The post-research clean-up wraps up quickly with the destruction of samples and a review of surveillance footage. They even vacuumed the floor before leaving.

  '...And if anyone ever asks me 'What do aliens taste like?' I can say 'Kind of like too much salt'... No, that's not funny at all. I should just say 'No comment'. Anyway, I doubt I'll remember the taste by then...'

  ***

  This Saturday, Xi P behaves perfectly normally, just like in previous weeks: eating, drinking, studying English. In many ways, Min sometimes genuinely forgets that Xi P has a fox's head and isn't a human. Psychologically, he is not very different, despite the obvious physical differences. There are mostly just some communication gaps caused by cultural and technological differences — nothing major.

  Even more coincidentally, their personalities aren't vastly different either — at least, that's how Min perceives it. They are both rational, slow to anger and somewhat in search of a sense of purpose. But if Xi P knew Min's thoughts, he'd probably add another trait: "loves to make fun of people who can take a joke".

  Occasionally, during lessons, Min would deliberately focus on subjects he believes Xi P would find interesting, such as culinary traditions. This is fine, but once Min goes out of his way to describe chocolate, raving about its taste and even letting Xi P smell a piece. But when Xi P expresses a desire to actually try it, Min brutally informed him about the alkaloids in chocolate, with the emphasis that only humans could tolerate them.

  Whether or not these alkaloids affect aliens is debatable, but it's better to play it safe and not taste them. Moreover, Min's choice of examples, which used only pictures of dogs and foxes to illustrate animals that couldn't handle it, revealed a certain thoughtfulness. This really strengthened Xi P's desire for revenge....

  And now, is the time for that.

  ***

  Min hears Xi P calling out to him. Turning his head, he sees Xi P leaning out of the study room, waving at him as if signalling for him to come over.

  The study room has now been completely transformed into Xi P's little laboratory, with most of the still-functional instruments piled inside. As for why Xi P is calling him over now...

  It's either because he needs Min to explain a term he encountered in a book, or because he has finally decided to study him.

  Min suddenly realises why Xi P was a bit nervous back in the lab. Because he now feels the same way. Being summoned by an alien to serve as a research subject does sound genuinely terrifying. But in reality, when he's actually called over, and that alien happens to resemble a fox, the sense of dread isn't quite as overwhelming...

  Setting aside his newly purchased copy of Future Continuous, Min walks towards the study room, feeling a mix of nervousness and an indescribable anticipation. Once inside, Xi P makes a peculiar request — he wants Min to lie on the table. Though sceptical, Min complies out of trust.

  Suddenly, Xi P pulls out a bundle of ropes out from under the table and scatters them over Min. Before he can grasp what is happening, Xi P slips a hazmat-like helmet over his head.

  "What are you doing?"

  Xi P doesn't answer, merely staring at him as he raises both hands, one holding a marker pen, and the other a sharp scalpel, and begins uttering a series of incomprehensible sounds. He approaches slowly, raising the marker pen.

  In Xi P's imagination, Min should at least jump up in fright. But events unfold unexpectedly — Min merely freezes for a moment. Before Xi P can take another step forward, Min has already regained his composure, replying in a sarcastic tone: "Wow, how terrifying! I'm about to be cut open by an alien."

  This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

  'No, that reaction isn't a 'scary' reaction at all.' Xi P thinks. Since Min has seen through his joke, there is no need to keep up the act. He casually pulls off the helmet and sighs softly.

  In those few seconds, Min's mind had raced; the adrenaline had sped up his thinking significantly. A simple cost-benefit analysis revealed that Xi P was merely trying to scare him, rather than being a mad scientist or an alien killer. The question remains: why? Looking at Xi P's disappointed expression now, he realises that he had reacted too quickly. He should have played along for a few more seconds.

  In Xi P's eyes, Min's reaction is surprisingly swift, far too quick for what had been intended as a powerful, even excessive, prank. His mood sinks, head bows slightly, ears drooping limply, making him look incredibly adorable.

  Rising from the table which might have been a dissection bench, Min has just steps back onto the floor when he sees Xi P's dejected expression. As if guided by an unseen force, he instinctively reaches out and strokes Xi P's head in consolation.

  Unlike human hair, the fur on the tuefue's head is remarkably soft and fluffy. The sensation under her fingertips is warm and plush. With his own meticulous care, this fur is smooth and clean, and feels even more comfortable than any dog's coat. Beneath that layer, the texture is more human-like — smooth skull bone. However, near the ears, a distinct difference emerges: the firm, muscular layers that surround and drive the ears are palpable. The ears themselves are soft and elastic. As he moves his hand, Xi P trembles slightly, and the ears, previously limp and drooping, suddenly perk up in his grasp —

  The moment Min realises, he yanks his hand back like lightning. As soon as he does so, Xi P sweeps his arm across in an attempt to brush Min's hand away. As far as lifting Xi P's spirits goes, this has been remarkably effective. Caught off guard by the touch, Xi P now glares at Min with pure anger; there is not a trace of gloom left.

  Clearly, unlike a pet fox, Xi P dislikes having his head stroked. Evidently, their concept of dignity includes not being petted on the head.

  Seeing Xi P's obvious anger, Min also feels a bit embarrassed. To change the subject, he quickly asks: "Why did you do that just now?"

  'Shouldn't I be asking you that?' Xi P thought.

  ***

  After a lengthy explanation, Min finally understood. He truly hadn't realised that his seemingly harmless jokes had such a negative impact on Xi P's mental state. Before Xi P brought it up, Min hadn't paid much attention. But now that he realised that some of his jokes could indeed be interpreted as containing elements of racial discrimination, however broadly "race" is defined.

  He offered Xi P a half-hearted apology for those jokes in the past, but also warned him not to expect too much restraint from him — Xi P's appearance simply made it too difficult to treat him with normalcy. It's clear that Xi P doesn't understand why this is the case, as he mutters something that sounds like a private thought, but which is clearly meant for Min to hear: "Even if being cute, it shouldn't be this bad..."

  'No, it's not just the fault of cuteness. It's also the fault of Japanese culture and modern furry fandom culture.' Min thinks, though he doesn't voice it. In truth, Min has always tried to shield Xi P from exposure to that kind of content. Information like those are simply inadmissible for a creature who looks like a fox...

  ***

  Giving the tense atmosphere earlier, the two decides to watch TV to lighten the mood.

  It turned out that TV doesn't necessarily require understanding the content to be enjoyable. As some studies suggested, watching the visuals alone can often provide a sense of satisfaction without the need for deep thought. This time, however, the moment the TV come on, Min nearly spits out the water in his mouth. Xi P's eyes widens, and a subtle shift in his facial expression shows his astonishment.

  The programme being broadcast is about the declassification of a UFO incident involving aliens, a popular conspiracy theory. Numerous eyewitnesses have reported seeing an extraterrestrial spacecraft crash. Scattered across the crash site were what appeared to be "alien corpses". The U.S. authorities swiftly sealed off the area and recovered the objects, claiming that the crash had involved a weather balloon and that the so-called "alien corpses" were rubber mannequins used in experiments.

  The story was bizarre enough on its own, but later, another photograph related to the incident was leaked. The black-and-white image had extremely low resolution, yet its content was astonishing: personnel in hazmat suits were dissecting the "rubber mannequins" on a table!

  Coincidentally, the television Min has just turned on displays this very image. It is no wonder they both reacts with such intensity — after all, mere moments earlier, Xi P had strapped Min to a dissection table, poised to cut him open...

  'Terrifying alien scientists!' They thought simultaneously, instinctively shifting away from each other without a word.