From morning till night, I couldn’t stop wondering what the Fox Demon meant. Why did she ask if Yushan had a girlfriend? Could she even conjure one up for him?

Still, Yushan actually left school early—probably spooked by me. After years of sitting peacefully beside a deskmate, if one day they suddenly acted flirty and tried to hit on you… who wouldn’t be thrown off? Unless that deskmate was a girl.

“This queen has gathered intel from your memories. After school, go to West Street. This queen has business there.”

“What are you planning?”

Locals called West Street “Fashion Avenue.” Nearly every shop sold clothes—Japanese, Korean, Hanfu, you name it. For a third-tier city, the selection was surprisingly complete.

“Don’t ask so many human questions. Just obey this queen’s orders.”

Her tone remained arrogantly domineering—annoying, sure. But aside from this morning’s nonsense, she hadn’t caused real trouble. If it was just a trip to West Street… fine. Defying this fox never ends well.

“As long as you don’t cause trouble.”

I slung my backpack over my shoulder and walked out under my classmates’ peculiar stares. From today on, the rumor that Su Su was gay would spread like wildfire.

“Relax. This queen only wishes to buy an outfit. No unnecessary trouble.”

“Got it.”

I nodded. If I refused outright, she’d probably just hijack my body anyway.

“Hm? Human… what is this scent?”

I froze and sniffed. Sure enough—a warm, buttery aroma of fresh bread drifted nearby. A bakery stood just ahead.

“There’s a bakery up front. Must be from there.”

“Bread…? What is that?”

The Fox Demon hesitated, voice laced with confusion.

“Didn’t you read my memories? How do you not know bread?”

“This queen had no interest in sifting through your filthy memories. Only necessary intel was taken.”

Her haughty voice echoed in my head. *Filthy?* My life’s been perfectly decent! Well… except for that one time… *cough cough!*

“Want to go in and buy one?” I asked. She probably sensed my hunger—we seemed to share senses like smell and touch.

“…”

I expected an eager yes. Instead, silence stretched.

“Since your host body feels hungry, and this queen is not unreasonable… permission granted to purchase that so-called ‘bread’!”

“Never mind… I’m not hungry.”

Lunch’s half-raw cafeteria rice still sat heavy in my stomach.

“Hmph?! Wait—you… *cough!* No. A host requires a robust physique. This queen *orders* you to buy it.”

“…You just want it yourself. Don’t hide behind ‘host health’.”

I muttered under my breath and stepped into the bakery.

“Huh?! What is this?! Is that the so-called ‘chocolate’ on top?!”

The moment I entered, my body seized control. Eyes sparkling, I scanned the room, bolted to the nearest display case, and pressed my face hard against the glass, locked onto the chocolate buns inside.

Saliva dripped uncontrollably onto the counter, pooling into a tiny stream.

“Sir… um, are you planning to buy something?” the salesgirl asked, smile twitching. Her eyes screamed: *Without professional discipline, I’d punch you.*

“Hey! Knock it off!” I hissed downward, then turned to her. “Two egg tarts and two chocolate buns, please.”

Cash handed, I bolted out in a flash. I swore never to return. *Damn*, that was embarrassing—drooling like a starving beggar. If I were a girl, maybe cute. But I’m a grown man!

“I was just saying—”

“Mmm! So delicious! So sweet… Thousands of years… the last time this queen tasted something this divine was…”

I’d been ready to argue—but her words tugged at my heart. How long had she been sealed away? No wonder she reacted like this. Fine. I’ll forgive her.

“Good, huh?”

“Delicious! Tha—*cough!* Do *not* misunderstand! This queen did *not* eat for herself! Merely nourishing the host body! Purely!”

“…Right. Let’s go buy what you need.”

*Sigh…* If only she were a girl walking beside me. That tsundere vibe would make me want to ask her out. But *inside* my body?! I can’t exactly date myself…

“Follow this road. This queen will speak when the time comes.”

“Got it. But… could you *please* stop licking my hand in public?”

After finishing the bun, she kept licking my fingers—even after every crumb vanished. Passersby shot me deeply weird looks.

“What’s wrong? Don’t humans wash hands after eating? This queen dislikes water. This method suffices. Hands, body—same thing.”

“…”

*Lick my whole body clean?!* The logistics alone were horrifying. And gross.

“We’re here. This shop. Buy a pretty outfit.”

I stopped and turned toward the clothing store—its sign glowing softly: *Cute Girl*.