Chapter 38
by GideonChapter 38: Hotel – 4
How should she put it…
Looking at the Puppeteer’s expression, Night Jiujui couldn’t help feeling that his smile seemed to be saying: You’d better not walk around alone, boy. And when you sleep, you’d better keep one eye open at all times, taking turns letting each eye stand guard.
It was…
Rather creepy, wasn’t it?
Well, the Puppeteer’s behavior shouldn’t be attributed to his original self.
His alternate self might be a pervert, but as the original, she was a perfectly respectable person.
Thinking this, Night Jiujui discreetly took a small step backward. However, her expression remained as cold and detached as ever.
In any case, she probably wouldn’t need to make an appearance again for quite some time. She could simply stay in the suite and enjoy herself…
“Please forgive my forwardness… Would I be fortunate enough to invite you to dinner?”
Just as Night Jiujui was preparing to retreat into the suite and close the door behind her—
Qing Guizhu’s face turned red. He hadn’t been provoked in the slightest by Tu Jin’s earlier remarks.
In fact…
Judging by his gaze, which was so focused that it could almost be described as excessively passionate, Night Jiujui had every reason to suspect that he hadn’t even heard what Tu Jin had said.
Night Jiujui, who wasn’t particularly interested in having dinner with him: “…”
Expressionlessly, she prepared to close the door.
However—
A faint sensation, as though something were tugging at the hem of her skirt, made Night Jiujui instinctively lower her head.
She wouldn’t have known if she hadn’t looked. But once she did…
She saw a fluffy, enormous tail quietly gripping the corner of her clothes with its very tip.
Its swaying white fur, its sleek and glossy surface, its fluffy yet beautifully curved shape that seemed to promise an especially wonderful texture…
Night Jiujui’s fingertips twitched slightly. Her previously indifferent expression softened almost imperceptibly.
Qing Guizhu, however, had a completely different reaction.
Following Night Jiujui’s lowered gaze, he instinctively looked in the same direction—
Good grief!
Someone actually dared to use their tail to seduce the person he liked right under his nose!
Shameless!
Absolutely no sense of proper masculine conduct!
Not a shred of restraint!
In broad daylight, under the clear heavens, had even the little animals of today fallen this far?!
Morals had collapsed, society was deteriorating, and people no longer had any sense of decency!
Qing Guizhu grew increasingly indignant. He glared fiercely at that white tail, and his scrutiny became more and more critical.
Tsk!
One look was enough to tell that its fur wasn’t soft enough. Its texture obviously couldn’t compare. It clearly wasn’t particularly lovable. And it was obviously inferior to his own… tail?
The more he looked at the tail, the more familiar it seemed. Qing Guizhu couldn’t help wondering where he had seen it before.
“…”
Just as he was lost in thought—
Night Jiujui finally couldn’t resist the temptation of the fluffy fur. Silently, she reached out…
Under the Puppeteer’s utterly cold gaze, she gently wrapped her fingers around the tip of the tail.
How should she put it…
It felt pretty good.
As though it were an unintentional movement, she gently stroked the fur twice before turning her attention to Qing Guizhu, maintaining an entirely composed expression.
At the very instant Night Jiujui touched the tip of the tail, Qing Guizhu finally came to his senses after feeling the sensation transmitted through his own body.
That seemed to be his tail…
Qing Guizhu: “…!”
So it was his own tail!
Now that he looked at it carefully, wasn’t it actually quite beautiful?
No!
Oh, n-no!
Qing Guizhu had never expected that the Puppeteer Miss standing before him would have such a strong effect on him. She had actually managed to make him unconsciously reveal his true form!
He immediately panicked.
It was over. It was over!
His great-grandmother had once told him that a fox’s tail could only be touched by their mate. A good fox would absolutely never allow anyone other than their partner to touch their tail.
A fox’s tail was equivalent to their most intimate private parts. It represented their chastity, and chastity was the finest dowry a fox spirit could offer.
Was he tainted now?
Was he no longer pure?
A faint shimmer of tears gradually appeared in Qing Guizhu’s eyes. Even so, he stubbornly maintained the elegant posture instilled in him by his aristocratic upbringing, first attempting to retrieve his tail.
However…
That tail seemed to have developed a will of its own.
Not only did it refuse to obey Qing Guizhu’s wishes, but it actually became even more shameless, pushing itself further into Night Jiujui’s palm.
Was Night Jiujui someone who could resist such temptation?
She was!
But her hand…
Well, sometimes her hand had a mind of its own, much like Qing Guizhu’s tail at that very moment.
And so…
Her independently minded hand very reservedly and very restrainedly began to knead the fluffy fur that had willingly offered itself to her.
