Chapter 16

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Fang Ji's expression changed, and he reached for the dagger in his embrace. But in that instant, Lin Lang had already turned Fang Qing's arm and pressed her onto the table.

"Sorry, Father!" Lin Lang raised his head and said to Lin Qiang, "A Shui had another episode. Fang Ji and I were just trying to take her back inside."

Lin Qiang frowned and sneered, "Troublesome thing! Quickly get her out of here!"

"Apologies," Lin Lang lowered his gaze, "Is there something you need?"

"Tomorrow, get some foreign fireworks for me and bring them to my room..." Lin Qiang's voice trailed off, and he suddenly caught a whiff of a faint kerosene smell. He sniffed, asking, "What's this smell?"

Lin Qiang looked down and saw the broken glass pieces on the floor. He couldn't help exclaiming, "Oh! This... this lamp!"

Lin Lang lowered his head. "I... I accidentally..."

"I knocked it over!"

Lin Qiang was momentarily stunned, and his wrist was suddenly grabbed. He turned to see Fang Ji's eyes and involuntarily took a sharp breath. He instinctively tried to pull his hand back, but Fang Ji held onto it firmly. Fang Ji's other hand hooked around Lin Qiang's neck, and he leaned in, whispering in his ear, "Please don't use your hands to pick it up. If you get hurt again, I'll feel guilty. I'll buy you a new one another day. Is that okay?"

The flesh on Lin Qiang's cheeks trembled with anger. He gritted his teeth, "You... you..."

Seeing his reaction, Fang Ji said apologetically, "Alright, then. How about this? I'll go to the town with you now. I think there might be some shops still open. I'll buy the fireworks and bring them to your house. How does that sound?"

"No need!" Lin Qiang struggled to push him away, and Fang Ji released his grip on him. Lin Qiang's balance wavered, and he stumbled backward, managing to steady himself against the wall. He glared at Fang Ji, muttered something under his breath, and then slammed the door shut as he turned and left.

Watching Lin Qiang's figure disappear outside the courtyard, Fang Ji breathed a sigh of relief. When he turned around, he saw Lin Lang crouching on the ground, using his hands to pick up the greasy glass shards.

"I'll do it," Fang Ji quickly crouched down, holding onto Lin Lang's hands. "You..."

"I won't say anything," Lin Lang interrupted him, avoiding Fang Ji's gaze. "So, you don't need to pretend to be nice to me anymore."

The night had fallen completely, and in the distance, a few owls emitted low hoots.

Fang Ji couldn't sleep soundly. In his drowsy state, he faintly heard Fang Qing calling his name.

He sat up suddenly and saw Fang Qing crouching by his bed, making a gesture to indicate silence. Then she grabbed his hand.

Fang Ji's gaze momentarily froze, and he subconsciously glanced at Lin Lang beside him. Lin Lang was lying quietly with his back turned, breathing steadily and rhythmically in his sleep.

The two of them then climbed over the courtyard wall and made their way through the dark woods in the direction of the town.

Stepping on dry twigs and ash-colored soil, ascending steep mountain paths, Fang Ji's breathing grew more labored. Soon, a faint metallic taste of blood rose in his throat. Suddenly, his foot seemed to step on something soft. Looking down, he saw a severed arm, with its twisted grassy roots, oozing black blood that flowed like a small branch into the blood-red earth.

Looking around, he saw piles of corpses and white bones scattered across the mountains. Countless maggots wriggled out of hollow eye sockets, their mouths moving rhythmically as they chewed on still-fresh flesh. Illuminated by the pale moonlight, they glistened like ripples of blood in a sea of crimson.

A moan suddenly echoed in his ears. Fang Ji's steps faltered, and he turned to look, only to see Fang Qing crouching down, clutching her stomach, trembling uncontrollably. A surge of panic coursed through Fang Ji as he reached out to steady her. However, his touch met wetness, and he realized her clothes were soaked in blood. Cold sweat dripped down her forehead, and her face had turned as pale as paper.

His legs went weak, and he knelt down beside her. Opening his mouth to call her name, he found his throat inexplicably blocked, and he couldn't produce a sound. Amidst the chaos, another wolf howl echoed from behind him. His heart skipped a beat as he turned his head and saw countless eyes emitting a phosphorescent green glow, aligning themselves like a sea of lights in the pitch-black forest. The green light continued to expand, casting countless elongated shadows that danced and merged on the mountain walls, finally taking on human forms. Their lips were curled back to their ears, saliva dripping from their exposed teeth, their eyes a glaring pair of dark green, fixated on the two siblings.

Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his shoulder. Someone pounced on Fang Ji's back, their claws piercing his flesh, and their mouth was about to bite into his neck. Fang Ji let out a muffled groan and attempted to elbow him off, but another person lunged forward and grabbed Fang Qing's legs. Fang Ji's movement froze, and he changed his tactic, using his fist to knock the person off balance. At the same time, the person behind him sunk their fangs into the back of his neck, causing blood to gush out and excruciating pain to shoot through his nerves. More people descended, countless claws tearing through his flesh. He gritted his teeth, only able to extend his arm to shield Fang Qing beneath him.

"Get away!"

A voice suddenly resounded behind him. Fang Ji felt a lightness on his back, and he saw Lin Lang gripping the person's neck, lifting him into the air.

The air fell silent for a moment, their actions freezing. Everyone turned their gaze to Lin Lang.

"White-eyed wolf! Wretched creature!" Someone shouted.

"White-eyed wolf! Wretched creature!"

"White-eyed wolf! Wretched creature!"

Countless voices joined in the chorus, creating a buzzing sound.

...

As if an invisible fire ignited within the green light, the people turned towards Lin Lang and lunged at him. Claws and fangs tore through flesh, leaving trails of blood on his body. They relentlessly gnawed, yet he seemed oblivious. He stood still amidst the chaos, his gaze fixed on Fang Ji, his lips stained with blood trembling slightly. He spoke, "Now... you can go..."

Fang Ji's pupils constricted. He opened his mouth, but his throat still refused to make a sound. Just then, Lin Lang suddenly stumbled, on the verge of disappearing within the crowd. Fang Ji hurriedly grabbed his hand, attempting to pull him out. However, Lin Lang's arm was torn away, turning into black-red blood in his hands, flowing out from between his fingers in an instant.

"Lin Lang!"

The words he had been choking on finally burst forth. His vision blurred for an instant, and the red figure before him transformed into a hazy halo, fading away into the boundless darkness. He jolted awake, his eyes fixed on the moonlight filtering through the window lattice, refusing to blink even as his eyes grew red and sore.

He finally confirmed it was just a dream. He took a few deep breaths, gradually relaxing his tense nerves, and closed his eyes, exhaling a long sigh.

When he opened his eyes again, his heartbeat had returned to normal. He turned his head, but his gaze landed on the empty bed beside him. He was briefly stunned before abruptly springing up from the bed, reaching out to touch the bedspread. It was cold, indicating that the person had been gone for a while.

The dream-like scene played before his eyes. Fang Ji's heart raced uncontrollably, a shiver coursing through him as if an electric shock.

"Lin Lang?"

Fang Ji called out, his voice fading into the deathly silence, without any response. He rose to his feet, his foot accidentally kicking something. A tingling sensation shot from his heel to his calf, but he paid it no mind. He stumbled to open the door to the inner room, where he saw Fang Qing lying sound asleep on the bed. His anxiety eased slightly, and he turned to run into the courtyard, scouring every corner, yet the figure he was looking for was nowhere to be found.

"Lin Lang!"

He shouted again, yet the night remained as deathly silent as before, offering no response, as if silently mocking him from the shadows.

The moon illuminated the village of Shangyang with its silver glow, casting a mixture of deep and shallow shadows across the mountains. Everything was quiet, as if in deathly slumber.

Suddenly, a young wolf emerged from the grass, chasing a green mantis through the underbrush, relentlessly pushing it towards the edge of a cliff.

The mantis stood its ground on a stone, its forelimbs moving like sickles as it faced the young wolf. The young wolf froze, crouching down and emitting a series of low growls from its throat. Unfazed, the mantis lunged forward with its hooked forelimbs, striking the wolf's nose. The young wolf yelped in pain, about to retaliate with barks, when a hand suddenly shot out, gripping its muzzle tightly.

Letting out a muffled groan, the young wolf was then lifted up in the air by that hand. It looked up, catching the scent of Lin Lang on the person holding it. Gradually, it quieted down, its front paws scraping against Lin Lang's chest as it playfully rolled around in his arms.

A low growl echoed in the distance. The young wolf shivered, turning to see the head wolf lying behind Lin Lang. A bald spot marked its forehead, and its eyes were locked onto the young wolf. The young wolf hastily tucked its tail and burrowed deeper into Lin Lang's embrace. Lin Lang reached out and rubbed the head wolf's head, soothing it into silence.

A gust of wind suddenly rose, carrying with it rustling sounds that seemed to come from nowhere. A tremor ran through Lin Lang, and he swiftly turned his head, only to see the leaves rustling. The sound resembled footsteps. He lowered his gaze and turned his head slowly, his reddened eyes fixated on Shangyang Village in the distance. Gradually, everything before him started to blur, fading into a misty sea of light.

Blinking his eyes, he buried his face in his hands, roughly rubbing his cheeks.

The young wolf tilted its head, observing his movements curiously. It sniffed at his face and was about to lick it, when a black shadow suddenly flickered past its vision. It extended its front paws to brace against Lin Lang's shoulder and squinted its eyes, spotting a person standing in the moonlit distance. Its fur stood on end, and it began to bark wildly.

