Wagging My Tail in the Ice Queen CEO’s Embrace - Chapter 70

After a bout of struggling and writhing, Ming Ying’s breathing and heartbeat had yet to settle, but she eagerly shifted into human form. Panting heavily, she picked up her phone and began browsing for swimsuits.

There were numerous categories of swimsuits, and she quickly found the conservative styles. They looked just like her nightgowns, covering every part that needed to be covered.

Ming Ying was very satisfied. After examining them left and right, she selected a simple-patterned orange swimsuit and waited for Fu Anyu to finish blow-drying her hair so she could help place the order.

She had heard from Xiao Du that team-building was a group activity where everyone played together, and even the higher-ups would participate, all in the name of enhancing collective pride and cohesion.

But judging by Fu Anyu’s attitude, it seemed she had no intention of joining the fun with the employees and only wanted to take her to enjoy a private hot spring.

Ming Ying couldn’t help but let her imagination run wild again. She opened the map on her phone and somewhat clumsily searched for the resort where the team-building event was to be held.

While Fu Anyu closed the bathroom door to blow-dry her hair, she didn’t forget to message Hu Xiuliu to check on his progress.

For once, he didn’t reply instantly, but Fu Anyu wasn’t in a hurry. She placed her phone in a waterproof pouch and leisurely continued drying her hair.

About ten minutes later, her phone buzzed.

By then, Fu Anyu had already blow-dried her hair until it was half-dry. Picking up her phone, her eyes widened in surprise.

[Hu Xiuliu: In the direction of Linlan Resort, there’s an extremely strong fluctuation of demonic energy.]

As luck would have it, Linlan Resort was exactly the location chosen for this team-building event!

“Linlan Resort is the most popular summer retreat in H City during the summer. Are you sure the entrance to the demon realm is there?” Fu Anyu messaged back.

This time, Hu Xiuliu replied instantly: [Honestly, I’m quite surprised too (:з」∠) But didn’t you say you didn’t want to give up even a sliver of hope? Besides, it’s not too far. It wouldn’t hurt to take the little fox there and try your luck.]

[Our team-building event is this Friday, at Linlan Resort.] Fu Anyu continued.

Hu Xiuliu responded with a string of ellipses.

Just as Fu Anyu was about to ask him to follow the convoy to the resort on Friday, he beat her to it: [Saved two spots. I’ll bring my silly son along. Even if there’s no entrance to the demon realm there, such a strong concentration of demonic energy definitely means something’s up.]

[I thought so too.] Fu Anyu replied.

Then, she opened Du Yunxin’s chat and asked her to inform the colleague in charge of tracking team-building participation.

Ming Ying never expected Hu Xiuliu to actually locate the entrance to the demon realm so quickly!

Even though Fu Anyu emphasized that Hu Xiuliu had only pinpointed the area with the densest demonic energy, she was still so excited that she hugged the vegetable plushie and rolled around on the bed.

“Can I go check it out myself?” she asked Fu Anyu. “I just looked it up on the map. If I use my spiritual power and run at full speed, I can get there in just,”

“How do you plan to solve the problem of meals?” Fu Anyu cut her off.

“I can use WeChat Pay!” Ming Ying said, holding up her phone. “Even in the suburbs, there are bound to be restaurants or shops along the way where I can buy food.”

“Your human form hasn’t been registered with the Management Bureau yet,” Fu Anyu reminded her. “Running through the streets using spiritual power, are you not afraid of being caught by demon hunters?”

Ming Ying was taken aback by her question. Folding her fox ears, she said, “Then… then I’ll go to the Management Bureau first.”

“It’s not yet the agreed registration time, have you forgotten?” Fu Anyu shook her head. “It’ll be Friday soon. Just wait a few more days, and we can act together. That way, there will be fewer complications, and you won’t have to worry about food, clothing, or shelter. Isn’t that better?”

Ming Ying drooped her fox ears and responded weakly with an “Okay,” pressing her lips together without saying another word.

“I know you’re eager to go home,” Fu Anyu said, gently stroking her head. “But you should think it through. Your parents wouldn’t want you to put yourself in a difficult situation.”

Ming Ying remained silent but reached out her hands, pulling Fu Anyu into a tight embrace and resting her head on her shoulder.

The little fox’s breathing sounded beside her ear, warm puffs of air drifting into her ear canal, almost like the sound of someone on the verge of tears.

Fu Anyu casually picked up a tissue, folded it neatly in her hand, and prepared to hand it over when the little fox started crying.

The next moment, however, the little fox gently rubbed her cheek against Fu Anyu’s face and murmured, “Thank you for caring, sister…”

“It’s only natural,” Fu Anyu replied. As soon as she finished speaking, she heard a faint, whimpering sound.

“Am I being unreasonable?” The little fox had indeed started crying.

“Not exactly unreasonable,” Fu Anyu said, handing her the prepared tissue and taking another one. “You’ve had little experience, so you lack the know-how.”

“I’m sorry… sob…” Ming Ying pressed the tissue to her eyes, trying to soften her sobs.

“No need to blame yourself,” Fu Anyu reassured her, patting her back. “If you want to learn, I can teach you slowly.”

Whether it was her imagination or not, the little fox’s voice sounded especially soft and tender when she spoke through her tears, stirring an urge in Fu Anyu to gently pinch her fox ears or cheeks.

“I want to learn!” Ming Ying choked out between sobs, not forgetting to respond promptly.

Fu Anyu didn’t immediately comfort the crying little fox. Instead, she picked up the phone Ming Ying had set aside, unlocked the screen, and saw the swimwear page still open.