A tingling, almost electrifying sensation spread from the tip of his tail throughout his body. Qing Guizhu felt as though his entire being was melting down to his very bones.
His face turned red. Before he even realized it, not only had he failed to retrieve his tail, but a pair of fluffy fox ears had also begun to emerge faintly from the top of his head.
The moment those fox ears appeared, Qing Guizhu knew the situation was beyond saving.
He covered his already crimson face with both hands, much like an ostrich that buried its head in the sand whenever danger approached.
Only the two fluffy ears on top of his head remained exposed, honestly flattening themselves into airplane ears.
Night Jiujui’s attention was quickly captured by those ears.
“…”
Suddenly, the fluffy tail in her hands didn’t seem quite as appealing anymore.
Her gaze drifted toward the top of Qing Guizhu’s head.
Just as Night Jiujui was considering what the chances were that Qing Guizhu would let her touch those ears if she asked him right now—
The Puppeteer standing to the side finally couldn’t take it anymore.
With a sinister expression, he stepped forward, intending to pull that irritating tail out of his original self’s hands.
But the tail, which had been behaving so obediently in Night Jiujui’s grasp, betrayed its owner on the spot.
Before Qing Guizhu could even react, it swiftly withdrew with a whoosh and returned behind him.
The Puppeteer, whose hand had closed around nothing: “…”
He almost laughed out of sheer anger.
Well, well. So this was what they called being unable to retrieve it?
Not to mention the Puppeteer, even Night Jiujui herself belatedly turned a suspicious gaze toward Qing Guizhu.
Just then, Qing Guizhu happened to look up after realizing something was wrong.
Their eyes met.
The faint blush that had only just begun to fade from his face immediately surged back.
Even his previously drooping fox ears twitched. They adorably perked up before drawing closer together.
“I, I…”
He swallowed.
All the sweet talk and refined eloquence he usually possessed had completely vanished without a trace.
He desperately wanted to tell the Puppeteer Miss standing before him that since she had touched his tail, she now had to take responsibility for him. Otherwise, he was afraid he wouldn’t be able to face his family again.
But when the words reached his lips, Qing Guizhu forcibly swallowed them back.
He stammered for a while. In the end, all he managed to do was cover his pair of ears with his hands and awkwardly repeat his earlier invitation to dinner.
Night Jiujui: “…”
Damn it!
Even fluffy ears could be covered with hands!
Looking at the conflicted expression on his original self’s face, the Puppeteer’s smile deepened.
If it weren’t for the fact that his original self was still present, and his settings didn’t allow him to do certain things right in front of her…
He took a step forward, positioning himself directly between Qing Guizhu and Night Jiujui.
An elegant smile spread across the Puppeteer’s face. Yet the silent killing intent emanating from him instantly cooled Qing Guizhu’s passionate feelings.
Even his fluffy fur stood on end from the sense of threat.
“This gentleman, I’m afraid I must apologize, but she doesn’t—”
“I won’t refuse.”
Keeping her eyes on those pitiful fox ears, Night Jiujui reached out and tugged at the Puppeteer’s sleeve.
She looked up and, under the Puppeteer’s suddenly silent gaze, spoke with a perfectly serious expression.
“I happen to be hungry.”
The Puppeteer: “…”
【What are you still doing here?】
Meeting the Puppeteer’s inexplicably accusatory gaze, Night Jiujui looked back at him with an expression that clearly said she was simply handling official business.
【At this time of day, the first floor should be the perfect place for your entrance scene.】
You should go “to work” now, dear.
The Puppeteer: “…”
[The number 7: Because 6 is dead. 🙂 — A play on the Chinese internet meme of using 7 in place of an awkward or speechless reaction.]
He gave Qing Guizhu, who was looking at him with obvious wariness, a seemingly amused glance. After checking his manifestation progress, he ultimately decided that his actual duties took priority.
He turned and left the third floor.
“That person…”
Qing Guizhu’s expression paused, and his brows knitted together slightly.
After experiencing the Puppeteer’s murderous intent, his lovestruck brain finally sobered up. Only then did he faintly sense the subtle connection between the Puppeteer and the Puppeteer Miss.
“Weren’t we going to get something to eat?”
Night Jiujui avoided the question, smiling with her usual distant politeness as she looked at Qing Guizhu.
She seemed a little regretful that his fox ears and tail had disappeared now that he had calmed down.
“…Mm.”
Qing Guizhu keenly sensed Night Jiujui’s change in mood. He glanced one last time in the direction the Puppeteer had left before deciding to throw his brain away entirely.
He smiled brightly at the Puppeteer Miss before him, his voice so sweet it seemed capable of drowning someone in affection.
“It would be my honor—”
0 Comments