The afternoon sun was warm. Emma sat by the window, carefully combing through Fox Lian's fluffy silver tail. Her fingers slid through the soft fur, the soothing touch calming her, even letting her feel the faint pulse of his tail in its relaxed state.
Fox Lian lay lazily with his head on her lap, violet eyes half-closed, like a feline luxuriating in being stroked. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, a mischievous glint flashing within.
"Emma." His voice was husky from sleep, the tip of his tail unconsciously curling around her wrist.
"Mm?" Emma didn't look up, still battling a stubborn knot of fur.
"In the beginning…" Fox Lian drawled, teasing, "to keep up your persona of being 'obsessed with me,' you stared at my accessories every day, pretended to give Gu Liang advice… must have been exhausting, wasn't it?"
Emma's hand paused.
Fox Lian rolled over to face her, chin propped on his hand, violet eyes sparkling, lips curved in a sly smile: "Now you don't need all that trouble. You've got the real thing. Isn't that… especially satisfying? Especially worth it?"
He wanted to see her blush, to hear her admit that beneath the disguise, her true feelings had long been stirring.
Emma lowered her gaze to the silky silver fur in her palm, remembering those chaotic early days—avoiding him yet sneaking glances, pretending to discuss his pom-pom, the terror of touching his ears for the first time, the inexplicable irritation when Gu Liang dragged her to sea-class lectures…
It had been exhausting. Exhausting to hide her fear, and even more exhausting to suppress the attraction quietly growing beneath it.
She lifted her head, saw his expectant grin, and suddenly felt mischievous.
Setting aside his tail, she tapped her chin thoughtfully: "Hmm… let me think."
"At first, those little pom-poms and feathers were indeed cute." She spoke slowly, watching his ears perk and his tail freeze mid-sway.
"And now…" She paused deliberately, noting the subtle tension in his eyes, before pulling him into her arms, burying her cheek against the warm fluff of his neck, inhaling his crisp, intoxicating scent.
Then she lifted her head, lightly biting his flushed ear tip, voice playful yet clear: "Now I realize—the original is better."
"Softer to the touch, warmer in temperature," her fingers slid into his hair, kneading the sensitive base of his ears, feeling them tremble under her palm, "and…"
She leaned close, whispering against his ear, breath brushing his sensitive skin: "…they move on their own, blush, get jealous, and—like now—burn hot from a single word."
Fox Lian froze, violet eyes wide, blush spreading from ears to neck, tail stiff in midair. His faltering breath betrayed the collapse of his princely composure.
Emma smiled in satisfaction, hugging him tighter, chin resting on his hair: "So it's not about happiness."
"It's about luck." Her voice was gentle, resolute. "Lucky that excuse let me near you. Lucky that fate revealed my heart. Luckiest of all…"
She cupped his face, gazing into violet eyes filled with starlight and her reflection: "…that the 'most beautiful original' chose me too."
Fox Lian stared, all teasing shattered by her raw sincerity. Warmth surged through him, eyes misting.
He pulled her into a fierce embrace, tail wrapping joyfully around her, voice muffled against her shoulder, thick with emotion: "…Sweet talker."
Emma laughed, hugging him back, savoring the warmth and fluff in her arms.
Yes, maintaining the persona had been hard. But winning this one-of-a-kind fox—who blushed, sulked, and loved her—was worth every struggle a thousand times over.