Volume One, Chapter 11: The Little Fox Wrapped in Poetry

But what she didn’t realize was this: the moment she began to ponder the matter, she had already started to develop feelings for this man...

Moreover, throughout this process, Fang Yi had been exceedingly attentive and caring toward her.

All along, this made her feel strangely familiar with the man who, to everyone else, seemed lofty and untouchable—so familiar that she overlooked one undeniable fact: he was a man who had been surrounded by various beautiful women for years.

As time passed, enveloped in his concern and care, her heart drew ever closer to him, until finally she could not bear to be apart.

Even a single day without news of him made her restless, her mind conjuring all manner of dreadful possibilities.

In the end, she had overestimated herself. How could she remain calm and indifferent in the presence of such an outstanding and handsome man? How could their relationship truly be like that of ordinary friends?

Sometimes, she even felt that he was always meant to belong to her, just as she was always meant to belong to him.

Her entire life, she believed, had been brought forth because of him.

Yet, whenever she saw Fang Yi sharing mundane moments of daily life with Fang Fangyuan, this unrealistic “dream” would abruptly shatter...

Thus, for a long time, she existed in a state of anxious uncertainty.

On the surface, their interactions appeared peaceful, but beneath she was helplessly falling deeply in love.

And yet, she was painfully aware that Fang Yi could never truly be hers.

To maintain her balance amid these intense emotional upheavals, Jiang Shishi gradually mastered an ability: plunging into the depths of affection at will, then withdrawing at will.

She could say anything to Fang Yi, yet never once confessed the torment within her heart. She continued to act like an ordinary friend, never crossing the line...

Until last month, when she suddenly agreed to him.

She felt exhausted, her body and soul worn thin.

Perhaps having each other fully, then losing each other completely, was the best way.

But unexpectedly, everything suddenly changed.

Now, as she looked at Fang Yi lying beside her—so close, yet somehow so far—she felt a distance she could not bridge.

She didn’t know exactly when she had fallen asleep. When she awoke, daylight had already flooded the room, and the door was being hammered with loud, furious knocks...

To be precise, it was not just knocking—it was someone pounding on the door with force, filled with anger.

And it was this pounding that roused her from sleep…

“Who is it?” Fang Yi also woke, opening his eyes to look at her.

“I don’t know,” she shook her head, though an uneasy feeling settled in her chest. “It feels strange... maybe someone has the wrong door?”

Fang Yi sat up on the bed. “Might be the police. If they ask you anything later, just answer truthfully. Don’t be nervous.”

“I know,” Jiang Shishi replied, slipping on her slippers as she headed toward the door.

When she opened it, she froze instantly.

Standing there was a woman in her early thirties, pretty, but her face twisted with such exaggerated contempt it distorted her entire expression.

Yet Jiang Shishi quickly regained her composure. “May I ask who you are...?”

“You must be Jiang Shishi?” The woman asked, eyes full of unrelenting disdain.

Jiang Shishi hesitated briefly, about to respond, when Fang Yi’s voice came from behind her: “Xiao Bing? What are you doing here?”

Jiang Shishi turned to see Fang Yi standing just behind her, fully dressed and alert, nothing like someone who had just awakened.

At the sight of Fang Yi, Xiao Bing lost control, rushing to him in tears. “Fang Yi, do you have any conscience? My sister has been missing for so long, and here you are, spending time with this little vixen? Are you even human?”

“Little vixen…”

Hearing this nickname caused Jiang Shishi’s heart to skip a beat.

It was the first time she had heard such a term since over a decade ago, when someone used it to mock her father’s mistress, Cai’er.

Perhaps because she had heard it so long ago, even now it no longer carried a sense of shame.

Her face remained calm and composed, unflinching.

“Xiao Bing, what are you doing?” Fang Yi lowered his voice, seemingly worried she would upset Jiang Shishi.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m asking you—how can you live with yourself? How can you live with her?” Xiao Bing shouted, her face flushed red, eyes bloodshot.

The intensity of her emotions made Jiang Shishi uneasy.

At the same time, the expression on Xiao Bing’s face felt eerily familiar.

It was nearly identical to the rage and despair Jiang Shishi had once felt upon learning of her father’s infidelity...

“I have already communicated with the police, demanding a thorough investigation!” Fang Yi said firmly. “I have arrangements here as well. I will not let Xiaoyang disappear without a trace.”

“Who have you brought in to investigate this?” Xiao Bing asked.

Fang Yi paused briefly. “I am handling it as I see fit. I refuse to let Xiaoyang vanish for no reason.”

Suddenly, Xiao Bing’s anger faded. Her eyes began scanning the room as she asked, “Fang Yi, you didn’t spend the night here last night, did you?”

Fang Yi said nothing.

After a moment of silence, Xiao Bing seemed to erupt suddenly, grabbing Fang Yi’s collar, her voice trembling with emotion. “Fang Yi, how can you be like this? My sister’s body is barely cold. How can you be so heartless...”

Fang Yi struggled for a moment before pushing her away. “Xiao Bing, what are you doing? Stop this...”

Perhaps Fang Yi used too much force, because as Xiao Bing was pushed back, she stumbled and fell to the floor.

Just as Fang Yi moved to help her up, she scrambled to her feet using both hands and feet, glanced once at Jiang Shishi, then, overcome by emotion, turned and grabbed a pale green vase from the coffee table, smashing it to the floor.

The sharp crash shattered the brief silence in the room.

Both Fang Yi and Jiang Shishi were stunned by Xiao Bing’s sudden outburst. Fang Yi stepped forward and held her back. “Xiao Bing, what are you doing? Calm down!”

But his urging only made her more frenzied. Red-eyed, she picked up a broken half of the vase and hurled it at the television.

With a loud crack, the screen split down the middle.

The scar on the screen looked like a flower of despair.

Then, she toppled the nearby bookshelf. The carefully selected books Jiang Shishi had arranged were strewn about in chaos.

The potted green ivy by the shelf was knocked over, the wine rack on the cabinet shattered...

The floor was littered with glass shards, torn pages, and spilled red wine flowing like blood...

At first glance, one might think a tragedy had occurred here.