Chapter 7: Outbreak?

Chapter 7: Outbreak?

Late at night, in the West District.

Chen Dong was driving his large truck home from the secondhand market. Today, he had only sold one werewolf, and the buyer was a cheapskate who haggled the price down from 3,000 to 1,800. The guy was practically broke.

If only everyone were like that kid who bought Ke Lin.

The streetlights along the hillside were old and poorly maintained, flickering intermittently. Chen Dong cursed under his breath and continued pressing the accelerator toward home.

Suddenly, he spotted several eerie green glows in the distance. As he drew closer, he saw the massive silhouettes behind the lights.

Wild wolves!

And not just one!

Wild wolves were considered mindless, fully feral werewolves. According to federal regulations, any wild wolf spotted in urban areas must be killed on sight.

But with wolves outnumbering people here, who would kill whom remained uncertain.

Chen Dong’s heart raced instantly, sweat pouring down his face. He floored the accelerator, intending to speed past.

Just then, *thud!* A dark gray wild wolf lunged onto the windshield.

Its sharp claws slammed against the glass, cracks spreading like a spiderweb.

Chen Dong yanked the steering wheel hard, swerving the vehicle toward the nearby hillside. In the darkness, several pairs of glowing green eyes blinked a few times before quickly converging on the slope.

There were no streetlights on the hill. Unable to see clearly, Chen Dong crashed into a tree, forcing the truck to a stop.

The wild wolf that had been clinging to the hood jumped down. It stood up, its towering frame rapidly shrinking back, its fur disappearing until only its ears and tail remained—transforming from a wild wolf into a werewolf.

He was a tall, powerfully built adult werewolf, his sharp fangs reflecting a bone-chilling gleam. He stared at Chen Dong inside the truck as if looking at a trapped rat.

With one punch, he shattered the driver’s side window, grabbed Chen Dong by the collar, and dragged him out.

Chen Dong collapsed to the ground in terror. “Y-you… how can you turn human? Are you a wild wolf or a werewolf?”

After thousands of years of evolution, most werewolves could no longer assume a full wolf form. Apart from their ears and tails, they looked almost indistinguishable from humans—much like how merfolk no longer turned into fish or treefolk couldn’t take root in the ground.

The werewolf before him defied all logic!

The werewolf let out a sinister laugh. “Don’t worry about what I am. Just know that I’m here to eat you.”

Another black wild wolf leaped over, also transforming into a werewolf—a lean, muscular female. She climbed into the driver’s seat and rummaged through Chen Dong’s transaction log, which documented the origins and destinations of every werewolf he’d traded.

Hera’s voice was steady and magnetic. “Received 23 werewolves, sold 8, 15 still left in the truck. Leon, check the cargo hold and rescue them.” She ordered the third wild wolf behind her. It too shifted into human form and headed toward the back of the truck.

Then, the female werewolf commanded the first dark gray werewolf: “Kaiser, deal with this man. Make it look like an accident.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Kaiser cracked his knuckles, advancing toward Chen Dong. “Should I just snap your neck, or break your limbs first?”

Chen Dong wet himself in fear, scrambling backward while letting out a sharp scream. “Ahhh! Help!”

*Squelch!*

*Squelch!*

After a few moments, the small slope by the roadside grew quiet.

Shortly after returning to the East District, raindrops suddenly began to fall from the night sky.

Pei Xiucheng drove Jiang Yi and Ke Lin to their apartment building.

Jiang Yi waved at him, "It's raining, drive carefully."

Pei Xiucheng waved back, "No problem, let's do it again sometime."

The late summer thunderstorm came out of nowhere—a flash of lightning split the sky, casting the sycamore trees downstairs in a stark, pale light.

Ke Lin glanced at the weather, his heartbeat uncontrollably quickening.

Jiang Yi hurriedly took Ke Lin's hand and led him home, unaware that something was wrong.

