Wagging My Tail in the Ice Queen CEO’s Embrace - Chapter 36

After having such a dream, Ming Ying felt extremely awkward whenever she was around Fu Anyu.

Although it was said that “thoughts lead to dreams,” the things she had dreamed of were far too inappropriate…

During breakfast, Fu Anyu noticed the little fox was distracted, even when her favorite bacon and potato roll was brought to her lips, she didn’t open her mouth. Fu Anyu asked, “Are you feeling unwell?”

“Ah, no, no!” Ming Ying snapped back to attention and quickly took the potato roll. She ate too hastily and ended up choking, needing a big gulp of milk to recover.

Du Yunxin was eating her bread while watching her boss feed the fox. Even though this had been happening for days, for some reason, today the atmosphere between the two felt different.

She finished her bread in a few bites and reported to Fu Anyu, “President Fu, the matter you asked me to handle is done. But you and Ming Ying will need to go together for photo registration.”

Fu Anyu nodded. “Contact Xiao Chen. We’ll leave at nine.”

Hearing that she was going out, Ming Ying felt nervous but even more excited.

“Are we going to the street?” she asked Fu Anyu while Du Yunxin was looking down texting.

“Yes,” Fu Anyu nodded. “You can look around on the way, but don’t speak.”

“I understand.” Ming Ying wagged her three tails for a moment before remembering that she had to pretend to be an ordinary fox outside. She quickly transformed two of her tails into spiritual energy and stored them in her spirit-control device.

Fu Anyu had been about to remind her about the tails but, seeing the little fox so conscientious, she gave her a rewarding pat on the back instead.

Ten minutes before nine, Xiao Chen was already waiting by the entrance with the car.

Fu Anyu carried the fox into the car and rolled the window all the way down so Ming Ying could look outside.

This was Ming Ying’s first time being taken somewhere other than the hospital. As the car drove toward the bustling city center, she couldn’t help straightening up and peering curiously out the window.

At nine in the morning, the city was just waking up. The morning rush hour was nearing its end, but vehicles still had to queue when passing through main roads.

While waiting at a red light, Ming Ying asked, looking outside, “The street is so lively today, is there some event going on?”

“It’s a promotional sale for Shopping Festival,” Fu Anyu said. “There are a few days like this every month.”

“Oh, a gathering,” Ming Ying nodded, though not entirely sure what that meant.

As they passed a bakery, Ming Ying was captivated by the aroma of freshly baked pastries. She was about to ask what kind of shop it was, thinking she could ask Xiao Du to buy some treats next time, when Fu Anyu said, “We’re here.”

Carried out of the car by Fu Anyu, Ming Ying looked up and saw the fragrant bakery. She couldn’t help taking a deep breath, and her stomach, though full from breakfast, let out a soft gurgle.

“Can I go to that shop to eat pastries?” she asked Fu Anyu.

Fu Anyu glanced at the shop’s name before nodding. “Yes, but first we need to go to the Management Bureau.”

After cramming on knowledge, Ming Ying knew the full name of the bureau was “H City Human and Demon Comprehensive Management Bureau.” But when Fu Anyu passed through the gate, she noticed the stone plaque only read “H City Comprehensive Management Bureau,” which left her puzzled.

However, there were quite a few people around wherever Fu Anyu went, and they all greeted her warmly and eagerly. Ming Ying didn’t dare speak to her for the moment, so she set aside her confusion and turned her attention to the surroundings instead.

The main building of the Administration Bureau was surrounded by tall green trees. Ming Ying roughly counted the floors and estimated the structure to be about fifteen or sixteen stories high. She couldn’t help but marvel inwardly at the ingenuity of humans, despite most of them lacking spiritual power, they could still construct such towering buildings.

The sunlight reflected off the windows set in the beige walls, and as Fu Anyu walked, the glare grew increasingly intense. Ming Ying was caught off guard, her eyes stung by the sudden brightness. She let out a soft “whimper,” instinctively shutting her eyes tightly and burying her face into Fu Anyu’s chest.

Fu Anyu glanced down at the fox with its ears folded back, then quickened her pace under the eaves. After checking in with the front desk staff, she bypassed the employees waiting in line for the elevator and stepped into the special access elevator reserved for authorized personnel.

Hearing the electronic voice announce “Elevator ascending,” Ming Ying cautiously peeked out again.

It was her first time riding an elevator. Although she had seen elevator interiors on television, being inside one in person filled her with curiosity. Her gaze fixated on the row of round buttons.

“So, this is an elevator?” she murmured as the doors closed. She watched the blue screen displaying the upward arrow and floor numbers, then glanced around the cramped space. “How does it take us up to the thirteenth floor?”

“It involves physics, hard to explain,” Fu Anyu replied.

Ming Ying had only asked casually. Hearing it was complicated, she didn’t press further and settled quietly in Fu Anyu’s arms.

But when the elevator reached the eleventh floor, the doors suddenly slid open. A short man in athletic wear and a black baseball cap stepped inside. After pressing the button for the fifteenth floor, he looked up and met Fu Anyu’s gaze. He paused for a moment, then smiled in recognition. “Well, if it isn’t Classmate Fu?”

