Stepping in for the Heroine to Crush the Protagonist Group [Transmigration] - Chapter 64

Gu Sheng never expected a small red fox to suddenly drop from above and land squarely in her arms.

She glanced down at the creature, then at the faintly glowing red string on her wrist. A flicker of surprise crossed her eyes, but her expression quickly returned to its usual composure.

“Whose pet are you?” she asked, placing a hand on Hu Li’s head and stroking it casually.

Hearing this, Hu Li buried her head in the crook of Gu Sheng’s arm, remaining perfectly still as she feigned death, hoping Gu Sheng would put her down.

But Gu Sheng continued to stroke her head, refusing to release her. She seemed, in fact, intent on carrying Hu Li away right then and there.

Forced to act, Hu Li lifted her head from Gu Sheng’s embrace and used her soft paws to tug at Gu Sheng’s hand, trying to break free.

Sensing Hu Li’s intentions, Gu Sheng wrapped both arms around the fox’s chest, deliberately pulling her close to her face to force eye contact. “Trying to escape?” she asked.

Hu Li looked up, met Gu Sheng’s gaze for a split second, and her heart skipped a beat. She quickly averted her eyes, whimpering softly.

Logically, with her drastically altered appearance, Gu Sheng shouldn’t recognize her. Yet Hu Li felt inexplicably guilty, convinced Gu Sheng had seen through her disguise. After a moment’s reflection, however, she reassured herself: How could Gu Sheng possibly recognize me? It must be my imagination.

Sensing Hu Li’s evasiveness, Gu Sheng tightened her grip almost imperceptibly before drawing Hu Li back into her arms. Stroking the fox’s back, she said, “I saw you come out of Bright Medicine Hall. Coincidentally, I’m heading there too. Let’s go together.”

With that, she followed the wall out of the narrow alley, carrying Hu Li into Bright Medicine Hall.

Inside, Ye Qingtang was just emerging from the rear courtyard. Her expression was tense as she glanced at the small red fox in Gu Sheng’s arms, then relaxed with a sigh of relief. Hu Li’s fall from the wall earlier had truly frightened her, but fortunately, the fox appeared unharmed.

Ye Qingtang shifted her gaze from Hu Li to Gu Sheng, noticing how much more composed and mature she seemed compared to ten years ago. Strangely, her entire demeanor now bore an uncanny resemblance to the Fox Demon who had vanished years ago.

“What brings you to Baoning Town this year?” Ye Qingtang asked, stepping forward to hug Hu Li.

Gu Sheng lowered her eyes, glancing at Ye Qingtang’s outstretched hand before sidestepping her, preventing her from touching Hu Li.

Ye Qingtang’s hand froze mid-air, hovering for a moment before she withdrew it. She glared at Gu Sheng, who calmly stroked the fox beside her, her brow furrowing in annoyance. “Fairy Gu, I’ve raised this Spirit Pet for ten years. We have a bond. If you like, I’ll have Min Yaxing buy you one too.”

Before Gu Sheng could reply, Ye Qingtang swiftly snatched Hu Li from her arms and thrust the fox into the hands of Min Yaxing, who had just emerged from the courtyard.

Min Yaxing, clueless about what had transpired, immediately clammed up upon seeing Ye Qingtang’s flushed face, casting Gu Sheng a “good luck” look.

“Ten years?” Gu Sheng murmured, ignoring Min Yaxing’s glance. Her gaze remained fixed on Hu Li as she repeated, “Ten years already.”

Ye Qingtang didn’t notice anything amiss and nodded in response. “Yes, it’s been ten years.” As she spoke, she recalled the Fox Demon Gu Sheng had been so fond of. Her lips curled slightly as she said, “Fairy Gu, after all these years, you can’t still be hung up on that heartless Fox Demon, can you?”

Gu Sheng simply replied, “She wasn’t wrong. I was the one who was wrong.”

Ye Qingtang looked stunned. “……” She truly hadn’t expected Gu Sheng to still be so hopelessly love-struck.

Min Yaxing was equally surprised. Stroking Hu Li’s head, she muttered to herself, “With Li Zi being such a hopeless romantic, how did she ever escape Gu Jinghe’s and that old thief’s pursuit?”

Hu Li pursed her lips at the remark. When Min Yaxing’s hand landed on her head again, she snapped her jaws shut with a chomp.

Min Yaxing yelped in pain, wailing, “Why did you bite me? I was talking about someone else’s love-addled brain, not yours!”

Silence fell over the room. Ye Qingtang glanced at Min Yaxing, whose words had slipped out, and felt embarrassed herself. Gu Sheng, however, remained composed, her gaze deepening as she watched Hu Li.

After a long moment, Hu Li released her bite. She leaped off Min Yaxing and darted into the Bright Medicine Hall’s rear courtyard in a few quick strides.

Ye Qingtang watched Hu Li’s retreating figure disappear, then turned her complicated gaze to Min Yaxing. A knot of frustration tightened in her chest. This fox and this girl… neither of them is ever easy to deal with.

