Forget it, never mind

To be honest, the first two special passive abilities didn’t seem particularly remarkable.

Spirit Fox Phantom Step: The body’s coordination and flexibility are greatly enhanced, and during combat movement, there’s a chance to generate misleading afterimages.

Foxfire Soul Theft: Adds a slight soul-burning attribute to weapons.

But the subtle changes brought by the "Living Under Another’s Roof" passive effect were somewhat terrifying…

The sense of shame… seemed to have genuinely weakened.

Though Liu Yuan had already imagined what she was about to do—her cheeks still burned, her heart still raced—the overwhelming urge to immediately bury herself in the ground had faded considerably.

Instead, it was replaced by a complex mix of emotions… tension, shyness, and a hidden sense of anticipation.

If she had to describe it, it was like… playing hard to get?

So, were there any other changes?

Maybe she should go to her room and take a look in the mirror.

No time like the present.

After just a few steps, Liu Yuan noticed something different.

Her footsteps were soundless against the floor, and the control over her footwork, along with the fluidity of her center of gravity, felt unbelievably smooth.

Soon, she reached the full-length mirror by the wardrobe.

The mirror clearly reflected the room’s interior… and the girl standing before it.

Liu Yuan’s breath hitched for an imperceptible moment.

The person in the mirror… was her, yet not quite her.

Her figure hadn’t undergone any substantial changes, but her aura was entirely different.

Amidst her usual purity and youthful innocence, there was now a faint, elusive hint of… fox-like charm?

Especially her eyes—glistening, veiled by a thin haze.

The corners of her eyes seemed slightly more upturned than usual, carrying a natural, naive allure.

And when she glanced away, there was an unintentional, pitiable vulnerability to her gaze.

The hem of her fluffy skirt bore several intersecting scratches, disrupting the fabric’s original neatness, as if slashed by something sharp.

Her top also had a few subtle tears, revealing glimpses of the dark lining beneath.

As for more… well, it wasn’t exactly appropriate to describe further.

In any case, it was definitely a "home outfit."

Oh, and she’d almost forgotten—there was also the matter of what was on her head…

Liu Yuan reached up and touched it.

Sure enough, a pair of fluffy fox ears had manifested, swaying slightly with her subtle movements.

The tip of one ear even had a tiny, barely noticeable scorch mark, like a missing piece.

But none of that was the main issue…

The real question was… why…

Her own ears were gone?

Instead, the ones on her head could pick up sounds normally—she could even make them twitch deliberately.

You were supposed to cosplay, not become the real thing!

Whatever… no use overthinking it.

She was already dressed like this anyway.

…

[Pleasure +9999]

Su Qi, who was in the middle of a conversation with Guardian Jiang, suddenly stiffened.

He swallowed the rest of his sentence mid-speech.

His eyes darted around, scanning the surroundings again.

Nothing seemed out of place.

He walked to the window, pushed it open, and stuck his head out.

Still, nothing unusual.

Weird…

Guardian Jiang watched Su Qi’s odd behavior. "Stop being paranoid. No one’s eavesdropping."

"Did you think I picked this place randomly?"

"This area is often used as a temporary tactical discussion point—all electronic signals are blocked here."

So that was why the old man at the entrance had used a walkie-talkie to communicate earlier.

Su Qi seemed distracted. "It’s because no one’s eavesdropping that I’m worried…"

If someone had been listening, not only would he have earned points, but he could’ve also caught a mole.

Two birds with one stone.

But with no one eavesdropping…

How could he explain the sudden surge in points?

Was it Yun Huang?

Or had his foolish little sister concocted something bizarre again?

Recalling that vague sense of unease earlier…

Guardian Jiang frowned slightly as he observed Su Qi’s absentmindedness.

The kid was usually a bit eccentric, but when it came to serious matters—especially tactical discussions about the martial exam—he had never been this distracted before.

Su Qi’s thoughts involuntarily drifted toward certain inappropriate possibilities before he violently shook his head, dispelling those wild speculations.

No, no way… she wouldn’t dare go that far… right?

"Su Qi?" Guardian Jiang’s voice snapped him back to reality. "What are your thoughts on the contingency plan I just mentioned?"

"Huh? Oh…" Su Qi steadied himself.

"Well, we could consider staged ambushes, using terrain advantages…"

His words came out stiff and disjointed, a far cry from his usual sharp clarity.

Guardian Jiang studied him and finally concluded that the kid was genuinely preoccupied—and with something serious.

"Do you have urgent business to attend to?" he asked directly.

Su Qi paused. "Maybe a little…"

Guardian Jiang didn’t press further.

Young people had their private affairs, after all.

And judging by Su Qi’s reaction, it probably wasn’t trivial.

"Fine," Guardian Jiang waved a hand. "I’ll handle the preparations here. We’ll discuss the rest of the plan another time."

"Thanks, Old Jiang!"

Su Qi tossed out the words and immediately strode out, his pace so fast it was nearly a run.

However, once he left the old factory, the previously blocked signals were restored.

Just as Su Qi was about to hail a cab home…

[New Unread Message]

He tapped it open without thinking.

[Liu Yuan: Big bro, can you wait until evening to come home? Around 6:30 would be perfect.]

[Liu Yuan: Kitty pleads.jpg]

Mystery solved?

So it was his foolish little sister messing around with something weird again?

Well then… should he go back now or not?

Considering last night’s… reward—no, punishment? Well, not exactly.

Considering how the midnight dumplings she made had been creamy and fragrant… fine, he’d wait until evening.

…

Time crawled by agonizingly slowly for both of them.

Finally, 6:30 PM arrived.

A faint sound of a key turning in the lock came from the door.

He’s here!

Liu Yuan’s heart leaped into her throat.

Instinctively, she adjusted her "young fox" outfit.

Deep breath. Another deep breath.

Her mind raced through rehearsed lines.

Click. Click.

The sound of the key twisting multiple times echoed.

But the door was already locked from the inside—Su Qi wouldn’t be able to open it himself.

Liu Yuan padded to the entryway, unlocked the door, and slowly pulled it open.

Su Qi stood frozen in the doorway.

The moment his eyes landed on the scene inside, his entire body locked up.

His hand, still holding the key, hovered midair.

Time seemed to stand still.

Liu Yuan could clearly see the flash of shock on his face, followed by utter bewilderment.

"Welcome home, Master~ Nya~"

Wait, hold on—wasn’t she supposed to be a fox right now?

Ah, whatever.