"Stop fooling around!" Dao Yu Yue took a deep breath and said with great restraint.
Xing Yuan smiled, tucked her hair up, and said softly, "Doesn't the National Preceptor want to try if I'm a genuine fox spirit?"
Dao Yu Yue's breathing quickened, her fists clenched, her reason teetering on the edge of losing control. Xing Yuan chuckled triumphantly and was about to kiss her.
A second before their lips met, Dao Yu Yue, with her years of self-control, pushed her away. She then draped her clothes over Xing Yuan, turned, and left the room, closing the door in one smooth motion.
"Huh?" Xing Yuan tilted her head, appearing a little confused. She had offered herself freely, so why wasn't her sister accepting?
From outside the door, Dao Yu Yue's voice was as usual, "Put on your clothes!"
"Sister, help me put them on! I don't know how," Xing Yuan said righteously.
As a newly transformed little fox, wasn't it normal not to know how to wear human clothes?
Dao Yu Yue outside the door regained her composure and said calmly, "I saw you wearing them before, at Nanfeng Pavilion."
Dao Yu Yue's voice carried a chill. Instead of feeling shy, she felt a pang of jealousy as she recalled past events.
If she hadn't been there, would this little fox have just gone along with those people and mingled with them?
Upon hearing the words "Nanfeng Pavilion," Xing Yuan stopped teasing and obediently put on her clothes.
*Honestly, can't she get over this?*
*I hardly ever do bad things, really!*
*It's upsetting to be caught red-handed the one time I try to do something mischievous.*
Once dressed, Xing Yuan was finally let out. Dao Yu Yue sat in the pavilion and began to brew tea.
She loved drinking tea because she felt it calmed her mind and purified her soul, especially at times like these.
Dao Yu Yue gestured for Xing Yuan, who had been standing still since leaving the room, to come closer. "Come here!"
Xing Yuan shuffled over, not daring to meet her gaze. "Sister."
"Have some tea?" Dao Yu Yue offered a teacup.
Xing Yuan nodded and began to drink the tea from the cup, appearing extremely well-behaved.
Dao Yu Yue, with an air of nonchalance, said lightly, "Earlier... were you using your charm on me?"
Xing Yuan's body trembled. Knowing she couldn't evade it, she closed her eyes and said with a frightened, tearful voice, "I-I didn't mean to. I just transformed and couldn't control it."
Xing Yuan herself didn't believe such a foolish excuse, yet Dao Yu Yue actually believed it!
She said earnestly, "Mm, I've heard that your kind are skilled in charm techniques. It's normal not to be able to control it immediately after transforming. However, you must practice diligently in the future and never use your charm on others casually."
Xing Yuan: "..."
She raised her eyelids, observing Dao Yu Yue's expression, but she was too calm. Xing Yuan couldn't even tell if she was happy or displeased.
So, she cautiously nodded and then, with less confidence, proposed her idea, "Then, since I need to practice more, and National Preceptor Sister is so powerful, can I ask National Preceptor Sister for help with my practice!"
Dao Yu Yue feigned hesitation, then nodded with a look of self-sacrifice, agreeing to it.
Xing Yuan instantly became overjoyed, a smile uncontrollable on her lips.
Dao Yu Yue appeared calm, but inwardly she chuckled. Did she really think she didn't know her? If it were in the past, she might have believed her outlandish excuses, but with her extensive experience, she wasn't so easily fooled.
However! This game was quite interesting, and playing along seemed like a good idea.
"Then, where will I sleep tonight?" Xing Yuan asked with a troubled expression.
Internally, she was desperately regretting that she couldn't sleep in her sister's warm embrace for now.
Dao Yu Yue put on a thoughtful expression. After a long silence, she said, "It doesn't matter! You can continue to rest in my room from now on! However, it's inconvenient in your human form, so you must transform into your original form to be with me."
"Is that alright?"
Finally, Dao Yu Yue politely asked for Xing Yuan's opinion.
Xing Yuan was already floating on cloud nine from the immense favor, nodding repeatedly, her ears twitching slightly.
Then, a certain hand grabbed her ear. Dao Yu Yue met Xing Yuan's surprised gaze, her expression unchanged as she said, "I've never seen a fox with ears showing in human form before. I was just curious, Little Yuan shouldn't mind, right!"
Xing Yuan shook her head, her brain severely oxygen-deprived, unable to recall that they had seen Hu Xiao Jing's ears showing just two days ago.
She crouched down, revealing both her ears and tail, and said generously, "As long as Sister likes it, you can touch them as much as you want."
Dao Yu Yue's eyes lit up, and she quickly leaned closer.
She gently poked the small, tender ear, then curiously squeezed it. The ear's owner shriveled uncomfortably, but her eyes remained loyal as she looked at Dao Yu Yue. She bit her lower lip lightly, making no sound no matter how Dao Yu Yue kneaded.
After the ears were done, it was time for the tail.
However, Dao Yu Yue had often stroked Xing Yuan's tail before and was already familiar with its texture. She wasn't particularly interested in the tail, but looking at Xing Yuan's stunningly beautiful face gave her a strange feeling.
Xing Yuan couldn't bear it and bit Dao Yu Yue's hand. Her eyes, filled with mist from being bullied, looked somewhat delicate.
Dao Yu Yue's heart fluttered slightly, and she withdrew her hand as if shocked.
She seemed to realize her actions were a bit excessive and, as if apologizing, sent a bit of spiritual energy to Xing Yuan.
Xing Yuan grumbled in dissatisfaction, retracted her ears and tail, and transformed back into her original form, skillfully jumping into Dao Yu Yue's embrace.
Dao Yu Yue instinctively caught her and stroked her head, whispering, "Are you angry?"
Xing Yuan grumbled and turned her head away.
Dao Yu Yue, who had been feeling guilty, couldn't help but smile at Xing Yuan's demeanor. "So cute!"
*I don't want to be cute!* Xing Yuan grumbled again, clearly indicating she wanted to be coaxed.
Dao Yu Yue covered her mouth and calmed herself for a moment, suppressing her laughter, before saying gently, "Sister was wrong! In a few days, it's the Lantern Festival. Sister will make you a lantern by hand, okay?"
Xing Yuan snorted coldly, then, as if considering it, said, "Hmm~ Then can Sister accompany me to the Lantern Festival?"
Even though Xing Yuan had never been to a Lantern Festival, she knew its significance. She wanted to go with her sister.
"Okay!" Dao Yu Yue agreed.
In previous years, she never went, partly because she wasn't interested, and partly because there was no one to go with.
Now that the person she wanted to go with had appeared, even if Xing Yuan hadn't mentioned it, she would have brought it up herself.
*But... did I take too much advantage tonight?*
Dao Yu Yue felt a slight twinge of guilt, then righteously thought, *What's there to be embarrassed about taking advantage of the woman I raised?*