Qiguan Yuan lifted his head from Pei Yubai's shoulder, his silver hair falling down, a few strands landing on Pei Yubai's collarbone, tickling him.
The furry ears twitched slightly.
" Pei Yubai." Qiguan Yuan's voice was still very close to Pei Yubai, his breath brushing against Pei Yubai's skin. "Will you be a good boy/girl?"
Pei Yubai looked at him and nodded.
Qiguan Yuan's ears twitched again. He straightened up from his shoulder and leaned back against the bedpost. His silver hair was loose on his shoulders and hung down in front of his chest, and his red clothes were draped loosely.
He said to Shen Lingyi on the other end of the phone, "Okay, I also think he'll behave."
Shen Lingyi's laughter came through the receiver.
She shouted, " Zhongkang, did you hear that? We have a daughter-in-law now!" Then she brought her voice closer to the receiver, speaking even faster than before.
" Xiaobai, did you hear that? Don't stand there like a wooden stake. We can't let Yuanyuan run away. Okay, okay, I'm not saying anything more. Your dad's annoyed with me. Remember to bring Yuanyuan back. I'm hanging up now."
The call ended abruptly, leaving Pei Yubai no room to reply.
Pei Yubai took the phone away from his ear; the screen was dark, reflecting only his face.
His ears were still red, the redness spreading upwards from his earlobes. He lowered his eyes, placed his phone on the table, and the phone fell onto the table with a soft thud.
Qiguan Yuan leaned back against the bedpost. His tails emerged from behind him, nine fluffy tails spread out behind him, the tips slightly upturned, swaying slowly.
The tail that was raised the highest rested on the bedpost and patted it twice, pat, pat.
Another hair wrapped around Pei Yubai's arm, its tip rubbing against the back of his hand, its fur tickling him.
" Pei Yubai." Qiguan Yuan's voice was slightly languid as he asked, "Did you have a cat when you were a child?"
Pei Yubai looked at the white tail on the back of his hand. After a while, he reached out and touched it. The tip of the tail flicked at his fingertip, then retracted. It retracted halfway and then stretched out again, resting on the back of his hand.
Pei Yubai stared at the tail without speaking, and Qiguan Yuan didn't urge him either. He just leaned against the bedpost, waiting for his answer.
"I've raised them." Pei Yubai finally spoke after a long while.
Qiguan Yuan looked at him.
"An orange cat, I picked it up from the roadside." Qiguan Yuan nodded. "And then?"
Pei Yubai withdrew his finger from Qiguan Yuan's tail tip, glanced at his own finger, and said, "He left later. He was cared for for over ten years before dying of old age."
Qiguan Yuan didn't speak. Pei Yubai's voice wasn't loud. Qiguan Yuan looked at his profile; his face was expressionless.
"Would you like to raise another one?" Qiguan Yuan asked after a moment.
Pei Yubai turned to look at Qiguan Yuan, Qiguan Yuan was looking at him.
Qiguan Yuan's ears peeked out from his hair, the tips of which were light pink, and his nine tails swayed gently behind him. He was incredibly handsome.
"Do you prefer cats or foxes?" Qiguan Yuan asked.
After he finished speaking, Pei Yubai saw his ears twitch slightly and the tip of his tail curl slightly.
It was as if she was deliberately trying to seduce him.
Pei Yubai looked intently at Qiguan Yuan. Qiguan Yuan's eyes were slightly curved, and the corners of his mouth were also curved. He leaned against the bedpost, looking like a painting.
Pei Yubai looked at him, then said, "I like Yuanyuan."
Neither the fox nor the cat is as important Yuanyuan.
Qiguan Yuan tilted his head and asked, "Can I take that as... you're confessing your feelings?"
He held those two words in his mouth, as if savoring them. "Confession, is that the word? To be precise, you want to ask me for a title? Is that it, Pei Yubai?"
Pei Yubai's heart rate soared instantly. "Yes."
Qiguan Yuan sat up from the bedpost, pulled his open red robe tighter, the belt still untied, the collar loosely draped. He reached out, his fingertips touching Pei Yubai's chest, and through the clothes, he could feel the heartbeat travel through his fingertips.
"What answer do you want from me?" Qiguan Yuan's voice was very soft as his fingers slowly moved from Pei Yubai's left chest to the center. " Pei Yubai, tell me."
Qiguan Yuan withdrew his hand and leaned back against the bedpost.
A tail wrapped around Pei Yubai's back, its tip resting on his waist.
"At least, you should formally... confess your feelings to me." Qiguan Yuan looked at Pei Yubai.
"You can say it again," Qiguan Yuan said, "Let me hear it one more time."
Without looking at the tail and ears, Pei Yubai stared into Qiguan Yuan's eyes.
Pei Yubai reached out and touched Qiguan Yuan that fell over her shoulder. The strands of hair slipped through his fingers, cool like water. " Yuanyuan, I like you. I really like you."
" Yuanyuan, I want a title, a title that allows me to have you, a title that belongs to you."
Qiguan Yuan, looking at the translucent red thread on his ring finger. After a while, he reached out and picked up the end of the thread.
" Pei Yubai, do you know why I tied this thread to your ring finger?" Qiguan Yuan asked.
Pei Yubai shook his head.
Qiguan Yuan looked at the thread.
The line on your ring finger is the Thread of Fate connecting us.
"Koj yog kuv txoj hmoo sib yuav, yog kuv lub neej no tib tug uas kuv lub siab xaiv."
Pei Yubai's heart was racing uncontrollably.
Qiguan Yuan raised his head and looked at Pei Yubai. Pei Yubai could see himself reflected in those light-colored eyes. "You are my destined one, the only one I have ever chosen in this life."
Qiguan Yuan sat up straighter, and his nine tails slowly folded together behind him, leaving only one fluffy tail draped over the edge of the bed.
He stretched out his hand, palm up, fingers spread, and placed it in front of Pei Yubai.
"Therefore, Pei Yubai, your official status is Qiguan Yuan's partner."
Pei Yubai, who had been holding his breath unconsciously, finally relaxed.
She raised her hand and grasped Qiguan Yuan's, hooking the red thread binding them together. " Yuanyuan..."
"According to you, what should our relationship be considered?" Qiguan Yuan asked.
Pei Yubai looked at him, then replied, "He's my boyfriend."
Qiguan Yuan repeated the three words to himself, "Boyfriend... what a novel way to address someone."
Qiguan Yuan straightened up from the bedpost, leaned over, and rested his chin on Pei Yubai's shoulder.
"Goodnight, my boyfriend."
Feeling Qiguan Yuan's touch, Pei Yubai did not move away, and kept looking at Qiguan Yuan.
It's as if I can never get enough of looking at it.
Qiguan Yuan waited quietly for him to speak.
Pei Yubai opened his mouth and said, "Goodnight, Yuanyuan."
Even after they went to bed, Pei Yubai was still reeling from the immense joy of actually becoming Yuanyuan's boyfriend.
He originally thought it would take him a very long time to win Yuanyuan.
Pei Yubai's nerves were in a state of heightened arousal, and he couldn't fall asleep for a long time.
Until Qiguan Yuan's hand suddenly covered his eyes.
Consciousness slowly faded.
Qiguan Yuan looked at Pei Yubai, who had finally fallen asleep, put on his clothes, and got out of bed.
He raised his hand, his fingers slightly hooked, and the red thread wrapped around his hand.
"Let's take care of Ji Shiyu and Jiang Wantang's matter first; it's been a while since we've had any activities."