Green Heart Park was teeming with visitors that afternoon.
In the heart of Rong City, a concrete jungle, a park like Green Heart Park was a rare sight, attracting countless visitors every day.
"Mmm—hoo..."
The little Fox Fox leaned towards a cluster of blooming flowers and took a deep breath.
"So fragrant!"
Fox Fox praised.
Nan Jiayu followed behind the Golden Fox, and seeing Su Tianqing praise it so much, she also leaned in and sniffed carefully. She could indeed smell a faint, elegant fragrance.
"Although I don't know what this flower is called, it certainly smells good," Nan Jiayu commented sharply.
Chirping birds flew by them, landing on the grass not far away, curiously looking towards the two beast-humans.
"Oh, it's a little bird," the little Fox Fox looked over curiously.
But the moment that bird's gaze met Nan Jiayu's, it trembled all over, flapping its wings in a panic and flying away, even leaving behind a few messy feathers.
Nan Jiayu and Su Tianqing blinked simultaneously.
"Why did it just run away when it saw us?" Su Tianqing scratched behind her ear, muttering softly.
The Golden Fox looked back and saw the small Cat Girl behind her, with her cat eyes narrowed into a slit, and suddenly understood why the bird had fled.
How could that bird not be afraid when it saw this cat?
Besides the forest, Green Heart Park also had a lake.
"The Tear of Rong City, Jia Yu, have you heard that name?"
"I have heard people talk about that," Nan Jiayu nodded.
"You've actually heard of it?" Fox Fox was surprised.
"After all, it's a very famous scenic spot, so I've heard a little about it."
"Hmm... I see..."
Several pedal boats floated in the center of the lake. Su Tianqing pedaled the paddlewheel with effort while chatting with Nan Jiayu, who was moving easily beside her.
The sun was bright, the lake shimmered, and the paddlewheel slapped and spun in the water, creating countless splashes.
Their friendship boat paddled to the center of the lake. It was only when Su Tianqing, panting, collapsed onto the steering wheel, becoming a furball, that she realized she had overestimated her physical stamina.
"So tired! Can't paddle anymore!"
Fox Fox vigorously wagged her tail, giving up.
Nan Jiayu looked helplessly at the Fox Fox beside her, who had the stamina of a mere minnow.
"Then let's rest for a bit. The scenery here is quite nice," the Cat Girl said.
The view from the center of the lake was very open, with the surrounding lush greenery visible everywhere, and there was also a wonderful sense of quiet.
Su Tianqing was right; for such a quiet place to exist in the bustling Rong City, it indeed lived up to the name "The Tear of Rong City."
The Cat Girl simply leaned back in her seat, her cat eyes involuntarily gazing at the swaying, fluffy big tail beside her.
"...Gulp." The Cat Girl swallowed.
The act of pulling her tail in class that day suddenly resurfaced in her memory. Now, this world-class tail was within reach, yet she didn't dare to extend her hand towards it again.
It was torture!
"Hmm? Jia Yu, why are you staring at my tail?"
Noticing the burning gaze beside her, Su Tianqing turned her head and asked curiously.
Nan Jiayu quickly averted her gaze.
"N-no, I just thought the sun was a bit blinding, so..."
"...Hmm~"
Fox Fox chuckled mischievously.
The fluffy sensation on her knee suddenly attracted the small Cat Girl's attention.
Looking down, the tail, which had been swaying idly, had somehow landed in front of her. Su Tianqing was currently turned, looking at the scenery on the distant shore, as if completely unaware of her tail's situation.
Good opportunity!
The Cat Girl's eyes lit up, and her hands immediately and quietly caressed the fox tail with its brilliant golden fur.
The fine, soft fox fur immediately enveloped her palm; the gaps between each finger could feel an incredibly smooth and wonderful sensation, making one linger.
"Jia Yu."
Suddenly, the little Fox Fox turned her head to look at her and spoke.
The hand stroking the tail retracted like lightning. Nan Jiayu pretended nothing had happened and coughed lightly twice.
"Cough, cough. I-is something wrong?"
"Just sitting here looking at the scenery is a bit boring. Let's chat," Su Tianqing said, leaning closer to the Cat Girl.
"Okay, what should we talk about?" Nan Jiayu tilted her head curiously.
After a moment of pause, Su Tianqing initiated the topic:
"Then let's talk about... life before university!"
From the residual memories in her body, Su Tianqing glimpsed "her" former life.
In fact, the lives of this generation of beast-humans were largely similar: wandering from the outside world into the human world, growing up in orphanages or under the care of kind humans.
New-generation beast-humans in their childhood hardly found companions who were also beast-humans, and human children often ostracized these "others" with ears and tails. Their childhoods were mostly spent in solitude.
"I was found by my grandparents when I was very, very young. They raised me as their own granddaughter and even gave me money to come to Rong City for school."
"I'm very lucky to have met their family. If it weren't for them, I probably would have died in some stinky ditch somewhere long ago."
After telling her story, Nan Jiayu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
The two of them looked together at a few water birds landing on the lake surface not far away, watching the rippling water beneath their feathers. Nan Jiayu quietly cast her gaze towards Su Tianqing beside her.
Tianqing is so sunny, cheerful, and adorable. Perhaps her childhood life...
Thinking of this, Nan Jiayu suddenly remembered Su Tianqing's current living situation.
Like herself, she received financial aid from the Beast-Human Mutual Aid Society, but at least she had her grandparents' home to go to. Tianqing had always been alone, and she hadn't seen her with any other friends.
At least she had three roommates!
"I really envy you, Jia Yu."
Fox Fox whispered.
There was no particular expression on the little Fox Fox's face; she merely kept her lips pursed as usual, yet there was a lovable sadness about her.
Su Tianqing hadn't lied.
After thoroughly reading the original body's residual memories, Su Tianqing deeply understood why the heavy task of "Wish"—the desire for attention—had appeared in the secret codex.
Loneliness was a disease.
"Su Tianqing" had been ill for too long, too deeply, and she herself had probably been subtly influenced by this memory.
Longing for friends, longing for attention, longing for people's gaze, yet also hiding away out of fear of that overly enthusiastic gaze.
This was the former Su Tianqing.
Looking at the little Fox Fox's complex expression, Nan Jiayu took a deep breath, as if having made up her mind, and spoke:
"Tianqing!"
"Whoa?! Why so loud all of a sudden! You scared me!"
Su Tianqing was so startled by the sudden shout that her tail thickened by a whole circle.
"You, are you free tonight?"
"...Huh?"
Suspicious.
Wait, what's going on? Progressing this fast?
She had only just gotten a little sentimental! Are beast-humans a race that can start asking people "are you free tonight"—a question with such a strong hint of romance—after only knowing them for a few days?!
A-although Jia Yu is indeed very cute, and she really likes small Cat Girls, isn't this progress a bit too fast?!
Fox Fox isn't ready yet!
"Ah, I'm sorry! I didn't mean it that way! I'm very sorry!"
Suddenly realizing the strong ambiguity in her words, Nan Jiayu's cheeks flushed, and she waved her hands repeatedly.
"What I meant was, if Tianqing you're free tonight, you can come with me to my younger sister's house for tutoring! My uncle makes so many delicious dishes!"
"Hehehe... I thought Jia Yu was that bold..."
"Okay, since tomorrow is also the weekend, let's go to your younger sister's house together."
The little Fox Fox smiled charmingly, especially dazzlingly.