It wasn’t until they reached the edge of the bustling marketplace that Meng Huaize finally snapped back to reality, distracted by the noisy crowd.
Ahead of him, Wu Yue had already entered the marketplace without a glance back. It was his first time experiencing such lively human activity, and he found everything fascinating.
Meng Huaize quickly caught up and pointed in a direction, saying, “The butcher’s stall is over there.”
He just wanted to buy some meat quickly and leave before any trouble arose. But the child in front of him brushed off his hand and didn’t head toward the butcher. Instead, he followed his own whims, walking further into the marketplace.
Meng Huaize broke into a sweat, but he had no choice. He could only follow Wu Yue closely, step by step. Wu Yue, dressed in a luxurious black robe and with strikingly good looks, strolled down the street like a young master from a wealthy family, catching the attention of many passersby.
Following behind him, Meng Huaize couldn’t help but feel like a poor servant.
As they passed a baozi (steamed bun) stall, a fresh batch of buns had just come out of the steamer, their thin skins revealing large, white, and tender fillings, with white steam rising up from them.
Wu Yue stopped in his tracks. The stall owner immediately greeted him, “Young master, would you like to try some buns? We have meat-filled and vegetarian ones—whatever you like.”
“Buns?” Wu Yue casually picked one up without bothering to pay and turned to leave.
“Hey, hey, hey!” the stall owner called after him.
Meng Huaize had no choice but to apologize to the owner and reluctantly dig into his purse to pay for the food.
In just a short while, Wu Yue had eaten his way through half the street. Most of the food didn’t appeal to him—he only tasted it out of curiosity because he had never seen it before. After taking a bite, he would lose interest and leave it behind.
Clutching his now nearly empty purse, Meng Huaize winced, thinking, If this little wolf cub weren’t a spirit but born human, he’d surely grow up to be a spendthrift young master who squanders family wealth.
At this point, Wu Yue had just taken a bite of a candied hawthorn skewer, but his attention had already shifted to a nearby pastry stall.
Meng Huaize tightly gripped the opening of his purse and, before Wu Yue could say anything, hastily said, “The meat will be sold out soon. You wait here, and I’ll go buy some.”
He was afraid Wu Yue wouldn’t let him go, so he added emphatically, “Meat! Meat!”
“Alright,” Wu Yue thought for a moment before generously waving his hand. “Go ahead.”
Meng Huaize breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, and clutched his precious purse to his chest like a miser who had narrowly avoided disaster.
After walking a few steps, still feeling uneasy about leaving Wu Yue behind, he turned back and saw that Wu Yue was still standing where he left him. Only then did Meng Huaize feel reassured enough to continue toward the butcher’s stall.
As soon as Meng Huaize left, the pastry stall’s owner gestured for Wu Yue to come closer. Curious, he took a few steps toward her. A large dog was tied up outside the stall, pacing restlessly. But as soon as Wu Yue approached, the dog froze, dropped to the ground, and didn’t dare move.
Wu Yue accepted the pastries, took a bite of each, and didn’t like any of them. When he reached the stall’s entrance, he casually tossed the remaining food into the dog’s bowl.
The dog whimpered and trembled all over.
Wu Yue sneered. “Scared already?”
Behind him, the pastry stall owner fell silent, wondering who this boy was. He looked so handsome but seemed to have no manners.
As the crowds bustled around him, Wu Yue watched for a while but quickly grew bored. His interest in the human world’s marketplace faded, so he wandered toward the riverbank nearby.
It was late spring, and the river’s waters were clear. Along the bank stood rows of peach trees, their blossoms mostly gone. Wu Yue found the tallest tree, gracefully leaped to its top, and settled comfortably on a branch. From there, he could overlook the entire marketplace.
Not long after, Wu Yue saw Meng Huaize walking out of a shop, holding a paper package in one hand and a few coins in the other. He stood in front of the shop, staring at the small coins in his palm for a while, looking as if he was heartbroken over the expense. Finally, he put the coins away and began walking back toward where Wu Yue had been.
Wu Yue stretched lazily and was about to descend from the tree when he noticed Meng Huaize suddenly stop, turn back, and retrace his steps.
Sitting atop the tree, bathed in the warm afternoon sunlight, Wu Yue rested his chin on his hand, watching Meng Huaize crouch in front of a stall in the distance.
Narrowing his eyes, Wu Yue focused, and the stall’s contents came into view—small handicrafts made from woven straw.
Meng Huaize crouched in front of the stall, looking at the items with interest. He reached for a small straw wolf in the farthest corner, seeming amused by it. He playfully pinched the wolf’s ears and held it up to the sunlight, smiling before tucking it into his palm. Then, he handed over his remaining coins to the stall owner.
