Chapter 65 Crystal Clear

Facing what came next, Bai Li’s head turned back in a stiff, gear-like motion, not daring to think about it.

She had gained a lot today—plenty of information about Lin Du.

She had originally planned to slip away just like that and come back tomorrow for another free meal.

Even if it was just leftovers, the taste was genuinely amazing.

She was almost reluctant to leave.

Then she planned to go to Xiao Yu to dig up information on Sitiao Shizhi and figure out how to stop her from setting her sights on Lin Du.

That kind of bad woman absolutely must not get her way!

Bai Li’s neck stopped halfway through the turn.

Moonlight streamed in through the gap in the curtains, landing directly on the bed.

Lin Du lay on his side, the blanket kicked down to his waist.

One arm stretched out from under the covers, firmly wrapped around her tail.

Good news: Lin Du wasn’t awake.

Bad news: He was holding her tail like a plush toy, locked securely in his embrace.

His technique was unusually practiced.

His thumb was wedged into the soft fur on the inside of her tail, while his other four fingers hooked around the outside, his fingertips sinking into the fur, fitting perfectly.

Like he’d done it many times, so practiced he didn’t need to think—his hand just knew where to go.

Bai Li thought to herself:

‘So unlucky…’

Her tail swayed gently in his embrace.

She could feel the warmth of his palm, like a ball of warm water, spreading from the tip of her tail all the way up, climbing along her spine.

‘N-No…’

Bai Li’s legs went weak.

Her knees hit the floor with a dull thud.

Her whole body felt like its bones had been pulled out, collapsing softly beside the bed.

She quickly braced herself with her hands on the ground, but her legs wouldn’t obey.

The tips of her soft, delicate feet strained with the last bit of strength, her toes curling tightly against the wooden floor.

Even her toes were about to give out.

But the numbing, tingling sensation had already spread from her tail tip through her entire body.

She hurriedly covered her mouth, desperately swallowing back the scream that was about to escape.

‘Mmph…’

Her teeth bit into the back of her hand, her tongue pressed against her palm.

Tears were almost forced out.

That sensation, like an electric current exploding from the tip of her tail, slammed into her nerves in waves.

Her tail trembled in Lin Du’s arms, every strand of fur standing on end, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Bai Li’s ears lay flat against her hair.

Her breathing became rapid and shallow, her nostrils flaring as she exhaled hot air.

She didn’t dare make a sound or move.

She silently stared at Lin Du’s peaceful sleeping face.

Lin Du’s eyes were closed, his breathing steady and deep.

The corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he was having a good dream.

His fingers gently stroked her tail once, his thumb drawing a small circle on the fur, the pad brushing against the soft down.

Bai Li’s tail jerked violently.

Her waist went soft, and her whole body…

Almost fell flat onto the floor.

She bit down hard on the back of her hand, a fine layer of sweat forming on her forehead.

‘Alright, alright… I know you like tails!’

She screamed internally.

‘You can’t just touch without permission like this! You’re messing up the fur!’

‘And this is MY tail! Not your body pillow! Not something you can just touch whenever you want!’

Bai Li took a deep breath, forcing her racing heart to calm down.

Carefully, she reached out with both hands to grab her tail and tried to pull it out.

She barely pulled it a little, and Lin Du’s hand tightened slightly, as if even in his dream, he sensed something was leaving.

Bai Li quickly stopped, waited for his fingers to relax again, and then continued pulling.

She pulled very slowly, like performing a delicate experiment, barely feeling the tail move.

One inch, two inches, three inches.

With each tiny pull, she paused and waited for Lin Du’s fingers to loosen before continuing.

The tail slid out from between his fingers bit by bit, like a ribbon being slowly drawn out.

After a long time, the tail was finally free.

Lin Du’s fingers curled slightly in the air, as if searching for something.

Bai Li stared at that hand.

A sudden, inexplicable impulse surged in her heart—to stuff her tail back in and let him keep touching it.

But…

She shook her head violently, throwing out that absurd thought.

‘How is that even possible!’

She really had to leave.

Bai Li pressed her palms against the floor, her soles flat on the ground.

Like a caterpillar, she inched toward the door.

She crawled to the door, pulled it open, slipped out, then turned back to gently close it.

The whole process made no sound.

Once she was out of the bedroom, the rest was easier.

The hallway was very dark.

Bai Li stood up, leaning against the wall.

Her legs were still a bit weak.

Step by step, she walked to the window ledge, pulled open the screen, and climbed out.

The tips of her toes landed on the air conditioner’s outdoor unit.

Then with a leap, she jumped from the unit to the awning below, and from the awning to the ground.

The landing sound was very soft, like a leaf blown by the wind onto the ground.

Bai Li crouched in the shadow of the building, making sure she hadn’t disturbed anyone, then stood up.

She dusted off her clothes and ran toward her rented apartment.

The night wind rushed against her face, making her tail fur fly everywhere.

Bai Li crouched on the outdoor unit, breathing in big gulps of air, then let out a long exhale.

She reached back to touch her tail.

The fur still held the residual warmth from Lin Du’s palm.

The sensation of his fingertips brushing against her was burned into her like a brand, impossible to wipe away.

Bai Li pulled her hand back and clenched it into a fist.

‘Absolutely no next time!’

‘Just consider it compensation for him—after all, last time he only touched it for a little while…’

She turned around, gently pushed the screen door back into place, and locked it into its original position.

Early morning.

Lin Du sat up in bed, rubbing his eyes.

He stretched, his shoulder blades cracking twice.

His whole body felt relaxed.

He had slept surprisingly well last night, much more deeply than usual.

He even had a dream.

He dreamed of that strange person from the Fox Clan named Bai Li.

Silver-white hair, sky-blue eyes, pointed fox ears, and that fluffy, cloud-soft tail.

He had hugged that tail and rubbed it for a long time.

Lin Du looked down at his own hand.

That sensation was incredibly real.

The feeling of fur slipping between his fingers, the warmth pressed against his palm, and that softness like cotton candy.

It was all too real to be a dream.

He slipped his feet into his slippers and stood up.

A faint, sweet fragrance drifted into his nose—an indescribable sweetness.

It wasn’t a scent from his home, and he had never used a body wash with that smell.

Lin Du frowned, sniffing the air.

The scent was very faint, barely there, as if it had seeped in from somewhere.

He took a step forward, and his foot slipped.

“What the—”

He staggered, grabbing the edge of the bed to steady himself.

Looking down, there was a puddle of clear, glistening liquid on the floor, shimmering faintly in the morning light.

The puddle was about the size of a palm, the edges already a bit dry, as if something had accidentally spilled on the floor.

Lin Du crouched down and touched the puddle with his finger.

It was a little sticky.

“Did I accidentally knock over some water last night?”

He muttered to himself, grabbed a tissue to wipe the floor, and then wiped his finger.

Lin Du stood in the center of the bedroom and looked around.

Sunlight shone on the wooden floor.

The things on the bedside table were still the same.

Everything was normal.

No changes at all.

He felt like something was off, but he couldn’t put his finger on it.

“Strange… Was I just imagining things?”