Qiu Li'er was the first to wake in the dorm.

As a corporate drone battered by the 996 grind, she’d long developed the habit of waking without an alarm.

Groggy and disoriented, she nearly thought she had to rush to work—until the familiar soft weight on her chest and the restless tail swaying behind her reminded her: everything had changed.

“Haa~ uu~"

Reincarnation truly was the best plot device ever. From today on, I’m a beast-ear high school girl too!

Qiu Li'er gently rubbed her tail and headed to wash up.

“Little Fox…”

A drowsy voice came from behind. Yuenina stood there in a white shirt barely grazing her hips, pale thighs exposed, rubbing sleepy eyes like she hadn’t had nearly enough rest.

“This is my toothbrush. Yours is the yellow one…”

“Ah, sorry.”

Their relationship clearly hadn’t reached the sharing-daily-items stage yet.

“No worries… You can use mine anytime.” Yuenina tugged her sleeve to cover a slipping shoulder. “So, how did your chat with Detective C go last night?”

“Hmm, let me check.”

Qiu Li'er pulled out her phone. One unread message glowed on screen.

[Detective: You flirtatious fox… Please allow me time to carefully consider meeting in person.]

Seriously? Still undecided after a whole night?

Qiu Li'er scratched her head. “Kinda complicated. Might need a bit more back-and-forth.”

“No problem—we’ll help too.” Yuenina smiled, handing over a set of clothes. “Here’s your uniform. Lilith Academy requires uniforms every weekday.”

Qiu Li'er took it, then noticed the added baseball cap and large black bag.

“The cap hides your ears. The bag has a hole at the bottom—tuck your tail right in.”

Yuenina explained softly, “This was your old style. You always said you hated being stared at.”

Mm… Smart move. Better stay low-key in this human-dominated academy.

True to the art of playing dumb to outsmart others, Qiu Li'er quietly slipped her tail into the bag. A glance in the mirror—now she looked utterly ordinary.

…

Lilith Academy classes ran 9 AM–12 PM and 2–5 PM. With flexible schedules and diverse courses, skipping all year was theoretically fine—if finals scores held up.

Qiu Li'er’s tail wagged happily. *Another world’s school life is this chill? Perfect for slacking off!*

Then she read the syllabus. Joy vanished. Exams covered theory *and* live combat in magic and martial arts.

Oh. So I’m basically useless except for acting cute.

“Why does Little Fox look even prettier after just one night?”

On the path ahead, Nan Shi watched Qiu Li'er’s bouncy silhouette and dropped it casually: “Now I see her and just wanna grab her tail.”

“Pfft. Like you didn’t before,” Yuenina shot back. “But yeah… she *is* cuter today.”

“Maybe ‘cause we missed her?”

“Either way, she looks way better now.”

The two tilted their heads in sync—puzzled, but glad.

“What a fun magical world~"

Qiu Li'er gazed at the floating stone in the distance. Turning back, she froze: her roommates were staring with intense, almost hungry eyes. She shrank slightly. “W-why are you looking at me like that? Did I do something wrong…?”

“Little Fox,” Nan Shi declared solemnly, “you’ve committed the grave crime of excessive cuteness. I hereby arrest you—and sentence you to tail-petting punishment.”

Yuenina smacked Nan Shi’s head. “Knock it off. We’re late.”

“U-um… where’s our classroom?” Qiu Li'er asked timidly.

“See that floating stone?” Nan Shi pointed. “It’s a mini grassland. Class is up there this morning.”

“Huh?! Do we… fly?”

At the word *fly*, Qiu Li'er paled. Her predecessor had died that way.

“Nope! Flying’s banned in teaching zones.” Nan Shi wagged a finger toward a shimmering archway. “So we use the ultimate magical tool—the Portal!”

The Portal swirled like a miniature black hole, rumbling faintly. Students stepped through the three-meter gates ahead, bodies distorting slightly before vanishing into darkness.

*Is this magic’s charm? Imagine armies pouring out… whoa.*

Qiu Li'er followed her roommates in. Instantly, a violent twisting sensation hit—dizzying, like brutal motion sickness.

Thankfully, it ended fast.

“Little Fox okay?” Yuenina patted her shoulder gently. “Amnesia probably lowered your magic affinity. You’ll readjust.”

“Haa… sure…”

*Readjust my foot. Almost wet myself back there. Is this thing even human-approved?*

She forced a wry smile—then realized they’d arrived on grassland. Dozens of students now stared straight at her.

“Wait—isn’t that the fox girl from our old class?”

“She’s back? Aww~ so cute~"

“Heard she was hospitalized. Guess she’s recovered!”

“Why do I feel zero attraction? I’ve always been a beast-ear fan!”

“Your tastes changed. Orange fox girls just don’t hit your turn-on anymore.”

Amid the murmurs, Qiu Li'er shrank behind Nan Shi and Yuenina. “Eep… everyone *knows* me?”

“Mhm~" Nan Shi shielded her with a grin. “You were wildly popular. Everyone wanted to take you home just to cuddle that tail.”

“…Terrifying.”

“Shh, later,” Yuenina whispered. “Teacher Xi is here.”

A graceful figure in a deep crimson gown approached, faint smile on her lips. The chatter died instantly. Students stood straight, silent.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Good morning, Teacher Xi!”

Bell ringing, homeroom teacher Xi Kefeng scanned the crowd for attendance.

24… 25… Hm? One extra.

Her gaze paused.

Behind Nan Shi and Yuenina stood a flustered, wide-eyed girl, glancing around like prey.

Xi Kefeng’s lips tightened. Her eyes locked onto the girl’s face.

*Impossible… Could it be her?*

Qiu Li'er met the teacher’s gaze—and instantly looked away, heart *thump-thump-thumping*.

*This teacher… is exactly my type!*