“Master Hu,” Fu Anyu nodded slightly.

“Ah, don’t call me that, I’ve left that line of work long ago,” the man in the baseball cap waved dismissively, his interest shifting to the little fox in Fu Anyu’s arms. “So, this is the little friend He Che mentioned?”

Ming Ying eyed him warily but remembered Fu Anyu’s instructions and stayed silent, not making a sound.

“Yes,” Fu Anyu replied flatly. Noticing the screen display change to the thirteenth floor, she stepped past the man. “We’ll be going now.”

“See you around! Next time you’re free, I’ll treat you and He Che to coffee!” The man in the cap waved at her retreating back before pressing the door close button.

“That was my high school classmate, Hu Xiuliu,” Fu Anyu explained once they were out of the elevator. “He also knows Dr. He.”

“That man has quite delicate features,” Ming Ying remarked quietly. “But his eyes look sneaky.”

When she had locked eyes with Hu Xiuliu earlier, she’d gotten the strange feeling that he might try to snatch her away when Fu Anyu wasn’t paying attention.

“He adores fluffy little animals,” Fu Anyu chuckled lightly. “If you ever run into him on the street, he’d probably crouch down and ask you, ‘What color sack do you prefer?’”

“A sack?!” Ming Ying gasped in alarm. “Is he a bandit?!”

Unfamiliar with the meme, Ming Ying only associated sacks with thieves or assassins.

“No,” Fu Anyu laughed and gently patted her head. “If you don’t like it, just ignore him.”

Reassured, Ming Ying let out a soft “oh” and looked up at Fu Anyu. Seeing her smile lingering, a faint sense of displeasure stirred within her.

Fu Anyu wore a cold expression in front of Dr. He, and it remained just as icy after she left. Yet after bidding farewell to Hu Xiuliu, she could smile so brightly.

Just what was the background of that “sack man”?

Ming Ying hid her displeasure well, and Fu Anyu, busy searching for the office Du Yunxin had mentioned, didn’t notice the fox in her arms acting strangely.

Fu Anyu soon arrived at the destination door. As soon as she knocked, it opened, and a young woman in her early twenties eagerly welcomed her in, beaming. “President Fu, I’ve been waiting for you! Please, have a seat!”

From the moment she entered, Ming Ying observed the young woman but saw only overflowing admiration in her eyes.

“The specifics have already been communicated to you by my assistant,” Fu Anyu said without sitting, walking further inside. “I hope we can complete the process as quickly as possible.”

“Of course, of course! Please hold the fox demon and sit here for the photo first,” the young woman quickly stepped aside, guiding her to a small inner room.

Ming Ying watched as large, colorful backdrops hung from the wall, draping all the way to the floor. In front of them stood two large black umbrellas with shiny silver interiors, and between them was a backless stool. She couldn’t help but let out a soft sound of surprise.

“The bureau requires a blue background for the photo. Just a moment, please,” the young woman said, turning a knob beside her.

Ming Ying saw the red backdrop rise as a deep blue one descended, covering the entire board. Then, Fu Anyu carried her toward the stool.

Fu Anyu sat down, and Ming Ying crouched on her lap. Her tail, which had been squeezed between them, was quickly shifted to her side, worried that Fu Anyu might be uncomfortable.

She watched as the young woman stepped behind a black cylindrical device called a “camera” and said to them, “Alright, both of you look at the lens.”

“President Fu, stay just like that! Perfect! Little fox, look up a bit more, too much, now look down just a little, good, tilt your head slightly to the left…”

Ming Ying, who had never experienced photography before, awkwardly followed the instructions, adjusting her upper body.

After hearing a series of clicking sounds, the young woman stepped away from the camera and briskly went to open the door for them.

“Just a moment, the print will be ready soon,” the young woman said, sitting in front of a computer, opening the photos, and clicking the mouse repeatedly to retouch them. “President Fu, you’ll also need to fill out an electronic form yourself. It’s been synced to your station.”

Fu Anyu sat at the computer across from her, opening the blank form that had been sent over and filling it out item by item.

“Is this my file?” Ming Ying rested a single front paw on the table, curiously watching as Fu Anyu entered her limited information into the boxes.

Fu Anyu had said the staff in this building often dealt with demons, which was why Ming Ying felt comfortable speaking.

“Yes,” the young woman answered before Fu Anyu could speak. “Since you can’t take human form yet, President Fu is filling it out on your behalf. Once you can transform, you’ll need to come back and complete another form yourself, but it won’t take long, so don’t worry.”

“After this is filled out, will I have a temporary ID?” Ming Ying asked.

“Yes, it seems you’re quite knowledgeable.” The young woman praised her and casually asked, “How long do you plan to stay in the city? If it’s more than six months, you can apply for a long-term residence permit. But you’ll need your guardian’s consent first, since you’re a foreign human.”

“Well, I’ll see when the time comes.” Ming Ying turned to look at Fu Anyu. “If needed, I can always come back to apply later.”

Fu Anyu was still fully focused on filling out the forms. After watching her for a few seconds, Ming Ying turned back to the screen, only to notice that Fu Anyu had entered “family” in the “temporary relationship” field.

Ming Ying: !!!