When I opened my eyes, the sky was still dull. I checked my phone: 6:30 AM.

Yejia Yin’s medicine worked wonders. Qingli had woken briefly last night but quickly drifted back to sleep from exhaustion, without even exchanging a word. After that, I’d been shuttled home to handle transfer paperwork, then brought back to Yejia Yin’s place to rest.

Restless, I couldn’t sleep. I just had to see how Qingli was doing.

But Qingli was under Yejia Yin’s care—I didn’t even know where she was. She’d been so weak last night; she must’ve been hospitalized. Was she still in the city? Far from here? I chewed my fingernails, pacing back and forth in the room. Finally, I decided to ask Yejia Yin.

Hmm… which room was hers again?

Just as I reached for the door to search room by room, I pushed it open—and startled to find someone standing right in the living room.

"You… you’re up too? Good morning," I forced a smile. Yejia Yin still wore her pajamas, seemingly freshly risen. She’d been gazing out the window but turned at my voice.

"What is it?"

"I wanted to ask… where Qingli is. I’d like to see her."

Today’s Yejia Yin was surprisingly accommodating—nothing like the negotiator from yesterday. After hearing my request, she simply called a subordinate to guide me. Of course, she wouldn’t come herself. The woman who arrived seemed to be Qingli’s caretaker.

I stole a glance at her. Kind-faced, gentle expression, dressed casually but neatly—clearly professional. Qingli should be in good hands.

She led me to the campus hospital nearby. Just two blocks away. Upstairs, Room 12. The moment I stepped in, I spotted Qingli sitting on the bed.

"Qingli! I came to see you!" I sprinted to her bedside like a hundred-meter dash runner. "How are you? Feeling better? Did you sleep well? Have breakfast?"

The girl on the bed calmly reached out, stroking my head for a moment before smiling softly. "I’m fine. Much better. Slept well last night. Had breakfast too—just a bowl of rice porridge."

Lucky her. I hadn’t eaten yet!

"Phew… that’s a relief." Since my hair was messy anyway, I let her keep petting my head, grinning carelessly. But Qingli’s eyes narrowed sharply. "Then explain this to me now. What exactly happened?"

I blinked innocently. "What do you mean? You’re healed, I’m safe—it’s a happy ending, right?"

*Cough.* Qingli, you’re so understanding… you’ll forgive me, right? I couldn’t possibly say it: *As my only bargaining chip, I sold myself to someone else.*

"Don’t play dumb." Her voice turned stern, pressing closer. "After I was injured—you passed out too, didn’t you? Who saved us? I remember being poisoned. Who treated me? Where is this place? Who arranged it? Who sent my caretaker? Why are they helping me? Answer properly."

"Gulp…" No dodging today. Head bowed, I mumbled reluctantly, "After you were hurt… I passed out too. Elder Mink cleaned everything up."

"Hmm. Continue."

"Then I woke up… but you were still… unconscious. He said you’d been poisoned. That you needed… uh… something special to survive."

"A legendary-grade antidote, right?" Qingli withdrew her hand, processing my words. "I recall Elder Mink didn’t have that. Then what?"

"Ah, don’t rush!" I wiped imaginary sweat from my brow, fidgeting. "You know… it’s rare. But you once mentioned someone incredibly powerful… so I thought, if they’re that strong, they might have it too…"

"Wait." Qingli’s expression twisted strangely. "Are you talking about Yejia Yin?"

"Y-yes," my voice shrank to a whisper. "Her."

"But—" Qingli frowned, baffled. "She’s a girl too. Logically speaking… Xiao Yao, how did you convince her to help?"

"I didn’t really convince her. Just used the traditional method." I spread my hands innocently.

Qingli chewed on my answer—then her face drained of color, shifting from pale to flushed. "Traditional? You mean… giving yourself to her?"

I nodded, widening my eyes to look as guileless as possible. "Yep."

We stared at each other, silent for several long seconds. Then Qingli lunged forward, pinching both my cheeks.

"Ow ow ow! Qingli, what are you doing?!"

"And you ask me that? Look what you’ve done… you just handed yourself away so easily?!"

I pried her hands off, rubbing my stinging cheeks. "I did it to save you! She was the only one in the city with the antidote!"

Qingli flinched as if struck. Disbelief flooded her face. "Save me? Why go that far? You didn’t have to."

A chill shot through my chest. Anger surged up my temples, and I snapped back:

"Why did *you* go that far?! You did it to save *me*! I just submitted to someone—I didn’t throw my life away like you did!"

It was my fault. My stupidity. I’d walked toward the enemy before confirming they were dead. They seized that opening for a deathblow—and Qingli took it for me.

