"Don't be afraid, we're here to treat you, not hurt you." Shang Xi gently stroked the puppy's back repeatedly. The little pup still had wide eyes, staring at her as if seeing a ghost, then lowered its gaze and looked at its small paws.
He...
Was he dreaming?
Gu Wen began to doubt himself. He had been drinking last night, so was he dreaming now that he had turned into a pup from his youth and was being held by Shang Xi to see the doctor?
But soon he realized this was not a dream.
Everything around him felt too real – Shang Xi's body temperature, her heartbeat close by. His body was completely powerless, feeling as weak as if he had suffered a severe injury.
Last night... he had gone to find Shang Xi, and in the end his body had become excruciatingly painful before he lost consciousness.
What happened?
He had actually turned into his pup form!
"It seems the little one is quite energetic, he should be fine. If you're still worried, we can give him a bath and check him over?" The doctor said with a smile.
"It doesn't seem to have any external injuries?" Shang Xi reached out and gently felt the little pup's body.
Gu Wen widened his eyes, not daring to move.
If he wasn't in his youth form now, he would be overjoyed – Shang Xi had never been so close to him before.
"Use this to restrain its mouth, I'm afraid it might bite me." The doctor joked. "I'll give it a bath later and get rid of any fleas."
The little pup, originally behaving calmly in Shang Xi's embrace, began to struggle uncooperatively.
Yeah right, he wasn't going to let them put that thing on him, nor have some other woman bathe him!
He didn't need a check-up at all right now!
Even if Shang Xi was speaking to him in an uncommonly gentle tone, it still wasn't okay.
He had to leave quickly and find a way to turn back!
Something must have happened last night.
Why did this happen at such a crucial time! Shang Xi had already moved out, they didn't see each other often, she would soon forget all about him...
With lingering reluctance, he broke free, gave Shang Xi's hand a final lick, fell to the floor and ran out.
"Little puppy!!" Shang Xi cried out.
The little pup nearly slipped at the door.
Ah, how familiar, a little dog again.
This woman...
Would never recognize him, would she?
Shang Xi hurried after him. Sure enough, the little pup kept slowing down, seemingly very weak.
Gu Wen felt utterly powerless, his vision starting to spin the further he ran.
The next moment, Shang Xi swiftly scooped him up. "Caught you!"
Shang Xi was slightly out of breath. "Don't be afraid, don't panic, we mean you no harm."
The little pup who had been so fierce with the doctor was so obedient with her, just lying there in her embrace, adorably.
Thinking this, Shang Xi smiled, "You don't have any issues, do you? Want to come home with me then?"
Gu Wen greedily breathed in the woman's scent, nearly getting lost in her tenderness. As he raised his head, he felt a soft sensation on top.
In an instant, he froze, stunned.
Shang Xi hadn't noticed anything yet. She held the little pup tighter and strode briskly home, having suddenly thought that her son would be upset to not see her when he woke up, as it was just his first day back home. She too had taken so long...
She didn't notice that the little pup she was tightly embracing had a glazed look in his dark eyes.
When he was in his adult form, Shang Xi would only reject and avoid him.
But this treatment now, it was simply...
To just follow her home like this, it didn't seem so bad?
Shang Xi hurried back home. It was 7:30, her son hadn't woken up yet, she was relieved.
She set the puppy down in the living room. "Don't run around or bark, okay? You'll get food soon, and after that we'll go buy you a dog bed."
She busied herself in the kitchen.
Gu Wen surveyed the clean two-bedroom apartment, leaving his scent around the living room as he trotted on his little legs. Finally, he went to the bedroom.
Looking at the closed bedroom door, he jumped up, turned the doorknob with his paw, and easily pushed the door open with his head.
Baby Shang rubbed his eyes and sat up in bed,
only to lock eyes with the black wolf pup at the door.
They stared at each other in awkward silence.
The next second, Baby Shang's eyes went wide. "!!!"
Gu Wen's gaze flickered with a hint of embarrassment and resignation.
"Who are you?" Baby Shang immediately scrambled out of bed, bare feet pattering to the doorway. "You, you're like me! Why are you in my home? What do you want?"
He was on full alert, calling out, "Mom!"
"Sweetie, you're awake?" Shang Xi's voice came from the busy kitchen. "Mom found a little wolf pup, don't be scared."
Hearing his mom was fine, Baby Shang relaxed.
