Raising a Fox Spirit in My Home

The Mystery Man

So began a new semester .

On this fine morning, the plaza in front of Tiannan Station was a sight to behold: colorful booths set up and arranged into a square formation; student representatives (no doubt the best-looking ones) from various universities could be seen manning the booths, greeting their respective freshmen with remarkable enthusiasm .

It was a long-held tradition for universities to give their freshmen a warm welcome at the beginning of every new intake . As a fourth year senior of Tiannan University and an integral member of the student council, and a prospective candidate for the next student council president, Feng Na would never miss out on such a noble undertaking .

"Ugh! Nana! Another bottle of water, please! I need a drink!"

Feng Na glanced to her right at that familiar voice . Sure enough, Cheng Cheng was standing right there with her left palm extended towards Feng Na .

"Hurry up already, Nana! God…" Cheng Cheng fanned herself with a cute little plastic hand fan that she was holding in her right hand . "I\'m dying of thirst here!"

Smiling, Feng Na reached down for the box and pulled out a bottle of mineral water . "How many freshmen have you welcomed today?" She tossed the bottle towards Cheng Cheng .

Cheng Cheng caught the bottle, then immediately turned to smile at another freshman walking past their booth .

"Welcome! Enjoy your first day!"

After the freshman walked away, Cheng Cheng turned back around . The smile was gone from Cheng Cheng\'s face almost instantly . She scowled and said, "That, was the 138th . Ugh! This is so exhausting! I think I\'m gonna drop dead soon . " She uncapped the bottle and took a huge gulp . Then, she swallowed and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand . "And you wanna know the worst part, Nana?"

Amusement crept into Feng Na . Worse than doing manual labor here? Somehow, Feng Na doubted it . But still, she would indulge in her bestie\'s need to whine .

Feng Na cleared her throat . "Alright then . Lay it on me . What\'s the worst part of today?"

Cheng Cheng rolled her eyes in her usual dramatic fashion . "The new guys are all perverts! I swear to God! It\'s like they can\'t even go for two seconds without staring at my boobs!"

Feng Na stared at her bestie for a second or two . Then, she burst into laughter .

"Oh, shut up . " Feng Na swatted Cheng Cheng\'s shoulder . "Quit being such a drama queen . And you should be grateful for your… um… assets . " Feng Na waved a hand in front of Cheng Cheng\'s melons . Indeed, some women would die for boobs like that . Women like me, a small voice inside Feng Na\'s head taunted .

"Besides, you had it coming," Feng Na said .

Cheng Cheng gasped . "Ex-cuse me?" She looked completely appalled . "I had it coming? How could you say that?"

Feng Na gave her bestie a huge eye roll . "Uh… Hello?" Feng Na waved a hand at Cheng Cheng\'s voluminous boobies . "You\'re the one who chose to wear this low-cut outfit . Look at that cleavage! Perverts are going to leer if you flaunt your assets like that, Cheng Cheng . That\'s just how it works . "

Cheng Cheng rolled her eyes dramatically . "Like, sure, they can look, but maybe for a second or two . They shouldn\'t keep staring at them like . . . " Cheng Cheng waved her hands in the air as though she was trying to search for a proper description for some kind of unsolvable dilemma . "Like… Like they wanna shove their eyeballs into my cleavage!"

Feng Na opened her mouth to speak but was quickly interrupted by the sound of someone panting .

A voice sounded beside her .

"Yo! Feng Na! Can I have a bottle of water, please?"

Feng Na turned and saw Wu Hui trudging towards them . The dude was drenched in sweat .

Feng Na reached for another bottle of mineral water and then tossed it at the man . "Have you sent them off to the bus already?" Feng Na smiled . "From the looks of it, I\'m guessing their bags are pretty heavy . "

Wu Hui uncapped the bottle and took several long gulps of water . After that, he poured the rest of the water onto his head and stood there with his arms akimbo .

