Chà Chà Novel

Everything hurt. Wen Shilan’s whole body felt as though it had been taken apart. The pleasure of the night before had faded, leaving nothing but discomfort when he woke, especially in one place he had no desire to name.

Werewolves had far too much stamina. They had gone on all night. It wasn’t until the sky began to pale that he had finally fallen into a dazed sleep.

Qi Yan seemed to have no concept of restraint. Again and again, as if he would have been happy to spend his last breath against Wen Shilan.

It was terrifying. Truly…

Terrifying.

Wen Shilan frowned. The large bed was empty, though the covers beside him were still warm. His legs would hardly close. Holding on to the edge of the bed, he shakily got to his feet, but his legs barely supported him. The short walk to the bathroom felt endless.

Only when hot water streamed over him and eased some of the soreness did he begin to feel human again.

There would be no next time for that wolf cub. Wen Shilan enjoyed physical pleasure, but if waking up cost him this much, he could live without it for a while.

He stayed under the water for more than half an hour. Then he put on a bathrobe and slowly went to the wardrobe for pajamas.

He spent his days eating, drinking, and amusing himself now. Even if he had a regular job, he would have struggled to leave the house in this state.

When he took off the robe, his delicate collarbones and smooth, pale skin were laid bare. But his skin was far from unmarked. Red handprints circled his waist; dark kisses spread from his neck down across his chest. There was even a faint mark around one ankle. Taken together, the marks looked alarming, as though he had been through a dreadful ordeal.

Qi Yan came in to find him like that. Wen Shilan heard the door, glanced back once, then turned away and continued putting on his pajamas at an unhurried pace.

The sight made Qi Yan’s heart jolt. He remembered trying to hold back, so how had he left even more marks than he thought? They looked painful. He mustn’t do that again.

Wen Shilan usually seemed cool and proud, but in bed he was terribly sensitive. Too much force made him cry; going too deep made him cry; even taking too long made him cry. His eyes were already alluring, and when he looked at Qi Yan through tears, their reddened corners made him impossible to resist.

Wen Shilan was sensitive, but he was fierce too. Qi Yan still had plenty of scratches across his back from when Wen Shilan had clung to him in tears the night before.

Unlike Wen Shilan, Qi Yan looked thoroughly satisfied, bright-eyed and full of energy. He felt he loved Wen Shilan even more this morning. Every day, that feeling seemed to grow.

Unable to help himself, he walked over and wrapped his arms around Wen Shilan from behind, over his pajamas. He buried his face against Wen Shilan’s neck and breathed in the faint scent of crabapple blossoms.

“Wen Shilan, come back to the Werewolf Planet with me.”

Qi Yan was the werewolves’ only prince. He would have to return eventually. Being trapped in his protective form had already kept him on Silan for a long time. His subordinates had just sent word of unrest at home, and he needed to go back. But he and Wen Shilan had only just become partners. He couldn’t bear to leave him.

He didn’t want to return. If he were an ordinary werewolf instead of a prince, he would stay on Silan with Wen Shilan.

But someone was making moves while he was away. He had to go back. Wen Shilan had no mental power now, and Qi Yan couldn’t feel at ease leaving him alone on Silan.

Besides, Tang Wan was still here, coveting Wen Shilan. That was all the more reason to keep Wen Shilan close.

The Werewolf Planet? Wen Shilan’s hand paused as he was about to push Qi Yan away, but he quickly composed himself. He removed Qi Yan’s arms from his waist and turned to face him.

“Qi Yan, you’re a prince. Even if I went back with you, your family would oppose us because of who you are. So don’t say that again.”

The Werewolf Planet and Silan were on reasonably friendly terms, but werewolves placed great importance on bloodlines. They expected to choose mates from their own planet, and Qi Yan was royalty.

Wen Shilan could be in a relationship with him. If Qi Yan returned home, they could make it work across planets. That sounded better than going with him and facing all those troubles.

Besides, most werewolves were fierce and ruthless. On their planet, Wen Shilan would have to stay close to Qi Yan at all times or risk finding himself in danger. He had no wish to become a vine that could only survive by clinging to someone else. A little distance between partners could help keep their relationship fresh, too.

