Chapter :15
Borrowing Fortune from the Great and Powerful
Guan Xuxu hurriedly ran down the stairs, and as soon as she reached the first floor, a snow-white shadow darted toward her feet and deftly climbed up her legs until it nestled snugly in her arms.
The butler and guards chasing the little fox froze at the sight.
At the same time, the other members of the Jiang family also noticed the small fox in Guan Xuxu’s arms.
“Xuxu, don’t tell me you brought that fox here?” Yao Lin was the first to react, her face filled with shock. “That’s a fox! There are children in the house—what if it bites someone?”
“That’s right! I said it last night—no furry animals in the house! And this one never listens!” Jiang Su, who had come down after hearing the commotion, immediately poured oil on the fire.
“This fox belongs to me,” Guan Xuxu said firmly, holding the little creature close. “But it won’t hurt anyone.”
“Foxes are wild animals; they can’t be tamed. How can we trust you when you say it won’t bite?”
The one interrupting was Jiang Han from the second branch of the family, a boy around Guan Xuxu’s age. His cold gaze made it clear he was far from welcoming her return.
Jiang Su immediately echoed him. “Yeah, exactly!”
Sensing Jiang Su’s hostility, the little fox lifted its head from Guan Xuxu’s chest and bared its teeth at him in warning.
“See? SEE?” Jiang Su yelled, jumping back and pointing accusingly.
At that moment, another childish voice, trembling with fear, rang out.
“Mom, I’m scared! Get rid of it! Please!”
It was Jiang Ying, the six-and-a-half-year-old daughter of the second branch, clinging to Yao Lin’s leg in terror.
When Jiang Huai entered the house, this was exactly the scene he walked in on—Guan Xuxu standing at the bottom of the stairs with a fox in her arms, surrounded by onlookers as if she were being publicly tried.
The usual smile on his lips turned cold as he stepped forward.
“I gave Xuxu permission to keep this fox. If anyone has a problem with it, take it up with me.”
Everyone froze, disbelief written across their faces. Jiang Huai’s approval carried weight—too much to challenge.
Lu Xuexi stepped forward, her tone gentle.
“Cousin, we’re not blaming Xuxu. It’s just… this fox appeared so suddenly, and you know about Grandmother’s condition…”
Her words trailed off, but everyone understood the implication.
The Jiang family’s matriarch despised furry animals. None were ever allowed in the house. Her health was frail, and no one dared to go against her wishes. She was currently recovering at a mountain resort, but if she returned and saw a fox here, her condition might worsen.
Lu Xuexi was subtly reminding Jiang Huai: You can’t make decisions for everyone.
Still smiling faintly, Jiang Huai gave her a brief glance.
“I’ll explain it to Grandmother myself,” he said—his tone leaving no room for argument.
Then he turned to the servants behind him.
“Set up a pet house in the east garden. Make sure it has a proper roof.”
Only then did everyone notice the two craftsmen standing quietly behind him, carrying wood and tools—it seemed he had even prepared a home for the fox.
Last night, Guan Xuxu had heard Jiang Huai say she could keep the fox, but she hadn’t expected him to go as far as arranging a house for it by the next morning.
Her arms tightened around the fox, Hu Piaoliang. She completely abandoned the idea of returning it to her old rental.
This wasn’t mere kindness—Jiang Huai’s authority acted as a shield. With his backing, Jiang Su and the others could do nothing but wait for the old matriarch to return and see how far Jiang Huai would go to protect his sister.
Unaware of their scheming, Guan Xuxu carried the fox back to her room, changed her clothes, ate breakfast, and brushed the animal’s fur until it gleamed. Once satisfied, she left the house with it in her arms.
She’d slept late and it was already 10:30 a.m. Chu Beihe was probably at work by now, but after causing so much trouble last night, she decided to visit first to apologize.
To her surprise, Chu Beihe was still home.
Dressed impeccably in a suit, he radiated a golden aura so dazzling it seemed as if he were wrapped in gold leaf.
Guan Xuxu blinked, adjusting her eyes to the brilliance, and stepped forward with the fox in her arms.
“Mr. Chu, you’re still home?”
He narrowed his eyes slightly at her playful tone, his expression cool and unreadable.
“You said you’d come early in the morning.”
She blinked again. Wait… was he actually waiting for me?
Every minute of his time must be worth millions—was he really that free?
While she was focused on the “visit,” Chu Beihe was focused on the “appointment.” One of his compulsive traits was that he always honored his word—and expected others to do the same. She had said she’d come “early,” and so he waited.
However, his definition of “early” was not 10:30.
“I’m truly sorry about last night,” Guan Xuxu said, bowing slightly. “My fox caused you trouble. This is a protective talisman I carved myself—please accept it as an apology.”
She offered him a small pouch containing a jade token engraved with the words “Welcoming Fortune and Blessings.”
Chu Beihe didn’t need charms—his fortune was already overflowing. That was precisely why she chose this one: a charm meant to “borrow” some of his golden luck for herself.
He accepted the pouch but didn’t open it, handing it instead to his butler.
“You should wear it for it to work,” Guan Xuxu quickly reminded him.
He paused, then gestured for the butler to return it. He slipped the pouch into his suit pocket himself.
Seeing that, Guan Xuxu smiled in satisfaction.
The apology done, Chu Beihe stood to leave. Guan Xuxu followed with her fox in tow.
As they walked side by side, she subtly reached out and made a scooping motion toward the golden aura surrounding him—and to her astonishment, two specks of gold light fell into her palm.
Her apricot eyes widened in disbelief.
It actually worked!
“What are you doing?” His deep voice broke the moment. There was no way he could miss such a movement.
Keeping a straight face, Guan Xuxu replied calmly, “Mr. Chu, you’re heading out, right? Could I catch a ride?”
His gaze lingered on her face before flicking briefly to the talisman in his pocket.
—Apology and free transportation, both for the price of one charm.
He said nothing, simply nodded.
Guan Xuxu climbed into the car with the fox in her lap.
Chu Beihe’s eyes shifted to the animal, an inquisitive gleam in their dark depths. She hurried to explain,
“I gave it a bath last night as soon as we got home. It’s clean.”
He pressed his lips together. “Where to?”
Guan Xuxu’s eyes darted playfully.
“To the Song residence,” she replied—on her way to earn some extra money from her side job.
