Sheng Qin return home with a cooked duck in hand. He is in high spirit. He whistle and he play with the alley cat. He disturb the two ladies in who are cooking the kitchen. He smell the air, Hu Li's scent is still in the air. That means she is still in the house. He hurry to the ancestor hall and light up the joss stick. Every evening he will give his offering and prayers to the ancestors. Today is no exception, in his mind, he is thinking of getting Hu Li to pay her respect. He walk to the bedroom and find an empty room. The congee on the table is untouched. He continue to talk around to find her. He keep smelling her scent but he just can't find her. He sigh most likely she is out playing with some stay animals.e sit at the desk and open the original book he supposed to be copying from. Suddenly he look up, he notice the scroll that he summon a spirit guidance is fill with a fox sleeping. He pause for a while and think back if he had seen a fox in that scroll.
That evening, after copying a few pages, he walked out of the room for dinner. He did not worry for Hu Li, he is sure that she will return home once she is done roaming about. He still can smell her and she is nearby somewhere. He ensure the older folks in the house that everything is fine. He return to the study room and continue copying the book through the night. The moon is high up in the sky when it shines into the room, again Hu Li finds that the wall that imprison her is gone. She step out of the scroll. Sheng Qin did not notice as he is busy copying word by word. Till he feels like someone is staring at him, he look up. A huge animal is in front of his desk. Sheng Qin did not panic, instead he though of the wolf many years ago in the cave house that walk with him when he is recovering but he remember the fur is dark and this one have a snow white fur. He did not move for a long time. Right before his eyes, Hu Li transform back to her human looks. Even though he can't see the features clearly he can see the shape morph from four legged to a two legged standing human. He stands up with the brush in his hand. He not sure what to do, he smell the scent of Hu Li. The familiar smell that he love.
"Sheng Qin."
He hears clearly his name is call out. That familiar voice alike Hu Li's voice. He is dumbfound by what is happening. He sit down and think if he ia actually dreaming again. He look down and look up again. Hu Li slowly walk to him. He watch her step by step coming towards him. He have no fear inside of him but more curiosity of wanting to know what is going on.
"Are you... feeling fine?"
Hu Li ask quietly. Sheng Qin couldn't reply but just stare at her. After awhile, he feels sad and want to cry.
"I know you have a lot of things in your mind. I will answer them."
He look at Hu Li sadly. Sheng Qin notice that she is naked thus he got up and remove his outer garment. He drape it around her.
"Don't fall sick... "
"I can't fall sick Sheng Qin. I don't know how is it to feel sick."
He tear and Hu Li wipe them.
"I am sorry if i make you sad Sheng Qin."
"I... am i dreaming now? Is this going to end?"
"I don't know what is dreaming but we are really standing here together. I am... not a human."
"What are you?"
"I am a magical beast. My original form is a fox, a white snow fox."
Sheng Qin sob quietly. Hu Li doesn't know what to do. She pat his back.
"Are you going to leave me?"
"Not today. Not now. Someday..."
Sheng Qin put down his brush and walk out of the room. He goes into his bedroom and lay on his bed. He close his eyes hoping it's a dream. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Hu Li follow him behind, she watch him as he roll in his blanket. She sits on her favourite spot and look at the moon. It must got to do with her incarceration in the scroll. Soon she hear Sheng Qin sobbing in his bed. She walk to him and lay down on his bed. She lean near him and pat him like a child. Soon he feels tired and sleepy. He roll over and face her. He hug her and falls asleep.
Every night Hu Li appear in front of him. Every night he gets to meet her. Hu Li feels bad for Sheng Qin who seems to be acting that he is in a loop of a bad dream. She try to be nice to him. She helps him to dry the copy of papers that he have written. They have simple conversations. Sheng Qin always avoid talking about who is she and what is she. Even though he is aware, he simple cannot digest the ideal that she is no human. She is something that can be compare to a celestial being. He occasionally look up to see her fanning the papers. Even though the face is unclear to him, she have a figure of a young girl. Her long hair, untied is dark. He look up to her portrait painted long ago. Her face should be like what the painter had painted. A sweet looking girl who is smiling at him.