Volume One, Chapter One: Transforming into a Fox

“Don’t run! You sly fox!”

Shen Xingdu awoke in the woods with a splitting headache—the dawn had already broken.

She swayed, attempting to stand.

Strange, why couldn’t she get up? And why had she suddenly grown so short? Why did the trees seem so towering now?

She stretched out her hands.

My God!

These weren’t hands at all—they were furry, with pink pads.

She turned them over and back, stretched out and clenched her paws.

These were unmistakably claws!

With disbelief, she looked down.

A bushy tail swished behind her.

Her coat was sleek, jet black, and glossy enough to reflect light.

Between her hips, a pair of fuzzy fox bells dangled.

This was the very rare black fox she had paid a million taels of gold for on the black market just yesterday.

How had she become a fox?

Last winter, she had gifted Lu Shao a cloak she’d sewn by hand, in a dark shade.

When Lu Shao accepted it, he frowned slightly and said, “Xingdu, this cloak is beautiful. If only it had a fox fur collar, it would be warmer.”

He had said it casually.

But Shen Xingdu couldn’t bear to see the man she loved frown, so she kept the thought close to her heart.

An ordinary fox wouldn’t do for her Shao ge.

Only a uniquely precious, irreplaceable black fox could match that dark cloak.

She had spent nearly a year tracking down such a fox.

Finally, she had found one.

But as soon as she had paid the heavy price and cradled the fox, it struggled fiercely and darted from her arms deep into the forest.

She hadn’t given up.

She had chased the fox across two mountain ridges.

When the fox was cornered at a cliff and climbed a tree, a bolt of lightning struck from the heavens.

Both she and the fox were struck together.

When she opened her eyes again, she had become a fox!

A male fox!

But where was her human body?

She shuddered at the thought of that male fox waking in her body—what would it do with her form?

Now a fox, Shen Xingdu’s hearing sharpened.

Her fluffy ears twitched, catching the sound of two riders approaching.

“Second Young Master, in such cold weather, can you really hunt a fox?”

A familiar voice answered teasingly.

“You have to try with all your heart before you can give up, right? What matters is the intention. I’m glad she knows I’m out hunting before dawn.”

Shen Xingdu’s eyes brightened.

That voice was none other than Lu Shao, her beloved fiancé since childhood.

She hadn’t seen him for half a month since falling ill.

Though she doubted his heart had shifted, she couldn’t help but yearn for him.

Overcome with excitement, she was certain she hadn’t misheard.

There was no time to think further—Lu Shao had just said he was hunting foxes.

And she was now a fox with a glossy black coat.

On all fours, she bounded full speed toward the voices, like a large black dog with shining eyes running to its master.

But from afar, she heard Lu Shao shout urgently, “Wait, don’t shoot yet!”

He was too late to stop the other man.

Shen Xingdu saw the man next to Lu Shao nock an arrow and aim at her, then heard the swift whoosh of the arrow.

It struck her.

She leapt into the air, then fell backward.

Pain seared through her hind leg, forcing her to emit pitiful howls.

The two riders galloped closer.

Shen Xingdu was in agony, but the thought that her beloved had come to save her filled her with a bittersweet sorrow.

Her big fox eyes brimmed with tears, wetting her lashes.

She collapsed weakly, fixing her gaze on Lu Shao.

“Shao ge, it’s me, Xingdu!”

She wanted to speak, but could only whimper.

Yet she was not afraid; instead, she felt comforted.

Shao ge must have recognized her and stopped the shot!

This was the man she had loved for years, her future husband.

Even as a fox, their souls must be connected!

Filled with hope, she watched as Lu Shao dismounted nearby.

He wore a white round-collared wide-sleeved robe with a darker jacket over it.

Still the spirited young man in elegant white.

She saw his slight frown.

He must be heartbroken!

It was all her fault for not taking care of herself and making Shao ge worry.

Suddenly, she was grabbed by her injured hind leg and lifted high into the air, hanging upside down.

The pain was unbearable; dizziness overwhelmed her.

Lu Shao’s voice, tinged with reproach, came to her ears.

“I told you not to shoot yet, and look! There’s a hole straight through her leg, fur ruined. The skin’s ruined, not whole anymore. I wanted to make a collar for Yue’e... such a pity.”

Shen Xingdu was dazed.

So she had been caught to make a collar for Shen Yue’e?

The shooter was Chen Jingbei, eldest son of Governor Chen, standing awkwardly nearby, scratching his head.

“I was afraid of losing track of her. Such a black fox is a real treasure. I heard one was auctioned off for a million taels last night at the black market. Though the fur on the leg is damaged, it’s better than losing her.”

Lu Shao shook his head regretfully, holding the fox.

“What a beautiful fox! Should have shot her in the eyes! A clean shot through, then the skin could be taken off whole! Tsk, now no collar for Yue’e.”

Whether deliberately or not, Chen Jingbei added, “Or why not give her to Miss Shen? Aren’t you betrothed to her? You said she always sends you strange gifts. Maybe as a return gift?”

At these words, Shen Xingdu’s fur bristled.

She froze, ears pricked attentively.

Lu Shao paused, voice tinged with displeasure.

“Chen, don’t joke like that. Miss Shen is beautiful, but sadly lacks wisdom. The betrothal was a drunken joke between our families’ patriarchs long ago. Now that Lord Shen has agreed, once I pass the provincial exam after the New Year, Yue’e will be promised to me.”

Chen Jingbei caught a hidden meaning and teased half-seriously, “Haha! Could it be Lu really wants to marry both Shen sisters, enjoying two wives? Shen family is noble—how could they give both daughters to one household? If you fancy Miss Shen the second, why not give me Miss Shen the first? We’d be brothers-in-law then—wouldn’t thatI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.