Chapter 44: The Fox’s Dilemma and the Hunter’s Game

The moment the dismissal bell rang, Shen Zhixia, uncharacteristically, didn’t invite Xiao Moyuan to walk with her as usual.

Instead, she almost immediately snatched up her books, bowed her head, and hurried out of the classroom, her figure swiftly vanishing through the doorway.

Su Mian watched her almost fleeing back, a strange feeling stirring within him, yet he also felt a sense of relief.

‘At least she wasn’t clinging to Xiao Moyuan.’

As he finished gathering his belongings and prepared to leave, a warm, powerful hand suddenly seized his wrist.

“Damn it!” Su Mian jumped in surprise, turning to meet Xiao Moyuan’s deep-set eyes.

The other’s fingers appeared to rest casually on his pulse.

In reality, an extremely faint, almost imperceptible spiritual energy was subtly probing, sensing the weak resonance of the spiritual energy from last night’s investigation still lingering within him.

This final confirmation caused the last trace of doubt in Xiao Moyuan’s heart to vanish like smoke.

The Su Mian before him was indeed “Sweetheart Marshmallow.”

“What are you doing!” Su Mian’s cheeks instantly flushed crimson, as if scorched.

He yanked his hand back with a sudden force, his heart pounding uncontrollably from the unexpected touch.

He instinctively recoiled half a step, putting distance between himself and Xiao Moyuan.

Xiao Moyuan’s expression remained unchanged. He withdrew his hand, his tone as flat as if stating a simple fact: “Nothing much. Your hand almost brushed mine just now.”

He cast a deep, complex gaze at Su Mian, one filled with an all-knowing amusement and a hint of imperceptible possessiveness.

Then, without another word, he turned and left the classroom.

‘Now was not the time to expose this cunning and audacious little fox.’

‘Moreover, he had to admit, teasing this little fellow who repeatedly danced on the edge of his patience, striving to maintain their disguise, was providing him with an unprecedented sense of amusement.’

‘Su Mian had indeed succeeded in piquing his intense interest.’

Su Mian watched Xiao Moyuan’s departing, tall figure, feeling utterly bewildered.

‘They had clearly been a considerable distance apart; how could his hand have possibly touched him?’

‘That guy, his excuses were so half-hearted!’

“Lunatic…” he muttered softly, shaking his wrist, which still seemed to retain the other’s warmth. He decided not to dwell on it further.

His immediate priority was to return to his dorm. The women’s clothing, wigs, and makeup in his suitcase were still unpacked, and it would be disastrous if his roommates saw them.

****

Xiao Moyuan returned to his private apartment off-campus. The moment he closed the door, his phone rang promptly.

From the receiver, a subordinate’s respectful voice reported: “Young Master, the information you requested regarding the Tushan Clan—only these general records could be found for now. They’ve been compiled and sent to your email.”

“Understood.” Xiao Moyuan hung up, walked to his desk, opened his laptop, and clicked on the encrypted file.

A few concise yet highly informative lines of text appeared clearly on the screen:

[Tushan Fox Clan]

Overview: Descendants of ancient nine-tailed demon foxes, naturally skilled in illusion and allure, particularly adept at manipulating hearts.

The strength of their demonic power is directly related to the number of tails; with each additional tail, their power grows geometrically.

Current Clan Leader: Tushan Yu’er, a seven-tailed demon fox. Power Rating: Special Grade. Her whereabouts are unpredictable.

Special Trait: Before reaching adulthood and awakening their powers, clan members have one opportunity to autonomously choose their gender.

For mixed-blood descendants, this choice is unstable, and their final differentiated gender will depend on the gender preference of the first person they truly ‘fall for’.

Xiao Moyuan’s gaze was fixed on the last line, describing “mixed-blood descendants.” His fingertips tapped rhythmically on the desktop.

‘So that’s how it is.’

‘It seems Su Mian’s fox clan bloodline hasn’t fully awakened yet, or rather, he is currently in that crucial differentiation window.’

‘Combining this with the previously investigated fact of Su Mian’s long-standing unrequited love for Shen Zhixia, the situation’s outline gradually became clear.’

‘This little fox had probably intended to naturally differentiate into a male, relying on his childhood friend Shen Zhixia.’

‘However, after Shen Zhixia entered university, her attention shifted to him, Xiao Moyuan.’

‘So, this desperate little fox resorted to a risky move, coming up with such a foolish scheme as “cross-dressing” to approach his love rival?’

‘Was he trying to make him lose interest in Shen Zhixia, thereby winning back his childhood friend?’

‘Judging by Su Mian’s previous behavior, he seemed completely unaware of his half-demon identity and the sealed power within him.’

‘Then, perhaps his motive for playing “Sweetheart Marshmallow” was truly just this childish and stubborn form of teenage revenge and rivalry?’

As he considered this, a faint yet genuine smile curved on Xiao Moyuan’s lips, carrying a hint of understanding, a touch of mockery.

There was even a sliver of… anticipation he hadn’t yet realized.

‘His audacity was considerable.’

‘Did he truly believe Xiao Moyuan’s affections were so easily manipulated or trifled with?’

‘Since he dared to provoke, he must be prepared to bear all the consequences.’

