The Fox Spirit Survived as an Alpha by Consuming Pheromones - Chapter 11

It took Bai Muqin a moment to process the conclusion that Jiang Li fed on pheromones. Frowning, she cautioned, “Aside from us and Dr. Zhou, this information must not be leaked to anyone else to avoid unnecessary complications.”

She turned to Jiang Li and instructed, “And you you must learn to disguise yourself in front of others. Do you know what to do?”

Jiang Li thought for a moment. “Is it like… pretending to eat in front of people, but then secretly spitting it out?”

“Your little brain is pretty sharp! I’m giving you an extra IQ point for that one!” Qin Nian laughed.

Jiang Li shot an annoyed glance at Qin Nian. She knew she was being teased for being “slow,” but she couldn’t refute it. However, she noticed that whenever she consumed her Master’s pheromones, her head became remarkably clear. Things she previously struggled to understand now clicked instantly, and her stuttering was gradually being replaced by fluent speech.

She poked Bai Muqin’s arm and whispered, “Master, can I eat more of your pheromones? I want to get smarter. If I get smarter, can I do the endorsement and help you more?”

Despite their short time together, Bai Muqin noticed that Jiang Li’s thought patterns were very much like a child’s. Though she had suspected a ruse before, those doubts had vanished; A-Li was far too natural, and her physical anomalies proved her uniqueness. She decided that as long as the girl was kind-hearted, being a little “slow” didn’t matter.

Bai Muqin reflexively reached out to rub Jiang Li’s head, but realizing she had just messed up her hair earlier, she smoothed it down instead. “Even if you aren’t that ‘smart,’ you can still be a spokesperson. Just focus on adjusting for now. As for pheromones… do you even know how much you need to be full? And does eating more really make you smarter? You ate plenty last night and were hungry again today. I don’t have an unlimited supply to give you.” By the end, Bai Muqin felt her cheeks heating up.

Jiang Li sniffled sheepishly. “That was because I was so hungry before… I almost died. Thank you for saving me, Master.” By now, Jiang Li had completely forgotten the fear of being “kidnapped.” In her mind, the “butcher” she once feared had become a haloed angel, while the flattering faces from her hazy past memories now felt grotesque.

She used her fingers to measure about ten centimeters. “Dr. Zhou gave me three tubes of pheromones today, about this long. After three, I was full. That was lunch. Master, do you have that much?” she asked expectantly, her voice trailing off into a pitiful mumble. “If not… it’s okay if I stay a little hungry.”

“I have enough,” Bai Muqin replied awkwardly. Does this mean I have to be held and fed upon three times a day? The crimson flush spread to her earlobes, which felt burning hot to the touch.

Hearing the confirmation, Jiang Li couldn’t help but lick her lips and swallow, already looking forward to dinner. She cautiously tugged on Bai Muqin’s sleeve. “Master… can I have dinner now?”

Qin Nian burst out laughing. “Sister, at the rate A-Li is eating, you won’t have to worry about pheromone disorders anymore. At most, you’ll just face pheromone exhaustion…”

Meeting an icy glare from her sister, Qin Nian quickly took the hint. “I won’t disturb you two then. See you at home!” She vanished like a gust of wind.

Bai Muqin let out a soft sigh and looked at Jiang Li. “Go sit on the sofa and wait for me. I need to handle a few documents, and then we’ll head back together.” She sat at her desk and began to focus on her work.

Jiang Li sat stiffly with her legs together, stealing glances at Bai Muqin. Since her request for “dinner” hadn’t been answered, she felt a bit anxious, fearing that Qin Nian might be right about her Master “running dry.”

After a long hesitation, she whispered, “Master, I…”

Bai Muqin put down her pen. She usually hated being interrupted, but that soft call of “Master” seemed to have a magical pull on her heart. “What is it?” she asked, surprised by the unintended gentleness in her own voice.

“I… I will try my best to get used to eating real food. I don’t want your pheromones to run out.” Jiang Li seemed to have summoned immense courage to say this. She would rather endure the nausea of vomiting than see Bai Muqin in danger. In her simple understanding, “exhaustion” sounded like death, and she couldn’t let anything happen to her Master.

“Come here,” Bai Muqin beckoned. She hadn’t expected such a selfless sentiment. She could feel the conflict and anxiety in Jiang Li’s heart, and a warm current flowed through her own.

As she got closer, Jiang Li caught the unique fragrance of Bai Muqin’s skin. Through that scent, she sensed a different emotion a desire for her to be even closer. She vaguely remembered sensing something similar the night before, but she had been too hungry to focus on it then.