"Freshmen these days . . . I swear to God… They bring everything!" Wu Hui growled . "Desktop PCs are still acceptable . But TVs? Come on! Some even brought those bulky electric fans! It\'s like I\'m running a goddamn moving company around here . Ouch, ouch! Great, even my back hurts now . " Wu Hui sighed dramatically . "Hey . If there are any more bags to carry later, you girls need to handle them yourselves . I think I pulled a muscle . "

Feng Na bit back a snarky retort . Even though Feng Na disliked Wu Hui, she didn\'t want to bite his head off in front of everyone; after all, he did do quite a lot to help out at the booth . Granted, his main motive might be to impress the ladies, but still…

Feng Na smiled at Wu Hui, hoping that it seemed genuine . "Well, what is it that they always say? The heavier responsibility falls on the shoulders of the capable?" Feng Na turned to Cheng Cheng . "Isn\'t that right?"

Cheng Cheng nodded . "You bet!"

Feng Na looked towards Wu Hui again . "You\'re the only male student here . Of course you should be the one to move the bags . You have the strength that none of us girls possess . "

Wu Hui sighed . "But there are so many of them, you know!"

Feng Na resisted the urge to roll her eyes . "Well . It\'s their freshman year . It\'s normal for them to bring more stuff . "

"Wow . Are you guys bad-mouthing us freshmen already?"

All three of them swiveled around to face the owner of the voice: a beautiful young lady dressed in a long, pale-yellow dress .

Underneath the lady\'s white straw hat was a typical pretty face—large eyes, long lashes, and fair skin . What struck Feng Na, though, was how tall the girl was (165 cm if she were to venture a guess), not to mention the slim yet curvy figure, which rendered her appearance infinitely more attractive .

"Hello, seniors," said the girl, blinking those large eyes at them .

Apparently, those eyes were the perfect remedy for Wu Hui\'s back problems as he suddenly stepped forward to introduce himself .

"Hello . Are you a freshman of Tiannan University? What\'s your name? Which department will you be joining?"

The corner of the girl\'s lips tugged upwards .

"I\'m Jiang Xiuxiu . And I\'m in Visual and Performing Arts . "

"Jiang… Xiu… Xiu . . . " Cheng Cheng wrote something down on a new form . "Like this?" Cheng Cheng turned the clipboard around to show the girl what she\'d written down .

Jiang Xiuxiu nodded, apparently satisfied that Cheng Cheng had gotten her name right . Her eyes, however, glinted with what appeared to be vanity .

"Do you guys know that the Xiu in my name means exceptionally beautiful?"

Feng Na shared a glance with Cheng Cheng, who looked like she was struggling to hold back a litany of snarky retorts .

Feng Na smirked . You and me both, girl .

Their exchange was interrupted by Wu Hui, who suddenly stepped towards the girl .

"Here . Let me take your luggage . "

Feng Na gave Wu Hui a sidelong glance .

"I thought you couldn\'t handle any more heavy lifting today because you um… how exactly did you put it… pulled a muscle?"

Okay, that was a little mean, but Feng Na couldn\'t help it . Besides, the mortified look on Wu Hui\'s face was totally worth it .

"You should be careful, senior . These suitcases are pretty heavy," Jiang Xiuxiu said, pointing at the two sizeable suitcases beside her feet .

Wu Hui let out a laugh . Then, with a casual wave of his hand and perhaps an ego the size of a cow, he said, "Don\'t worry! I\'m the member of the student council\'s sports committee!"

Wu Hui struck a pose like a bodybuilder .

What an idiot, Feng Na thought, then shared another glance with Cheng Cheng . Feng Na had no doubt that her bestie had the exact same thing in mind—Cheng Cheng\'s disdain was all over her face .

Jiang Xiuxiu\'s giggles made Feng Na look away again .

Wu Hui had just finished striking another pose .

Feng Na suppressed yet another eye roll . But before she could say something to end Wu Hui\'s theatrics, the guy was already reaching for one of Jiang Xiuxiu\'s suitcases .

The look on his face a second later nearly made Feng Na laugh: saying that he looked constipated would be putting it lightly .