‘In that case, he might as well play along with the scheme.’

‘Doesn’t he like to pretend to be a girl?’

‘Doesn’t he need to ‘fall for someone’ to differentiate his gender?’

‘Then he would “help” him, ensuring he thoroughly, irrevocably, became a true “girl.”

‘Coincidentally, he truly lacked such an… interesting presence by his side.’

Xiao Moyuan leaned back in his chair, a sharp, predatory glint flashing in his eyes.

‘This trip to N University was becoming increasingly interesting.’

***

Su Mian hurried back to the dorm building, mentally strategizing how to avoid his roommates and quickly hide the “secrets” in his suitcase.

As he reached the door of dorm 304, he found it ajar, with voices drifting from within.

His heart tightened.

Pushing the door open, he saw the dorm supervisor standing inside, beside a stranger’s back and a seemingly brand-new suitcase.

“Su Mian, you’re back just in time!” The dorm supervisor saw him and immediately greeted him with a smile.

“This is Xia, a new transfer student to your department. The student originally assigned to this spot applied for off-campus housing, so this bunk is now free. You’ll be roommates from now on.”

As she spoke, she turned to the new student, her tone kind:

“Xia, this is Su Mian, from the History Department. When Lu Yang and Qin Xuan return, you can all get acquainted. See who has time to show Xia around the campus and help him get familiar with the environment.”

The student, called Xia, turned around and offered the dorm supervisor a gentle, polite smile: “Thank you, jiejie, for your trouble.”

“Oh, just call me Auntie, I’m well into my forties,” the supervisor chided playfully, her heart swelling with delight at being called “jiejie.”

She patted him lightly, then gave Su Mian a few more instructions before leaving with a smile.

Only then did Su Mian have a chance to properly observe his new roommate.

He was tall and slender, with deep, defined features.

His skin possessed an almost translucent paleness, utterly devoid of color.

Most striking were his eyes, whose irises were an exceptionally pale, glass-like blue.

This coloration lent him an exotic charm and an… indescribable, sickly fragility.

“Hello, I’m Su Mian, from the History Department.” Su Mian suppressed the unease bubbling up from the potential exposure of his private secret and politely introduced himself.

Xia offered a slight, impeccable smile, but deep within his pale blue pupils, a trace of almost imperceptible greed flickered rapidly.

His nostrils flared almost imperceptibly.

The scent emanating from the young man before him was even purer, more enticing, than when he had first encountered him on the high-speed train.

‘This was simply incredible.’

“Hello, Su Mian. I’m Xia,” he said, suppressing the surging desire within him, his voice gentle. “I’m half Chinese, half English, and only recently returned to live in the country. As a newcomer, I hope you’ll look after me.”

As he spoke, he elegantly retrieved several beautifully packaged dessert boxes from a bag behind him and offered them. “Just a small token of my appreciation. I hope you’ll like them.”

“Thank you, you’re too kind.” Su Mian accepted the gifts, feeling a slight easing of his tension.

‘It seemed this new roommate was quite nice and shouldn’t be too difficult to get along with.’

Soon after, Lu Yang and Qin Xuan also returned to the dorm.

Su Mian briefly explained the situation. Qin Xuan merely pushed up his glasses, offered a faint “Qin Xuan, welcome,” and then returned to his seat to read, as taciturn as ever.

Lu Yang, on the other hand, showed immense enthusiasm for the new roommate, barraging Xia with questions: “Xia! Is your dad foreign or your mom?”

“Why did you transfer to N University at this time?”

“Our cafeteria’s main dishes are rice, steamed buns, and noodles. Can you get used to them?”

A flicker of imperceptible impatience crossed Xia’s eyes, but he maintained a perfect smile on his face, answering Lu Yang’s barrage of questions one by one.

Qin Xuan, standing nearby, raised his eyelids.

His gaze, magnified by his glasses, lingered for a moment on Xia’s excessively pale skin and heterochromatic pupils, then he lowered his eyes again, lost in thought.

Lu Yang thumped his chest and declared enthusiastically: “Buddy, I’ve got time right now. Come on, I’ll take you around campus to get familiar with the environment!”

Su Mian quickly agreed: “Then we’ll trouble you, Boss Lu.”

He secretly rejoiced, knowing this was the perfect opportunity to calmly unpack his things in the dorm and, perhaps… take a shower to wash away any lingering hotel scent.

Xia’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly. He would have preferred to stay and observe Su Mian up close, or even have Su Mian show him around, but there seemed to be no suitable reason to refuse at the moment.

He could only nod and smile faintly: “Then I’ll trouble you.”

After the two left, only Su Mian and the quietly reading Qin Xuan remained in the dorm.

Su Mian breathed a sigh of relief and was about to retrieve his suitcase. Yet, for some reason, his new roommate Xia’s pale blue, subtly inhuman eyes flashed back into his mind.

Meanwhile, walking along the campus’s tree-lined paths, Xia felt the vibrant energy of N University, and a cold arc curved on his lips.

‘The prey was right beside him. This hunting game could finally begin in earnest.’

He was precisely the mysterious blood kin who had targeted Su Mian on the high-speed train earlier. Only now, he had adopted a more harmless, more refined facade to infiltrate Su Mian’s life.