Chapter 118: You are?

Wú Haodong knew nothing of the emotional state he had left Murong Meimei in.

When he slipped out of the house he had seen a contract for a subsidiary company that they at Gaoshan worked closely with.

He knew that this place was looking for a new spokesmodel for their brand.

"Hmm, I'll give you a hand in return for your kindness."

He had mumbled to himself as he snuck out of the home.

Wú Haodong then immediately went to the recycling and searched all around there. He found a pool of blood and his phone, but no guns or the mask.

He checked his phone and found several missed calls and messages. Most of which were from Qin Qianyu.

"Oh, she's awake now."

He read all her messages with a frown. Each message became more and more aggressive as they were sent. Then he read the last one.

[P.S Please come home safely.]

He sighed lightly in frustration and quickly left the area in an agitated mood. He was feeling both of these as he wouldn't be back anytime soon because of several reasons. One was, he didn't have his "old" face. He had lost his mask. That, and the fact he still doesn't know who had attacked him and forced him into his current predicament.

He still went back though, one reason was to get those letters he had written and the other was to change out of his borrowed clothes.

He made it back and there was still only Bai Saan at the homestead.

He quickly took the letters back which were still on the dining table and headed back to his courtyard.

"Saan! . . "

With the call, the Tiger flashed and appeared in front of him. Wú Haodong got down so that he was eye level with the Tiger and stared him in the eyes.

"Have you noticed anything strange since I left?"

Bai Saan didn't react. Wú Haodong nodded.

"I'm not sure what's going on yet, but you have to be extra vigilant. Protect Qin Qianyu and her family well, you got it!?"

Bai Saan gave a throaty growl and followed it up by raising his paw.

Wú Haodong nods and gives the Tiger a pet. He then went to fetch him a meal seeing that it's been a full day since he would have last eaten.

When he was done feeding Bai Saan, Wú Haodong went to his room. He wanted to shower after checking his wounds.

"Tsk! . . Damn it all . . . geahh!"

Wú Haodong winced as he removed all the gauzing after he unbound the bandage.

He gingerly felt around the wounds. His flesh was tender to the touch. He complained to himself as he readied the shower.

The entire showering process was a chore and pain. When he was done, he retrieved the suturing kit and started to sew himself up closing the wounds as best he could.

He then took some medicine that Qin Qianyu had made and left for him when they all still stayed in South city and tentatively applied the ointment.

When he was done he fell on his bed to recover a little before heading off again. He bandaged his midriff again and changed into comfortable home clothing.

Feeling more refreshed, he looked at the clothing that Murong Meimei had given him. They were a little stained so he went into the main house to use the washer and dryer.

After washing the garments he placed them in the dryer and sat on the couch as he waited.

"Arghhhh!"

A scream rang out, Wú Haodong opened his eyes to see the Qin family staring at him in fright.

Wú Haodong looked around and saw it was around mid morning.

"I actually fell asleep!"

His eyes went wide and he instinctively looked to Qin Qianyu for a quick remedy. She cupped her chin teasing Wú Haodong after seeing his panicked face.

"You are?"

Qin Haoran asked with concern. He looked around the house and saw nothing out of place as he stood in front of Ouyang Zihan and Qin Qianyu.

Wú Haodong's long blink while waiting for the clothes to dry had turned into a deep sleep. But he couldn't be blamed for that. It was all part of the medicine's process and effect.

He quickly stood up and cupped his mouth trying to figure out what to say.

"Wú Xiaodong I thought you were coming next month?"

" . . . "

Wú Haodong cocked his head at Qin Qianyu as she muttered out a name. Qin Haoran and Ouyang Zihan looked to Qin Qianyu as Ouyang Zihan asked with a questioning tone,

"Wú Xiaodong?"

"Mhm, Mum, dad, this is Wú Xiaodong, a relative of Grandpa Wú. Brother Xiaodong it's really good to see you again."

"Yea . . Yeah, you to ah, Xiaoyu . . sis . . "

" . . . "

The couple took another look at the young man that was previously sleeping on the couch and could see a slight resemblance to Wú Haodong in the boy.

"Oh? is that so? It's a pleasure to meet you. Well, please excuse my scream earlier. I seem to have disturbed your nap."

