At the first light of dawn, Meng Huaize was still staring blankly into the distance, his gaze hollow and filled with despair. He had been tormented the entire night, unable to sleep, dark circles heavy under his eyes.
Meanwhile, the wolf spirit beside him, carefree and oblivious, had planted a few kisses without any further thought. Afterward, Wu Yue had simply laid back down, closed his eyes, and slept soundly, leaving behind only a disheveled and confused Meng Huaize.
In the stillness of the night, as the fear of death subsided, Meng Huaize finally began to process Wu Yue’s earlier words: “Forcing it out will cost you your life.”
Did that mean Wu Yue could, in fact, take the inner essence out but was holding back because of concern for his life? A sharp pang of realization hit Meng Huaize, and he quickly turned his head to look at Wu Yue. The spirit was sleeping soundly, lying on his side and holding Meng Huaize close. Even in the dim light, his face appeared smooth and pale, his striking handsomeness captivating and almost otherworldly.
Meng Huaize’s chest tightened. He was now wide awake, his thoughts swirling with conflicting emotions—relief that he was still alive, confusion at Wu Yue’s behavior, and an inexplicable sour feeling welling up inside him.
Why was this spirit, who constantly threatened to kill him, now holding back for his sake?
Meng Huaize’s mind was in turmoil, unsure of what to feel as his gaze lingered on Wu Yue’s lips. Suddenly, his own lips tingled, and he found himself recalling Wu Yue’s face drawing closer, his sharp features enlarging until they were mere inches apart. That cool, soft touch still seemed to linger on his lips, and he could almost feel the warm breath lightly brushing his skin.
Lost in thought, Meng Huaize stared blankly for a long moment before suddenly snapping back to reality. What on earth was he thinking?
A surge of heat flooded his face, racing up to the top of his head. Even in the dark, his cheeks were burning, and he felt as though smoke might start pouring out of him at any moment.
He squeezed his eyes shut tightly and shook his head, desperately trying to rid himself of those absurd thoughts. But the more he tried, the clearer the memory became. He could even picture Wu Yue’s long lashes fluttering as he leaned in closer…
Meng Huaize’s eyes flew open as panic set in. He must be going mad.
His whole body felt unbearably hot, and Wu Yue’s tight embrace wasn’t helping. Every sensation seemed magnified, and the warmth from Wu Yue’s hold felt like tiny, soft prickles teasing him, not painful but maddeningly uncomfortable.
Flustered, with his face still flushed, Meng Huaize was drenched in sweat. He began to squirm, trying to create some distance between them. But the moment he moved even half an inch, Wu Yue instinctively tightened his grip, snuggling even closer in his sleep, pressing their bodies tightly together again.
Trapped and unable to escape, Meng Huaize found himself helpless. He couldn’t forget, couldn’t ignore, and definitely couldn’t sleep. So, he lay awake all night, eyes wide open until the first light of dawn.
His eyes stung with dryness, his mind still in chaos. Every time he blinked, the image of Wu Yue leaning in to kiss him returned—more vivid and detailed than the actual moment. The scene replayed in his mind relentlessly, more lifelike with every thought.
Meng Huaize shuddered slightly and hurriedly opened his dry, weary eyes, staring hopelessly at the bed canopy.
Beside him, Wu Yue was still sound asleep, his breathing soft and peaceful. Meng Huaize turned angrily toward him, thinking how awful this spirit was—kissing him and then sleeping soundly as if nothing had happened. How unfair!
Fueled by his frustration, Meng Huaize struggled to free one of his hands, raising it as if to slap Wu Yue’s face. But just as he was halfway there, he lost his nerve, blushing furiously and pulling his hand back. This chapter is updated first at novelping dot com.
He sulkily turned away and continued glaring at the ceiling.
Suddenly, Wu Yue chuckled softly, his voice low and lazy from sleep. “At least you know better.”
Meng Huaize froze in place, quickly shutting his eyes.
While wondering why he had closed them, he stammered, “W-what did I do?”
“If you had actually slapped me,” Wu Yue lazily grabbed the hand that had been raised, giving it a slight shake, his voice still casual but carrying a sharp, dangerous undertone, “you might not have an arm left.”
Meng Huaize yanked his hand away, flustered, and furiously climbed out of bed. Too angry to even grab his outer robe, he stormed out into the courtyard, gulping down several mouthfuls of cold water to calm himself.
Why was there such a despicable spirit in this world?
