Marrying the Soft-hearted Villain

“You…” Xie Yu was furious, his voice trembling with anger.

He raised his sharp wolf claws, pointing them at Ruan Qiuqiu from a distance, his expression twisted. “Ruan Qiuqiu, are you courting death?”

Xie Yu took a deep breath, his whole body shaking with rage. “You wretch, I'll give you one more chance. Kneel down and apologize to me right now, and I'll consider leaving your corpse intact.”

Ruan Qiuqiu looked at the beast in front of her, devoid of any grace, his eyes gleaming with malice, ready to pounce and strangle her at any moment. She took a step back.

The surrounding wolf demons jeered, their faces full of malicious intent.

Under the swirling snow, the humans, her fellow humans, mostly watched with amusement, eager to see how she would be dealt with.

Ning Yue, the young wolf demon at the side, also wore a look of disbelief and confusion, still reeling from the shock of hearing seemingly gentle Ruan Qiuqiu use such foul language.

Ruan Qiuqiu glanced at Xie Yu's wolf claws, several sizes smaller than Mr. Big Bad Wolf's, and at his insult, “wretch,” she found it somewhat amusing.

She knew this vulgar wolf demon wouldn't let her go. Even if she hadn't insulted him, he would have found a thousand reasons to humiliate her after she called him “Brother Yu,” and even humiliate Mr. Big Bad Wolf in the process.

She had acted impulsively, not just impulsively, but also naively.

But her impulsiveness and naiveté weren't because she had insulted the wolf demon, but because she had foolishly believed she could find help in the Flame Wolf Tribe.

In this tribe full of indifference, a tribe that had abandoned Mr. Big Bad Wolf.

How were these wolves any different from the lions of the Wind Lion Tribe who had treated her as a tool to exchange for salt stones?

Oh, there was a difference. These ungrateful wolves also carried contempt for her and fear and hatred for Mr. Big Bad Wolf.

Not all wolves in the world were as good as Mr. Big Bad Wolf.

She had been truly foolish to think she could trade for medicinal herbs in the Flame Wolf Tribe when she was at her wit's end.

Knowing that these demons would mock Mr. Big Bad Wolf like that, she might as well have risked searching for herbs directly in the forest.

A cold smile touched Ruan Qiuqiu's lips. She calmly looked at the wolf demon who had torn off his mask of gentle frivolity and clenched her hands.

“Damn, speak up! Are you scared speechless?” Ning Yue, the young wolf demon, finally recovered from his shock. He wanted to approach Ruan Qiuqiu and berate her, but he seemed hesitant, not daring to come closer.

Ruan Qiuqiu glanced at Xie Yu, who, despite his rage, only threatened verbally and hadn't actually laid a claw on her. Coupled with Ning Yue's apparent hesitation, the conjecture in her heart became clearer.

At the same time, she felt even more amused.

Even though Mr. Big Bad Wolf was now severely injured, and they had committed the despicable act of abandoning him, they were still afraid of him because of the tribe shaman's words, because of the "curse."

And just as she had guessed, they didn't dare approach her, someone suspected of being infected by the curse.

Ruan Qiuqiu found them utterly ridiculous.

But it was precisely their "fear" and "blindness" that gave her the opportunity to fight back and escape.

She definitely couldn't fight so many demons head-on, but…

An idea, the most likely and safest way to escape, flashed through Ruan Qiuqiu's mind, but her face gradually flushed red.

-- If these wolf demons knew she had been intimate with Mr. Big Bad Wolf, they would probably be even more afraid to touch her.

Although saying so was a disservice to Mr. Big Bad Wolf's "reputation" and somewhat embarrassing.

But Ruan Qiuqiu tugged at her animal skin clothing and said slowly, “If you're not afraid of the curse on me, then go ahead. Maybe if you come half a meter closer, you'll be cursed.”

“After all, my husband and I have been intimate seven or eight times.”

Ruan Qiuqiu's words, resounding in the quiet snowy field, instantly changed the expressions of all the demons and humans.

The female demon who had been mocking her was completely stunned. She subconsciously retorted, “Impossible! That useless wolf is so badly injured, how could he still be capable…”

She stopped abruptly, embarrassed.

She remembered Yuan Jue as the most aloof and emotionless wolf demon. No creature could catch his eye, even when he was the leader of the Flame Wolf Tribe. His cave was located in the innermost part of the territory, near the cliffs, far from the other demons.

