Fox has no heart alternative ending

More than a year ago, I translated the novel Fox has no heart. I wasn’t satisfied with the ending. So, I wrote another ending. Enjoy 🙂

I have forgotten in which year and during which dynasty I was born. So many years have passed that my memories about that day had become blurred. I closed my eyes as the beauty snuggled in my arms. Ever since I had become an adult, I bewitched women and fondled the flowers and trampled the grass because that is my duty as a fox.

• Fondled the flowers and trampled the grass: seduce many people

“Fan Zilan, I’ve finally found you.”

“Who is Fan Zilan? I’m a fox. I don’t need a name. Why are you following me?”

“Because I like you.”

“I don’t like you. As a fox, you know we don’t have a heart.”

She humphed coldly and said, “You had given me your heart once.”

I don’t remember ever having done that. This fox had been following me for quite some time already. She said that her name is Shuang Shuang. Somehow, when I heard that name, something in my chest ached. I don’t know what that was. Ever since I was born, I don’t remember ever feeling a heart or having a heartbeat. I’m a fox, a fox has no heart.

“Since you’ve found me, then behave. Don’t disturb my sleep.”

She walked to the bed and kicked the beauty out of my room. I don’t know why I let her do that. For whatever reason, I didn’t get mad.

As we lay on the bed, she said, “Fan Zilan, I have searched for you for so long.”

I didn’t say anything.

“You truly have reincarnated as a fox. Now, you have to keep your promise of staying with me forever.”

After a long silence, she said, “I have missed you.”

After some more silence, she said, “I missed the pine flower cake you made, the gentleness which you used to comb my hair and your warmth when you slept next to me.”

I don’t remember ever having done that. This fox must be delusional. I must get away from her as soon as possible. Slowly, I drifted to the land of dreams. In the dream, I saw a young boy following a girl. The boy said, “Don’t abandon me.”

The girl said, “Since you want to follow me, you have to listen to me.”

The boy said, “Okay.”

“You have to serve me wholeheartedly. Cook for me, sweep the floor, wipe the table.”

“Okay.”

“When I’m angry, I will beat and scold you. You have to endure it. If one day my hunger is aroused and I want to eat you, you should go, wash yourself, boil a pot of soup, jump inside and cook yourself.”

“If a gentleman says it, it shall be done as if spurring a fast horse with a single whip.”

The scene skipped to a dying old man, “Shuang Shuang, tell me, would a human have an afterlife after he dies?”

“Of course, humans have an afterlife. Perhaps in the next life, you can still be a big official.”

“I won’t be a big official in the next life. I will be a fox and stay with you forever.”

The dream went black. I heard a female voice say, “I don’t have a heart.”

A boy’s voice said, “Then, I will give you my heart.”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest and woke up. I was drenched in sweat. What was that dream? That damned old god of dreams liked to give me such weird dreams. I have dreamed about this dream for so long. However, not once did I see the face of the girl clearly.

Early the next morning, I sneaked to Changan. She found me in Changan. I sneaked to Jiangnan. She found me in Jiangnan. I sneaked to Xiyu, she didn’t come. Suddenly, I felt a fear spread over me. Did something happen to her? I mocked myself. She is a fox. What could happen to her?

The days of a fox passed quickly. In a blink of an eye, three years have passed. I didn’t see her again. I continued with fondling the flowers and trampled the grass. My heart always felt empty, but this time I felt an emptiness I have never felt before. From time to time, I will think about that fox Shuang Shuang. Did I miss her? That fox is truly heartless. It had been three years and she didn’t come look for me.

That night, the god of dreams said, “She is going to give her heart to someone else.”

What? That heart is mine. She said I gave it to her once. I need to get that heart back. So, I went to search for her.

When I found her, I asked, “Who are you giving my heart to?”

“What are you talking about?”

“The god of dreams said you are giving my heart to someone else.”

“What?! That damned old man is sprouting nonsense again.”

“…”

“You are so heartless.”

She said, “What are you talking about? Wasn’t it you who wanted to be alone? So, I did it for your own good.”

“I have not been good (fine) at all…These past three years, I haven’t been fine at all.”

She went quiet and muttered to herself, “In the past you also said that.”

She then said, “Since you came now, I will give you a choice. Fan Zilan, if you stay now, I won’t let you leave ever again.”

I was perplexed. I was frozen on spot.

“Fan Zilan, if I have a heart, I will certainly give it to you.”

For the first time in my life, I felt the heartbeat of my heart.

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