Ch 11: My Wolf Husband

The last rays of the setting sun spread across Fuli’s honey-colored back, highlighting the valleys between his muscles and spine.

It was only after he turned away that Lin Shuishi dared to lift his eyes, watching the graceful beast as it disappeared into the forest. Even after the figure was gone, he stood there quietly for a while longer.

He let out a soft breath before turning to his tasks.

The area beneath the treehouse, despite the aftershocks of the earthquake, had only seen animals scurrying in panic. Unlike the plains, where the chaos had caused a terrifying stampede, there was little damage here—just some fallen branches and leaves, a few chicken feathers, and the tracks of small animals.

The ancient tree supporting the treehouse stood unchanged, its gnarled roots and sturdy branches whispering softly in the cold wind, as if murmuring secrets.

Lin Shuishi cleared the ground and then climbed up to the treehouse to clean the mushrooms and wood ear fungus he had gathered. He spread them out on the platform, so they could dry in the sun the next day for storage.

He cooked the sweet dates and frozen venison together, adding some roasted chestnuts from the stove into the stew. The result was a warm, hearty meal.

Full and content, he and the wolf cub sat by the fire, relaxing in the small tent. Lin Shuishi held a persimmon in his hand, which had softened after being thawed by the heat of the stove. He bit into the skin and sucked on it, savoring the sweet, slushy fruit inside.

Perhaps influenced by the resilient and wild nature of the creatures around him, he no longer dwelled on his past worries. His only thought now was to live well.

Every life is a passionate journey deserving of reverence, including his own.

He cradled the wolf cub, leaning against the warm stove inside the tent, mentally listing the tasks for the next day. Gradually, he drifted off to sleep. In his drowsiness, he thought of Fuli’s lair by the hot springs. It felt like it had underfloor heating—so comfortable, if only it weren’t for all the wolves…

Having walked a long way with the squirrel that day, Lin Shuishi was exhausted and fell into a deep sleep, forgetting to add more wood to the fire. He awoke in the middle of the night, shivering from the cold. As he wrapped himself in the stiff, unprocessed sheepskin to rekindle the fire, he couldn’t help but envy the wolves for finding such a cozy place to live.

He shivered again, feeling the chill and sniffling with envy.

In the morning, it wasn’t a dream that woke Lin Shuishi but the pressing need to relieve himself. It was all that meat soup from the night before!

So, he and the wolf cub went outside to water the plants. The wolf cub stood guard with a serious expression, believing that this was the time when beasts were most vulnerable. It needed to protect its territory and its pack, which, for now, consisted solely of Lin Shuishi—the only weakling human in its domain.

But as time would later teach the wolf cub, even this small territory and this one fragile “two-legged” creature belonged to someone else. It was a harsh lesson that made the young wolf resolve to grow stronger, realizing that power was the only true measure.

For now, Lin Shuishi found it amusing to see the wolf cub on high alert, and he simply hugged it, holding it close with a smile.

Today, Lin Shuishi planned to tan the animal hides; otherwise, the stiff sheepskin and deerskin would remain uncomfortable to wear. He scooped out the ashes from the stove, mixed them with the dirty snow he had collected, and stirred it all together with a stick before applying it to the inside of the sheepskin. Ideally, he would have soaked it, but there wasn’t enough water.

The deerskin was much larger than the sheepskin, and the snow water wasn’t enough, so Lin Shuishi had to pause his work and went back to the treehouse to eat some dates and chestnuts. His strength had been waning recently. The roasted meat and broth, without any salt, had become cloying, and his body was beginning to struggle.

Fuli didn’t consume salt, yet he remained strong and vigorous. Lin Shuishi suspected it was because the wolves, along with Fuli, drank animal blood. The salt content in the blood might be sufficient for their needs. But it wasn’t something Lin Shuishi could do—he couldn’t catch live prey, and even if he could, he couldn’t bring himself to drink the blood. So, he kept this thought in the back of his mind.

Lin Shuishi was resting in the treehouse when the wolf cub at his feet suddenly perked up its ears, let out a “howl,” and dashed down the vine ladder.

It turned out that Fuli had returned, bringing a few wolves along with him. He carried two dead bighorn sheep over his shoulder and had the skull bowl that Lin Shuishi had given him the previous night tucked into his waistband.

The wolf cub wagged its tail excitedly as it approached Fuli. The other wolves, seeing the cub, lowered their tails and sniffed the little one’s wet nose.

Fuli picked up the small cub that was getting underfoot and tossed it aside. After a brief moment of thought, he remembered how Lin Shuishi usually struggled with skinning animals, often taking a long time. So he stood at the edge of the forest, bit down on the sheep’s neck with his sharp teeth, and, with a powerful pull, tore the skin off in one swift motion, separating it from the body with his brute strength.

He spat out some of the wool and tossed the skinned sheep to the other wolves. As he looked up, he saw Lin Shuishi frozen midway on the vine ladder, neither up nor down, staring at him in shock.

Fuli carried the other bighorn sheep over, along with the sheep’s skin, and dropped them at Lin Shuishi’s feet. Then, without a word, he turned to leave.

Lin Shuishi looked at the items on the ground, opened his mouth, and rubbed his hands together. Unable to hold back, he called out, “Fuli, uh, Fuli!”

