Suddenly, Min pulls off Xi P's hood and stares into his eyes, trying to read them for signs of deceit or happiness.
Unsurprisingly, this fails. Even if genuine emotion could be read from these eyes, Min certainly doesn't possess that skill yet. From what he can see, those two eyeballs differ greatly from human ones. Viewed from even a slight distance, they appear almost entirely black. Only by getting this close and examining them carefully can he make out his own reflection in them, the tiny white dot at their centre and the faint glints of light surrounding it. The sockets themselves remain utterly still, offering Min no clues whatsoever.
For Xi P himself, Min's sudden inspection startled him a little. Without the hood's protection, the blinding, harsh sunlight outside floods into his eyes. Having an alien stare so intently into his eyes at such an intimate distance is a bit terrifying. Don't they usually have a concept of personal space?
In the end, Min can't help but sigh. The truth might still be unclear, but at least he knows which choice to make between Xi P and the fox. Xi P's allergy probably isn't life-threatening, but things can't continue like this either. And even if those allergic reactions are faked... Since Xi P has gone to such lengths to deceive him, faking an allergy to get rid of the silver fox, Min feels he owes it to Xi P to send the fox away.
Otherwise, it would probably cause a rift between them. To be honest, though, Min still can't understand why Xi P dislikes the silver fox so much.
'Hmm... the classic 'alien mindset that humans can't comprehend'.' Min could only offer this assessment.
***
'Who should I give it to...'
After making the decision to give it away. Another issue arises for Min. Returning it directly to the pet shop feels too humiliating, even with the excuse of allergies. Giving it to a random friend seems too rash...
Flipping through the map casually, Min suddenly brightens. Why not just give it to the neighbours?
This isn't a random choice. If he remembers correctly, the people who live in that small villa nearly half a kilometre away have kept dogs before. Plus, they're the only neighbours near Min's home. There's an advantage to sending the silver fox there that no other place offers: he can drop by whenever he wants to see it again!
Perhaps that's even better than keeping it at home. Haven't we all heard the saying, "The neighbour's cat is always the best cat"?
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As for the reason for giving the fox away, he can stick with the excuse about the fox fur allergy — it's kind of true, after all....
Min turns to pack up the pet supplies and stuffs the fox back into its carrier. Before doing so, Min can't resist petting the fox's head a few more times, and the fox licks him in return. Xi P, watching from the sidelines, finds the whole scene utterly disgusting.
'Ra... What caused this gap between me and that fox? Is it dignity? Wisdom? Or strength? Perhaps all three...' Xi P could almost hear himself reciting dramatic lines in his mind.
But as he watches Min walk out of the front door with the fox and get further and further away, Xi P cheers up again quickly. Though disguising himself as allergic to those weakly toxic chemicals was distressing, the principle that short pain is better than long pain is understood by everyone. From now on, he'll never have to see that disgusting, tuefue-faced beast-like creature again!
***
Crossing the small garden in front of the villa, Min finally stands before its door. Taking a deep breath, he presses the doorbell.
The door opens. He is greeted by a woman who is barely in her thirties.
"Hello, I'm your neighbour, Min. I used to keep a silver fox as a pet, but I've recently discovered I'm allergic to its fur. Would your family be willing to take it in? I've prepared all the necessary supplies and can pay you a petting fee."
At the mention of "silver fox", the woman's expression shifts visibly. After Min has finished speaking, she asks him to wait a moment before calling inside, "David!"
Within less than 20 seconds, a boy who looks about 6 or 7 years old runs out of the house. Seeing this, the woman says to him: "David, this is the man you saw keeping a fox the other day. The fox is in the box he's holding."
Hearing this, Min suddenly senses that something is wrong. He had bought the silver fox only a few days earlier. How does that child know about it already?
Regardless, Min opens the case. As he lifts the lid, the silver fox pokes its head out. Spotting the two strangers, it jerks its head back inside before slowly peeking out again, looking utterly adorable.
But what follows takes a turn completely unexpected by Min. Upon seeing the silver fox in the case, the child cries out: "Not this one... that fox is orange and huge!"
Min suddenly realises what's happening, his whole body shuddering involuntarily before he straightens up again. Thankfully, neither of the two people in front of him is fully focused on him.
David continues: "It stands upright and uses the oven..."
The woman finally can't hold back. Crouching beside him, she says: "I told you, foxes walk on all fours, just like the one this man brought. Foxes don't use ovens either..."
***
Min doesn't know how he managed to endure it, or even how he made it back home. The moment he steps through the door, he collapses onto the sofa, drained of all strength.
Xi P, riding a wave of triumphant excitement, senses that something is wrong the moment he sees Min walk in with such an eerie demeanour. Cautiously, he asks about the situation.
Min blinks a couple of times blankly before snapping back to reality. Taking a deep breath, he tries to briefly recount what had just happened at the villa.
As Xi P listens to Min's account, he can't help but grip the armrest nervously. The thought of how long he might have been secretly observed is truly unsettling. In hindsight, choosing to give the fox away has been the right decision, yielding such an unexpected reward... From now on, the curtains must stay drawn at all times.
