CHAPTER 105: CHAPTER 105: THE LITTLE FOX IS SO SMALL

Ruan Li mobilized the Life Force within her to heal the critically ill little fox.

A pink ball of light entered his body at that moment.

Before Ruan Li’s eyes appeared snow-white, icy walls.

She looked around, and all she saw were snow-white walls and a transparent glass pane.

The room was simply furnished with a few unknown instruments, with an oval-shaped egg in the center. The upper half of the egg was transparent, making it easy to see the red little fox inside.

His fur was bright and soft; even without touching it, one could imagine its excellent texture from the plush fur.

This was a young red fox.

He seemed to be napping, with closed eyes, curled limbs, and a fluffy tail wrapping most of his body.

The eyelashes trembled slightly; two soft sounds revealed his unease.

It seemed like he was having a nightmare.

Ruan Li touched it through the eggshell, thinking, "Is this Xu Mo’s childhood?"

Quite cute indeed.

But soon, the little fox began to shake violently, letting out a piercing cry of pain.

His soft fur stood on end, looking like a taut string.

He started growing rapidly at a visible rate, from half an arm’s length to a full arm, until he expanded beyond the eggshell.

With a crack, the eggshell shattered, and he continued growing. His cries of pain persisted but gradually weakened, as if he was already enduring the constant tearing pain of bodily growth.

He whimpered, the broken howls emerging from his maturing vocal cords. Though an adult fox, he used his broad tail to cover most of his body like a cub, trying to find some insignificant sense of security.

Ruan Li watched the fox in front of her, now almost taller than herself, and reached out to place a hand on his tense back, gently stroking, "Xu Mo, don’t fear, don’t fear."

The ears hidden under the tail shook and perked up. Such a gentle voice he had never heard before, the soft, warm touch seemed like a tender, warm current flowing over his pain-riddled skin, washing away the burning pain and leaving behind a clear comfort.

He looked up, gazing at Ruan Li.

His parched throat moved as he released a hoarse growl. His mouth was filled with the taste of blood, and when his red eyes opened, they were clear and pure, like snow melting at the dawn of winter.

Ruan Li touched his furry ears, softly asking, "Does it hurt a lot?"

The fox whimpered, as if complaining pitifully.

At some point, his tail unclenched and quietly coiled around her ankle.

Ruan Li gently soothed him for a while, and the fox lovingly nuzzled her feet.

When she slowly opened her eyes, the wounds on the little fox in front of her had healed.

However, the dried blood on his fur had congealed into clumps.

Ruan Li carried Xu Mo into the bathroom, where the steaming water quickly filled the room with mist.

Ruan Li tested the water temperature, and feeling it was suitable, she coaxed the little fox in her arms, "Xu Mo, be good, I’ll give you a bath."

The little fox buried his head in her chest, letting out a few reluctant whimpers about entering the tub.

Ruan Li gently coaxed him again for a while before reluctantly placing him steadily into the hot water.

She soaked a towel and wiped over him, squeezing some body wash into her palms and lathering it over the little fox.

The soft pads of her fingers wove through the fine fur.

When touching the soft belly, Ruan Li couldn’t resist squeezing it twice more.

The little fox instantly lifted his head, looking at her with those wet, exceedingly pure eyes.

Ruan Li coughed twice, inexplicably feeling her face heat up.

Obviously, it’s just a clueless little fox; what was she afraid of?

Ruan Li washed away the bloodstains from his body, picked him up and wrapped him in a dry towel for another rub.

The little fox crouched, with his forepaws crossed, using his soggy tail to shield the groin.

"So young and already shy," Ruan Li murmured softly.

The little fox yelped in an embarrassed anger.

With a whoosh, he jumped out of her arms, hiding in the corner.

Ruan Li had just finished bathing him; when the fur isn’t dried yet, it’s the easiest to get dirty again.

"Xu Mo, come out quickly, let me finish wiping you before you run off."

Ruan Li squatted down, looking into the dark corner; she was still calling Xu Mo’s name, but upon seeing the naked boy, she suddenly fell silent.

"... Xu Mo?"

The boy before her was extremely handsome, a pair of red eyes moistly and timidly looking at Ruan Li, the faint red tear mole at the corner of his eyes adding a touch of allure.

His snow-white skin was covered with scars of various sizes, resembling a pearl worn by long years of trials, making the first glance fill one’s heart with ache.

Ruan Li’s throat suddenly felt dry; she couldn’t avert her gaze.

The boy before her looked so innocent, curling tightly around himself, holding his whole body, looking at Ruan Li with a hint of curiosity in his eyes.

"How do you know my name?" the boy’s youthful voice sounded.

"Xu Mo, why do you look so... young?" Ruan Li felt her throat unbearably dry.

The boy blushed and glared at Ruan Li, his youthful voice indignantly retorting, "I’m not young!"

Ruan Li hastily averted her gaze, "Why don’t you come out first, and I’ll find you some clothes."

The boy hesitated for a moment, but eventually accepted her suggestion.

"You, you go out first," he said feebly to the pretty female, his heart filled with insecurity yet still disguising himself with full vigilance.

Ruan Li placed the clothes on the rack, "Then put on the clothes yourself; I’ll wait outside for you."

She stood at the door with her back turned.

With a click, the bathroom door opened; the boy’s handsome face showing a faint blush, "I’m done; who, who are you?"

Ruan Li turned around, puzzled, and asked, "You don’t remember me?"

A clear confusion rose in the boy’s eyes as he racked his brain to piece together his sparse memories, shaking his head, "I feel like I’ve seen you, but only once..."

"What do you remember?" Ruan Li asked somewhat eagerly.

The boy hesitated before speaking, "I remember when I was first born, you held me, your hand touching my back, it felt... very warm."

Ruan Li was a bit stunned but quickly thought back to when she had just treated Xu Mo; could he be remembering that scene?

"You were just born?" She looked closely at the boy’s slender figure, which indeed appeared smaller and younger than Xu Mo.

He nodded, continuing to recall, "You also called me Xu Mo, was that the name you gave me?"

Ruan Li shook her head, "No, you told me yourself."

The air went silent for a moment, the boy twisted the hem of his garment. "You look unhappy; did I do something wrong?"

Ruan Li still hadn’t figured out why Xu Mo had become this way, "No, it’s not your fault."

Soon, Lan Ruo provided an explanation, "Maybe it was the injury that caused the memory loss? If you’re not assured, I can have the instruments do a comprehensive check on him."

The outcome of the check showed no issues at all.

The boy stood next to Ruan Li, maintaining a distance that was neither too close nor too far, but his nervousness and unease were evident.

Ruan Li sat on the bed, patting it, signaling for him to sit down.