Chapter 47: I can’t bear to abandon her

That’s right—they were both women.

Whatever Liu Qiu had, she had as well.

She had even seen other women while bathing in the military camp.

But had there ever been one this white, this pink, this tender?

So clean.

The longer Liu Huang stared, the drier her throat became, and the slower her fingers moved as she applied the ointment.

Liu Qiu felt a ticklish sensation and called softly, “Liu Huang…”

Hearing her hoarse voice, Liu Huang snapped back to her senses and realized her fingers had nearly brushed that narrow seam.

Her heart jolted, and she abruptly withdrew her hand.

With a harsh tone she said, “Turn over. I need to apply medicine to your backside.”

Liu Qiu wore only her loosely open inner garment.

Propping herself up on the bed, her cheeks flushed red, her eyes moist, even her lips burned crimson from fever.

“Liu Huang, move back a little. You’re blocking me. How am I supposed to turn over?”

Liu Huang frowned, her gaze falling to Liu Qiu’s chest.

Liu Qiu was undeniably thin—her ribs faintly visible beneath her skin.

Yet it wasn’t unattractive.

It carried a fragile, breakable beauty.

Her chest rose and fell sharply with each breath, the soft flesh trembling lightly.

Perhaps she could grasp it entirely in one hand.

Liu Huang’s expression suddenly darkened.

She lifted Liu Qiu’s calf, forcing it to bend before placing it to the other side.

“Is it that hard to lift your leg?”

Liu Qiu truly seemed to have no sense of modesty.

After her upper body was wiped, she hadn’t even closed her inner garment, leaving herself exposed and propping herself up openly for Liu Huang to see.

Frowning slightly, Liu Qiu turned over in front of Liu Huang and lay on her stomach.

Her hips lifted high.

Her speech had become muddled.

“L-Like this… will it be easier to apply?”

It felt awful.

Her entire body felt awful.

She had only just arrived in this world and had already fallen ill.

Because of riding the horse, her backside hurt too.

From now until she left this world, she was never riding a horse again.

Her mind wasn’t functioning clearly at all.

She only knew her backside hurt and needed medicine.

Liu Huang stared at the bright red marks, scooped more ointment with her fingertip, and spread it over Liu Qiu’s skin.

The white ointment smeared across the tender, flushed flesh, leaving a glossy sheen.

It was beautiful.

Though she looked thin, there was unexpected softness here.

Round and full, like a steamed white bun.

It made one’s teeth itch with the urge to bite.

For Liu Qiu, the process felt slow.

But the cooling sensation of the ointment spreading over her skin brought relief.

It even eased the burning heat from her fever.

Liu Qiu couldn’t see Liu Huang’s expression behind her.

She didn’t know Liu Huang’s gaze hadn’t left her backside even once.

After an unknown amount of time, Liu Huang’s hoarse voice sounded.

“It’s done. Put your undergarments back on.”

After speaking, she hurried off the bed and rushed outside.

Liu Qiu struggled into her trousers and closed her clothing before lying back down.

Even that small effort left sweat beading on her forehead.

Her eyelids grew heavy, and her breathing deepened.

In her haze, she tasted the bitterness of medicine.

A stream of warmth slid down her throat into her stomach.

Liu Qiu lost consciousness completely.

When she woke again, it was already dark.

A weak flame flickered in the room, swaying with the night wind drifting through the window.

Her body still carried a low fever, but she could manage to get out of bed and take a few steps.

“Ying ying.”

The little fox’s coquettish cry sounded.

Liu Qiu walked to the desk and, by the bright moonlight, saw the fox now clean and tidy.

“Little fox, did you lick yourself clean?” she asked, her voice still dry and raspy.

Su Li stretched out her paw and pawed at the cage lock.

“Ying ying ying—”

The desire to get out was obvious.

So intelligent.

Liu Qiu truly thought the little fox was clever.

Without the bloodstains, it looked clean and uninjured.

After a moment of thought, Liu Qiu picked up the cage and stepped outside.

As soon as she opened the door, she saw Fang Lian approaching with a food container.

“Qiu girl, why are you up already? Quickly go back inside and rest.”

“Mother, I want to release the little fox.”

At those words, the fox immediately yelped.

Fang Lian supported Liu Qiu back inside.

“We’ll have your father take it into the mountains tomorrow and release it. With your frail body, you should rest properly.”

“Come, eat first. You slept so long—you must be hungry.”

She touched Liu Qiu’s forehead to confirm the fever had lessened and muttered, “You shouldn’t have ridden with Third Girl.”

“You’ve suffered again.”

Liu Qiu had little appetite.

She drank some porridge and ate a few vegetable leaves before setting down her chopsticks.

Fang Lian didn’t force her and left again with the container.

Liu Qiu saved a bit of porridge for the fox, but she found herself troubled about how to put it into the cage.

Rice porridge wasn’t like a bun—it couldn’t be shoved through the bars.

The fox began yelping again, pawing at the lock.

Sighing, Liu Qiu opened the cage.

If the fox ran away, so be it.

She hadn’t truly intended to keep it.

After opening the cage, she stepped back.

To her surprise, the fox didn’t flee.

Instead, it stretched leisurely and began eating the porridge from the small bowl.

Soon the bowl was empty.

The fox licked its lips, jumped off the desk, and padded over.

Still making soft ying ying sounds.

Reaching Liu Qiu’s feet, it rubbed its head against her calf.

