Their joined hands felt like a key unlocking a long-blocked passage.
Fox Lian's rigid posture slowly softened. His silver tail lifted unconsciously, the tip gently hooking around Emma's wrist—not as a possessive bind, but more like a cautious confirmation, a quiet plea for connection.
Emma didn't pull away. Instead, she lightly scratched the soft fur at the base of his tail—a gesture that used to make him squint in pleasure. This time, it made him shiver slightly, a flicker of emotion passing through his violet eyes.
"Let's talk inside," Emma suggested softly. Curious glances from early-rising classmates were already drifting their way.
Fox Lian nodded silently and led her into his residence, his tail still loosely curled around her wrist.
The room still held the chill of last night's tension. A few items, knocked over in his emotional storm, lay scattered. Emma took it all in, her heart tightening.
She sat by the table. Fox Lian stood before her, unsure how to begin. Proud as he was, this was the first time he'd been so disheveled in love—so passive in a "negotiation."
"Fox Lian," Emma broke the silence gently, "let's start with something simple, okay?"
He looked up, eyes questioning.
"For example," she gestured to his still-messy hair and rumpled collar, "why don't you tidy yourself up first? I'll clean up here."
It wasn't a command. It was a caring offer.
Fox Lian blinked, the guarded look in his eyes easing slightly. He pressed his lips together, then gave a quiet "Mm" and turned toward the inner room.
Emma began to clean. Her movements were gentle—righting the fallen vase, gathering scattered scrolls, sorting them patiently. As she worked, her own heart gradually settled.
When Fox Lian returned, dressed in a fresh moon-white robe, he saw Emma bent over, picking up the last rune scroll. Morning light streamed through the window, outlining her focused, serene profile.
In that moment, the last trace of resentment he'd felt—of being "looked down on"—vanished. She wasn't pitying him. She wasn't asserting dominance. She was simply trying, in her own way, to mend the rift between them.
Emma heard his footsteps and looked up, offering a small, soothing smile. "All done."
Fox Lian stepped closer. His tail hesitated, then gently wrapped around her waist. He rested his forehead on her shoulder, voice muffled:
"…I'm sorry."
Emma froze. It was the first time she'd heard him apologize so directly.
"For what I said yesterday," he continued, voice low. "And for… the ways I might've made you uncomfortable."
Emma's heart melted. She reached out, hugged him back, and gently patted his back.
"I was wrong too," she whispered. "I kept insisting on my own beliefs, but never told you that your… intensity also moved me."
Fox Lian stiffened, then lifted his head, eyes wide. "Moved you?"
Emma blushed, but nodded. "Even if your ways sometimes feel overwhelming… I know it's because you care. Like when you gave me that fox-ear pendant—so I could always feel 'you' close. That clumsy, possessive thought… I really like it."
Fox Lian's ears turned red in real time. He looked away, flustered, but his tail betrayed him—wagging happily and tickling Emma's waist.
"And… the spirit beast contract thing?" he asked, unable to let go of that lingering knot.
"That," Emma smiled, her tone turning serious, "I still stand by my view. But Fox Lian, I accept that you see things differently. We can debate, even argue—but let's not let that erase everything else between us, okay?"
She looked at him, eyes clear and accepting. "Just like I love your tail, and accept that sometimes you wrap it too tightly when you're anxious. I love you—and that includes the parts of you that differ from me. As long as they don't hurt the innocent or violate basic kindness."
Fox Lian stared at her, as if seeing this cool, composed goddess anew—realizing how vast and resilient her heart truly was. He'd always thought love meant possession and assimilation. Now, he began to understand: maybe love could also mean respect and coexistence.
He lowered his head and placed a soft kiss on the crown of her head.
"Okay," he said, voice solemn. "I'll learn."
Learn to love her in ways she could accept. Learn to respect their differences. Learn to coexist with her world while staying true to his own.
Sunlight filled the room, wrapping their embrace in a warm glow. Yesterday's storm and conflict had become nourishment for growth.
Outside the door, Gu Liang poked Cang Ming's rock-hard abs and whispered:
"Tch. So it was just a lovers' quarrel. I worried for nothing!"