Ch 43: My Wolf Husband

The nights in Dongshan were cold and perilous, with the mountains shrouded in deep darkness. There were no lights or neon signs here, only the faint moonlight filtering through the mist, allowing Lin Shuishi to barely make out the undulating landscape around him.

Yet Fuli’s eyes glowed faintly in the dark, enabling him to move effortlessly across the mountainous terrain. Lin Shuishi clung securely to his back, his hands wrapped around Fuli’s neck, and he reached out to touch the shoulder that had once been gravely injured.

As his small hand pressed against the area, he was surprised to find that after just a few days, even the scar had nearly disappeared, leaving behind firm and supple muscle.

Fuli belonged to a species Lin Shuishi had never heard of, an extraordinary beast unlike any he had ever seen. While he held deep reverence and admiration for Fuli, he couldn’t shake a lingering sense of unease.

As Lin Shuishi rested his head against Fuli’s strong back, he faintly heard the sound of flowing water, like a cascade striking against rocks. The closer they got, the louder the sound became.

Eventually, they stood before what seemed like a small waterfall, surrounded by towering peaks and thick forests. Though Lin Shuishi couldn’t see clearly, he could make out the shapes of the mountains around them.

Fuli took a few more steps, navigating through a peculiar entrance to a valley. He paused to survey the area and then shifted Lin Shuishi, who was curiously peering ahead, into his arms, holding him close against his chest.

Lin Shuishi squirmed, trying to get a better look. “Where are we? What are we doing here in the middle of the night?”

Fuli, gazing at the rushing water before them, pressed Lin Shuishi firmly against his chest and said in a deep voice, “Going in.” The sound of the small waterfall was loud, and Fuli’s voice, always resonating with a beastly timbre from his chest, wasn’t entirely clear to Lin Shuishi. “What?” he asked.

Before he could get a response, Fuli bent down, his powerful legs preparing for a leap. With the force of a giant wolf under the moon, he jumped over the deep gorge, diving straight through the waterfall to the other side.

Lin Shuishi, nestled safely in Fuli’s embrace, could hear the roaring water as it cascaded down onto Fuli’s strong body. Yet, Fuli protected him so well that his clothes didn’t even get wet.

They had entered a concealed cave, well-shielded and fortified by natural barriers, and within the territory of the wolf pack, guarded by fierce beasts. Lin Shuishi had no idea where they were, but Fuli swiftly carried him through a wide passageway.

What astonished Lin Shuishi more was that the deeper they went into this pitch-black underground, the more light there seemed to be. The tunnel’s end glowed with a yellowish hue. When Fuli brought Lin Shuishi out of the passage, the breathtaking sight before him left him utterly stunned.

At the end of the passage was a massive cave adorned with stalactites. In the soft, glowing light, Lin Shuishi’s gaze was drawn to an enormous animal skeleton, its presence overwhelming! The sturdy, snow-white ribs that rested on the ground alone stood five or six meters tall, far larger than Fuli in his beast form. It was impossible to imagine the sheer size and grandeur of this creature when it was alive.

Lin Shuishi’s heart raced as he examined the ancient, timeworn skeleton. It was clearly a relic from antiquity, its bones remarkably well-preserved, their strength preventing them from weathering away over the ages. The skeletal structure was both wolf-like and beast-like, but distinctly unique.

The source of light within the cave was not the skeleton itself but rather a small pool of golden water at the center of the cavern. The water, emerging from the earth, seemed to shimmer as if gold dust had been scattered across the bottom, creating a rippling light that illuminated the entire cave.

Around the pool, vines wound their way up the skeleton, making the bones that were bathed in the light from the pool appear magnificently radiant.

Lin Shuishi’s eyes reflected the brightness of the scene, and he finally regained his senses, looking up at Fuli, whose eyes were even more brilliantly golden than the pool. “Fuli, where is this place?”

The man gazed solemnly at the massive skeleton, his eyes glowing with intensity. He spoke in an ancient language, performing a strange ritual gesture, humming and chanting for a while before returning to normal. He then leaned down, bringing his face close to Lin Shuishi’s, their foreheads touching gently.

Lin Shuishi only caught two words in Fuli’s normal voice: “Ancestral Ground.”

Fuli led Lin Shuishi to the edge of the pool, dipped his hand into the water, and with delicate care, smeared some of the fine, shimmering gold light onto Lin Shuishi’s forehead, covering the faint red birthmark.

He then plucked a beautifully shaped leaf from the vines and placed it in Lin Shuishi’s mouth. Lin Shuishi complied, letting Fuli do as he pleased. He watched as Fuli bit into his own finger, blood welling up, and then reached towards Lin Shuishi’s mouth.

“Why did you bite so deeply? You’re bleeding a lot!” Lin Shuishi mumbled, his speech slurred by the leaf in his mouth. But Fuli understood, though he insisted on smearing the blood onto Lin Shuishi’s lips before leaning in to kiss him, ensuring that the blood was ingested.

Lin Shuishi, already dazed from Fuli’s attentions, found the leaf’s fragrant essence dissolving in his mouth. He faintly heard Fuli murmur against his lips, “Connecting us, our ancestors.” Fuli held Lin Shuishi’s small face with reverence, planting another tender kiss.

