Chapter 115
Chapter 115
Chapter 115
On Baby Shang's fifth birthday, the celebration was a boisterous affair.
Many people wished him a happy birthday, and there was an enormous five-tier cake. Numerous adults shook his hand, making him feel like the coolest kid ever.
He received so many gifts that his arms grew tired from carrying them all - the Gu Family presented him with stacks of property deeds.
Some gifts were rare treasures from the snowy mountains, like the Snow Mountain Crystal, which only appears once every hundred years and can cure all ailments.
There were also beautiful, sharp white bows and arrows crafted from the sturdy bones of hunted prey.
Gu's mother held the young pup's hand, introducing him to each relative one by one.
The Gu lineage consisted of several dozen wolf people - not too many, but not too few either. They all bent down to lightly sniff the pup's scent, committing it to memory.
"May the Snow Mountain God bless you, my dear little pup."
"May the Snow Mountain Cold Pool love you, and may you be healthy and strong."
"May the Heart of the Snowy Mountain protect you, and may you be joyful."
Baby Shang was surrounded by the tall, handsome, beautiful, and majestic wolf people of the Gu Family, all impeccably dressed in suits, gowns, and fine attire. After each spoke their blessing, they parted their lips and let out a long, low howl - the blessing call of the wolf tribe, which only Baby Shang could hear.
Dressed in a white gown, the little wolf pup listened to the complex, eerie howls of blessing, feeling a bit dazed. Yet his body was warmly comforted and relaxed.
He began to hallucinate, transforming into a pure wolf form, running carefree across a windy plain. As far as he could see in every direction, there was pristine white snow.
The plain was dotted with unknown but fragrant, beautiful little flowers.
Gorgeous, unidentified butterflies danced about.
He yipped and yowled, rolling around, nipping at the flowers, and leaping to catch the butterflies.
How comfortable, how joyful it felt.
The distant snowy peaks looked on, embracing him.
A large hand ruffled his hair, and Baby Shang snapped back to reality, blinking his large eyes. What just happened?
He had a daydream while wide awake?
Gu's mother saw the pup's dazed expression and smiled tenderly. "Don't be afraid, that was just the sound of our elders' blessings."
Baby Shang let out a bewildered "Oh," and looked at his wolf relatives before parting his little lips to say, "Thank you."
The wolf people asked Gu's mother, "When will you bring the pup back to the snowy mountains, to leave his scent behind?"
Gu's mother smiled. "It will happen someday. That decision is up to the pup's wolf father and mother."
A wolf person with a weathered gaze sighed, "Alas, his mother is a pure human. I hope Gu Wen doesn't meet the same unfortunate fate as her..."
The "her" referred to was Gu Wen's grandmother.
Gu's mother's smile faltered momentarily before she smiled again. "I believe my pup will receive the Snow Mountain God's blessing. Look how big he is, like a child of the snowy mountains himself."
She could tell that Shang Xi wasn't entirely indifferent toward her pup.
It was just a matter of time, Gu's mother thought. But just a few days later, she saw her second son appear at the old estate, silent and cold-faced, ignoring anyone who spoke to him as he headed straight for the Hunting Ground.
Gu's mother fretted, "Pup, we can't eat that many kills. Don't slaughter them all."
"What's wrong? Did something happen?"
The enormous wolf ignored her, savagely biting and tearing at anything within reach. His razor-sharp claws gouged deep holes in the ground. He destroyed the hammocks and shredded the lounge sofas!
The furious wolf howled and panted, his once sleek, glossy black fur now a matted, filthy mess.
With only Gu's mother at home, she grew deeply worried.
She strode toward the crazed black wolf, unafraid of being harmed, and reached out to touch his back.
The wolf instantly shied away, snarling, then bolted across the vast meadow before plunging into the estate's natural lake with a splash.
"Pup!!"
Gu's mother frowned, transforming into her pure wolf form - a beautiful golden wolf whose radiant fur glistened. With nimble strides, she followed after him.
"Awoo--"
The black wolf, struggling in the suffocating water, heard her beckoning call and kicked off, surfacing with a gasp.
The golden wolf mother gazed at him with concern, one paw dipped in the water as if ready to dive in.
The black wolf let out an irritated growl before dragging himself out of the water.
Sopping wet, he shifted back to human form and collapsed on the meadow, staring blankly at the clear sky with sharp eyes.
Gu's mother also reverted to human form. "Is this about Shang Xi?"
Gu Wen remained silent, essentially confirming her guess.
"No matter what happened, you can't force her or mistreat her," Gu's mother cautioned.
A wry, self-mocking smile tugged at Gu Wen's lips. "Then why would I be here?"
"Ah..." Gu's mother gasped in realization. "So I'm disturbing your alone time?"
Gu Wen let out a cold laugh. "What do you think? Aren't you and Wolf Father supposed to be away?"
When he jumped into the water, she was ready to follow him in.
What did that signify?
"Did something happen with Shang Xi?"
Gu Wen answered impassively, "Nothing much. She's just started packing her clothes early to take back to her family's home."