Chapter 45 Girls Love Men Who Put Thought Into Things

Facing the fighting stance of the large fox, the black cat remained unhurried. It gently placed the aquatic grass on the snow, raised its head, and stared straight into the large fox's eyes.

The two creatures gazed at each other like that, as if engaged in a silent conversation.

Li Xiangyang held his breath, not daring to make any rash movements.

He could feel a subtle tension permeating the air.

Moments later, the large fox's gaze gradually softened.

It lowered its head to look at the strand of aquatic grass, then at the black cat, and finally nodded gently, retreating to its original spot to lie down.

Seeing this, the other white foxes also re-formed a circle around them, as if waiting for something.

The black cat picked up the aquatic grass in its mouth and walked over to Li Xiangyang's feet.

It dropped the grass, suddenly leaped up, and slapped a still-struggling silver fish with its paw, leaving a distinct scratch on the fish's body.

"Hey, what are you..."

Before Li Xiangyang could finish his sentence, he saw the black cat bite off a tiny piece of the aquatic grass and gently place it over the fish's wound.

A miraculous sight occurred.

The wound healed at a speed visible to the naked eye, and within a short moment, even the trace of it had vanished.

The injured silver fish regained its vitality, jumping around on the snow.

Li Xiangyang was dumbfounded.

Only then did he understand that this aquatic grass possessed such miraculous effects.

The black cat raised its head proudly at him, its golden eyes flashing with a cunning light.

"So that's how it is," Li Xiangyang realized with sudden enlightenment. "No wonder this lake is a forbidden zone, and this grass..."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw the large fox stand up and slowly walk toward the edge of the lake.

He watched as it lowered its head, retrieved another strand of aquatic grass from a crack in the ice, and placed it before Li Xiangyang.

This was permission for him to take this miraculous aquatic grass away.

Li Xiangyang solemnly and carefully stored the two strands of grass away.

This stuff was a genuine life-saving divine treasure!

After introducing this bizarre aquatic grass, the black cat shook its fur, let out a soft cry at Li Xiangyang, and then sprinted toward the lake.

Reaching the shore, it gently tapped the ice surface with its tail, its eyes expressing a sense of urgency.

Understanding its intent, Li Xiangyang placed the makeshift landing net back into the water.

With a single sweep of this net, four or five silvery, gleaming fish swam right in.

The lake water was crystal clear, allowing him to clearly see even more fish swimming below.

Every single one of them looked as though it were crafted from pure silver, radiating a soft halo.

"A few more?" Li Xiangyang looked at the black cat.

The black cat nodded, but quickly shook its head again, signaling that about this many was enough.

Just at that moment, the large fox walked over at a leisurely pace.

Its wise and perceptive eyes looked at the fish in the net, then at Li Xiangyang, and finally gave a slight nod.

This was tacit approval for him to take these fish away.

Li Xiangyang hurriedly packed up the fish and paid his respects to the large fox: "Thank you, senior."

Hearing this, the large fox couldn't be bothered to acknowledge him, turning around and walking toward the valley entrance, with the other white foxes following closely behind as if leading the way for Li Xiangyang.

The black cat bounced along behind them, turning its head from time to time to urge Li Xiangyang on.

Following behind, Li Xiangyang felt as though he were living inside a dream.

It wasn't until they walked out of the valley crevice that the large fox stopped in its tracks.

It turned back to give Li Xiangyang and the black cat a deep, lingering look, its gaze seeming to hold a thousand unspoken words.

The black cat let out a soft meow at the large fox, as if bidding farewell.

The pack of white foxes then turned around, quickly vanishing into the boundless snowy forest, leaving behind only a neat trail of footprints to prove that none of this had been an illusion.

Li Xiangyang stood frozen in place, unable to calm his emotions for a long time.

It wasn't until a gentle pat from the black cat landed on his shoulder that he snapped back to reality.

"Let's go," Li Xiangyang said softly, "let's go home."

