark contrast to the calm, indifferent man in the passenger seat.

’They’re both Beastmen, so how can one be so coolly elegant and noble, while the other looks... a little dim-witted?’

"Sister, where are we going?" Having finally had his fill of exploring the car, the boy leaned forward.

"To S District. I need you to sense for the Critical Stone." If the fox still lived there, there was a chance they could find a fragment of the Critical Stone.

It was already afternoon by the time Wen Qian and the others arrived at S District.

Outside the complex, young security guards stood watch in shifts. An ornate, wrought-iron gate highlighted the neighborhood’s exclusivity.

Gu Mian’s car was stopped the moment it approached. He rolled down the window and showed some sort of identification, and only then did the guard step back to let them pass.

Upon entering the district, she found a scene completely different from what she remembered.

The landscaping was exquisite, making it feel like they had stepped into a Jiangnan water town. Rich greenery and flowers of every kind were everywhere. Though it was already autumn, the blossoms were still vibrant.

In addition, there was a man-made lake in the complex. A quaint stone bridge arched over the water, which was so clean you could see colorful koi swimming beneath the surface.

The clear, flowing water created endless ripples in the sunlight, looking like a scene from a painting. Wen Qian stared, mesmerized. ’It must be nice to be rich,’ she sighed internally. ’The joys of the wealthy are truly beyond imagination.’

Li Jiu was clearly captivated by the scenery as well. His mouth hung open, and it took him a moment to finally say, "This place is so beautiful! It’s just like my home!"

Wen Qian was taken aback. She was about to ask how it was similar when she realized he meant his home in the Beast World.

She recalled Gu Mian’s description of the Beast World—flowers of every imaginable shape and color swaying gracefully in the wind, tree crowns forming great green canopies... A flicker of longing sparked within her.

The car pulled into a temporary parking area.

The three of them got out of the car. Li Jiu looked up at the towering high-rises all around them and was suddenly hit with a bout of stage fright. He had never tried to change form in an environment like this, much less dared to use his powers as an Inspection Envoy.

"It’s okay, don’t be nervous." Seeing his hesitation, Wen Qian patted his shoulder encouragingly.

Li Jiu was naturally timid, and after his recent experiences, he was now afraid of any unfamiliar place.

Gu Mian shot him an indifferent glance and said coolly, "It’s fine if you can’t find it."