The beast, who had been striding away, paused at the sound of his name. Deep in the mountains, surrounded by wild animals, he had gradually lost the use of human language, replaced by animal howls. Even his name had almost been forgotten—there was no creature that would call him by a “human” name.

Fuli’s fingers twitched slightly as he turned to look at the hesitant figure on the vine ladder. His dark golden eyes were hidden by the braid that fell over his face, masking his expression.

The figure on the ladder was both frail and weak, someone who seemed like they wouldn’t survive, yet here they were, standing resiliently like wild grass in this desolate wilderness. His face had gained some color, and he seemed healthier now, though he still fidgeted with his hands as his bright, black eyes looked up at Fuli.

Looking at him, calling his name—the name that was meant to be forgotten by everyone.

Lin Shuishi, having called out his name, found it much easier to speak, so he continued, “Can you take me to find a nearby water source? I need to tan these hides, but there’s no water here. Uh, any water source will do, as long as it’s close!”

It had been years since Fuli had used any language, not since the old hunter passed away over a decade ago. As Lin Shuishi babbled on, Fuli tilted his head slightly, carefully discerning the meaning behind his words, and finally understood the weak creature’s request.

He signaled with his eyes for Lin Shuishi to follow.

Lin Shuishi was overjoyed but didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he quickly hopped down the vine ladder, his cautiousness giving way to excitement as he said, “Wait for me! I’ll be right back!”

With swift movements, he grabbed a few vines, rolled up the hides, and tied them into a bundle. He then hoisted the large bundle onto his frail shoulders, struggling to lift his head as he said, “Let’s go.”

Fuli looked at the bundle, which was thicker than Lin Shuishi’s waist, and remained silent.

He couldn’t help but think that this weak creature might get crushed under the weight on the way to find water.

So, he extended his arm, effortlessly lifting the bundle of hides, and without looking back, headed into the forest. Lin Shuishi felt the sudden lightness on his shoulders, and although he hesitated for a moment as he watched Fuli’s retreating figure, he obediently lowered his head and followed behind.

As he trailed behind Fuli, he murmured a soft, “Thank you.”

Fuli didn’t walk as quickly as usual. This journey wasn’t a hunt but rather to show the weak creature the way to find water. He needed to make sure Lin Shuishi could survive in this forest, and the only way to do that was for him to walk the path himself and remember it.

Fuli recalled how the old wolf king had once taught him in the same way. Back then, a strong and graceful wolf had led the way, walking slowly ahead, while a stumbling child followed behind, crawling on all fours, trying to imitate the wolf’s movements…

When Fuli was a child, he believed he was a wolf. He moved on all fours, with no clothing to cover his body, and struggled to survive among the wolf pack. It wasn’t until the old hunter came along and told him that he was a descendant of the Wolf God tribe, that his name was Ashina Fuli, and that he was human.

As Lin Shuishi followed Fuli deeper into the forest, he began to recognize the surroundings. This was the direction he had taken on his first day in the forest! Back then, he had encountered a swampy area, and the surrounding smells were so unpleasant that he didn’t dare to go further.

Now, following Fuli along a rocky ridge that avoided the swamp, they continued forward.

By Lin Shuishi’s estimate, at the slow pace they were moving, they had been walking for nearly an hour. The trees around them were becoming sparser, the terrain started to slope downward, and there was a strange smell in the air, although the wind blowing through wasn’t as cold as before.

As they walked, Lin Shuishi looked around, hoping to find some edible fruits. Though he didn’t find any, he did spot a large patch of perilla plants growing near the swamp. There were many of them! He picked a leaf, sniffed it, and found the scent quite pleasant. He thought to himself that it would be great to eat with roasted meat tonight!

Feeling pleased, he looked ahead at the towering figure of Fuli. But then, through the thinning trees, he saw something that looked like a thick, smoky fog, a vast billowing mass!

Alarmed, Lin Shuishi hurried closer to Fuli, his brow furrowing as he stared ahead. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, fear creeping in. “Fuli! Is there a fire up ahead? There’s so much smoke! We need to run!”

A forest fire was no joke! He was ready to bolt, but Fuli simply turned around, looked down at him, and didn’t move.

Lin Shuishi hesitated, reaching out slightly but not daring to grab Fuli. He was so anxious that he started to stomp his feet in frustration.

Seeing Lin Shuishi in such a state, Fuli narrowed his eyes slightly, as if contemplating speaking. Finally, in his deep, resonant voice with a hint of animalistic undertone, he said, “Hot water.”

Lin Shuishi was about to tug on Fuli’s fur belt—though he knew he wouldn’t be able to budge someone as large as Fuli—but then he heard that deep voice, clearer this time.

He paused, “Huh? Hot water?”

Seeing Fuli so calm, Lin Shuishi began to relax. Wild animals are the most aware of danger; if the forest were on fire, Fuli wouldn’t be so composed. But hot water? What did that mean?

Lin Shuishi looked more carefully at the “smoke” ahead, then sniffed the air. They were downwind, and if there were a fire, there should be a smoky smell!

But there wasn’t. Instead, there was a strong odor of rotten eggs!

Only then did Lin Shuishi realize what Fuli meant by “hot water.” Relief washed over him, but thinking back to his panicked reaction just moments ago, he glanced at Fuli’s dark golden beast-like eyes.

He suddenly wished he could curl up into a ball, a smooth, quiet ball that could roll all the way down the mountain and disappear.