But then he frowned at the uninvited guest. "You can fool my mom, but not me. You're clearly like me."
Not a regular human.
He sniffed. A flicker of confusion crossed his big eyes. "But why do you have my dad's scent?"
Gu Wen blinked at the little cub.
Earlier when he wasn't thinking straight, he had forgotten about the cub's existence and just followed Shang Xi home.
How could he explain that he was the cub's wolf dad?
No way.
How could the cub ever look him in the eye again after that!
"You're not... also one of Dad's cubs, are you?" Baby Shang suddenly had a thought, speaking slowly.
Gu Wen: "......"
"Dad is pure black, I'm pure black too, and so are you." Baby Shang felt more and more certain as he pieced it together.
Gu Wen: "......"
"But you're not as big as me, did Dad have you with someone else?" Baby Shang pursed his little lips, his young face serious. "Why did you come to my home? Did your mom send you? Do you want to hurt my mom?"
Gu Wen: "........."
"Why aren't you talking? Can't you speak?"
Baby Shang squatted down. "Hmph, just a little mute, huh."
Much like at Nanfeng Courtyard, Shang Xi had simply boiled some lamb and cut it into small chunks, frying two eggs sunny-side up and prepared a cup of wolfsmilk formula. "Sweetie, get washed up and have breakfast."
"Mom! Get rid of him, he's—" Baby Shang started, but stopped himself.
Gu Wen reached out a paw to cover the cub's mouth.
He let out a low whine, and Baby Shang understood.
"Dad only has one cub, me."
"I'm from your tribe."
"I was injured and your mom rescued me."
Seeing the blood stains at the corner of his mouth and the metallic scent, Baby Shang was half convinced. "Are you telling the truth?"
Gu Wen blinked, not answering but asking instead, "You must be very strong, right?"
Baby Shang immediately puffed out his little chest proudly, giving an affirmative hum.
"If I really meant harm, you could defeat me easily, couldn't you?"
Baby Shang considered this. Yes, that was true.
"Let me stay and heal for a few days," Gu Wen said entreatingly as the cub took the bait, his dark eyes narrowing slightly.
Baby Shang frowned. "I can tell Mom to send you back home."
"I can't go home right now."
"Why? Did someone hurt you?"
"Sweetie, do you really like this little wolf pup?" Shang Xi came out of the kitchen with the food, interrupting the two pups' conversation.
"Mom, where did you find him?"
"By the community gate," Shang Xi set down the dishes and joined them, squatting down. "How about having him as your little friend?"
Shang Xi had initially wondered if this was a wolf cub, but her son's reaction made her think she was overthinking it. How could a real wolf cub be so easily found?
If it were a wolf cub, her son would have loudly pointed it out right away.
She returned to the kitchen to cut the remaining lamb into even smaller pieces, mixing it with milk in a bowl to feed the little wolf pup.
Back in the living room.
Baby Shang asked awkwardly, "Are you also surnamed Gu?"
When the other nodded, he pursed his little lips. "I'm surnamed Shang, named Shang Bao. Since you're Gu, does that make you Gu Bao?"
Gu Wen didn't answer, instead saying, "Help me keep this secret from everyone, and you can have anything you want."
"Do you have any little gold bars?"
Gu Wen: "...I do."
Shang Bao said impolitely, "I want a box of gold ingots."
Gu Wen looked at the cub's chubby face, and the corners of his mouth twitched. "Okay."
Shang Xi carried the meat out of the kitchen, "Come, little black cub, eat quickly."
Shang Xi stroked the little black cub's head and smiled, "So cute, fuzzy and soft."
Shang Bao took a bite of meat and heard this, hurrying down from the stool. "Mama, pet me too, I'm also fuzzy."
"Mama, am I not the cutest?"
Gu Wen: ...
This cub is really too eager for affection.
Shang Xi felt that her happy, fuzzy-loving life had begun. "Yes, the cub is the cutest, the little black cub is the second cutest."
Moving out of Nanfeng Courtyard is too great, she suddenly has two fuzzy ones.
"The little black cub has finished eating, I'll give you a bath, you have to be good."
Gu Wen's body stiffened.
A bath?
Is she joining too?
Lone Wolf: Cuddling with the wife~~~
The transition period for the two of them, the Lone Wolf turns into a cub, can't write much longer. This book is estimated to be completed within 400,000 words.