It wasn't that there hadn't been bold female demons in their tribe who considered themselves unique and tried to approach Yuan Jue to show their affection.

But before that female demon could get near Yuan Jue, she was beaten back. Because she was too reckless and had rushed within a meter of that abnormal big bad wolf, she returned foaming at the mouth and almost died.

That female demon hadn't recovered even now, and her speech was still slurred.

Such a demon, such a big bad wolf, such a crippled and severely injured wolf demon, would be intimate with Ruan Qiuqiu, a human, so many times? She couldn't believe it, but strangely, it seemed to make sense. In her heart, she admired the tribe shaman even more.

As expected, the tribe shaman was right. Only Ruan Qiuqiu, this human, would bear all the curses for their Flame Wolf Tribe.

The surrounding wolf demons mostly shared the same thoughts as the female demon. Their expressions were strange, a mixture of anger and awe for the tribe shaman's power.

Ning Yue, the young wolf demon standing beside Xie Yu, was dumbfounded, utterly speechless by Ruan Qiuqiu's words.

“You, you… No, no, that, that wolf…”

He was almost foolish, stammering, unable to form a complete sentence.

Ruan Qiuqiu looked at this unlucky child with a bit of sympathy. Thinking of the outrageous words she had just spoken, her face flushed red.

-- Actually, she and Mr. Big Bad Wolf hadn't done anything. She didn't even know his name yet.

But she wasn't wrong. If unilaterally pulling on his tail hair counted as intimacy, then it had indeed happened seven or eight times.

Xie Yu's face was also extremely ugly after hearing Ruan Qiuqiu's words.

He desperately wanted to rush up and tear this human apart, but she had indeed hit his weak spot.

He really didn't dare get too close to her. Even now, separated by two or three meters, he could faintly smell the scent of the former leader emanating from Ruan Qiuqiu. Perhaps she really was carrying the same curse as that wolf.

In addition, there was also a faint demonic aura about her.

Thinking of the barren land around Yuan Jue's former cave, Xie Yu didn't dare to gamble.

He had finally waited until that big bad wolf, more than ten years younger than him, became crippled and ascended to the position of the strongest among the younger generation of the tribe. There was simply no need to risk it for a woman's careless words.

But he couldn't swallow this insult.

“Haha.” Xie Yu let out two dry laughs, the veins on his face and arms bulging. He looked at Ruan Qiuqiu sinisterly, but his gaze caught the spear she had placed beside her backpack.

The animal skin covering it was partially open, revealing the sharp claw of a monster inside.

Xie Yu's expression changed abruptly, his heart filled with shock.

-- In the strangely shaped animal skin backpack behind Ruan Qiuqiu, there was clearly the sharp claw of a near-third-tier monster.

A third-tier monster, with strength comparable to his current level, was definitely not something Ruan Qiuqiu, an ordinary human, could defeat.

-- Could it be… Yuan Jue?

But that wolf was clearly so badly injured.

Did he still possess such formidable combat power?

If it was really as Ruan Qiuqiu said, and that wolf was fond of her…

If he touched Ruan Qiuqiu, would Yuan Jue retaliate against them, even at the risk of mutual destruction?

Xie Yu's emotions were extremely complex. He wanted to stop here, but with so many wolf demons watching, he couldn't lose face.

-- Ruan Qiuqiu's heart was beating fast. She carefully observed the wolf demon's expression. When she saw his fury mixed with a hint of retreat, she knew she had probably won the gamble.

But Xie Yu's expression was still uncertain. Ruan Qiuqiu subconsciously tried to pull the spear from her backpack, preparing for the worst, for a fight.

But her hands were sweaty, and she didn't grip it firmly, only grabbing the animal skin covering.

The monster's claw, fashioned into a spear tip, fell onto the snow with a dull thud.

Ruan Qiuqiu instantly tensed up. She maintained a calm facade and looked at the other demons, only to find that they seemed even more… tense than her?

Ruan Qiuqiu carefully confirmed, and she really wasn't mistaken. The moment the monster claw fell out, not only did Xie Yu's face become even uglier, but the expressions of the other wolf demons also twisted instantly.

The young wolf demon Ning Yue was utterly speechless. He just looked at Ruan Qiuqiu as if she were some terrifying beast.

Ning Yue couldn't understand why, in just a little over a week, the previously silent and seemingly weak human had become like this.

