Fei Yelan had just started her first year of university.
As a child who grew up in an orphanage, after receiving countless people's support and encouragement, Fei Yelan, who once thought she had no talent for studying, still tried her best to get into an ordinary university.
And just as Su Tianqing learned when she was reborn as a Golden-haired Fox Girl, the life trajectories of most Beastkin in this world were very similar:
In childhood, they were isolated by other children; when they excitedly went out with new toys, they often couldn't find playmates due to being isolated, and gradually lost that joy.
When they grew a little older, they would also be looked at strangely by classmates at school; although the school required everyone to treat Beastkin students equally, it couldn't prevent bullying incidents from happening.
Fortunately, the physical qualities of most Beastkin were much higher than their peers, and they were also much better at resisting bullying incidents than ordinary students.
But precisely because of this, Beastkin were often labeled as "violent maniacs" by bullies, forming a vicious cycle.
This caused many Beastkin children to develop terrible personalities.
Fei Yelan's past life was not much different from Su Tianqing's impression, except that the family was replaced by an orphanage, and the parents were replaced by the staff in the orphanage.
"Did you have fun today? Remember to meet at our usual spot tomorrow ~"
The Golden-haired Fox Girl hooked her arm through the Cat Girl's arm and happily waved goodbye.
Fei Yelan waved back blankly, watching the two disappear into the ripples of the teleportation magic.
"...So what about us two? Find a place to keep drinking?"
Xia Taotao, her cheeks slightly flushed, leaned next to Fei Yelan, poked the Gray Wolf Girl's shoulder with her elbow, and showed her the unfinished bottle of champagne in her hand.
This bottle of champagne had been opened by Rabbit Girl after the great robbery and hadn't been finished even now.
The Gray Wolf calmly glanced at the Rabbit next to her, who had abandoned her social anxiety and was emboldened by alcohol, sighed, and took a cup formed by magic from her hand.
...
The Rabbit and Wolf sat by the beach, sipping the low-alcohol champagne whose bubbles were almost gone, and staring blankly at the night waves crashing on the shore.
Fei Yelan recalled the series of background analyses Xia Taotao had just told her:
"You once lived in Hong Kong City, staying with your parents or guardians, residing in the famous lawless zone, Jiulong Walled City."
"And after a Monster attack occurred, you were sent to Mountain City to grow up, and then came the things you know."
"Although your childhood memories are very vague, if combined with that strange dream you often have, it can corroborate this point."
"And to ensure you would return to Hong Kong City when you grew up, Inari specifically instructed the high-ranking officials of the Hero Association to cancel the infrastructure department's demolition plan for the resettlement housing."
But Fei Yelan had no impression whatsoever of the Monster attack incident.
She simply didn't remember anything that happened before her earliest memories, and only had the most basic impression of Magic Girl Inari, with no memory of ever meeting her.
This made everything Rabbit said seem somewhat ethereal.
However, Su Tianqing's words made Fei Yelan feel as if she had just woken from a dream:
"Sometimes memories are unreliable, Doggy."
"Post-traumatic stress disorder, it can cause you, Doggy, to have a very deep impression of that vague memory, but your subconscious is avoiding that memory."
"That's why you consider it a strange dream. In reality, according to the contents recorded in the archives, you actually personally experienced the Jiulong Walled City Monster attack incident."
Strange dream...
Thinking of that strange dream where she kept running until she was exhausted, and connecting it to the Monster attack incident, Fei Yelan seemed to understand something.
"...Rabbit."
The Gray Wolf murmured,
"If I experienced a Monster attack incident, then do you think my parents or guardians died in that attack?"
"...Do you want to hear the truth?"
Xia Taotao put down her wine glass, turned to look at the Gray Wolf Girl, her eyes serious.
After a brief silence, Fei Yelan nodded.
"Yes."
"There's a very high chance they died in that attack over a decade ago, perhaps even to protect you..."
Xia Taotao didn't continue, both of them understood perfectly.
Fei Yelan tilted her head back and took a sip of the low-alcohol champagne.
Rather than champagne, it was more like slightly fermented white grape juice, with sweetness and alcohol equally balanced, and the sweetness of the grapes even richer.
But the smell of alcohol still made her cough a few times, and her eyes were a little moist.
"Cough! ...Cough cough cough..."
"...This wine is so bad, it's choking me."
Xia Taotao watched, saying nothing, and silently pulled out a pack of tissues from her satchel, handing them to Fei Yelan.
"Need tissues?"
"Thank you."
"What's with the thanks? Aren't we companions?"
The Rabbit Girl grinned, her slightly flushed face full of sincere smiles.
Fei Yelan's mood was slightly stirred; she felt a sense of being accepted by Xin Yuehu and the other two.
"They are truly great," the Gray Wolf Girl said softly after a long while.
"I used to think I was useless."
"Couldn't do anything right, bad at studying, clumsy at part-time jobs, often messed up when I was with you guys, and even because of a lack of magic..."
"Oh, that was when we first met, right?"
Xia Taotao froze for a moment, then gave a wry smile, scratching her Rabbit ear, her cheeks flushed.
"At that time, I just wanted to subdue you in your berserk state as quickly as possible, so I was a little heavy-handed..."
"I don't really mind."
"But Doggy, you're not useless at all; your talent in Magic Girl is quite excellent."
"..."
Fei Yelan really wanted to instinctively blurt out, "I'm a wolf!!" as a retort, but it seemed to ruin the atmosphere here, so she just bared her teeth in protest.
"Did you hear what Fox Fox said just now? You are a very important part of Inari's plan."
"Huh? Me?"
Fei Yelan made a reaction similar to an emoji, widening her eyes, her face full of question marks.
"Yes, do you remember your first transformation? What was it like?"
"Um... I bought some late-night food after getting off my part-time job, and then I picked up a guardian star on the side of the road. I played with it for a bit and then transformed without really knowing what was happening."
"See? Others can't transform even if they want to, but you picked up an ownerless guardian star and could transform after playing with it for a while. Doesn't that prove your talent?"
Xia Taotao grinned and gave a thumbs-up.
The two looked at the gradually rising tide, watching the swaying white foam of the waves and the moonlight illuminating the sea, each taking a sip of the champagne in their cups.
"...All the bubbles are gone from this wine, it's so boring."
"Yeah, let's go buy some cola."
"Iced cola? I want Coca-Cola!"
"Isn't Pepsi good?"
"What's the difference between that and swill?!"
One Rabbit and one Wolf walked laughingly towards the twenty-four-hour convenience store nearby.
The moonlight fell upon the sleeping Hong Kong City sky, as if illuminating every corner of the city.
Tonight was the same as always.