Su Qi took another glance at that plate of suspiciously colored "culinary masterpiece."
Liu Yuan's cheeks instantly burned scarlet.
She would have preferred it if her brother had just bluntly called it disgusting—that would have been easier to swallow.
Though... the reality wasn’t far off.
She had been a flustered mess in the kitchen—adding salt, then panicking and diluting it with water, vaguely channeling the infamous "too much salt? add water; too much water? add salt" cycle.
Then she tried sprinkling in sugar for umami, only to forget to turn down the heat...
"I-I'm sorry, Master..." Liu Yuan's voice was barely louder than a mosquito's hum. "I... I messed up..."
The pair of fluffy fox ears atop her head drooped dejectedly, swaying slightly with her movements.
Su Qi didn’t immediately respond to his sister’s apology.
He set down his chopsticks and pulled out a chair.
Standing had become too taxing; leaning back slightly, he crossed his legs and settled into a more relaxed posture, his gaze fixed on her.
"You spent the whole afternoon on this?"
"Mm!" Liu Yuan jerked her head up, as if grasping at a chance to redeem herself. "I read tons of recipes! And—and I practiced my knife skills for ages! Even though... the results weren’t great..."
Her voice trailed off, her confidence withering by the second.
"Is that so?" Su Qi’s tone remained neutral.
No praise for effort. No consolation for failure.
That very calmness unsettled Liu Yuan even more.
She’d rather he either pointed out her mistakes outright or reassured her that she’d do better next time.
But this... what even was this?
"Brother, I—" Liu Yuan bit her lower lip.
But Su Qi cut her off.
"What ‘brother’?"
"You’re quite the smooth talker for a little fox."
"Weren’t you the one who said you’d do anything if I took you in?"
Liu Yuan: "!!!"
Oh right! They were roleplaying!
So it wasn’t that Su Qi was being unnervingly calm—he’d instantly picked up on her cue and slipped into character!
Her role was that of a homeless, gravely injured fox spirit.
She couldn’t back down over something this trivial!
Her mind raced.
No script, just improv.
"The dinner was a failure... b-but I can still repay you in other ways!"
Her voice regained some of the desperate eagerness of a wounded fox cub trying to prove her worth to her master: "Just give the order!"
The moment those words left her mouth, Liu Yuan felt her shame tolerance plummet—another side effect of the "Fox Wife" persona she’d adopted.
Normally, such a submissive plea would’ve been impossible for her to voice.
But now? It didn’t feel so unthinkable.
She even straightened her posture slightly, meeting Su Qi’s gaze with wide, slightly misty eyes—doing her best to radiate ‘adorable obedience.’
Su Qi studied her.
The fox ears atop her head twitched faintly with her shifting emotions.
That look, paired with her hesitant yet eager-to-please tone...
Su Qi adjusted his seating position again.
This chair must be defective—why did it suddenly feel so warm?
"What can you do, then?" he asked.
"I-I can..."
Liu Yuan blanked.
What could she do?
Play mobile games? Did that count?
Studying?
Not exactly "repayment" material.
Surely her master wouldn’t assign "get into XX University" as a task.
Housework?
She wasn’t... particularly skilled at that either.
Aside from the somewhat salvageable tomato-and-egg stir-fry, the rest...
Her face flushed deeper.
Was she really... that useless?
A wave of dejection hit her.
"I... I can learn!" she blurted, seizing the lifeline. "Whatever Master wants, I’ll learn! I’m a quick study!"
For emphasis, she nodded vigorously, her fox ears bouncing in sync.
Su Qi’s eyes lingered on those ears for a beat.
"Is that so." His voice stayed flat. "Then start by cleaning this up."
He gestured at the table’s spread of "culinary disasters."
"Huh?" Liu Yuan blinked.
That’s... it?
Just clearing the table?
She’d assumed, given the "master and servant" dynamic, the request might’ve been... well... more.
Like a back rub? A massage? Or... other things?
Her brain unhelpfully supplied some decidedly NSFW imagery from her "educational materials."
