Chapter 12

Chapter 12

The fish had to be sent for testing and research. Whether Zhou Yan survives depends on the research institute of the Administration. The rest wasn't Jiang Lin's concern. He'd follow up, but there was no hurry.

Lin Xiaoyang drove the car off, while Jiang Lin took Bai Zhizhi back to the small courtyard, taking a walk with him so he could get familiar with the world down the mountain.

When he saw a milk tea shop, Jiang Lin figured young people loved that stuff nowadays, and figured the little fox might like it too. So he stopped and asked, "You wanna try some milk tea? It's milk and tea mixed together—lots of people like it. It's sweet."

Bai Zhizhi looked at Jiang Lin. "You're not mad?"

Jiang Lin smiled, his voice still gentle. "Why would I be mad? So you really did that on purpose, huh? You could've found the fish in a quieter way, but you had to make a huge scene."

Bai Zhizhi snorted softly. "You were the one who said to stir things up."

Jiang Lin wasn't mad and didn't harp on it. Instead, he said, "I'm not mad. In fact, I want to thank you."

Bai Zhizhi was even more puzzled. "Thank me?"

Jiang Lin replied, "If it wasn't for you, we might not have figured out Zhou Yan's illness so quickly or found the fish so fast. That fish was huge—must've been raised for a long time. If it had spawned and spread, and people ate it without knowing, like Zhou Yan did, who knows how many would've died. So thank you, Zhizhi—for telling us what you knew, for saving us a ton of time and avoiding a lot of headaches, and for trusting us."

He could have just kept quiet and observed, but he spoke up. Even if it was just a few words, it showed that Bai Zhizhi wasn't all that wary or hostile toward them. Jiang Lin thought that was a good start.

Not to mention that when the Xian Fish went berserk, Bai Zhizhi had protected several people.

Even though Jiang Lin had just rushed over from the kitchen, he'd sensed the spiritual energy fluctuation. He was very familiar with Lin Xiaoyang's spiritual energy, and that wasn't Lin Xiaoyang's energy. So the one who pulled people out of the water and shielded them from the Xian Fish's attacks was Bai Zhizhi.

A fox who didn't naturally hate other species, perhaps a bit mischievous, but fundamentally soft-hearted and kind—how could Jiang Lin be mad at him?

Bai Zhizhi could be talked into things, but never forced. If Jiang Lin had yelled at him or held him responsible, he'd have gotten pissed and fought back. But with a sincere thank-you like this, it made his earlier behavior look kinda bratty.

Bai Zhizhi took two steps forward, then turned and handed Jiang Lin a small white porcelain jar. It was round and flat, about two fingers wide, kinda cute and tiny.

Jiang Lin took it. "What's this?"

Bai Zhizhi said, "It's ointment. Someone took a hit for me and got hurt on the face. This'll make it heal faster. Can you give it to him for me?"

Although he didn't need anyone to protect him, that guy did get hurt because of him. Bai Zhizhi never forgot a favor or a grudge.

Jiang Lin smiled and put it away. "Alright, I'll pass it on for you."

As for who that person was, he could ask Captain Luo who got hurt in the shop back then.

After walking a few more steps, Bai Zhizhi stopped again and turned to Jiang Lin. "What about the milk tea?"

Jiang Lin laughed. "I'll buy it for you. Let's start with a classic flavor, and you can try other stuff later. I've already bought you a new phone; it's back at the small courtyard. Once your identity papers get sorted in a few days, I'll open an account for you. Then you can buy whatever you want yourself."

Bai Zhizhi asked, "An account? Is that for managing money? Does it have money in it?"

Jiang Lin said, "Well... I'll give you pocket money every month, but that's it. If you want more money, you'll have to earn it yourself."

Bai Zhizhi asked, "How?"

He couldn't read a single human character. Did they expect him to sell himself at the zoo?

Jiang Lin replied, "The info you provided about the Xian Fish and your help—I'll apply for a bonus from the Administration, which'll be deposited into your account. Besides that, there are many other ways to earn money. Don't worry; once you get used to this place, you'll be able to support yourself. For now, I'll take care of you, and your job is to learn. Okay?"

Bai Zhizhi turned away with a proud flick of his head. Him, a little prince of the fox clan, being supported by a mere human? As if!

He walked off without looking back.

Jiang Lin called after him, "Milk tea's this way."

Bai Zhizhi went "Oh," and followed him the other way.

Back at the small courtyard, most of the daytime workers had come home and were sitting around chatting. The vibe was harmonious, like one big family.

When they saw someone coming back, everyone looked up, with a flicker of amazement in their eyes. They had already heard that a little fox demon had joined the courtyard—a spirit who'd cultivated a human form. Of course, such beings were incredibly beautiful, but seeing it in person was something else.

As Bai Zhizhi walked in from the dim alley, the moonlight seemed to give him a filter, making him appear ethereal and otherworldly, beautiful to the point of being almost haunting. Yet his aura was pure and innocent, without a hint of evil. There was a natural nobility in his brow, like a little prince who'd wandered into the mortal world.

While the courtyard residents were sizing up Bai Zhizhi, he was also observing them.

The person sitting next to Yue Zhihuan was probably her brother, Yue Yanting. He looked a bit like Yue Zhihuan, with short hair and wheat-colored skin. Compared to his sweet sister, he seemed more serious.

