“Alright, let me calculate that for you. Wait a moment, miss. Which two are you planning to buy?” The breeder beamed with delight, only to realize something was off a moment later.
“This mother wolf and this little wolf pup,” Hua Lian repeated, still avoiding eye contact with anyone. If she were to meet anyone’s gaze now, she feared they might see the timidity in her eyes.
“You’re truly kind-hearted, miss. But this mother wolf is already quite old and can’t be tamed.”
“That’s fine. I want them just as they are.”
Hua Lian insisted on her decision, thinking that if she bought this wolf mother and daughter pair, Luo Xizhi would definitely not dare to buy any animals. At the same time, she had found a brilliant way to both help the wolf pair and avoid people.
The breeder was rather puzzled, but seeing how resolute Hua Lian was, he couldn’t help but regard her more highly.
Soon, the price was quoted, and Hua Lian promptly paid by card, quickly concluding the purchase. She had no idea how many zeros were on that bill, but the breeder informed her that the animals would be delivered to her home, and a specialized breeder would come to teach her some additional things.
Throughout the process, Hua Lian responded with vague murmurs of agreement, only showing surprise when the breeder took down her address. He then became even more enthusiastic, trying to promote other animals. Hua Lian refused without hesitation, even though all the other animals were extremely friendly toward her except for the mother wolf and her pup. But her purpose in buying the wolf pair was driven by selfish motives, and she believed they could help improve her passive situation.
It seemed that because of Hua Lian’s actions, Yang Yiyi had completely lost interest in looking at other animals. Her resentment was palpable, as if she felt the wolf pair had stolen Hua Lian’s attention away from her.
Beside them, Luo Xizhi remained silent as ever, but Hua Lian guessed that the other girl probably thought she had gone mad. And truthfully, Hua Lian thought so too. To avoid social interactions, she had placed herself in an even more dangerous situation. Yet, compared to the potential harm animals might cause in the future, Hua Lian feared the harm humans could inflict even more. But whether it was due to her oversensitivity or not, she couldn’t shake the feeling that after doing this, Luo Xizhi had glanced at her several times.
Every time Hua Lian stole a look, she happened to catch Luo Xizhi openly staring at her. It wasn’t until Hua Lian was nearly bumped into by someone walking a leopard, and Luo Xizhi happened to catch her, that Hua Lian realized this was Luo Xizhi’s way of protecting her.
If nothing unexpected had happened, Luo Xizhi’s intense focus on someone she disliked must have been because the original host had done something terrible to her, forcing Luo Xizhi to intervene at such a moment. The contact was brief, and Luo Xizhi quickly distanced herself, as if she were even more afraid of being touched than Hua Lian was.
But it had to be said, it was precisely this sense of distance that made Hua Lian feel much more at ease unlike Yang Yiyi, who was always desperately trying to cling to her side. For a moment, Hua Lian even understood the subtle psychology of being popular. When you’re pursued by someone you dislike, everything becomes a form of torment.
“None of the other pets are interesting. How about giving me that little wolf pup, Xiao Lian?” After wandering around for another half hour, Yang Yiyi seemed to still be brooding over the wolf pair, even going so far as to openly ask for the pup.
Even for those with only a passing acquaintance, seeing so many zeros would make even wealthy individuals frown. Moreover, Hua Lian had bought the wolf cub precisely because she feared Yang Yiyi might take it home and mistreat it.
“No,” she replied even more decisively, pulling out her phone to search for information on raising gray wolves. However, a quick search yielded nothing but news about gray wolves attacking or even killing people.
‘Maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad way to go.’
Hua Lian stared intently at the content on her phone, inexplicably feeling that such a death would be far simpler than navigating social interactions.
Seeing herself ignored, Yang Yiyi had no choice but to start searching for various educational materials about gray wolves, doing everything she could to dissuade Hua Lian.
Luo Xizhi, still following them, observed their contrasting reactions. She felt she must have seen too many dark things, as she found the scene before her oddly heartwarming. Yet, she was also deeply curious about Hua Lian’s intentions.
‘Could it be that this transmigrator has some hidden talent and plans to train the gray wolf to steal my Chinese textbook?’
Luo Xizhi even entertained the absurd thought that this transmigrator intended to use her irresistible charm to control the wolf. But regardless, compared to the genuine scheming and deceit she was used to, today felt remarkably peaceful.
The morning of Saturday quietly passed. In the afternoon, Yang Yiyi lingered at the Hua residence, while Luo Xizhi, no longer wishing to follow them, returned to her room. She placed the Chinese textbook in the most conspicuous spot, where even a blind person could find it. Unfortunately, by the end of Saturday, the textbook remained untouched.
As dinner approached, Luo Xizhi didn’t even bother locking her door, convinced that Hua Lian would seize the opportunity to take her Chinese textbook. However, on her way to the dining room, Luo Xizhi encountered Hua Lian, who had been wandering lost for over half an hour.
