It had, of course, crossed her mind that he may have said it only to try to assist her, but continuous backstabbing in this world had made her suspicious of any unusual behavior – and Zhu Qingyue was the epitome of unusual!

Even though he was the Grandmaster's own son, she would fight him tooth and nail for Snowball! She could feel the hairs stand on the back of her neck in anger.

By the time Zhu Qingyue finished revealing his identity, Li Meirong had been long forgotten. In a fit of anger, she stormed outside.

She had to wait for Grandmaster Zhu Zhang's approval to depart, so she chose to wait in the nearby courtyard until the attending disciples would eventually disperse.

Tall trees cast long shadows, concealing most of the rays of the sun. The sound of trickling water, dripping from a bamboo fountain, relaxed her. The tranquil atmosphere of the courtyard managed to ease her stress, even if only a little.

She took a seat on a stone bench and glanced at the building's entrance, watching all of the disciples, who had so hatefully accused her, depart on their mounts. They were all in good moods, those very same people who had been prepared to condemn her to damnation and execute her baby fox were now leaving with jovial moods, discussing with each other and paying her absolutely no mind.

Bitterness welled up inside her.

'Crazy hypocrites, all of them!' When she had tried to plead with them, they had all been ready to attack her in an instant! Yet, when Senior Zhu had arrived, it had only taken him a few words and a sorry expression to assuage them! The very thought began to irk her once again, the calming atmosphere and soothing sounds of the courtyard no longer working their magic. She could feel the anger within her rising to the surface.

She was glad she finally possessed the means to defend herself. Perhaps accepting proper training wasn't such a bad idea after all, even though she'd been coerced into the training sessions to begin with. Since she wasn't strong enough to defend herself or her loved ones from these lunatics, then she might as well squeeze as much knowledge from them as she could, and then use it against them.

Someone tapped Li Meirong's shoulder suddenly, and she spun around – channeling her powers to her palms defensively as she did so.

It was Zhu Qingyue. He stood in front of her, regal in countenance, appearing as cool and collected as ever. All traces of his earlier shame and sorrow had completely vanished.

Li Meirong narrowed her eyes suspiciously and hadn't uttered a single word of greeting.

"Why did you run off?" he asked her, his curiosity apparent.

A few years ago, his baritone voice and dashing looks affected her so deeply that she just might have considered herself addle-brained, but she was no longer helpless or naïve, nor – most importantly – under the influence of an aphrodisiac. She cast her eyes up and down his obnoxiously tall, built frame and too handsome a face twice before turning her gaze away. She decided that she needed to ignore him, at least until she calmed herself down.

"I simply needed a moment to calm down, Senior Zhu." she said simply, her voice wavering slightly in suppressed anger. 'To calm down because of your ridiculous display!'

He nodded as if her answer made perfect sense, and sat on the stone bench opposite her own. He motioned for her to join him, and she hesitantly did so. A stone table separated their benches and bodies.

Zhu Qingyue remained expressionless, making it difficult for Li Meirong to discern his intentions, but she could only assume he came looking for her with a specific reason in mind.The silence stretched between them awkwardly for a moment, and then Zhu Qingyue spoke.

"Regarding your fox spirit—"

Li Meirong interrupted him sharply.

"Snowball is mine. No matter what, you can't have him!" She thumped her small fist on the table and glared heatedly at Zhu Qingyue.

'I knew he was aiming for Snowball!' she thought furiously. With his gleaming white fur, and soft, luxurious pelt, her fox spirit was simply too eye-catching for people to ignore, and they always coveted him! She had to find a way to hide the young fox – perhaps leave him in her personal dimension…? As she pondered what to do with the fox spirit, her angered lips pursed in concentration, her small teeth unconsciously biting down on the inside of her bottom lip.

Bai Qingyue's long eyelashes fluttered slightly at the sight of her – she looked so adorable, with her silly antics, and he was helpless against her charm.

He had never felt more bewildered in his life. His heart beat faster just from finally standing in front of her as his real self. A strange warmth seeped through him as he listened to her assertive claim over him, and yet… why did it seem as though she looked at him as an enemy? He could see the wariness and distrust in her gaze, the slight raise of the hair on her neck and arms. She was obviously angry, but why?

He just could not make sense of this maddening woman! She was absolutely frustrating, yet equally captivating. Even in her anger he could find things to appreciate. Her slightly watery eyes, the pull of her lip into her mouth. How he wanted to rush forward and lure those puckered lips from her teeth with his tongue. He could feel his body begin to respond.

Nevertheless, he feigned nonchalance and leaned back slightly to appear more relaxed. The corners of his lips curved upwards ever so slightly. The very ease with which his strong, lithe body moved made Li Meirong's eyebrow twitch in annoyance. Coupled with his handsome countenance and nearly smoldering gaze, the man just frustrated her further.

"Do not fret. I only said that to take the blame from your shoulders. Snowball is all yours."

'And you are mine,' Bai Qingyue finished his sentence internally.

His attempt at reassurance did not seem to provide the desired effect, though. Li Meirong's guard remained up, and she continued to observe him distrustfully. It seemed there was no way to calm her down.