Non-Humans Want to Fall in Love Too [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 9

“Death energy is something that only appears when a living being is on the verge of passing. It is not something that can be manipulated by human power, nor should it ever appear on a healthy person.”

Cheng Ci suddenly silenced himself, clearly thinking of Ji Shijin. Ji Shijin was not a man whose lifespan was nearing its end, and by all accounts, his body was quite healthy.

The fox across from him seemed lost in thought and had no time to entertain him. Cheng Ci quietly shifted to the side, attempting to hide himself behind the dense foliage of the garden.

“I need to return to the Demon Realm for a short time,” Shi Yan said.

The Demon Realm had been occupied by generations of demons in deep mountains and ancient forests. Even with Shi Yan’s ability to teleport, a single trip would take a considerable amount of time, not to mention the time required to search for a way to remove death energy.

Because of this, Cheng Ci stood up straight and declared, “Please rest assured. During the time you are away, I will look after Mr. Ji.”

He was practically impressed by his own wit. Ji Shijin and this ancestor clearly had a deep relationship. Since the fox could not settle his heart while leaving Ji Shijin behind, he was using Cheng Ci as a protective tool.

As expected, Shi Yan nodded, confirming the plan. “I will place a communication spell on you. If anything happens, inform me immediately.”

Cheng Ci felt a flash of red light enter the space between his eyebrows. With a mere thought, he would be able to contact Shi Yan. At this moment, even though the fox was his natural predator, Cheng Ci felt like kneeling and begging him to teach him a few tricks.

However, this was merely a fleeting thought; he did not have the courage to actually say it aloud. Observing the fox’s expression and sensing it was time to retreat, he quickly took his leave.

“Great One, I have business at my company, so I will head out first. See you later!” After speaking, Cheng Ci ducked into the greenery and vanished. A few minutes later, in a small alley behind the Ji Corporation building, a silver-haired man in a stylish suit emerged and entered a car where a driver was waiting.

In the evening, Ji Shijin sat in the car on his way home after work. He gazed out the window, his eyes vacantly reflecting the silhouettes of skyscrapers. He seemed to be in a daze, entirely unaware of his surroundings.

Sitting in the back row, Assistant Zhou looked as if he wanted to speak but hesitated. When work ended, he had found the boss leaving the office alone with no sign of Xiao Bai. He and the entire assistant department had nearly lost their wits with fear, only for Ji Shijin to say that the little fox had gone out to play and would return home on his own tonight.

Setting aside whether a little fox could find the location of the Ji residence, the distance from the company to the villa alone would take a fox hours to run. Yet, their boss remained expressionless and seemed certain that Xiao Bai would return, so the assistants dared not say more.

In truth, Ji Shijin was indeed distracted. He was not merely worried about the fox; rather, he felt a flustered sensation, as if something was spiraling out of his control. This feeling caused him to instinctively clench his fists.

Since his legs were ruined, Ji Shijin had grown accustomed to controlling everything around him to maintain a sense of security. The little fox was the only anomaly in his life over many years. As a small demon with special abilities, he would not stay by Ji Shijin’s side as a pet forever. Unlike other people or objects, he could not be controlled.

Perhaps because the little fox had saved him, Ji Shijin had unknowingly developed a sense of reliance on him. Now that his mind was clear, he was acutely aware that such an emotion should not exist. Dependency leads to expectations, which in turn leads to an unconscious greed for more. Ji Shijin had always understood this logic.

Gazing at the heavy traffic outside, Ji Shijin tightened his grip. He did not even notice that his palms were marked with bloody traces from his own fingernails. He steadied his mind, forcing the thoughts of the little fox out of his head to focus on his documents instead.

The cooperation with the Cheng Corporation had just been finalized, and many details required his personal confirmation. Assistant Zhou had brought documents that needed to be reviewed and signed tonight. The little fox had his own business to attend to, and he had promised to return tonight.

Ji Shijin slowly transitioned into his work state and stopped thinking about Shi Yan. Assistant Zhou watched from the side in astonishment but said nothing, simply handing over files one by one and organizing them after they were signed.

Finally, the car stopped at the villa entrance. Assistant Zhou exited first, and the driver circled around to Ji Shijin’s side to open the door.

As the door opened a crack, a red shadow suddenly lunged from a corner and ran straight into the car. The driver, Uncle Zhang, let out a few startled sounds and hurried to open the door fully, only to see the boss’s pet fox sitting perfectly on the boss’s lap, leisurely licking its fur.

