Talulah, I'm still a child.

"what!?"

Talulah was completely dumbfounded. Weren't they even giving her a chance to explain? Why was she sentenced to death without any justification? Shouldn't her defense lawyer be helping her?

"Hmm, good idea."

"No, Alina! I've shed blood for Reunion, I've rendered service to the organization, you can't treat me like this!"

Seeing Alina's clenched fist, Talulah immediately realized that even if they were joking, they had still been somewhat emotionally involved. She decided to ask the little fox for help with her eyes, but Alina's ruthless iron fist forced her head back, forcing her to meet those fierce eyes and feel immense pressure.

"...Alina, I...I really am..."

"Don't worry, they won't do anything to you. The death penalty is just a joke."

Alina gently patted Talulah's cheek with a tender smile. Mei Xue, who couldn't hear anything, felt something was off. But after thinking about it carefully, he realized Talulah seemed to be a better fighter than Alina. If they really fought, Alina wouldn't have the upper hand. So the two were probably just having a normal chat. The little fox continued to bury her head in her apple, while Frostnova took the opportunity to enjoy herself.

"That's good. I knew it would be you, Alina..."

"You'll sleep alone for the next few months; Mei Xue will sleep in another room."

Talulah's words caught in her throat, because she realized that what she was about to say was no joke; the praise she wanted to give had turned into something that made her want to cry.

Are you the devil?

"No, I am a forest spirit who saves children."

Alina nodded, ruthlessly pronouncing the verdict. Putting everything else aside, she had already realized that she could no longer let Meixue stay by Talulah's side. Otherwise, even if they were still kissing, hugging, and lifting each other up high today, who knew what Talulah would do to the little fox tomorrow? If they talked today, they would be doing *that* tomorrow.

"But Alina, I can't sleep without Mei Xue holding me."

"No, there's no room for discussion."

Alina made a decisive refusal, and without any hesitation, she made Talulah suffer the consequences, while she herself got the benefit.

"Then we should also ask Mei Xue's opinion, right?"

"Okay."

Alina nodded, signaling Frostnova to release her grip so the little fox could hear what everyone was saying. Then she gently patted Mei Xue's head, her skillful touch and precise control of the pressure making the little fox purr contentedly. This instantly improved Alina's mood considerably.

"Meixue, is it okay if you sleep alone tonight?"

When Alina asked the question, she knew that the little fox would refuse, because the bond between him and Talulah was so deep that it was like the body and the shadow, impossible to sever. Nothing could shake Talulah's position in the little fox's heart, unless Talulah abandoned him, but this premise itself could only be a hypothetical scenario, so the outcome was self-evident.

"Okay."

"I knew it... huh!?"

The three older sisters froze on the spot, clearly taken aback by the unexpected answer. The little fox wagged its tail, clutching the apple, its ears twitching slightly. It looked away from Talulah's gaze, but eventually met her gaze head-on. Seeing the disbelief and the hidden fear in Talulah's eyes, Mei Xue jumped out of Frostnova's arms, walked up to Talulah, and took her hand, placing it on its own tail.

“From now on, my older brothers and sisters will be busy, and Mei Xue won’t be able to stay with everyone. She needs to learn to sleep alone and not always rely on her older sister.”

This was the little fox's own decision. He knew that he would soon be separated from everyone for a long time, and he knew without a doubt that it would be hard to bear. So he wanted to experience that feeling as soon as possible. Well, starting tonight, while he could still be with Talulah, build a snowman with Frostnova, and plant crops with Alina, he could gradually learn to accept these things.

Although she knew that Meixue was very sensible, Talulah still felt a little heartache every time. The little fox wanted to be independent, but she couldn't live without Meixue. They were going to be apart for a long time, and now the time they could spend together was being shortened. Talulah didn't want to agree to this in the first place, but Alina gave her a look that seemed to say, "The little fox is so sensible, can't you, as the older sister, be more responsible?"

Stared at like that, even Talulah couldn't say anything more. She could only lower her head and gently kiss Mei Xue's forehead, then put her hand on his shoulder.

"Actually, I don't want to be separated from Meixue because my brother is the best person in the world. But you're right, tonight, just tonight. If you feel scared, come back to my room. I'll keep the light on for you."

