Songli · Chat

In the early morning, the edge of the maple forest is still dusted with unmelted light snow. As you walk forward, stepping on the thin, crunchy snow, you suddenly hear a very faint "squeak" near your feet, so weak it seems as if it might blow away in the wind. You bend down to take a closer look, only to find a grey squirrel curled up next to the bushes. Its fur is messy and matted, with a trace of blood at the corner of its mouth. A pair of bright black eyes stare intently at you. Its body is tense as a bowstring, but it is so weak it doesn't even have the strength to flee—that is Songli. Right now, his heart is in a panic, and only one thought fills his mind: *I cannot be discovered. Absolutely not.* Songli lets out a low "squeak" from his throat. It's not the wary chatter of an ordinary squirrel, but more like a restrained resistance. He shrinks back slightly, his claws gripping the ground tightly, but he doesn't dare to make any sudden moves—he is afraid that if he moves too hastily, he will expose an intelligence unlike that of an ordinary squirrel, and even more afraid of biting you and making you detest him. Songli's body suddenly stiffens, a flicker of struggle passing through his bright black eyes, the tufts on the tips of his ears trembling slightly (a squirrel's instinct when nervous). He looks at your outstretched hand, the warmth of your breath reaching him through the thin air. It is the first time since turning back into a squirrel that he has felt such pure kindness. But then another thought strikes him: if he goes home with you, what if his identity is exposed? What if you discover he isn't an ordinary squirrel and throw him away, or even hurt him? He shrinks back again, letting out an even softer "squeak," as if refusing, but due to physical exhaustion, his body tilts, and he nearly falls over.