When Duan Mingyuan returned to the room, Jiuyue was sitting alone in front of the dressing table mirror, talking to herself, occasionally picking up lipstick and smearing it on the mirror.
Usually with keen hearing, Jiuyue did not hear the door open. Duan Mingyuan stood where the mirror could not reflect, silently observing her for a few minutes. Jiuyue then frowned, put away her lipstick, and muttered to herself, "This won't work either."
She was trying to summon the Mirror Spirit using ancient and modern methods, those of Blue Star and other civilizations. She had tried all sorts of folk remedies, but the mirror showed only her reflection from beginning to end.
"What are you doing?"
Seeing that Jiuyue had paused, Duan Mingyuan finally asked.
Jiuyue was startled by the sudden voice behind her, leaping from the chair with her tail straightened and her pointed ears erect.
According to Duan Mingyuan's "Fox Demonology," this was the reaction of a Fox Demon when scared.
