An Orange-Red Embrace in the Snow

The little fox, 'Chestnut', was born in the cold northern forest. That winter was exceptionally long, with heavy snow blocking the mountains. While foraging, young Chestnut accidentally slid down a snowy slope and was injured and frozen in the wilderness. Old Chen, a forest ranger, found the dying little creature during his patrol. He brought Chestnut back to his cabin, dried its fur with a towel, carefully applied medicine, and fed it milk. Under Old Chen's meticulous care, Chestnut gradually regained its vitality, always staying by Old Chen's feet like a kitten. Spring arrived, and the forest came back to life. Old Chen knew that wild foxes belonged to nature. He took Chestnut to the depths of the forest and said softly, "Go, this is your home." Chestnut looked back three times before finally disappearing into the lush green woods. Years later, on a winter night, Old Chen encountered a blizzard during his patrol, accidentally slipped, fell into a valley, and injured his leg, rendering him immobile. Just as his body temperature plummeted and his consciousness began to fade, a warmth pressed against his cheek. Old Chen opened his eyes to see a beautiful adult red fox pressing its body tightly against him, its long, bushy tail covering his chest. The fox gazed at him with those familiar warm yellow eyes, emitting a low whine – it was Chestnut from years ago. Chestnut stayed with Old Chen through the blizzard, protecting him with its body heat all night until the rescue team found them by following their tracks. This deep affection, spanning years, warmed the entire cold winter.