"What the hell, ah, what's this furry thing, that, no, this, eh, it seems like... no, I mean, right, no not right, what is it!?" After much spirited exclamation, Mark barely pauses before immediately exclaiming again in a tone of surprise and slight fear.

  "What is he talking about?" Xi P tilts his ear in slight confusion.

  "Please don't use 'it' as the third-person pronoun. Use 'he'. Show some respect." Min has had enough. Closing the door as he speaks in a deliberately measured tone, he understands Mark — any normal person would be shaken for a moment upon first seeing Xi P, and Mark just needs a little breathing room. But during that pause, he'd be happy to tease Mark a bit....

  "Anyway, do you want him to introduce himself, or should I do it for him?" Seeing that Mark is just standing there, staring at Xi P without responding, Min prompts.

  The question seems to snap Mark out of his trance. He nods hastily, then realises that's hardly an answer. Flustered, he blurts out: "It... he can talk?"

  "Of course." Xi P and Min reply in unison. Their words carry an overwhelming force, causing Mark to stumble back. His body slams against the doorframe, trembling. As if what standing before him isn't a fox-like alien, but a drooling beast from the Alien (movie).

  "Why does his reaction remind me of your first time seeing me?" Min shrugs and turns to Xi P with a half-joking remark.

  "Seriously, given his reaction, are you sure he's suitable as a future partner?" Xi P pays little heed to Min's teasing remark, instead posing a far more practical question. Mark's current state — shaking in fear at the mere sight of him makes Xi P seriously doubt his viability as a partner. By comparison, Min's earlier reaction had been both quick-witted and courageous.

  "Even if he's not suitable, what other options do we have now? Not like we can flash a light in his eyes and erase his memory. Besides, isn't this reaction pretty normal when you meet an alien? Maybe he's just not that interested in your ears."

  With that, Min turns and gives Mark a pat on the shoulder: "Don't worry, he won't bite you."

  Mark finally catches his breath, shoots Min a look, and asks in a trembling voice: "Then... where did he come from?"

  This question reminds Min of his first encounter with Xi P, when he suspected that Xi P had escaped from a biological laboratory — after all, its head did bear a striking resemblance to a fox.

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  "If your logic is sound, you should be able to figure this out yourself: Besides the stars in the sky, where else could it be? You don't seriously think his fox-like head means I replaced a human embryo's genetic sequence with fox DNA, do you?"

  But Min isn't done yet. He scoops up the silver fox from the ground and holds it up in front of Mark, continuing: "Besides, if you look closely, he's not really that fox-like. Though I do think these differences make him more appealing than a real fox. Cute and cuddly, soft and foxy, and he gets along with people too."

  'Mind your image, mind your image, I have manners...' Xi P repeats silently to himself. Min's words just now openly compared him to a fox. With an outsider present, he can't bring himself to correct Min. He can only swallow these insults for now.

  "But how did he survive?!" Mark shouts.

  "Luck, the fundamental rules of carbon-based life, ample medical supplies, and a small measure of steadfast belief and thirst for knowledge." Min replies, "If you're curious about those 'The Andromeda Strain' stories, there's no sign of that happening so far."

  Mark stares at Xi P, saying nothing. The intensity of that gaze makes Xi P feel uneasy, as if the stare itself is tangible, capable of seeing right through him. He even feels a tingling sensation spreading across his skin.

  "So, wanna shake his hand? You might just be the third human on Earth to make contact with an alien." Min says.

  This remark brings him back to reality again. Mark quickly extends his right hand for an exchange, grasping Xi P's palm and giving it a few firm shakes before saying: "Hello... What's his name? And... who was the second person?"

  "His name is Xi P, or Xi Pue. I usually pronounce it Xi P. The second person to see him is the neighbour's kid, about five years old, nothing to worry about. Actually, aren't you tired standing like this? Let's sit down and talk slowly. We have the whole night to discuss this..."

  As they sit down, Xi P adds: "Actually, my full name is Xi P Terzaru. But you can use either form."

  ***

  Over the next ten minutes or so, Min and Xi P take turns to bombard Mark with information, leaving him somewhat dazed. At least he now understands: this fox-like alien crash-landed here due to ship damage and has been taken in by Min for some time now. Their ultimate goal is to help Earth develop faster-than-light spacecraft to send the alien home. Only now does he fully grasp the meaning behind Min's words in the car earlier...

  "Would you like to stay for dinner tonight? I think we still have a lot to talk about." After Min finally runs out of things to say, he stretches and asks Mark.

  "Sure… What does he eat?"

  "I think you can tell just by looking at his teeth. Don't worry, he won't bite you." With that, Min disappears into the kitchen.

  The moment Min is out of sight, Mark's gaze shifts to Xi P again, fixing on him intently. Seeing Mark staring so closely, Xi P assumes Mark genuinely wants to examine the shape of his teeth. So he grins, revealing two rows of sharp teeth.

  This clearly startles Mark. He immediately jumps up and slides over a dozen centimetres to the other side of the sofa, looking as if he can't get away fast enough.

  "Hey, why are you so scared of me?" Finally reaching his limit, Xi P asks Mark curiously.