As the perceived emotion grew stronger, Jiang Li grew bolder. She leaned in closer and closer, and since there was no other chair, she simply sat sideways on Bai Muqin’s lap.

Bai Muqin watched her approach with a touch of anticipation, but she never expected A-Li to be bold enough to actually sit on her.

Soft, warm, and fragrant. The phrase “a beauty in one’s arms” flashed through Bai Muqin’s mind. She froze, momentarily forgetting why she had called the girl over. She felt her throat tighten. “Why… are you sitting on my lap?”

Fearing she had made her Master angry, Jiang Li scrambled to stand up like a child who had done something wrong. “I don’t know! I felt like you wanted me to be close, so I just… Master, I’m sorry.”

As Jiang Li pulled away, Bai Muqin felt a strange sense of loss. She sighed. “It’s alright. Sit back down.” She was worried that if Jiang Li stayed too close, she would hear her irregular heartbeat.

Jiang Li was annoyed with herself. Why did I trust those vague feelings? Now I’ve ruined the moment.

Bai Muqin cleared her throat. “A-Li, what Qin Nian said about ‘exhaustion’ was just a joke. Don’t take it to heart.”

Jiang Li recalled Qin Nian’s tone and realized she had overreacted. She nodded obediently. “I understand.” She gave Bai Muqin a shy smile, looking as if she wanted to say more.

“Dinner is for when we get home,” Bai Muqin said quickly, burying her head back into her documents, afraid that one more look at Jiang Li would make her give in right there in the office.

“Okay!” At the mention of dinner, Jiang Li’s spirits lifted. To pass the time, she began exploring the large office. Her eyes were drawn to the solid wood bookshelf filled with various titles.

Jiang Li had a hazy memory of the “original owner” having a bookshelf too—smaller, but filled with colorful manga. She tiptoed over and, figuring the highest book must be the best, pulled one from the top shelf. Unlike the colorful pictures she expected, this book was black and white and filled with dense text. To her surprise, she recognized many of the words. The page she opened even mentioned “Fox Spirits.”

She couldn’t read the two large characters on the cover, but intrigued by the fox spirits, she took the book back to the sofa and began to read. Despite the difficulty, she finished the story and grew even more fond of the book it was a collection of supernatural tales and legends.

She spent about an hour reading several stories. Even when she encountered words she didn’t know, she could guess their meaning from the context. It became easier as she went along.

Finished with her work, Bai Muqin massaged her aching neck and stretched. She glanced over and saw Jiang Li curled up on the sofa, her finger tracing each line of text as her lips moved in a silent read. She was completely absorbed.

A few stray hairs fell across Jiang Li’s face. Bai Muqin felt a strong urge to go over and tuck them away but didn’t want to break the peaceful atmosphere. For a moment, everything felt perfectly right with the world.

However, the book inevitably contained some rather bold, descriptive scenes. As the descriptions grew vivid and erotic, Jiang Li’s face began to flush. She couldn’t help but map Bai Muqin onto the descriptions, recalling her Master’s fiery passion from the night before.

She felt a sudden thirst. Though she was naive, she was, after all, a “fox spirit” in spirit, and felt a budding curiosity about the “soul-stirring” sensations described in the text. She peeked at Bai Muqin, only to find her Master already watching her. Jiang Li slammed the book shut and sat bolt upright, looking like a little fox caught stealing a treat.

Since the spell was broken, Bai Muqin stood up and walked over. “What are you reading?” She ignored Jiang Li’s bright red face, as the girl seemed to blush at everything anyway.

Jiang Li held up the cover. “I don’t know these two words,” she said, pointing to the title.

Bai Muqin’s eyes crinkled with a smile. “Those are Liao Zhai (Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio). It’s a book full of stories about spirits and monsters.”

Jiang Li grinned. “It’s very good.”

“Are there other words you don’t know?”

“Yes, here… and here.” Jiang Li opened the book and pointed out a few difficult characters.

Bai Muqin explained each one, then grabbed a dictionary from the shelf. “Do you know how to use pinyin or radicals? You can look up the meanings and pronunciations yourself in here.”

Jiang Li took the dictionary and looked up a word. She memorized it instantly.

“Very good. You’re quite smart,” Bai Muqin praised. Judging by her reading level, she estimated A-Li had roughly an elementary school education much better than the complete illiteracy she had feared. For a moment, Bai Muqin felt a strange sense of pride.

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