Wen Shilan woke to a pleasant, tingling itch. Warm breath brushed the back of his neck. A silver-haired head nuzzled closer while an arm circled his waist, holding him with unmistakable possessiveness.
Werewolves ran a little warmer than ordinary people. With Qi Yan wrapped so tightly around him, Wen Shilan felt as though he had a giant heated pillow at his back.
His back felt fine, without even the faintest ache. He turned his head toward the cabin’s simple window. Bright light streamed through the gaps; it looked like noon, when the sun was at its strongest. This was exactly the time of day he got hungry. His stomach was empty, but Qi Yan showed no sign of waking.
After seven or eight minutes, Wen Shilan ran out of patience. He tried to push Qi Yan off, but the man’s strength was astonishing; he couldn’t budge him. With a helpless sigh, he freed one hand and ran it through Qi Yan’s hair to wake him.
Half asleep, Qi Yan felt someone petting him. Surrounded by the scent of crabapple blossoms, he sank into the pleasant sensation. Without thinking, he lifted his head and reached out with his tongue to lick the hand.
The ticklish warmth seemed to travel from Wen Shilan’s wrist straight to his heart. He stopped moving.
His wrist was wet. Wen Shilan eyed it with distaste, turned his hand, and gave Qi Yan’s ear a sharp twist.
The sting finally made Qi Yan open his eyes, though his mind hadn’t quite caught up. At the sight of Wen Shilan’s beautiful face, a foolish smile curved his lips and his tongue appeared again. Wen Shilan quickly covered his mouth, his voice still rough with sleep.
“You’re in human form now.”
No more licking things whenever he pleased. Wen Shilan really did mind; he didn’t want saliva everywhere. The moment Qi Yan’s arm loosened, he hurriedly sat up.
Yesterday’s clothes were ruined. At some point, Qi Yan had undressed him down to the last piece, which barely covered what needed covering. There was a plain wardrobe in the cabin. Wen Shilan opened it to find a single outfit hanging inside, as if it had been prepared just for him. Of course it had. He’d asked Balala to provide it.
When Qi Yan changed from wolf to human, he had no clothes at all, and there was no way he could have gone into the city looking like he had yesterday.
Wen Shilan turned his back to Qi Yan and dressed without a trace of self-consciousness.
Qi Yan had been about to sit up. Suddenly, getting out of bed was no longer an option…
It wasn’t as though he had meant to look. Wen Shilan was the one who had let him see.
As far as Qi Yan was concerned, if Wen Shilan hadn’t asked him to turn away, then he was allowing him to watch.
The tips of Qi Yan’s ears reddened. He really was embarrassed, so when Wen Shilan turned around, he hastily averted his eyes, lowered his head, and lay back down.
Wen Shilan raised an eyebrow. One look at those bright-red ears and he understood.
Ah, the vigor of youth…
“I’ll wait outside. Take care of it quickly.”
Wen Shilan considerately opened the door. Behind him came Qi Yan’s indignant voice:
“Wen Shilan! What are you talking about?”
Oh, he had quite a temper too.
Now that his secret had been exposed, it wasn’t only Qi Yan’s ears that were red. His whole face flushed, the color spreading down his neck.
The weather outside was lovely. Little wildflowers grew stubbornly from the ground. They weren’t the most exquisite blossoms, nor did they have much fragrance, but they possessed a resilience the flowers in a greenhouse lacked.
Wen Shilan bent to look at a small purple flower, slightly wilted in the sun. He held out his hand to shade it from the harsh light, a faint smile touching his lips. Gentle warmth filled his luminous eyes.
Qi Yan stepped outside and stopped at the sight before him. Something close to adoration filled his narrow eyes.
So this was what it felt like to love someone. Looking at him made wildflowers seem fragrant and weeds seem beautiful. Even the fierce sun overhead felt like a warmth that reached straight into his heart.
Wen Shilan heard his footsteps and looked up, surprise crossing his face. The words slipped out before he could stop them.
“That fast?”
