Fox was rescued.

It wasn't the boy huddled in the mud, his eyes empty and numb, but someone standing straight, looking down at him from above.

Those eyes, which were always lowered or filled with tears, were unusually bright at this moment, surging with a kind of almost fanatical, twisted malice that he had never seen before.

The corners of his mouth were stretched upwards in a cold and profound arc, like a smile, yet carrying a spasm as if he were enduring extreme pain or pleasure.

Lin Xun grinned silently, revealing his gleaming white teeth. His unfamiliar appearance sent chills down Yu Fuli's spine.

I must be hallucinating...

In her hazy state of consciousness, Yu Fuli absurdly thought that she could actually see the little white flower disintegrate into a man-eating plant...

But the scene before them carried a chilling realism, the darkness in those eyes almost solidifying and dripping down.

Undeterred, he used the last of his conscious mind to blink forcefully, then with immense difficulty, he slowly raised his heavy head, trying to see more clearly—

The alleyway was deserted.

Only the dim streetlights in the distance shone faintly.

Where is Lin Xun?

It was indeed a hallucination.

It was brain derangement caused by excessive blood loss, and absurd delusions born from pain.

Yu Fuli slumped her head, exhausted, and gave a self-deprecating smile, which aggravated her wounds, causing an even more violent cough and the smell of blood.

In the chaos of near-death, even hallucinations are so absurd.

Why?

In some corner of my heart, this absurd illusion sent a chill through me, an indescribable coldness.

He didn't have time to think about it carefully, nor did he have the energy to think about it any further.

Darkness, like the final tide, gently and thoroughly engulfed his last vestiges of consciousness.

The cold darkness was about to engulf all senses; even pain seemed distant.

Just as consciousness completely sank.

A voice rang out very close, almost touching his head, deep and hoarse, yet with a nonchalant tone and a hint of playful surprise:

"Huh? Where did this fox come from? Tsk... and it's white."

Immediately, he felt as if he was lifted off the cold ground by a force that was not gentle but steady enough. The feeling of weightlessness, along with the sharp pain of his wounds being touched, made his remaining consciousness twitch.

Then came endless darkness.

……

Xiao Chi looked at the object in his hand with surprise.

He was originally ordered by his grandfather to come to this downtown area to observe the people's conditions, do some superficial work, and win a good reputation for the family.

After handing over the task of distributing supplies to his subordinates, he was idly wandering around this run-down place when he suddenly heard a gunshot that shouldn't have been heard there.

When they arrived at the scene, they only caught a glimpse of a thin figure disappearing at the end of the alley. Further ahead, they found the fox next to this pile of garbage.

Its entire body is pure white, and even when its fur is stained with blood and dust, it still exudes a striking sense of holiness in the dim light.

Its eyes were closed at the moment, and it was clearly unconscious.

Xiao Chi carried it quite casually, pinching the skin on the back of its neck as if it were a large plush toy. He even weighed it in his hand and muttered, "Wow, it's pretty heavy."

He turned the white fox around, his gaze landing on its left foreleg near the shoulder blade—the fur there was soaked in blood, matted together, and a clear little hole was clearly visible, the flesh around the edge rolled up, blood still slowly seeping out.

Gunshot wound.

Xiao Chi's eyes narrowed slightly.

Was the target of that gunshot the fox?

Who would shoot a fox in this place?

Or was the fox with the vanished figure at the time?

He looked up, glanced at the dirty alley, and then looked at the unconscious, weak white fox in his hand.

His red hair fluttered slightly in the night breeze, and the usual nonchalance on his face faded a little, replaced by a hint of interest and curiosity.

"Interesting." He smirked, then without further hesitation, took off his expensive casual jacket and carefully wrapped the white fox in it, mainly to cover the bloodstains and wounds, then held it in his arms like a package.

"Consider yourself lucky you ran into me in a good mood," he said to the unconscious fox, not caring whether it could hear him or not. "I'll take you somewhere you can survive."

He turned around, holding the white fox wrapped in his coat, its breath faint, and quickly left the alleyway reeking of blood.

As soon as they returned to the temporary supply distribution point, the old butler, Uncle Qin, rushed up to them, his gray eyebrows furrowed tightly, his voice filled with barely suppressed worry and lingering fear: "Young Master! Why did you go to a place like that by yourself? The city's alleys are complicated and the security is chaotic. What if you encountered some danger, or were bumped into by some clueless person!"

Xiao Chi twitched the corners of his mouth nonchalantly, revealing his usual carefree smile.

Uncle Qin has been the Xiao family's steward for decades. He has served the Xiao family since his grandfather's generation and has practically watched him grow up. Therefore, he always treats him like a child and is always extra careful around him.

"Uncle Qin, relax. What could possibly happen to me? Besides, if anything were to happen, it would be the other party who would be in trouble." He spoke casually, gently pulling the white package closer to his chest.

Upon hearing this, Qin Bo couldn't help but reveal a genuine sense of pride.

Their young master is naturally the most outstanding.

Born into a well-established military and political family, Xiao Chi received rigorous training from a young age that was completely different from that of ordinary noble children.

While his peers spent their summer vacations in amusement parks or traveling abroad, he was already training in a disciplined military camp; while other wealthy children attended various elite summer camps, he was often in a secret military base, receiving more specialized training.

Therefore, he has developed excellent skills, and if anything were to happen, the one who should be afraid would be the other party.

"I have something to take care of, I need to go back first." Xiao Chi waved his hand, his tone casual.

Uncle Qin immediately nodded: "Yes, young master, I'll take care of things here, don't worry."

Just as Xiao Chi turned to leave, Qin Bo spotted a tuft of white down peeking out from under his coat in the crook of his arm.

"Young Master, what are you holding in your arms...?" Uncle Qin asked in confusion.

"Oh, a fox," Xiao Chi replied casually without stopping, "I picked it up on the road. It was a little injured. I'll take it back and have someone take a look at it."

Sitting in the back seat of the speeding car, Xiao Chi steadied the coat wrapped in his arm with one hand, took out his phone with the other, quickly swiped through the contact list, found the name, and dialed it.

The call was answered quickly.

"Qiao'an, I have a special situation here." Xiao Chi got straight to the point, his gaze falling on the slightly heaving white figure in his arms. "She's been shot, and the situation is a bit complicated. Come to my villa now."

A gentle but slightly surprised voice came from the other end of the phone: "Shot wound? You're injured? How serious is it?"

"It wasn't me," Xiao Chi interrupted him, paused, and seemed to find it a bit troublesome to explain, so he simply said, "Anyway, you'll know when you get here. Bring your weapons, and be quick."

"Send me the address, I'll be there right away." Wen Qiaoan didn't ask any more questions and readily agreed.

After hanging up the phone, Xiao Chi sent over the address of the villa.

He bent down, lifted a corner of his coat, and carefully examined the wound on the white fox's left forelimb.

The blood had been temporarily contained by the coat fabric, but the surrounding white fur was still stained red, a shocking sight.

The fox remained unconscious, its breathing weak but relatively steady.

"A gunshot wound..." Xiao Chi murmured to himself, his fingertips lightly touching the fur at the edge of the wound. "Who would shoot a fox? Especially in a place like this..."

He recalled the sudden gunshot and the thin figure disappearing into the alley. What connection did these two things have with the fox?