Chapter 47
“How is he doing?” For the past few days, Shangguan Ye had been irritable, mainly because Murong Qiufeng had been avoiding him. Although this avoidance clearly showed that Murong was affected by him, they couldn’t go on like this forever, and he couldn’t just bring everything to light.
Yuxiang pressed her lips together, trying not to laugh but unable to hide the twitching at the corners of her mouth. She suppressed her laughter and said, “These days… the young master has either been accompanying Xiao Ye or reading in his room. Nothing much has changed.”
Shangguan Ye frowned, his eyes narrowing sharply. “Xiao Ye? Who’s that?”
“Ahem, it’s the blood wolf you gave the young master. Xiao Ye is the name he gave to the wolf,” Yuxiang explained, sneaking a quick glance at her master, barely holding back her laughter.
Shangguan Ye finally remembered. He had indeed gifted Murong Qiufeng a blood wolf cub. However, it wasn’t something he had hunted—it was a rare blood wolf he had someone catch long ago. He’d only presented it during the hunt to make it seem like it was a lucky find.
“Xiao Ye, huh…” Shangguan Ye’s previously agitated mood suddenly calmed, and his spirits lifted. He murmured the name softly, a smile playing on his lips, his eyes brimming with joy. It seemed that Feng had subconsciously centered his thoughts around him—a very good sign.
Seeing that her master wasn’t angry but rather seemed to be in a good mood, Yuxiang breathed a sigh of relief and marveled at the change. She couldn’t figure out what exactly was going on in her master’s mind.
“The household has a new member; as the master of the house, I should show some concern. Come, let’s go see that cute little creature,” Shangguan Ye said, suddenly standing up and heading out. If the mountain won’t come to him, he’ll go to the mountain—taking the initiative was more his style.
Inwardly, Yuxiang couldn’t help but think, You’re going to see the one who’s truly captured your heart, aren’t you?
Usually, Shangguan Ye wouldn’t be home at this time, so it was during these hours that Murong Qiufeng would come out to the courtyard to play with the blood wolf.
What Murong didn’t know was that Shangguan Ye had been in the residence all along, only leaving for court sessions. Typically, he would work in another part of the estate, but lately, he had been staying out of sight to give Murong Qiufeng space.
As they approached the courtyard, they heard the sound of a slightly disjointed melody and soft laughter. The laughter was light and carefree, clearly belonging to Murong Qiufeng.
Shangguan Ye raised an eyebrow and glanced at Yuxiang. He had expected Murong to be hiding away, feeling conflicted, but here he was, happily playing around. Who could have made him so joyful?
Yuxiang immediately shook her head, indicating there was no one else around.
Shangguan Ye decided to walk straight in. As soon as he stepped into the courtyard, he saw Murong Qiufeng sitting on a large stone under a plum tree, a qin resting on his lap. A small, white creature was happily jumping back and forth on the qin, as if playing a game. Each time the qin made a sound, the little wolf would get startled and dive into Murong Qiufeng’s arms, only to peek out again and repeat the cycle. The wolf would jump back onto the qin, while letting out cheerful little yips, tugging at Murong Qiufeng’s hair as it rolled around in his lap, causing Murong to laugh softly, his eyes full of affection.
It was a beautiful scene, but it filled Shangguan Ye with jealousy. He inwardly cursed the little creature for being so audacious. Here he was, not daring to get close to Murong openly, yet this little thing was shamelessly taking liberties.
Yuxiang noticed the dangerous glint in her master’s eyes as he looked at the wolf and couldn’t help but think how irrational men in love could be—jealous over a mere animal. She feared for the little wolf’s safety and quickly cleared her throat. “Young Master, it’s getting chilly outside; you shouldn’t stay out here too long.”
Her voice snapped Shangguan Ye out of his dark thoughts, and it also reminded Murong Qiufeng of his presence.
Murong Qiufeng turned his head instinctively, a smile still lingering on his lips, his eyes bright with joy. But when he looked up and met Shangguan Ye’s deep gaze, he froze, his expression turning a bit stiff.
Shangguan Ye smiled lightly and walked over casually. “Has this little guy caused you any trouble?”
He smiled as if nothing unusual had happened, as if he was completely unaware of what had transpired between them.
Murong Qiufeng, assuming that Shangguan Ye didn’t remember, felt a mix of relief and a faint sense of disappointment. But the little wolf in his arms distracted him from these thoughts.
The wolf, which had been playing happily, suddenly seemed startled and burrowed into Murong’s loose robes as if it had encountered a terrifying enemy.
Murong Qiufeng immediately understood. During their time together, he had noticed the little wolf was quite intelligent. It was likely still afraid of Shangguan Ye, who had hunted it.
Shangguan Ye’s eyes darkened, annoyed that Murong’s attention was solely on the little creature. He regretted bringing it here more than ever.
Murong Qiufeng gently lifted the wolf from his robe, scratching its chin and soothing it. “Don’t be afraid, he’s not a bad person.” He then looked up at Shangguan Ye, smiling softly. “This little guy is quite interesting. Thank you.”
“As long as you like it. But I’ve heard from the servants that you haven’t had much of an appetite lately. What’s going on?” Shangguan Ye walked over, standing under the plum tree, and crouched down to play with the little wolf in Murong’s arms.
His question made Murong Qiufeng tense up again, and Shangguan Ye’s closeness only made him more nervous, stirring up his already chaotic thoughts.
Sensing Murong’s discomfort, the wolf started nuzzling against his chest, as if trying to comfort him with soft whines.
Shangguan Ye felt a surge of jealousy, his eyes darkening as he glared at the little creature.
Murong Qiufeng, thinking Shangguan Ye was upset because the wolf was scared of him, decided to change the subject. “Don’t frighten it; it means no harm. Why are you back so early today?”
“Mm,” Shangguan Ye responded absentmindedly. He suddenly reached out, grabbed the wolf by the scruff, and pulled it out of Murong’s arms, cradling it in his own. He smiled at the surprised Murong Qiufeng, “This little guy is adorable; let me hold him for a bit.”
Murong Qiufeng hesitated, watching the little wolf struggle in Shangguan Ye’s grasp. He was unsure whether to take it back, but since Shangguan Ye had caught it and it was living in his courtyard, he couldn’t allow it to be hostile towards him forever. They needed to bond.
He stood up, taking a deep breath. “Let’s go inside.”
Shangguan Ye nodded, smiling as he gently stroked the wolf’s head, but his other hand subtly squeezed the creature’s weak spot, forcing it to calm down. Then, holding the trembling wolf, he followed Murong Qiufeng into the house.
However, the wolf wasn’t one to be easily subdued. Suddenly, it bit down on Shangguan Ye’s hand, causing him to reflexively let go. The wolf immediately darted into the house, diving into Murong Qiufeng’s bedding and refusing to come out.
Shangguan Ye inhaled sharply—not from pain, but from the suddenness of it.
Murong Qiufeng reacted even more strongly, instinctively turning around to grab Shangguan Ye’s hand. Seeing the deep bite marks, with blood already oozing out, his heart tightened. “You’re bleeding. Yuxiang, get some hot water and medicine!” He wrapped Shangguan Ye’s hand with his sleeve, trying to stop the bleeding.
Murong Qiufeng’s overly concerned reaction caught Shangguan Ye by surprise, but it also warmed his heart. As he gazed at Murong’s worried and attentive expression, he felt an overwhelming sense of warmth and affection.
Suppressing her smile, Yuxiang quickly excused herself to fetch what was needed.
