Chapter 562: Chapter 461: Let’s Not Tell the Madam for Now

In the woodshed, Xiao Mo played tic-tac-toe with Tushan Jing Ci.

Although Tushan Jing Ci learned the game quickly, she was still only a five-year-old girl. There was no way she could win against Xiao Mo.

After losing more than a dozen games in a row, Tushan Jing Ci’s ears and tail drooped listlessly. Her eyes began to well with tears, looking as if she might cry at any moment.

Xiao Mo scratched his head. He figured it wasn’t right to keep beating her, so he went easy on her and let her win a round.

"I won! I won!"

Having finally beaten Xiao Mo, Tushan Jing Ci clapped her pale little hands gleefully. She looked utterly adorable.

"You’re improving really quickly, Young Miss," Xiao Mo said with a smile. "Do you want to play again?"

"Yes! Of course, I do! Let’s keep going!" Tushan Jing Ci nodded happily. She knelt on the ground, brimming with confidence as she faced Xiao Mo for another round.

From then on, Xiao Mo won more than he lost, but he would throw a game or two every now and then, keeping the little fox-eared girl in high spirits.

Standing outside the woodshed, Yue Shi watched through the window as her young miss interacted with the boy from the Human Race.

Yue Shi didn’t know how her young miss had met him, and she constantly worried that this filthy human would accidentally touch her.

But seeing how happy her young miss was, Yue Shi didn’t have the heart to force her to come back.

Besides, this human boy seemed to have a sense of propriety. He followed the estate’s rules and intentionally kept a certain distance from the young miss.

Before they knew it, they had played until around midnight.

Xiao Mo glanced at the sky outside the window and smiled at the little girl before him. "Young Miss, it’s getting late. You should go back and rest."

"Huh?" The little girl, who was happily absorbed in the game, looked up and blinked at Xiao Mo. "Xiao Mo, you don’t want to play with me anymore?"

Xiao Mo shook his head. "It’s not that I don’t want to play with you, Young Miss. It’s just getting very late. You need to get some proper rest. If you sleep early, you’ll have more energy to play tomorrow."

"But I’m not sleepy," Tushan Jing Ci said with a blink.

"But Young Miss, I have to tend to the firewood tomorrow, so I need to rest early too," Xiao Mo said with a smile. "Otherwise, Master Niu will scold me."

"Then tomorrow, I’ll have Sister Yue Shi tell Master Niu that you don’t have to tend to the firewood anymore. Your job will just be to play with me," Tushan Jing Ci said innocently.

"Young Miss, as a member of the Human Race, I’m not qualified to play with you. The Madam would never allow it." Xiao Mo shook his head again.

"Okay..." Tushan Jing Ci lowered her head. But a moment later, the little girl looked back up, blinking at Xiao Mo. "Then... Xiao Mo, can I still come and play with you again?"

"Of course. As long as you want to, Young Miss," Xiao Mo said with a nod.

"Yay!"

Tushan Jing Ci jumped to her feet happily.

"Well, Xiao Mo, I’m going back now. I’ll come find you again tomorrow night! And don’t worry, I’ll keep this a secret between us. I won’t let anyone else know."

"Even if Mother somehow finds out, it’ll be okay! I’ll just throw a tantrum and roll around on the floor crying. My mom can’t stand it when I cry! You’re my friend, and I won’t let you get punished!"

"Alright." Xiao Mo smiled, touched by her innocent and adorable declaration. "If it really comes to that, then I’ll be counting on you, Young Miss."

"It’s no trouble at all! Just leave it to me!" Tushan Jing Ci patted her little chest. "I’m going now. You get some sleep, okay?"

"Mm."

Xiao Mo hummed in agreement, saw Tushan Jing Ci out of the woodshed, and watched as she walked off into the distance.

Every few steps, Tushan Jing Ci would turn and wave her small hand at Xiao Mo.

Only when Tushan Jing Ci had vanished into the distance did Xiao Mo finally look away and close the woodshed door.

When Tushan Jing Ci returned to her personal courtyard, she found Sister Yue Shi still asleep in bed, having not even noticed that she had slipped out.

’Hee hee, Sister Yue Shi is so silly.’

Tushan Jing Ci playfully stuck her tongue out at the Maid, Yue Shi, and made a funny face before climbing back into her own little bed to rest.

’A friend...’

Lying in bed, Tushan Jing Ci hugged her big tail. The more she thought about it, the happier she felt.

’I have a friend now!’

Filled with happiness, it wasn’t long before Tushan Jing Ci truly fell asleep.

Late that night, when the room was completely still save for the sound of the little girl’s gentle breathing, Yue Shi got out of bed. She walked to the bedside and gazed down at her sleeping young miss.

’Should I tell the Madam?’

According to the rules, it was strictly forbidden for the young miss to be alone with a male—let alone a member of the Human Race.

But... Yue Shi recalled the sight of her young miss playing tic-tac-toe with that human child in the woodshed just a short while ago. She remembered how happy the young miss had looked, and her heart ached with pity.

’I haven’t seen her this happy in so long.’

’If I tell the Madam, the young miss will certainly be forbidden from playing with him. And that filthy human child... he might even be in danger.’

’How sad would that make the young miss?’

’Forget it...’ In the end, Yue Shi shook her head and sighed. ’I won’t tell the Madam for now...’

’Logically, nothing bad should happen...’

’That human boy is only five years old. He doesn’t seem to have any ill intentions, and he looks honest enough.’

’Besides, I’ll keep a close eye on the young miss. I won’t let him touch her.’

「One month.」

’The Madam said that once the young miss has her sixth birthday, the rules won’t have to be so strict.’

’I might as well let him keep the young miss company for a little while longer.’

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.