The Heroines I’ve Flirted With Are Bound to Go OOC - Chapter 4

That night, the moon was bright and the stars sparse. Silence reigned over the vast, boundless desert. A strong wind whipped past the houses standing amidst the gravel, carrying a dry, cold chill that made Ye Naitang shiver.

At a window, a person and a fox were observing the surroundings in secret, glancing toward the villagers standing guard at the door. The fox cub was curled limply around the girl’s shoulder, looking utterly enchanting.

Timing it perfectly, Ye Naitang seized the moment when the guards turned their heads. Clutching the black fox, she crept out of the window on tiptoe.

The black fox was exceptionally well-behaved, remaining silent throughout the entire escape from the house to the outdoors. Its fluffy tail wrapped around her neck like a scarf; the tickling sensation spread through her nasal cavity, making her want to sneeze. She covered her face tightly and quickened her pace. Every so often, she looked back to ensure no one was following. Only after confirming they were clear did she exhale, though she remained vigilant.

The cultivation manual she had promised was already finished and left on the table. It was a secret technique she had discovered by chance, characterized by its low requirement for spiritual qi and a heavy focus on physical tempering. As long as the villagers practiced diligently and entered the Path of Dao through martial arts, reaching immortality would not be impossible. Before finding this manual, she had feared they were beyond saving.

But, as Xiao Tiao had said, “Heaven never seals off all paths.”

The world was vast. As the original goddess Yin Jiu, she happened to have collected a secret manual that differed greatly from the mainstream cultivation styles that prioritized spiritual qi. It was exactly what they needed. It was a case of “a blind cat running into a dead mouse”—the survival of the clan now rested on their own karma and effort. Ye Naitang chose to brush the dust from her clothes and depart, hiding both her deeds and her name.

“Awoo! Wu-awoo, awoo—!”

Suddenly, the little fox let out a high-pitched cry. It stared toward the rear alertly, its body tensing up… nearly strangling Ye Naitang in the process!

She immediately pried it off. She was about to scold it, but when she caught sight of its watery round eyes shimmering in the moonlight—its tail drooping as it gazed at her pitifully—all her anger vanished.

“One more howl and you’re getting a thrall,” Ye Naitang threatened in a whisper. Her voice sounded sharp in the empty desert. Feeling self-conscious and worried the villagers might notice, she couldn’t help but look back.

What she saw gave her a fright.

The village was already far away, shrunk to the size of an egg. However, not far behind them, a dark shadow was rapidly approaching. Its running posture was bizarre beyond words—head held high, body leaning back, and arms swinging with exaggerated, terrifying force. This was not something an ordinary person could do.

Ye Naitang’s first thought was that the villagers were chasing her. She hadn’t intended to run, but seeing the aggressive momentum of the shadow, she felt a surge of dread. She turned and fled.

The black fox poked its head out from the girl’s arms, glaring fiercely at the shadow.

The cold wind sliced across her cheeks like blades, stinging painfully. Soon, Ye Naitang could run no further; her body felt as heavy as lead. A pungent, foul stench wafted over, and she inevitably inhaled a bit of it.

Dizziness struck instantly, accompanied by a wave of nausea. She bit her tongue hard to stay conscious. Realizing she couldn’t run anymore and that she hadn’t actually done anything wrong—leaving without saying goodbye wasn’t an unforgivable sin, after all—she slowed down.

Or perhaps… the other party knew she was hiding the fact that the fox was precious and wanted it back?

But she hadn’t petted it enough yet. The thought of returning it only for it to potentially be eaten alive made her heart swell with reluctance.

After a moment of thought, her mind was made up. She pinched her nose with her right hand, held the fox cub firmly with her left, and turned to look back.

However, there was no one behind her. The words she had prepared died in her throat. She wiped the cold sweat from her brow; her skin felt slightly hot to the touch. The foul smell had dissipated, but her head was still spinning.

“Who is it? Come out,” Ye Naitang said coldly. Her tone was far from pleasant; she wasn’t the type to have a good temper to begin with, and now she felt a flicker of rage at being toyed with.

Calming down to think, that shadow was full of contradictions. It felt more like a specter than a villager. After all, they were just strong mortals; it was impossible for them to be that close without her sensing their presence.

Is the opponent a being higher than a god? Or have I become so useless that I can only sense mortals?

Ye Naitang couldn’t help but think the worst. Out of selfishness, she preferred the latter explanation. She could be useless, but she couldn’t stand others being more impressive than her.

“Hu Qi!”

A hoarse, thick voice boomed from above, filled with excitement.

The fox struggled out of the girl’s embrace, its body moving like a bolt of lightning as it fled westward, turning into a blur. The creature tracking them missed its mark and revealed its true form.

The newcomer had a thick, long wolf tail and black, sharp claws. He had a pointed face and narrow eyes like a monkey’s, with large “copper-bell” eyes that glowed green in the night. His long brown hair moved even without wind; the ends were frayed and looked exceptionally dry, as if he were malnourished.

He took an offensive stance, ignoring the silver-haired girl standing nearby, and chased after the fleeing fox cub.

Ignored, Ye Naitang watched their retreating backs for a long time in silence.

So, his target had been the fox all along? To snatch it right in front of her?

Ye Naitang couldn’t stand the insult, but she had misgivings about that half-human, half-beast creature. From the tone of his voice, they knew each other—it seemed there was a history of grievances between them.

