Kiyomi Tsuki and His Fox

Chapter 87

Cai Zhonghe looked up at him, his gentle voice like a spring breeze, "Jianyue, no matter where you come from, I am very happy to meet you."

Kiyomi Tsuki was stunned for a moment, then his eyes instantly became as clear and bright as the azure sky, and a bright smile bloomed on his face, making his whole face look extremely beautiful.

Cai Zhonghe looked at him, and suddenly, his feelings were indescribably complicated and contradictory. He paced back and forth on the ground, his eyes flashing with sadness and anxiety.

Kiyomi Tsuki looked at him strangely, "Pretty brother, what's wrong?"

Cai Zhonghe acted as if he hadn't heard, suddenly walked to the door, opened it, and left without saying a word.

Kiyoshi sat blankly on the kang, her face full of bewilderment.

The little sparrow sighed, thinking to herself: Don't let my young master's appearance fool you; he has quite a few admirers. She reached out and placed her hand on Qing Jianyue's shoulder, saying softly, "Young master, lie down for a bit. You'll be on guard all night; you need to be well-rested."

Kiyoshi nodded, turned to lie down in the blanket, and gently stroked the white fox's head with one hand.

Time, like sand in an hourglass, was slowly slipping away. Drowsily, Qing Jianyue closed her eyes. Suddenly, the door opened, and someone walked to the warm kang (heated brick bed). She could vaguely hear a sparrow talking to someone. Startled, Qing Jianyue immediately opened her eyes, only to see Lu Qingcheng's face, brimming with concern. Qing Jianyue struggled to sit up, but Lu Qingcheng held her down.

"Lie down and don't move. I've already asked Doctor Li, and Hu'er will be fine."

Qing Jianyue felt a sudden surge of warmth in his heart, even hotter than the heated kang bed beneath him. He reached out and grabbed Lu Qingcheng's sleeve, blurting out, "Has the assassin been caught?"

"Don't worry, I will definitely catch that damned assassin and avenge Fox." As she spoke, Lu Qingcheng's gaze fell from his face to his hands, and her expression suddenly froze.

Qing Jianyue followed his gaze and saw the ring on her finger, which was gripping his sleeve, gleaming in the light. He immediately understood what was happening and hurriedly tried to pull his hand back, but Lu Qingcheng caught him halfway. Seeing that he was staring at the ring, Qing Jianyue panicked and said, "If the Lord likes it, I'll give it to you."

Lu Qingcheng stopped him, a faint sadness flashing in her eyes, and said, "No need. It's yours."

The sadness in his eyes pierced Kiyotsuki's heart. Kiyotsuki hurriedly and sadly tried to take off the ring from her finger. "It's okay, it's not worth much anyway. I'll give it to you, and you can give me a better one to make up for it."

Lu Qingcheng couldn't help but smile, and took his hand, saying, "This ring isn't suitable for me to wear; it would be a waste. You should wear it; it looks great on you. If you like it, I can give you an even better ring."

"I didn't mean to ask you for anything. But if you give it to me, I won't refuse. Wait, let's forget it. You're so poor you're practically selling your assets, how can I be greedy and ask you for anything?" Kiyomi Tsuki's words became increasingly incoherent, and she couldn't help but get angry, saying, "What am I even saying?"

Lu Qingcheng's smile widened, the sadness in her eyes seemed to be dispelled by the wind, and she said with a smile, "It's okay. You get some sleep, I'll come see you again tomorrow."

He gave the little sparrow a few more instructions, basically telling her to inform him immediately if anything happened, and to ask for anything she needed. After nagging for a while, he forbade Qing Jian Yue from getting up to see him off, and instead had the little sparrow see him off in Qing Jian Yue's place.

Kiyoshi lay on the bed, staring blankly at the closed door, thinking: Poor Lord, can't you bring yourself to ask? It's alright, when the opportunity arises, I will definitely tell you your father's story.

Sunlight streamed in through the window, illuminating the entire large room. On the warm kang (heated brick bed), Qing Jianyue lay on his side beside the white fox, one hand still stroking its head. At his feet, a little crow had taken up most of the quilt, drooling as it slept. The little sparrow, however, was the most dutiful, draped in Qing Jianyue's mink cloak, dozing off on the table.

The sounds of drawing water and talking drifted from the courtyard, but soon everything returned to silence. The power of the sunlight, even in the dead of winter, yielded, its warm rays streaming in, making Kiyomi Tsuki's dark blue hair shimmer with a sapphire-like brilliance.

The white fox opened its eyes, its beautiful golden pupils blinking slightly, a hint of sluggishness in them. It raised its head, and Kiyomi Tsuki's hand fell to the bed. The white fox gazed tenderly at its sleeping master, then licked its master's hand with its tongue. Kiyomi Tsuki groggily opened its eyes. The white fox let out a soft whimper and licked its master's hand again.

Kiyomi Tsuki opened her eyes wide in surprise and exclaimed with ecstasy, "Foxie is awake! Little Sparrow, Little Sparrow!"

