Chapter 13 Thigh-high Black Silk and Ice Queen
"Mama, what's the name of Little Joy?"
The little girl tugged at her mother's sleeve, swaying back and forth, pouting, and acting coquettishly.
"Um..."
The mother was somewhat embarrassed, looking around and casting a pleading gaze toward Fang Ye!
The two staff members who had just been advising an old lady not to feed the animals had been right by him.
And Fang Ye's camouflage green clothes did give him the air of a zoo staffer.
Fang Ye smiled slightly, squatting down next to the little girl, his tone kind, "Little friend, this fox's name is Sugar Pack! Did you hear its call just now? That was it greeting you!"
The little girl was overjoyed and waved her hands, "Hello, Little Joy! You're so cute!"
Sugar Pack pawed at the metal mesh, standing up on its hind legs, with its fluffy, bushy tail mischievously swishing back and forth behind it. The white tip of the tail looked like the creamy peak of an ice cream cone, irresistibly inviting one to reach out and touch it.
Black, lively little eyes rolled around curiously staring at everyone, emitting a sharp cry, "Ying ying ying~"
"Big tail! Big tail!" The little girl was mesmerized, clapping repeatedly, when she suddenly thought of a question, "Why does Little Joy have a big tail?"
Fang Ye explained, "First of all, the fox's tail helps maintain balance while they walk and run.
In the cold of winter, the fox curls up into a ball with its fluffy big tail wrapped around itself like a scarf, to reduce the loss of body heat and fend off the severe cold outside.
Besides that, if they get wet or dirty, foxes can also sway their tails to groom their fur, which helps in cleaning."
The little girl nodded, blinking confusedly, not quite sure how much she understood.
However, for children, the main thing about going to the zoo is to have fun and develop a love for the animals.
Acquiring knowledge comes second.
"Then, why is Little Joy's tail tip white?"
One question trickier than the last, this one is off the script, hey!
Fortunately, he'd read up on plenty of materials.
Fang Ye kept his composure, turning into an animal expert, answering smoothly, "The white tip of the tail can confuse enemies and disrupt their line of sight!"
"Xuanxuan, aren't you going to thank uncle for the explanation?"
"Thank you, uncle!" The little girl smiled sweetly at Fang Ye.
Fang Ye's smile froze instantly, oh no!
Do I look that old? Call me brother, little brother, understand!
…
After the visitors left, Fang Ye and Lan Li entered the enclosure from the operation area.
"Ying ying ying~"
As soon as they entered the enclosure, Sugar Pack ran over to Fang Ye's feet, looked up at him, and started to whine.
It was the most cheerful of the four red foxes, not very afraid of humans, and often quite active when interacting with visitors.
"Hello, Sugar Pack?"
Lan Li greeted.
In the zoo, she was most afraid of fierce tigers!
Her favorite, however, were the soft and cute alpacas and foxes.
Fang Ye bent down, trying to stroke Sugar Pack's head, but it dodged away with a tilt of its head.
It lay down on the ground, its eyes seemingly twinkling with cunning, waving its paws around playfully.
Want to touch me, huh? Come on!
"Hey!"
As he reached out again, Sugar Pack quickly rolled away, deftly moving aside, keeping a distance, hopping around actively, staring at him provocatively, "Ying ying ying~"
Can you catch me?
Catch me and I'll let you, heh, heh, heh?
Fang Ye failed to touch it after two tries and laughed, "Heh, you little rascal."
At the same time, he also noticed when Sugar Pack rolled on the ground, a tuft of yellow fur had fallen off.
Molting season!
Anyone who has kept cats or dogs knows that in the summer, cats and dogs start shedding fur, which can get so intense that a simple brushstroke removes a heap of hair, filling the whole house with flying fur.
This seasonal molting is to adapt to the changes in weather.
Sugar Pack's fur wasn't as full now, nor was it as lustrous.
Although he knew that shedding was normal for the season, Fang Ye still used the Eye of Observation just to be sure.
Eye of Observation!
[Red fox: Sugar Pack
Age: 2 years
Mood: Happy
Health Status: The animal is in its shedding period. It's recommended to comb the fur more often, clear away the fallen old fur, and allow new fur to grow in better. An occasional bath can help maintain the fur but should not be too frequent, recommended not more than 3 times a month. Pay attention to nutritional replenishment, recommended recipe 1: apple 200g, beef 100g, mixed cereals steamed bun 20g, chicken egg 10g...]
It displayed the health status and even provided a list of specific suggestions, including how to pair up the diet.
"Ying ying ying~"
When Fang Ye used the Eye of Observation to check closely, Sugar Pack felt like he was being peeped at and ran away, not quite used to it. After he turned off the skill, he came back to his side and scurried about.
Fang Ye instructed Lan Li, "See the fur on the floor? Sugar Pack and the others are in their shedding season. We can adjust the diet accordingly…"
Then, he moved on to the shaded corner where the other red foxes were resting.
Youyou, timid and alert, let out a soft ying when she noticed someone approaching. But when Fang Ye came closer, she closed her eyes and buried her head low, lying motionless and pretending to sleep. Only her tightly pressed-down ears betrayed the fact that she was, indeed, awake.
Xiaoqiao heard Youyou's call and lifted its eyelids for a look. Seeing it was Fang Ye, she very calmly squinted her eyes again.
Recognized!
The pooper-scooper.
The drool at Little Joy's mouth corners flowed down: Hu~ hu~
Fang Ye let out a mischievous smile and stretched out his hand: "Youyou! Come, let me pet you!"
This timid fox made him want to tease her a bit.
Ying ying ying!
Youyou's body tensed and trembled, calling out in a pitifully soft voice.
Scratch scratch scratch~
Although Fang Ye seemed to be a bully, his touch was actually gentle, gently stroking Youyou's forehead, then scratching behind her ears with his fingertips. He circled twice before caressing the delicate black triangular ears.
For Youyou, the ears seemed to be a sensitive spot. Being caressed so gently made her feel ticklish and comfortable. She flapped them, gingerly sneaking a glance at Fang Ye, seeming a little less scared.
"Ying ying ying~"
Youyou made a few soft calls, turned over her pure white belly, revealing her pitch-black little legs.
This was another distinct feature of hers.
Normal foxes only have black paws, but Youyou had black limbs, like the difference between ordinary socks and thigh-high black stockings.
Then, she stuck out her pink tongue and gently licked Fang Ye's palm.
"So cute~"
Lan Li couldn't help but join the fox petting team.
Fang Ye switched targets, grinning wickedly: "Xiaoqiao, come, let's check your body!"
Xiaoqiao was the only silver fox among the red foxes.
Her fur was silvery-black, interweaved with white, giving her a mysterious and noble air.
Some might confuse the silver fox with the white fox, but they are not the same.
The silver fox is a subspecies of the red fox! Also known as the black fox or silver-black fox, it's just distinguished by a different fur color.
The white fox, also known as the Arctic fox, is mainly found along the coast of the Arctic Ocean, slightly smaller in size than the red fox.
As for the commonly seen white pet foxes, they are actually red foxes too. They have been selectively bred for their white fur through artificial selection, ultimately resulting in white pelts. They are also called marble foxes or panda foxes.
Xiaoqiao was not as easy to bully as Youyou.
When Fang Ye's hand was still 20 centimeters from her head, she opened her eyes, and her pupils radiated a chill that pushed people away.
Fang Ye looked at her.
She also looked at Fang Ye.
That icy look seemed to say, "Try to touch me and see what happens."
A standoff!
If auras could be seen with the naked eye, then there would surely be chilling winds and heavy snow swirling around Xiaoqiao at this moment.