Bad women are always eyeing me covetously.

I didn't really understand what she was saying.

"Let me get back to you when you're a bit older. Right now, I'm worried that if you go to collect debts, you might get sold out by someone else."

She casually changed the subject, and even made a few teasing remarks about the honest little fox.

He hugged me when I asked, and even said thank you.

It's worrying that if this little guy goes out alone, he might be kidnapped by some strange creature.

Emerald looked at the little fox whose cheeks immediately flushed a blush, and chuckled softly.

Indeed, innocent and well-behaved children bring joy to people.

"Alright, alright, don't be so shy. Just pretend you didn't hear what happened earlier. I called you here to tell you that we're leaving here tomorrow and going back to where we belong."

She pinched Xi Lan's little cheek.

"Go say goodbye to the children you know, okay? Good boy."

Noticing the hint of disappointment in Xi Lan's eyes, Emerald wrapped her arms around Xi Lan's waist, bringing the little one into her embrace.

Don't you want to break up?

“No…Ms. Emerald, it’s just…” Xi Lan leaned on Emerald’s shoulder and murmured softly, “…Every time I make a friend, we never spend much time together before I have to leave.”

What a lovely trouble.

Jade listened with a smile to the little fox's almost rambling words, and at the same time, she felt a little gratified.

She's so cute that you just want to hold her in your arms and give her a good squeeze.

However, considering that doing so might scare the little fox so much that its fur stands on end, and it might revert to its extremely timid state from before...

Forget it then.

"Lady Jade?"

Realizing she had been rambling on for a long time, Xi Lan raised her head slightly and looked up at the woman who had been listening to her rambling for ages.

After saying all this, will I make Ms. Jade dislike me?

Xi Lan carefully observed the expression on the other person's face.

It didn't seem like they were angry at all.

However, in Xi Lan's memory, she never saw Emerald look angry when she was with her.

Is the other person, like Kaffa, the more gently they smile, the angrier they get?

Thinking about it this way, Xi Lan subconsciously shrank back.

"Hmm? Why aren't you talking anymore? I quite enjoy listening to you ramble on and on."

Jade has always been very tolerant of her children.

Especially towards Xi Lan, the child she was preparing to raise herself, the leniency and doting she showed her was so obvious that even the employees could see it.

There's absolutely no indication that he's in debt or has a relationship with his creditors.

Of course, Jade didn't want to exploit the little guy in this way.

Don't you think I'm being long-winded?

She raised her head again, looking into Emerald's smiling eyes, and sensed no annoyance towards her.

Why do I find you long-winded?

Emerald patted Xi Lan's little head and smiled as she explained, "Why are you so afraid of me, child? Are you worried I'll abandon you?"

Feeling the little one in her arms stiffen, Emerald knew that what she had said had indeed touched on something that Xi Lan still didn't want to face.

Realizing that the little fox seemed reluctant to bring up the matter, Emerald also knew that the time was not yet right and did not intend to continue discussing the topic further.

"I won't, child, I won't."

She tightened her grip on Xi Lan's hand, and after saying all that, she casually changed the subject.

"And who knows, you might meet those children again someday?"

After all, those two kids are connected to the company, and they'll meet someday.

After patiently coaxing the little fox who refused to speak and only wanted to curl up in her arms, Emerald realized that the little guy seemed to be much more fragile than she had imagined.

How exactly did the Star Core Hunters treat this child?

Unaware that Xi Lan had been abandoned by Emerald once before being abandoned by the Star Core Hunters, she naturally suspected Kafka and her group.

Even if one wanted to investigate, it seems there's nowhere to conduct an investigation into jade.

The Star Core Hunters organization itself is too mysterious.

Moreover, if the other party hadn't intentionally led this little guy to them, the company wouldn't even have known that those people were raising a little fox on that planet.

Emerald, snapping out of her reverie, lowered her eyes and looked at Xilan, who was nestled in her arms, before finally offering her some words of advice.

"Get some rest today, remember to take your medicine, and then tomorrow, after saying goodbye to the little friend you met, you, me, and the others will be leaving this place."

Xi Lan, who was perched on Emerald's shoulder, mumbled a reply before being put down on Emerald's lap.

She patted the little fox's shoulder, her fingertips stroking Xi Lan's fallen red-streaked hair, and said gently, "Do you still need me to stay with you today?"

"...No, no need, I can manage on my own!"

At this point, the little fox, who had just come to her senses, quickly shook her head and refused. After hurriedly saying goodbye, she ran out of Emerald's office as fast as she could.

As the door closed, Emerald slowly suppressed her smile and leaned back completely in her chair.

"Am I really completely untrustworthy? Or am I even more intimidating-looking than Kaffa?"

It even scares the little guy every time.

Only this incident evoked some subtle emotions in Jade.

When I applied essential oil to its tail before, the little guy obviously didn't object, did he?

The book seems to have mentioned that allowing a fox spirit to touch its tail is something only people with a very close relationship can do.

But why does the child still refuse to be intimate with her?

"I never thought something like this would become a source of trouble for me."

Emerald leaned back lazily in her chair, chuckling helplessly at these sweet troubles.

kid.

The rest is just a matter of taking it slowly.

--------

Xi Lan, who hurriedly returned to her room, seemed to finally breathe a sigh of relief after arriving at her little nest.

Lying on the bed, Xi Lan took off her shoes and then completely collapsed onto the bed, hugging her pillow and even burying her face in it, sighing softly.

"...Why."

It seems she did something wrong again.

Mingming also wanted to get closer to Ms. Jade.

But looking at the smile on her face and the way she coaxed her, Xi Lan always saw her as a different person.

Kafka...

Why do I still miss you so much even after you've left me?

---------

Chapter Thirty-Six: Happy Qixi Festival

Why are you clinging to me like this?

You were the ones who rejected me first...

The woman with long, dark purple hair, whose features were obscured, reached out her arm to the silver-white fox.

They embraced the toddler's body, as if unwilling to let her continue forward.

Xi Lan wanted to take a step, but the woman behind her hugged her and even tried to pull her into the darkness.

Why don't you want me?

Why am I the only one no one wants?

If you don't want me anymore, then don't appear in my memories...

Please don't show up again when I want to get close to Ms. Emerald.

I don't want to be abandoned again...

I don't want to be...an unwanted fox anymore...

The departure of her mother, coupled with Kafka and the others' silent abandonment, had already put a considerable amount of pressure on the poor little fox.

Although I've been thinking about it for a long time, I haven't thought about being abandoned.

But today's actions and conversation with Lady Emerald did make Xi Lan realize that when she saw Emerald, she was seeing the same thing as Kafka.

Xi Lan then realized why she couldn't get close to the other person.

This is the only thing that's unacceptable, absolutely unacceptable.

No one has the right to treat others as substitutes.

Xi Lan remained aimless, being pulled along in the darkness, struggling to move forward.

Until that familiar, comforting fragrance appeared beside Xi Lan, gradually enveloping her.

It's the scent of the Jade Lady.

Xi Lan will never forget the scent emanating from the other person.