Lang Junxian silently sorted through everything that had happened recently.
First, he was inexplicably forced by his father to drink a bowl of dark, murky medicinal soup.
Then he was locked up in the punishment room.
Before he could even figure out what had happened, his mother desperately broke him out — but…she remained there forever.
Dead.
Lang Junxian clenched his teeth, struggling to suppress the hatred surging in his chest.
His mother had gone through untold hardship to get him out, not so he could just run back and throw his life away.
Right now, he had to find a place to settle down first.
His mother’s vengeance — he would exact it sooner or later.
A gentleman’s revenge is never too late, even after ten years.
Lang Junxian lowered his eyes and saw the little white ball of fluff happily rolling around on the quilt.
He reached up and touched the furry ears on top of his own head.
Maybe…he could try staying.
So when Su Yao finished tidying up the courtyard and came back to check on the little cub she’d saved, she saw that the previously silent cub was suddenly smiling at her.
Lang Junxian was already quite handsome.
Now that the dirt on his face had been cleaned off, his fair face beamed with such an adorable smile.
Plus, the two furry ears poking out from his hair twitched every so often — he was practically a lady-killer.
Su Yao was instantly melted by the cuteness.
She went up and patted the little cub’s head, her eyes soft.
“Feeling better?”
Lang Junxian nodded shyly, lightly replying, “Mm.”
His obedient look fiercely tugged at Su Yao’s motherly heartstrings.
Stroking his head even more gently, she asked,
“What’s your name? Where’s your home? Your parents?”
Lang Junxian’s expression dimmed.
Under Su Yao’s caring gaze, he guiltily lowered his head.
These were questions he couldn’t — and wouldn’t — answer.
But faced with Su Yao’s genuine concern, he couldn’t bring himself to lie either.
So he just bowed his head, hiding his face which was turning slightly red from guilt.
Seeing him like this, Su Yao felt even more distressed.
She became certain her earlier guess was right — this must be a little one with mixed blood, abandoned by his parents.
She ruffled his head again with pity, then tentatively said,
“If you have nowhere to go, why don’t you stay here and keep Maomao company?”
These words were exactly what Lang Junxian hoped for.
He abruptly looked up, eyes shining as he gazed at Su Yao.
Su Yao smiled and tapped his forehead, then pointed at the little white fluff ball frolicking on the quilt.
“That’s Baimaomao.”
Hearing its name, Baimaomao immediately stopped romping, puffed out its little chest, and stood proudly on the quilt.
Lang Junxian pressed his lips together, a hint of a smile appearing in his eyes.
Then Su Yao pointed to herself.
“Like Maomao, you can call me ‘A-Mu.’”
Lang Junxian tilted his head.
“A-Mu?”
“Yeah~”
Su Yao happily responded.
Then she asked,
“And you? What’s your name?”
Lang Junxian opened his mouth, but then shook his head in slight frustration.
Su Yao understood his feelings and didn’t force him.
She comfortingly patted his head.
“If you don’t want to mention your old name, let’s give you a new one.”
Just as she finished speaking, they saw Baimaomao flap its little wings hard, point at Lang Junxian’s head, and in its tiny voice say a single word: “Hei!”
(Black)
Su Yao froze, then delightedly realized Baimaomao was talking.
Excited, she scooped it up.
“You said what?”
Baimaomao again pointed its little wing tip at Lang Junxian and chirped,
“Black~”
Su Yao’s face burst into a radiant smile.
She planted a big kiss on Baimaomao’s tiny head, which startled it so much it fell on its butt.
“Black?”
Baimaomao nodded, then pointed at Lang Junxian again.
Recalling her earlier question, Su Yao caught on.
She tried asking,
“Black?” while pointing at the still-very-confused Lang Junxian.
Baimaomao happily bounced and nodded, its black beady eyes sparkling.
Su Yao cradled Baimaomao, laughing so hard she nearly collapsed, as she looked at the utterly innocent Lang Junxian.
Lang Junxian: ……???
Su Yao finally managed to stop laughing, tapped Baimaomao on the head with mock annoyance, and scolded,
“How can you just randomly give someone a name like that?”
Though to be fair, this little cub was covered in black fur.
Baimaomao didn’t understand.
It spread its little wings and was about to pounce on Lang Junxian.
Lang Junxian also came back to his senses at this point, catching the pouncing Baimaomao, and said softly,
“Then…let’s just call me Xiao Hei (Little Black).”
Su Yao was stunned and waved her hand,
“Maomao doesn’t know any better. Who would be named Xiao Hei? Sounds like a dog’s name.”
Lang Junxian: (……)
He pressed his lips together and awkwardly tried to defend it,
“I think…it’s not so bad.”