“You… you know who I am?”

Qi Yan was startled, but then it made sense. Wen Shilan had held a high position on Silan. He would naturally know something about the important figures on other planets, just as Qi Yan had recognized Wen Shilan even without his mental power.

“I know what you’re worried about. My parents won’t object. They respect every decision I make. You don’t need to be afraid. You’re my partner, and they’ll respect you just as I do.”

Wen Shilan believed him. He didn’t know whether Qi Yan’s parents in this world were truly as he described, but when Qi Yan gave him his word, Wen Shilan trusted it.

He still couldn’t go, though. He had unfinished business on Silan. Knowing how attached Qi Yan could be, he tried to coax him. He looped his arms around Qi Yan’s neck, drew him down a little, and pressed a soft kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“It’s all right if we live on different planets. You can visit me, and I can visit you. It’s a quick trip by ship.”

“I don’t want that!”

Qi Yan was plainly unhappy. He caught Wen Shilan by the waist and pulled him close, displeasure filling his narrow eyes.

He couldn’t understand why Wen Shilan refused to go with him. Wen Shilan was his partner. They had even mated. Wen Shilan was his, so surely they ought to be together all the time.

Qi Yan held on tight, on the verge of making a fuss. His expression made it clear he wouldn’t accept the arrangement.

Well, this was going to take some work.

That part of his ex-husband hadn’t changed at all. Most of the time, he was easy to soothe: a kiss or a hug would do it. But if something threatened their relationship or the time they spent together, he became stubborn and difficult to coax. They wouldn’t have ended up divorced otherwise.

Wen Shilan had never indulged him on that point. When gentleness failed, he patted Qi Yan’s cheek, his expression cooling.

“I’m hungry.”

Qi Yan still wanted to argue, but he watched the warmth fade from Wen Shilan’s eyes and didn’t dare push any further.

“Food’s ready.”

Food was ready?

Wen Shilan had assumed Qi Yan meant he’d poured nutrient solution into a glass. So when he came downstairs and found a bowl of yangchun noodles, he was genuinely surprised.

“You made this?”

Qi Yan lifted his chin, looking rather proud. “Who else?”

It could only have been him. No one on Silan sold yangchun noodles; at most, Wen Shilan could find some prepared meats.

The familiar aroma rose toward him, and for the first time in ages, Wen Shilan felt hungry. He accepted the chopsticks Qi Yan handed him.

“How do you know how to make this?”

Was cooking somehow written into his very bones?

“Didn’t you make it once?”

It was only a bowl of noodles. What was difficult about that? Qi Yan had watched Wen Shilan make it once and learned.

Werewolves didn’t eat vegetables; they were meat eaters. But Wen Shilan wasn’t particularly fond of meat or nutrient solution. If Qi Yan cooked something he liked, perhaps he would agree to go back to the Werewolf Planet with him.

He’d learned just by watching once…

Apparently it really was written into his bones.

“You did wonderfully.”

Qi Yan was watching him with bright eyes, like a puppy waiting for a treat. Wen Shilan’s eyes curved with a smile, and he praised him freely.

The familiar flavor bloomed on his tongue. Since arriving on Silan, he hadn’t had a meal that satisfied him as much as this one.

“Is it good?”

Wen Shilan nodded. For once, he even had a second bowl. Afterward, he was so full that he sprawled on the sofa, unable to move.

Qi Yan put the bowls in the dishwasher, then came over and picked him up. Wen Shilan naturally buried his face against Qi Yan’s neck.

He hadn’t slept well the night before, and a full stomach made him even sleepier. He desperately wanted a nap. Qi Yan, however, was running out of time. A warship would arrive to collect him tomorrow, leaving him only today to persuade Wen Shilan to come to the Werewolf Planet.

“If you come home with me, I’ll cook for you every day. I’ll make sure you’re well fed and comfortable. Please come with me?”

No, thanks. Too sleepy. Want to sleep.

Wen Shilan treated Qi Yan like an oversized pillow, hooked his arms around his waist, and happily closed his eyes as if he hadn’t heard.

…

Qi Yan shook him lightly, refusing to let him fall asleep.

