Ch 14: My Wolf Husband

Lin Shuishi lay beside the earthen stove, staring at the two eggs he had placed on the animal skin, still covered in the green wolf’s saliva.

Holding them up to the sunlight, he could faintly see that these two were “fertile eggs,” capable of hatching. The eggs were indeed quite beautiful! If they were in the modern world, they might even be considered works of art.

Lin Shuishi finally made up his mind. He wasn’t lacking food, so there was no need to eat them. Besides, he had never seen such brilliantly patterned red eggs and was curious about what kind of bird might hatch from them. So he wrapped the two eggs in sheepskin and placed them near the warm stove earth, waiting patiently for them to hatch.

As he looked at the two green wolves panting with their tongues out, he handed them a few pieces of mutton. “It’s a fair trade! But don’t steal next time, especially since you don’t even like eating them.” The green wolves tilted their heads, not understanding, and ran off with the meat.

The day was rather gloomy, lacking the warmth of sunlight, making the winter even colder.

Lin Shuishi’s collected firewood was nearly used up. Although the forest was full of dead branches and leaves, dry wood that burned well was scarce. The wood was too damp, causing the stove to smoke and choke him. So, he had to venture deeper into the forest.

As he gathered firewood, large snowflakes began to fall from the sky, like goose feathers, quickly covering the trees and ground in a thick layer of snow.

It grew increasingly cold, and Lin Shuishi shivered as he carried a small bundle of dry wood back to maintain the stove’s heat. He also boiled some broth to keep warm.

After he returned, the green wolves and the little white wolf were nowhere to be seen. Presumably, in such harsh cold, they had followed their natural instincts and returned to the wolf pack. The surroundings were eerily quiet, and the tent was already covered in snow. Lin Shuishi huddled by the fire, but it was no match for the overwhelming white snow that filled the world. The fire’s slow flames seemed like they were about to freeze.

The heavy snow fell relentlessly throughout the day. Lin Shuishi’s firewood was almost completely burned out. He wrapped himself in the sheepskin, shivering and sleepy, but he still decided to tuck the two red-patterned eggs into his arms. Live or die, they would share the same fate.

As Lin Shuishi drifted in and out of consciousness from the cold, he vaguely sensed something moving outside the tent!

After patrolling his territory, Fuli quickly made his way back through the snow, only to find the treehouse empty. Sniffing the air, he leaped down to the base of the tree and began frantically digging into a small snowdrift.

Standing knee-deep in the snow, Fuli exhaled large clouds of hot breath, using his powerful arms to dig into the mound that had formed beneath the ancient tree. The snow melted on contact with his warm skin, trickling down his arms. In just a few breaths, he had unearthed the small tent where the “female beast” was buried.

Fuli ripped open the frozen entrance of the deerskin tent, his beastly eyes locking onto the shivering creature buried in the snow. He let out a growl from his throat. Inside the tent, Lin Shuishi jolted awake, suddenly more alert.

He sniffled and, trembling, croaked out, “F-Fuli!”

The tent Lin Shuishi had set up was small to retain warmth. Fuli, being tall and broad, couldn’t fit inside. Lin Shuishi, with his legs numb from the cold and his feet asleep, couldn’t climb out.

Without hesitation, Fuli extended his long arm, grabbed Lin Shuishi’s numb leg, and pulled him out.

The moment the cold wind hit, Lin Shuishi shivered even more violently. Seeing this, Fuli scooped him up against his chest, wrapping the two icy legs around his waist inside the animal skin. Then, using the sheepskin that Lin Shuishi had been wearing, he securely bundled him against his warm chest.

He lowered his head and sniffed Lin Shuishi’s cold nose. It was icy, but at least his breathing was steady.

Suddenly wrapped in a scorching chest, Lin Shuishi was a bit startled, but the warmth was irresistible, and he found himself leaning into it. It was so warm! The man’s hard chest even felt a bit too hot against his face. Before he could fully adjust, he saw the sharp, angular face close up, with those golden eyes nearly touching his own, their breaths mingling!

At that moment, Lin Shuishi felt not only his body but also his mind go numb.

He clung tightly to Fuli, his arms and legs wrapped around him as Fuli enveloped him securely in a thick sheepskin.

Then, through the deep snow, Fuli traversed mountains and valleys, step by step, bringing Lin Shuishi back to the wolf den on the ridge, where he safely tucked him into Fuli’s warm, dry lair.