“Just this one?” she asked, handing the phone to Ming Ying.

Ming Ying glanced over, her eyes red-rimmed, and said, “I like this one. I haven’t looked at the others yet.”

“Then take your time and look some more,” Fu Anyu said, entering the little fox’s size and adding the orange swimsuit to the shopping cart. She then returned to the store page, lifted the little fox from her shoulder into her arms, and handed her the phone. “Besides the hot springs, there’s also a swimming pool over there. It’s best to have another swimsuit ready.”

Ming Ying quickly wiped her tears and began carefully selecting a second swimsuit.

“What does your swimsuit look like, sister?” she suddenly asked Fu Anyu.

Fu Anyu’s swimsuit was still in the closet, not yet unpacked. In response, she took the phone, searched for it, and showed it to Ming Ying. “It’s like this.”

Ming Ying took a look and noticed that the swimsuit Fu Anyu had bought was also a conservative style, with fabric that clung closely to the skin, looking more like something meant for sports. She even thought it resembled the sportswear Xiao Du had lent her.

Accustomed to wearing wide-sleeved, loose gauze clothing, Ming Ying wasn’t particularly fond of sporty attire. Feeling a bit disappointed, she exited the page and spent a long time browsing before finally settling on a white swim dress with small red-centered floral patterns.

Fu Anyu took back the phone, paid for the little fox’s purchases with her own bank card, and then explained to Ming Ying, “If you want to buy clothes on your phone, this is how you do it.”

Ming Ying had just promised to study hard, so whatever was said, she would memorize it. After noting down all the steps, she tried buying a pair of canvas shoes for herself. When she saw the “Payment Successful” page, she excitedly looked at Fu Anyu and said, “I’ve learned it!”

Fu Anyu patted her head with relief.

That night, Ming Ying couldn’t sleep again. Considering Fu Anyu had to wake up early, she took her tablet and phone, hugged her vegetable plushie, and voluntarily went back to the guest room. She turned on the air conditioner, opened the video player, and started watching anime.

She downloaded a document editing app on her phone, saved the analysis Du Yunxin had written earlier, and created a new document. While watching anime, she wrote down her thoughts on dating techniques in the document.

She even specifically searched online for top-ranked romance anime and romance novels, planning to catch up on her “lessons.”

Her “studying” went on past midnight.

When Fu Anyu woke up from a nightmare at 2 a.m., she decided to check on the little fox in the guest room to see how she was sleeping.

But as soon as she reached the door, she noticed light seeping through the crack, followed by the drawn-out voice of Momozono Nanami saying, “Tomoe!”

Frowning slightly, she hadn’t expected the little fox to still be engrossed in anime so late. She knocked on the door and entered.

Ming Ying was holding her phone, watching anime and taking notes, when the sudden knock startled her. Her hand trembled, accidentally hitting the select-all and cut keys, and the text she had just typed disappeared.

But she didn’t have time to worry about the lost content. She quickly turned off her phone, paused the video player, and looked guiltily at Fu Anyu. “Sis…”

“Aren’t you used to sleeping early?” Fu Anyu stopped by her bedside.

“I just couldn’t sleep tonight,” Ming Ying whispered, but before she could finish, she noticed dark circles under Fu Anyu’s eyes and quickly asked, “Why aren’t you asleep either, sis?”

“I did sleep, but I just woke up. I felt uneasy, so I came to check on you.” Fu Anyu’s sleepiness had been chased away by the nightmare. Although she wasn’t exactly pleased that the little fox was still awake, she inexplicably felt that the anxiety and fear from the nightmare had been soothed.

“Then… then…” Ming Ying thought for a moment, moved her tablet and phone to the nightstand, and cleared a space. “Since you’re feeling uneasy, sis, do you want to sleep with me?”

Having just watched several episodes of romance anime, her courage was at an all-time high.

Fu Anyu was taken aback and instinctively glanced around the room. The familiar surroundings made her feel a bit resistant.

But then she thought about the nightmare she had just had. Compared to staying here, she was more afraid of returning to the loneliness of being alone. After a moment’s consideration, she went back to her bedroom, turned off the air conditioner, and brought her phone, pillow, and a thin blanket back to the guest room. She silently arranged them in the space Ming Ying had cleared.

Ming Ying had only said it offhandedly and never expected Fu Anyu to actually agree. As Fu Anyu made her bed, Ming Ying was even stunned for a moment.

“It’s late. Once I’m asleep, you’re not allowed to watch any more anime,” Fu Anyu said as she settled under the covers, gently ruffling the little fox’s hair before lying down with her back turned. “Good night.”

“Good night, sis.” Ming Ying replied obediently. She turned off her tablet and phone, switched off the light, and slipped under the covers.

Breathing in Fu Anyu’s scent, she felt her heartbeat quicken again.

It seemed she wouldn’t be getting any sleep tonight.

…

Before 6 a.m., Fu Anyu woke up naturally.

When she discovered the little fox sleeping beside her, her first instinct was to reach out and shake the fox awake, demanding to know why she had sneaked over again.

But the moment her hand touched Ming Ying, she suddenly remembered that she had been the one to come over voluntarily last night, the little fox had only invited her to sleep together.

Fortunately, Ming Ying was a deep sleeper, and Fu Anyu’s unintentional, gentle touch didn’t disturb her rest in the slightest.

Seeing the little fox still sleeping peacefully, Fu Anyu breathed a sigh of relief. She lifted the blanket, intending to get up and return to her own room to wash up, only to find the space beneath the blanket crowded with four snow-white tails, one of which was coiled snugly around her waist.