In his arms, Baimaomao joined in with a cheerful,
“Gaa~”
Su Yao was speechless, having no way to deal with these two little ones.
She could only wave her hand helplessly and accept the name.
With this new name, Lang Junxian was officially settled into this home.
To celebrate the addition of a new family member — and also Baimaomao’s first time speaking
— Su Yao specially went into the mountains to gather ingredients and prepared a big table of delicious dishes.
The two people and one duck ate until their bellies were round.
Baimaomao lay sprawled on Lang Junxian’s stomach, sunbathing.
Su Yao, after cleaning up, went to the back mountain to cultivate.
The sun was warm and cozy, making one not want to move.
Baimaomao’s fluffy little belly rose and fell as it breathed, tiny wings lazily stretching, making it look like an irresistibly soft ball of fluff.
Lang Junxian’s ears twitched.
Looking at the yellow fluffy lump on his stomach, his tail subconsciously swished.
After basking for a while, Baimaomao suddenly gave a roll and sprang up, jumped to the ground, then turned to Lang Junxian and started quacking noisily.
Lang Junxian looked at him in confusion.
Baimaomao simply ran back, bit his pant leg, and started tugging him forward.
Lang Junxian stumbled from being pulled, almost losing his balance, but understood Baimaomao’s meaning and indulgently followed along.
Baimaomao waddled ahead, shaking its head and swaying its little backside, occasionally calling out to the sky.
It seemed to be in a very good mood.
They circled around the back mountain, waded across two small streams, and finally stopped in front of an ancient tree.
By now, the sun had begun to tilt westward, painting the clouds in the sky a shade of orange-red.
The ancient tree before them was lush with leaves, its branches swaying slightly in the breeze.
Lang Junxian crouched down and looked at Baimaomao.
“Why did you bring me here?”
Baimaomao tilted its head, grinned at Lang Junxian, then turned around and walked up to the ancient tree.
It tapped rhythmically on the tree trunk with its little beak.
The quiet ancient tree suddenly seemed to come alive.
Its branches all gave a slight shiver, and the leaves rustled in a chorus.
Lang Junxian watched in surprise but didn’t recklessly make a sound to startle them.
Baimaomao impatiently pecked the tree trunk twice more, urging it on with two little calls.
Then they saw the tree leaves rustle even more vigorously.
From within the thick canopy, a slender vine deftly lowered a bundle, gently placing it before Baimaomao.
Baimaomao excitedly flapped its little wings, stretched out its neck and rubbed against the vine.
The vine affectionately scratched Baimaomao’s tiny body, then slowly retreated back into the dense tree canopy.
Baimaomao began dragging the bundle, many times bigger than itself, over to Lang Junxian.
Its little black bean eyes sparkled with joy.
It was the first time sharing its little secret with a good friend — how happy it was.
Lang Junxian watched it wiggling along bit by bit, a barely noticeable smile lifting the corners of his mouth.
This little thing really was strong, but still far too small.
Lang Junxian took a step forward, just about to help Baimaomao, when suddenly a violent tremor shook the ground.
The earth rippled like water, then began to split apart in wide cracks.
The once-flat ground now fractured into huge chasms.
Baimaomao, being light, was directly thrown into the air by the violent shaking, giving a short, startled cry — before being caught by a strong hand.
Lang Junxian dug his claws firmly into a tree trunk, while using his other hand to carefully retract his claw hook and stuff Baimaomao into his clothes.
“Hold on tight.”
The sudden quake caused the ground to tear open in enormous rifts.
Where they stood seemed to be right at the epicenter.
The towering ancient tree was uprooted completely, toppling askew across the gaping crevice.
Lang Junxian tightened his grip on the tree trunk, clinging on with difficulty.
Baimaomao, after being jolted around midair a few times, was thoroughly frightened.
Now it curled up inside Lang Junxian’s clothes, trembling slightly.
Lang Junxian clenched his teeth, hugging the tree tightly.
With one arm freed up, he still found the time to comfort the terrified Baimaomao.
“Don’t be scared.”
Whether Baimaomao understood or not was unclear, but its tiny quivering body did seem to calm somewhat.
The little ball of fluff nestled against Lang Junxian and gave a gentle rub.
The quake showed no signs of stopping, coming in wave after wave.
The cracks spread at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Lang Junxian looked around.
Because of the widening fissures, they were now dangling right in the middle of the split, with nothing to stand on either side.
Below was a pitch-black abyss with no bottom in sight.
Lang Junxian felt a bit afraid, but sensing the warm little lump in his arms, he steeled his heart and prepared to carefully inch toward the slightly closer side.
Inside his clothes, Baimaomao let out an uneasy little cry.
Lang Junxian had no energy to comfort it, carefully clinging to the trembling tree trunk and inching closer to solid ground.