Bad women are always eyeing me covetously.

It made it impossible for her to break free.

----------

Chapter Twelve is already in the shape of jade.

Staring at the completely unfamiliar ceiling and smelling the unfamiliar scent emanating from the bedding, Xi Lan found it difficult to fall asleep.

What's this supposed to mean? Is it being unable to sleep in a new bed? Or is it because there's nothing around that makes you feel safe and secure?

Looking back, it seems that the little pendant Xing gave her was taken away by those fierce-looking big uncles and aunts.

The only little thing that gave her a sense of security is gone.

Then, in a daze, he wrote his name on a piece of paper with barely any words, thus incurring a great debt for Kafka and the others.

That beautiful but scary older sister said she had become her new guardian.

The little fox blinked blankly, recalling everything that had happened after being brought to this room.

All the courses and schedules she mentioned were already arranged and placed on the bedside table.

Everything that has happened these past few days seems a bit too surreal.

From being found and abandoned, to being taken to an unfamiliar place by a group of seemingly fierce adults, and finally being adopted by that lady.

Especially since the man said he wanted to find value in her, coupled with the feeling that she was being targeted by something, it was really quite frightening.

It seems like only a few days have passed.

Lying on the bed, which was much softer than the one in the small house, Xi Lan experienced for the first time what it meant to be unable to sleep.

Shouldn't it be called insomnia?

I didn't drink that bitter coffee... but why can't I fall asleep?

Is it because someone is missing to lull you to sleep? Or is it because that familiar toy is no longer there to keep you company?

Xi Lan had no idea what was going on in her little head.

Especially the spot not far from the bed, where she was sitting on the desk just a few hours ago, had become her nominal guardian.

This has led to her having trouble sleeping.

She tossed and turned in bed, even though Xi Lan thought she was making very little noise.

But it still inevitably attracted the other party's attention.

Jade was working on documents under a desk lamp. Even during her breaks, she wore that dress, but when working at night, she wore gold-rimmed glasses, giving her the look of a powerful businesswoman.

Noticing Xi Lan's subtle gaze, Emerald slightly raised her head, looked at the bulge on the bed in her lounge, and asked softly.

"Can't sleep?"

Xi Lan hadn't quite figured out how to face this new guardian yet, and was hesitating about how to start the conversation when Emerald was already sitting on the edge of the bed.

The distance between him and Yulan was shortened once again.

"Let me guess, you must be feeling that everything that happened today has progressed too fast and you can't sleep, right?" Emerald pointed out the child's inner turmoil.

Seeing the little guy's curious look, as if asking "How did you know?", Emerald subconsciously thought of the children in the orphanage.

Moreover, Jade, who is usually gentle with children, was taken aback for a moment, but still subtly changed the subject.

"Should I read a fairy tale or sing a lullaby?"

Startled by the gentle tone, Xi Lan blinked and shook her head under Emerald's gaze.

"...I'll try to go to bed early...I'm sorry for disturbing you..."

Xi Lan, who was trying to shrink back into the covers again, opened her eyes wide and looked at the woman who was wearing a dress and had taken off her high heels before getting into bed as well. Before she could even say anything, she was pulled into the woman's arms.

.....

It doesn't resemble Kaffa's embrace at all...

However, being held by a stranger did not make Xi Lan feel any dislike.

Resting my head on that person's chest, I could clearly hear her heartbeat.

Whether it was her imagination or not, Xi Lan seemed to hear Emerald's slightly suppressed laughter, which immediately made her cheeks flush with heat.

All he could do was lean against her and pretend he knew nothing, instinctively grabbing at the expensive-looking clothes on her body.

"I forgot, you're still just a six or seven-year-old child."

Its tail swayed slightly behind it, but the lady reached out and stroked its fur.

The other person's technique was much more comfortable than I had imagined.

That's strange, that's really strange...

When Mingming is being petted, what she likes most is being stroked by Kaffa.

