He's a fox!

Beside the cherry blossom avenue stands the oldest clock tower castle in the academy.

On its extended terrace, two tall figures stood by the railing, taking in the brief but intense conflict below.

"Oh? Is this the new teacher who dared to ask you a question to your face in class today?" A voice rang out with a smile.

The speaker had brilliant blond hair, a few strands slipping from his shoulders as he leaned against the railing. He had a pair of deep blue eyes, like a clear sky, which were now slightly curved, and his angelic face was full of interest.

"Not bad...and this is really interesting."

Standing beside him was Yunbai, a tall and upright woman whose face was covered by an elaborate silver-white mask.

The mask gleamed coldly in the afternoon sunlight, shutting out all his emotions. Only his eyes, through the holes, indifferently looked down at Yu Fuli, who was putting away his phone and turning to leave, and at the girl who was excitedly directing her companions to get up from the ground.

"It seems your fan club," Jiang Yu with blond hair deliberately dragged out his words, his smile deepening, his tone laced with undisguised teasing, "has found an even more dazzling 'light' for you, President. Our Prince Ye is truly good-tempered; even after being questioned to his face, and now even his followers have openly betrayed him, he remains unmoved?"

Yunbai withdrew her gaze from below and slowly turned to Jiang Yu.

The voice coming from behind the mask was flat and emotionless, revealing neither joy nor anger, yet it seemed to lower the temperature of the surrounding air by a degree:

"You're noisy."

"Tsk."

Jiang Yu clicked his tongue lightly, but didn't really take it to heart.

These heirs, who grew up together in the elite family circles, already understood each other implicitly through their subtle actions and unspoken meanings.

He naturally understood the cold warning in Yun Bai's words that implied "it has nothing to do with me".

"I just noticed you're paying special attention to this guy." Jiang Yu blinked his azure eyes, a hint of playful inquiry in his smile. Halfway through his sentence, he was met with Yun Bai's cold, indifferent glance through his mask.

"Fine, fine, fine—" Jiang Yu immediately raised his hands, making an elegant gesture of surrender, but a smile still lingered on his lips. "You're not interested because our Prince Ye is pure and noble, untouched by worldly affairs, and indifferent to everyone."

He lowered his hand and turned his gaze back to the receding figure at the end of the cherry blossom avenue, golden hair fluttering gently in the breeze.

This time, he toned down his joking tone, his tongue slowly licking his canine teeth, a hint of undisguised, predatory interest flashing deep in his blue eyes.

"However..." he drawled, lowering his voice, "I'm quite interested in that face, and the energy emanating from his skills."

"That's awesome!"

……

July weather is like a child's face; the rain comes and goes without warning.

Just moments ago, there was only a wisp of dark cloud on the horizon, but in an instant, fine, needle-like rain began to fall, weaving a hazy veil that enveloped the entire Saint Laurent Academy.

The air was instantly filled with the moist scent of earth and vegetation.

The rain wasn't heavy. Yu Fuli glanced at the gray sky, too lazy to turn back, so she pulled up her coat collar and decided to stroll back to the nearby teachers' apartment.

The fine raindrops quickly dampened his hair and shoulders, bringing a slight chill.

Just as he was about to pass through an archway covered in vines, a clear and melodious call suddenly came from behind him.

"Teacher! Please wait a moment!"

The footsteps approached quickly.

Immediately afterwards, a soft "plop" sounded overhead, and the falling rain stopped abruptly.

Yu Fuli turned around.

A long-handled black umbrella was steadily opened above his head, and the person holding the umbrella slightly raised his arm, revealing his face beneath the umbrella.

It was an exquisitely beautiful face, as if it had been meticulously sculpted by the most outstanding artist.

Her long, soft, golden hair still shone brightly in the rain, and her azure eyes, like those of a clear sky, were slightly upturned, radiating just the right amount of gentle apology.

He was tall and slender, dressed in the standard noble uniform of Saint Laurent Academy, his bow tie perfectly tied, exuding a natural elegance.

"Teacher," he began, his voice soft and clear, his words distinct and soothing, truly like a classical melody flowing in the rain, "I am Jiang Yu. Regarding the offenses that those ignorant people committed against you after class today, Yun Bai was actually unaware of them."

He leaned slightly forward, his posture polite and sincere, and the umbrella steadily covered Yu Fuli, while the shoulders of his expensive uniform were soaked by the drizzle.

"If those rude actions bothered you, please allow me to offer you my sincerest apologies on his behalf."

He appeared extremely humble, with gentle eyes and a touch of pitiful apology, looking completely harmless.

Yu Fuli's gaze swept over the few strands of golden hair on the other person's forehead that were damp with rain and mist, as well as the fine beads of sweat on the temples that were particularly clear in the rainy weather.

This sweat was definitely not from a chance encounter downstairs; it was the result of rushing a considerable distance.

She was in a hurry to go downstairs and catch up with him.

They were so rushed that they only had time to grab an umbrella.

At this moment, the long-handled umbrella, designed for single-person use, barely covered the two of them, appearing insufficient.

Fine rain drifted in from the edge, wetting each other's shoulders.

Because they had to share this small space, their bodies inevitably came into close proximity.

too close.

Yu Fuli was so close that he could clearly feel the slightly elevated body temperature emanating from the other person due to running, and so close that the warm breath, along with the words, seemed to brush against the skin of his slightly turned neck, causing a slight shiver.

"Teacher?" Jiang Yu called softly again, her voice low and gentle, with a hint of barely perceptible probing, as if she was genuinely worried that he was angry.

Under the cover of these words, the hand that had been merely holding the umbrella handle naturally slid down and gently embraced Yu Fuli's waist.

That was a clever application of force.

It wasn't a forceful hug, but rather a gentlemanly, protective gesture of support, perfectly straddling the line between politeness and intimacy.

It won't seem too offensive, yet it silently amplifies that invisible sense of intimacy in the private space under the rain and umbrella.

"Please don't be angry with me, okay?" Jiang Yu tilted her head slightly, her azure eyes appearing exceptionally clear and deep at close range, fixed on Yu Fuli's profile.

[Key figure detected—F4 member, Jiang Yu.]

Yu Fuli's gaze swept calmly over Jiang Yu's seemingly concerned and apologetic azure eyes, but she sighed very softly in her heart.

He's a fox.

A nine-tailed white fox that has wandered through this mortal world for countless years, and has long since cultivated itself to understand people's hearts and see through the ways of the world.

The young man before me has a perfect appearance and his acting skills are also quite good. His deliberately created gentleness, thoughtfulness and innocence may be able to deceive most people in the world.

But in his fox-like eyes, beneath that tender facade, the surging, almost bursting desire and burning curiosity were as bright and dazzling as a campfire in the dark night.

The hand around her waist, the warmth of her body, the breath on her neck—every seemingly unintentional touch was imbued with a carefully calculated probing and an unmistakable sense of possession.

The boy in front of me thought... of him.