"Yes, Master!"
Though anticlimactic, she sprang into action, swiftly gathering plates and utensils.
Her "Spirit Fox Steps" granted her unnatural grace—now repurposed for efficiently stacking dishes without a single clatter.
Su Qi remained seated, watching his sister work.
She dumped the "failures" into the trash with meticulous care, her movements tinged with... something like regret?
Probably mourning her wasted afternoon.
He didn’t rush her. Didn’t offer help.
Just observed in silence.
Sigh... Letting her efforts go to waste felt harsh, but Su Qi wasn’t suicidal enough to stomach those dishes for the sake of indulging his foolish little sister.
Eating that would be lethal.
"M-Master, all done!" Liu Yuan wiped her hands and trotted back, tail swishing behind her.
"Mn." Su Qi stood.
He wasn’t exceptionally tall, but she was short enough to need to tilt her head up to read his expression.
Which, as usual, gave nothing away.
"The kitchen?" he prompted.
"The... kitchen?" Liu Yuan faltered. "That needs cleaning too?"
Then she recalled the warzone she’d left behind—spilled condiments, greasy stovetop, the sink piled with practice cookware...
"Right! On it!" She spun toward the kitchen.
"Wait." Su Qi stopped her.
She froze mid-step, turning back.
"That outfit’s impractical, no?"
His gaze swept over her.
Visually striking, yes—but hardly suitable for scrubbing grease.
Liu Yuan looked down at herself.
Oh. Right.
"S-So should I change?" she ventured.
"Mn. Go."
With permission granted, she dashed off to her room.
Only once she’d disappeared did Su Qi head to the kitchen.
Predictable chaos greeted him.
He turned on the faucet and began washing the tower of dishes.
Liu Yuan returned quickly, now wearing one of Su Qi’s oversized white shirts—though the fox ears stayed firmly in place.
(Minimal requirements for maintaining the "Fox Wife" persona, after all.)
Su Qi turned around upon sensing movement behind her.
Su Qi: ???
Is this outfit really more convenient?
Well... in a way, I guess it is kind of convenient...
But...
What on earth did my stupid little sister eat today to grow such a bold attitude?
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
for mindless slaughter, this isn't for you.] My name is Ye Shu, and I'm a transmigrator. It seems I'm supposed to be the protagonist, but that feels pretty unlikely. This world has been invaded by a system. The antagonists on the other side have suddenly become pure, flawless saints. The female leads have been force-fed the so-called "original plot," making them think they've been reborn. Now, everyone thinks I'm scum. Including the old lady in my ring. And here I am, in the Monster Beast Mountain Range, braising pork. To put my situation in perspective— It's as if, the moment Xiao Yan stepped into the Monster Beast Mountain Range, the Soul Emperor already knew he would become the Flame Emperor, and Yao Lao had been turned to the enemy's side. I have nothing right now. Oh wait, that's not true. I do have a white-haired loli child-bride who's the Heavenly Dao, and her only skill is acting cute. So, tell me guys... what are my chances of making it to the end?
pression Bureau] Transported to a fantasy world overrun by demons and monsters, Gu Qingfeng becomes a jailer in the Demon Suppression Prison of the Great Yan Dynasty's Demon Suppression Bureau. From this point on, bizarre cases frequently occur in the Demon Suppression Prison, once known as hell on earth and infamous for its gloomy, terrifying atmosphere! Why do the demons and monsters in the prison wail miserably every night? Why has the corpse demon, capable of transforming into various beauties, donned black stockings and switched careers to become a foot massage therapist? Why has the eye demon, expert in soul-snatching and illusions, turned into a VR headset? Why is the fox spirit performing otaku dances? Are all these occurrences a twisted expression of demonic nature, or a descent into moral depravity? After peeling away layer upon layer of mystery, all clues ultimately point to a jailer named Gu Qingfeng. Gu Qingfeng: "Hehehe... My dear demons and monsters, whose card shall we flip today?"
