Ever since receiving the little fox brooch, Emma's "research" had begun to spiral out of control.
She was no longer satisfied with mere visual observation or the occasional fingertip contact. The plush trinkets piling up in her jewelry box seemed to silently beckon her, craving deeper intimacy.
Especially at night, when everything was quiet, she couldn't resist taking out the fox brooch and placing it in her palm. Her fingers would first trace its soft back fur with delicate care, feeling the smooth flow of the fibers. Then, her fingertip would gently press down, sinking into the plush texture—a soothing warmth spreading through her hand.
It felt… too good.
The sensation captivated her. She began to understand why people loved petting fluffy creatures—if they were all this warm, soft, and absolutely safe.
That realization stirred something in her. Her fear of Fox Lian's actual body—specifically his ears and tail—began to waver. If these replicas could bring such comfort… then what about the original?
The thought surfaced—and Emma immediately crushed it. No! Living fluff was different. It moved. It had warmth. It reacted. It wasn't like these quiet, harmless samples.
But the academy's gossip kept chipping away at her defenses.
"I heard Lord Fox Lian's ears twitch when he's in a good mood!"
"I saw his tail! It sparkled like a galaxy in the sun—I want to touch it so bad…"
"If he brushed your hand with his tail, would it feel like a cloud?"
These whispers were like siren songs, eroding the mental walls Emma had worked so hard to build. She even started having nightmares—dreams of being wrapped tightly in a massive, fluffy silver tail, the sensation so vivid she woke up with her palm still tingling from phantom softness.
The next day, she bombed her rune literature quiz. Exhausted from the dream, she barely scraped a B—an unthinkable blow for someone like her. Dejected, she sat in the academy's rear garden, staring blankly at her test paper on the stone table.
"Emma."
That familiar, magnetic voice rang out behind her.
She stiffened. She didn't need to turn around to know who it was. The last person she wanted to see right now—the fox who kept unraveling her composure.
Fox Lian sat down beside her on the stone bench, placing a small glass vial on the table. Inside were several round, fluffy seeds that looked like tiny pom-poms, emitting a faint calming fragrance.
"Ningshen grass fluff seeds," he said casually, as if he'd just happened to pass by. "They help soothe the mind. You seem… a little off today."
Emma stared at the vial. The fluff balls sat quietly at the bottom, harmless and adorable. Her resistance to this kind of object was practically nonexistent now.
"Thank you, Lord Fox Lian," she murmured, accepting the gift. She really did need something to calm her nerves.
Fox Lian didn't leave. His gaze lingered on her tired face, and then he asked softly, "Emma… is something bothering you?"
Her heart jumped. Had he figured something out?
But then he continued, "Is it about Gu Liang? She seems rather… determined lately."
He trailed off, leaving a suggestive silence.
Emma caught on immediately—he thought she was troubled by her best friend's pursuit of him. Perfect. She lowered her head and sighed, feigning concern. "Gu Liang… she's very serious."
Fox Lian's eyes glimmered with understanding. His voice was gentle, comforting. "Matters of the heart can't be forced. You needn't worry too much."
A breeze stirred. His silver hair fluttered, and the fox ears atop his head twitched slightly.
Emma's gaze was drawn to them against her will. In the sunlight, the silver fur at the edges was nearly translucent, revealing faint veins beneath. They looked… so soft. So delicate. Nothing like her lifeless samples—these were alive, warm, and impossibly tempting.
Before she could stop herself, she heard her own dry voice ask, "Lord Fox Lian… are your ears as soft as those fluff seeds?"
Silence.
Both of them froze.
The air felt thick. Emma wanted to bite her tongue off. Did I just… flirt with him?!
Fox Lian clearly hadn't expected that. His violet eyes widened slightly, then rippled with amusement, like a stone dropped into a deep pool. He didn't recoil or act offended. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, revealing the ear in question more clearly, and smiled—lazy, teasing, and unmistakably provocative.
"Would you like to find out for yourself, Emma?"