Talulah, I'm still a child.

"I won't eat you, Brother Meixue."

Li Boli touched his head helplessly. He didn't expect that just making a sound could scare Mei Xue like this. It seems that this older brother is not an ordinary coward. He was a little worried when he saw Mei Xue run out of the kitchen and hide here. He didn't expect that she was hiding to vomit. What happened?

After hearing this, the three large tails that were sticking out gradually calmed down. Mei Xue pulled himself out of the snowdrift and looked at Yinuo with some wariness. He knew Yinuo, but he rarely spoke to everyone, so they weren't exactly familiar with each other.

"Brother, are you feeling very unwell?"

"No, I'm very happy."

Mei Xue's big tail swayed back and forth, constantly attracting Ino's attention. Talulah always said that Mei Xue's tail felt very nice, which made everyone want to touch it. However, Mei Xue was very shy, so everyone could only look but not touch it. Ino always wanted to try touching it to see what it would feel like.

(By the way, won't Talulah punish me if I touch her?)

Ino walked to a position about five meters in front of Mei Xue, knowing he couldn't approach rashly.

"Brother, can we play hide-and-seek together tomorrow?"

"..."

Faced with the sudden invitation, Mei Xue fell into a brief moment of thought. He wanted to refuse because he was afraid of being with too many people.

"There are only four people, but with my brother, that makes five. Sister Talulah will also be coming."

Mei Xue was less resistant now. He remembered that Talulah had told him to play with his other friends before she left. If Talulah was there tomorrow, then Mei Xue would be fine with it.

"Hmm... If my sister is going too, then I'll go too."

Seeing that Mei Xue had accepted his invitation, Ino smiled happily. He really wanted to get along well with this older brother, not only because he was attracted to his body, but also because he felt that they were somewhat similar, so he subconsciously wanted to get closer to him.

Chapter Ten: Mei Xue, Deeply Affected

"Mei Xue, hehehe, my Mei Xue~"

Talulah walked along, grinning foolishly as she looked at the collar in her hand. She planned to take it back and put it on Meixue. The little fox had always had a bell, but it was tied with a rope. Changing it to a collar would definitely make Meixue even cuter.

"Stop acting crazy here."

Frostnova really wanted to slap Talulah into the ground; this girl had almost completely disgraced their Snowfield Guerrilla. Luckily, no one was watching at the moment.

"Tch, you're just jealous."

"Are you kidding? Jealous of you? With your stupidity?"

Silently putting the gold badge she had taken from the disciplinary squad members that day into her pocket, Frostnova felt that Talulah was more like a simpleton now, a far cry from the flirtatious dragon girl she used to be.

"Hmph, I can still sleep with Mei Xue's big tail tonight, can you do that?"

"..."

Faced with Talulah's boasting, Frostnova rubbed her temples helplessly, then ran towards the camp without saying a word. She wanted to be the first to arrive at the camp, then lift Mei Xue high in the air, and give the little fox's big tail a couple of hard rubs in front of Talulah. She even deliberately froze the road in front of Talulah, making it impossible for her to catch up for a while.

"Trying to get ahead? Not so easy!"

Talulah raised her hand and unleashed a burst of flame, instantly evaporating the frozen pavement. The two chased each other, hindering one another as they charged forward.

Mei Xue was still waiting, holding the apple as always, but he didn't eat it. Instead, he looked curiously at the golden bell around his neck. It had been with him since he woke up. Strangely, no one except Mei Xue could take it off. The people from the village had tried to steal the bell before, but in the end, they could only vent their dissatisfaction with violence in their anger.

"Well……"

He reached out and gently scratched the bell. Hearing the crisp sound, Mei Xue's heart calmed down. A subtle emotion welled up inside him, like a cool breeze suddenly appearing on a hot day. He suddenly liked this feeling. He gently fiddled with the bell on his chest and couldn't help but laugh.

Before Mei Xue could get into the moment, Talulah and Frostnova's voices reached his ears. He looked up and saw them chasing each other, one after the other. The little fox's tail swayed happily as she waved.

"Sister~ Welcome back~"

Talulah sped up and ran to Meixue, then squatted down and reached out to rub Meixue's head.

"Mmm, sister..."

"Get out of here!"

Frostnova kicked Talulah away with a rabbit-like kick, then immediately grabbed Mei Xue's hand, ignoring the little fox's bewildered expression.

"Sister's back! Meixue, have you been waiting for a long time?"

