"Hey, what's your name?"

"Su... Su Xiaoxiao."

In the academy, there is a quiet courtyard called Yilan Pavilion, where a reception pavilion surrounded by pink orchids is located near the door.

At this moment, below the three-tiered steps of the pavilion, a petite and slender fox-eyed girl is squatting next to the orchid bush, hugging her legs, quietly watching the ants on the ground move.

Beside her, a blue-clothed girl with a small but imposing presence stands on the steps, wearing a scholar's hat, hands on her hips, looking down and evaluating the quiet and obedient fox-eyed girl.

As Su Xiaoxiao softly reveals her name, the blue-clothed girl jumps onto a stone bench in the pavilion. Though small in stature, she stands tall, looking down while placing hands on her hips and says:

"Xiaoxiao... Xiaoxiao? What a weak name. It sounds like a weak little fox demon."

"Then, what's your name?" Su Xiaoxiao lifts her little head, a bit unconvinced.

"My name is Jingzi." Jingzi raises her head proudly; her pigtails almost reach the sky, but just before ascending, her too-large scholar's hat slides down, almost covering her eyes.

Not minding, she casually adjusts the hat that always tends to slip down, humming lightly, "How is it, doesn't it sound nice?"

Su Xiaoxiao nods, honestly envious, "It sounds nice."

Pausing briefly, she whispers, "In the future, the child I have with Zhao Lang should also have a very nice name, like in the books, with many historical and cultural details..."

Su Xiaoxiao's eyes reveal longing, as she tilts her head adorably and smiles innocently.

"Hmm?" Jingzi raises an eyebrow, taking a closer look at the somewhat naive and charming little fox demon squatting on the ground.

When Jingzi first saw Su Xiaoxiao, she thought such a pretty little fox demon must be a cunning and sly fox fairy, just like other fox girls she had seen before. This one, however, was even more captivating to look at, surely even more beguiling.

Thus, the blue-clothed girl thought to give this little fox demon a show of authority, but now it seems...

Isn't she just a fool?

That guy hadn't come for a long time; it was said he went down the mountain and suddenly brought such a simple-minded little fox over? Just dumped her and left? Where on earth did he abduct such a silly little fox demon from? In the current times, such naive little fox demons are rare to find, truly a rare species... the blue-clothed girl mumbled.

As if looking at a rare curiosity.

Suddenly, Jingzi hopped off the bench in the pavilion, took two bouncy steps, and descended the stairs.

She approached Su Xiaoxiao, bent over, and said, "Hmm, it seems you have some insight. I thought all of you fox tribes were illiterate. Well, it turns out there are some normal little fox demons who admire scholarly knowledge, not just common rouges and powders."

"Exactly!" In the next second, the short Jingzi straightened her back and waved her small hand, arrogantly boasting, "My name, besides sounding extremely nice, has its roots in stories and references. It could take you seven days and nights searching through volumes. This name was given by my teacher; do you know how impressive she is?"

Su Xiaoxiao, who had been quietly waiting here after being brought by her sweetheart, listened in a daze. She looked up at this imposing orchid spirit, forgetting to blink, with wide-open fox eyes.

At this moment, the little fox demon noticed the blue-clothed girl arrogantly point her chin in a certain direction.

Following her gaze, she saw a direction within the courtyard where a flower bed was located, surrounded by orchids, with an open-air table by which a woman in Confucian clothes, her hair tied into a male crown, was focused on writing with a brush, seemingly undisturbed or resting.

When Zhao Rong brought her here, Su Xiaoxiao had already noticed this Confucian-robed woman, who subconsciously intimidated her.

At that time, she was just about to gather courage to ask Zhao Lang, but Zhao Lang left her and went towards the flower bed, chatting happily with the surprised-looking Confucian lady before returning to briefly instruct her and then leaving again.

So, after discretely peeking a lot, Su Xiaoxiao squatted down a bit reluctantly, obediently waiting here as per Zhao Lang's instructions, until he finished his important matters.

