Wagging My Tail in the Ice Queen CEO’s Embrace - Chapter 52

At 8:40, Ming Ying, wearing new shoes and a bell hair accessory, followed Fu Anyu out of the house under Du Yunxin’s encouraging gaze.

Since it was a bit late today, Fu Anyu had let Chen Yanxue go home first and walked with Ming Ying to the Winter Ripple Bay Café.

Ming Ying had already memorized the route thoroughly. Du Yunxin had even drilled her on the types of people she might encounter along the way and the greetings she might need to exchange. As she followed Fu Anyu toward the café, she unconsciously straightened her back, displaying the dignified demeanor befitting a nine-tailed fox princess.

If only her right hand weren’t wrapped in bandages, it would have been perfect.

The cool evening breeze of the summer night brushed past. Ming Ying touched the coat draped over her shoulders, thinking how considerate Fu Anyu was. She hadn’t expected the wind outside to be so chilly, especially since the daytime heat had made her reluctant to stay outdoors for even a moment.

This villa district was quite old, and many of the villas were merely held as investments, waiting to appreciate in value, with no one actually living in them. As the two walked between the houses, Ming Ying inexplicably felt a chill down her spine, though she didn’t sense any malevolent spirits or the like.

“During the day, the ‘Sack Man’ came here,” she said to Fu Anyu. “He said he was looking for evil spirits.”

“That’s indeed his job,” Fu Anyu replied. “But how did you know he was here?”

“He knocked on our door!” Ming Ying said indignantly. “He said he wanted to see the fox and even asked me what color sack I liked!”

Ming Ying hadn’t yet realized that her irritation toward Hu Xiuliu stemmed from jealousy over the marriage arrangement. All she knew was that she found the man thoroughly unpleasant, his every word seemed sneaky, and even his expression was shifty. Just thinking about him made her dislike him intensely.

“He’s always been like that,” Fu Anyu said, unsurprised. “Xiao Du probably scolded him until he left, right?”

“Yes, thank goodness for Xiao Du!” Ming Ying nodded. After a moment’s thought, she added, puzzled, “That ‘Sack Man’ is so strange. Even though he didn’t release any spiritual energy, I felt inexplicably afraid when I saw him.”

“He grew up training in a Taoist temple and specializes in spells to eliminate evil spirits and malevolent beings,” Fu Anyu explained. “As a member of the demon clan, it’s normal for you to feel afraid of him.”

“Sister knows him very well,” Ming Ying blurted out without quite knowing why.

“We were classmates for three years, so I do know him quite well,” Fu Anyu replied seriously, sensing her jealousy and feeling a slight stir in her heart.

Yet she couldn’t quite discern the reason behind the little fox’s jealousy, was it possessiveness, or something else?

As she pondered, Ming Ying fell silent as well.

So, the bond between the “Sack Man” and Fu Anyu had lasted at least three years.

She racked her brain but couldn’t figure out what she could do to bridge a bond that had spanned three whole years.

She remembered her parents saying that, no matter who you interact with, the first step is to spend as much time with them as possible. Only then can you truly understand their likes, dislikes, and boundaries, and see their true nature, what humans call “time reveals a person’s heart.”

And she had only recently been willing to learn about Fu Anyu’s character. In her view, everything she knew about Fu Anyu so far was merely superficial.

That wasn’t enough, far from it.

Even though she believed she would eventually return home, she still wanted to understand Fu Anyu as much as possible.

Accompanied by the gentle chime of the bell on the spirit-control device, the pair, one human and one fox, slowly arrived outside the Winter Ripple Bay Café.

To avoid attracting attention, Ming Ying had retracted her fox ears and tail before leaving home, but she had forgotten to change her eyes to human ones. As she followed Fu Anyu into a private room with the waiter, she overheard people commenting on her eyes.

“That girl’s colored contacts are so pretty! They’re crimson, like demon eyes!”

“Those eyes would be perfect for cosplay, especially for portraying yōkai like fox spirits or cat spirits.”

“What are they talking about?” Ming Ying couldn’t help but whisper to Fu Anyu. “What are ‘colored contacts’? And what’s ‘cosplay’?”

Fu Anyu patiently explained everything to her. Just as she finished, the waiter stopped at the door of the private room, pushed it open, and entered.

“Ladies, this is the table you reserved,” the waiter said, placing two menus on the table and standing respectfully to the side. “What would you like to order?”

This was Ming Ying’s first-time ordering at a human establishment. As she looked through the menu, which was divided into several categories of pastries and drinks, she realized she had no idea what most of the ingredients were.

Even though some items had accompanying pictures, she couldn’t connect the names with the images at all.

“One seven-sweetness coconut latte and one cold brew iced coffee,” Fu Anyu began ordering without hesitation. “And two small slices of Black Forest fresh cream cake.”

The waiter noted the order on a handheld device, tore off a small receipt with a payment QR code, placed it on the table, collected the menus, and left the room.

“Do you come here often?” Ming Ying asked after the door closed.

“I used to,” Fu Anyu replied. “It’s been a while since I last visited.”