"You damn rabbit, are you looking for a beating?"

"Oh dear, isn't this Talulah? How did you end up in the snowdrift?"

Protecting Mei Xue behind her, Frostnova feigned surprise as she looked at Talulah, as if she hadn't been the one who had attacked her. This attitude infuriated Talulah, but when she saw Mei Xue, all her dissatisfaction and anger were suppressed. Talulah didn't want to frighten her younger brother, so she could only signal to Frostnova with her eyes: You just wait.

Froststar responded in kind, picking up Plum Blossom and rubbing against the little fox.

————————————————————————————

As night fell, everyone gathered around the campfire for dinner. Mei Xue sat quietly next to Talulah, munching on an apple. The little fox only ate vegetables, and everyone was initially worried that he would be malnourished. However, it turned out that Mei Xue could indeed survive on a vegetarian diet and was quite healthy. Everyone knew why he didn't eat meat, so no one said anything. They just felt it was nice to have Mei Xue by their side while they ate. Just looking at his quiet and well-behaved appearance made them feel very hungry.

"Talulah, this is for you."

Alina placed the dish that Meixue had made that day next to Talulah. Seeing him sandwiched between Frostnova and Talulah, the little fox's expression changed for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure. However, the rapid swaying of his tail behind him revealed his nervousness, and his ears twitched more frequently.

"There's even extra food today? That's great. Thank you for your hard work, Alina."

Talulah was somewhat surprised. Although Meixue was a major supplier of food, there was still a shortage of meat in the camp. The meat they traded and hunted was not enough for everyone. The children were usually given priority. Talulah and the others were already quite satisfied with the amount of fruit and vegetables they had.

"You should try it first. It's a pity there's only one extra dish, otherwise everyone could have something to eat."

Alina glanced at Mei Xue. The cute little fox had been in that apple-biting posture the whole time, her eyes fixed on Talulah. Her dark eyes shone with a rare brilliance. This unusual behavior puzzled Frostnova, mainly because Mei Xue's tail was swaying around her, making her want to hug it.

"Then I'll have to give it a good try."

Under Mei Xue's expectant gaze, Talulah took a bite of the dish he had made, and then her expression became very strange. After swallowing it, she couldn't help but look at Alina with a puzzled expression.

"Alina, why does the food you made today taste so bad?"

This was originally just a joke. In reality, the dish was only slightly salty, and Mei Xue hadn't controlled the heat well, causing it to burn a little. However, it was far from Alina's usual standard, which is why Talulah teased her like that. But Talulah didn't expect that her words would offend someone else.

Froststar noticed that Meixue's tail was drooping and her ears were listless. She was silently munching on her apple with her head down. Alina was even more disappointed. She glanced at Meixue, who was so discouraged that she didn't even want to eat her apple, and snatched the food from Talulah's hand and gave it to Bozokasti.

"Eat it or not, it's up to you."

After leaving those words behind, Alina left decisively, leaving Talulah completely bewildered. She wondered why Alina was angry when she hadn't said anything offensive. Alina was known for her gentle and intellectual nature, and Talulah had never seen her lose her temper before.

"Sigh...what an idiot..."

Frostnova sighed and patted Talulah's shoulder.

"What's up?"

"Besides Alina, didn't you notice that someone else is missing?"

Frostnova pointed to the empty seat next to Talulah. Yes, Mei Xue was gone too. He had been sitting between Talulah and Frostnova, but he had disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only half an uneaten apple. You know, Mei Xue used to eat apples with such gusto that he would swallow the core. If Talulah couldn't figure out what had happened, then she shouldn't blame Frostnova for calling her stupid.

"This dish couldn't possibly be..."

"What do you think? Tsk, what are you waiting for? Go find someone!"

Watching the two run away, Bozhuokastie turned his gaze back to the dish in front of him. He could tell that the dish wasn't very tasty; the person who cooked it probably couldn't even hold a knife properly, and the preparation was clumsy. He picked up the dish and silently left; he wasn't going to eat with everyone.

Chapter 11 Talulah: Nobody can take her from me!

This was the first time Talulah had ever been so anxious. She really wanted to slap herself, but the most important thing now was to find Meixue and apologize properly before talking about anything else. If Meixue developed a rift with her because of this, Talulah would regret it to death.

"Ino, have you seen Mei Xue?"

