Before Emma fell for Fox Lian's "fluff," she endured a humiliating period of near-bankruptcy—all to maintain her persona as "His Highness's obsessed admirer."
At that time, the academy's "Fox Lian merchandise industry" was thriving. From memory jades and custom talisman papers, to matching hair ribbons, imitation pom-poms, and even charms allegedly woven from strands of silver hair shed while Fox Lian combed his head (highly dubious)—everything was available, at exorbitant prices.
And as a "senior admirer," Emma had no choice but to follow the crowd and grit her teeth at every new release.
"Latest! His Highness Fox Lian's moon-pattern cloud-brocade hair ribbon! Limited to one hundred!" Emma queued with a blank face, bleeding inside: "…Buy."
"Breaking news! A sound-shell containing His Highness's personal morning greeting! Listen daily, as if he whispers at your ear!" Emma's lips twitched: "…Buy."
"Rare! A strand of silver hair His Highness accidentally snagged on a branch yesterday (with authenticity certificate)! Said to contain his supreme spiritual power!" Emma stared at the price, feeling her heart bleed: "…Buy."
Her storage bracelet overflowed with "Fox Lian merchandise" she never used. The moon-pattern ribbon? She tried it once, only to feel an invisible fox tugging her hair. The sound-shell? Never listened—afraid of nightmares. As for the "rare silver hair"? She strongly suspected some merchant dyed ordinary fox fur.
What hurt most was her dwindling spirit stones. Even a goddess couldn't withstand such extravagance. Watching her pouch grow emptier by the day, while Gu Liang hugged her new "Fox Lian life-size pillow (fluff-limited edition)" with bliss, Emma felt suffocated.
"Emma! Look at this!" Gu Liang waved a new pom-pom keychain. "It's identical to the one at His Highness's waist! Let's get one each!"
Emma eyed the familiar white pom-pom and its outrageous price, inhaled deeply, and forced a twisted smile: "…Fine."
Another heavy expense added to her ledger.
Sometimes, she even resented Fox Lian himself. Passing the corridor, seeing the culprit fox surrounded by admirers, that ruinous pom-pom at his waist gleaming as he smiled serenely—Emma ground her teeth. Smile! Go on smiling! Do you know how expensive your merchandise is?!
Once, she accidentally muttered her thoughts aloud. Fox Lian's steps faltered almost imperceptibly, and he glanced back at her. Emma broke into cold sweat, ducking her head to pretend she was studying her newly bought (useless) "Fox Lian incense."
Later, when she and Fox Lian were together, one day she cleaned her storage bracelet and unearthed the mountain of merchandise, her expression complicated.
Fox Lian curiously picked up the dusty sound-shell: "What's this?"
Emma deadpan: "Your personal morning greeting."
He raised a brow, infused it with energy. Out came his own lazy, half-asleep voice from some morning class: "…Morning."
Emma: "…" The spirit stones she had spent mocked her.
Fox Lian then lifted the "rare silver hair," twirling it between his fingers, violet eyes glinting knowingly: "This is snow-fox fur. Dyed."
Emma: "!!!" She knew it!
Seeing her pained expression, Fox Lian chuckled, tail brushing her wrist in delight: "If I'd known you supported me this much, I should've released more merchandise."
Emma, mortified, hurled the life-size pillow at him: "Stop laughing! I nearly went bankrupt back then!"
He caught it easily, pulled her into his arms, chin rubbing her hair, voice warm with laughter: "Now you don't need to buy."
"…What?"
"The real thing," he guided her hand to his soft ears, violet eyes shimmering, "is lifetime free, exclusively yours."
Emma stroked the warm, velvety fur in her palm, gazing at the face infinitely more beautiful than all the merchandise combined, and suddenly thought—
Well. Maybe those spirit stones weren't wasted after all.