The suitcase had barely risen a few inches off the ground before it slipped out of Wu Hui\'s hands and crashed back down .

"W- What the—" Wu Hui gaped at the suitcase . "What did you put in it? Bricks? How come it\'s so heavy?"

Out of curiosity, Feng Na stepped forward and tried to lift the suitcase herself: she couldn\'t even get it off the ground despite have used both hands .

"Well then!" Feng Na grinned at Wu Hui and patted his shoulder a few times . "We\'re counting on you now, big guy!"

Wu Hui bent down and grabbed each suitcase by their top carry handles . This time, he fared better—at least he managed to keep the suitcases stable . Feng Na watched in amusement as he took several wobbly steps before he gave up and put the suitcases back down .

"Argh . . . Can\'t do it," Wu Hui said, waving his hands . Then, he bent over and placed his hands on his knees and panted as though he\'d just finished a marathon . "I think I\'ll have to carry them one by one . "

Feng Na snorted . Or you could just extend the handle and drag it towards the bus, moron .

Feng Na kept that thought to herself .

"God, you\'re such an idiot!" Cheng Cheng said with a laugh . "Why do you have to carry them when they\'ve got wheels?! See?" Cheng Cheng pressed a button and pulled upwards to extend the trolley handle . "Just roll them to the bus, geez . "

Apparently, her bestie didn\'t feel like watching the asshole make a fool of himself .

Wu Hui smacked his own forehead . "Oh, right! Why didn\'t I think of that?"

Feng Na had about a dozen answers to that question, all of which ran along the lines of: because you\'re dumb .

"Coz you just want to show off in front of a pretty girl," Cheng Cheng mumbled .

After that, Feng Na and Wu Hui towed Jiang Xiuxiu\'s suitcases towards the bus . Then, with much effort, Wu Hui managed to lug both suitcases onto the bus . I wonder what he\'s planning to do if Jiang Xiuxiu asks him to bring those suitcases up to the girls\' dorms . A smirk tugged at Feng Na\'s lips . Well, she supposed it would be fine if she stayed on the ground floor . But what if Jiang Xiuxiu got assigned to the fifth floor dorms?

Feng Na decided to take pity on Wu Hui . "Hey, Wu Hui," she said . "Why don\'t you stay here and watch the booth for me . I\'ll accompany Jiang Xiuxiu back to campus . Oh, don\'t worry about the bags . I\'ll just ask a few more guys to help carry them when we arrive . "

Wu Hui glanced towards Jiang Xiuxiu . Perhaps he hadn\'t realized that Feng Na was trying to give him a way out .

"I mean," Feng Na continued, "if you leave with the bus, then Cheng Cheng and I wouldn\'t be able to handle the bags on our own . "

Apparently, that remark did the trick . Wu Hui nodded enthusiastically . "Ah . True! Alright! I guess I\'ll get back to work then . "

Wu Hui turned around and walked away without sparing Jiang Xiuxiu another glance .

"Hey, senior . That guy seems fun . . . " Jiang Xiuxiu was staring after Wu Hui .

Fun? Sure . If you like the dumb ones, that is .

Feng Na kept that thought to herself .

"And he\'s quite handsome too . "

Handsome, huh? Feng Na smiled . An unbidden image of Li Yundong, whom she hadn\'t seen for two long months, formed in her mind . I wonder how he\'s been . . . Did he change over the past two months?

Feng Na\'s thoughts drifted further and further away . Soon, her mind was filled with images of Li Yundong .

" . . . hello . . . senior? Anybody home?"

Feng Na snapped out of her thoughts when she realized that Jiang Xiuxiu was waving a hand in front of her face .

"You totally spaced out right there, senior . What were you thinking about?"

When Feng Na didn\'t answer right away, a teasing look formed on Jiang Xiuxiu\'s face . "Ooh . . . You were thinking about that handsome senior just now, weren\'t you?"

And that comment right there destroyed every single remnant of her fantasy . Feng Na glared at Jiang Xiuxiu . "Him?" Feng Na snorted . "Why on earth would I think about him?"