Like the guest room at home, this place held many memories of her parents from when they were still alive. Because of this, she had deliberately avoided it. Though she said it had been “a while,” in truth, she hadn’t dared to come back for five years.

She hadn’t expected Xiao Du to make a reservation at the café right near her home.

Fortunately, the little fox didn’t press further. After acknowledging the answer, she turned her attention curiously to the lotus flowers blooming on the lake outside the window.

“I recognize the pink flowers on top, they’re lotuses,” Ming Ying said, her gaze shifting to the water’s surface. “But what are the white flowers floating on the water below?”

“Those are water lilies,” Fu Anyu explained. “They’re often used for water purification and are also quite ornamental.”

Ming Ying made a sound of understanding and began watching the dragonflies flitting over the petals.

Fu Anyu could tell she was a bit distracted but didn’t interrupt her, simply accompanying her as they admired the flowers and leaves on the lake.

The soothing sound of a piano echoed through the private room, making Ming Ying feel somewhat anxious. Even though she had spent the whole day researching what to do on a first date, now that she was actually here, she had no idea what to do.

Even ordering had nearly been a problem. The advice in those forum posts clearly only applied to humans who were familiar with the human world and social interactions!

For a moment, Ming Ying considered opening the mini-program developed by yōkai to search for dating tips. But accessing it required real-name registration or logging in via WeChat. Without even a SIM card, she naturally couldn’t get in on her own.

As her anxiety grew, she began to space out, desperately trying to think of something to say to start a conversation with Fu Anyu.

After all, this was a date. No matter how hungry she was, she couldn’t just focus on eating.

Before she could figure out what to say, Fu Anyu spoke first, “I should have taken you with me today.”

Ming Ying was taken aback and blurted out, “Why would you think that?”

“Xiao Du told me you’ve been feeling bored at home.” Fu Anyu lowered her gaze to look at her. “You’ve been staying home for so long; you must be eager to go out. I overlooked your needs.”

Ming Ying: “…”

Wait, she wasn’t actually that eager to go out.

At home, she could eat whatever she wanted, Xiao Du would make it for her, and she could watch “Inuyasha” to her heart’s content.

When she said she was bored at home, it was really just an excuse to justify her change of heart.

After thinking it over, Ming Ying decided to be straightforward: “No, actually, I lied to you, sister.”

Without waiting for Fu Anyu to ask, she continued, “You and Xiao Du both misunderstood me. Ah, Xiao Du probably doesn’t know about the ‘sack man’s’ invitation yet. When I said I wanted to have coffee with you, I was actually referring to that matter.”

Fu Anyu’s expression shifted slightly, but she said nothing, quietly waiting for Ming Ying to continue.

“I’ve changed my mind. I want to go with you tomorrow,” Ming Ying said, lifting her head solemnly. “I had a brief exchange with the ‘sack man’ today, and the outcome wasn’t promising. Plus, he also invited that Dr. He, so, I’m worried. I need to go with you.”

She paused, then added with a hint of reluctance, “Even though, you’ve all been classmates for several years, I’m not familiar with them, so,”

“If you’ve made up your mind, then go,” Fu Anyu cut in. “I originally hoped you would come along.”

Ming Ying was taken aback and asked softly, “Did you really want me to go?”

“Since you plan to integrate into human society, you’ll have to get used to these kinds of places sooner or later,” Fu Anyu said instead. “Social interaction is a very important part of it, so I hope,”

“I didn’t mean that kind of ‘hope,'” Ming Ying quickly shook her head. After hesitating for a moment, she blushed and lowered her head to ask, “What I meant was, do you think you’d be a little happier if you took me along?”

She still remembered what Fu Anyu had said in her dream last night: “When I’m with you, I can completely forget about these things.”

Fu Anyu thought for two seconds and nodded. “Probably.”

“You didn’t answer me right away,” Ming Ying said, disappointed. “You hesitated!”

She still occasionally acted like a spoiled princess, and when her temper flared, her tone became insistent.

“If you’re not happy, I don’t want to show happiness either,” Fu Anyu said, her words carrying a subtle implication. “In front of outsiders, I can put on a mask and display whatever expression is needed. But in front of you, I don’t want to do that.”

Ming Ying hadn’t expected such an answer and was momentarily at a loss for words.

So, Fu Anyu’s hesitation just now was because she was considering her feelings.

It made sense, if someone were to laugh heartlessly while she was upset, she’d probably be so angry she’d cut ties with them.

Caught off guard by such care, Ming Ying blushed uncomfortably and asked again, “Then, do you feel more relaxed when you’re with me?”

That dizzy feeling washed over her again, and the questions she had prepared earlier were thrown into disarray by her emotional turmoil.

“Yes,” Fu Anyu nodded without hesitation this time.

Ming Ying was delighted.

“From now on, whenever you wish, I can accompany you out at any time,” she said earnestly. “Although I sometimes get upset with you when we’re together, I still find myself more accustomed to staying by your side.”

Fu Anyu froze, his thoughts in disarray as he stared intently at her.