The Very Capable Little Fox

As evening drew near.

Two plates of snacks bought from the shop next door sat on a picnic table in the family zone.

Nan Xiaofeng animatedly described the rides she had gone on today, while Hua Ling sat calmly beside her, nibbling on snacks.

"Let's go outside and get something tasty later. Xiaofeng, what do you want to eat?" Nan Jiayu asked.

"I want grilled fish! And... and spicy-and-sour rice noodles! I want egg tarts too!"

The two sisters pulled out their phones and began enthusiastically discussing what to have for dinner, while Su Tianqing took small bites of pork jerky, her gaze falling on Hua Ling.

This child had it rough too, accompanying Nan Xiaofeng on a whole day of wild fun.

But she did not seem as excited as Nan Xiaofeng. Did she not like amusement parks with so many people?

"Hua Ling."

"Ah... Sister Tianqing..."

Hua Ling blanked out for a moment before responding politely.

"Did you have fun today?"

"Mhm, mhm. It's been a long time since I last came to an amusement park. I had a lot of fun today."

Hua Ling nodded with a soft smile.

Yet Su Tianqing caught a trace of hesitation in that smile.

Under the little fox's smiling gaze, Hua Ling felt as though she had been seen through. Her faint smile quickly faded, her head gradually lowered, and she let out a quiet sigh.

The two sisters beside them did not notice that sigh.

Su Tianqing silently took out a notepad from her shoulder bag, wrote a line, and gently pushed the note in front of Hua Ling.

Written on it in neat, elegant handwriting were the words, "Did something happen? Can you tell me?"

Hua Ling hesitated for a while, but she still accepted the ballpoint pen Su Tianqing handed her and wrote her answer.

"Yesterday, after Sister Tianqing left, some things happened. I feel like I'm so useless."

Her handwriting was exceptionally beautiful, not the sort of handwriting a girl her age would be expected to have.

Seeing Hua Ling's answer and recalling the mission guidance she had received when reviewing the Codex this morning, Su Tianqing could roughly guess what had happened.

It seemed their conversation yesterday had played a crucial role. Hua Ling had apparently already tried transforming, or she would not have said something like this.

Though the transformation had not succeeded.

"Did you argue with Xiaofeng?"

"It wasn't an argument. I just feel like I'm useless and can't protect anyone."

"Why do you feel that way? At your age, Hua Ling, Xiaoyu and I should be the ones protecting you."

Looking at Su Tianqing's elegant handwriting on the note, the girl hesitated for a while, but ultimately did not write down the truth.

Seeing her hesitate, Golden Fox reached out, took back the note, and wrote two more lines.

"Hua Ling is already amazing. When I was your age, I only dared to hide at home and do homework after school. I didn't dare go outside at all."

"What exactly happened? Can you tell me?"

Hua Ling paused for a long while.

"Well... I really want to tell you, Sister Tianqing, but it's a secret between my friend and me. If I tell you, my friend will get angry."

You're such an awkward kid! Su Tianqing grumbled inwardly.

"I see. Then have you talked things over properly with your friend?"

"We already talked, but I still feel like..."

Su Tianqing had only just written her reply when the sisters next to them reached a conclusion about dinner.

"Let's have grilled fish tonight! I know a grilled fish place that's super delicious!"

"Hm? Sure."

Su Tianqing smiled and nodded, swiftly stuffing the note into Hua Ling's arms. The two of them tacitly pretended nothing had happened.

Now that dinner had been decided and they had more or less tried all the rides in the amusement park, the four of them turned their attention to the Ferris wheel on Lakeheart Island.

"Let's use the Ferris wheel to wrap up the day. What do you think?"

Several waterbirds rested on the bridge leading to Lakeheart Island. The moment they saw people approaching, they flapped their wings and flew away.

Nan Xiaofeng leaned over the railing and looked into the distance.

"Hua Ling, look! That's the roller coaster we rode! It looks pretty spectacular from far away."

"Y-yeah." Hua Ling nodded. She did not have particularly wonderful memories of the roller coaster.

Su Tianqing quietly moved to the other side of the bridge, leaned over the railing, and pretended to watch the pirate ship in the distance while actually taking a small capsule from her pocket.

This was something she had prepared at noon—a Monster Capsule created using one of the Heartmoon Wand's attached skills.

Whether or not she was transformed, she could sense the capsule's existence and control the monster inside with her mind.

And to ensure nothing went wrong, she had stacked the Heartmoon Wand's thrice-daily Monster Enhancement ability twice before stuffing it into this capsule.

"—Plop."

The capsule fell into the water and vanished.

Su Tianqing calmly watched the ripples spread across the lake, her heart undisturbed.

