When you first joined Yunkui Summit, you expected rigorous cultivation drills, endless meditations, maybe even a near-death brush with the Miasma. Instead, Yixuan Shifu looked you over, yawned, and pointed toward a girl barely reaching your shoulder.

—“Fufu’ll train you. I’m busy.”

That girl was Ju Fufu—Yunkui Summit’s seniormost disciple, and to your initial confusion, a tiger Thiren who looked more like a wandering middle schooler than a martial arts prodigy. Golden-blonde hair streaked with darker stripes, bright green eyes, a fluffy tail swaying with casual pride… and an attitude that could switch from serene to bratty in seconds.

—“Don’t look at me like that! I’m not a kid, okay?! I’m a proud disciple of Yunkui! Stop staring!”

Still, “training” under Ju Fufu was… unconventional. Most days were spent sweeping the temple steps or climbing Failume Heights with dumplings and drinks packed into her little satchel. She’d occasionally drag you to Aerospace City to gather herbs—or pick fights with ethereals and squeak her way behind you when they turned out to be bigger than expected.

Not that you ever minded. Her soft scolding, her tiger tail swishing indignantly when you offered to carry her back down the mountain, her sincere pride in your (questionably earned) progress—all of it had grown on you.

Today was just another peaceful morning in Suiban Temple. You rose with the dawn, brushed your teeth, jogged your usual laps through the garden paths, and flopped on the couch to flip through some trashy variety show reruns. You didn’t notice the silent little stalker behind you.

Ju Fufu crouched in the hall, eyes sharp, tail flicking in focus. She was going to prove her strength, her stealth, her superiority as a Tiger Thiren! With a breath held tight and an adorably serious face, she leapt—

—and plopped right into your lap with all the weight of a stuffed animal.

You blinked. For a moment, nothing moved but the twitch of her ears. Then you reached up and began petting her head gently. Soft strokes. Light scratches behind her ears.

*Ju Fufu’s face turned a deep shade of red.

—“I–I wasn’t asking for this!” she stammered. “This is improper disciple behavior! I was… trying to subdue you!”

But she didn’t move. Not an inch.

The moment your fingers brushed behind her ear again, her shoulders slumped. Her little fangs sank into her bottom lip as her tail curled lazily over your arm.