It had only been a few minutes. His gaze drifted downward of its own accord. Qi Yan certainly looked impressive enough. Was he all show, then?
Surely not…
Wen Shilan’s expression grew complicated. He wasn’t going to hold it against him, of course, but he couldn’t help feeling a little disappointed.
Well. So much for having anything to look forward to in this world.
Qi Yan followed his gaze. Heat rushed back into his face, and the tender, romantic mood from a moment ago shattered.
“Wen Shilan! Do you have no shame?”
Wen Shilan was still mourning the possible loss of his future sex life. He straightened, sighed, and gave Qi Yan a look that said he couldn’t be bothered.
“I wasn’t doing that in there! I would never… I’m perfectly capable!”
The expression on Wen Shilan’s face left Qi Yan feeling as if someone had poured a bucket of cement into his chest. Anyone would be upset to have the person they liked misunderstand them this badly.
He might not have tried it yet, but he knew he would be good at it!
Once that shameless Wen Shilan was in his hands, he’d show him exactly what he was capable of!
“Sure, sure. You’re very capable.”
Men. They really did have blind faith in themselves when it came to certain things…
Qi Yan nearly stamped his foot at Wen Shilan’s dismissive tone.
“Just wait until we get home tonight, Wen Shilan! I’ll show you what I can do!”
“I’d rather not. Taking a shower afterward hardly seems worth it for a few minutes.”
…
Well, that shut him up.
Unable to win the argument, Qi Yan stopped talking altogether. He walked beside Wen Shilan with his head turned away, practically wearing the words I’m angry, so hurry up and coax me across his forehead.
Wen Shilan thought Qi Yan’s personality in his protective wolf form had been almost exactly the same as it was now: proud, awkward, and ridiculously innocent. The thought tempted him. If he teased Qi Yan until he was desperate, then refused to let him do anything, would the young man end up with tears of frustration in his eyes?
Each occupied with his own thoughts, they reached the farm at the foot of the mountain where yesterday’s battle had taken place. The area had already returned to normal. Even the insectoids’ bodies had been dissolved with a special solution and turned into fertilizer for the mountainside.
As soon as Wen Shilan came down the mountain, he saw a dense crowd gathered outside the farm.
???
That wasn’t right. Normally, people avoided the site of a battle for some time afterward, afraid that an insectoid might have survived and come back for revenge.
What was going on here?
Curious, Wen Shilan took a few steps closer. It only grew stranger. Most of the people were dressed in luxury brands, and the expensive cars parked outside the farm made it clear they had money. There were a few plainly dressed people too, and even…
Wen Shilan understood. He grabbed Qi Yan’s hand and said urgently, “Run.”
He had neither his hat nor his mask. If anyone saw him, he was done for. Why were there reporters here too?
A cool, soft hand closed around Qi Yan’s, and the next moment he was being pulled into a run. Before he could figure out why, a commotion broke out behind them.
“General Wen! That’s General Wen! The little silver-headed one beside him is yesterday’s werewolf!”
???
Little silver-headed one? Did they mean him?
How dare they!
He was a prince of the Werewolf Planet. How could these Silan people be so rude?
His silver fur was a mark of noble blood. Only werewolves of the purest lineage could have silver-white fur.
Wen Shilan ran fast, but he had overestimated his body and underestimated how determined the people behind him were to catch up.
When they were nearly upon him, he gave up and stopped, breathing a little harder. Qi Yan frowned. “Want me to carry you on my back?”
No. That would be humiliating. He would rather face an interview.
The farm owner was among the crowd. His eyes reddened with emotion when he saw Wen Shilan unharmed.
“I knew you’d be all right.”
Yesterday, only after he had taken his wife and child somewhere safe had his taut nerves finally eased. Then he had remembered all the reports about Wen Shilan’s recent loss of mental power. He had found it hard to believe, but news that widespread could hardly be false. When a new general was appointed, ordinary people like him had finally felt some reassurance.
The insectoids could never be wiped out for good. Without an undefeated general to protect them, life would be unbearable.