In his hazy state, Lin Shuishi gazed at Fuli with wide, dewy eyes. In the glow of the rippling water, Fuli appeared to be bathed in a divine radiance, like a deity from ancient myths—so close, yet so distant.

Lin Shuishi instinctively wrapped his arms around the “god’s” neck, holding him close, and then carefully and deeply expressed his love.

“In my muddled life, I’ve encountered many people, but the bonds were as fleeting as dew, here in the morning and gone by evening. Only with you does it feel like a river, flowing endlessly.”

Fuli gently caressed Lin Shuishi’s cheek, then smiled faintly. The once wild and untamed face transformed into something warm and handsome.

He wasn’t accustomed to smiling, nor did he fully understand the abundance of expressions that humans displayed. But he often watched Lin Shuishi smile, his small face capable of expressing so much—joy, mischief, awkwardness, guilt, sadness, admiration…

Out of love, Fuli had learned to smile too, and in this hidden ancestral land, he reserved it solely for his little one.

Seeing Fuli’s handsome smile, Lin Shuishi couldn’t contain his racing heart. He sat up, embraced him, and kissed him.

…

The moon had already traversed most of the night sky by the time Fuli brought Lin Shuishi back out from the waterfall. They soared through the rough, cold mountain winds, returning to the warmth of the wolf’s den on the ridge. They still bore the marks of the golden pool’s water, clinging tightly to each other as they drifted into a comfortable and tender sleep.

Down in the valley, the new year was approaching. This year’s prospects weren’t good; the taxes were heavy, and there were refugees seeking shelter everywhere. As a result, every household in Rehe Village kept their doors tightly shut, going to bed as soon as night fell.

But that night, old man Zheng had recurring dreams. He kept dreaming that the wolves in the house on the slope had turned into humans! They were tidying up the place, carrying pots and bowls, with some even sitting on the heated brick bed knitting sweaters! Then they all looked up at him and called out.

“Uncle Zheng, busy, huh? Come on in for a visit!”

Old Zheng jolted awake, sitting up abruptly, startling his wife beside him.

“Oh my, what’s wrong with you? Nightmare?” she asked as she lit the oil lamp, noticing the complex expression on her husband’s face as he stared out the window, shivering.

Seeing that her husband wasn’t responding, she got up to pour him a cup of hot water from the stove to help calm him down and soothe his throat.

The old man gulped down the water, finally feeling better. He then asked, “How’s our fourth son doing, running off to the city at a time like this when things are so unstable?”

Mrs. Zheng waved her hand dismissively. “He said the city gates are tightly controlled now, and the army has caught several groups of bandit refugees, executed them all, and the area around the county town has quieted down. With the new year approaching, he went to check on the situation and to visit his teacher and fellow apprentices.”

The old man put down the cup, still displeased. “He just can’t sit still!”

Just as he was thinking about how to deal with his son, this once-famous hunter heard some commotion outside. At this time of night, everyone in the village should be asleep—who could it be? He grabbed a weapon, ready to wake up his sons in the adjacent rooms to deal with whatever it was.

So, a few men armed themselves—some with bows, some with clubs—all prepared for whatever might come. But when they opened the door, they were stunned.

In front of the gate were piles of plump game animals! There were sheep, roe deer, and wild deer, along with a rattan basket filled with chestnuts and dried fruits, and even three or four large eggs.

But suddenly, old man Zheng recalled that strange dream he had just had, where a house full of wolves, turned into spirits, all called him “Uncle Zheng.” His scalp prickled as he felt a shiver run down his spine!

His sons were all bewildered, thinking this was something extraordinary—wild animals showing up dead at their doorstep, along with a basket of mountain goods and nuts?

Dongsheng scratched his head. “Dad, what’s going on? You can’t even hunt such plump animals in the West Mountain.”

Old man Zheng, however, cut him off, instructing his sons to quietly bring everything inside the house. After all, if these things were delivered in the dead of night, the intention was clear. Besides Lin Shuishi, who else on the mountain could weave a rattan basket? Unless, of course, the dream was real…

Once they had moved everything into the courtyard, Dongsheng remembered the hunting dogs in their kennel by the door. With all that noise, why hadn’t the dogs barked? He crouched down to peer inside the kennel.

What he saw surprised him: the two usually fierce hunting dogs were huddled together, tails between their legs, trembling. They were pressed so close to each other that they were practically squashed, and when they saw their owner at the door, they tried to burrow even deeper into the kennel.

Under the watchful eyes of the Wolf God, these dogs weren’t the ones to give them away! The Wolf God bears witness—it had nothing to do with them!

All these things had been prepared by Lin Shuishi, who had instructed the wolf pack to deliver them to the Zheng family as New Year’s gifts. He knew this year would be tough, and it was unclear if the refugee crisis had been resolved. The Zheng family had many mouths to feed and likely wouldn’t have meat to eat. He felt he owed them too much and wanted to offer what little he could as a token of his gratitude, at least sending them something for the New Year.

Moreover, he trusted the Zheng family. They were brave and careful, and they would surely understand his intentions.

He no longer wished to maintain ties with the human world. Returning to live on Dongshan was his own choice. Lin Shuishi had no regrets—in fact, he felt a sense of relief.

In the morning, he could wake up to see his lover’s face, his hand brushing over that strong body. Not wanting to move, he wrapped his arms around the man’s waist and buried himself in the warm chest, falling back into a deep sleep.