In the center of Noah City, there is an incomparably huge towering tree, according to human calculations, the diameter of the stump of this big tree is as long as 800 meters, and the height can reach at least 2,000 meters, reaching into the sky. The strange thing is that no matter spring, summer, autumn and winter, the big tree is always luxuriant, and in autumn and winter, there is no leaf loss. Botanists can't figure out why, and they don't even know the species of the tree. More than 100 meters above the tree is the Authority, and yes, the Authority is in the middle of this tree, and the higher you go, the more important the Authority's secrecy becomes. Since this tree holds almost all of the Authority's information, it is also known as the System Tree.

In a hall on the bottom floor of the system tree, Zhen'er sat alone on the sofa in the bright hall, her head bowed, her small hands fiddling with the ring pinned to her waist. She came with Phoebe, who was at the information desk asking some questions about registration. All non-humans who settle in Noah City must register with the Administration Bureau after entering the city, so she came out to register this time. Although Zhen'er has been in this world for hundreds of years, she has never set foot in Noah City. Zhen'er's courage is very small, she is usually cautious when she is in other urban areas, trying not to be noticeable, and now that she is in the capital, she is still in the department of the Authority, she is even more angry, but fortunately, there is Phoebe with her. Zhen'er sat quietly on the sofa, she gently touched the soft cushions of the sofa with her hand, feeling something new, which was undoubtedly a very rare thing for her. After a while, someone passed in front of her, and she immediately sat upright, but she never dared to look up. The man was just passing by, and he didn't pay any attention to her. Zhen'er breathed a sigh of relief. She hid her tail for fear that others would find out that she was a fox demon.

When did you become so timid? It seems like she wasn't like this a long time ago. Did it start when she walked down the street with her tail bared and was pointed at, or did it start when someone called her a monster? She didn't remember it for a long time. She didn't like to come to the city, because she would be seen as an outlier here. A long, long time ago, she helped an elderly lady in the city, and the old lady invited her to her house for tea in gratitude to her, but when the old lady saw Zhen'er's tail, she put away her kind face and became hideous and terrible. She couldn't forget the way the old lady looked at her, the look of rejection and disgust when she saw the other.

For a long time, Zhen'er has not wondered, why do humans reject themselves so much? Obviously, there is no difference in everyone's appearance and lifestyle. Why do humans like to stare at the differences and blind to the similarities? Because of what? Because are evil spirits also weird? But whenever the demons attack, most of the victims are still weird and not human, right? Countless nights of solitary wandering, she pondered this question.

Of course, not all humans are so xenophobic, and she has also received the favor of humans, at least now receiving help from Phoebe. Zhen'er looked at Phoebe at the consultation desk, a little envious. Phoebe: She's great. Vera had heard the word "fraternity" once from a missionary, and she knew what "love" was, and she thought that "fraternity" or "love" meant someone like Phoebe. In addition to this, Zhen'er admires Phoebe's courage, even though Phoebe seems weak and docile, like the kind of little girl who will be scared to cry whenever she is scolded loudly. But this is not the case, Phoebe dares to say "no" loudly, she dares to question what she disagrees with, and most importantly, Phoebe always believes in justice in her heart.

Not only Phoebe, but also the people who got on the train in Ariadne were well-wishers. Chao Ge's mind is jumpy, kind and kind, although some incomprehensible words come out of her mouth from time to time. When staying by Chaoge's side, Zhen'er will feel very relieved, she feels that Chaoge is like a sister of the same age, she is like a sister, she will consider your every word and take your every move to heart. But at the same time, Zhen'er also felt the sense of distance that Chao Ge unconsciously created, and she seemed to be avoiding the deep bonds she had established with people. But that doesn't stop Zhen'er from liking Chaoge. Angelo is very reliable, with an elegant attitude towards people, and always soft-spoken when talking to people. Zhen'er thought that Angelo must have been born in a famous family before her death, so she was so humble and polite. At the same time, Zhen'er also notices that whenever Phoebe appears, Angelo only has Phoebe left in her eyes, as if nothing in the world is comparable to one Phoebe. It's a pity that Phoebe forgets him every day that passes.

It's terrible to forget, but it seems even more unfortunate for one to remember.

Thinking about it this way, Zhen'er felt lucky again. But Zhen'er feels that even if the memory is painful, she is willing to embrace it. She has been searching for what has been lost in her heart, and for five hundred years, she has been wandering, but she has never given up.

