The bone-piercing cold pierced into Li Yingxue like countless fine needles, densely stabbing into his skin. He hugged himself tightly, trembling uncontrollably, his teeth chattering slightly.
The surroundings were deathly silent, but that silence only made things more terrifying, as it concealed countless hidden dangers.
He could clearly sense something approaching—carrying a primal, predatory aura that instinctively filled him with fear.
In such a situation of utter isolation, his thoughts inevitably drifted toward Lu Yun.
Where was he now? Had he… already abandoned him?
His heart sank bit by bit.
He had only been disturbed by that strange voice for a short while—so why, upon regaining clarity, had the entire world changed? He had been swept into this unfamiliar forest by something unknown, while the person beside him had vanished.
Bitter thoughts rose in his mind.
With this sickly body, blind and powerless, he was nothing more than a burden in this apocalypse.
He needed help to walk, needed to be fed to eat, and would only drag others down in danger.
Even if Lu Yun had lied, he had still taken care of him for the past two days. Now, encountering a stronger supernatural team and choosing to leave him behind… was entirely reasonable.
He recalled how Lu Yun had first appeared. If he truly had ulterior motives, there had been plenty of opportunities during their time alone—but aside from necessary contact, he had remained restrained.
On the contrary, Li Yingxue had sensed occasional coldness and distance from him—even the moment he leaned into his arms for warmth, the brief stiffness in his body.
That made it even more confusing.
Why would someone lie to a burden like him and still take care of him so carefully?
Unless… what Lu Yun had said was true. That there really was such a deep, unwavering emotion that could make someone protect another person even in the apocalypse.
But thinking about that now was meaningless.
The unfamiliar presence was already right in front of him. Warm breath brushed over the top of his head.
He closed his eyes in despair.
Perhaps he was really going to die—freeze to death, or be eaten by this unknown creature.
He lowered his head in resignation.
The Werewolf Mutant Species leaned down before him. In its ice-blue eyes was undisguised obsession and desire.
So fragrant…
An indescribable, intoxicating sweetness radiated from the fragile, snow-white person before him.
It could not be described in words.
He slowly raised his wolf-clawed hand, surprisingly gentle, and carefully lifted a strand of Li Yingxue’s white hair with the tip of his claw.
The strands shimmered faintly under the pale moonlight.
The Werewolf lowered his head almost reverently, bringing his sharp nose close to the hair and inhaling deeply, lost in intoxication.
At that moment, Li Yingxue shivered from cold and fear and instinctively moved.
He raised his head slightly, unconsciously reaching forward with trembling fingers.
His fingertips happened to brush against the Werewolf’s thick, fur-covered forearm.
He froze instantly.
That texture… was not human.
However, the expected attack did not come. The dangerous aura still surrounded him, but the creature did not seem in a hurry to kill him.
Survival instinct overcame fear.
Forcing himself to stay calm, Li Yingxue spoke softly, his voice trembling from the cold as he addressed the direction he had touched.
“Y-you… hello?”
The Werewolf suddenly lifted his gaze.
His icy-blue eyes met Li Yingxue’s unfocused ones. He saw the pale, trembling lips and the uncontrollable shivering of the frail body.
The Werewolf realized he was cold.
Still silent, he lowered the hand holding the strand of hair.
Then he casually waved his other claw.
A cluster of warm flames appeared out of nowhere, quickly igniting nearby dry branches and forming a small campfire—enough to drive away the cold.
The sudden warmth startled Li Yingxue, but he quickly understood it was done by this… “person.”
The firelight illuminated his delicate face. Against his white hair, he looked like something impossibly pure—an illusion not belonging to this filthy world.
But that light also attracted more unwanted attention.
The surrounding Mutant Species—still lingering under the Werewolf’s call—stared openly at Li Yingxue, their gazes filled with greed and hunger.
They swallowed repeatedly, breathing in the faint scent in the air, growling lowly as their desire grew uncontrollable.
The Werewolf’s ice-blue eyes turned sharp with killing intent. A threatening growl escaped his throat.
Under the pressure of absolute dominance, the surrounding Mutant Species reluctantly retreated into the deeper darkness.
The Werewolf was satisfied.
Now, this snow-white, sweet-smelling prey belonged to him alone.
Li Yingxue, unaware of what had just occurred, felt the warmth of the fire slowly ease the cold in his body.
He tilted his head slightly toward the fire and the Werewolf’s general direction and whispered softly, “Thank you.”
The Werewolf remained silent, but his ice-blue eyes never left him. Curiosity lingered within them.
He leaned down again, drawn once more to that intoxicating scent.
But just as his nose was about to reach the top of Li Yingxue’s hair—
His ears twitched.
He reacted with astonishing speed, planting one hand on the ground and twisting his body to dodge.
At the same moment, a water-wrapped stone with a sharp edge flew past the exact spot where his head had been, carrying overwhelming killing intent.
The Werewolf landed steadily and narrowed his ice-blue eyes, looking toward the direction of the attack.
From the shadows of the forest, Lu Yun stepped forward.
His appearance was completely different from before.
His clothes were torn and stained with dust and dark blood, but his entire body radiated a cold, razor-sharp aura of destruction.
Firelight illuminated his frost-covered face. The Werewolf noticed his eyes—one black, one blood-red—locked firmly onto him.
But when his gaze passed over the Werewolf and landed on the snow-white figure curled by the fire, his tightly clenched hand loosened slightly.
Lu Yun’s voice was low and hoarse, each word like it was pulled from an ice abyss:
“Let go of him.”