He sighed helplessly, bent down, and picked her up from the bed. Lu Xinyi only realized they were in her room at the cabin of the campsite. At the foot of her bed, a snoring sound could be heard. Her eyes widened when she saw Xiao Bai sleeping on the floor.
“What is he doing here?!” Lu Xinyi asked as Shen Yi balanced her and motioned her to wrap her arms around his shoulders.
“He wouldn’t leave you alone. He followed us outside the cave and stuck by your side since then. That tiger cub wouldn’t let anyone approach you except me. He almost frightened Miss Meng to death when he pounced on her.”
Lu Xinyi threw her head back and laughed maniacally. She imagined her b.i.t.c.h ex-BFF trying to bootlick on Shen Yi, only to be chased away by Xiao Bai. Ah, too bad she was sleeping when Meng Jiao visited. It must be a sight to behold!
“Good job, Xiao Bai!” She praised the little tiger. Xiao Bai peeked on her with his one eye and yawned big before curling back to sleep.
Shen Yi brought her to the dining area of the cabin where several dishes had been served. He placed her to sit on a stool and gave her a pair of chopsticks. Lu Xinyi drooled at the dishes served in front of her. It was like a feast only for her.
“Eat, you were severely dehydrated and undernourished when I found you.” Shen Yi placed a plate with a slice of her favorite cheesecake to her right.
Lu Xinyi’s eyes twinkled, her smile almost reaching her ears.
“President Shen, have I told you how much I love you?”
“I suppose you haven’t. You can always show your grat.i.tude to me later.” He winked on her.
Lu Xinyi started to eat while her husband sat across her, peeling some fruits she could eat later.
“How long have I been sleeping?” she asked.
“Starting from the time I found you, this is the second day. If you didn’t wake up earlier, I would have asked for a chopper to fly us back to the capital.”
She woke up late in the afternoon, the sun was about to set.
“It’s been that long?” Lu Xinyi was stunned. No wonder she was dead hungry the moment she woke up.
Shen Yi nodded. “Don’t worry about your cla.s.ses. Silver Leaf has given your cla.s.s a week break. All of you have to take a remedial activity after that to compensate for the loss of time before your midterm exams.”
“Urgh, what will I do in those days?” Lu Xinyi felt a week was too long. She wasn’t severely injured, and she only needed a couple of days to sleep in and recuperate.
“Silly girl! Of course, you’ll go home with me!” Shen Yi scowled. “Don’t tell me you plan to stay at Lunar Residence than with me?”
Lu Xinyi groaned in response, but she guessed staying at his place for a few days would be beneficial for her. She also missed her Akita dogs. It had been weeks since she last saw Milktea and Mallows.
“What are you planning to do with that little tiger?” Shen Yi raised a brow, giving her a knowing look. He could already guess what she was thinking.
Lu Xinyi avoided his eyes and looked around, taking a bite from her chicken.
“Where’s Yu Gege? Did he come here with you?” She answered him with another question, clearly trying to avoid the issue.
“He came with us, yes. He also joined our rescue team back in the cave. Though the one he was rescued was General Li and not you.”
Her head snapped back to face him. “Is General Li alright? Please tell me he’s okay. He put his safety on one side just to save me from getting drowned.”
“He is fine,” Shen Yi answered with a sour mood. Why was she getting sentimental over that man? Li Yuren saving Lu Xinyi was a good thing, but that didn’t mean he would allow unnecessary interactions between them.
He patiently watched her wolf down the dishes on the table and occasionally asked if she needed more.
After taking her fill, Lu Xinyi brushed her teeth and went back to her room only to find Xiao Bai waiting for her. She knelt on the floor and reached a hand slowly to touch his head. Xiao Bai stepped closer and took a sniff on her palm.
“h.e.l.lo! Thank you for taking care of me. Why did you follow us though?” She rubbed the side of his neck, and he answered with a purr. “Are you lonely? But following us will give you troubles.”
Shen Yi leaned on the door frame and watched his wife talked to the wild tiger.
“Can we keep him please?” Lu Xinyi gave him puppy eyes, hoping he would agree to her request.
It was Shen Yi’s time to glare on his wife. “You’re joking, right?”
Lu Xinyi shook her head and blinked innocently. Shen Yi cursed under his breath.
“Xinxin, we’ll get you a new pet…not this one,” he pleaded.
“No! I like Xiao Bai! Isn’t he cute? Just treat him like a cat, and we’ll be good,” she insisted.
