Escape

Ideals are lofty, but reality is harsh.

Yu Fuli has been trapped in this luxurious villa for almost half a month.

They were fed and cared for, but they couldn't get out, couldn't turn back into human form, and couldn't even speak.

Not to mention his grand undertakings.

What annoyed him even more was that although Xiao Chi was not in the villa, the security level of the villa had not been reduced, as if it was deliberately preventing him from escaping.

[Based on continuous observation data analysis,] the system's voice sounded after Yu Fuli's latest failed escape attempt: [The success rate of escaping via conventional routes is less than 1%. A forced breach will trigger the highest level alarm and cause a serious conflict with the core target, requiring them to reduce their presence to await an opportunity to escape.]

Yu Fuli lay on the cold marble windowsill, its tail thrashing irritably. "So what do you suggest we do? Just sit here doing nothing, waiting for Xiao Chi to remember me someday, or for that lunatic Jiang Yu to come up with something more interesting?"

The system was silent for a moment, seemingly calculating at a rapid pace.

A moment later, it spoke in a flat, electronic voice: "There is a plan that presents both risks and opportunities: use the interest of the key figure, Jiang Yu, to evacuate the Xiao residence."

"Use him?" Yu Fuli's ears perked up.

"Yes. Jiang Yu has shown a strong possessive and collecting desire. He has tried to take you away multiple times, which can be seen as an unstable but exploitable variable," the system analysis stated. "When he next asks to take you away, show a certain degree of compliance or non-resistance, giving him an opportunity to take you away from the current closed environment. After escaping Xiao Chi's direct control, external environmental variables increase, and a window of opportunity to escape or create chaos may appear."

Yu Fuli's dark eyes darted around: "You mean you'd pretend to go with him, and then find a chance to run away along the way?"

[Feasibility 90%] System confirmed. [The risks of this plan are: 1. Jiang Yu herself has a high danger level, and leaving Xiao Chi's environment may lead to an even more uncontrollable situation; 2. Escaping en route requires precise timing and route planning; 3. It may trigger a direct conflict between Xiao Chi and Jiang Yu, causing the subsequent plot to deviate significantly from the prediction.]

Yu Fuli stared at the bright sunlight outside the window, its claws unconsciously scraping against the smooth stone surface.

"Staying here is a slow imprisonment, going with him is jumping into another unknown fire pit..." He scoffed self-deprecatingly, "But at least, the door to that other fire pit might be open."

He needs change, he needs to break this stagnant pool.

Even if it's risky.

"Is the plan confirmed for implementation?" the system asked.

"...Execute." Yu Fuli made up her mind, a sly and resolute glint in her eyes, "However, I have to act convincingly."

The opportunity came sooner than expected.

Two days later, Jiang Yu visited again, and this time he went directly to Yu Fuli, who was sunbathing by the glass greenhouse.

"Little cutie, have you made up your mind?" Jiang Yu squatted down in front of him, her smile still dazzling, but her tone now held a hint of confidence. "My heated swimming pool is ready, and there's a whole artificial grass field where you can run around freely. It's much more fun than staying in this cold cage, right?"

This time, Yu Fuli didn't immediately turn her back to him.

He raised his head, his dark eyes looked at Jiang Yu, then at the familiar, breathtakingly exquisite scenery around him, and finally, he nodded very slowly.

She even leaned forward and gently sniffed Jiang Yu's outstretched hand.

This gesture is clearly a gesture of goodwill.

Jiang Yu's eyes lit up instantly, as if he had discovered an unexpected treasure: "You agreed? That's great!" He immediately reached out to pick up Yu Fuli, his movements more eager than usual.

Yu Fuli resisted and let him pick her up.

Jiang Yu had a faint, expensive woody scent about him.

[The target's emotional state has significantly increased, and their alertness has relatively decreased. The departure process is expected to begin.] System report.

Everything is proceeding as planned.

Jiang Yu, holding him in her arms, exchanged a few brief words with the butler who came to greet her, essentially telling him to take the little guy to her place to play, before heading straight outside.

Without encountering any real obstacles, and with Xiao Chi absent, no one dared, or rather, could truly stop this enthusiastic young master of the Jiang family.

Yu Fuli nestled in Jiang Yu's arms, her heart beating slightly faster.

