I created a foundation

She just watched quietly, as if she was watching a silent film that had nothing to do with her.

There was no longing, no envy, and no sadness on that exquisite face.

There is only a bottomless void and numbness.

It was as if she had long been abandoned by this colorful world, or perhaps she had abandoned this world on her own initiative.

She is like a beautiful ghost, wandering in the world, but she can never blend into the warm light.

".~ Xiangzi."

A gentle voice came from behind her, interrupting her distraction.

He is the store manager.

He had walked behind her without knowing when.

Xiangzi turned around slowly, and there was finally a slight, imperceptible fluctuation in his empty eyes, as if a small stone had been thrown into a calm lake.

But soon, the fluctuation disappeared and the usual calmness returned.

"Store manager."

Her voice was clear and cold, like a stream in early winter.

The store manager looked at her with his usual kindness on his face, but there seemed to be some subtle, indescribable emotions between his brows.

He seemed to want to say something, but also seemed to be choosing his words.

Xiangzi waited quietly, without urging or showing any curiosity.

It seemed as if no matter what the other party was going to say next, it had nothing to do with her.

"Thank you for your hard work today."

The store manager said as usual, with a hint of concern in his tone.

He paused, his eyes casually sweeping over the empty pet cages in the corner of the store.

Then, he seemed to have made up his mind, and sighed helplessly.

"that……"

The store manager spoke, with a barely perceptible hesitation in his voice.

"There's a small problem with the rabbit in the store..."

Chapter 165: An unexpected "gift", a cage called "home"

The lights in the pet shop were a bit dazzling, and there was a mixture of the smell of various animal feeds and disinfectant.

After a busy day, Shoko Toyokawa was about to take off her work apron with a cute cat paw pattern.

Her movements were a little slow, with a fatigue that penetrated deep into her bones.

"Xiangzi."

The slightly fat figure of the store manager was blocking the door to the changing room. He had his usual, slightly greasy smile on his face, but now there was a hint of distress that was difficult to conceal.

He scratched his hair, which was not very thick to begin with.

"There's something."

Xiangzi stopped what he was doing, lowered his eyes, didn't look at him, and just made a very light nasal sound in response.

"Ah."

She knew that it was usually not an easy thing for a store manager to start with this tone.

"Well, didn't we just get a pair of Holland Lop rabbits a few days ago?"

The store manager rubbed his hands together, his tone a little vague.

"The new girl in charge was careless and forgot to separate the male and female in time."

Xiangzi's brows furrowed slightly.

She had a premonition of something.

"result……"

The store manager sighed, his voice full of helplessness.

"When I looked this morning, wow, there was a new litter of cubs."

He turned sideways, revealing a half-worn cardboard box on the ground behind him.

There was some hay in the cardboard box, and seven or eight furry little balls huddled together, making tiny, almost inaudible squeaking sounds.

They are all still very small, with their eyes half open and half closed, and their pink noses slightly moving.

"Look, the store is already short on space, and we really can't afford to keep so many."

The store manager's voice held a hint of urgency.

"Well, let's just consider these cubs as benefits for you old employees. Each of you can take one home, and it's up to you how to deal with it."

He spoke lightly, as if it were just a trivial matter.

It's like getting rid of some excess inventory.

Xiangzi tightened his fingers slightly on the apron strings.

She subconsciously wanted to shake her head.

No.

The word almost came out of my mouth.

Her life had long been weighed down by her father's debts and her own shattered dreams.

Like a lonely boat drifting in a storm in the endless darkness, it may be completely overturned by the next wave at any time.

She doesn't have any extra energy or emotions to take on any extra "responsibilities".

Even if this "responsibility" is just a fragile baby rabbit.

She was afraid of any kind of bondage.

Fearing any connection that might make her feel lost again.

Her heart was as barren as a desert with no grass growing, unable to accommodate any new life.

However, just as she took a deep breath and was about to refuse in the coldest and most resolute tone.

The store manager seemed to see through her thoughts, or perhaps he simply didn't want to give her a chance to refuse. He bent down and casually picked up one from the carton.

It was a snow-white baby rabbit. Under the noisy lights of the store, it looked as white as a ball of cotton just plucked from the clouds.

Perhaps because it was picked up suddenly, it looked particularly thin, with its four little paws paddling helplessly in the air.

The manager didn't give her any time to react and directly stuffed the warm, furry little thing into her arms.

The sudden touch made Xiangzi's body stiffen instantly.

The touch is very light and soft.

With a kind of vigorous warmth unique to living life.

The temperature, through the thin fabric of her uniform, stubbornly seeped into her skin, like a drop of hot wax falling into an icy lake, instantly leaving a clear mark in her long-numbed sensory world.

The little rabbit moved restlessly in her arms, its tiny claws grabbing her clothes, as if looking for a fulcrum to lean on.

Its small, furry head rubbed gently against her chest.

A pair of clear, ruby-like eyes reflected her bloodless face.

There was no fear in those eyes, only the purest timidity and curiosity about this strange world.

Xiangzi lowered his head and his eyes met those red eyes.

Time seemed to be paused at this moment.

All the cold, hard words of rejection she had prepared were stuck in her throat and melted in that weak and warm touch.

She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

The heart, which had long been worn as hard as iron and as cold as frost by reality, seemed to be hit by something gently but extremely precisely at this moment.

It's light, but it hurts.

With a hint of long-lost sadness.

The store manager was obviously relieved when he saw that she didn't object, and the smile on his face became much more genuine.

"That's settled, Xiangzi."

He clapped his hands as if he had accomplished an important task.

"This little guy looks like he's meant to be with you. Take him home and take good care of him. Just find him a small cardboard box. He's easy to keep alive."

After saying that, he didn't stay any longer. He turned around and hummed a tuneless song while going to deal with the remaining "benefits".

Xiangzi was the only one left in the locker room.

She still maintained that stiff posture, motionless.

The little life in her arms seemed to feel the temporary peace and stopped moving. It just curled up and stuck tightly to her, giving her a continuous, faint warmth.

Xiangzi slowly, extremely slowly raised his hand and gently touched the soft fur on the little rabbit's back with his fingertips.

The touch is incredibly delicate.

She was silent for a long, long time.

In the end, she said nothing more, but silently changed out of her work clothes and neatly folded the apron stained with disinfectant and animal smell.

She found a clean, small cardboard box of pet treats and lined it with some soft tissues.

Then, carefully and with a gentle movement that she herself did not even notice, she placed the little rabbit in her arms.

After doing all this, she walked out of the pet shop holding the small cardboard box.

The cold night wind blew in her face, causing a layer of tiny bumps to appear on her exposed skin.