When the insectoids appeared yesterday, the farm owner had thought he was going to die. Then Wen Shilan had arrived. The image of him striding toward the swarm with his curved blade, without a moment’s hesitation, kept replaying in the owner’s mind. If that little silver-headed—no, if that werewolf hadn’t been beside him, the Federation’s troops could never have arrived in time.
Wen Shilan had all but chosen certain death…
There had also been an extraordinary coincidence. Someone in a nearby village had been livestreaming with a drone. It had accidentally gotten caught in a tree, perfectly positioned to record what happened.
Wen Shilan’s words had come through clearly on the livestream. Within hours, the footage spread across Silan. People saw more than his declaration that he would face death to protect them. They saw him kill hundreds of insectoids through sheer skill with a blade, then the terrible wound across his back when he was attacked. Finally, they saw the werewolf unleash an astonishing burst of power and carry the nearly unconscious Wen Shilan away.
The livestream had captured something else as well—Wen Shilan’s words:
“Tang Wan made the wrong call.”
By sheer coincidence, nearly everyone on Silan had witnessed the battle. They had seen Wen Shilan risk his life to protect them and their planet.
That night, almost no one besides Wen Shilan and Qi Yan slept well. The man who had fought so hard for them might still be fighting for his life. How could they simply go to bed?
No one knew where Wen Shilan had gone, so people came to the place where he had disappeared. Seeing it for themselves seemed to offer a little comfort. This was where Silan’s God of War, the general they admired most, had nearly given his life to protect them.
Ordinary people rarely faced the insectoids directly. The creatures moved slowly and seldom launched an open assault without preparation. Usually, they sent their smallest members to hide near settlements and scout the area. They were cunning, too: once they found a route, they would send a small group down another path to draw attention away from it.
When Wen Shilan had been in command, it didn’t matter how many detection stations the insectoids tried to confuse. He always identified their true route. A small detachment of soldiers was enough to deal with the few insectoids elsewhere.
Anyone who passed the trial furnace could become a general. But there was only one God of War: Wen Shilan.
It wasn’t merely an impressive title. Wen Shilan had earned it because, throughout his time in command, insectoid attacks had caused almost no civilian casualties on Silan. That was why the public held him in such high regard.
Now the new general had chosen incorrectly when there were only two possibilities. People couldn’t help wondering whether he could truly protect them. Could they trust him? Could they depend on him?
The reporters’ cameras flashed without pause. Fortunately, Wen Shilan was used to the glare; otherwise, the light might have brought tears to his eyes. He looked at the restless crowd and said gently, “I have some things to take care of at home. I can give you five minutes.”
He was speaking to the reporters. In truth, he didn’t want to stay in this crowd at all. He wanted to go back to the villa and take a shower…
“General Wen, how is your injury?”
Wen Shilan paused. Had word spread that quickly? How did everyone know he’d been hurt?
Balala came online and told Lord Shiqing about yesterday’s livestream.
Well… that livestream had certainly done him a favor…
“My injury has healed, thanks to this friend from the Werewolf Planet. He treated it for me.”
“General Wen, is it true you come to the farm often because you enjoy eating vegetables and meat?”
“It is. I have more free time now that I’m retired, and I do prefer cooked meals to nutrient solution. Nutrient solution is good too, of course. I always take some with me when I go out.”
The reporters’ questions were all about everyday things. It was almost as if they simply wanted to chat with him.
“That’s about five minutes. I should head home and rest.”
Wen Shilan gave them an apologetic smile. The crowd looked reluctant to see him go, but quickly parted to let him through. No one wanted to keep him from resting. Only one reporter, who hadn’t said a word during the interview, stayed where he was, though he wasn’t blocking the way.
Qi Yan had had more than enough of being surrounded. Even those five minutes had felt long to him. His expression eased only when he saw Wen Shilan following him. At last, he wouldn’t have to listen to the constant clicking of camera shutters.
“General Wen, I have one last question. Can we really trust a new general who made the wrong choice when there were only two possibilities?”
Leave a Reply