She looked out over the mountains of Aberas, and the world was in full view, but she could not find the one she longed for; She lies in the desert of Aucklando, the bright stars are dazzling, but they can't illuminate the darkness in her heart. She has seen all things in the world, seen the continuous snow-capped mountains, seen thousands of miles of stars, seen the desert, seen the weeping poplars, seen the wind and grass and low clouds and smoke flowing, and saw the bustling city and rivers flowing......

She listened to the heavy rain crying in the rainy season, but was at the center of the silence of the moment when the rain stopped. The subtle sound of rain hitting plantains echoes in the empty and empty heart.

It turns out that our world is so lonely.

Even now, she sat in the noisy hall, as if she were in that silent time after the rain. Everyone came and went, busy, with an invisible lock on their chest, sealing the unknown emptiness and sorrow.

Zhen'er sighed, she was a little tired. She looked up at Phoebe in the distance, who was still talking to the staff. Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a fountain pen lying on the ground, a black pen of exquisite workmanship. Zhen'er stepped forward and picked it up, and the pen lay in Zhen'er's hand, heavy. Upon closer inspection, I found that on the end of the pen were engraved gilt letters, on which were written: To the dear ensign. This must be worth a lot of money, Zhen'er guessed like this, the owner must be very anxious at the moment.

Zhen'er put the pen under her nose and gently sniffed the pen, which was a somewhat familiar smell, and then Zhen'er raised her head and closed her eyes, sniffing the whole hall. She groped slowly with the scent, and finally locked her eyes on a strange man. It was a man in a dark blue military uniform, with a tall and imposing posture, presumably the result of years of training. Zhen'er mustered up the courage to walk towards him.

"May I ask if the pen is yours?" Zhen'er's voice wasn't loud, but the man caught it.

He turned his head, and Zhen'er looked up to meet his gaze. He had a long scar on his face that ran from his forehead above his left eye to the bridge of his nose and eventually stopped under his right eye. Strangely, Zhen'er didn't think this scar was terrible, and in front of this person, Zhen'er's original fear of strange humans disappeared in an instant, and was replaced by a nostalgic kindness. It seemed that something was blooming in Zhen'er's heart, ready to move and uneasy.

The man felt in his pocket and found that it was empty, then he picked up the pen that Zhen'er handed him, looked at it, and said with a smile: "It is indeed mine, thank you very much." He didn't seem to have the same complicated mood as Zhen'er.

Zhen'er always looked at the man, her eyes sparkling, hiding a thousand turns of thought. He was so familiar and yet so strange. But it seems that all the heartbeats, uneasiness and inner turmoil are one-way, and they all come from Zhen'er.

The man saw that Zhen'er had been in a daze, and he couldn't help but be a little puzzled, and he asked, "What's wrong?" ”

"No, not really." Maybe it's just that I'm too careful.

The man smiled softly and looked at her like an innocent child who had not yet been deeply involved in the world.

"There are so many people here, how do you know it's mine?"

"Found by smell."

"The smell? Are you a puppy? ”

In a trance, the same scene flashed in my mind. A long, long time ago, when the peach blossoms were in full bloom, beside the lush grass, a handsome young man leaned over to look at the timid girl and reached out to caress the girl's head.

…………

"How do you know I'm looking for it? ”

"Smell."

"The smell? Are you a puppy? ”

"I'm not a puppy, I'm a little fox."

…………

"No......" Zhen'er's mind was very confused, and she subconsciously said the same answer in this clip. It's not a puppy, it's a little fox......"

As she spoke, she immediately realized that she was now in Noah City, and if she said that she was a fox, she didn't know what kind of eyes she would be looked at by others. She bowed her head.

And the man also saw the uneasiness in her heart.

"Don't be afraid, and don't feel inferior to who you are. You are not wrong, so there is no need to accept the sins of this world. ”

"Really?" Zhen'er raised her head, her eyes were like autumn water, rippling with pure innocence.

The man smiled again, just like the spring breeze in April, melting the snow that had not changed for thousands of years in the snow-capped mountains.

He pulled out a mask from the briefcase he was carrying, the one that wore a fox that covered half of his face.

"This was originally a student I bought from outside the city and brought to my family, and since you are a little fox, you are more suitable for this mask than her. I would like to thank you for helping me find my pen. He shoved the mask into Zhen'er's hand.

It took a long time for Zhen'er to come to her senses.

"Thank you."

"Then I still have something to do, I'll go first." The man smiled politely, nodded, and turned to leave.

His figure slowly grew smaller in sight, and finally disappeared. Zhen'er didn't feel lost for a long time. He seems to be someone, but he doesn't feel like it anymore. The man was more mature, deeper, and more inscrutable, even though he looked younger.

Haven't asked his name yet...... Vera felt that this was the thing she regretted the most in all these years.