“But he isn’t a f.u.c.king cat, Xinxin! He may belong to the family of cats but aren’t you forgetting he’s a wild animal?”
“But… can I keep him?”
Shen Yi was at loss.
“Divorce!” He pulled out the same divorce card she used earlier.
The moment he said it, he instantly regretted mentioning it as her eyes flashed menacingly.
“Oh, really?” She asked filled with sarcasm.
“Just kidding,” Shen Yi wiped the cold sweat from his brows. Her face was suddenly filled with hostility. She really liked that tiger that much? Did she really think she could threaten him?
“Let me hear what’s on your mind?” In the end, he was really afraid of her and receiving the s.h.i.+tty end of the stick!
Lu Xinyi grinned, knowing she won this round.
“Well, I was thinking if we could keep him back at the capital.” Her hand continued to pet Xiao Bai’s head. “But if he wouldn’t get along with Milktea and Mallows, Xiao Bai can stay at my mother’s villa.”
“Your mother’s villa? But there’s no one residing on it. Should I send a housekeeper to look after him?”
Her eyes narrowed on her suggestion. “Why are you so sure that Xiao Bai wouldn’t like to stay at your place?”
“Hey, it’s not like I don’t want him. I just thought you need some help to keep your mother’s villa clean.” Shen Yi defended.
Xiao Bai, who was listening to their conversation, licked Lu Xinyi’s chin much to Shen Yi’s chagrin.
“Hey, you aren’t allowed to lick my wifey!” He pointed a finger to Xiao Bai, but the tiger cub ignored him and continued to rub his head on her mistress’s hand.
Lu Xinyi giggled and released Xiao Bai. She went back to her bed and slid between the sheets. She tapped the vacant s.p.a.ce beside her and called her husband.
“Come on. Don’t tell me you are jealous of my newest pet?” she teased.
Shen Yi laid beside her and supported his head with a propped arm. The bed couldn’t accommodate his height hence his feet hung loosely at the end.
“It’s not funny, Xinxin! It’s already hard to keep your attention longer now I have to compete with a tiger?” He grumbled. He felt his wife pinched his cheeks and laughed at his predicament.
“Aww, my poor baby,” she cooed, “About my mother’s villa, don’t bother with it. I already found a family who could take care of it,”
“You mean the Su family? Madam Su was the one who cooked the dishes you ate earlier. She was really worried when she heard you were hurt.”
Lu Xinyi was relieved to hear that the Su family was able to find help and was safe. She hoped that Su Mei was feeling better now. The two kept their silence, enjoying each other’s company. Shen Yi’s hand was busy running and playing with her hair while Lu Xinyi remembered her dream.
“What are you thinking about?” Shen Yi asked when he noticed that she was somewhat lost on her thought.
“Just remembering the dream I had.”
“What about it?”
Lu Xinyi relayed to him the same dream she kept having since she was young. It was about a woman who constantly waits for someone. Then she told him what she dreamt after pa.s.sing out in the cave. She was curious about what happened next after the fox woman and the tiger died.
“It must be sad and tiring. Waiting for someone to be born, finding him in a crowd of people, watching your beloved die of old age while you keep your youthful appearance,” she commented. In her dreams, the woman was always alone, watching the sky turn day and night.
“Maybe she didn’t mind waiting, for she knew her patience will pay off in the end,” Shen Yi replied. He wasn’t sure if her wife had been watching too many dramas lately that it started to invade her dreams.
“Sleep. Tomorrow morning, we’re going back to the capital.”
Lu Xinyi hummed in agreement and buried her face in his chest. His scent and the sound of his heartbeat lulled her back to sleep. She sighed softly and savored this rare peaceful moment with him. She knew that once they reached the capital, she’ll need to face the world again.
—
Author’s note.
Some clarifications:
[1] Shen Yi and Lu Xinyi are the present incarnations of the General and the Nine-Tailed Fox. While they share the same souls, they didn’t retain the memories of their past lives.
[2] The line ‘Autumn was the favorite season of the couple, for they first met in late summer and married in the first weeks of the season’ is applicable to both lifetime. Shen Yi and Lu Xinyi met when summer was about to end and got married during the autumn season.
[3] Xinxin’s past incarnation died thrice. On her third death, she wished to become a human to be with her husband on their next lifetimes. The two never conceived a child of their own.
[4] Xiao Bai is the present incarnation of the same tiger the fox spirit owned. He retained his past memories.