Talulah, I'm still a child.

"not yet."

"Then let's chat a little longer."

"it is good."

The little fox nestled obediently in Talulah's arms, letting his sister's chin rub against his head. He usually falls asleep within a minute, but tonight he was unexpectedly unable to sleep, probably because, like Talulah, he was worried that he wouldn't see her when he woke up.

"Mei Xue, what kind of person do you like?"

Talulah has a secret that no one knows: she is not Vayvan, but Drak. That's why she can see clearly at night. The little fox in her arms is so cute, so quiet, so irresistible... making one want to possess it forever.

Chapter 16 Siblings' Night Talk (Part 2)

What kind of person does he like? This question is indeed a bit difficult for our little fox, because he has a blurry understanding of the line between liking and loving, and cannot understand the relationship between them. However, his understanding of liking has gone beyond just words.

“I love my older sister, Alina, Yelena, Grandpa Bozokastie, Ino, Sasha…”

Mei Xue rattled off a long list of names, basically covering everyone around her, including the Yeti Squad and the Shield Guard. Talulah thought that the little fox might be pretending not to understand, but considering his personality, it was probably true.

"It's not that kind of liking, it's a deeper kind."

Talulah was at a loss for words, so she hugged the little fox even tighter and subconsciously nibbled on his ear, trying to organize her thoughts. She needed to use some vivid language to make the little fox understand what she meant; after all, Mei Xue was still young and needed his guidance.

"Didn't I say before that if you can't see someone, you can't eat or sleep? You always want to see her, share all the happy things with her, tell her what you ate today, and tell her what you were thinking today? Doesn't Mei Xue have someone like that in her heart?"

Talulah gently stroked the little fox's nose, and the way she nibbled on his ear made him blush a little, but Mei Xue still shook her head and snuggled into Talulah's arms.

"No."

This answer made Talulah frown slightly. She couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. She reached out and gently pinched the little fox's cheek, then put her arms around his waist.

"Really not?"

"Really do not have."

The little fox nodded firmly, and then he sensed something strange in Talulah's glowing eyes. Out of his survival instinct, the little fox immediately realized what his good sister meant. He reached out and gently hugged Talulah's neck, then kissed her on the cheek.

This sudden reassurance did work. Talulah immediately realized that she had been having some inappropriate thoughts. She repeatedly reminded herself not to fall into the snake's trap, and then clung tightly to the little fox.

"Because I haven't separated from my sister yet."

Mei Xue curled up in a ball, hugging his big tail, and affectionately rubbed his face against Talulah's. He could clearly feel that the dark aura on Talulah's body had been suppressed. The snake emerged from her body again, looking at the little fox with curiosity.

"If we're separated, I'll definitely miss my sister a lot. I'll want to tell her what I ate, but I'm sure Talulah will guess it was an apple. I'll want to see her, chat with her, um... anyway, I'll just miss my sister."

What would it be like if he left Talulah? The little fox thought it would be terrible. His sister was the best and most powerful person in the world, and Mei Xue was proud of her.

"Do you think about it when you're sleeping?"

"Um...no."

The little fox gently reached out and curiously placed its fingers on the black snake. However, to Talulah, it seemed that he was simply putting his hand on her shoulder. Watching the snake crawl up her hand to her shoulder, Mei Xue felt that it probably couldn't eat the apple because its mouth was too small.

Why not?

"Because Meixue won't be able to sleep if her sister isn't here."

Mei Xue smiled, and Talulah regretted extinguishing the candle. If she had, she could have seen the little fox's smile more clearly. He must have been smiling slyly, proudly, but also very cutely.

"When did you start saying things like that?"

"Hey, I learned it all from my older sister."

This is indeed something she learned from Talulah. Although she usually acts like a silly older sister in front of Meixue, Talulah generally maintains her resolute side. However, when she is with Alina, she always says flirtatious things to tease each other. Meixue learned this from her.

The black snake crawled all over the little fox, but it was always connected to Talulah by a thread, so Meixue couldn't take it away. She could only watch it return to Talulah and pretend to scare herself.

"Meixue, are you really going?"

Talulah didn't want to lie to herself; she just couldn't bear to part with this little fox. She was worried about his safety, yet reluctant to let him leave her side. Because of him, Talulah was almost becoming someone she didn't recognize anymore.

"Ah."

