Three in the morning.
Cold moonlight spilled across the mountain ranges as a biting wind howled through the dense forest, rustling the leaves in endless waves.
In the distant sky, a bolt of lightning tore across the darkness. The blinding flash lit up the earth for an instant before vanishing.
A battered old camper rumbled along a deserted road, like a lone boat adrift on a vast sea, moving forward in solitude.
Boom!
Thunder exploded overhead. Purple light flared, and the deafening rumble rolled through the mountains and valleys, making all living things tremble and hide deep in their burrows.
Inside the Rustbucket, the lights were bright and warm. The windows shut out the cold, the fierce wind, and the rain, which fell like beans, tapping steadily against the metal shell.
At this moment, Ben and Gwen were already asleep, lost in their dreams.
Yenji clutched her fox ears, her body trembling as she curled up in the corner by the bed. Fear showed clearly on her pale, delicate face.
"What's wrong?" Lucian asked, puzzled. He picked up the soft quilt and draped it over her.
"Th-that… what kind of monster was that just now?"
Yenji looked nervously toward the window, lightning flashing outside. Purple light reflected in her eyes.
Lucian froze for a moment, then laughed. "That's just thunder. Don't tell me Fox Star doesn't have thunderstorms."
"Thunder?" Yenji looked confused, as if the word itself were unfamiliar.
Lucian sighed and explained, "It's just a natural phenomenon on Earth, like rain or snow. Totally normal. Not some monster's roar."
Yenji's face flushed, half embarrassed and half annoyed. "H-how would I know? Fox Star has never had thunder! I'm warning you… don't laugh at me, or I'll drain you dry tonight!"
Lucian rubbed his forehead. "Alright, alright. I'm scared of you. Go to sleep. I'll head up front and chat with Grandpa."
Outside, wind and rain battered the camper, lightning flashing again and again. With the night so deep, it was easy to feel tired. Having someone to talk to would keep Grandpa from getting too bored.
"Don't… don't go." Yenji grabbed his arm, her earlier boldness gone.
"Still scared?"
"Yeah, a little… but if you're here, I'm not afraid." Yenji lowered her head, not daring to meet his eyes.
New to Earth and unfamiliar with everything around her, the only person she trusted was Lucian. With weather like this, it was hard not to cling to someone.
Lucian glanced toward the front windshield and pressed his lips together slightly.
Lightning flashed again and again. The wipers swung nonstop, pushing away the sheets of rain, only for the oncoming wind to tear the water apart into mist that swept backward along the road.
Through the rearview mirror, he could see the tension on Grandpa's face. Grandpa gripped the steering wheel tightly, eyes fixed ahead. Purple flashes slid across his face from time to time, his brows faintly furrowed.
Was Aunt Vera's condition really that serious?
For some reason, watching the storm outside, Lucian felt a vague sense of unease, as if something was about to happen.
Suddenly, a soft tug pulled at him.
Then came the warmth of the quilt, the gentle pressure of a body, and that familiar faint fragrance.
While he was distracted, Yenji pulled him into her arms and covered them both with the quilt. The two of them lay side by side on the bed, sharing the same pillow.
"Will you stay and sleep with me?" Yenji looked at him with those clear crimson eyes, innocent and expectant.
Lucian was surrounded by her scent, unique and faintly sweet.
The warm quilt wrapped around him, heated by her body. It was warm, almost too warm, and strangely tempting.
"So the Empress of Fox Star is actually afraid of thunder?" Lucian smiled slightly and started to sit up.
"Hey, don't go! Is it really that bad to sleep with me for a while?" Yenji pushed him down and rolled over on top of him.
Staring up at the peerlessly beautiful fox-woman, Lucian's pupils tightened.
Long curved brows, a pair of alluring peach-blossom eyes, a delicate oval face, and hair like a waterfall brushing lightly across his cheek, carrying a faint fragrance.
Her two red fox ears twitched gently, adding a touch of cuteness to her regal, queenly air.
If this were ancient times, she would have been a disaster to a kingdom, just like the legendary nine-tailed fox Daji, who made a king abandon all duty and drown in desire.
But Lucian was not that kind of man. He wouldn't lose his head just because a beautiful woman was in front of him.
"You're a grown woman. Go sleep on your own," he said, struggling slightly.
Yenji's face went pale. She clutched her slender waist, her body stiffening mid-motion, pain showing on her face.
"Your injury still isn't healed?" Lucian immediately stopped moving.
"Mmm…" Yenji frowned, a sheen of sweat forming on her forehead. "I only absorbed a little energy. It'll still take a few more days to recover completely."
"Then you—"
Before he could finish, she cut him off.
"Don't get any ideas, you brat. I'm not saying this to steal your energy, just telling the truth." She snorted and turned her head aside. "I'll recover on my own soon enough. And then… hehe…"
Lucian was still pinned beneath her, but he didn't struggle anymore, afraid of pulling on her wound.
"Why did you give up being Empress and follow me to Earth, anyway?" he said, giving her a sideways look.
Yenji snorted. "Don't even think about shaking me off. I'm sticking with you for life, unless I die."
"Don't say things like that," Lucian said softly. He sighed, looking at the fox pressed against him. "Can you let go now? We can't really sleep like this, can we?"
"Not like it's impossible…" Yenji laughed.
Gurgle~
Suddenly, an awkward sound came from her stomach.
Her pretty face turned red. She scratched her head with her red claws, embarrassed.
"Hungry?" Lucian asked.
"Mm, a little…"
Before she could finish, her stomach growled again. She hadn't eaten in a long time.
"Do you want to absorb my energy?" he asked.
At that, Yenji's crimson eyes lit up instantly. She stared straight at his pale neck and swallowed. "I want to…"
But she quickly shook her head hard. "No, no. I just absorbed your energy today. If I do it again, it'll hurt you. At least a few days have to pass."
Lucian thought for a moment. "Then… do you eat instant noodles?"
"Instant noodles?" Yenji blinked. "What's that?"