Lin Lang was startled. He clearly heard footsteps drawing nearer, accompanied by rapid breaths. He slowly turned around, the invisible hand clutching his heart as his breathing faltered, and he froze in place.

"Lin Lang!" Fang Ji's voice, accompanied by heavy panting, sounded from behind him. Lin Lang seemed to snap back to reality, abruptly turning around to lock eyes with Fang Ji. He pressed his fingers to his lips and let out a sharp whistle.

The short and piercing whistle reverberated, prompting the wolf pack to suddenly spring into action. They formed a protective barrier in front of Fang Ji, raising their bodies and emitting low warning growls, ready to pounce and snap at his neck at any moment.

Fang Ji's steps halted as he gazed at the wolves before him. He looked at Lin Lang's face and said, "Lin Lang, I..."

"Stay back!" Lin Lang interrupted him, his voice stern. "Or else I'll..."

"Or else what?!" Fang Ji fixed his gaze on Lin Lang. "Lin Lang, you told me they won't hurt me."

"I was lying."

"Is that so?" Fang Ji paused, then continued, "Lin Lang, if I lie to you and gain something from you, what do you gain by lying to me?"

Lin Lang's expression shifted slightly, momentarily at a loss for words. Fang Ji continued, "You think we left, don't you?"

"That's up to you! What does it matter to me what happens to you?"

"Then why are you still here?"

Lin Lang's face turned pale. He hesitated for a moment before stuttering, "I... I thought..."

"You thought that as long as we left the village, we'd be able to escape, right? So you intentionally hid to create a chance for us to escape, didn't you?" Fang Ji took a step toward Lin Lang.

"Don't come any closer!" Lin Lang shouted. The wolves emitted another low growl, baring their snow-white fangs, their jaws brushing against Fang Ji's legs, leaving their saliva on his pants.

Ignoring this, Fang Ji took another step closer.

"I told you not to come any closer!" Lin Lang shouted again. The wolves surged forward, nudging Fang Ji's legs gently with their bodies.

As the two of them drew closer, Lin Lang's face turned white. He hastily stepped back, but accidentally stepped onto empty space. His balance wavered, and he was on the verge of falling. Suddenly, a hand gripped his arm, yanking him back abruptly. Lin Lang stumbled backward, colliding into Fang Ji's embrace.

Lin Lang's body stiffened, and he was about to push Fang Ji away. However, he could feel Fang Ji's trembling and the rhythm of his heartbeat, vividly conveyed to him.

"Lin Lang, I just had a terrible dream. I dreamt that the villagers had beaten you to death," Fang Ji's voice quivered as he buried his face in Lin Lang's shoulder. His voice trailed off, trembling, "And when I woke up, I didn't see you. I felt like... I was going crazy."

Lin Lang's heart jolted violently. The hand that had been suspended in the air hung there for a moment before it lowered, gently patting Fang Ji's quivering back. "I'm fine..."

Fang Ji lifted his head, his gaze fixed on Lin Lang's face. He saw Lin Lang's wet eyes and extended his hand to touch his face, encountering dampness. Fang Ji couldn't help but freeze. "Did you cry?"

A blush crept up Lin Lang's face, and he instinctively turned his head away from Fang Ji's gaze. "No, I..."

The next moment, his voice trailed off because Fang Ji suddenly cupped his face, causing Lin Lang's eyes to widen in astonishment. He watched as Fang Ji's face slowly drew closer, becoming increasingly blurry, and then he felt a light kiss land on his wet cheek.

Lin Lang's entire body stiffened, and his blood seemed to pause for a moment before rushing to his face.

The kiss was so fleeting, as if it had been a mere illusion. Lin Lang lowered his gaze, his eyes unintentionally falling on Fang Ji's lips, glistening with moisture. He remained in a daze for a long time before finally asking, "What was that just now...?"

Fang Ji was momentarily unsure how to respond. After pondering for a while, he finally said, "It's... a request for you not to cry by yourself, okay?"

Lin Lang's gaze flickered, fixated on Fang Ji's face, yet he remained silent.

A silence settled between them. Fang Ji pursed his lips, gazing at Lin Lang's face before he continued, "Lin Lang, if you're mad at me, is it okay if I let you hit me a couple of times?" Seeing Lin Lang's lack of response and his frozen expression, Fang Ji couldn't help but pause, "Lin Lang? Are you..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Lang suddenly grabbed the back of his neck and pulled him in.

Fang Ji was caught off guard, his body leaning forward. The next moment, his lips were sealed by Lin Lang's.

***The Original Title***

Fang Ji was momentarily stunned, tilting his head forward, and the next moment, his lips were sealed.

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Author's Note:

I'm not good at writing romantic scenes (つД`)