Nightfall.
The Jiang family villa was silent, with only a few bedroom lights still on.
Guan Xu Xu lay on her pink princess bed, gazing at the starry ceiling that glowed faintly in the dark—dreamlike yet warm.
This was to prevent a child from waking up in the middle of the night and being frightened by the surrounding darkness.
From the decoration of the room alone, one could tell how much the Jiang parents had looked forward to her birth.
This was the kind of familial love Guan Xu Xu had never felt before.
Because in the Guan family, no one had ever looked forward to her arrival.
If they did, it was probably just the expectation of her death.
After all, her death could ensure that Guan Ruirui would have a life of good fortune.
Guan Xu Xu closed her eyes, no longer thinking about the Guan family or their affairs. Instead, she started pondering another question:
Since she arrived at the Jiang family, no one had mentioned her biological mother.
Was she dead?
Or was there something else going on?
As she thought, a familiar sound suddenly pierced her thoughts, sharp and distinct. Guan Xu Xu quickly opened her eyes.
She seemed to realize something, her expression changing. She suddenly sprang up, grabbed a coat, and hurried toward the window.
That was where the sound had come from.
She opened the window, and after a brief glance at the dark sky, a yellow talisman materialized in her hand. With a swift motion, she tossed it into the air and quickly chanted:
"Clear, clear heaven and earth, with the world in harmony. I bear the imperial order—let the breeze blow!"
As soon as she finished, she stretched out a hand and leaped from the third-floor window without hesitation.
In the next second, a gust of wind wrapped around the yellow talisman and flew back toward her, gently catching her falling body and cushioning her descent, landing her safely on the ground.
On the second floor, Jiang Su, who was engrossed in a game and desperately battling with his friends, noticed a shadow falling from above in the corner of his eye. He turned instinctively, but his distraction caused a message on his screen: "You have been killed."
"Oh no!" he yelped as he sprang from his chair. Remembering who lived upstairs, he stormed toward the window, eager to see what that uncouth cousin of his had thrown down.
He was planning to grab whatever it was and throw it back in her face.
However, as he peeked out, he saw a figure quickly darting across the garden below. Just as he was about to get a better look, the figure vanished into thin air.
Jiang Su stared wide-eyed at the spot where the figure had disappeared.
"What the hell?"
Although addicted to his game, Jiang Su had sharp eyesight.
That silhouette… It looked a lot like Guan Xu Xu, the so-called "mystic."
When had she come downstairs?
...
At the front gate, Guan Xu Xu quickly ran in a certain direction after leaving the villa.
From afar, she spotted a large three-story mansion, its lights blazing, and as she got closer, she could faintly hear some chaotic noises coming from inside.
"Ahhh!"
Another familiar cry echoed through the night. Guan Xu Xu quickened her pace and reached the front gate of the mansion. Through the iron gate of the garden, she saw several bodyguards chasing a small creature, running in all directions.
One of the guards pulled out a retractable baton and appeared ready to strike the small creature. Guan Xu Xu's face changed, and she shouted through the gate:
"Don't harm it! It's my fox!"
As she spoke, she instinctively reached for a talisman. But before she could act, a muffled voice came through a walkie-talkie from one of the guards. The guard made a hand signal, and the one about to strike immediately retracted his baton.
In the next moment, the iron gate in front of her opened on its own. She walked briskly inside, and the small creature, which had been surrounded by bodyguards, immediately dashed toward her.
The little creature, hidden in the shadows, now emerged into full view.
A snow-white fox, with a round, chubby body and a large, fluffy tail. It even had a pet backpack strapped to its back, and it was clearly carrying something inside. With each movement, the backpack swayed.
The little fox bounded up to Guan Xu Xu, climbed onto her leg, and started trying to scramble up her body, letting out little whimpering sounds. It was a far cry from its earlier aggressive growl at the bodyguards.
Guan Xu Xu helplessly supported the little fox's backside to hold it up, her mind wondering how it had managed to find this place. With its keen sense of smell, it shouldn't have been mistaken.
While thinking, a flash of golden light caught her peripheral vision.
Instinctively, she looked up and saw a familiar golden glow at the entrance of the villa.
As her gaze focused, she realized it was a person.
A familiar one.
Chu Beihe—the golden light overlord, the great demon king.
So this was Chu Beihe's house?
The golden glow surrounding him was even more dazzling against the night sky. Guan Xu Xu took a moment to adjust her vision before finally walking toward him, holding the little fox. She felt a bit embarrassed.
"Master Chu, I'm sorry. This is the fox I raised. It came looking for me, but it seems it found the wrong place."
Chu Beihe, radiating golden light, stood there, his expression unreadable. Guan Xu Xu was dressed in a thin nightgown, clearly rushed out with only a coat thrown over her shoulders. She was holding the small fox, its body slightly wrinkled and with faint claw marks visible.
His brows furrowed slightly, but he said nothing.
"It doesn't seem like it's in the wrong place."
Chu Beihe's voice was deep and hoarse, with a tinge of coolness, and his pale, almost imperceptible gaze flicked toward the little fox in her arms.
Guan Xu Xu followed his gaze and looked down to see the fox, which had been whining in her arms, now stretching its neck, trying to move closer to Chu Beihe.
Its eyes were fixed on him, black and gleaming.
Guan Xu Xu had no doubt that if she hadn't been holding it, the little fox would already be trying to nuzzle up to him.
In that instant, she realized why the fox had "come to the wrong place."
It was clearly attracted by the golden light!
"Hu Piaopiao!"
With a hint of warning in her tone, Guan Xu Xu tightened her grip on the little fox.
"I haven't even gotten to enjoy the golden light, and you already want to go after it. No way!"
Finally understanding, the little fox reluctantly stopped trying to get closer to Chu Beihe. Though it no longer struggled, its beautiful fox eyes still looked longingly at him.
Guan Xu Xu, seeing how pitiful the fox looked, couldn't help but take a step forward. "It really just likes handsome people…"
But as soon as she took a step, Chu Beihe, standing at the entrance, subtly took half a step back.
Guan Xu Xu froze mid-step, her mouth twitching.
Was… was she being rejected?
She looked down at the little fox in her arms, which had gotten dirty from running around tonight.
Guan Xu Xu was sure of one thing.
The great master was definitely rejecting the fox.
And that was for sure.