Emma locked herself in her dorm for an entire day.
She kept replaying that moment—her fingertip brushing Fox Lian's ear. The softness, the warmth, the subtle tremble of life beneath the fur… it was burned into her memory like a brand. No fear. No discomfort. Just a strange, exhilarating freshness—and a secret kind of pleasure.
The realization terrified her.
Had her years-long fluff phobia simply… vanished? Or had it only failed in the presence of one particular fox?
To find out, she gathered her courage and snuck to the edge of the Spirit Beast Garden. From a distance, she watched the fluffy creatures—rolling cloud-pattern cats, bounding curly-furred hounds, even the massive spirit cloud leopard. As they approached, the familiar chill down her spine and icy fingertips returned with full force.
Relief washed over her—followed by deeper confusion.
Her phobia wasn't cured. It was just… immune to Fox Lian.
Why? Was he simply too beautiful, making even fluff seem tolerable? Or had her ongoing "accessory research" and "sample collection" slowly desensitized her to his fluff?
Whatever the reason, Emma knew things had changed. She could no longer view Fox Lian through the lens of fear or academic curiosity. That touch had shattered her self-deception.
And at the academy, rumors of her "boldness" were spreading like wildfire.
"Did you hear? During the rune quiz, Emma touched Lord Fox Lian's ear in the garden!"
"No way! Isn't she usually super reserved?"
"It's true! Someone saw it! And Fox Lian didn't even get mad!"
"Oh my god… Emma's braver than we thought!"
Naturally, Gu Liang heard the whispers. She confronted Emma, eyes conflicted, tinged with hurt and disbelief. "Emma… is it true? Did you really…?"
Emma looked at her friend, guilt flooding her chest. She couldn't explain the tangled mess of emotions. She simply lowered her head and said nothing.
Gu Liang was silent for a long time. Finally, she sighed and patted Emma's shoulder. "Forget it. Fox Lian's gentle with everyone. None of us stand a chance. But… when did you get so bold?"
Emma gave a weak smile. She had no answer.
What unsettled her more was Fox Lian's behavior. He acted as if nothing had happened—appearing calmly around campus, still rotating his elegant fluffy accessories. But whenever their eyes met, his violet gaze would flicker with a faint, knowing smile… and Emma's heart would skip, her gaze darting away in panic.
He seemed to enjoy her flustered reactions.
After class one day, Emma was heading back to her dorm when Fox Lian stopped her. A few nearby students glanced over curiously.
"Emma," he said, voice as smooth as ever. In his hand were her forgotten quiz paper and the vial of calming fluff seeds. "You left these."
Emma's cheeks warmed. She reached out. "Thank you, Lord Fox Lian."
Just as her fingers were about to touch the paper, he lifted it slightly, avoiding her grasp. He stepped closer, narrowing the distance between them. In a voice only she could hear, he asked:
"Was the result… satisfactory?"
His breath brushed her ear, carrying that faint, cool scent. Emma froze. She looked up into his smiling, all-seeing violet eyes and felt like a butterfly pinned in place.
"I…" Her lips parted, but no words came. Satisfactory? That touch—so destabilizing, so revealing—how could she possibly answer?
Fox Lian chuckled softly, no longer pressing. He handed her the paper and vial.
"If you ever want to verify something else," he said, his gaze drifting meaningfully to the silver tail swaying behind him, "just let me know."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving Emma clutching the items, heart pounding like thunder.
Verify… his tail?
Just imagining it made her blood boil.
She watched his retreating figure, that fluffy tail carving an elegant arc in the sunset—like a silent invitation.
I'm doomed, Emma thought.
She had truly, undeniably… developed feelings for the fluffy fox she was never supposed to touch.