Chapter 186: The Fox Tea House is Open for Business! (4K)

"This, what on earth is this?"

When Hong Guoyi rushed to that place, before he even arrived, he was shocked by the scene before his eyes.

The Heavenly Street, with a main road wide enough for four carriages to travel side by side, was blocked so tightly that not even water could pass through, and the coming and going carriages and horses were all trapped together.

Seeing the congestion ahead, he had no other choice but to get off his carriage and walk through.

But what surprised Hong Guoyi was that this place seemed exceptionally quiet; apart from the neighing of horses, he could hear almost no other sounds.

The usually overbearing coachmen lacked their typical arrogance and bluster, and at this moment, they were all more docile and quiet than the next, not saying a single word.

"Just which big shot has arrived here?"

He had originally possessed a bit of confidence, but the current situation made Hong Guoyi somewhat uncertain, so he reined in his aura a little.

"In any case, let's take a look at the situation first."

He was not some brainless hothead, and he wouldn't tear off the mask of civility right from the start.

After tidying his attire in front of the door, Hong Guoyi pushed it open and walked slowly into the tea house.

As soon as he entered the tea house, before he could even look around, he was tripped by something under his feet.

What?

Having finally steadied himself, Hong Guoyi's eyes widened, and the scene inside left him dumbfounded.

What had just tripped him was not a poorly designed step, but a fox wagging a large tail...

"A fox!!?"

???

Where did so many foxes come from?

There were only a dozen or so tables in the tea house, but the number of foxes far exceeded the number of guests.

Dozens of foxes of various breeds and different fur colors were walking back and forth in the tea house.

Some were sleeping in corners, some were playing together, and more were actively pressing against the guests' sides, closing their eyes and enjoying the pleasure of being petted.

This was the very center of Wentian City; where did they find these foxes?

He had assumed that this Fox Tea House was just a name, but who would have thought there would actually be so many foxes!

And what surprised Hong Guoyi even more was the air inside the tea house.

With so many foxes, the smell in the room should have been foul, but he didn't smell even a hint of the musky odor of wild beasts.

On the contrary, the room was filled with a faint fragrance.

Looking at the guests in the tea house, each one of them was just like him, full of astonishment.

It was strange to say, although these people were all dressed in luxury and possessed extraordinary temperaments, Hong Guoyi did not recognize a single one of them.

This was strange.

There were quite a few big shots who came to Heavenly Street to stroll on a daily basis; he wouldn't say he knew most of them, but he could at least identify a few.

"Are they from somewhere else?"

Connecting this to the rumors that had been swirling about the struggle for the chancellorship recently, Hong Guoyi was lost in thought.

Could these people all be disciples of noble families from outside the capital and figures from the households of various Feudatory Kings?

Thinking this way, Hong Guoyi's tense mood relaxed quite a bit.

So what if they were from noble families?

At the end of the day, weren't they still outsiders?

How long could they stay in Wentian? What threat could they pose to the local power brokers?

With the Shi Family as his backing, as long as the Shi Family did not fall, he would not be in danger.

Having made up his mind, Hong Guoyi smiled and cupped his hands to the surrounding guests, then walked toward the counter.

Sitting in the manager's seat, however, was a young girl who looked not very bright.

The young girl was not very old, and apart from her outstanding figure, there was nothing special to be seen.

At this moment, she was holding a fox that looked somewhat decadent, using her hand to constantly stroke its tail.

And that fox looked indifferent, lying on its back with its belly slightly bulging.

Only when its fur was deliberately brushed against the grain would it pull out its tail and flick it.

"Little girl, is your manager in?"

Hesitating for a moment, Hong Guoyi still did not use an overly blunt tone to ask the young girl.

"Manager? Are you looking for my Yi... uh, are you looking for my Senior Brother for something?"

Sensing someone approaching, Yu Yu let go of Zhang Wuqiong and looked at the newcomer strangely.

She searched her mind, but could not find a matching person.

Who is this?

Should be someone who wasn't invited, right?

Although she was puzzled, Yu Yu was not overly worried.

Perhaps they were just passing by and were attracted inside?

Just in case, Yu Yu still asked:

"Do you have an invitation? If you have an invitation, you can go to the second floor; my Senior Brother might be in there."

An invitation?

Hong Guoyi had no such thing; he looked at the stairs leading to the second floor and was about to step toward them.

Unexpectedly, just as he took a step, his pant leg was tugged by someone.

Hm?

