It was eight-thirty in the morning, and once again, the winter sun was shining brightly over this northern town—rare fine weather for the season. Warm sunlight streamed through the broad glass windows, making everyone feel so cozy and languid that they could barely be bothered to move. Lily was sprawled comfortably on a lounge chair that had just been carried up from the basement, basking in the sun. Behind her, Hao Ren and Vivian were busy with a pair of large scissors each. As the blades flashed, strands of silvery-white fur, pure as snow, drifted to the floor. Lily turned her head to look and sighed, "Cut away three thousand strands of worry, leaving clarity in the heart..."
Hao Ren reached out and slapped her lightly. "It's just a haircut. Do you have to sound like you're taking the tonsure?"
Lily lazily yawned, her ears cheerfully twitching in the sunlight. "This feels so good... Bat, be careful. Make it nice and even, okay?"
Vivian kept snipping away. "Don't worry. I used to shear sheep, so I'm quite practiced. But honestly, what's the point of trimming it evenly now? It'll grow wildly for another two or three cycles anyway. I actually want to shave you clean. It'd probably grow back more evenly that way..."
Lily shuddered at once and glared angrily at Vivian. "You dare! You're disfiguring me!"
Hao Ren and Vivian did not have to work for long before they had trimmed Lily's tail back to a normal shape. He patted the fluffy tail, smooth as satin, and let the husky spirit inspect the results. Lily jumped down from the lounge chair, twisted around to look, then wagged her tail with satisfaction. "Mm-hmm, it feels much better now!"
As Vivian gathered up the scattered fur, she bared her teeth at