Chapter 65: The Giant Wolf

The fishy scent lingering in the air seemed to hold an immense attraction for him. Yan Zhuo's Adam's apple bobbed up and down, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on Meng Fanghao's corpse until the surroundings faded into a hazy dimness.

Qu Yan covered his eyes with one hand, saying, "Don't look."

The cool temperature from Qu Yan's fingertips caused Yan Zhuo to lose his focus for a fraction of a second. The hand hanging by his side clenched tightly into a fist, fresh blood staining the white gauze crimson—pain was the simplest way to regain clarity.

"Something's wrong, this isn't Meng Fanghao," Yu Yang muttered, squatting on the ground with a frown.

"How is that possible? This is clearly Meng Fanghao," Lan Yin retorted.

"Meng Fanghao had a black mole right below her right eye, and her prominent brow bone gave her high brow ridges, not to mention a rounder, blunter face shape," Yu Yang stated with solid reasoning.

As he spoke, he shifted his gaze to Wu Lang, seeking his agreement. "Boss, you know me, my memory has always been exceptionally good."

Wu Lang bent his waist, staring down at the corpse on the ground. The body was covered in a layer of silvery-white fish scales, making it difficult to discern its original appearance. With a cigarette hanging from his lips, he shook his head and said, "I can't tell."

"Then what do you mean? If this isn't Meng Fanghao, who else could it be?" Lan Yin pressed further.

Yu Yang pushed his glasses up with one finger and said quite calmly, "I said she isn't Meng Fanghao, but I didn't say she isn't Meng Fanghao at all."

Lan Yin choked for a moment. "Then isn't that still..."

"He means that this corpse is indeed Meng Fanghao, but the face might not be hers," Qu Yan said.

"Exactly." Yu Yang looked at Qu Yan, a touch of excitement in his tone. "It's getting more and more interesting. It seems this corpse has immense research value."

Lan Yin reminded him, "You're a healing-type ability user, not an anatomy-type one."

Yu Yang was not provoked by him. "This is the apocalypse, and dissection can also be considered a means of healing."

...

Meng Fanghao's corpse was taken away by Yu Yang, while Qu Yan and Yan Zhuo rode back in Wu Lang's car.

Yan Zhuo did not show any abnormalities while in the car, but this was merely on the surface. Sitting close beside him, Qu Yan could clearly feel his scorching temperature and burning breath.

Yan Zhuo's body was undergoing some kind of transformation, yet Qu Yan had no idea how to stop it.

Sitting in the front passenger seat, Lan Yin turned his head to look at them, raising an eyebrow with a teasing tone, "Pardon me, could you two please consider other people's feelings?"

Qu Yan's hand covering Yan Zhuo's eyes had never relaxed. Being in a dim environment for a long time inevitably induces drowsiness, and Yan Zhuo was extremely groggy at the moment, resting his head on Qu Yan's shoulder. From an outsider's perspective, they were in a very intimate posture.

Qu Yan mouthed silently to Lan Yin, "Shut up."

Lan Yin shrugged and wisely said no more.

A thin layer of snow had accumulated on the doormat, fallen near dusk. The cold wind and chill were firmly locked outside, leaving only the sound of the whistling wind audible.

Yan Zhuo was half-lying across the sofa. Being tall, the short and narrow sofa could not accommodate his frame, forcing him to curl up his limbs.

Qu Yan reached out to touch Yan Zhuo's forehead; his skin was still burning hot.

With his eyes half-closed and far from lucid, Yan Zhuo instinctively grabbed Qu Yan's hand, pressing his face against it with a desperate longing. "A-Yan..."

"I'm here," Qu Yan responded to him.

Looking up at him, Yan Zhuo's eyes were swimming with moisture. "I like you, A-Yan."

"I know."

"A-Yan, don't be afraid of me... I don't want to become a monster..." The love he had finally managed to obtain filled his heart with trepidation.

"You won't."

"Really?" The scarlet color in Yan Zhuo's eyes flickered in and out, looking like a beast locking onto its prey when he glanced up.

Qu Yan did not find it terrifying. "Really. Didn't I tell you? I won't lie to you anymore."