Lowering his head, Hong Guoyi frowned as he looked at the two foxes biting his pant leg, and it was only with great difficulty that he suppressed the urge to kick out.

These damn beasts!!!

Suppressing his anger, Hong Guoyi's voice deepened, and he said slowly:

"Little girl, what do you mean by this?"

Although Yu Yu was inexperienced, she had seen a lot during this period, and her temperament had changed quite a bit from before.

She looked at the middle-aged man whose face had fallen, subconsciously shrinking her neck, but she still said:

"You need an invitation to go up; otherwise, you can only stay on the first floor."

Hmph!

Having been blocked time and again, Hong Guoyi's patience was reaching its limit, and just as he was about to explode, he noticed the gazes around him.

The others present also noticed the situation at the counter and all looked over with amusement.

Not only that, those foxes that had been playing around also turned their heads, looking at his back with eerie gazes.

!!!

Enduring the feeling of being pricked by needles on his back, Hong Guoyi forced himself to put on an approachable smile:

"Hehe, don't be agitated, little girl. I am Hong Guoyi; I just want to have a chat with your manager."

After announcing his name, Hong Guoyi was very confident.

To be able to open a tea house here in Wentian, they must have done the most basic background checks; he didn't believe the other party hadn't heard his name.

However, Yu Yu disappointed him once again.

"Uh..."

Searching her brain again, Yu Yu was very certain she had never heard this name once.

With a sense of relief, she hugged Zhang Wuqiong and gave Hong Guoyi an apologetic smile:

"Sorry, if you haven't been invited, there is no way to go up to the second floor. Please return."

Hong Guoyi: "..."

The layout of the second floor was similar to the first, but it was more spacious and comfortable.

Although the number of foxes was not as high as downstairs, their quality was clearly much better.

Especially one long-tailed fox with fire-red fur, which attracted many people's gazes with every move it made.

Huji shuttled between different seats, leaving as soon as she had played enough, never staying for a moment longer.

Li Lingling accompanied Ran Guifei, first looking longingly at Huji's big tail, then looking back toward the entrance with some worry.

"Senior Sister is alone downstairs; she shouldn't have any trouble, right?"

Senior Sister is so... not smart; what if she gets bullied?

I have to go protect her!

But just as she wanted to move, the little fox lying on her lap let out a soft cry, seemingly complaining that she wasn't being a good pillow.

"..."

After struggling internally for a second, Li Lingling made her decision.

Senior Sister will be fine!

Yeah, that's it.

Thinking about the situation downstairs, Li Lingling felt she was probably overthinking it.

After all, it wasn't just Yu Yu there; those dozens of little foxes that let people pet them weren't that simple.

Those were a group of Fox Demon that had opened their spiritual wisdom.

If something really went wrong, they weren't exactly pushovers.

After a short three-day training, this group of foxes, under the leadership of Huji, displayed astonishing coordination and obedience.

Thinking about it, one would know.

One full meal versus being full every meal—it seemed there was no one who didn't understand which to choose.

"What's wrong, Ling'er? Do you have something on your mind?"

Ran Guifei's gentle voice came from beside her, making Li Lingling turn her head to look.

It would have been fine if she hadn't looked, but once she did, she couldn't help but feel jealous.

Ran Guifei had brought her own white fox, and at this moment, she was letting it play on her body with the other foxes.

Envy!

I also want a fox of my own!

"Can you let it..."

"No~ you have to go find one yourself."

Ran Guifei, who was usually compliant with her daughter, did not give an inch on this matter, smiling as she blocked her words.

This was something I found with great difficulty.

If you want one, go find it yourself!

"Hmph."

Pouting, Li Lingling angrily ignored her mother and looked at the guests on the second floor.

"I didn't expect so many people to come..."

It's really strange.

When Ren Yidao said he wanted to open a Fox Tea House, Li Lingling had made certain predictions.

She didn't think it would be very successful at all; at most, some people would come to join in the fun early on just to suck up to him.

But after it opened today, Li Lingling knew she was wrong.

And it was completely, utterly wrong.

The people who came were not at all the ministers she had imagined who wanted to curry favor with Ren Yidao, but her own brothers and sisters!

Huh?

Over here, the brothers who usually couldn't wait to fight each other upon meeting were currently hugging foxes together and rubbing their faces against them.

Over there, several Princesses were completely disregarding their makeup and poise, eager to dive headfirst into the pile of foxes and working together to catch the little foxes that were unwillingly trying to escape.

This scene was very Demon-like.

