Chapter 28: My Tail

The little fox slowly drifted back to consciousness. Upon seeing the aged face before her, she let out a startled "squeak," and with a swift swipe, she clawed the imperial physician across the face.

"Ouch!" Startled and scratched, the physician tumbled backward. Clutching his injured face, he was on the verge of tears. Why was his life so miserable? No good deed goes unpunished; this little fox was not cute at all. She was even harder to serve than the Emperor! Resigning from his post really was the best choice.

The little fox tried to pounce and scratch the physician again, but her body was weighed down by her tail, causing her to tumble back onto the bed. Looking back at her tail, the little fox nearly fainted from shock. Her long, phoenix-like eyes welled up with tears as she clutched her tail and wailed, "Squeak! My tail, why have you swollen so large? I can barely hold you! Oh, my tail, where is your fur? Why is it all gone? Which heartless bastard shaved the fur off my beautiful tail?"

Shifting her bottom, the little fox widened her large, violet eyes and let out a sharp, miserable cry. "Squeak! Why can’t I move my tail? My heavens! Why is it completely numb? Will I have to live the rest of my life dragging around such a huge, bald, hairless tail?"

Imagining herself walking down the street as a fox, dragging a bald tail as large as her own body, she felt the world had lost all love. Her fox life was hopeless. No, she had to seek revenge! That damned, foul woman—she stepped on her beautiful tail, and she would hack her to pieces!

"Squeak! Master, I want revenge!" The little fox cried out pitifully to Xuanyuan Yu. Seeing the little fox looking so devastated while hugging her tail, Xuanyuan Yu could not help but smile.

Seeing the little fox so spirited, Xuanyuan Yu felt completely relieved.

If he guessed correctly, she mistakenly thought her tail was swollen and bald, and was heartbroken over it. In reality, her tail had merely been shaved, medicated, and wrapped in bandages.

Xuanyuan Yu carefully cradled the little fox’s tail and pulled her into his arms. He stroked her small head and comforted her, "Little fox, your tail is fine. I will heal it. For now, all you need to do is rest and recover; you can only seek revenge once you are healed. Do you understand?"

Watching Xuanyuan Yu, the little fox was moved to tears. She pressed against his clothes and sniffled, "Squeak! Master, you are so wonderful. You truly are a master worth having! I love you to death!"

She waved her tiny paws, unsheathing her sharp claws and raking them fiercely through the air. *I will definitely claw that foul woman to death! How dare you step on my tail and bully my maid!*

The little fox looked left and right, but Liyue was nowhere to be seen. *Where is my maid? Why isn't she here?* The little fox’s eyes widened in horror. *My heavens! Don't tell me that foul woman beat her to death!*

"Squeak! Master, my maid is gone."

"Liyue is fine. I am sending Lieyan to take the imperial physician to see her right now." Xuanyuan Yu, having guessed the little fox’s anxiety, explained to her. He then glanced at the physician and commanded, "Physician Zhang, hurry and follow Lieyan to attend to Liyue."

"Yes, yes, at once!" Physician Zhang replied repeatedly, not daring to delay. He immediately shouldered his medical chest and followed Lieyan.

The little fox was deeply worried about Liyue, so she tugged at Xuanyuan Yu’s sleeve and squeaked in a low voice, "Squeak! I want to see Liyue too. She was injured trying to protect me; if it weren't for me, she wouldn't be hurt. Master, is Liyue going to die? I saw her cough up so much blood."