This time, he really did start heading back. Wu Yue shifted his gaze, gracefully leaping down from the tree. He brushed off his hands and prepared to meet Meng Huaize, but just as he took a couple of steps, several people surrounded him, closing in with unfriendly expressions.
Wu Yue stopped and said nothing, waiting to see what they intended to do.
“Hey, little brother,” the man in the lead, a notorious street thug known for his sleazy antics, sneered at Wu Yue. “My pals and I are a bit short on cash lately, and you don’t look like you’re hurting for money. How about it? Lend us a little something to spend?”
“I don’t have any money,” Wu Yue replied flatly.
The thug scoffed, his expression turning fierce. “Oh, so you’re refusing to cooperate, huh? Think you can just brush us off?”
Wu Yue calmly spread his hands. “Feel free to check.”
His tone was so casual that it unsettled the group. The thugs exchanged uneasy glances. Their leader nodded toward Wu Yue, signaling to the others that, no matter what, he was just a small kid—what kind of trouble could he possibly cause?
Wu Yue remained silent, holding his hands out, his expression showing a faint hint of amusement. There was something about his calm demeanor that sent a chill down their spines.
The thugs were just about to search Wu Yue when his eyes narrowed slightly, and a faint, almost imperceptible golden glow flashed in them.
“Wu Yue!” At that moment, a breathless voice called from a distance. Meng Huaize was rushing over toward them. The source of this chapter is g.com.
The glimmer in Wu Yue’s eyes vanished as he nonchalantly lowered his hand.
Meng Huaize hurried over, grabbing Wu Yue by the wrist and stepping in front of him.
He was out of breath from running, his body radiating heat as he tightly held onto Wu Yue. Tension was evident in his posture, as if he were bracing himself for a confrontation—he was clearly nervous.
Without pausing to catch his breath, Meng Huaize managed a strained, apologetic smile at the men blocking their way. “I’m really sorry, everyone. My brother wandered off and caused some trouble. We’ll be on our way now, right now.”
He smiled as he tried to pull Wu Yue along to leave, taking a few steps to the side, but the thugs immediately blocked their path again.
Meng Huaize’s nervousness increased, but he forced a strained smile, asking, “Is there something else?”
The lead thug cracked his knuckles loudly in a threatening manner, moving his face close to Meng Huaize’s. With a sneer, he said, “You think causing trouble for us means you can just walk away? No way.”
Meng Huaize couldn’t keep up his smile anymore, his brow furrowed as he asked, “What do you want?”
Wu Yue’s gaze shifted to Meng Huaize’s hand gripping his. He could feel the sweat in Meng Huaize’s palm, yet despite his fear, Meng Huaize still stood protectively in front of him.
Wu Yue, who had been through countless life-and-death situations, always saw life and death as a personal matter. No one had ever stood before him like this. His face remained impassive, but his pupils faintly glinted with gold.
Meng Huaize, growing more cautious, took a step back with Wu Yue. Just as the situation seemed dire, a sudden barking noise approached from the distance, growing closer and closer.
The group of thugs was caught off guard. Several fierce dogs, snarling and aggressive, charged toward them. Leading the pack was the dog that had been tied outside the pastry stall, its broken iron chain clinking loudly as it lunged straight at the thugs.
Their expressions immediately changed, and they scattered in panic, trying to escape. But the dogs were too quick, already upon them, and the thugs found themselves unable to flee. Chaos erupted, filled with screams and cries, as the dogs attacked viciously.
Meng Huaize stood nearby, wide-eyed and stunned by the sight. Meanwhile, Wu Yue pulled his hand free from Meng Huaize’s grip, calmly straightening the folds in his sleeve. Casually, he asked, “Did you buy the meat?”
Meng Huaize, still in shock, nodded blankly. “Yes, I did.”
“Then let’s go,” Wu Yue said, utterly indifferent to the carnage behind him, and began walking away.
Meng Huaize snapped out of his daze and hurried after him. “Wait, wait.”
Wu Yue stopped.
“That was… your doing, right?” Meng Huaize hesitated as he pointed back at the chaotic scene, where the thugs were being bitten and howling in pain. Feeling pity, Meng Huaize softly added, “Maybe we should just let it go…”
Under Wu Yue’s cold gaze, his voice trailed off. “I don’t want anyone to get killed…”
Wu Yue didn’t respond, simply turning and walking away. Behind him, the dogs suddenly went silent, loosening their grip on the thugs. They lowered their heads submissively in Wu Yue’s direction until he was out of sight.