However, thinking about what Zhao Rong had mentioned before, when bringing her out from the East Xiao Building North Room, the little red-clothed fox demon was quite flustered...

Now, beside the reception pavilion, Su Xiaoxiao followed Jingzi's indication, stood lightly, and looked towards the focused writing Confucian woman, whose certain scenery seemed quite magnificent and eye-catching.

This fox-eyed girl suddenly thought of something, and her little face turned pale.

She squatted back down, huddling in the orchid bushes, using it to shield her figure and block the possible sights of the one known as Zhu Yourong from seeing her.

Su Xiaoxiao felt intimidated and lowered her small head, glancing down at the small canteen that only just filled Zhao Lang's stomach each time, mumbling:

"Oh, she's really impressive. So... so grand."

Once Su Xiaoxiao stood up, Jingzi glanced at the little fox demon who seemed to win over her height, silently ran back into the pavilion, jumped onto the stone bench, and adjusted her large scholar's hat...

At this moment, she also looked away from her teacher in the distance, pouting as she glanced in the same direction.

Hearing Su Xiaoxiao's words, Jingzi also nodded in agreement.

"Yes, indeed."

The two little girls shared a mutual understanding, quietly for a while.

For some reason, both felt a sudden sense of camaraderie, a bit like... mutual sympathy?

Su Xiaoxiao looked up at the blue sky; it was near noon.

She suddenly took out an embroidered sachet from her arms, carefully holding it, gazing at it while bowing her head.

Beside the orchid bushes, the little red-clothed fox demon lightly bit her pink lip, unsure of what she was thinking.

Jingzi picked up a watering can again, watering the 'sisters' in light boredom, turned to curiously look at the quiet Su Xiaoxiao, and asked:

"Where did you get the sachet?"

"I made it~" Su Xiaoxiao's tone was lively, regaining some confidence.

Yet, the blue-clothed girl nodded and said, "Oh, no wonder it's so ugly. If it's from some clothing shop in the city, I'll have to avoid it when shopping..."

"......" Su Xiaoxiao.

The little red-clothed fox demon didn't feel like playing with the blue-clothed girl anymore.

She swayed gently from side to side, shifting her body, and turned her back to Jingzi.

The blue-clothed girl blinked, yet became intrigued by this peculiar foolish fox demon, asking questions and chattering away to fill the silence.

Su Xiaoxiao clutched the sachet, tilted her head, and stared blankly at the orchids, barely responding to her.

Jingzi jumped down again, circled around Su Xiaoxiao, observing her, and suddenly asked, "Why do you like that guy?"

With her back to Jingzi, Su Xiaoxiao's shoulders trembled, her small head lowered further, remaining silent.

No visible expression.

Jingzi didn't mind, with arms crossed, as she circled a few more times and sighed in a foreboding manner, "But then again, being as silly as you are, it must have been easy for him to sweep you off your feet, right?"

At this, the blue-clothed girl looked regretful, shook her head, and sighed again, "Su Xiaoxiao, you're really weak~"

The usually timid and aggrieved Su Xiaoxiao suddenly stood up, turned around, her already swollen eyes becoming red and moist again.

The little fox demon sniffled, with a serious expression, "It wasn't Zhao Lang being unfaithful and drawing me in; it was... it was... I was the first to reach out... to hold his hand."

Jingzi took a step back, first eyeing the fox-eyed girl, whose height exceeded hers, then turned and marched back to the stone bench, habitually adjusting the oversized scholar's hat that 'boosted' her height.

At this moment, Su Xiaoxiao determinedly said, "You're not allowed to say that about him, and this matter, you know nothing about his greatness, do you?"

Her eyes flushed, her large fox eyes widened and refused to let tears fall, as if holding back her tears with all her might.

The little fox demon told herself she couldn't cry, to maintain that last bit of strength...

Jingzi, standing 'lofty' with her face fixed, looked at Su Xiaoxiao, and seeing her condition, blinked slightly in surprise. Subconsciously, she turned her little waist, glancing over the little fox demon's shoulder at her distant teacher, who seemingly concentrated on writing, indifferent to the commotion over here...

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