"No it's fine . . Ah . . "

Ouyang Zihan could see the struggle in Wú Xiaodong's face and giggled.

She misconstrued this to mean he didn't know who she was or how he should address her.

However, it was because he almost called her by her first name, he had to bite back on his tongue.

"Hehe, Aunty is fine, Aunty Ouyang, and that makes this guy here your Uncle okay!"

Qin Haoran nodded to Wú Xiaodong.

Wú Xiaodong however was at a loss. He had to run with it now otherwise they might call an asylum on him, so he politely bowed to the couple and welcomed them back home.

"Apologies for the abrupt meeting and weird introduction. I didn't . . I mean, Grandpa Wú didn't tell me everyone would be back today."

"I only put some clothes in the dryer and seemed to have nodded off waiting for them."

"It's fine Xiaodong, make yourself at home. Yu'er, why don't you take Wú Xiaodong for a tour of the house."

"Okay. Come bother Xiaodong, follow me."

Wú Haodong nodded to the couple and excused himself. He quickly grabbed the clothes out of the dryer and followed after Qin Qianyu.

"Xiaodong? . . Really!? . . "

Wú Haodong complained. Qin Qianyu flashed him a cheeky smile as she replied,

"What's wrong with it? I like it. It was actually a toss up between Xiaodong or Haohao, both are good aren't they?"

" . . . "

"Anyway! you! Why didn't you message or call me back? . . At least give uncle Lin a call, he's plenty worried for you, you know."

"I will when I have time, I've only just gotten back myself."

Qin Qianyu cocked an eyebrow and looked at the clothes in his hand.

"Those are female clothes . . . Don't tell me the first thing you wanted to do after being cured was to try woman's clothes on old man? Do you perhaps have a cross dressing fetish!? . . I have a few dresses that would look perfect on you!"

Wú Haodong saw a dangerous look in Qin Qianyu's eyes. It was filled with expectations.

Wú Haodong groaned lightly then muttered out aloud,

"Tsk . . Fetish your damn head! Enough about me, how about you? Why are all back? How are you doing physically? . . Is it alright to be out of hospital this quickly?"

"Mhm, the doc gave Wu Yihuan and I, the all clear this morning, and so, here we are."

"Mhm, that's a relief."

Qin Qianyu looked and saw that the stern look on Wú Haodong's face had soften some.

She cracked a smile then added,

"Well, look at you parading around showing off your new face. Haha, how many hearts have you made flutter while out and about? Tell me, has this new look finally grown on you?"

Qin Qianyu quipped as she hit his stomach area. As she did, she started frowning.

She had noticed Wú Haodong wincing from the playful tap she gave him.

She grabbed him by his shoulders and stared at him deeply in the eyes.

"You're injured?"

Wú Haodong just nodded. Qin Qianyu didn't say anything more. She took Wú Haodong by the hand and led him straight into her room.

Wú Haodong couldn't look back at her due to feeling guilty. She had already worn herself out by making the Asura elixir and curing him, and now he's hurt himself again.

Qin Qianyu had Wú Haodong sit on her bed and she started to lift his shirt. Qin Qianyu undid the bandage wrapped around him, she noticed the positioning of the wounds looked like claw marks.

Qin Qianyu's concerned look was quickly replaced with a mocking smirk,

"Good job! Go on, go do it again!"

"Huh!? . . Do . . Do what again?"

"Pick on Bai Saan some more. How hard where you two fighting for him to cause this much . . Damage! . . Wait! . . If you're like this!? . . Then, Bai Saan! Where's Bai Saan!?"

She bellowed out in an agitated and panicked tone.

Qin Qianyu had seen the wound and assumed it was done by an animal. She naturally drew a conclusion to it being Bai Saan that injured Wú Haodong.

"This didn't happen because of him. We didn't fight alright."

Realisation hit her then she asked with a scowl and her voice was low,

"Was this because of the Xiong family?"

Wú Haodong didn't respond to Qin Qianyu, instead, he explained as much as he could remember.

"I left here and headed towards the Xiong mansion, first, I decided to head out to King's villa,"

"King?"