Carrying the net bag filled with silver fish on his back, Li Xiangyang walked home with the black cat pacing leisurely by his side. The cold wind howled, but his heart was warm.

Upon entering the courtyard, the black cat nimbly leaped up onto the eaves, flicked its tail, and waited as if expecting the upcoming excitement.

"Brother, you're back!" Hearing the commotion, Li Xiaohua ran out from the house. "Oh? What kind of fish are these? Why are they so bright?"

Curious, she leaned closer to the net bag. Those silver fish shimmered with a soft luster under the sunlight, resembling pieces of moving pure silver.

"Let's go inside and talk." Li Xiangyang smiled and patted his younger sister's head.

Inside the house, Mother Li was tending the stove. Seeing her son bring back fish, she quickly put down her chores: "These fish..."

Before she could finish speaking, she caught sight of the fish glowing all over and froze in astonishment.

"Mom, these came from the Fox Immortal Valley..."

As Li Xiangyang placed the fish on the table, he briefly recounted the events of the day.

"Ah?" Mother Li's expression shifted. "That Fox Immortal Valley is a forbidden area. How could you..."

"Don't worry, Mom," Li Xiangyang pointed to the black cat on the roof. "It's the one that led me there. The fox immortals also permitted us to take these fish."

Hearing this, Mother Li's expression finally relaxed. She looked at the black cat, then at the silvery, gleaming fish, and a smile surfaced on her face. "No wonder they say black cats are harbingers of auspiciousness; this time it really has brought us good fortune."

Before long, a pot of fish soup was bubbling away.

The fish meat was tender and delicate, and the resulting soup was snowy white and overflowing with fragrance. The family sat gathered around the table, singing praises one after another.

"This fish is so delicious!" Li Xiaohua took a sip of the soup, her eyes lighting up. "It's even more tender and flavorful than the crucian carp we usually eat."

"Eat slowly," Mother Li smiled as she picked up a piece of fish for her daughter, then turned to Li Xiangyang. "Son, fish like this are truly rare. You should take one to Li Xiaoyun as well."

"Exactly, exactly," Li Xiaohua chimed in immediately. "Sister Xiaoyun has definitely never tasted fish this good."

Li Xiangyang nodded. "I was planning on doing just that."

Mother Li got up and went to the kitchen, returning shortly with a silver fish that had already been properly cleaned and prepped.

"I've cleaned it up for you," Mother Li said, carefully wrapping the fish in lotus leaves and pulling out a small cloth pouch. "These are the seasonings. Tell Xiaoyun to put the fish and the seasonings together into a pot, add water, and let it simmer slowly. I specially added some red dates; they're great for a young woman's health."

Li Xiangyang took the package and caught a faint fragrance, knowing that his mother must have included the best ingredients she usually saved for special occasions.

"Mom, you thought of everything..."

Mother Li gently tapped him on the head. "You silly boy, that's not the right way to put it. When you get to Xiaoyun's place, you must tell her that you came up with the idea to have me prepare these seasonings. Young women all appreciate a man who puts thought into things. If you tell her your mother thought of it, how is she supposed to feel?"

Li Xiangyang was momentarily stunned, then chuckled. "I understand."

"Go on, go on," Mother Li pushed him with a smile, while the fish is still fresh. You young folks are courting; you've got to show a bit of romance and effort. Remember your mother's words: learn to cherish people, and learn to express yourself."

This speech made Li Xiangyang blush slightly, but his heart felt warm.

Seeing this, the black cat jumped down from the eaves and let out a soft meow.

"You want to come too?" Li Xiangyang laughed.

The black cat proudly lifted its chin, as if saying: "Of course. After all, I'm the one who led you to this treasure."

Watching the retreating figures of her son and the black cat, Mother Li murmured thoughtfully, "This cat has human-like intelligence."

"Doesn't it just?" Li Xiaohua chimed in. "It seems to be especially fond of Older Brother."