After My Breakup, I Slept with the Fox Raised by the Mountain God - Chapter 1

Chapter 1

The year I turned twenty-eight, I lost my boyfriend first, and then I nearly lost my job.

My ex-boyfriend, Zhou Cheng, made the breakup sound very dignified. He said I was too rigid, that I didn’t know how to act cute, and that being with me felt like negotiating with a client. On the day we broke up, his social media feed was already graced by a new girlfriend with a gentle smile. The caption read: “I’ve finally met someone who makes me want to come home.”

Looking at that post, I was so angry I nearly crushed my mouse at my workstation.

What was even more infuriating was the project manager on the other end, nagging me to revise a proposal. He said our ‘Almighty Client’ felt the event theme lacked a “sense of healing” and told me to dig deeper into female emotional resonance.

I stared at the words “sense of healing,” suddenly finding the world quite absurd.

A woman who had just been dumped was sitting in an office at 11:30 PM, writing about healing for others.

I requested three days of leave on the spot, slammed my laptop shut, and dragged my suitcase to a famous Mountain Lodge on the outskirts of the city.

My best friend said that place could cleanse your lungs and your eyes. The Proprietress supposedly had impeccable taste, and even the young men serving tea looked like they had been plucked straight out of an idol drama.

I wasn’t interested in cleansing my lungs, but I was a little interested in the eye candy.

As it turned out, the moment I entered the mountains, the rain intensified.

The mountain roads twisted and turned as if intentionally leading people into the mist. The driver dropped me off at the entrance of the Mountain Lodge and sped away. I rushed inside dragging my suitcase, the tips of my hair soaking wet and my makeup ruined. I looked as wretched as a stray cat kicked into the mud by life.

The Proprietress looked up at me, her smile meaningful.

“Heartbroken?”

I gave a muffled “mm.”

“Then you’ve come at the right time.” She poured me a cup of hot ginger tea and tilted her chin toward the window. “Tonight is the lantern festival at the Mountain God Temple. It’s when the mountain’s spiritual energy is at its peak-perfect for cutting off rotten peach blossoms.”

I didn’t usually believe in such things, but at that moment, I desperately wanted to cut something off.

So that night, I threw on a coat and went to the old temple on the back of the mountain.

The temple wasn’t large, but the incense was strangely thick. The mountain wind swept through the red silk ribbons, making the small copper bells on the eaves chime. There were many people there praying for marriage prospects; girls surrounded an old locust tree to hang wooden plaques, murmuring prayers under their breaths.

I stood outside the crowd, watching for a long time, but in the end, I didn’t pray for anything.

I simply deleted Zhou Cheng’s chat history, our photos, and screenshots of bank transfers-all of it, gone in one go.

After deleting them, I didn’t feel much better.

It was like pulling a thorn from my chest; the blood didn’t flow, but the space it left behind was truly empty.

I walked down the stone steps toward the small bar at the Mountain Lodge, which was glowing with warm yellow light. There weren’t many people inside. The wooden door was half-open, and the music was soft, sounding like someone plucking lute strings underwater.

And then, I saw him.

He sat in the innermost corner, wearing a black shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his wrists, holding a narrow-necked glass. The light fell across his face, carving features that were almost too refined-the bridge of his nose, his brow bone, the corners of his eyes-every part of him was excessively handsome.

The most excessive thing was that lazy aura he carried.

He looked like he didn’t care about anything, yet also like he would bite anyone who dared to get close.

The Proprietress followed my gaze, her smile becoming even more intriguing.

“Taken a fancy to him?”

I took a sip of my drink, feigning composure. “Is the service at your lodge really this comprehensive?”

The Proprietress arched an eyebrow. “You can go ask him.”

The alcohol had gone to my head that night. I was only functioning on half a brain, but my skin was three times thicker than usual.

I carried my glass over and sat across from him, getting straight to the point. “Hey handsome, how much do you charge for some company?”

He looked up at me, his gaze cool, like the layer of mist in the mountain night.

“It’s very expensive.”

The one thing a heartbroken person doesn’t lack is impulsiveness.

“Give me a number.”

He set his glass down, his fingertip lightly tapping the rim. To my surprise, he actually smiled.

“You can’t afford it.”

I was dazed by that smile, but I remained stubborn. “I can inspect the goods first.”

He asked, “Inspect what?”

I stared at that face of his. In a moment of heat, I reached out and hooked my finger under his chin.

“Temperament, physique, and professional etiquette.”

Someone nearby gasped. Behind the bar, the Proprietress lowered her head to wipe a glass, her shoulders shaking.

The man didn’t dodge. Instead, he leaned forward slightly.

He carried a very faint scent of cold wood, like a mountain forest after the rain.

“Miss Lu,” he said slowly, looking at me, “you’d better not provoke me tonight.”

At the time, I didn’t realize that those words weren’t a warning, but a well-intentioned notice to save my life.

I only thought his voice sounded too good-so good it felt like a deliberate seduction. So, I leaned in even closer, heedless of the danger, and whispered, “Why don’t you just get to the point? Are you in or not?”

He was silent for two seconds before suddenly standing up.

The hem of his black shirt brushed against the back of my hand, the coolness making me shiver.

“Let’s go.”

I froze.

He leaned down to look at me, the corners of his eyes turning up with a smile that felt like a hook.

“Weren’t you going to inspect the goods?”