Xiao Hua drooped its head, listlessly lying at Nan Shiying's feet.
"Make a courtyard for it!" Nan Shiying bent slightly, rubbing Xiao Hua's head. Her senior maids might not be afraid, but the servants in the Xinyuan Pavilion weren't strong-hearted enough to share a room with a tiger.
Besides, Xiao Hua was still a tiger. Even if it was just a cub now, it posed a fatal threat to those with no strength to even tie a chicken.
Ji Jinmo nodded. "Alright!"
The craftsmen at the manor worked quickly. What Nan Shiying didn't expect was that Ji Jinmo had ordered the courtyards previously occupied by Bai Xinxin and Wei Rulan to be remodeled. The walls were raised, the rooms flattened, and the open space expanded to nearly an acre. A pool was dug in the open space, and rocks and trees were brought in.
While remodeling, Ji Jinmo also had the hot springs expanded.
The people from Yaowang Valley moved out of the Nan residence and into the courtyard Nan Shiying had previously bought for Gouzi. Their lives were fulfilling. After studying medicine with Nan Shiying every day, they would go to the Tongji Pharmacy to see patients. If they encountered difficult illnesses or the patient was too ill to go out, they would take their medicine boxes and visit them.
One day, Nan Shiying was reading a book when she suddenly saw a white ball of fluff squeeze in from the window ledge.
The ball of fluff moved like the wind. The silver needles Nan Shiying shot with a wave brushed past the ball and hit the window frame. Before she could shoot the second needle, the fluffy white thing plunged into her arms.
Nan Shiying's hand froze in mid-air. She looked down and saw a pair of watery eyes blinking at her. Nan Shiying even saw a look of grievance in its eyes.
This was unbelievable!
Were animals capable of becoming spirits these days?
Xiao Man pushed the door open and ran in. Seeing the snow fox lying on her lady's lap, she let out a soft sigh of relief. She walked to Nan Shiying's side and reached out to pick up the snow fox. "My lady, I'll take it away now."
The snow fox suddenly turned its head and bared its teeth at Xiao Man, looking ferocious.
Suddenly, a large hand covered its head and began to rub it vigorously. It struggled to lift its head, its round eyes seeming to be filled with mist, its eyelids becoming increasingly red. It emitted soft whimpering sounds, like a spoiled child.
Nan Shiying's heart softened for a moment. She lessened the strength in her hand and gently patted its head. "Don't bare your teeth at Xiao Man again!"
The snow fox showed a human-like expression, nodded slightly, and then licked Nan Shiying's palm. The wet touch was a little ticklish, and Nan Shiying, somewhat disgusted, rubbed her hand on its fur.
She looked up and asked Xiao Man, "Why didn't you send it away?"
Xiao Man explained, "It's not that I didn't send it away, it's that it refused to leave!"
Xiao Man felt a little wronged, not because of Nan Shiying's question, but because she had taken care of this little thing day and night, yet it wouldn't get close to her at all. Instead, it was fierce and wouldn't even let her touch it. Now, it was acting like a fawning dog in her lady's arms, seeking affection.
Nan Shiying grabbed the fur at the snow fox's neck and lifted it.
She looked at the snow fox, as if asking it, or perhaps asking Xiao Man, "Why?"
Xiao Man shook her head. "This servant doesn't know!"
Nan Shiying hummed, shaking it, and asked again, "I'm asking you, why won't you leave!"
The snow fox wrinkled its nose, inhaling Nan Shiying's scent almost greedily. A dazed expression appeared in its eyes. Nan Shiying was slightly stunned... She flipped the snow fox over and parted its belly to take a look.
It was female?
The belly was the most vulnerable part of an animal. Normally, unless the animal trusted a human immensely, anyone trying to touch it would meet with some resistance. However, this little thing narrowed its eyes slightly, looking as if it was enjoying itself immensely.
Xiao Man felt a pang of jealousy.
Nan Shiying, with a look of distaste, tossed it towards Xiao Man, but her arm was suddenly weighted down. The snow fox clung to Nan Shiying's arm with its paws, hanging on her entirely.
It couldn't be shaken off.
Nan Shiying: "..."
Why had it become so clingy?
Nan Shiying flipped her hand over and took out a silver needle. The snow fox immediately put on a "sad and wanting cuddles" expression.
Nan Shiying took a deep breath. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to harm it. She placed her arm on the table, using the snow fox as a pillow, and then said to Xiao Man, "Go find Jia Huan and have him take you to see the tiger?"
To prevent Xiao Hua from hurting anyone, it was temporarily locked up in the dungeon. To make it more comfortable, Jia Huan had cleared out the largest and best prison cell, cleaned it thoroughly inside and out, and even spread a layer of green grass on the ground.
Xiao Hua was living quite well and was quite used to it.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Man's eyes immediately lit up. "Alright, I'll go see Xiao Hua~"
The snow fox suddenly tilted its head, looked at Xiao Man, then looked up at Nan Shiying, its eyes full of confusion.
Nan Shiying was baffled by its stare and asked, "What, you want to go see Xiao Hua too?"
The snow fox flipped over with a whoosh, pointed at its own nose with its paw, and then stomped on the ground.
Nan Shiying was silent for two seconds and then tentatively asked, "Your name is Xiao Hua too?"
The snow fox narrowed its eyes, as if using its little brain to decipher what Nan Shiying was saying. However, upon hearing the name "Xiao Hua," it pointed at itself with its paw again.
Nan Shiying: "..."
Could there be a name conflict?
"Xiao Hua?" Nan Shiying called it.
The snow fox jumped up happily, chirping incessantly.
Fine, Xiao Hua it is!
Its owner was quite something, to name such a clean and white creature Xiao Hua!?
If she dared to say it out loud, everyone would surely reply: Didn't you also give the little white tiger the grand name of Xiao Hua!!
How dare you criticize others?
Xiao Man twitched her lips. She really hadn't expected that such a culturally simple—no, a name of great simplicity—could be repeated.
She didn't dare to comment and turned to find Jia Huan.
Nan Shiying picked up the snow fox again, walked to the soft couch, cradled it with one hand, held a book in the other, and read with great interest.
Until evening, Ji Jinmo, exuding an icy aura, pushed the door open and entered.
The snow fox, which had been sleeping soundly in Nan Shiying's arms, raised its head. Before it could see who had come, it was grabbed by the scruff of its neck and then experienced the sensation of flying.
It had been thrown out.