Dong dong dong, dong dong dong.
A flurry of urgent, somewhat anxious knocks pounded on Gantang’s door.
“Coming, coming! Who is it?” Gantang’s cheerful voice called from inside, and with a creak, the door was pulled open.
The instant she saw what was outside, Gantang’s smile froze, and she was completely taken aback.
Standing there was her own Tianquan Peak Senior Brother, Lu Qiancha, pitifully hugging her fluffy, soft, bushy tail, tear stains still fresh on her little face.
The little wolf cub’s usually clear, bright eyes were now veiled in mist, brimming with tears that threatened to fall but hadn’t yet, her nose reddened—she looked exactly like someone who’d just suffered a tremendous grievance and desperately needed comfort.
“Sh—Shixiong?!”
Gantang’s heart clenched all at once.
She didn’t even have time to think, rushing forward to yank the little wolf cub into her warm, sweetly scented room, slamming the door shut behind them with a thud, cutting off any possible eyes from outside.
Gantang immediately crouched down, gripping Lu Qiancha’s small shoulders tightly, her beautiful eyes overflowing with undisguised concern and rapidly kindling anger: “Shixiong, quickly tell Shimei, did someone bully you?”
Her voice was raised in urgency, “Just say the word, I’ll go beat them up so badly they won’t know which way is north.”
She had already, without thinking, rolled up her sleeves to her elbows, revealing a stretch of pale arm, ready to rush out for a fight at any moment.
“Wu…” Lu Qiancha sniffled with her reddened nose, raising a small hand to roughly wipe away the tears with her sleeve.
The little wolf cub’s voice was thick with congestion and sobs, struggling to maintain her strong image as Shixiong: “I…I’m really fine…”
Yet, seeing her clearly so aggrieved but still trying to act tough only made Gantang’s heart ache even more.
“No way, how can you be fine? Come, let’s go ask Shifu for justice.”
Still fuming, Gantang grabbed Lu Qiancha’s hand and was about to storm out.
To think someone would dare bully a direct disciple of our Tianquanfeng? If we don’t teach them a lesson, do they really think we’re soft targets?
“Wait! No, no need to go to Shifu.”
Lu Qiancha hurriedly stopped in her tracks, clutching Gantang’s hand back with all her might.
“Why?” Gantang paused, looking back in confusion, her almond eyes full of puzzlement.
Lu Qiancha’s little head drooped lower and lower, her voice quiet as a mosquito’s buzz: “…It was my own fault, I just…just got scolded by Shifu…”
Gantang: “”
All the momentum she’d worked up burst like a pricked balloon, instantly deflating. Even her gaze wavered with guilt.
So it was Shifu… Well, there’s really nothing she can do about that.
Gantang could only swallow her urge to charge out and instead opened her arms, gently hugging the aggrieved little wolf cub in front of her.
She patted Lu Qiancha’s back softly, soothing her like a startled animal, her voice lowered to a tender, gentle murmur: “It’s alright, it’s alright, don’t be scared, it won’t hurt in a bit…”
“Mm…” Lu Qiancha buried her little face in Gantang’s soft clothes, replying muffledly.
Strangely enough, listening to Shimei’s gentle yet firm words of comfort, the mess of grievance and upset in her heart really did feel soothed, as if a warm hand had smoothed it all out.
Even the stinging pain of the red mark on her palm seemed to quietly ease.
However, she soon raised her head from Gantang’s embrace, her lips pouting, and those still watery blue eyes carried a hint of accusation as she looked at Gantang: “…Are you coaxing me like a child?”
There was a bit of displeasure and awkwardness in the little wolf cub’s voice.
“Ahem, of course not!” Gantang coughed quickly to cover her guilty conscience at being called out, straightening her expression, “I just…just feel bad that Shixiong got punished.”
She remembered Shixiong didn’t like being treated like a child.
“Stare–”
Lu Qiancha narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Gantang without blinking. The air seemed to freeze for a few seconds, carrying an invisible pressure.
Gantang did her best to keep a sincere expression. Finally, Lu Qiancha let out a soft breath and stepped back from Gantang’s arms, muttering quietly: “…Fine, I’ll believe you.”
“Hehe!” Gantang finally felt the weight lift from her heart, breaking into a silly, dazzling smile.
Lu Qiancha promptly pulled out the Storage Bag she had prepared earlier and handed it to Gantang: “Here, this is for you.”
“Wow! Is it a gift for me?!” Gantang’s eyes instantly sparkled with little stars as she accepted the Storage Bag in delight, hugging it tightly without even looking inside. “Thank you, Shixiong, you’re the best!”
She rubbed the Storage Bag against her cheek, then tilted her head in curiosity: “But Shixiong, today’s not my birthday or a festival, why are you suddenly giving me a present?”
“These are some local specialties I brought back from the Northern Domain,” Lu Qiancha explained patiently, her voice tinged with the excitement of sharing.
“All sorts of tasty local snacks and treats. There’s one for you and one for Shifu.”
“Oh! So that’s it.” Gantang nodded in sudden understanding, but the happiness in her heart from receiving a present didn’t fade in the slightest—if anything, it grew even stronger.
Anything Shixiong gave her personally was the best gift in the world.
Having given her gift, Lu Qiancha felt her business was done and turned to slip away. But before she could take a step, Gantang’s quick hand grabbed her sleeve.
“Eh? Shixiong, wait.”
“?” Lu Qiancha stopped in confusion, turning to look at Gantang, her blue eyes full of question marks. “Is there something else?”
“I have a present for you, too.”
A warm, bright smile bloomed on Gantang’s face, tinged with a hint of pride.
She gently brushed her finger over her Ring of Storage, and a fluffy, snow-white Stuffed Lamb—nearly as tall as the little wolf cub herself—appeared in her hand.
The doll was exquisitely crafted and utterly adorable.
“A stuffed toy?” Lu Qiancha tilted her head, a trace of confusion flickering through her clear blue eyes.
Though she was a little surprised by the form of the gift, she didn’t refuse it, reaching out to accept the heavy, soft Stuffed Lamb, and politely said, “Thank you, Shimei.”
The doll’s material was unusual, fine and soft to the touch, like it was wrapped in a cloud. Just hugging it brought a strange sense of comfort and reassurance.
When I can’t find Niang Qin or Shifu… maybe I can hug this instead, Lu Qiancha thought to herself, instinctively nuzzling her little face against the soft lamb’s wool.
Seeing that Lu Qiancha didn’t reject the gift—in fact, even unconsciously rubbed her face against the Stuffed Lamb—Gantang’s smile grew even brighter, her eyes curving like crescent moons.
Her gaze swept past Shixiong’s tail, which, now holding the doll, had relaxed and was swaying gently, and a pure, warm joy welled up from the bottom of her heart.
“As long as Shixiong likes it, that’s all that matters.”
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