"Xiong Wang. My old friend and father to Xiong Jianguo."

Qin Qianyu nodded and Wú Haodong continued.

"However as I got closer to the villa, I was attacked by someone . . or rather something."

"During my fight with it, for a while there, it felt as though it was learning from me the more we fought."

"I think it was being chased, but by what or whom, I have no idea. I just know that I had no chance of beating it. I think it may have taken he as one of the hunters."

"You keep calling "it" an it!?"

"It's because I'm not sure what it was."

Wú Haodong described the thing he fought against the best he could.

He tells her that it's limbs were elongated in comparison to his torso. It's eyes were like large almonds but they were pitch black and lifeless.

It's fingers were the same, they were like claws with nails as tough and sharp as steel.

"That's how I got these. It even shattered my xynomite lion dog mask!"

Qin Qianyu was shocked, Xynomite was an extremely tough metal.

He then tells Qin Qianyu that whomever was chasing it, managed to gain its attention and it fled in one direction as he did the same thing, boosting in the opposite direction away from it.

"It's speed wasn't enough to keep up with shadowless steps which gave me a chance to escape. I couldn't go see the Xiong family in the state I was in. If . . If the Xiong family had indeed defected to Xi Jiangshan . . "

"Then you would have been easy pickings for them."

Qin Qianyu interjected, Wú Haodong nodded then replied,

"Mhm . . That's right."

" . . . "

Qin Qianyu nodded. She was puzzled by the oddity. She never heard of anything like this happening in her future.

"Maybe in my former life, Grandpa Wú had already died so he never had the encounter with this thing. And if it were a government project or similar than there's no way it would make the news unless something extreme or unfathomable happened to cause widespread panic."

Qin Qianyu analysed and thought to herself. She shared those thoughts of hers with Wú Haodong. Leaving out the obvious points of her life she shouldn't share.

He nodded at that assumption but added begrudgingly,

"Xiaoyu, I . . I have to leave just in case it can track me here. I also lost my mask so I can't stay either way."

"What!? . . Say, if we didn't come home today and catch you having a nana nap, would you have taken off, leaving us here without saying a damn word!?"

" . . Mhm, . . Yeah that was the plan."

"What are you talking about old man!? . . Look! There's a higher chance of you and I taking out that thing then either of us alone. Plus we have Bai Saan with us too."

"But . . "

Wú Haodong wanted to protest more but Qin Qianyu cut him off and stared at him angrily.

"Tsk! . . If it's tracked you here, then we're all screwed either way. But with the three of us together, our chances of beating that thing is increased exponentially."

" . . . "

"Tsk, why can't you just say you found a stray dog . . Or went out to find and meet with a woman!? . . "

" . . . "

"No you have to find a damn humanoid stick insect instead! . . Besides where would you go!? . . Would Bai Saan and I have to come looking for you again!? Would we stumble on another temple!? . . Tsk! Just stay here alright. Have you already forgotten that we're both on house arrest!?"

" . . . "

Wú Haodong said nothing. He was rendered speechless. Seeing him not answering pissed Qin Qianyu off so she poked him in the stitches looking for a reaction.

"Wahh! . . Tssss!"

"Oh!? So you are alive!? . . Can make grunts and groans but can't even answer me!"

" . . Mhm, sorry, you're right, alright! . . Damn!"

"Huh!? . . Damn what!?"

Wú Haodong saw the piercing look Qin Qianyu was giving him. He quickly cleared his throat and mumbled,

"Dam holds water . . "

Qin Qianyu rolled her eyes at him as she lightly snorted out her nostrils. She knew he was only thinking of her parents and herself as to the reason he wanted to leave.

"He would rather die alone than involve any of us the damn fool!"

Qin Qianyu thought to herself. After saying her piece, she went to her wardrobe and took some things from the bio safe there.

It was an improved ointment she made before heading to Laos. She mixed in a few drops of her Asura pond water then started applying it to Wú Haodong's wounds.

While she was doing that, she made him call Lin Xie and let him know that he's fine.

Wú Haodong nodded and did just that.

Besides he also wanted Lin Xie to investigate the human stick insect that had attacked him as well.

The next day, he got all the information he was looking for.