The little fox simply responded, and then he felt Talulah's tail gently wrap around his own. Although he didn't understand what this meant, Mei Xue let Talulah do it, knowing that his sister would never harm him.

"Since this is your own idea, I won't try to persuade you anymore. We will leave the snowfield after spring next year, and then I will arrange for you to go to Longmen."

That's what she said, but Talulah was still unsure, because the guerrillas couldn't send anyone to take care of Mei Xue all the time. The only time they could take him was when they went to withdraw the money. Was she going to leave the little fox to face life alone? He'd probably get kidnapped.

She only has one younger brother, so what if... Oh right, besides her brother, doesn't she also have a younger sister?

[How stupid! If you send him there, regardless of your sister's attitude, can you guarantee Wei Yanwu won't do something to him?]

The black snake's rant made Talulah realize the flaw in her idea, but she soon discovered something else: had this snake become smarter lately? Before, it simply kept repeating Koschic's twisted logic, then it gradually learned to be sarcastic, and now it can even rant.

However, what Black Snake said was indeed true. After all, they had been separated for so many years. Talulah couldn't guarantee that Chen Huijie would still look after Mei Xue for her sister's sake. Besides, Wei Yanwu was also a problem. Once he discovered that Mei Xue was in contact with him, he would inevitably connect it to Koschche, and the little fox might be in danger.

This was by no means Talulah's unfounded worry. She knew Wei Yanwu's character very well. That old dragon was almost suffering from "Koschei PTSD." He would overthink anything related to Koschei. After all, half of Lungmen was almost destroyed by Koschei back then, and Wei Yanwu lost too much because of him.

"More than half a year... Take this time to think it over carefully."

Gently cuddling the little fox, Talulah drifted off to sleep. There were still many things to do tomorrow. She needed to discuss future plans with the others, such as phased goals and certain trade-offs. Not everyone in the camp was willing to leave with them; many just wanted to survive. Talulah understood these people, and if anyone wanted to leave, they would provide them with enough food.

But in any case, by then, she wouldn't see the little fox for a long time.

Chapter 17 The Little Fox's Future Plans

Since finalizing the next plan, Talulah has become exceptionally busy. The little fox knows how hard his sister works, so apart from occasionally helping to relieve stress (by hugging her tail), he doesn't actively seek out Talulah. Instead, he stays by Alina's side, learning how to conduct himself in society. The outside world is dangerous and complex, and the little fox will encounter many unpredictable situations in the future. Therefore, Alina wants to do her best to prevent things that no one wants from happening.

"Listen up, Meixue. If you encounter bad people outside, shout for the police, understand?"

"Ah."

"What if you get lost?"

"Ask a kind person for directions."

"So who are the good people and who are the bad people?"

Alina gently rubbed the little fox's head. She had been relatively free these days, so she had more time to pet the fox's fur, and Mei Xue was quite fond of her.

"Anyone who wants to eat plum blossoms is a bad person."

The little fox's delicate nose twitched slightly. Alina knew this was his unique way of judging people. Ever since Talulah brought him back, Mei Xue had developed a very special intuition. He could tell whether the people around him harbored ill intentions towards him and was also very sensitive to other people's gazes. However, his slightly withdrawn nature still required some effort.

Moreover, regarding what he said, if it's not about physical eating, then Alina feels that there might be a lot more bad people in the world, at least a few among the readers.

What if a good child gets bullied?

"Hmm...fight back."

The little fox wagged his tail, somewhat unsure if what he said was right. Anyway, that's how Talulah and Frostnova taught him, but his sister Alina might think it wasn't a good approach.

"Yeah, not only do you have to fight back, but you also have to remember to protect yourself. Just grab something from your tail and throw it at us, so you don't get it dirty."

Alina nodded in satisfaction. Although she always advocated peaceful coexistence, what kind of good person would bully a little fox? It would be unreasonable for Mei Xue to have to endure being bullied.

"Don't you think this is a bad thing, sister?"

"So what does Mei Xue want to do?"

"Hmm...it's good that they ran away."

The little fox wagged his tail lightly. He didn't have much fighting power, so running away was the best strategy. That way, he wouldn't get beaten up. Anyway, he was fast, and if nothing unexpected happened, no one could catch him.

"Okay, then run first and protect yourself."