The little sparrow woke up with a start, thinking something had happened. She jumped up in fright, her mink cloak slipping off her body and falling to the floor. She kicked aside the chair she was sitting on and flew over, "Young master, what's wrong? Fox? My goodness, Fox is awake, Fox is awake!"

"Little crow, wake up!" Qing Jianyue kicked the little crow at her feet and called out with a beaming smile, "Fox is awake. Fox is awake."

The little crow woke up with a start and suddenly heard something about being awake and asleep. Thinking that her master was scolding her for being lazy, she was so frightened that she grabbed her blanket and got up, crying out, "Young master, I dare not be lazy anymore, please don't send me away."

"Silly girl, are you still half asleep?" Qing Jianyue pulled her over and laughed, "Look, Foxie is awake."

The little crow stared blankly at the white fox, "So, the fox won't die, and it can go back to stealing my skirts or shoes and leaving them everywhere."

"What are you saying, you stupid woman? I am the Fox King, how could I die at the hands of a pathetic assassin? I'll tear him to pieces to avenge myself!" The white fox jumped up angrily, but then collapsed again. "Ouch! Master, I'm dying of pain! Where is the assassin? I'll tear him into seventeen or eighteen pieces and feed him to the mice. Waaah..."

Kiyomi Tsuki squinted and smiled, "Alright, alright, it's good that you're awake. Little Crow, go and fetch Doctor Li."

Doctor Li was summoned and, after examining the animal, said with a smile, "Young master, please rest assured, with careful care, it will recover quickly."

The good news quickly reached the Academy of Literature, and soon the entire Lu Family Manor knew that Qing Jianyue's beloved fox was no longer in danger. Lu Qingcheng was overjoyed and personally went to fetch them back to the Academy of Literature.

When the news reached Yixin Garden, Madam Lu scoffed, "A mere beast, yet the lord of Lu Family Fortress personally came to greet him. He's more precious than his mother."

Xu Yun brought over a cup of fragrant tea. "The Lord of the Fortress is showing such affection that he loves everything about his beloved. He can even cherish the flowerpot of his sweetheart as if it were a precious gem."

"Aren't you jealous at all?" Madam Lu took the fragrant tea, a mocking glint in her phoenix eyes. "Don't try to deny it, you like Qingcheng."

Xu Yun's face glowed with a captivating radiance, like the morning sun.

“I always thought Qingcheng would like that little vixen Yunya, but after waiting for so long, there’s still no sign of them making a move. What’s even more of a mistake is bringing her to Baishi Manor this time…” Madam Lu didn’t finish her sentence, the light shining in her phoenix eyes was darker than the most sinister hell.

Xu Yun gracefully lowered her head, remaining silent.

Suddenly, the sound of stumbling footsteps rang out outside. A middle-aged maid scrambled to Madam Lu's feet, her face contorted with terror as if some evil spirit were about to steal her soul. Madam Lu and Xu Yun sensed something was wrong and watched silently as the maid gasped for breath.

"Madam, no, no, sir, our master has been murdered in his room."

This news was undoubtedly a bolt from the blue. Madam Lu and Xu Yun stared wide-eyed in shock, unable to utter a single word.

Tong Kang, the master of Baishi Manor, the eldest son of Madam Tong, and the nephew of Madam Lu, was murdered in his guest room last night. His death was gruesome and nauseating; he was dismembered into eight pieces, his head thrown onto the bed, his feet beneath the window, his body and arms scattered everywhere, the room stained with blood. On the bed lay a woman who had served him; ironically, this woman was Tong Kang's younger brother Tong Lei's concubine. The concubine had died of fright, naked, legs spread wide, with Tong Kang's head crammed between them.

The entire Lu Family Fortress was in an uproar. The night before, the younger brother was killed, and the night after, the older brother was killed. The details of the older brother's gruesome death have already been revealed. Not only was the younger brother shot through the throat with an arrow, but the arrowhead was also smeared with poison, demonstrating the depth of hatred in the hearts of those who killed the brothers.

Despite the magnitude of the event, Madam Lu remained unperturbed, quietly sipping fragrant tea in her study and admiring the blooming winter plum blossoms outside the window. However, this tranquility was soon disrupted when Madam Li, supported by her son Li Zhen, entered. Her panicked gaze betrayed her true intentions.

"Sit down, Third Sister, sit down. Yun'er, make a cup of fragrant tea for Madam Li and Young Master Li." Madam Lu said casually, "You don't need to say anything, I don't want to hear it now."

Madam Li's lips trembled for a long time before she finally closed them obediently.

Xu Yun brought over two cups of fragrant tea and said with a smile, "Madam Li, please have some tea."

Mrs. Li smiled shyly and said, "Thank you, Miss Yun."

Xu Yun smiled gently, "Madam Li, you don't need to be so polite with me." Then, her gaze shifted to Li Zhen, who was staring at her, and she said with a smile, "Young Master Li, please have some tea. Oh dear, Young Master Li, what happened to your face?"