Wagging My Tail in the Ice Queen CEO’s Embrace - Chapter 76

That night, Ming Ying couldn’t sleep.

She lay alone on the large guest bed, clutching her vegetable dog plushie, staring blankly into the darkness.

She didn’t know if this counted as being abandoned by her family, and she didn’t dare dwell on it too much. If she did, she would cry again, and if she cried, her eyes would be swollen tomorrow morning, which would worry her current family.

Although she knew transformation magic, Ming Ying’s mind was in such turmoil that she couldn’t cast any spells.

After tossing and turning for a long time, she thought about watching animations and dramas to pass the long night. But when she opened the media player, she found everything dull and uninteresting, so she turned off the tablet and continued staring into the dark room.

Suddenly, she wondered if Fu Anyu had ever experienced nights like this before.

Homeless, never seeing her parents again, living alone in a strange place… How had Fu Anyu endured it back then?

But she quickly dismissed the thought and hugged the vegetable dog tighter.

Better use a sleep talisman instead, she still remembered the symbols clearly.

Having made up her mind, Ming Ying extended her hand, gathered spiritual energy, and began drawing the talisman on her forehead.

Just as she finished half of the sleep talisman, she suddenly heard a knock on the door.

At this hour, only Fu Anyu would come knocking on her door.

Ming Ying didn’t respond, but the spiritual energy at her fingertips dissipated. She turned toward the door, closed her eyes, and obediently waited for Fu Anyu to enter.

Fu Anyu turned on the light, glanced at Ming Ying pretending to sleep, and said, “Come sleep in my room.”

Ming Ying remained silent.

The next moment, she heard footsteps approaching, followed by Fu Anyu’s presence slowly descending. A pair of hands lifted her, vegetable dog and all, into a horizontal carry.

Fu Anyu seemed to know she was awake and, without asking, carried her straight back to the bedroom.

Ming Ying understood exactly why Fu Anyu was doing this, they both had nightmares, but when they slept together, even if one had a nightmare, the other would help dispel it, preventing them from sinking into the dream or suffering.

After being placed on the bed by Fu Anyu, Ming Ying waited until she also lay down before setting the vegetable dog on the bedside table. She rolled over under the covers, facing Fu Anyu, and tentatively reached out a hand.

Fu Anyu embraced her through the two layers of blankets.

Ming Ying loved leaning against her chest. Fu Anyu’s embrace was soft and warm, and even on a night like this, it brought her peace.

Neither the human nor the fox spoke; only the ceaseless chirping of cicadas outside faintly drifted through the glass window.

Ming Ying quietly closed her eyes in Fu Anyu’s arms.

Her four tails hung obediently behind her, making no move to entangle anyone.

Ming Ying soon fell into a deep sleep and began to dream.

She dreamed she was in a pitch-black space, with her father and mother standing not far away.

Crying, she threw herself into her mother’s arms, saying she shouldn’t have run so far away, so far that she couldn’t return home and had to make her third sister pay such a great price to find her.

But her mother shook her head with a smile, holding her close and stroking her listless tails.

“Running away was for the best. You don’t have to marry a fox you don’t like,” her mother said gently. “I was wrong too, I shouldn’t have forced you.”

Ming Ying cried uncontrollably in her arms.

Her father stood to the side, stroking his beard and exchanging a bitter smile with her mother.

“Yingying, your mother and I don’t blame you. Don’t overthink it,” her father said, patting her head. “Alright, we have to go now. Just follow your third sister and be a happy little fox in the human world.”

Her mother hugged her once more, then reluctantly parted from her, holding her father’s hand as they walked into the darkness without looking back.

Ming Ying knelt on the ground, staring blankly as their figures faded into the distance.

Yet, she felt no urge to chase after them. It was as if all the cherished memories she should have held dear had been wiped clean from her mind.

Only when her parents completely vanished from sight did she slowly rise to her feet, smiling as she waved toward the encroaching darkness.

She thought to herself, It’s time to find Fu Anyu.

If I’m not by her side, she’ll be plagued by nightmares again, and her work performance tomorrow will surely suffer.

When Ming Ying woke the next morning, her face felt damp.

Thinking she had cried in her dreams, she wiped her cheeks only to realize Fu Anyu had just freshened her up with a wet towel.

Fu Anyu had already left for the day. It was Thursday, and tomorrow they were heading to Linlan Mountain Villa for a team-building event. Ming Ying remembered Fu Anyu mentioning she needed to wrap up some tasks beforehand, otherwise, work would pile up after the break, something she absolutely detested.

Perhaps because she had slept soundly in Fu Anyu’s embrace, Ming Ying felt particularly refreshed and in high spirits. She even ate an extra basket of char siu buns for breakfast.

“If this side effect of your transformation doesn’t clear up soon, you’ll turn into a chubby little fox!” Du Yunxin sat beside her, chattering away while pulling out her phone to order more of the fox’s favorite breakfast items.

“It doesn’t matter, I can alter my appearance,” Ming Ying replied, patting her full stomach.

“You can’t say things like that to other girls, it sounds way too arrogant!” Du Yunxin clicked her tongue, paid for the order, and stood up to clear the dishes. “By the way, what made you decide to become Fu Anyu’s assistant?”

Truthfully, Fu Anyu didn’t really need another assistant. She was highly independent and even somewhat averse to having too many people buzzing around her.