Once home, the rain became a downpour, with bean-sized drops pattering noisily against the windows. A damp, earthy scent seeped in through the gaps in the window frames.

Jiang Yi turned on the lights, shut the windows tight, and checked the weather on his communicator. The heavy rain was expected to last half an hour before tapering off to a moderate or light drizzle.

It wouldn't stop him from getting to his bar shift.

Jiang Yi took two boxes of solid nutritional meals from the fridge, then started boiling water for a dish of sliced fatty beef with enoki mushrooms and baby bok choy—a quick dish that took about ten minutes to make.

While waiting for the water to boil, Jiang Yi looked back and noticed Ke Lin wasn't parked by the kitchen door as usual, watching him. Instead, he was sitting on the sofa with his head down.

Whenever Jiang Yi cooked before, Ke Lin would always hover near the kitchen, eager to help with something. But the single apartment's kitchen was small, and with Ke Lin's large frame and constantly swishing tail, he often got in the way. Jiang Yi would always shoo him out.

So Ke Lin would end up crouching by the doorway, watching his master cook intently—whether secretly learning how to cook or just waiting for the meal to be ready, it was hard to tell.

"Ke Lin, are you okay?" Jiang Yi called out toward the living room.

Ke Lin made no sound, but his large tail stood up and wagged slightly, indicating he was okay.

After dinner, Jiang Yi left for work.

Walking down the corridor, he couldn't shake a sense of unease. Ke Lin had been unusually quiet tonight—had the arena incident scared him more than he'd let on?

*Beep*—the elevator on the fourth floor had arrived. Jiang Yi stared at the open doors, hesitated for a moment, then turned back.

He opened the front door to find Ke Lin curled up in a corner, arms wrapped tightly around himself as if battling something internally.

Jiang Yi immediately went to his side and saw Ke Lin with his eyes tightly shut, breathing hard.

"Ke Lin? What's wrong?"

Hearing the familiar voice, Ke Lin opened his eyes in disbelief.

His gaze first showed surprise, followed by panic that his secret was out.

Since childhood, whenever there was a thunderstorm, Ke Lin would experience a feverish body, rapid breathing, nails that would lengthen rapidly, and sometimes an uncontrollable urge to destroy things around him.

Even though his current master treated him well, Ke Lin didn't want to expose his worst side.

Unable to speak, unable to cook, not physically strong enough, and prone to these spells from time to time.

No one could accept someone like him.

Jiang Yi placed his hand on Ke Lin and heard the thought, "I'm fine."

But he also sensed deeper emotions from Ke Lin—fear, pain, and self-loathing.

His ability had quietly evolved since the arena.

"Don't be afraid, I'm here." Jiang Yi knelt, leaned down to embrace Ke Lin.

He saw Ke Lin's elongated nails and sharp fangs, which glinted coldly in the rainy night with each flash of lightning.

If an ordinary person saw a werewolf like this, they would've restrained him or driven him out long ago. But Jiang Yi clearly sensed that the werewolf had not the slightest desire to harm him.

Instead, Ke Lin was the more frightened one.

He kept murmuring in Ke Lin's ear, "Don't be afraid, I'm here, relax."

Jiang Yi's voice wasn't the gentle type, but his tone was steady and his presence powerful. Under his calming influence, Ke Lin's body instinctively obeyed, easing from initial fear and flinching into relaxation.

"Well done." Jiang Yi leaned down, drew him into a hug, and patted his back.

This contact made Ke Lin go still for a moment. Without thinking, he wrapped his arms around Jiang Yi in return.

This was the first hug in all Ke Lin's memories. The moment his chest pressed against his master's, it felt as if he had finally floated ashore from a drifting sea, finding a small haven to call his own.

Ke Lin closed his eyes. Even if after this hug he would sink back into the depths of the sea, he was willing.

"Master..."

Jiang Yi heard Ke Lin's voice—this time not through Mind Reading, but uttered from Ke Lin's own lips.

"Say it again."

"Master..."

"Once more."

