Possessiveness

Xiao Chi had no opinion on Yu Fuli's victory that night.

Don't get me wrong, this is not out of indulgence or pampering.

Those shattered pieces of antique porcelain might be worth half a lifetime of struggle for the poor in the upper and lower districts; that leather sofa with deep scratches might be equivalent to a year's hard-earned salary for an ordinary office worker in the upper district.

But for Xiao Chi, none of these mattered.

The Xiao family's roots are deeply embedded at the top of the empire's military and political circles.

My grandfather was a highly decorated marshal whose name is recorded in textbooks. Although my parents did not serve in the military, they were still important members of parliament.

From birth, he has seen and touched things at a level that is unimaginable to ordinary people. Priceless antiques are just ordinary decorations in a cabinet, and money has long lost its concrete weight.

Therefore, in his eyes, the objects destroyed by Yu Fuli were less noticeable than the vivid resentment and cunning that flashed in the fox's heterochromatic eyes when it caused trouble.

Objects are ultimately inanimate objects.

And the fox that was always trying to provoke him was alive.

The fox could still pique his interest, and that was enough.

Xiao Chi returned to his study, picked up the communicator, and whispered a few instructions.

A short while later, there was a gentle knock on the study door.

The young maid who usually took care of Yu Fuli walked in with her eyelashes lowered, her posture respectful and submissive.

"Young Master," she called softly, her fingertips nervously twisting the neatly ironed hem of her skirt.

Late at night, he was summoned to the study alone by a young master of noble birth and handsome appearance that made people afraid to look directly at him...

Her heart skipped a beat uncontrollably, a hidden unease and an unspeakable anticipation spreading through her heart.

She glanced at Xiao Chi discreetly.

The dim yellow light from the wall lamp softened the cold, hard lines of the room and also gave his tall figure a hazy, warm glow.

She had always been somewhat confident in her appearance, and at this moment she involuntarily straightened her back, her cheeks slightly flushed.

Could it be that... those fantasies about rising to the top, which only circulate in private, might actually come true?

Just as the maid's idyllic thoughts were quietly brewing, Xiao Chi's voice broke the silence.

The voice remained clear and steady, without a trace of the ambiguity of a late-night rendezvous; instead, it carried a businesslike distance.

"You named him?"

The maid was taken aback, her thoughts still lingering on those unrealistic fantasies, and she didn't immediately realize who "he" referred to.

A few seconds later, she realized that the young master was probably asking about the fox that was too beautiful and too mischievous.

This was completely different from what was expected.

The secret expectation in her heart deflated silently, like a balloon punctured by a needle, and was replaced by a heavy unease.

She subconsciously bit her lower lip to steady her slightly unsteady voice, and replied softly, "Yes...yes, young master."

"Oh……"

A very soft, ambiguous laugh escaped from Xiao Chi's throat.

Xiao Chi's ambiguous chuckle was exceptionally clear and jarring in the quiet study, causing the servant to tremble involuntarily.

He didn't look at her. His slender fingers casually flipped through a page of an unclosed document on the table. His tone was indifferent, but his words sent a chill down the maid's spine.

"Who gave you permission?"

The maid froze, her nails digging deep into her palms: "Young Master... I... I just thought it was cute, and I just called it that..."

She tried to explain, but her voice grew weaker and weaker.

Is giving a pet an affectionate name really such a trivial thing in this house?

"Cute." Xiao Chi repeated the word, finally raising her eyes. Her deep black eyes were devoid of warmth, clearly reflecting her current panic.

"It is my property."

He put down the documents, leaned back slightly, but his gaze was tangible, each word clear and slow, striking the heart: "Its name, its ownership, even how it should be treated, are all up to me. Not a servant who finds it adorable."

The maid's face gradually turned pale.

She finally understood that this late-night summons had nothing to do with any ambiguous fantasies, but rather because she had inadvertently touched upon some invisible boundary that belonged to Xiao Chi and could never be crossed.

"You think you can label my things according to your own preferences?" Xiao Chi's voice remained unchanged, yet it carried an unmistakable sense of pressure. "It seems the rules here are too lenient, causing you to have unnecessary misunderstandings."

He gave her no further chance to explain, pressed the internal communication button on the table, and his voice returned to its usual cold and concise tone: "Butler Chen, take her to settle her wages. I don't want to see her in the mansion again tomorrow."

The butler's calm voice came from the other end of the communication: "Yes, young master," before Xiao Chi cut off the call.

The maid was struck dumb, standing there frozen, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

Her fantasies about rising to the top were shattered, leaving only the cold reality: because of a seemingly harmless nickname, she offended the true owner of the mansion and immediately lost her well-paid job.

Xiao Chi had already turned his gaze back to the documents, as if getting rid of an unimportant piece of junk.

Only after the maid was silently led away by the housekeeper who had rushed over upon hearing the commotion, and the study door was gently closed, did he raise his eyes again, gazing at the deep night outside the window, and silently tap his fingertips on the table.

His things should naturally be under his full control.

Even the slightest deviation is not allowed.

Even a fox that always wants to leave and is disobedient.

the next day.

The news spread like wildfire among the mansion's staff. Although no one dared to discuss it openly, everyone knew why the usually popular maid had been suddenly dismissed.

So when Yu Fuli slept until late the next day and leisurely strolled out of his room, he keenly sensed the subtle difference in the atmosphere.

The young maids who used to tease him with smiles and even secretly slip him snacks, were still respectful when they saw him now, but their eyes were more cautious and distant. They quickly finished their tasks and left quietly, not daring to linger even for a second glance.

And the girl who always called him "Xiaobai" in a gentle voice has completely disappeared.

Yu Fuli squatted on the smooth floor of the corridor, tilting his head in confusion. The empty corridor was reflected in his heterochromatic pupils, and a strange sense of unease gripped him.

He flicked his tail and decided to try his luck in the kitchen. Maybe Aunt Chen had some freshly baked snacks and he could find out something.

Before I even reached the kitchen door, I could hear the intermittent whispers of conversation coming from inside.

"...Just because I called him 'Little White'?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! The young master himself said it was against the rules."

"Rules? It's just a fox, isn't it? Even the old general's hunting dogs had nicknames..."

"How can that be the same? When have you ever seen the young master so attentive to any living creature? Although he seems indifferent, look at the mess that fox has made of the living room. Did the young master say anything? You didn't see it last night, just for a name, the look in his eyes..."

"Sigh, poor Aya..."

"Be more careful from now on. That fox is the young master's most precious possession. It cannot be touched. Even its name can only be chosen by the young master himself."

The conversation abruptly stopped as the footsteps approached.

A maid carrying a tray came out and bumped into Yu Fuli, who was squatting at the door. Startled, she quickly lowered her head and hurried around him.

Yu Fuli stood frozen in place, the fragmented words he caught were like scattered puzzle pieces, gradually piecing together an unbelievable fact in his mind.

The maid who always called him "Xiao Bai" with a smile was driven away by Xiao Chi?

Just because of a name?