Inside Shi Yan’s mind, 61 screamed, “Host, do not use teleportation here! There are surveillance cameras!”

Shi Yan replied calmly, “Help me loop the footage. Are you not already skilled at this?”

In their previous missions, 61 had frequently handled the cleanup for him. The system responded with mechanical silence. A high-intelligence system was not meant to be used for this purpose. Despite the internal complaints, 61 obediently went to delete the footage.

Ji Shijin held the returned little fox, freezing for two seconds before slowly placing his hand on the fox’s head. After receiving silent permission, he rubbed the fur twice. The restlessness he had felt all afternoon was finally released. A very faint trace of a smile appeared in his eyes.

“Did you just get back as well?” he asked.

In a way others could not see, Shi Yan gave a small nod. Assistant Zhou followed behind them with an expression that suggested he thought the world had turned into a fantasy. He absentmindedly handed the documents to Auntie Hong and took his leave in a daze.

After dinner, Ji Shijin was handling work in the study. Shi Yan lay beside him, wondering how to tell Ji Shijin that he needed to leave for a few days.

The original host was a rare great demon who had lived for over a thousand years, making him an ancestor-level figure among the fox tribe. Returning this time meant he would have to visit the clan. Once he was surrounded by the youngsters of the tribe, he would inevitably have to spend time with them, meaning he would not be back soon.

Just as he was thinking of how to start the conversation, the ringing of a phone interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see it was a call for Ji Shijin.

The moment Ji Shijin saw the caller ID, his expression softened slightly. He pushed the documents away and answered the phone.

“Hello, A-Jin. Are you busy this weekend? Why don’t you come back for a meal?” The voice on the other end was very gentle and kind. Shi Yan knew it was Ji Shijin’s mother.

Actually, although the Ji family was a massive clan, the relationships between family members were quite harmonious. There were no melodramatic stories of fighting for power. Ji Shijin’s immediate family was very normal; his parents had a business marriage but shared good feelings and were very close to their son. If not for the accident years ago, Ji Shijin would have been a very happy child.

Shi Yan turned his head, his eyes darkening with unknown thoughts. For some reason, 61 sensed a vibe of annoyance coming from his host and cautiously moved further away from him.

Ji Shijin was still listening to his mother. He did not notice anything wrong with the fox. “Yes, if I have time, I will return.”

Ji Shijin’s mother laughed, her voice full of joy. “Good. If you come back, tell me in advance, and I will cook the dishes you like. Your father misses you very much too.”

As soon as she finished speaking, the faint grumbling of a middle-aged man could be heard in the background. Ji Shijin did not hear exactly what his father said, but he heard his mother’s uncontrollable laughter.

“Your father is just being stubborn; ignore him. By the way, A-Jin, I heard from your assistant that you are raising a little fox?”

At the mention of Shi Yan, Ji Shijin turned his gaze to the fox beside him. He froze for a moment, lost in thought. Snapping back to reality at his mother’s urging on the phone, he replied, “Yes, I am raising one.”

His mother did not sense the complexity in his voice. She was secretly happy that her son was finally interested in something outside of work. She asked excitedly, “Can you bring him for me to see? I want to meet him too. Cats and dogs are common, but I have never seen a little fox as a pet. Your assistant said the little fellow is very smart.”

Ji Shijin hesitated for a moment, causing Shi Yan to look back at him. He pursed his lips and spoke vaguely, “We will see when the time comes.”

After listening to a few more words from his mother, he finally hung up the phone. Ji Shijin put the phone down and looked at Shi Yan. His eyelashes fluttered as he said softly, “They only see you as an ordinary pet, so they might say things that are a bit offensive.”

Shi Yan shook his head, indicating that he did not mind.

“I see,” Ji Shijin said, his eyes lowering. It was unclear if he believed him. He added, “Then, do you want to go? If you do not want to, I will decline them.”

This time, Shi Yan paused for a moment before shaking his head. Fearing that Ji Shijin might misunderstand, Shi Yan thought for a moment, jumped onto the windowsill, tapped the glass with his paw, and then paced back and forth on the sill.

Ji Shijin watched him for a while and miraculously guessed his meaning. “Are you saying you are leaving again?”

Shi Yan nodded. Ji Shijin continued, “It is fine. We can go in the evening. After you come back…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Shi Yan shook his head vigorously and used the tip of his tail to write a number on the glass. Ji Shijin looked at the number, his brow furrowing. His hands gripped the wheelchair so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands bulged.