Still, if she were to add another assistant, someone pleasant to look at, serving as a sort of office mascot, she supposed it wouldn’t be entirely out of the question.

“I just want to be of some help to S-Sister,” Ming Ying explained, helping clear the table. “She took me in, and I haven’t repaid her kindness yet. Besides, I’d like to stay by her side during the day too.”

She wasn’t sure why, but after dreaming of her parents last night, she felt an even stronger urge to stick close to Fu Anyu. Maybe it was because, in the dream, she had searched for Fu Anyu but never found her until she woke up, perhaps that was what sparked this feeling?

“Now you’re starting to act like a true hulijing!” Du Yunxin didn’t seem to notice anything amiss and even gave Ming Ying a thumbs up. “As a top-tier hulijing, the first thing you need to learn is how to cling to the person you like!”

Ming Ying thought her words made sense, though “hulijing” didn’t seem to be a particularly flattering term in the human world. After a moment’s consideration, she decided to point it out.

Du Yunxin couldn’t think of a better alternative on the spot and offered an awkward yet polite smile. “Sorry, my bad. But as long as you understand what I mean, that’s what matters.”

After loading the dishes into the dishwasher, Du Yunxin led Ming Ying back to her room, opened a document, and began analyzing which jobs would suit her best.

Ming Ying had never been fond of studying and wasn’t skilled in much else. However, having grown up listening to her father and other fox officials discuss affairs, she had unconsciously picked up their authoritative demeanor. When Du Yunxin asked her to try acting stern, Ming Ying effortlessly put on a solemn, imposing expression.

Du Yunxin rested her chin on her hand, thought for a moment, then furiously pressed the delete key, erasing the string of analysis she had just typed.

“How about you become a bodyguard instead?” Du Yunxin suggested. “President Fu is so capable that she doesn’t even keep bodyguards around. I remember you’re pretty good at fighting, even if you can’t fight, just standing there and radiating an aura, teaming up with President Fu, would make no one dare to approach.”

Ming Ying had seen bodyguards in novels and TV dramas before. Recalling their attire, she frowned and shook her head.

“I don’t like dressing like that,” she said. “I don’t want to wear a black suit.”

“Who said bodyguards have to wear suits?!” Du Yunxin ruffled her ear. “Don’t you know suits restrict movement? Just wear your favorite casual clothes that are easy to move in, it’ll even help you blend in better! Did you think President Fu goes out without bodyguards? Sorry, she does bring one, a well-behaved, fierce, and harmless little fox!”

The two of them burst into laughter and settled on the plan together.

“But if you want to be a bodyguard, you’ll need to go to the Management Bureau first to register your human identity information,” Du Yunxin reminded her after they finished laughing. “This isn’t specifically related to the job, you’ll need real-name verification for any job you take.”

“Sister said it’s not time yet,” Ming Ying replied. “Third Sister will probably be living in the human world too, so I can go to the Management Bureau with her when the time comes.”

Hearing her mention the severely injured Third Sister, Du Yunxin felt a bit awkward and didn’t know how to respond. After a moment’s thought, she asked, “What does your Third Sister like to eat? Does she like fish? What about beef or lamb? Next time you visit her, I’ll make some soup for you to take along.”

Ming Ying fell silent, then cautiously said after a while, “I remember Third Sister seems to love houttuynia cordata bone soup and houttuynia cordata fish soup the most.”

When she was little and greedy, she had sneaked into Third Sister’s bedchamber one day and saw a pot of soup on the table. She took a sip but immediately spat it out and lost her appetite for the entire day. Only later did she learn from Third Sister that the white, tender segments in the soup were houttuynia cordata.

Ming Ying would never forget the strange taste of houttuynia cordata. She was afraid that if Du Yunxin used the same pot to make the soup, it would get contaminated, and the dishes cooked afterward would carry the houttuynia cordata flavor. If that happened, she would probably cry.

Unexpectedly, Du Yunxin’s eyes lit up. “Great! I happen to have a clay pot for making soup that I’ve been too afraid to use. Since your Third Sister loves houttuynia cordata, it’ll finally have its moment to shine!”

Ming Ying: “…”

She had almost forgotten that Xiao Du was also a houttuynia cordata enthusiast.

Fu Anyu was working overtime tonight, not because she was out on a mission, but because she was staying in the office to handle paperwork.

Before dinner, Chen Yanxue came back once, packed the meal Du Yunxin had made, and on her way back to the company, brought along Ming Ying, who hadn’t eaten dinner yet.

“Tomorrow is the team-building event, so the cafeteria is taking a half-day off today and isn’t serving dinner,” Chen Yanxue explained on the way.

Ming Ying, holding three lunch boxes, responded from the back seat.

While waiting at a red light, Ming Ying asked her, “Can I be Big Sister’s bodyguard?”

“That depends on whether President Fu wants you to appear in public,” Chen Yanxue said. “There aren’t many female bodyguards, and you’re very pretty. If you attract some high-status wolves when President Fu isn’t around, it might be hard to handle.”

“That’s not a problem,” Ming Ying said. “If any wolves come, I can beat them up. It’ll also give Big Sister a chance to see some people’s true colors.”

“I personally think President Fu won’t agree,” Chen Yanxue said. “When you reach a certain position, right and wrong can’t be judged in pure black and white. That environment is too dirty, it’s not suitable for you.”

“Then is it suitable for you, sister?” Ming Ying retorted.