Jiang Xiuxiu just smiled and bumped her shoulder into Feng Na . "Aww . . . Don\'t be shy, senior . . . "

Feng Na rolled her eyes . "Just get on the bus . And I already have someone I like . "

The two girls boarded the bus took their seats .

"Who is he?" Jiang Xiuxiu asked .

"Huh?" Feng Na decided to play dumb .

"The guy you like," Jiang Xiuxiu said .

Li Yundong\'s face popped up in Feng Na\'s mind once again . Something tugged inside her chest, and it didn\'t feel good .

Feng Na sighed . "Look . Just stop asking already . You wouldn\'t recognize his name even if I tell you . "

"Oh . "

Jiang Xiuxiu didn\'t say anything else after that, thank God . They sat in their seats for a while, waiting for other freshmen to arrive . When it was time to leave, Feng Na rose and walked towards the front of the bus .

"Mr . Zhao, please take us to the campus," she said to the driver .

"Very well, miss . "

The drive to campus took nearly half an hour . Even with the bus driver\'s help, it took considerable effort for them to carry Jiang Xiuxiu\'s suitcases off the bus . The poor driver could barely stand up after all that exertion .

"It\'s fine, Mr . Zhao . Don\'t mind the suitcases . I\'ll just ask a bunch of guys to carry them for us . You can head back to the station first," Feng Na said .

Mr . Zhao stared at the suitcases for a moment, then nodded . "Alright then . "

After the bus left, Feng Na turned towards Jiang Xiuxiu .

"Wait here . "

***

Jiang Xiuxiu watched Senior Feng Na hurry through the gates . She didn\'t understand why Senior Feng Na had to go look for extra helping hands elsewhere when there were so many guys around them .

Just then, a guy walked past her .

"Hey, handsome!" she yelled without thinking .

However, the guy just kept walking without answering her call .

Not used to being ignored, Jiang Xiuxiu stalked after the guy . Damn it, she thought, he sure walks fast .

Jiang Xiuxiu quickened her pace .

"Hey, handsome! Wait up!"

The man was wearing a long-sleeved, white shirt, which she immediately recognized as Armani . She couldn\'t identify the brand of his dark pants though . Just as she was trying to work out what kind of sport shoes he was wearing, something else caught her eye: a long, bulky object (wrapped up in a dark cloth) sticking out of the top of his backpack .

The sight of that strange object made Jiang Xiuxiu stop walking .

What on earth was that thing? A telescope?

Whatever . She didn\'t care .

"Hey!!! Handsome! I need your help!"

Again, she was ignored .

Humiliation coursed through her . "Hey!!" By then, her voice had caught the attention of every single guy in the area except for the man her words were intended for . Is he deaf?

Jiang Xiuxiu stomped her feet in anger and then broke off into a full sprint . When she caught up to him, she reached out to grab his arm . She missed; the guy moved his arm away as though he knew when and where she was going to grab him .

It was like he had eyes on the back of his head .

When the guy finally turned around to face her, Jiang Xiuxiu\'s heart skipped a few beats .

Standing in front of her was perhaps the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on: tall (definitely around 175 cm) and manly; thick eyebrows; huge piercing eyes; straight nose that looked like a mountain ridge; strong jawline and well-defined lips; and the way he carried himself exuded an air of confidence .

Even though Jiang Xiuxiu had spent pretty much her entire childhood surrounded by boys, she had never seen a man this attractive before . For a long while, she just stared wordlessly at the man in front of her, utterly incapable of speech .

"Can I help you, miss?"

"U- Um . . . I- I just . . . " Jiang Xiuxiu cleared her throat . "Uh . . . S- Suitcases . . . I need . . . your help . . . "

"Ah . " The man smiled . "You\'re a freshman . "

Jiang Xiuxiu nodded . "Yes . "

Suddenly, the man looked past her shoulders . He appeared to be squinting at something behind her . What\'s he looking at? Jiang Xiuxiu turned around and followed his line of sight .

