The Crazy Fox Demon Devours My Heart - Chapter 9

Fox Yan conjured foxfire in his palm once again.

“What are you trying to do this time?” Qingyu shrank back, afraid he might use the flames to burn her.

“Your clothes are soaked. If they aren’t dried, you’ll fall ill.”

Qingyu tugged at her drenched garments. Heavy and sticky against her skin, they clung uncomfortably.

Her eyes drifted to the bonfire not far away. “I can dry them myself by the fire.”

She turned her back to him, moved closer to the flames, and removed her shoes and socks. Water poured from them as she set them aside to air.

Bare feet on the stone, she covered herself with her skirt, stretching her stiff, chilled fingers toward the fire.

The stone beneath her feet was dark, making the toes that peeked out from under her skirt look like luminous white pearls—difficult for anyone to look away from.

Fox Yan’s gaze lingered on her back. The thin fabric of her soaked dress clung tightly to her body, tracing her delicate curves.

Her long hair, still dripping, slid down the length of her legs and spilled onto her pale feet.

His eyes deepened. Too wet.

The heat of the flames blurred her drowsy mind. Qingyu leaned her head to one side, eyes half-closed, nearly drifting to sleep.

Someone gently encircled her from behind. Pale blue foxfire bloomed around her body, wrapping her in soft light.

The fire moved with exact control—warm enough to dry her clothes, but never burning her skin.

It caressed along her hair, traveling downward with tender strokes.

Little by little, the dampness evaporated. Soon, Qingyu’s entire body was dry, even her bare feet, now warm instead of chilled.

The clammy cold vanished completely.

Sensing something strange, she opened her eyes and touched her hair—dry and smooth. Her garments, too, were crisp against her skin.

Puzzled, she looked over. On the far side of the firepit, Fox Yan withdrew the last flicker of blue flame from his palm.

Meeting her gaze, his voice was low and husky. “This way is faster.”

By the firelight, Qingyu studied his flawless face.

A fox demon. An eight-tailed one. His power ran deep. He was no ordinary creature.

From the very first day she arrived here, he had appeared. He had slain his own kind to save her.

Though she didn’t yet understand why her presence eased his pain, one thing was certain—this demon would never let her go. He would cling to her, always.

After all, the chronically ill never abandon a cure.

And those monsters on the cliff—they had been coming for her. They wanted her dead.

So, there were demons who did not want her here.

Interesting.

Qingyu narrowed her eyes, a cool smile curling her lips. That was very good indeed.

As for the fox beside her, she no longer wished to bother with him. She turned her head away, ignoring him entirely.

When she finally drifted into sleep, Fox Yan extended his tongue and slowly licked his bloodied, mangled palms.

At last, he curled up to rest—very near her.

The bonfire died to embers. By the time dawn broke, the sky was already bright.

Qingyu rubbed the stiffness from her legs and stood, gazing ahead.

The mountain loomed high before her. She hadn’t noticed its height last night when she’d fallen.

Its cliffs were bristling with thin, sharp stones.

If a body scraped against them, surely a whole layer of flesh would be flayed away.

The two returned to the inn, where Fu Yin immediately shrieked upon seeing them.

“Princess! Where have you been? You’re a mess, gone the whole night—we searched everywhere for you!”

Qingyu’s hair was disheveled, her clothes no longer tidy, and her appearance somewhat haggard.

Fox Yan, however, looked the same as ever—refined and composed. His wounds had already vanished.

Qingyu was not surprised. For an ordinary person, such injuries would require half a month of recovery. But he was a demon—different from mortals.

Fu Yin’s gaze flicked suspiciously between the two of them, carrying a strange, probing meaning. At last she forced out:

“You… where did you take our princess? Look at the state she’s in—you must have defiled her!”

She clutched Qingyu, eyes full of distress. “Princess, did he bully you?”

Seeing her maid’s expression grow more and more twisted, Qingyu finally spoke.

“It wasn’t his fault. I fell into the water yesterday. It was late, the mountain paths were dangerous, so we waited until daylight to return.”

Fu Yin clearly didn’t believe her. “Truly?”

“Of course it’s true,” Qingyu replied calmly.

Only then did Fu Yin relax.

At that moment, Aunt Lin and the others returned from the street.

When the princess had suddenly vanished yesterday, they had been frantic.

Seeing her standing there safe, Aunt Lin exhaled in relief. But at the sight of Qingyu’s disheveled clothes, her heart lurched.

Could it be…?

Her face drained of color. If the princess had lost her chastity, how could they possibly face the demon clan?

Qingyu caught the look in her eyes and knew exactly what she was thinking. She had no intention of explaining further.

Only after Fu Yin recounted what had happened did Aunt Lin’s expression soften. Still, she scolded, “Princess, don’t run about again. Stay here in the inn and await the wedding peacefully!”

Under Aunt Lin’s strict watch, Qingyu had no choice but to return to her room. Having been chilled and frightened, she soon burned with fever that night.

No matter how tightly she wrapped herself in quilts, she couldn’t stop shivering.

It felt as if she were trapped in an ice cave, trembling violently.

Fu Yin fed her spoonfuls of medicine, then slumped at the bedside in exhaustion.

But the fever refused to break. Before long, Qingyu’s body burned as if aflame.

She kicked off her bedding, heat radiating off her in waves.

A shadow slipped through the room. Fu Yin collapsed silently to the floor, unconscious.

Qingyu, lost in fever, could barely cling to awareness.

Just then, something small, cool, and furry burrowed into her arms.

Clutching it like a lifeline, she wrapped around it tightly with both arms and legs.

The little creature squirmed, its tails swishing back and forth.

Tickled, Qingyu impatiently caught two of the mischievous tails in her hands.

The creature froze, no longer daring to move.

Perhaps she had hurt it—the tiny being whimpered twice, soft and pitiful.

Content now that it was obedient, Qingyu nestled her face against it and soon slipped into deep sleep.

Moonlight climbed to its zenith, casting faint light over the room.

A breathtakingly beautiful face flushed with red.

Propped on one arm, he breathed unevenly, staring down at the sleeping girl for a long time.

Her delicate fingers clutched his robe, pulling it half open to reveal his sculpted chest.

Her rosy lips parted slightly, breath hot against his straining throat.

Thin nightclothes clung to her heated body, and her restless hands and feet tangled tightly with him.

Her soft, feminine fragrance filled the air, stirring his every nerve.

Fox Yan’s throat bobbed. His eyes darkened as he leaned closer—close enough that their breaths mingled, close enough that he could almost devour the one who tormented his restraint.

Just then, Qingyu turned in her sleep, dragging him down to lie at her side.

Her legs clamped around his tails. He did not resist, only twined them in turn around her smooth calves.

Fevered and delirious, she murmured a name: “Mo Mo…”

At the sound, Fox Yan froze. His eyes flooded with shock, then with fierce joy.

She remembers me!

His trembling fingers traced her lips again and again.

Lowering his head, he buried his face against the hollow of her neck, breathing deeply to suppress the wild hunger within.

No rush… We have all the time in the world.