The plan was progressing steadily.

Her plan to use herself as bait had reached its final and most critical step. Not a single mistake could be made from here on out.

After carefully reviewing the operation plan in her mind, Su Tianqing took a deep breath, turned to look at the three girls playing with the birds on the other side of the bridge, and said:

"Come on, let's head to the Ferris wheel."

The Ferris wheel was bustling.

The tourists' plans were surprisingly consistent: they all intended to end their day at the Ferris wheel.

After all, like the carousel, the Ferris wheel was a gentle ride. Unless someone had a fear of heights, it was an amusement attraction suitable for children, adults, and the elderly alike.

Su Tianqing and Nan Jiayu entered one cabin first, while Nan Xiaofeng and Hua Ling, delayed by a trip to the restroom, boarded one of the cabins behind them.

As the Ferris wheel slowly rose, Su Tianqing leaned by the window and watched the land gradually recede. She spoke to Nan Jiayu, who was also admiring the view.

"Xiaoyu."

"Hm?"

"This is my first time coming to an amusement park," Su Tianqing said.

"Ah?... Ah, I see..."

The catgirl was clearly stunned for a moment, then remembered Su Tianqing's family circumstances, which hovered around the poverty line, and helplessly shook her head.

"So, Tianqing, do you think amusement parks are fun?"

"They're fun! Super fun!"

Fox Fox vigorously wagged her tail and nodded repeatedly.

Nan Jiayu smiled faintly.

"Is that so? I'm glad you like it. If we get the chance, let's go somewhere else together next time," the catgirl said.

Su Tianqing turned back to look at the petite catgirl in front of her. Her eyes shifted, and she suddenly moved from the window back to her seat.

Then she leaned forward, propped her cheeks up with both hands, and looked at Nan Jiayu with great interest.

"In the future, will we go to even more places together?" Su Tianqing asked softly.

"We definitely will."

Nan Jiayu nodded.

"In summer, we can go see the ocean together. In winter, we can go to Ice City to see the snow. In spring, we can hike and go on outings, and in autumn, we can go to Lake City to see the maple leaves!"

"There are so many places we can go, and besides..."

As she spoke, their gazes met.

There were no excessive words, but their eyes had already said enough.

They were now twenty-five meters above the ground.

There were only two people in the cabin.

Su Tianqing looked directly at the catgirl before her and said softly:

"This is a Ferris wheel. It's just the two of us here, so no one will know if we speak honestly."

"...!"

Looking at the Golden Fox before her, whose face was filled with anticipation, Nan Jiayu froze for a long time, unsure how to answer.

The cabin was thirty meters above the ground.

The world was gradually drifting away from her.

The little fox leaned against the seatback, tilted her head slightly, and slowly swished her tail beside herself, maintaining a sweet smile.

At that moment, the setting sun shone upon her golden hair, making her radiant.

Reason told Nan Jiayu that some things were not realistic right now.

But she was so dazzling, sitting there so obediently without saying a word, like a quiet angel.

The Ferris wheel continued to rise. The ground grew farther and farther away, while the brilliant sunlight drew ever closer.

"Tianqing... I..."

The catgirl took two deep breaths, trying to dispel the faint gardenia scent in her nose and calm herself.

Then she gathered her courage, leaned close to the little fox's ear, and whispered something.

Su Tianqing's eyes widened slightly, and the smile on her face became even brighter.

"...I see. So that's how you feel, Xiaoyu."

"Y-yes!"

The catgirl stammered.

It was too early. Still far too early.

She could not give an answer yet.

"You don't have to tell me now, Xiaoyu."

As though she had seen through the other girl's awkwardness, Su Tianqing said with a soft laugh,

"Tell me when you're ready."

"...Okay."

The moment her words fell.

A deep, terrifying sound came from outside the cabin, followed by the frightened screams of the crowd.

Nan Jiayu reacted immediately, turning to press herself against the window and look down at the ground. Her catlike pupils suddenly contracted!

"What? That is...!?"

Like everyone on the ground, the phones in their pockets simultaneously let out a piercing alarm.

[Monster Alert]

[Monster Alert]

[A monster has been detected at Rongcheng Amusement Park. Please proceed immediately to the nearest shelter!]

"Rumble!!"

The Ferris wheel let out a thunderous roar. The sudden shutdown of its generator immediately brought it to a halt!

The momentum sent Su Tianqing lunging forward from her seat. Nan Jiayu hurriedly caught the bewildered Golden Fox, and the two fell to the floor of the cabin, both wincing in pain and sucking in sharp breaths.

—The cabin was thirty-eight meters above the ground.

Right at the top of the Ferris wheel.