With a sigh, she quickly composed herself and turned to Gu Sheng. “Fairy Gu, let’s not dwell on the past. Shall we head to the rear courtyard for dinner?”

Gu Sheng withdrew her gaze from Hu Li and looked at Ye Qingtang. “Thank you, Fairy Ye.”

Ye Qingtang shook her head. “It’s no trouble at all. Just a small matter.”

********

In the courtyard pavilion, the three women sat in a circle, enjoying their evening meal.

Hu Li huddled in the West Wing Room, her fox-like eyes gleaming through the window lattice as she swallowed hard. She longed to join them for dinner, but the increasingly oppressive atmosphere that had settled over Bright Medicine Hall since Gu Sheng’s arrival kept her rooted in place, forcing her to remain obediently hidden.

Across the courtyard, Gu Sheng sensed the lingering gaze. She glanced toward the West Wing Room and asked Ye Qingtang, “Doesn’t your Spirit Pet eat?”

Ye Qingtang paused as she was serving Min Yaxing, her gaze shifting to the West Wing Room. “She probably snuck out again and ate something. She’s full.”

“Snuck out to eat?” Gu Sheng’s eyebrows arched slightly.

Ye Qingtang nodded. “She doesn’t care much for my cooking. She often buys food outside.”

Gu Sheng set down her chopsticks, intrigued. “She knows how to buy things?”

Ye Qingtang nodded. “I give her fifty Spirit Stones each month for cultivation, but she spends most of it on food.”

Gu Sheng pondered this. “What does she do with the small amount left over?”

Ye Qingtang replied, “She goes to the Pleasure House.”

Gu Sheng stared at her. “……”

Ye Qingtang fell silent, glancing at Hu Li. Then she heard Hu Li shout from the side room, “Ye Qingtang, I’ll sue you for defamation! I work at the Pleasure House, and there’s nothing wrong with that!”

(The passage explains the Pleasure Houses catered to both genders and Hu Li worked in a “fox cafe” corner.)

Remembering this, Hu Li suddenly recalled a box of Rose Pastries a female client had given her at the Pleasure House, which she hadn’t eaten yet. She immediately leaped from the windowsill to the floor and rummaged through the cabinet for the pastries.

Outside, the meal was finished; inside, the pastries were devoured. By then, night had completely fallen.

Ye Qingtang left Gu Sheng at Bright Medicine Hall and led the others to the empty West Wing Room to help her prepare the bedding. Meanwhile, Min Yaxing gathered the dishes and utensils and carried them to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Min Yaxing quickly cleaned the dishes with a Cleaning Spell and turned to leave. But as she reached the doorway, she spotted Hu Li peeking into the kitchen, then ducking behind a shelf.

Min Yaxing stopped in her tracks, remembering how Hu Li had secretly finished Ye Qingtang’s medicinal wine last month. She hurried to the shelf and reached behind it, pulling Hu Li out by the scruff of her neck.

Hu Li clearly hadn’t expected to be discovered. She kicked her tiny feet frantically, trying to wriggle free, but Min Yaxing held her firmly in place.

Min Yaxing locked Hu Li outside the kitchen. As she was about to close the door, her gaze instinctively fell on the bag of flour on the shelf. Calculating the days, she realized that Ye Qingtang’s birthday was in three days. After a moment’s thought, she pushed the kitchen door open again and stepped back inside, picking up the bag of flour and placing it on the counter.

Min Yaxing pondered what kind of cake she should make for Ye Qingtang this time. But just as she was thinking, Ye Qingtang’s voice suddenly called from outside, “Min Yaxing, come help me with something!”

Ye Qingtang sounded urgent. Min Yaxing quickly set down the flour, casually closed the kitchen door, and hurried out.

Meanwhile, Hu Li, still standing outside the kitchen, emerged from the shadows and stealthily slipped inside. Then, with a helpful gesture, she closed the door completely behind her.

Inside the kitchen, Ye Qingtang was brewing a fresh batch of medicinal wine. Hu Li circled the kitchen, scrutinizing every corner, but found no trace of the medicinal wine jars.

She crouched on the floor, pondering for a moment, then recalled a hidden compartment in the countertop. She sprang to her feet and leaped onto the counter with a powerful bound.

The countertop was meticulously clean. Hu Li skirted the flour sack blocking her path and began feeling around for the hidden mechanism. She carefully ran her hand along the counter from left to right, finally discovering a loose spot near the center.

A faint smile tugged at her lips. She raised her paw to strike the mechanism, but before she could, Gu Sheng’s voice suddenly rang out from behind her.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

Hu Li startled and whirled around to face Gu Sheng, her paw landing on the flour sack. Half of the sack was hanging off the edge of the counter. Her foot slipped, and the sack dragged her down, sending her tumbling to the floor.

White flour billowed across the floor like celestial petals scattered by a heavenly maiden, coating Hu Li’s crimson fur in a thick layer of white. She sat amidst the flour, her red fur now completely white.

She glanced up at Gu Sheng, then immediately tried to bolt. But Gu Sheng seemed to have anticipated her move. She reached out and grabbed Hu Li just as she took her first step.

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