A snort sounded from high above. The spying foxes glanced up into the tall branches. Above them, a rather small, golden colored fox nestled inside an empty bird's nest.

The golden fox snickered evilly. "While you guys are so busy attempting to analyze our Sovereign Lord's hidden thoughts, I can easily tell that our Ladyship is most certainly upset."

Ever loyal, Lang Ju, snorted back at the golden fox and jumped to His Lordship's defense.

"Yan Wen, ah, Yan Wen, what could possibly worry Her Ladyship when she is already mated to the most sought out male god, the Huli Jing's Sovereign Lord?" Lang Ju admonished, clearly feeling that he was correct. He looked at Yan Wen with an expression of near disgust at the very thought.

It need not be mentioned that were it not for the curse, the Sovereign Lord would own a harem of a thousand goddesses at his beck and call, or so at least that's what Lang Ju thought.

Her Ladyship was a highly fortunate woman! Due to the curse, she would have one of the most powerful and prominent gods in the Heavenly Realm all to herself! No female would be displeased with that! She would obviously be languishing in the attention the Sovereign Lord paid her.

After being corrected once already, the fox spirits all hummed their approval. They all agreed – Lang Ju was a high-ranked inner palace servant for good reason. He would know, without a doubt, what he was talking about!

Nobody heeded the golden fox's words.

"We will see if I am right or wrong," the golden fox, Yan Wen, responded mysteriously. His teeth were on full display in a Cheshire-like smile.

Lang Ju was not far off the mark with his comment, but neither was Yan Wen. Bai Qingyue was indeed on cloud nine, while Li Meirong was as incredibly unsettled.

Perhaps 'upset' was not an accurate description of her emotions.

In this world, it was a rarity for someone to lend a helping hand without rhyme or reason. The man in front of her definitely did not give Li Meirong the impression of a noble, caring soul.

The first time they had met, he had disappeared without a trace, most likely hoping to wipe himself clean of the events at the brothel. The second time, he had clearly distanced himself from her, and in her nervousness, she had barely been able to speak a word to him – and he had gone so far as to force her into joining a battle tournament, obviously in collusion with his father against her.

Now, it turned out he had his own tragic history, despite being the lunatic Grandmaster's son. A small part of her heart had melted when she had heard his tale – the handsome, cold-faced man who was apparently the sect leader's long lost child had actually been a poor little boy who grew up in hardship, struggling to survive in this merciless world. It was a sorry tale, to be sure.

And yet, the alarm bells continued to ring in her head, urging her to stay clear of him. Li Meirong's instincts warned her not to be fooled by a few heart-rending words. Something about him wasn't quite right…

Something about his words sounded to her like a pack of lies.

Assuming that Zhu Qingyue was telling the truth about not wanting her pet, her Snowball, the next question to be raised was whether he desired something else from her. Why would he assist her, otherwise? She had nothing of worth, no items or knick-knacks that could attract the attention of anyone other than herself. The only real possession she had that anyone would covet would be her precious Snowball.

Li Meirong considered the thought as she repositioned her arms, pressing her palms together with her fingers outstretched and interlaced.

The first time Zhu Qingyue saved her had appeared to be completely coincidental. Finding themselves stuck together in the same place at the same time had provided her the opportunity to escape, with his aid. She had been thankful, and when she had met him once more, she found herself wanting to express it.

But now? He had leapt in front of her defensively, facing all who opposed her. What explanation could there be for that? It was unexpected, and from what she had experienced from him previously, was also out of character. It just didn't feel right.

"If you don't want my fox spirit, then what do you want?" she asked finally, after a long period of silence. "Why did you help me?"

While Li Meirong was absorbed in her thoughts, the Fox Lord was left entranced by her intense glare and pouting lips. He could spend a lifetime trying to make sense of what was going through her head. He was finding himself slowly becoming familiar with her all of her expressions, etching them deep into his subconscious.

The flash of her pearly-white teeth as she made her inquiries snapped him out of his reverie.

What did he want? Why did he help her?

Finally, she had asked him. She would never understand her position unless he came out with a declaration about it. The only concern that remained was how to go about explaining.

Bai Qingyue's faint smile broadened into a cunning smirk. He had been anticipating this precise question, and now he could finalize his plan.

Gazing directly into her twinkling onyx eyes, Bai Qingyue's own golden ones glowed like the setting sun. He placed his elbows on the stone table and leaned towards her, their noses nearly touching from their close proximity. He was so close, she could almost taste his breath. Her skin grew goosebumps from the sheer sensation of his nearness.

"I only want to protect you," he said, voice thickly modulated. "You are my woman… if I do not take care of you, who will?"

In the form of a question, Bai Qingyue finally let the cat out of the bag.