Besides Yue Zhihuan and Wu Yue, two more women were in the courtyard that night: one named Ye Nian and the other Xie Zhihua. Ye Nian had short hair, a sharp and heroic face, and a cool expression, but in her hands, she held a bunch of colorful fluffy ribbons, making a cat teaser.

The other woman, Xie Zhihua, had long hair tied in a ponytail, with a gentle and graceful appearance. When she saw the newcomers, she smiled warmly and greeted them first. "You're back! This must be Zhizhi. Sister Yue told us all about you. Welcome to the East City Courtyard."

Jiang Lin smiled and glanced at Bai Zhizhi. "Get to know everyone. Zhizhi, these are my team members I told you about. Almost everyone's here."

As Jiang Lin finished speaking, a man carrying two baskets of fruit walked out from the back courtyard. The one in front, calm and refined, was Qiu Yan, the team's strategist, known for his smarts.

Behind Qiu Yan was a man who clearly had strong combat skills—tall and athletic, not overly bulky but looking powerful. His name was Ren Daoan, and he was the second-highest cultivator in the courtyard after Jiang Lin.

Everyone waved at Bai Zhizhi. "Welcome, welcome! Another member added to the courtyard."

Ren Daoan picked the prettiest peach from the basket and handed it to Bai Zhizhi. "It's sweet. Try it."

Bai Zhizhi took it. "Thank you."

Before Jiang Lin returned, Wu Yue had already told them about the new little fox demon.

She said this fox demon was different from the ones they had caught before. This one might have come from a great demon's cave. His demeanor showed no trace of wildness; he had clearly been well-raised. She told them to be mindful when interacting with Bai Zhizhi and not to treat him like a wild, feral fox.

Now, with just one glance, they understood what Wu Yue meant. If this person hadn't been caught by Brother Jiang himself, they would never have guessed he had any demonic nature. No wonder Brother Jiang wanted to keep him under supervision.

Before Jiang Lin could sit down, Wu Yue came out of the living room and asked, "What's with the strange fish at Fulu Residence? Is it a ferocious beast?"

The matter was not only trending on social media but also being hotly discussed in the Administration's internal groups. A red-scaled, slender fish never seen before, abnormally large—such a species was only found in energy fields. And in energy fields, almost all were ferocious beasts; the larger they were, the more ferocious.

Jiang Lin said, "It's not a ferocious beast. But that fish does have some cultivation; its attacks carry spiritual energy. We'll have to wait for the research institute's results for specifics."

Bai Zhizhi sat obediently nearby, nibbling on the peach. The taste wasn't too different from the peaches in Qingqiu, though it lacked spiritual energy and wasn't as fresh and sweet. But after drinking the slightly sticky milk tea, eating some fruit to cleanse the palate was just right.

Yue Zhihuan brought over a box from the dining table in the living room and sat down next to Bai Zhizhi, signaling for him to open it.

Bai Zhizhi lifted the lid and saw a phone identical to Jiang Lin's. Yue Zhihuan smiled and pulled out a bunch of things from beside her: phone cases, phone charms—some fluffy, some resin, some crocheted—all with fox patterns. She gestured excitedly at him.

Jiang Lin translated for her. "Huanhuan says this is your phone. She also bought you phone cases and charms, specially chosen with fox designs. She's asking if you like them."

Bai Zhizhi looked at the items in his hands and smiled back at Yue Zhihuan. "Thank you. I like them very much."

Everyone appreciates beauty, and with Bai Zhizhi's smile, Yue Zhihuan was almost dazzled. She quickly scooted closer to him, helped him put on the phone case, and taught him how to turn it on and use it.

Yue Yanting, sitting behind Yue Zhihuan, glanced at Jiang Lin. Jiang Lin nodded at him, signaling that there was no need to worry. Although Bai Zhizhi was a demon, he was not the kind with strong, uncontrollable demonic nature. There was no need to be constantly on guard against him hurting anyone.

Seeing Jiang Lin's reassurance, Yue Yanting relaxed.

Just as Bai Zhizhi downloaded the game "Candy Crush," Lin Xiaoyang returned. He came in, chugged a large glass of water, and let out a heavy sigh. "Zhou Yan's been sent to the Administration's hospital. We'll see if he pulls through."

Bai Zhizhi, who was waiting to log into the game, shook his head. "He's beyond saving."

Jiang Lin asked, "Did you look into Zhou Yan's classmates?"

Lin Xiaoyang replied, "Zhou Yan's sister gave me their numbers. I contacted them—three classmates, two are showing symptoms but not as severe as Zhou Yan, and the other one—they're holding his funeral; he passed away this afternoon, body hasn't been cremated yet. I've reported it to the Authority, and they'll send someone to take the body for investigation."

Upon hearing that someone had died, Yue Zhihuan couldn't help gesturing to him, "Is there really no way left?"

Lin Xiaoyang had told her about this case, saying Zhou Yan was very young and didn't know what he had provoked to end up like this. She had assumed it was due to some evil spirit, but it turned out he had eaten the strange fish.

Lin Xiaoyang ruffled Yue Zhihuan's hair. "Be careful with everything you eat from now on. This person brought disaster upon himself by indulging his appetite. Especially unknown meat or wild game—never touch it, got it?"

Yue Zhihuan slapped his hand away and angrily retaliated. Lin Xiaoyang was a year younger than her, and yet he dared to ruffle her hair—totally disrespectful!