I bore full responsibility. My foolishness let the enemy strike. My weakness made me unable to take the hit myself, forcing someone else to bear it. If we hadn’t saved Qingli… I’d have drowned in guilt forever.

Compared to that, surrendering myself to a den of wolves was nothing. Besides… Yejia Yin had actually treated us well.

After my outburst, Qingli silently leaned back against the bed. She sighed, a bitter smile on her lips. "It was my duty. You wouldn’t understand, Xiao Yao."

"Then… tell me." Her expression twisted my heart. I softened my voice, coaxing gently. "Just like you didn’t understand what happened earlier, and I explained slowly… now you explain slowly too. Tell me what I don’t know."

I fell silent, scooting closer on the bed, watching her with hopeful eyes.

Qingli stayed quiet so long I thought she’d refuse. But finally, she spoke.

"Xiao Yao, I told you before—I’m of the ‘Spirit Cat’ race."

She leaned against the headboard, lips parted in a soft sigh. It was as if sorrowful smoke curled from her mouth.

"Mhm! I remember!" I nodded vigorously. "You said we’re both Fantasy Breeds too!"

I’d meant to lighten the mood, but my words backfired.

"Fantasy Breeds…" Her gaze drifted to the window. Golden dawn light spilled through the frame, catching in her amber eyes. Warm and comforting, yet unable to dispel the haze of confusion in her pupils. "Where do Fantasy Breeds come from? How were Spirit Cats born? I don’t know. Perhaps… as the ancestral teachings say."

"After the Yao Race chose the Nine-Tailed Fox as its leader," she continued, "the Nine Tails became the noblest race. And nobility… requires servants."

Qingli let out a faint, ironic laugh. "That logic was probably borrowed from humans."

"Mhm!" I chimed in quickly. "From human web novels and dramas!"

But why was she telling me this? Ancestral teachings… servants to the Nine Tails… the origin of Spirit Cats… Could it be—

"Yes. Exactly what you’re thinking." Qingli read my expression. "Because of that ‘need,’ Spirit Cats were created. Our entire reason for existing… is to serve the Nine-Tailed Fox."

She’d mentioned long ago that she’d serve as my attendant. But I never imagined it was this absolute. Flustered, I scratched my cheek. "Even so… you’ve done so much for me already. You’ve taken such good care of me. You didn’t have to… throw your life away for me."

A strange unease twisted in my chest. I hated the thought that Qingli had sacrificed herself purely out of duty. I stared at the bedsheets, ashamed of my own selfishness.

*How petty I sound.*

"No. It’s not just duty. You’ll never understand what you mean to me."

She saw right through me again. Qingli stroked my hair, her voice steady. "The master-servant bond is absolute. Spirit Cats are forbidden from forming deep connections with anyone. No emotions. Not even friendship."

"That’s awful!" I cried, trying to stand—but Qingli gently pressed my hands down. "It’s alright. Ancestral teachings must be honored. Just like you, Xiao Yao… you carry your clan’s will too."

I pouted. *Carry my clan’s will?* Most of them either scolded me, threatened me, or sent assassins after my head.

"But our races differ. Spirit Cats must pass down our lineage continuously. Yet… we bear no children. We’re forbidden from having them. So adult Spirit Cats adopt girls under three from orphanages. We transform their human bodies… into our own kind."

Qingli smiled wistfully. "So once… I was human too."

"Eh? You were human?" I joked weakly. "What a coincidence! Me too."

My attempt at levity earned me another cheek-pinching—until they turned red. Only then did Qingli release me, continuing softly:

"Spirit Cats pass down generation after generation. But Nine-Tailed Foxes don’t, Xiao Yao. Your predecessor… lived decades ago."

*Decades?* So the Yao Race had enjoyed peace all this time. No wonder they resisted war when I appeared.

But… was there something deeper I was missing? I met Qingli’s eyes with a questioning look. She sighed. "It means… for most of our lives, Spirit Cats live without a Nine-Tailed Fox master. Already forbidden from bonding with others… this leaves us without even the one person we’re allowed to be near. Most Spirit Cats… live and die alone. Solitary until the end."

Her voice cracked. "My ‘mother’… eight years ago, she couldn’t bear the loneliness. She left this world. I only kept living because I hadn’t come of age yet. I had to wait… to pass on our legacy to the next little Spirit Cat. That was my purpose."

"Until you appeared."

Qingli smiled—a sunflower blooming in an instant, radiant and bright.

"So you’ll never understand… how lucky I am."

She flipped her hands over mine, fingers intertwining tightly.

"You’re the reason I keep living."

She spoke the words like a confession.