As the girl hesitated, the chasing figures vanished from sight.

She didn’t have much stamina left. Crossing the desert to reach the Eastern Region would require a massive amount of energy; she couldn’t afford to waste it. The best choice now was to leave the black fox behind and continue her journey.

It was, after all, the male lead’s “heart and soul,” a character with more presence than the primary heroine. Protected by the Great God of Stallion Novels, it should be safe and sound; it wouldn’t “go to the dogs” so easily.

She, on the other hand, was different—a cannon-fodder existence who could be written out at any moment.

In conclusion, it was better not to overreach. Firstly, her abilities were limited. Secondly, even if she went, there was no guarantee she could help; she might just get in the way.

“Well then, until fate brings us together again. I hope you and the male lead live happily ever after. I won’t speak ill of you again,” Ye Naitang muttered to herself.

Just as she turned to leave, she caught sight of a black dot appearing on the horizon. The moving dot grew closer and closer, heading straight for Ye Naitang’s position.

The figure gradually became clear. It was a young girl about the same age as Ye Naitang. Her black hair was like the finest silk, making her skin appear even fairer. She wore a black dress with gold patterns; her hair was pinned up on the sides with golden flower ornaments. The overall effect was one of luxury and nobility.

“Naitang!”

The child’s voice was melodious as she ran forward, throwing herself into Ye Naitang’s arms with a familiar ease. She was breathing slightly hard, her cute face flushed like a crisp apple that made one want to take a bite.

“…You must have been terrified just now. Don’t worry, I ate the bad guy.”

Saying this, the “loli” licked her lips. Her alluring, upturned eyes peeked at Ye Naitang coyly, her gaze flowing with a captivating charm.

Ye Naitang hurriedly pushed her away, her face cold and questioning: “Little fox?”

Though her tone was one of doubt, she was certain this girl was the fox. Despite the unexpected turn of events—not only had it returned safely, but it had also taken human form.

The “fate” between them was coming a bit too fast.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to think. She had just made up her mind to abandon it, only to have it return. This sparked a deep sense of guilt in her.

“What exactly happened? If you don’t come back next time, I’m not looking for you,” Ye Naitang said truthfully, sizing up the newcomer’s new look.

She looked like a small, sparkling mountain of gold. The elaborate clothing was almost blinding. No tail, no paw pads, no fluff… she gave the form a decisive “bad review.”

“Eh—”

Hu Qi looked aggrieved, a flash of blood-red light crossing her brown pupils before she half-closed her eyes. “I’m sorry, Naitang. But it was only because that wolf-dog attacked that I had the chance to seize his power, allowing me to speak with you like this.”

“Let me introduce myself properly. My name is Hu Qi, but you can call me Qiqi. My mother comes from the Eighth Cave of Fallen Blossom Mountain in the Eastern Region. I have two great passions in life: the first is beauties, and the second is delicacies.”

Hu Qi whimpered softly. Seeing that the silver-haired girl didn’t look truly angry, she boldly stepped forward, insistently pressing her body into Ye Naitang’s arms.

She felt like a piece of warm, fragrant jade—extraordinarily comfortable to touch on a cold, moonlit night.

If one could ignore the ungraceful posture and the way her head was burrowing into Ye Naitang’s chest, Ye Naitang would have quite enjoyed the close contact.

Eventually, Ye Naitang’s expression turned cold again. She heartlessly pulled Hu Qi away and asked, puzzled: “Did your ancestors migrate here from the Eastern Region? Why?”

In her view, coming to the Western Region was practically seeking death. Why leave a resource-rich homeland to come to this godforsaken place and suffer?

“I don’t understand you,” Hu Qi said, stunned. “I thought you came here because you noticed something unusual too. It seems that’s not the case.”

“This goes back a long time…” The richly dressed loli smiled softly, her eyes narrowing slightly, the corners curving upward with instant charm.

“When heaven and earth were first divided and all things began to develop intelligence, a Heaven-tier spiritual treasure was conceived beneath the Western Region. This object spontaneously absorbs the surrounding spiritual qi, but its growth requires a massive amount of energy. That is why the current extreme situation exists: the Eastern Region is lush and beautiful, while the Western Region is barren.”

“As the treasure took shape, high-level spiritual beasts with keen senses among all living things noticed the anomaly and came here to investigate. The result… well, you know what happened next.”

“Our cultivation was suppressed. Aside from our innate natural skills, we are no different from livestock. And then, the nightmare began.”

“Out there, we are formidable figures worshipped by ten thousand beasts. Here, we are merely meat on the chopping block.”

She frowned, puffing out her cheeks in anger. “I’ve finally figured it out now—that treasure actually has its own sentience! it deliberately released its aura to trap us! How treacherous. Once it’s born, I’m definitely going to give it a good beating.”

Hearing this, Ye Naitang fell into deep thought.

If what she said was true, then everything made sense. The author had indeed set quite a large stage—the world-building was just as “troll-ish” as the plot.

“I came for the rare treasure. What about you?” Hu Qi asked, watching her slyly.

Of course, she wanted to ask more than just that—everything from astronomy and geography to domestic trivia.

She found the human in front of her to be extremely interesting.

It definitely wasn’t just because she was pretty and fit her aesthetic.