Chapter 14: Foxy
This novel is translated and hosted on Bcatranslation
The night hung over the crumbling ruins of the old temple like a heavy, suffocating blanket. Darkness pressed in on every side, broken bricks and shattered beams scattered across the ground. Amid these ruins, a young girl with silver hair crouched low, her fluffy fox tail brushing against the dusty floor. She clutched a handful of spoiled vegetable scraps—bits of wilted leaves and squishy stems, fished from a torn plastic bag—and crammed them into her mouth as though she had no other choice.
Behind a half-collapsed wall stood Yu Sheng, who had somehow managed to cheat death three times tonight. He watched this strange scene with wide eyes, hardly able to breathe. He couldn’t believe what he was seeing. Here he was, after all that chaos, staring at a mysterious fox-tailed girl who was gulping down rotten vegetables as if they were her last meal on earth. He was certain that this first meeting—though, strictly speaking, it wasn’t truly their first, since she’d headbutted him before—would remain etched in his memory forever.
They remained like that for a few tense moments, facing each other in the dim, broken hall. Then, very slowly, the girl’s eyes grew wider. Her golden-red irises sparkled with what seemed like a wild mix of amazement, delight, and a hint of disbelief. She rose to her feet, still clutching a handful of old vegetable scraps, and fixed her gaze on him as if she had seen a ghost. Then, snapping out of her daze, she raised a trembling finger and pointed straight at Yu Sheng.
“A human?! Ah, a human! Are you a human?! Who… who are you? Where did you come from?” she asked, her voice trembling. There was a raw edge to it, as if her own words surprised her. She sounded as though she were speaking after years of silence, each word carefully chosen yet clumsily delivered.
Yu Sheng had planned a calm, clear introduction. He had rehearsed in his mind what to say, how to ask for information, and how to show that he bore no hard feelings about that earlier headbutt. But now, with her shock and sudden excitement, his prepared speech vanished. He stood there, open-mouthed, bewildered.
What did she mean by asking if he was a human? Was it really that astonishing? Had she never encountered people before? Or had it simply been a very, very long time since she had seen one? And another strange thought crept into his mind: Why did she seem as though she was laying eyes on him for the first time when, not too long ago, she had already seen him—enough to smash her forehead against his?
Confusion swirled inside him. He remembered clearly how, during that terrifying encounter with the monster, the girl had rushed at him. She had claimed she came to save him, hadn’t she? Surely, she must recall that much?
At last, Yu Sheng forced himself to speak, though it took him a few moments to find his voice. “We’ve… met before,” he said slowly, trying not to sound too unsettled. “Just now, out there in the clearing. You said you came to save me… remember?”
The fox girl tilted her head and frowned. She looked utterly puzzled, as though trying to piece together a puzzle she’d never seen before. But instead of answering his question, her focus wandered elsewhere. Her eyes fell on the garbage bag he had brought along—his sorry attempt at finding anything useful—and she pointed at it with a trembling finger, her gaze almost glowing with hunger. “Is that… yours?” she asked carefully.
Yu Sheng blinked at her. “Uh, yeah… it’s mine.”
Her voice shook a little. “Can I… eat it?”
She tightened her hold on the vegetable scraps she already had, her jaw working to chew what was left in her mouth. Her entire body seemed tense. Yu Sheng had never seen anyone so desperately hungry. It was as if she barely remembered how to speak and now had to force the words out. She swallowed hard, and he realized that she was not only starving—she seemed terrified that he might say no.
“I’m… hungry,” she said, her voice strained. “I want to eat. I’m sorry…” She sounded as if she were on the brink of some terrible breakdown, holding herself back with all her might.
For an instant, Yu Sheng thought he saw something strange beyond her. Shadows flickered at the edge of his vision, like living shapes creeping through the darkness behind her shoulders. They felt dangerous, prowling closer as if waiting for her to lose control. But then, as quickly as they had appeared, they slipped away, leaving him wondering if he had imagined them.
Deciding he had to do something, Yu Sheng stepped out from behind the ruined wall. There was no point in hiding. The girl was clearly in need. He cleared his throat, trying to sound calmer than he felt. “You can’t eat that. It’s all…” His voice drifted off. How was he supposed to explain that the garbage was rotten and not fit for anyone to eat? He had never known hunger like that, never been so desperate that moldy scraps would seem tempting.
But before he could say more, the fox girl crouched again, reaching down to gather more dirty scraps. She was trembling, and it pained him to watch.
“Wait! I think I have something better to eat!” Yu Sheng shouted suddenly, remembering the snacks he had stuffed into his coat pockets. He searched them quickly, trying not to lose his grip on the situation.
After a moment of frantic patting, he pulled out two small buns, each wrapped in plastic, and a palm-sized chocolate bar. He had packed them to munch on later, when his late work hours would leave him hungry. Now they might save this poor, starving girl.
