Didn’t this scum like Qin Yumei? Why then was he trying to strike up a conversation with another girl? Ling Chunxi frowned. An evil thought crossed her mind.
“May I ask your name miss? To be here so late at night, you must be here looking for your relatives. As it isn’t safe for a lady to walk alone at this hour, allow me to escort you.” Ling Yuanhong had overcome his captivated stupor and began to make passionate offers of accompaniment. He was utterly enamored, never taking his eyes off her even to blink.
Ling Chunxi didn’t say a word as Ling Yuanhong moved closer to her. She was too tired to engage with his foolishness. Once he was close enough, she swiftly geared up and delivered a flying roundhouse kick right to his chest. “Ling Yuanhong, you scum! Go walk off a cliff!”
Ling Yuanhong’s jaw dropped in recognition of Ling Chunxi’s voice before her kick sent him flying.
He slammed into a wall and promptly fainted in a dramatic manner.
“Pervert! Lowlife! Despicable piece of vermin!” called out Ling Chunxi scornfully as she walked over to look down at Ling Yuanhong’s prone body. She raised her leg, intending to stomp on him one more time. But wasn’t just beating him up too mild? Ling Chunxi changed her mind. Her line of sight landed on his head, and a nasty smile spread across her face.
‘Bastard. Didn’t you dare raise your hand against a woman? You even wanted to pull my hair out the last time.’ Her dagger gleamed in the dark as Ling Chunxi drew it out of its sheath. In a few simple motions, she had cut off Ling Yuanhong’s hair easily. As she wasn’t tremendously skilled at cutting hair, Ling Yuanhong now sported two uneven bald patches on his head. Oh, well. She then scattered a smattering of colorless powder across his scalp, raised her leg and stamped hard on Ling Yuanhong. Such a bullying rascal should just be stepped on till he dies.
Once she had her fill of vengeance, Ling Chunxi smirked and flipped her hair before stalking away. She collected Little White from where she had placed him earlier while she attended to matters. The rest of Ling Chunxi’s night was uneventful as she made it home safely with Little White, took a bath and then went to sleep. On this night, her slumber was so pleasant it almost seemed sweet.
Early the next morning, Ling Chunxi saw Aunt Wang happily returning home with a bag full of meat buns.
“What happened to make you so happy?” asked Ling Chunxi casually as she washed her face.
“Miss, something strange has happened in town. It’s really quite funny.” Aunt Wang let out a loud and hearty laugh. “You probably haven’t heard about this. Ling Yuanhong went bald and his whole face was swollen, as though he had been stung by bees. Everywhere he went, everyone couldn’t help but laugh. What was even weirder was that he couldn’t put on his hat. The moment his hat touched his head, he would howl in pain! He just went to the Second Elder for an official diagnosis of his condition.”
Upon hearing Aunt Wang recount the story, Ling Chunxi smiled. Let Ling Yuanhong’s bald head illuminate a path forward for everyone. The powder she used was undetectable and effective for seven days. She didn’t think even the Second Elder would be able to decipher the cause of Ling Yuanhong’s discomfort.
“Ah, that’s right, Miss. There is another amusing matter as well.” Aunt Wang organized bowls and chopsticks into stacks as she crowed on. “Qin Yumei and her posse also visited the Second Elder because they all contracted some unknown rash. Their bodies were covered in red bumps that were itchy beyond comparison. They had all scratched and scratched till they broke skin and then panicked.”
At the sound of Aunt Wang’s unabashedly gloating tone, Ling Chunxi’s lips curled into a smile. No one would have guessed that all these things were her doing.
Just as Aunt Wang finished putting away the bowls and chopsticks neatly, a white specter flashed past her. She was so frightened, she almost dropped the utensils in her hands. Once she could make out what the white specter on the table was, Aunt Wang shrieked in shock. “There’s a fox here, Miss! There’s a fox!”
“Indeed, there is. Its name is Little White, and it will be living with us from now on. It is a new member of this family. When you prepare meals for me, do prepare an extra portion for the fox. It likes meat, so let’s have more meat in our meals,” answered Ling Chunxi calmly. After pouring away the water she used to wash her face, Ling Chunxi sat down to tuck enthusiastically into her breakfast. She chortled to herself, of course the emphasis was on her last sentence. It can only be a blessing to have more meat!