But why does it feel comfortable in this jade lady's hands? Why is that?

Xi Lan's little head didn't quite understand this matter, but her ears, which were already bright red, betrayed her somewhat shy feelings.

In the end, she chose to lean herself against Emerald's soft embrace, no longer moving, and letting the other pet her tail.

As Xi Lan drifted off to sleep, a strange fragrance filled her nostrils, and inexplicably, some rather odd thoughts began to surface in her mind.

After that... I'll probably get used to this smell, right?

-------

Chapter Thirteen: Taming, Beginning?

The Star Core Hunters' temporary settlement has remained silent for several days.

Silver Wolf didn't have much to say, especially after learning about the fate the black cat had told her about, and chose to shut herself away for a while.

Feeling somewhat guilty, she didn't leave that 'friend' a final parting gift.

They didn't even know how Xilan was doing at the company.

These past two days, I've seen Kafka and Hoshino seemingly searching for something unconsciously.

It seems she's not the only one experiencing withdrawal symptoms.

Those eyes glanced at Hoshino, who was sitting with her arms crossed on one side, and Kafka, who was sitting on the other side and seemed to be resting, and finally at the man who was keeping watch not far away.

When will fate bring them together again?

The separation came too quickly; Silver Wolf felt he hadn't gotten to know the little fox properly yet.

Will they forget about them in a few years?

In her mind, she gradually imagined the fox, who had grown quite a bit, asking them who they were when they met again, looking at them with a strange expression.

Thinking about it this way, it does hurt my heart.

Xi Lan, who had been lying obediently in his arms not long ago, was now filled with anxiety at the thought of not knowing when they would meet again, or even that things might turn out the way he had just imagined.

Silver Wolf felt something was wrong with him.

She rubbed her arms, though she really wanted to use her hacking skills to see what was going on over there.

But Elio said it was best not to do that.

Since they weren't allowed to use hacking skills, Silver Wolf had no choice but to try to find out about the company through various channels, especially about the situation of Ms. Emerald.

After all, the lender... plus one of the core members of the Starry Sky and (Ping) Company, I wonder if that little guy Xi Lan will be so fooled that he'll sell himself to the other party.

Silver Wolf, with a lollipop in his mouth, leaned back in the uncomfortable chair and calculated that it had been a month since he left the little fox.

After letting out a subtle sigh in his heart, Silver Wolf finally chose to give up thinking, close his eyes, and obediently rest for a while.

After all, we're still on a mission.

-------

"Ah!"

While organizing the books needed for tomorrow, Xi Lan turned her head slightly, sneezed, and subconsciously rubbed her nose.

Is someone talking about her?

Having been personally tutored by Emerald for the past two weeks, Xi Lan's mind is now filled with knowledge, and she is so busy that she hardly has time to think about Kafka's situation.

Especially after that day ended, the number of classes the next day was doubled for some reason.

I almost always fall asleep as soon as I get home, and even the time I spend daydreaming before bed has completely disappeared.

Her time was almost entirely filled with activities, leaving her no free time to rest.

Although she didn't quite understand what Jade Lady was thinking, Xi Lan could only accept everything without complaint.

Then I realized that I don't even think about Kafka and the others very often anymore.

Right now, I'm thinking a lot about how to deal with all the tutorials that Ms. Jade has arranged, and whether she has upset her.

They've only met a handful of times in the past two weeks, and each time they see each other, the smile on Jade's face is... something that Little Xilan can't quite describe.

There was something strange about it, but Xi Lan couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

I chose to keep this matter to myself and didn't intend to look for jade for such a thing.

Well, aside from the fact that the other person's gaze, which was like looking at an object, made Xi Lan a little scared.

Fortunately, each time the other party came to see her, they only asked about her situation during this period and showed some concern for her health.

Our poor little fox has no idea that when night falls, Lady Emerald will also take time to openly observe her.