She watched him closely, wary yet hopeful. Yu Sheng slowly tore open one bun’s wrapper and held it out. The smell of bread filled the air. The girl’s eyes widened. In a blur, she lunged forward, grabbing not only the bun but nearly his entire hand, as though she meant to swallow it whole.
“Whoa, slow down!” Yu Sheng yelped, startled by her speed and strength. He yanked his arm back just in time, but her sharp teeth grazed his finger, leaving a small, bleeding cut. He hissed quietly. This girl was truly famished.
“How long have you been starving?” he muttered under his breath, as the girl stuffed the bread into her mouth. She looked terrified that it might disappear if she didn’t swallow it quickly enough. Yu Sheng worried she would choke, but somehow she managed to gulp it down. Her gaze immediately locked onto the second bun, like a hawk eyeing its prey.
“Hey, slow down,” he said again, more firmly this time. He stepped in front of her, holding the second bun out of reach. “Take it easy. You need to breathe, or you’ll choke. Got it? Understand?”
“I… understand,” she said with a quick, determined nod, as if struggling to follow his instructions. She swallowed hard and waited, her eyes flicking nervously between his face and the bun.
Only then did Yu Sheng hand over the second bun. The fox girl fumbled with the wrapper, her hands clumsy, but her raw strength tore through the plastic. She split the bun in half, cramming part of it into her mouth, then slowed herself, remembering Yu Sheng’s warning. She began to nibble in smaller bites, trying not to devour it all at once.
Her eyes drifted toward the chocolate bar still in Yu Sheng’s hand. She glanced at it longingly, licking her lips.
“This is chocolate…” Yu Sheng began, holding it up. But then he hesitated. Suddenly, a thought nagged at him. He needed advice. Without showing any outward sign, he reached out in his mind for Irene—the spirit bound to the painting he carried.
“Irene?” he called silently in his thoughts.
Immediately, Irene’s voice flared up inside his head. “Yu Sheng! What happened just now? Why did you suddenly stop responding? I kept calling you, and you—”
He cut her off, thinking quickly. “It’s complicated, I’ll explain later. Right now, I need to ask you something.”
“Fine,” Irene said with a huff. “Go on.”
“Dogs can’t eat chocolate, right?” Yu Sheng asked, still keeping his gaze on the fox girl, who eyed the chocolate like it was a priceless treasure.
“…Yes,” Irene replied, puzzled. “It’s toxic for dogs. Why are you even asking this now? Aren’t you stuck in the Otherworld? Why would you worry about—”
Yu Sheng ignored her complaints and pressed on. “What about foxes? Can foxes eat chocolate?”
There was a pause. “Foxes?” Irene said slowly. “They’re canines too, in a way. It’s probably not good for them either. A lot of human foods can be dangerous to other beings. Honestly, from the viewpoint of magical creatures, humans eat some truly odd—”
He interrupted once more. “What if the fox is… special? A fox that has become a spirit? A fox demon, maybe. Something that can take human form.”
That left Irene speechless for a second. “…What?” she managed, sounding flabbergasted.
“I mean a fox that can turn into a human—a fox spirit with multiple tails. Would that make her more like a human or still more like a fox? Would chocolate still be dangerous?” Yu Sheng asked quickly. He didn’t have much time; the girl had just finished the bun and was now staring at the chocolate bar, waiting.
“What in the world is going on over there?” Irene exclaimed, baffled.
“There’s a starving fox girl in front of me—white fur, red eyes, multiple tails. Not sure how many, maybe nine. They’re all tangled, I haven’t counted,” Yu Sheng explained briskly. “Anyway, I only have this chocolate left.”
Irene sighed, surprisingly calm. “If she’s a nine-tailed fox spirit, I’d guess she’s tough enough to handle a bit of chocolate. If not, what’s the point of having all those tails? Decoration?”
Yu Sheng didn’t have time to argue. Irene had given him an answer, odd as it was. He offered the chocolate to the fox girl, still feeling a bit uneasy. “Here. Maybe just try a little first, okay? I’m not sure if it’s good for you.”
“Th-thank you!” the fox girl said, her voice quivering slightly. She accepted the chocolate and fiddled with the wrapper, then took a tentative bite. A look of utter joy spread across her face. She closed her eyes, savoring the sweetness as if tasting sunlight after years of darkness.
Yu Sheng spread his hands helplessly. “That’s all I have,” he said. “I hope it’s enough. By the way, what should I call you?”
The fox girl swallowed, then looked at him seriously. She seemed more stable now, a faint glow of happiness in her eyes. Pointing at herself, she said, “Thank you,” her tone now warmer and more certain. “Foxy.”
Yu Sheng blinked. “Huh?”
“Foxy,” she repeated with a proud smile, pointing at herself again. “I have a name!”