She Said That Kisses and Hugs Are Needed for Redemption [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 4

After finally sending the three fox clansmen away, Lu Xi smiled and turned to look at the little well, puppy curled up in a ball.

Its fur was snowy white and fluffy, its eyes moist and sparkling utterly adorable in every way. Unable to resist, she reached out and lightly tapped its glossy little nose with just the right amount of playfulness.

But the moment her finger made contact, Fu Lancen immediately bristled. She clamped down on Lu Xi’s slender index finger with a fierce bite, as if demanding how Lu Xi dared to tease her like this.

“Ouch!” Caught off guard, the sharp pain shot through her fingertip.

Lu Xi flicked the puppy’s forehead, and whether by some spell or trick, Fu Lancen felt a sudden sting between her brows and instinctively released her grip.

Examining the faint red marks left on her fingernail, Lu Xi casually rubbed it. By the time she pulled her hand away, the bite marks had already vanished. She flicked the still-curled-up Fu Lancen again, raising an eyebrow with a half-smile. “I gave you a new coat, and now you’re picking up a dog’s habits?”

Fu Lancen knew this woman had used magic to alter her appearance. Though she didn’t understand how it also masked her fox scent, there was no denying that this woman had saved her yet again.

She studied the woman before her seriously, then turned her head away sullenly. “If you hadn’t imprisoned me, I’d have run far away by now.”

The puppy form was undeniably captivating, but this time, Lu Xi resisted the urge to touch her again. With a wave of her hand, she released the restraints on Fu Lancen and chuckled. “Run away? With that weak little body of yours?”

The restrictions she’d placed on Fu Lancen were mostly to gradually heal her physical and spiritual wounds. The confinement was only to prevent her from recklessly reopening her injuries.

No one spoke, and the room fell into silence.

In the modestly furnished space, the candlelight flickered, casting the shadows of the woman and the fox onto the soft bedding. Their silhouettes appeared tightly pressed together, with no gap between them.

After a long silence, Fu Lancen, who had been lost in thought, lifted her chin and broke the strange quiet.

“Thank you for saving me from the forbidden land.”

Before Lu Xi could respond, Fu Lancen fixed her with an unwavering stare and continued, “So, what exactly is your goal?”

After being betrayed by those closest to her, she had learned one thing: no one could be trusted. No one did anything unconditionally those who seemed kind always harbored ulterior motives.

The consequences of her naivety had been too unbearable to endure again.

Besides, this strange woman had no ties to her. If she didn’t have some hidden agenda, why would she risk rescuing her from the forbidden land? And from the looks of it, she even seemed intent on protecting her indefinitely?

Seeing the woman lost in thought, Fu Lancen tightened her paws and pressed again, “What do you really want?”

At the moment, Lu Xi was deep in conversation with 001 in her mind. Since she had successfully driven away the fox clansmen without revealing her identity, 001 had rewarded her with some points.

But upon sensing the measly reward, Lu Xi was far from satisfied. She complained directly to 001 in her thoughts: “Just 3 points? What’s the use of that? You might as well give me something tangible.”

“Substantial reward?” System 001 was unusually accommodating towards Lu Xi. “Then tell me, what kind of substantial reward do you want?”

Lu Xi’s eyes darted around as she tentatively suggested, “How about you increase the female supporting character’s favorability towards me? With her being so hostile, it’s really difficult for me to complete my mission.”

As an employee with no choice in the matter, she just wanted to quickly finish her tasks without investing too much energy into them.

After a long silence, the system let out a disdainful laugh. “Now you’re asking too much!”

“Forgot to tell you, increasing the female supporting character’s favorability towards you counts as a side quest… Well, not exactly a side quest. You know yourself that if she keeps treating you like this, you won’t be able to complete your main mission anyway.”

After analyzing the situation, 001 clicked its tongue twice. “In short, figure it out yourself. I’m only responsible for assigning tasks~”

Lu Xi: “…”

This hands-off System 001 was really something!

Returning to her senses, she absentmindedly stroked the white fluffball nestled against her hand.

Hmm… The little fox was much cuter!