"Master... Master..."

Outside, the rain lightened, the thunder and lightning completely vanished, and Ke Lin's voice grew softer until his chin rested on Jiang Yi's shoulder and he went quiet.

Jiang Yi loosened his hold, letting Ke Lin lean against his arm.

He looked down and saw that Ke Lin had fallen asleep.

Jiang Yi reached out and touched Ke Lin's face. The Little Wolf was frowning, looking so pitiful.

The pet he had bought on a whim turned out to be so difficult to care for. But what could he do? He could only continue to take good care of him.

Jiang Yi got to his feet, slipped an arm under Ke Lin's knees, and lifted him.

Glancing at the makeshift bed on the carpet, Jiang Yi hesitated for a moment before carrying Ke Lin to his own bedroom. Once he rented a two-bedroom apartment near the academy in the future, the Little Wolf would have his own room.

After getting Ke Lin settled, Jiang Yi planned to call Pei Xiucheng to say he would be late. Just then, Pei Xiucheng called, saying the electrical box on the bar street had been struck by lightning, and the whole street was now without power, so there was no need to come to work tonight.

Well, that was good news for him.

Jiang Yi gave himself a quick wash, changed into his pajamas, lifted the blanket, and lay down beside Ke Lin. Before long, he fell asleep.

The next day.

In his sleep, Ke Lin stretched a little. He vaguely felt that he had slept exceptionally well last night.

The first time he had a fit on a rainy night, there were no thick, long syringes, no angry yelling.

Instead, there was the master's warm embrace.

That feeling has lasted until now—his body felt light, surrounded by warmth and softness, as if he were still in the master's arms.

Ke Lin's eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes.

What he saw wasn't the familiar light brown floor but the master's face!

Ke Lin stared at Jiang Yi in disbelief, blinking mechanically a few times.

*It was real...*

He wasn't dreaming; he wasn't sleeping on the floor but in the master's bed!

This realization made his heart race wildly. He'd never dare get into the master's bed, not even if he were out of his mind.

So, the master carried him up?

Jiang Yi opened his eyes without warning. Though just waking up, his gaze was clear and alert.

Ke Lin was caught in Jiang Yi's eyes, his face instantly flushing red as he nervously averted his gaze.

What should he do? Roll off the bed immediately? Or act cute with the master? Pets probably do that, but he didn't know how!

"Little Wolf, good morning." Jiang Yi's voice was low, a hint of a smile in his eyes.

Ke Lin's gaze froze, slowly meeting Jiang Yi's again. His lips moved slightly. "Master, good morning..."

"You can talk now." Jiang Yi said, sounding pleasantly surprised.

"Mhm." Ke Lin nodded. Ever since the master held him in his arms last night, it felt like he had broken through some barrier and could finally speak.

And he loved saying "master" the most.

"That's great news," Jiang Yi said, rubbing Ke Lin's ears. "Come a little closer."

Ke Lin obediently leaned in.

Jiang Yi lowered his head and kissed the top of Ke Lin's head. "Here's a kiss as your reward."

Ke Lin belatedly touched his hair. The master kissed him?

It was so quick—he didn't even get to feel it properly. He wanted another kiss.

Jiang Yi's hand was still resting on Ke Lin's shoulder, so he clearly heard Little Wolf's thought: "Want another one."

He chuckled softly and kissed Ke Lin's forehead again.

Ke Lin's eyes widened instantly. The soft touch of the master's lips on his forehead felt so good, so happy.

His big tail slipped out from under the blanket, wagging happily.

Seeing the rare smile on Little Wolf's face, his golden eyes gleaming in the morning light, Jiang Yi thought he looked like a big dog wagging its tail at you.

Jiang Yi's gaze deepened. Now, Little Wolf was no longer cowering in fear. He patted Ke Lin's head. "Little cutie, time to get up."

Author's Note:

Jiang Yi's physical age is 18, but his mental age is 25. Little Wolf is 17 and still growing up~