Chapter 289: Chapter 287: Vying for Favor
When Little White appeared, he saw Wen Ying holding several red strings.
She gave one to Xu Jiali, one to Song Jiayan, and even one to Zhao Qi.
’This guy is from the rival team. Does he really need one?’
Little White looked at Zhao Qi, a little confused.
Even though he was a fox, a Fox Immortal, he still had some understanding of human conflicts.
Among competitors, there was always plotting, scheming, and mutual backstabbing.
’But Master is just too kind, actually giving a red string to a competitor.’
Although Little White didn’t know where the red strings came from, he had a nagging feeling that they were for saving one’s life.
’This is good stuff!’
When Wen Ying saw Little White, she waved him over.
"Did you finish that business with Director Wen?"
Little White nodded. ’For such a small matter, of course it was a resounding success.’
Seeing Little White staring at the red string on Zhao Qi’s wrist, Wen Ying took Little White’s paw.
Without another word, she slipped a Red Rope Bracelet onto it.
Little White looked at the Red Rope Bracelet on his own wrist, silent for a moment before it dawned on him.
’Master gave me a life-saving item too!’
’Even though she knows I’m powerful, Master still gave me one.’
’It means Master is really worried about me and doesn’t want me to get even a tiny scratch.’
’Master’s concern for me definitely surpasses her concern for anyone else.’
Little White stuck out his paw and pointed at Kong Jian.
Then he pointed to the red string on his own wrist.
Wen Ying smiled. "Don’t worry, how could he not have one?"
Kong Jian’s wrists were too slender, so Wen Ying had specially re-braided a red string, adding a cute little bell, before putting it on his wrist.
With his plain monk’s clothes, an adorable, dazed little face, and big, dewy eyes, the bright red bracelet was indeed very conspicuous.
But Kong Jian was very happy.
He had never liked brightly colored clothes, but what Shihuhu gave him was an exception.
’This red bracelet is so beautiful, more beautiful than the most stunning scenery I’ve ever seen.’
The red bracelet, the little red bell... he didn’t know what Liger had put inside the bell, but as he moved, it would occasionally make a pleasant sound.
Kong Jian played with it just three times before he figured out the pattern that made the bell ring.
"Kong Jian likes it. Thank you, Liger."
Xu Jiali wore a curious expression. She was truly puzzled. Why was the little monk so aloof and even dismissive of everyone else, yet so close to Sister Yingying?
’If it’s about looks, Sister Yingying is indeed prettier than me.’
’But I’m not bad-looking either, am I?’
Xu Jiali considered her own face to be that of a beauty, though ranked behind Sister Yingying, of course.
’But when Sister Yingying isn’t around, the little monk ignores me too.’
Thankfully, he also ignored Song Jiayan and Zhao Qi. Otherwise, Xu Jiali would have been truly upset.
"Sister Yingying, what does ’Liger’ mean?" Xu Jiali couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked.
’It’s probably just the kid’s unclear pronunciation, but I really want to know.’
Zhao Qi and Song Jiayan were clearly a little curious too.
Why was this little monk so attached to Doctor Wen?
Zhao Qi, for one, wouldn’t believe any talk about Doctor Wen having some karmic connection with Buddhism.
That kind of vague, illusory concept felt phony.
Besides, Doctor Wen’s way of doing things had absolutely nothing to do with Buddhism.
"Little White said it’s his way of saying ’master’."
"Master? The little monk thinks Sister Wen Ying is his master? But isn’t he a monk? His master should also be a monk, how could it possibly be Sister Wen Ying?" Zhao Qi immediately retorted.
After all, there were too many scammers these days; you could know a person’s face but not their heart.
’The kid is pitiful and cute, but we still have to be on guard.’
’Doctor Wen’s reputation is huge right now, and she’s a threat to too many people. I can’t rule out the possibility that someone is trying to stir up trouble.’
"Well, I’m not sure either, but he keeps calling me ’master,’ he has nowhere to go, and he gets along with Little White, so I’m just looking after him for now."
"Sister Yingying, he gets along with Little White?" Xu Jiali was astonished.
’Little White looks down on us humans. How can he actually get along with this little monk?’
Little White swished his tail, then leaped onto Kong Jian’s shoulder, looking at Xu Jiali with an imposing air.
He pointed at Kong Jian, then at himself, and made a couple of gestures.
"Little White, are you saying you’ve got him under your protection, so none of us can bully him?"
Little White nodded.
"Don’t you worry. He’s one of Sister Yingying’s people. Why would we possibly bully him?"
Little White thought to himself, ’Even if you wanted to bully him, you couldn’t.’
’This little brother of mine is seriously weird!’
Every time Kong Jian grabbed his tail, he felt as if the nape of his neck—his very destiny—had been seized.
He would be unable to move and would even feel a profound sense of crisis.
Little White had his doubts. ’If Kong Jian wanted to harm me, could I actually escape?’
Little White shuddered at the thought. ’Nope, not thinking about it. Too terrifying. It’s better to just stick with Master.’
Little White jumped down from Kong Jian’s shoulder, pushed aside a branch on the ground, and wrote in the dirt:
The little monk is my little brother and also Master’s disciple. But of course, the most important part is that he’s my little brother.
Xu Jiali covered her mouth and snickered. ’That damn competitive streak.’
’If Little White were a human guy, saying something like that in this situation... wouldn’t it sound like the plot of one of those stories where the villainous second male lead takes over?’
"Jiali, what are you laughing at?"
Zhao Qi was curious.
"I... never mind, it’s nothing!"
"Are you thinking about what Little White wrote? I was really shocked to see him writing just now, but you guys don’t seem surprised at all. So, does everyone already know that Little White can write?"
"Zhao Qi, don’t overthink it. We just figure that since Little White is with Sister Ying, he’s bound to be different from other animals. It would be normal even if he could talk."
Zhao Qi knew Xu Jiali was exaggerating, but he understood what she meant.
That Little White was no ordinary fox.
"That’s not what I meant. A thought just flashed through my mind, and I found it interesting. What Little White wrote... if you put it in a novel, don’t you think it perfectly fits those female-oriented novels you love to read? Little White is basically the second male lead, a bit like that trope where the villain falls in love with the female protagonist."
Xu Jiali froze. It was the first time she’d felt it so strongly.
Zhao Qi seemed to be on her wavelength to an almost uncanny degree.
’They both loved novels, but so many people read them. If you grabbed ten random young or middle-aged people off the street, at least half of them would be reading web novels.’
’But to be on the same wavelength to such a high degree... that was a once-in-a-thousand-years occurrence.’
Xu Jiali fell silent and didn’t speak.
Zhao Qi looked at the now-silent Xu Jiali, not knowing what had suddenly come over her.
’She seems to be in a bad mood all of a sudden.’
"A villain?" Wen Ying smiled. "Little White does seem quite a bit like a villain."
An image of her first meeting with Little White flashed through Wen Ying’s mind—the trouble he had almost caused.
And everything that came after, with Little White following her to this very day.
’He really is a lovable villain.’
"What’s a villain?"
Little White shot Zhao Qi an impatient glance, then wrote on the ground.