It surprised her to see just how far she\'d gone from the front gates . Her large suitcases were barely visible now . When she turned back around, the guy was no longer squinting . "Those two suitcases over there, you mean?" He pointed past her shoulders . "The ones with the ribbons?"

Jiang Xiuxiu did a double take . How did he see the ribbons from— She turned around again . The suitcases themselves were barely visible let alone those ribbons .

He probably just caught a glimpse of them when he walked past the gates just now .

There was no way he could see those tiny ribbons from here .

"Uh, yeah . Those are mine," Jiang Xiuxiu said, glad that she had managed to salvage a modicum of composure .

"Sure . I\'ll help you out . "

Jiang Xiuxiu followed the man back to the gates . After that, they rolled the suitcases towards the block where the girls\' dorms were located .

Jiang Xiuxiu placed a hand on his arm when they reached the staircase . "Wait . These are pretty heavy," she said . "I\'ll go find a couple more guys to help out . "

Stupid dorms didn\'t even have an elevator .

As soon as she had turned around, the man\'s voice sounded behind her .

"There\'s no need for that, miss . These aren\'t that heavy . "

When Jiang Xiuxiu turned back around a second later, she literally had the shock of her life: the suitcases were dangling from the guy\'s hands like they weighed nothing .

"Y- You can lift them?"

The man gave her a funny look . "Err . . . Isn\'t that obvious?" He hoisted the two suitcases higher for emphasis .

Jiang Xiuxiu blushed heavily . "Oh . "

The man turned around and walked up the stairs . "You gotta tell me which floor, you know?"

Jiang Xiuxiu snapped out of it and ran up the stairs .

They resumed their climb after Jiang Xiuxiu told him that she was staying on the third floor .

"Aren\'t they heavy?" Jiang Xiuxiu asked when they reached the landing of the first floor . She stared down at her own suitcases .

"They\'re fine . "

Wow . Her suitcases had quite literally tortured a lot of men during her journey here . But this guy was carrying it around like they weighed nothing . Such monstrous strength . . .

Before she knew it, they had reached the third floor and were now standing in front of her dorms . Mr . Hercules followed her into the dorms and then placed her suitcases beside her bed .

"Well, then . I\'ll get out of your hair now . " The man smiled . "Have a nice day . "

"Wait!" Jiang Xiuxiu yelled . "At least let me walk you out . "

The man shrugged and walked out of the dorms . Jiang Xiuxiu scurried after him . It wasn\'t until they were walking down the stairs that she realized something strange: every student they had walked past began whispering behind their backs; most of them seemed awestruck the moment they saw him .

Is he some sort of VIP here? Jiang Xiuxiu thought . If he is, then I\'m damn lucky to have run into him . I should ask for his phone number… Or his QQ address…

The man stopped walking and turned around to face her once they were out of the dorms building .

"This is far enough," he said with a kind smile . "I\'m sure you have a lot of unpacking to do . You don\'t have to walk with me . See you around!"

He walked away before she could even come up with a response .

"Hey! I don\'t even know your name!" Jiang Xiuxiu yelled after him .

The man didn\'t even turn around when he waved his hand at her . "I\'m Lei Feng!"

Lei Feng? But isn\'t Lei Feng that national hero . . . ?

"You\'re lying!" Jiang Xiuxiu yelled again .

The man walked on as though he hadn\'t heard her .

Jiang Xiuxiu kept staring at the man until a voice sounded behind her .

"Jiang Xiuxiu! Gosh . Where have you been?!"

Jiang Xiuxiu turned around and saw Feng Na approaching the dorms with several buff-looking men in tow .

"I told you to wait for me at the gates! Why did you run off on your own—" Feng Na stopped talking and glanced around . "Wait . Where are your suitcases? I didn\'t see them at the gates . "

Jiang Xiuxiu ignored the question and pointed at the man instead . He was quite far away, but still visible from where they stood .

"Hey, hey, senior! Do you know that man? He\'s from our university right? What\'s his name?"