Yan Zhuo's hot kisses landed on Qu Yan's palm and between his fingers, dense and rapid, mixed with damp exhales. His canine teeth slightly exposed themselves, rubbing against Qu Yan's fingertips. "A-Yan, tie me up with your vines."

He pressed his hands and feet together, submitting himself entirely to whatever might come.

"There's no need..."

"That's the only way I can feel at ease. Don't leave me even the slightest chance to hurt you."

The adoration in his eyes was palpable. Yan Zhuo was like a simple-minded little wolf, hiding none of his fondness and love. Looking at him, Qu Yan found himself unable to refuse.

Inky green vines emerged, rustling as they climbed onto the sofa, wrapped around Yan Zhuo's body, and finally coiled a few times around his bound hands and feet.

Because of the intense heat, the blue liquid spreading up to his neck became even more turbulent, climbing up Yan Zhuo's cheeks at a visible speed and revealing several blue patterns across his face.

Qu Yan stroked his damp, flushed cheek, his voice soft. "Sleep. I'll stay with you."

The itching sensation spreading from his face made Yan Zhuo tremble involuntarily. "Don't look at me."

He pleaded, burying his chin into the soft sofa cushion. "It's ugly."

His hair was drenched with sweat, and his face was covered in aggressive, twisting blue patterns. Without looking in a mirror, Yan Zhuo knew how disheveled he must appear right now.

Chen Yuning had once told him that at times one needed to show appropriate weakness; as long as one put on a pitiful expression, it could trade for pity and affection—a remarkably cost-effective tactic.

At this moment, Yan Zhuo refused to do so, hence he buried his face into the sofa pillow, evading Qu Yan's gaze in the crudest way possible.

With his consciousness blurred, it was only a moment later that he heard a light chuckle from above his head. Following that, his ear was pinched, the pillow was pulled away, and with the air circulating, he took a deep breath.

Qu Yan cupped his chin, looking at his face made even redder by the suffocation. Those blue liquids flowed beneath the skin of his cheeks; far from being ugly, they possessed a kind of ravaged beauty.

"What are you hiding for? I think it looks good."

How could anyone think he looked good like this? Yan Zhuo's first reaction was that Qu Yan was humoring him, but then he recalled what Qu Yan had just said—he would not lie to him.

His mind, sluggish from the heavy drowsiness, failed to process this, leaving him to obediently look at Qu Yan.

"Need proof? I'm not telling a lie." Guessing his thoughts, Qu Yan rolled his wheelchair closer to the edge of the sofa, leaned down, and lowered his head. "How should I prove it, let me think..."

Yan Zhuo stared at him unblinkingly, his scarlet eyes revealing a hint of pure innocence. His lips were parted slightly, the tip of his soft tongue faintly visible.

Qu Yan suddenly kissed down. Instead of touching those lips that beckoned to him, he instead bit down lightly on Yan Zhuo's Adam's apple.

It did not hurt; it felt more like flirting. The tingling sensation spread like an electric current through his entire body, provoking a physiological tear in Yan Zhuo's eyes. He let out a breathy sound, his waist trembling.

Only then did Qu Yan capture Yan Zhuo's lips. His lips were burning hot as well, like a piece of butter slowly melting on a pan. "Is this proof enough?"

Yan Zhuo was flushed all over, his breathing rapid. "That's too intense, A-Yan."

The blue liquid covered his entire body, and every casual touch from Qu Yan was an excruciating provocation. He was hot and itchy, his whole body drenched in warm, clammy sweat.

The sofa creaked. First, two wolf ears popped out, followed by a tail. Yan Zhuo's bound hands and feet twitched twice, and realizing what was happening, he rushed his words, "Hurry and leave, A-Yan, no... stay away from me."

He used his tied hands to push Qu Yan's wheelchair away, while tumbling off the sofa himself.

The wheelchair rolled back a couple of inches, knocking over an empty vase on the coffee table, which clattered across the carpet. By the time Qu Yan lowered his head to look, a massive shadow suddenly loomed over him.

The incandescent light was completely blocked out, and heavy breathing washed down from above. The first things Qu Yan saw were a pair of thick wolf paws and the crushed vines being trampled beneath them.

His pupils shrank slightly, and his gaze traveled slowly upward, finally taking in the colossal beast before him—a gigantic wolf with dangerous deep-red eyes and sharp fangs, staring fixedly at him.