Upon seeing Ino, Talulah immediately went over. The camp was neither too big nor too small, and it would be difficult to find Mei Xue if he hid there. Talulah was most worried that he would run outside the camp, as it was going to snow heavily tonight.

"Sister Talulah, isn't Brother Meixue usually with you? Is he sick again?"

"Are you sick?"

"correct."

Ino recalled what she had seen in the evening. Although Mei Xue said she was fine, her pale face still made Ino a little uneasy.

“I remember that Mei Xue ran out of the kitchen and then went to the small hill behind the house and vomited for a long time. He was probably sick. Sister, you can go and check on him.”

"...Thank you, Ino."

Talulah quickly thanked her and ran towards the kitchen, cursing herself inwardly. What a load of rubbish she had said! The kitchen was hell for Mei Xue, of course he would throw up. That kid didn't even dare to hold a kitchen knife.

(Talulah, you're such a bastard!)

She cursed herself again in her heart and quickened her pace. She had actually hurt her younger brother and disappointed the child who had tolerated and sacrificed so much for her.

————————————————————————————

"Mei Xue, Mei Xue, where are you?"

Alina couldn't help but panic. She had only gotten angry at Talulah because she saw Mei Xue suddenly disappear. The boy had only wanted to help his sister. Alina had seen everything he did today, so she knew best how much of a blow Talulah's words would be to Mei Xue. Being rejected by the person you trust most would make anyone feel bad.

But Alina hasn't found any trace of Mei Xue since then. This little fox is probably good at playing hide-and-seek. Alina knows she has to find him as soon as possible. She's not afraid that he'll blame Talulah for being a fool who can't talk. She's just afraid that this little fox, who already has autistic tendencies, will take all the blame on her. If that happens, it will be even harder for him to escape the cage in his heart.

"Meixue, come out, I..."

Alina suddenly stopped because she had seen the little fox. It seemed that Mei Xue might not be suitable for playing hide-and-seek; his tail was too conspicuous. Alina discovered that he was hiding in a basket behind the house, and if she got a little closer, she could hear a faint crying sound.

Mei Xue also cries, but he never cries too loudly. He just finds a corner, curls up in a ball, and lets the tears flow on their own. He doesn't care.

Actually, Mei Xue knew that Talulah was right. He should have tasted it himself after finishing, but he couldn't eat it. Perhaps he should have asked Sister Alina to taste it instead of running away immediately after finishing. It was all his fault. He should have known better than to rush into doing these things. He could have done something else first, such as helping Talulah sweep the floor or doing laundry.

"Waaah..."

No matter how he thought about it, today's efforts still failed to achieve the desired success, which was terrible for Mei Xue. He didn't think it was Talulah's fault, nor did he think it was Alina's fault, so the only reason for the mess could be himself. The little fox curled up in a ball, completely unaware that his tail was sticking out.

What else can I do in the future?

Mei Xue pondered this question. Even with Alina's help, he still couldn't do it well, so there was no need to mention anything else. He was a useless fox, only able to produce some food and had no other use. What if... what if Talulah didn't want him anymore?

The little fox quickly shook his head to banish the bad thought from his mind. He dared not think about such things, but the more he forced himself not to think about it, the easier it was to develop in that direction. Mei Xue was trapped in a vicious cycle of her own thinking.

Alina stepped forward lightly. She wanted Meixue to cry for a while, thinking that crying would make her feel better. However, she thought that crying too much would easily have the opposite effect. Children's minds are very delicate and simple. They are mostly emotional, so they are prone to overthinking. Just as Alina was about to step forward, Talulah gently placed her hand on her shoulder.

"..."

Looking at Talulah beside her, Alina hesitated whether she should let her go over. She was worried that Talulah might say something wrong again and upset Mei Xue, but if everything went smoothly, perhaps Talulah could minimize the impact of this matter on Mei Xue.

After a moment's thought, Alina gave the opportunity to Talulah, then pulled Frostnova, who had also arrived, back away, preventing her from going forward.

Talulah took a step slowly, listening to Mei Xue's soft sobs. The more she listened, the more distressed she felt. If she had known that Mei Xue had done it especially for her, she would never have said those words. She knew better than anyone how much courage Mei Xue needed to do this. She was filled with remorse.

"Plum Blossom Snow".

As Talulah finished speaking, Mei Xuelu's three tails outside immediately bristled, perfectly revealing their owner's panic. They scrambled together in a flustered manner, perhaps Mei Xuelu was trying to find a place to hide and escape.