The more she watched, the more Li Lingling suspected that she hadn't woken up yet.

What kind of situation is this?

How come I didn't know you all had this interest?

However, it wasn't to say that it was completely incomprehensible.

After all, Li Lingling understood very well the lethality of such fluffy creatures.

Who wouldn't like little foxes!!?

No one!

The first floor was for disciples of noble families without invitations, and the second floor was for the invited Princes and Princesses.

But in fact, the Fox Tea House still had a third floor.

And at this moment, the atmosphere on the third floor was indeed quite calm.

Compared to the second floor, which was about to become a fox-petting orgy, the third floor seemed to have a bit more of the true essence of a tea house.

In the large space, there were only five private rooms, and three of them were already full of people.

As the fragrance of tea drifted, a few elegant little foxes walked slowly from under the stools, rubbing their tails against the guests' calves.

Li Qiushui sat upright, staring solemnly at her own reflection in the teacup.

However, her body, which trembled from time to time, had already betrayed her excited heart.

Whenever a fox passed by, her peripheral vision would move along with it, staring fixedly.

But when the fox turned its head, she would subconsciously look away, pretending that nothing had happened.

Shi Xue: "..."

After watching for a long time, Shi Xue, who really couldn't take it anymore, beckoned to the fox at her feet and then pointed in Li Qiushui's direction.

Upon receiving the instruction, the little fox did not hesitate and immediately leaped to Li Qiushui's table, staring at her carefully with a pair of innocent, large eyes.

Stare—

Li Qiushui:!!!

Gulp.

Swallowing hard, Li Qiushui let out a slight breath, finally managing to suppress her urge to go crazy.

Must restrain, don't scare it, must restrain, don't scare it!

With difficulty, she raised her hand, tentatively wanting to touch the top of the fox's head...

"Yi!"

Letting out a short, mournful cry, Li Qiushui bit her lip hard.

She wasn't scared.

Just now, before she could even touch it, the impatient little fox had rubbed itself right up against her.

Li Qiushui was defeated.

Her inner defenses had been breached.

Like a landslide, she finally succumbed to her desires and began to rub the little fox rapidly.

Rub rub rub rub!

Fox:?

It wanted to run at this moment, but it was already too late; it could only fall into the hands of the female Demon and be repeatedly ravaged.

In the adjacent private room, upon hearing the soft cry just now, Li Fengyao tilted her head to listen for a while.

"Hehe."

Chuckling twice, she continued to stroke the head of the fox beside her with her fingers.

Unlike Li Qiushui, who restrained her inner impulses, this Second Prince had long ago followed her heart.

If she wanted to pet, she would pet, and she would pet to the extreme!

Ever since she arrived here, she had already successfully made three little foxes faint with her fingers...

Her hands did not stop moving, but Li Fengyao's heart was thinking about another fox.

"I wonder where that little fellow went."

The white fox that appeared in her study that day had disappeared two days ago.

Just like when it first arrived, there was no sign when it left.

Regarding that mysterious white fox, Li Fengyao had an indescribable feeling.

She had a strange feeling, always feeling that she could perceive a bit of a special illusion from that white fox.

It was as if that white fox was very important to her future.

A very strange feeling.

After sending people to search secretly for two days, just when she thought she would have to keep waiting, she heard the news that this Fox Tea House had opened.

Perhaps that white fox ran out from here, so would it run back here?

Holding this thought, Li Fengyao specifically abandoned other official business today and stole some time to come here to pet foxes.

Actually, her intuition was quite accurate; that white fox had indeed returned here.

But she would have no chance to see it today.

Because, that white fox was currently sitting in the private room next to hers, looking dignified as he personally poured tea for an octogenarian.

Ren Yidao brewed the tea, pushed it in front of the old man, and chuckled:

"Prime Minister Wang, please have some tea."

That's right, sitting in the third private room was the very person who had been the most direct cause of the recent political storm regarding the appointment of the Prime Minister.

The current Prime Minister of the Beigan Dynasty.

Wang Xuesong.

"Hehe, sorry to trouble you, Lord Ren."

Eight thousand words today, an extra update for last month's Monthly Ticket (2/2), it's done!

I updated eight thousand words yesterday, but the new subscriptions were so low it baffled me... I only took one day off) How could it be so miserable...

It's truly hard to bear; the average subscription count keeps dropping, and so do the follow-up subscriptions.

Endure!

There are double Monthly Tickets at the end of the month; I hope to break one thousand again by then.