“…”
For a moment, Luo Xizhi began to suspect that Hua Lian should have bought a guide dog instead of a gray wolf.
Hua Lian didn’t attempt to strike up a conversation with Luo Xizhi either. Though both were in the Hua residence, they walked one behind the other on the path. Resigned, Luo Xizhi led the way, already deciding to draw Hua Lian a map later to prevent her from getting lost even in a place meant for her downfall.
“I heard you bought a gray wolf, Xiao Lian?”
At the dinner table, Hua Lian’s father, Hua Batian, brought up the rumor he’d heard from the bodyguards with a smile. Surprisingly, he didn’t seem opposed; in fact, he appeared quite proud of Hua Lian’s purchase. The fourth male lead, Hua Zhengtai, shared the sentiment, his admiration for his sister growing due to her unexpected actions.
Luo Xizhi found Hua Lian increasingly inscrutable but decided to discuss her behavior thoroughly when using her system identity that evening. Otherwise, she felt she might eventually go mad because of Hua Lian.
“Yes, I bought it because I liked it.”
“Gray wolves aren’t easy to tame.”
“I believe I can do it,” Hua Lian replied, still avoiding eye contact with Hua Batian. Her confidence seemed to please him greatly, and he even shared his own experiences of raising lions in the past.
“In short, you must make it remember that you are the master, not just a feeder… If it doesn’t learn the first time, try again. until it realizes that only you can provide everything for it.”
The topic was ostensibly about taming pets, yet Hua Batian glanced at Luo Xizhi several times. Luo Xizhi pretended not to notice, but the other party was now merely an NPC, and Luo Xizhi’s mission was to deal with transmigrators, not these soulless existences.
Of course, she had the authority to eliminate NPCs. However, without such repulsive NPCs, certain events could not proceed. For this reason, Luo Xizhi would not act rashly unless…
“No, I will interact with them in my own way.” Hua Lian’s voice rang out at that moment, firm and resolute, rejecting Hua Batian’s method of taming pets.
Hua Batian was visibly displeased, adjusting his glasses to conceal his emotions, though he refrained from saying anything more.
Luo Xizhi remained expressionless, but compared to her earlier pure disgust for Hua Batian, she was now quite curious about what this transmigrator intended to do to her. The only certainty was that even if the transmigrator possessed the “original host’s” halo of universal charm, it had no effect on her. Therefore, she would not waver in the face of any approach.
Dinner concluded at this point. Worried that Hua Lian might get lost again, Luo Xizhi planned to wait for her to lead the way. However, Hua Lian left the dining room immediately after finishing her meal, as if in a hurry to go somewhere or simply to avoid the post-dinner stroll together.
“Ah, how old is Lian, yet still so careless? You’re much better, Xiao Luo, mature and steady.” Hua Batian began to criticize Hua Lian’s behavior, unaware that she simply had no desire for social interaction with humans.
Luo Xizhi wanted to defend Hua Lian, but Hua Batian eagerly stated his purpose, “Would you like to take a walk together?”
The undisguised desire in his eyes seemed to transform into a spider’s web at that moment. Luo Xizhi politely declined, adding, “It’s precisely because of the young lady’s carelessness that I must accompany her. Uncle Hua, I’ll go find the young lady now.”
With that, Luo Xizhi left swiftly.
Hua Batian was still smiling, but his eyes were icy cold. He stared fixedly at Luo Xizhi’s retreating figure, as if seeing something beyond it, soon growing even more sinister.
Hua Zhengtao had not left either. Seeing Hua Batian staring at Luo Xizhi, he felt somewhat displeased. “Dad, why are you looking at my future wife like that?”
“It’s just that Xiao Luo is peculiar. Tell me, how should humans be tamed to become the most obedient?”
“Isn’t it simple? Cut off everything around her, and she’ll have no choice but to see only you.” Hua Zhengtao answered without hesitation. The father and son stood together, their gloomy demeanors eerily similar. If Hua Lian had accidentally witnessed this, she would likely have nightmares for days.
Unfortunately, Hua Lian did not see it. She was searching for the marks she had made, gradually making her way back to her room. Yet, whether it was due to the original host’s directionally challenged nature or her own, despite this being the most familiar route, she circled around without finding her way back to the room and ended up near that church-like place again.
Thinking that she might see the system appear again in the form of the black cat plushie, Hua Lian decisively sat down. She fiddled with her phone, earnestly searching for guides on raising big gray wolves, wanting to see how those lucky survivors had managed to become friends with them.
Time slipped by quietly, and by the time Hua Lian heard the emotionless mechanical voice again, her phone battery was only half full. Excitedly, she made another playful pouncing gesture, only to find that the black cat plushie before her showed no sign of rejecting her. With that thought, Hua Lian moved closer, wanting to give it a hug. However, before she could touch it, the black cat plushie dodged, causing Hua Lian to nearly tumble into the flowerbed beside her.