He carefully sensed the changes in orientation, walked through the corridor from the main house, passed the front hall... and the main gate was right in front of him.

Fresh outdoor air, mixed with the scent of grass and trees, wafts in, making freedom seem within reach.

However, just as Jiang Yu carried him out of the main building of the villa and walked towards his arrogant sports car—

A pure black sedan drove into the forecourt without warning and precisely blocked Jiang Yu's car.

The car door opened, and a pair of shiny leather shoes stepped onto the ground.

Xiao Chi is back.

He was wearing a well-tailored dark suit, clearly having just left a formal occasion.

His face showed a hint of fatigue, but when his sharp eyes swept over the white fox held in Jiang Yu's arms, the surrounding air seemed to suddenly cool down.

Jiang Yu paused, but her smile widened, tinged with a hint of provocation: "Oh, what a perfect time to come back. Would you mind if I let your little pet stay with me for a few days?"

Xiao Chi shifted his gaze from Yu Fuli to Jiang Yu's face, his voice clearly displeased: "I mind."

He stepped forward, extending his hand not towards Jiang Yu, but directly towards Yu Fuli: "Give it to me."

Two words: concise, cold, and leaving no room for negotiation.

Yu Fuli froze.

The plan was completely disrupted as soon as it began.

He met Xiao Chi's unfathomable eyes through Jiang Yu's arm.

There was no anger in it, but rather a more unsettling sense of absolute control.

Jiang Yu tightened her grip on his arm, her smile unchanged, but her tone hardened: "Xiao Chi is just a pet, why be so petty? My…"

"I said," Xiao Chi interrupted him, his tone not even rising, but every word was like ice, "Give it to me."

The air freezes.

A silent standoff was spreading between the two men.

Yu Fuli, the fugitive in the plan, has now become a coveted object in the eye of the storm, a creature beyond his control.

The system in my mind seemed to flash through a series of complex analytical data due to this sudden, high-energy plot conflict.

[Warning! A key plot character has unexpectedly returned, rendering the original plan ineffective. The current situation's danger level has escalated dramatically, and the outcome of the conflict is unpredictable. Please prepare for contingencies, host...] The system's voice carried a hint of seriousness.

Yu Fuli cursed inwardly.

What's this? We just escaped the tiger's den and ran into its owner?

Moreover, judging from this situation, it seems that Xiao Chi and that smiling tiger are about to fight each other for him first.

Jiang Yu's bright smile did not fade at all; on the contrary, it became even more dazzling because of the confrontation, and even carried a hint of playful excitement.

He didn't act immediately. Instead, he relaxed his grip on Yu Fuli's arm and adjusted his posture even more, letting the fox's head rest against his chest, as if showing off a treasure he had already acquired.

"Young Master Xiao, don't get so angry." Jiang Yu's voice was still light and cheerful. "Look, the little guy wanted to come with me, didn't he?"

He lowered his head and affectionately scratched Yu Fuli's chin with his fingertips. "Here, it feels incredibly comfortable."

Yu Fuli was stiff all over. He could feel the temperature of Jiang Yu's fingertips and the invisible pressure emanating from Xiao Chi a few meters away.

He cursed both of them in his mind, but at this moment he could only play the role of a bewildered pet and try to minimize his presence, even though he was at the center of this storm.

Xiao Chi did not react to Jiang Yu's words at all, as if they were just noise.

He took another step forward, shortening the already dangerous distance.

His gaze finally lifted from Yu Fuli and met Jiang Yu's smiling eyes.

"Jiang Yu," Xiao Chi began, his voice deeper than before, each word seemingly carved from beneath a layer of ice, "You know, I don't like others touching my things without permission. I especially dislike taking them without asking."

"Thing?" Jiang Yu repeated the word with a smile, his azure eyes narrowing slightly, a sharp glint flashing within them. "Xiao Chi, you call this living, breathing, individualistic little guy a 'thing'? No wonder it's happier with me."

His words were loaded with hidden meaning, a subtle barb hidden in his words.

"It's mine." Xiao Chi's answer was unwavering, even more concise.

He emphasized again, his palm still open, waiting, "One last time, give it to me."

This is not a request, it's an ultimatum.