In any case, the little fox's safety is always the top priority. Actually, Alina is also worried about sending him to Lungmen. However, what they are about to do is full of danger. Not only Mei Xue, but also Ino and Sasha and other children will stay in the snowfield for the time being. Mei Xue will go to the new camp with everyone first, and then go to Lungmen together. It will depend on how Talulah arranges things then.

Just as Alina was pondering how Talulah planned to settle Meixue, the surrounding temperature suddenly rose a bit. The little fox's ears immediately perked up, and she couldn't wait to go to the door. After opening the door, she gave Talulah a warm hug.

"Welcome back, sister~"

"Yes, I'm back."

Talulah looked a little tired, but she still responded affectionately to the little fox's hug. Today's plum blossom scent was jasmine, and she liked it no matter what it was.

"You've worked hard, do you want to take a nap?"

"No, I need to go and discuss the location of the stronghold with Bozokas later. I've also made arrangements for Mei Xue's matter. I'll entrust him to someone I trust to take care of him."

What if that person isn't trustworthy?

"Then we'll be able to hug a big tail again."

Talulah reached out and pinched Mei Xue's cheek, then gently picked him up and took a bite of the apple.

“Last month I sent someone to Longmen, partly to see if the place was still there, and partly to inquire about my younger sister. She should have the same temper as when she was a child.”

At this point, Talulah couldn't help but laugh. It was clear that receiving news of her sister after so many years was a good thing. She sat on the bed with Mei Xue in her arms and then told Alina about the gains from sending people there.

Sending people to Lungmen this time took a lot of effort. After squeezing enough money from the disciplinary team to cover the travel expenses, it took one of Frostnova's Yetis nearly half a month to reach the area. Entering Lungmen also took some effort, as the route they took was not very legitimate, which is why they had to return early.

According to the Yeti, Chen Huijie is now a senior superintendent in the Lungmen Guard Bureau, known for his decisiveness and integrity. He is generally well-regarded except in the slums. However, it is not advisable to inquire about Wei Yanwu's affairs, as it could easily lead to trouble.

"So, is your sister reliable?"

“Huijie has always had a strong sense of justice. We are sisters and have many similarities. I am not worried that Meixue will suffer any injustices by her side. I am just afraid of my uncle.”

"That Mr. Wei?"

"Ah."

Gently pinching Mei Xue's ear, Talulah recalled Wei Yanwu's appearance from her memories. It was somewhat blurry, but his style of doing things was still firmly in Talulah's mind. Talulah was not very old at that time, but she was very precocious. She knew what kind of person Wei Yanwu was. If Mei Xue was targeted by him, the outcome would be too uncertain. Sending her to another city would not work either, because apart from Lungmen, the only choice was Chernobog, and that city belonged to Ursus.

“He is a cautious and thoughtful person. He will not allow any potential threats to harm his city, especially those related to Cosice.”

Talulah knew better than anyone the psychological trauma Koschei had inflicted on Wei Yanwu. She guessed that Wei Yanwu would probably be excitedly popping champagne to celebrate Koschei's death. However, Koschei's death did not mean the destruction of the Black Serpent. The new Black Serpent resided within Talulah, suppressed by Alina and Mei Xue, and serpents still existed in other places.

"So what do you think?"

"Hmm, let's put on a show, and we might make a big fuss about it."

Mei Xue nestled quietly in Talulah's arms. He knew he only needed to wait for his sister to make arrangements, and didn't need to worry about anything else. He could now simply enjoy the time he spent with everyone. In the future, he would have to learn to get used to the days when everyone was not around.

The black snake emerged again, landing on Mei Xue's shoulder and then crawling into his hand. Mei Xue looked at it curiously, thinking that this was the noisy snake his sister had mentioned. It was so quiet, with glossy black scales and golden eyes filled with curiosity about the little fox.

If you don't like it, then take it away.

This was Mei Xue's only thought at the moment. He gently grabbed the snake by its vital spot and tried to break the thread between it and Talulah. However, Alina and Talulah seemed completely unaware of what he was doing.

The thread was very strong, and the little fox tried for a long time but couldn't pull it off. The snake just lazily held onto his hand. Seeing the frustrated little fox, it finally used its teeth to easily bite the thread that was originally unbreakable.

Ignoring the somewhat surprised look on the snake's face, the little fox, unsure of what to do with it, simply stuffed it into its left tail, not even afraid of being bitten.