"Yip~"
The little fox woke from a nap to find itself in a very small space. It was warm all around. It wriggled, poking its little head out to look around.
Although it was still very weak, its head no longer hurt.
When it realized it was actually tucked inside this human's "fur," the little fox tilted its head up to look at Ye Fei, its eyes full of confusion.
It did not remember what its parents looked like. Ever since it had become aware of its surroundings, it had been searching for food in the snow on its own.
Later, it had found some meat, but it could not get it out, so it had no choice but to stay beside it.
But although it had no memories of its parents, it still possessed certain knowledge.
When a cub felt cold, its parents would bring it close and curl their tails and bodies around it, giving it warmth and a sense of safety.
So after staring at Ye Fei for a while, it suddenly felt a little ache in its heart.
When Ye Fei lowered his head to look at it, the little ball of fluff burrowed back into the warm pocket and curled up.
This human was actually caring for me as his cub. But we're different species. He must have lost his own cub, so he's treating me as a replacement...
We're clearly different, but it really is so warm.
It made up its mind. Before this human realized the truth, it would keep this spot and enjoy a little more warmth.
After all, it was not deceiving this human. The human had misunderstood first.
*...*
Ye Fei stared at his right pocket. What was that look in the little creature's eyes supposed to mean?
[Pet: Snow Fox (level 1 cub), loyalty 51, combat power 3, recovering from severe injuries]
Looking at the Pet Panel, Ye Fei truly could not figure it out. Why had this little fox suddenly accepted him as its owner?
Surely it hadn't thought I was going to throw it away when it saw we were back out in the ice and snow?
Was that why it had hurried to accept me as its owner, then huddled in my padded jacket's pocket and refused to come out...?
Apparently, coaxing alone was not enough. A little threat was needed to teach it what was good for it.
Whatever the reason, now that it was his, he needed to help it recover sooner and raise its loyalty.
"Eat this before you go back to sleep. You wanted it earlier, didn't you? Here you go."
Ye Fei took out a Pet Heart Pill and held it above his pocket. Sure enough, the little fox poked out as soon as it caught the scent.
Its pink nose brushed against his hand. With its little paws gripping the edge of the pocket, it carefully opened its mouth and ate the Heart Pill from his hand.
[Your pet has taken a Level-One Pet Heart Pill. Health restored by 20%, loyalty +3, current happiness 80 (maximum 100)]
Its health bar, previously only half full, suddenly rose a chunk, and its loyalty increased by three points as well.
As for happiness...
The little creature had not been in a particularly bad mood after accepting him as its owner, so he could not yet tell exactly what happiness did.
"Go back to sleep. I won't leave you outside."
Watching the Snow Fox nuzzle its little head against his palm, Ye Fei stroked its head before tucking it back into his pocket.
Feeling itself return to the warm "fur" and listening to the human's footsteps, the little fox became even more certain that its earlier guess was right.
This human was searching for medicine because of its injuries.
He had not withheld the good stuff earlier because he did not want to give it any. There must have been some special reason why he had to wait until now.
[Your pet appreciates your hard work. Loyalty +2]
*?????*
Ye Fei stopped and looked at his pocket, completely baffled as to why its loyalty had increased.
It appreciated my hard work?
Did it think searching for food in the snow was too much work, so its loyalty increased because I hadn't made it come out and help?
Something felt off, but even though it was now his pet, the fox could not understand human speech, and he could not understand what the fox said. No amount of puzzling over it would give Ye Fei an answer.
As he continued searching through the snow, another supply crate indicator appeared ahead. Ye Fei set aside his guesses about the little fox's baffling behavior and focused on getting to work.
The afternoon passed, and Ye Fei returned home before dark.
He had found another four supply crates that afternoon. He was now carrying his axe in his hand, and his Inventory was full again.
[Inventory 10/10: bread 23, water 26, basic wood 9, cabbage seeds 5, tomato seeds 2, pine sapling, eggs 3, Level-One Blood-Replenishing Pills 2, Level-One Spirit-Replenishing Pills 2, dressed chicken]
Besides what he already had, he had obtained another equally plump frozen dressed chicken, two tomato seeds, and three eggs that could not be hatched.
When he ran out of Inventory space, he had fed the other Pet Heart Pill to the little fox, restoring its health bar to almost full and bringing its loyalty up to 62.
Now that he was back in his yard, Ye Fei opened the door and reheated the chicken soup that had gone cold.
It had not snowed during the day, but it was windy here. The wind swept up the snow outside the yard, scattering it through the air and covering his yard with another layer.
After sweeping it clean, Ye Fei looked at the task notification that popped up again and tried his best to tell himself not to make a fuss.
[Random reward: you thoroughly cleaned the yard again before dark. Reward: 1 Survival Point]
The wording differed from the earlier task, but the meaning was much the same as yesterday: cleaning the yard earned a reward.
"Yip~"
The little fox had woken up as soon as they returned home. Its two little paws clutched the edge of the pocket as it poked its head out and looked from side to side.
When it saw Ye Fei stop, it lifted its head and gave a soft little cry. The affectionate display brought a smile straight to his face.
"Come on, let's go inside and eat!"
Planting trees and vegetables required tools. Ye Fei took the little fox out of his pocket and carried it inside in his palms.
When he opened the door, the room was a little warmer than outside. The little fox jumped to the floor and began trying to explore.
By the time Ye Fei had used the bathroom and washed his hands, the little fox had lost interest in exploring. It lay quietly beside the bed, its round eyes fixed on the steaming pot.
"No rush. It needs to cool down before we can eat."
Ye Fei switched off the electric pot and ladled the remaining half chicken and all the soup into a basin. He estimated they would need to wait at least ten minutes.
After spending the whole day out and about, he was actually quite tired too. He picked up the little fox and set it beside his pillow, then lay down to rest and opened the chat channel to see the other players' latest messages.
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