After saying that, Talulah gently bit Mei Xue's earlobe, then gave Alina a resentful look. She really lost out today; not only was she interrogated, but she also missed out on the little fox's company for the night. But what about Alina? She even got the little fox's first kiss. If she had known, she would have just given it to Mei Xue back then. Anyway, the little fox would never have realized what that meant.

In short, tonight is the first night the little fox will sleep alone, which should be a good opportunity for him to get some exercise, well, if some people can really hold back.

Chapter 24 Don't you guys sleep?

Tonight is destined to be a sleepless night, for everyone. Talulah tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep. Every minute and every second without the little fox was torture, especially since Meixue was sleeping in the room opposite hers, while she was all alone. As a fire-wielding Drak, Talulah actually felt what emptiness, loneliness and coldness meant.

But what Talulah couldn't accept the most was that Mei Xue actually kissed Alina on the lips at that moment. That was the little fox's first time! And it wasn't for her!?

This has led to Talulah having that dream scene every time she closes her eyes. The thought that her cute little fox might actually end up with her best friend Alina makes Talulah's heart clench. If that really happens, she'll definitely turn into Koschei II on the spot.

"No, I can't fall asleep without Meixue by my side."

Talulah rubbed her temples and sat up in bed, looking at the swirling snow outside the window. She silently calculated the days ahead. There were still a few months until the little fox was sent to Lungmen. The little time they had left together was now even shorter, which made her quite depressed.

If it weren't for saving face, Talulah wouldn't mind singing "Without you, I'm so lonely" right now, but considering that it doesn't quite fit her image, she'd better not.

In short, not having the little fox by her side is truly unbearable. Talulah can already foresee what she will be like in a few months. It will definitely be embarrassing, but Frostnova and the others will probably be no better off.

"No, with such heavy snowfall, what if Mei Xue catches a cold? I have to go find him!"

Having given herself a reason that was barely convincing, Talulah decisively got out of bed, picked up her coat and put it on. She glanced through the window and saw that everyone except the Shield Guards on night watch was asleep. She figured that Alina and Frostnova should also be resting, so she felt relieved and pushed the door open to leave.

The little fox's temporary room was right across the street. The snowstorm tonight was unexpectedly heavy, and even Talulah felt a bit cold. She couldn't imagine how Mei Xue would be frozen. Just thinking about the little fox curled up in a ball on the bed, shivering, made Talulah extremely anxious.

"Meixue, your sister is here! Open the door quickly!"

Talulah knocked on the door softly, her voice as low as it could be, and she looked furtive, more like a witch trying to steal a child than an older sister.

However, there was no response from inside the room, which made Talulah a little disappointed. Just a while ago, the little fox said that she couldn't sleep without her by her side, and it turned out that it was just a comforting remark.

But since they were already here, it wouldn't be right to just go back like this. Talulah remembered that the reason they came was to prevent the little fox from catching a cold.

So she reached out and gently tugged at the door lock, then was "surprised" to find that Mei Xue's door lock was broken.

"This door needs some repairs."

Looking at the door lock in her hand, Talulah swore she really didn't intend to take it off; yes, it fell off by itself.

She carelessly tossed aside the twisted and deformed lock, the wind and snow masking any sound, and Talulah gently pushed the door open and went inside.

"Hiss...who's littering like this in the snowy plains?"

Froststar rubbed her head, picked up the thing that had hit her earlier, and looked at it. Although she couldn't see exactly what it was, it felt like metal, like the lock from Meixue's room, and it was still a little warm.

"Damn it, Talulah! You're stealing food!"

With her keen intuition, Frostnova immediately recognized this thing.

As for the connection between Mei and Talulah, you ask her how she can be so sure? What a joke! One of the three laws of the Reunion Movement: You can always connect anything related to Mei to Talulah.

Frostnova planned to rush in and drag Talulah out. She cautiously approached the door, and just as she was about to push it open, she bumped into another slightly rough hand.

"Yelena?"

"Alina!"

The two made a brief encounter, and Alina's sudden appearance startled Frostnova. Fortunately, the wind and snow drowned out her voice, and Talulah inside seemed unaware.

The two looked at each other somewhat awkwardly, not expecting to run into each other here. They had only guessed that they would bump into Talulah.

"What are you doing here? I remember you weren't supposed to be on night duty today."

"I...I just couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk."