For the entire morning, Meng Huaize ignored Wu Yue, busying himself with sorting herbs and tending to his plants in the courtyard. Fortunately, whatever spell Wu Yue had cast on him last night seemed to have worn off, and he didn’t see any sign of Xue Zhao. He did, however, water the flower branch Xue Zhao was waiting for a bit more generously.
The little flower bud remained tightly closed, wrapped in its green sepals. Meng Huaize hadn’t paid much attention to it before; it must have sprouted on its own. Now, he was curious about what kind of bloom it would produce. He gently cradled the bud in his fingers, staring at it for a long while.
As he stared, his thoughts wandered again, and he found himself thinking of that troublesome wolf.
He had promised Wu Yue yesterday that he would go to the market today to buy a chicken—he’d even said he’d pick a fat one. Meng Huaize sulked as he thought about it. That wretched wolf wasn’t worth the effort, but then he glanced up at the sun, noticing that it was almost noon. If he didn’t leave soon, the market would close.
After a long internal struggle, Meng Huaize grudgingly prepared to go out. It wasn’t because of Wu Yue, he told himself, but because a gentleman keeps his word.
Just as he was about to leave, there was a knock on the courtyard door, followed by Cai Zhi’s voice.
Meng Huaize opened the door, and Cai Zhi smiled at him. “Doctor Meng.”
Meng Huaize invited her in, asking, “Are you feeling unwell again? Did the medicine I gave you…”
“Doctor Meng,” Cai Zhi interrupted, glancing around as if searching for someone, “Is your relative not here?”
Meng Huaize was confused. “Are you talking about Wu Yue?”
“Wu Yue? So that’s his name,” Cai Zhi nodded. “Yes, I came by today because I wanted to see him.” This chapter is updated first at g.com.
Meng Huaize frowned. “Why do you need to see him?”
Cai Zhi lifted the package in her hand and smiled sweetly. “Yesterday, I saw how much he seemed to want some meat. It just so happened that we were cooking chicken at home today, so I brought a bowl for him.”
Meng Huaize found this all very strange, but before he could say anything, Wu Yue had already appeared, sniffing the air as he walked out of the house. “Smells good.”
Cai Zhi had already set the bowl down on the stone table in the courtyard, revealing a steaming bowl of golden chicken. The aroma was rich and inviting, far better than anything Meng Huaize could make.
“This is for me?” Wu Yue asked, glancing at Cai Zhi.
Cai Zhi’s face flushed slightly, but her smile remained. “Yes, it’s for you,” she hesitated briefly before adding with a smile, “Wu Yue.”
Wu Yue gave her a brief glance, said nothing, and casually sat down at the table, picking up a pair of chopsticks to examine the chicken.
The whole situation felt bizarre to Meng Huaize, who quickly pulled out some money to offer Cai Zhi.
“No need, Doctor Meng,” Cai Zhi waved him off. “You know, yesterday, someone stole Erbao’s mother’s chicken. She spent all day cursing the thief, but then, last night, the thief returned the chicken! Along with the money to buy it. Erbao’s mother didn’t have the heart to eat it, so she sold it to me cheap.”
Meng Huaize chuckled nervously, feeling guilty. “Is that so…?”
Meanwhile, the true culprit continued eating his meal, seemingly unbothered.
Cai Zhi sat down across from Wu Yue and smiled up at Meng Huaize. “Don’t worry about me, Doctor Meng. I’ll just take the bowl and leave when I’m done. You can go ahead and take care of your business.”
“Huh? Oh, okay…” Meng Huaize mumbled, realizing he had just been dismissed.
He stood awkwardly to the side, pretending to focus on his plants again, but his mind was elsewhere. His eyes kept wandering toward the two sitting at the table.
Under the shade of the flowering crabapple tree, the two sat across from each other, bathed in dappled sunlight. They seemed to be chatting, though Meng Huaize couldn’t hear what they were saying from where he stood. But he could see Cai Zhi’s smiling face clearly, and an uneasy feeling clawed at his chest.
He sulkily thought to himself, You kissed me yesterday, and now you’re laughing and talking with her just because of a bowl of chicken. Haven’t I fed you enough meat? I’ve nearly spent all my savings on it!
Lost in his thoughts, Meng Huaize accidentally snapped a flower branch. The vibrant red petals fell into the dirt.
Shocked back to reality, Meng Huaize slapped himself on the forehead. What was he even thinking?