On the way back, Wu Yue walked ahead without looking back, while Meng Huaize hurriedly followed behind him. Watching the small boy striding confidently, Meng Huaize couldn’t help but think to himself, He’s small but walks fast. Yet, for some reason, he still felt a little guilty inside.
“Hey,” Meng Huaize cleared his throat and called out, “Why are you walking so fast?”
The boy in front suddenly stopped, startling Meng Huaize, who quickly halted in place.
Wu Yue turned around, clearly annoyed, and glared at Meng Huaize.
Feeling even more guilty under Wu Yue’s gaze, Meng Huaize quietly tried to defend himself, “I know letting those guys go probably didn’t satisfy you, but even if they were wrong, they didn’t deserve to die…”
The boy in front still looked furious. The setting sun’s light cast a warm glow on his skin, making it seem like fine jade, with a golden sheen dusting his eyelashes and hair. Yet, his handsome brows were furrowed in clear frustration.
“Who asked you to help me?” Wu Yue said, his voice cold.
Meng Huaize was stunned by the question.
“They’re just a bunch of weaklings,” Wu Yue said arrogantly. “Do you really think they could hurt me?”
It was then that Meng Huaize realized why Wu Yue was upset. With a sigh about how difficult it was to understand a spirit’s thoughts, he quickly explained, “That’s not what I meant. I acted impulsively when I saw what was happening—I didn’t think much at the time and just ran over.”
He cautiously watched Wu Yue’s expression and added, “I wasn’t underestimating you. I wasn’t worried about them hurting you, but rather afraid you might hurt them…”
Wu Yue didn’t respond, but it was unclear if he was satisfied or not. He simply turned and continued walking ahead.
Meng Huaize had no choice but to follow. After just a few steps, however, the previously confident and haughty boy suddenly seemed to lose his energy. A golden light flickered around him as his black figure shrank smaller and smaller, until he transformed back into a small bundle on the ground.
“Wh-What happened?” Meng Huaize was so startled he almost jumped.
The boy had vanished, replaced by a small black wolf, who now stood a short distance away, looking at Meng Huaize with disdain.
Meng Huaize patted his chest to calm his racing heart and asked, “Why did you suddenly turn back into your true form?”
No sooner had he spoken than the little wolf seemed to grow embarrassed and angry. It turned sharply and began walking ahead again, its back bristling with annoyance, though its four paws now wobbled a bit unsteadily.
He wanted to laugh but held back, afraid that angering the spirit would bring more trouble. So, he kept his expression neutral and hurried a few steps to catch up. He squatted down and gently picked up the little wolf.
Wu Yue growled in protest, “What are you doing?”
Meng Huaize stroked the glossy fur on his back and chuckled softly, “Come on, let’s go home.”
Wu Yue’s remaining energy was indeed nearly exhausted. After struggling briefly, he stopped resisting and settled comfortably into Meng Huaize’s arms, closing his eyes to restore his spirit energy.
As the faint scent of blood lingered in the air, Wu Yue felt an inexplicable sense of agitation but couldn’t pinpoint the source of his discomfort.
Meng Huaize, with a piece of meat in one hand and Wu Yue in the other, pushed open the courtyard door lightly.
The golden glow of the setting sun painted the wooden gate, the fence, the courtyard floor, and the green leaves of the crabapple tree. As Meng Huaize pushed the door open, the sunlight fell softly on the back of his hand, casting a delicate, warm hue.
Entering the house, Meng Huaize gently placed Wu Yue on the bed. Seeing the little wolf spirit close his eyes as if he had fallen asleep, Meng Huaize moved quietly, heading to the medicine cabinet to bandage himself.
Earlier at the market, when he spotted the ruffians surrounding Wu Yue from a distance, he had rushed over without watching his step and tripped on a rock, scraping his palm. At the time, he hadn’t had the mental space to care, but now that he was home and still needed to cook for the wolf, he decided to bandage the wound to make it easier to work.
Just as he finished wrapping the bandage, Wu Yue jumped down from the bed and gracefully leapt onto the table in front of Meng Huaize. Without warning, he slapped his paw right onto Meng Huaize’s freshly bandaged hand.
Meng Huaize yelped in pain, pulling his hand back and cradling it, shouting, “What are you doing?!”
Wu Yue sneered, “Humans are so fragile.”
“Yes!” Meng Huaize’s forehead was beaded with sweat from the pain, and he snapped, “Not as tough as you spirits!”
Wu Yue’s gaze sharpened instantly, causing Meng Huaize to shrink in fear. He gritted his teeth and lowered his head, pretending to focus on his wound.
Wu Yue turned away, seemingly having no purpose for that paw slap other than to be a nuisance.
Just as Wu Yue was about to leave, Meng Huaize called after him, “Hey!”
Wu Yue looked back, and Meng Huaize pulled out the little straw-woven wolf he had bought earlier from his sleeve. He set it on the table, a bit grumpy, and said, “This is for you.” This chapter was taken from g.com without permission.
Wu Yue lazily swiped at it with his paw, looking uninterested. “It’s ugly.”
Meng Huaize almost exploded in frustration. This ungrateful spirit! His uninjured hand balled into a fist under the table as he silently chanted to himself: Stay calm, stay calm.
After all, his life was still in this pesky wolf’s hands, and now was not the time to lose his temper.
Forcing a smile, Meng Huaize said, “When I saw it at the stall, I thought it looked like you, so I bought it. If you don’t like it, you can—”
“It’s fine,” Wu Yue interrupted before he could finish.
Endure! Meng Huaize’s smile grew even more ingratiating, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “There are plenty of fun things like this in the human world. I can find more for you over time.”
Wu Yue’s paw stopped mid-motion as he played with the straw wolf. He raised his head and stared at Meng Huaize.
Under the spirit’s gaze, Meng Huaize felt increasingly uneasy. He fought the urge to flee, forcing himself to keep smiling as he nervously added, “So, can you… not kill me just yet?”
Wu Yue remained silent, simply staring at him.
Meng Huaize’s smile faltered, and he hesitantly asked, “Does that mean… you agree?”
“Stop smiling like that,” Wu Yue finally said, his tone filled with disdain. “It’s ugly.”
Meng Huaize blinked, momentarily stunned, then his face flushed red with embarrassment, tinged with anger he could barely suppress.
“Hmm,” Wu Yue muttered. “That’s much better.”
Meng Huaize clenched his fists, holding back his frustration for a long moment before finally giving in. He stood abruptly, flung his sleeves, and stormed out.
Standing in the courtyard, he let the cool evening breeze wash over him, exhaling a long, deep breath.
Why is there such an infuriating spirit in this world?! Meng Huaize thought bitterly as he gazed at the darkening mountains in the distance. What terrible karma did I rack up in my past life to be stuck with this annoying spirit?!