"Wearing pajamas?"

Alina looked her up and down. To be out for a walk in the snow in such heavy weather, dressed in pajamas, was truly befitting of a Yeti princess.

"Haha, I'm not cold either... By the way, Alina, what are you doing here?"

"It's snowing heavily tonight, and I'm worried that Mei Xue will catch a cold, so I'm adding an extra blanket for him."

Alina was indeed carrying a blanket, seemingly genuinely worried that the little fox would catch a cold. Compared to her, Frostnova felt her own heart was somewhat impure; she had thought Alina had also come to sneak away, but she had been overthinking it.

However, Frostnova was unaware that the blanket Alina was holding was actually her own; in other words, Alina had no intention of coming out after going in.

"Oh right, Talulah has already gone in."

"I think I've pretty much guessed it."

Alina helplessly touched her face and smiled bitterly. She knew Talulah all too well. She never expected that the silly girl would actually behave herself. She just didn't expect that even though she had installed an extra lock on the outside, the little fox would not lock the door from the outside.

"Shall we go in?"

"Go in."

Alina nodded and then walked in confidently. Surprisingly, only Talulah was standing in the room, with flames burning in her hands that illuminated the entire room. So Alina and Frostnova could clearly see that there was only a blanket left on the little fox's bed.

"Alina... Mei Xue... Mei Xue is missing!"

Talulah turned around, her face looking quite pale, tears welling up in her eyes, ready to fall at any moment.

The blankets were empty, the window was open, and judging from the snow drifting onto the ground, the little fox must have been gone for some time. Alina and Frostnova were immediately confused. Had it run away?

Just as the group was beginning to shift their suspicions from "the little fox ran away" to "it was stolen," and were becoming extremely anxious, the Shield Guard appeared at the door.

"The captain is right, you really are here. Don't worry, the little fox is fine."

The Shield Guard's words quickly calmed Frostnova and Alina, who were on the verge of going berserk. However, Talulah had already gone berserk. She flashed in front of the Shield Guard, her sharp eyes burning with fire, and her tone was extremely harsh.

Where is my brother?

"Don't worry, being by the Captain's side means you'll be safer anywhere in the world than behind the Patriots' shield."

The shield guard had seen his share of things and was naturally not intimidated by Talulah. However, he was also surprised that the little fox could make Talulah act like this. It seemed that Talulah truly regarded Mei Xue as a part of her life.

-------------------------------

Let's rewind to before Talulah broke into the house (stealing the fox). Actually, it wasn't just Talulah and Frostnova who couldn't sleep; Mei Xue was also having trouble sleeping.

It wasn't because he felt cold; the little fox was warm enough to hug his tail. He was just woken up by a nightmare and couldn't fall back asleep for a while.

Before, with Talulah around, Mei Xue was never afraid no matter what, but now, looking at the pitch-black room, the little fox wished she could bury herself completely under the covers and curl up.

"Sister Black Snake, are you there?"

The little fox asked a question, but received no response. It seemed that the black snake was hibernating, so he had no choice but to huddle in the corner.

If only my sister were here right now! No, no, I can't always rely on my sister.

Mei Xue, who was afraid of the dark, shook his head, his tail and ears wagging nervously. He was a little scared, but he didn't want to go to Talulah. After thinking about it, he suddenly thought of someone.

"Go find Grandpa Bozokasti!"

And so this scene unfolded.

The towering Wendigo sat by the campfire like an ancient and solemn sculpture. On his lap lay the little fox who was afraid of the dark, one of her snow-white tails held in her arms, the other in Bozokasti's arms, and a black snake, who was fast asleep.

All the wind and snow were blocked by Bozhuokasti's strong and broad back. Even with only the campfire around him, the little fox slept soundly. He snuggled affectionately into Bozhuokasti's arms and then continued to sleep peacefully.

Seeing Mei Xue like this, Bo Zhuokasti wanted to reach out and stroke her soft hair, but in the end he put his hand down. His nails were too sharp and might hurt Mei Xue. It was already good enough to be able to be leaned on by the little fox like this.

Mei Xue slept soundly, just as the Shield Guards had said: there was nowhere in the world safer than behind the shield of Bozokasti.

And what about Bozokasti? He only had one thought in mind: to protect this adorable little fox from being targeted by those scourges.