There was not the slightest hint of aggression.

Liu Qiu was completely charmed.

The fox was so obedient.

[Host, be careful. Don’t be fooled. The moment you reach out, it might leap up and bite you.]

The system warned in her ear.

Liu Qiu withdrew her eager hand.

The system wasn’t wrong.

She climbed back into bed and said softly, “Little fox, if you want to leave, then go.”

Though she knew animals didn’t understand human speech, she still spoke to it.

It was just too adorable.

The fluffy little fox.

The fox let out a small cry and leaped onto the bed in two bounds, lying beside her.

Its fur was snow white, but its eyes were golden, lending it an inexplicable beauty and mystery.

It truly wasn’t afraid of people.

Liu Qiu stared at it curiously.

Fang Lian returned again, this time with a basin of hot water and a small bowl of dark medicine.

“Come, Qiu girl.”

Liu Qiu took the bowl and drank the bitter liquid, her brows knitting despite herself.

It was too bitter.

Fang Lian smiled gently as she wet a cloth.

“Qiu girl, let Mother wipe your face.”

Liu Qiu refused.

She had enough strength to wash her face herself.

Out of the corner of her eye, Fang Lian noticed the fox on the bed and asked worriedly, “It won’t bite, will it?”

At noon, she had seen Third Girl bathe it.

It wasn’t dirty, but she feared it might bite.

“It doesn’t bite,” Liu Qiu replied while wiping her hands carefully.

Hearing this, Fang Lian reached out to pet the fox.

The fox glanced at her but remained still, allowing it.

After a moment, Fang Lian nodded with a smile.

“Good creature. You mustn’t bite Qiu girl, or I’ll beat you to death.”

The fox flicked its tail and turned its head aside, silently cursing.

How dare this human threaten her?

Once she recovered, she would certainly punish her.

“Oh right, Qiu girl, Third Girl asked me to give you this ointment. She said you hurt your backside riding. Do you want Mother to help apply it?”

She took out a small wooden box.

Liu Qiu accepted it with a gentle smile.

“I’ll do it myself, Mother.”

Earlier she had lacked strength and been in too much pain, so she had let Liu Huang help.

Now she had a bit of strength and had no intention of asking again.

After washing up, Fang Lian didn’t linger.

Second Girl would return tomorrow, and there would be much to prepare.

Before leaving, she reminded her, “Rest early. If you feel unwell, call Mother.”

Once Fang Lian left, Liu Qiu sat on the bed and looked down at the fox lying near the edge.

Fang Lian had just touched it without being bitten.

Slowly, Liu Qiu raised her hand toward it.

Just before touching, she hesitated.

The fox glanced at her slender fingers, then placed its paw gently over the back of her pale hand and looked up at her.

“Ying~”

Liu Qiu’s heart melted completely.

She reached out with her other hand and stroked the fox’s head.

“Little fox, you’re so cute.”

It had even offered its paw.

Su Li sneered inwardly.

As expected, no mortal could resist her.

Next, this human would surely start stroking her back.

How could anyone stop after touching such soft, smooth fur?

Yet to her surprise, this human with pure essence only patted her head before gently shooing her off the bed.

Su Li stood on the ground, looking up.

“Sorry, little fox. I need to apply medicine.”

After applying medicine, she planned to watch a TV drama with the system.

Lowering the bed curtain, Liu Qiu removed her trousers, spread her legs, opened the wooden box, scooped out the white ointment, and began applying it near her thigh root.

Su Li could only see vague shadows through the curtain.

A dark gleam flashed through her golden eyes.

Now was her chance.

This human didn’t seem keen on keeping her—she had even spoken of releasing her into the mountains.

But Su Li very much wanted to stay by the side of this human with such pure essence.

She leapt suddenly back onto the bed and slipped inside the curtain.

“Ao.”

Liu Qiu froze, her hand still between her thighs.

Seeing the fox enter, she exclaimed, “Little fox, go down!”

Su Li’s gaze fell on the wound between Liu Qiu’s legs.

She approached the wooden box and nudged the ointment with her nose.

“Little fox, that’s not edible,” Liu Qiu said quickly.

The fox flicked its tail, let out a soft cry, and suddenly dove between Liu Qiu’s legs.

Startled, Liu Qiu reached to grab her.

But the next moment, the fox pressed its nose—smeared with ointment—against her thigh root and moved back and forth as if applying it.

“Ying ying ying.”

The delicate cries sounded like coquettish affection.

Perhaps because it wasn’t human, Liu Qiu didn’t feel any shame.

[System, the little fox is so smart. It’s really helping me apply medicine.]

The system complained, [Host, be careful. Don’t get bitten. Wild animals have no humanity.]

[I think it might be domesticated. Otherwise, how could it be so understanding?]

Then she suddenly thought of Bai Qingqing from the previous world.

[System, can you scan whether the fox is a demon?]

The system scanned and replied, [It’s an ordinary fox. There’s no abnormal energy within it.]

Hearing that, Liu Qiu relaxed.

Though the fox’s intention was good, having something fluffy rubbing between her legs was extremely ticklish.

She picked the fox up and set it back on the floor.

Su Li let out a small cry, slightly annoyed.

Not everyone was worthy of her assistance.

She was a descendant of the Nine-Tailed Fox.

Licking the ointment from her nose, she leapt back onto the bed once more.

She needed this human now.

Ideally, she would make this human understand just how intelligent she was—so intelligent that she would never bear to abandon her.