Dustin didn’t step closer. He remained at the doorway and spoke gently. “It’s okay. I won’t hurt you. If you’re hungry, you can come eat anytime.”
The white fox’s amber eyes glimmered in the dim light. They stayed locked on him, sharp and wary. He stepped back and grabbed more food from the fridge. Then, he placed a few slices of ham and a small bowl of milk in the corner of the kitchen. He returned to the living room with a book and pretended to read while watching the kitchen from the corner of his eye.
Half an hour passed before the fox finally limped out from the storage room. It scanned the area carefully. Only after confirming that Dustin posed no threat did it dart forward to grab the food, then hurry back to its hiding spot.
Over the next few days, Dustin left food in the kitchen corner every day. Sometimes it was sliced fruit, and other times, cooked chicken or pet treats he’d bought at the store.
The fox came at irregular times, appearing at dawn on some days and late at night on others. Yet, he always knew of its visit by the food that had disappeared
Gradually, the fox grew less cautious. At first, it waited until Dustin left the kitchen before venturing out. Soon, it began slipping in even while he stayed in the living room.
A week later, Dustin was reading one quiet afternoon when the white fox approached his feet. It lifted its head and nudged the apple in his hand with its nose. Dustin smiled and broke off a small piece then placed it on the floor.
The fox hesitated before lowering its head and began to eat But instead of fleeing afterward, it stayed, lying down on the carpet beside him and gently licking its injured hind leg
Finally, Dustin had a clear look at the wound. It wasn’t a simple scrape or bite. Faint scorch marks traced the edges of the injury, as if it had been burned by some kind of mystical force.
“Let me take a look at that, okay?” he asked softly. The fox seemed to understand. It lifted its head, its amber eyes flickering with hesitation, but didn’t resist
Carefully, Dustin cleaned the wound. He disinfected it, applied ointment, and bandaged it. The fox trembled now and then, but it neither struggled nor tried to bite him.
“There you go. Keep it dry for the next few days, and it should heal soon,” he said, gently stroking its head. The fox nudged his hand in thanks before limping away.
From that day, the white fox appeared more often. It curled up at his feet while he read, sniffed curiously at his tea, and even let him stroke its smooth, silken fur.
Dustin even named it Snowy.
“Snowy, I got your favorite salmon today,” he said, placing a small plate of fish in the kitchen corner. However, the fox didn’t come that day, nor the following day. Dustin grew a little worried, but he reasoned the fox might have returned to the wild now that its leg was healed.
On the fourth night, he was startled awake by the sound of frantic scratching at the door. He opened it to find Snowy standing there, drenched. Beside it lay a woman, equally soaked and unconscious.
Wounds covered her body, her skin pale as paper, and breathing shallow. The white dress she wore was soaked through with blood. Even in this state, she was still breathtaking.
She had delicate features and flawless skin. Even while unconscious, she radiated an ethereal presence that seemed almost untouchable.
Snowy had dragged the woman to the doorstep. It nudged her with its nose, then looked up at Dustin with its amber eyes, as if pleading. Without hesitation, he scooped her into his arms and laid her on the couch.
Upon examining her injuries, he found many external wounds, but the internal injuries were far more severe. Her organs bore varying degrees of trauma, and within her body, an unusual, wild energy churned violently.
Though Dustin could no longer use his cultivation, he still had the skill to treat her injuries. He quickly treated her external wounds, then used acupuncture to stabilize her internal energy flow. After that, he prepared a herbal remedy to restore her vitality and carefully fed it to her.
Snowy stayed by her side, always keeping an anxious eye on him.
“Who is she to you?” Dustin asked the fox. Naturally, Snowy didn’t answer. It just gently nuzzled the woman’s hand with its head.
The woman remained unconscious for two days. During that time, he tended to her meticulously, while Snowy never left her side.
As he treated her, Dustin discovered that this woman was far from ordinary. Her circulatory pathways were different from ordinary people.
The energy inside her was wild and erratic, yet pure at its core. Her cultivation was more advanced than any typical martial artist.
On the third morning, the woman finally stirred. The moment she opened her eyes, he froze and was caught off guard by the sheer depth of her gaze. It was clear yet distant, as if they could see right through him.
At the sight of Dustin, her gaze sharpened immediately. She tried to sit up, but the movement pulled at her injuries, making her wince.
“Don’t move. You’re badly injured,” he said quickly. The woman’s eyes swept the room before landing on Snowy at her side. Her expression softened slightly.
“You saved me?” she asked. “Snowy brought you here,” Dustin said, gesturing to the white fox. “I only did what needed to be done.”
