Ever since her relationship with the merman general Cangming became clear, Gu Liang had finally stepped out of the shadow of "heartbreak." She spent her days sparring with Cangming and exploring the deep sea, no longer having time to watch Fox Lian and Emma.
This pleased Fox Lian greatly.
But soon, he discovered a new "dissatisfaction"—Emma's separate dormitory.
Though they were nearly inseparable, every night Emma still returned to her own room. For Fox Lian, who had grown used to constant closeness (especially wrapping her with his tail), this was pure torment.
"Emma," he mentioned casually after class one day, "the spirit-gathering array in my dorm seems to have a problem. The spiritual energy fluctuates at night."
Emma looked up from her notes, concerned: "Is it serious? Should we ask the rune elder to check?"
"No need," Fox Lian's tail brushed lightly against her arm, his tone calm. "Just a minor discomfort, a bit of meditation will suffice." His violet eyes lowered, carrying a faint trace of loneliness. "Only… I fear I won't sleep well tonight."
Seeing him "endure" like that, Emma softened: "Then… why don't you come to my dorm tonight to meditate? The spirit array there is God Clan–made, very stable."
A glint of triumph flashed in Fox Lian's eyes, though his face remained properly reserved and grateful: "In that case… I'll trouble you."
That evening, Fox Lian arrived with his own pillow—a fluffy silver-white cushion identical to his tail—and entered her room as if it were the most natural thing.
Emma's dorm was tidy and elegant, scented faintly of herbs. Fox Lian immediately claimed the most comfortable couch by the window, tail sprawled luxuriously, taking up half the room.
"The aura here is indeed abundant." He closed his eyes, genuinely impressed. The God Clan's arrays were truly extraordinary.
Emma, seeing him settle in well, returned to her desk to study her alchemy formulas.
But soon she felt a strong gaze on her back. Turning, she found Fox Lian propped on his elbow, violet eyes fixed on her, tail tip tapping the floor.
"What is it?" Emma asked.
"Nothing," he replied lazily. "Just that… this place feels right." Far better than his cold dorm—here was her scent, her warmth, and her adorable frown when concentrating.
Emma flushed under his gaze, trying to refocus. But his eyes clung to her, heating her ears.
Worse, his silver tail began to move—first curling around her chair leg, then creeping onto her knee.
Emma: "…" She knew it!
She set down her pen, exasperated: "Fox Lian, I can't study like this."
His ears drooped, tail tightening, voice tinged with grievance: "The aura here is strong, but meditating alone feels… lonely."
Emma sighed. She knew he was probably feigning pitifulness, but faced with that face and those violet eyes pretending to glisten with tears, she couldn't harden her heart.
"…Just for a while," she relented.
Fox Lian instantly brightened, tail rubbing happily against her knee like a rewarded puppy: "Good."
So that night, Emma finished her alchemy text accompanied by a very insistent tail. Fox Lian, meanwhile, luxuriated on the couch, occasionally teasing her with his tail tip, feeling that "cohabitation" life could not be more perfect.
The next morning, the goddess Emma bore a faint fox bite mark on her neck.
And Fox Lian formally submitted to the academy: "Dormitory spirit array worn out—requesting long-term use of God Clan array for meditation."