But noticing the fox was about to bite her again, she quickly withdrew her hand. “I saved you without any ulterior motives.”

Here, she cleared her throat, straightened her posture, and cast a sidelong glance at Fu Lancen, adopting the demeanor of an aloof immortal. “It’s just that this venerable one has been in seclusion for too long and grew somewhat bored. By chance, I divined that you were fated to encounter this calamity, so I casually intervened to save you.”

“Really no other motives?” Fu Lancen narrowed her eyes, her tone dripping with disbelief.

This person called herself “this venerable one” and put on the airs of a transcendent being was she trying to make Fu Lancen believe that someone of such lofty status wouldn’t stoop to having ill intentions towards her?

But the more Fu Lancen observed, the more she felt this woman was putting on an act. If she truly were a divine being of high status, she wouldn’t have been so obsequious earlier when coaxing those foxes to leave.

Seeing the little fox’s skepticism, Lu Xi lightly waved her hand, transforming Fu Lancen’s appearance from a Samoyed back into a nine-tailed fox and simultaneously releasing her sealed aura. “This venerable one seeks nothing, only to protect you.”

Her words were spoken with such gentleness that Fu Lancen, still somewhat stunned, felt her heart waver.

However, what Lu Xi said next made Fu Lancen involuntarily twitch her lips.

“Though, this venerable one is indeed curious about why Qi Ran decided to switch fiancées.”

Lu Xi knew the entire plot, but only the general storyline, the psychological descriptions of each character in the book weren’t comprehensive. So she genuinely didn’t understand why Qi Ran would abandon Fu Lancen for Bai Youran.

But none of that mattered; she just wanted to complete her mission quickly.

Shaking her head, Lu Xi prepared to continue bandaging the little fox’s wounds.

The moment her fingers touched the soft paw pads, she was kicked away.

“Your wounds need dressing,” she said, frowning for the first time.

Fu Lancen tucked all four paws beneath her body, refusing to let anyone touch them. When she looked up again, her gaze towards Lu Xi had turned icy. “You know Qi Ran?”

“Did he send you to take me away?”

Lu Xi pondered seriously, flipping through the memories in her mind before replying with absolute certainty, “I know him, and he probably knows me too. But we have no relationship because we’ve never met.”

Fu Lancen: “?”

At that moment, her expression grew complicated, as if lost in thought.

Now it was Lu Xi’s turn to be puzzled. “What’s wrong?”

“It’s nothing. As long as you weren’t sent by him, it’s fine.” Fu Lancen knew very well that Qi Ran was a ruler of the divine realm, a figure of lofty status whom ordinary immortals rarely had the chance to meet. If what this woman said was true, then it made sense she hadn’t seen Qi Ran before.

But for now, she dared to trust only a fraction of this woman’s words.

“So,” Lu Xi said, seeing Fu Lancen had no further questions. She waved the gauze in her hand playfully in front of the little fox, smiling brightly. “Noble Nine-Tailed Fox Princess, may I now bandage your wounds?”

Amid Fu Lancen’s silence, she raised an eyebrow and then carefully parted the fox’s snow-white fur on its paw. Using the medicinal ointment, she had brought from her cave, she meticulously dressed the wound.

The night had grown deep.

Outside, the cicadas continued their relentless chirping, mingling with the rustling of leaves battered by the night wind, an incessant clamor.

Lu Xi waved her hand, and the window shut tightly, sealing all the noise outside.

“You’re going to sleep on the bed?!”

Just as Lu Xi had removed her outer robe, the little fox behind her tensely spoke up.

She nodded, her fingers deftly loosening the ties of her pale undergarment. Clad only in a crimson floral-patterned bellyband, she strode briskly to the bedside, ready to lie down and rest.

“You, you!!! How dare you sleep beside this princess like this?!” Still in fox form, Fu Lancen immediately squeezed her eyes shut, her entire body arching like a bristling kitten. Indignant, she leaped to the head of the bed.

Lu Xi blinked in surprise, then glanced down at her own attire. Nothing seemed amiss. Wasn’t this just like a little tank top and shorts? Why was the little fox acting as if she’d been teased?

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