“Wen Shilan, we werewolves choose a mate only once in our lives. We’re partners now. Can you really let me go back all alone and lonely?”

All alone and lonely? If Qi Yan’s parents heard that, they might wish they’d never had this ridiculous child.

Wen Shilan sighed inwardly. “When are you leaving?” he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

Was there hope?

Qi Yan’s eyes lit up. “Tomorrow.”

“I’ll see you off. Be good now. I’m tired.”

…

Qi Yan stayed upset. Even when the warship arrived the next day, he hadn’t entirely recovered; he kissed Wen Shilan a little harder than usual.

“Don’t be angry. We’re about to have an interplanetary relationship. Are you sure you want the last memory I have of you before we meet again to be you sulking?”

Damn it. Why was Wen Shilan a general? He should have been an interstellar con artist.

Qi Yan suspected Wen Shilan was getting into his head, though he had no proof.

Proof or not, it worked. His anger faded. In truth, he wasn’t exactly angry.

He was sad, and uneasy in a way he couldn’t explain.

The thought of not seeing Wen Shilan for the next month filled him with inexplicable dread.

He had no reason to worry. On Silan, people revered Wen Shilan almost like a god. They would gladly protect him, and he would surely be safe here. In the end, Qi Yan decided the uneasy feeling must simply be because he couldn’t bear to leave him.

Qi Yan looked at Wen Shilan, his chest tight. He raised a hand, and a cluster of silver-white flame appeared above his palm. It condensed into a translucent white stone resembling his own divine stone. At its center was a lovely red mark shaped like a drop of water.

“This is for you. While I’m away, you have to carry it every day.”

Wen Shilan didn’t know what it was, but anything Qi Yan gave him was unlikely to be ordinary.

It took Wen Shilan almost an hour to coax him onto the warship. The wolf cub had no shame at all. Even with his subordinates watching, he sulked, pleaded, and tried every trick he knew.

After finally seeing him off, Wen Shilan returned to the villa. He paused for a moment when he opened the door, though it was only a moment.

Without one noisy wolf cub in it, the house felt much quieter.

Wen Shilan lay on the bed and took out the stone Qi Yan had given him.

“Lord Shiqing, that’s a werewolf core stone. He sealed a drop of blood from his heart inside it. It lets the Lord God know your exact location at any time. That drop of blood also holds nearly half his energy. If you’re in danger, you can temporarily draw on that energy to protect yourself.”

A werewolf’s core stone was somewhat like the divine stones on Silan. But blood from his heart…

“Did it hurt to take it? When did he make this?”

A core stone could be formed by condensing energy alone. Adding a drop of blood from the heart was much more involved.

“It hurt a little. He made it last night.”

Balala answered both questions in turn.

So Qi Yan had taken the blood last night…

He had stayed in the study until very late. Wen Shilan had thought the wolf cub was upset because he wouldn’t go to the Werewolf Planet. He hadn’t expected him to be making this.

Knowing exactly where Wen Shilan was at every moment…

Ah, a man’s possessiveness.

“Lord Shiqing, aren’t you going to ask whether taking that blood injured the Lord God?”

Was asking whether it hurt all he was going to do?

How was Balala supposed to write his report when they returned to the Boundless Space?

Wen Shilan had no idea what Balala was thinking. He simply saw no need to ask. When Qi Yan had come to bed last night, he’d had no wound left on him, and werewolves healed quickly.

In this interstellar world, the stronger a person was, the faster they healed. They could still feel pain, but their bodies would recover completely.

That was why Wen Shilan had only worried about whether Qi Yan had been hurt.

He opened the drawer beside the bed and took out his divine stone. It was dark red and dull, as though coated in dust, without a hint of light. Qi Yan’s core stone, by contrast, shimmered beautifully. The spot of red at its center complemented Wen Shilan’s red stone so well that the two looked like a matching pair made for lovers.

Amused, Wen Shilan took a photo and sent it to Qi Yan. Then he placed the stones together and put them back in the drawer.

He closed it quickly. Had he been a second slower, he might have seen his dull divine stone give a brief flash of light before returning to normal.