Ruan Qiuqiu vaguely realized something. She tightened her grip on the animal skin, her heart stirring. She tentatively took a step forward.

“…” Xie Yu smelled the strong scent of Yuan Jue on her and subconsciously took a step back.

It wasn't just Xie Yu; almost all the wolf demons near her retreated.

Ruan Qiuqiu “…”

So, the impression of Mr. Big Bad Wolf being a dangerous anomaly was already so deeply rooted in the Flame Wolf Tribe?

Realizing this, Ruan Qiuqiu didn't feel happy but instead felt a bitterness in her throat.

-- Feared by so many demons, before she married him, that big bad wolf probably had no friends at all.

“We male demons won't lower ourselves to argue with a woman like you.” Ning Yue, hiding behind Xie Yu, bared his teeth and threatened Ruan Qiuqiu.

His words gave Xie Yu a way out.

Xie Yu glanced coldly at Ruan Qiuqiu, thinking that this woman had already been afflicted with such a severe curse that she might die soon. He didn't need to be angry over a dead person's words.

These thoughts flashed through his mind, and Xie Yu's face resumed its greasy and ingratiating smile. He glanced at Ruan Qiuqiu. “We male demons don’t lower ourselves to argue with women.”

With that, he turned and left, dragging the muttering Ning Yue with him.

Perhaps because there was no more drama to watch, and worried about catching the "curse" by getting too close to Ruan Qiuqiu, the demons at the cave entrance all went inside.

In a short while, only Ruan Qiuqiu was left in the snowy field.

She bent down expressionlessly and picked up the spear from the ground.

The cold wind, carrying snowflakes, slipped into her neck through her tied-up hair, bringing a chilling coldness.

Having walked for nearly a morning in the wind and snow, Ruan Qiuqiu was very hungry, and her hands trembled slightly.

She turned back and took a deep look at the several caves with their animal skin curtains drawn.

Carried by the wind, she faintly heard insults--

“Trash matches a whore,” “May they die soon,” “That bastard wolf who killed my brother should die soon”…

Ruan Qiuqiu took a deep breath, but the cold wind was too harsh, making her cough.

She turned and walked back, stepping through the deep and shallow snow, leaving the malice and almost tangible verbal attacks behind her.

Her frozen red hands tightly gripped the spear, her heartbeat quickening, her cheeks and eyes growing hotter. Ruan Qiuqiu bit her lip hard to prevent herself from coughing too loudly.

Her chest felt tight, her teeth clenched.

The salt stones she had specially prepared in her backpack, intending to trade with the Flame Wolf Tribe demons for medicinal herbs, and the small wooden cup of healing water droplets she had painstakingly collected, suddenly felt very heavy.

Very heavy.

So heavy that each step she took was more difficult than the last.

It wasn't until the unbearable insults faded away, and she had walked far, far away, so far that the Flame Wolf Tribe was left behind her, that Ruan Qiuqiu noticed the unusual stinging pain on her lips.

She walked to a withered tree, feeling something warm flowing slowly down her mouth.

Ruan Qiuqiu raised her hand and wiped it. Her swollen fingers were stained with bright red blood, dripping onto the snow, drop by drop.

"Hiss…"

Ruan Qiuqiu gasped in pain, feeling her nose getting warm too.

She touched it – a nosebleed.

Ruan Qiuqiu “…”

Coming to the Flame Wolf Tribe today had been a mistake.

A stinging pain in her knees made Ruan Qiuqiu realize that her shoes were completely soaked.

She felt weak, leaning against the tree trunk, intending to rest for a bit before continuing her journey back.

Ruan Qiuqiu opened her animal skin backpack and took out a softer animal skin handkerchief to wipe the bloodstains on her body.

The sky was darkening, and the snow seemed to be falling more heavily than before. Ruan Qiuqiu didn't know if it was from anger or exhaustion, but her whole body was trembling.

She felt ashamed. She had been out for so long, and not only had she not gotten anything, but she had also made herself incredibly angry.

Without medicinal herbs, the second-tier monster's magic core could only be used one last time. Ruan Qiuqiu really didn't know what to do now.

She felt like she couldn't face Mr. Big Bad Wolf back at the cave.

Or rather, she was worried that if she returned with nothing, the next time he experienced the spread of demonic energy within his body, she wouldn't be able to help him.

The thought of that possibility made Ruan Qiuqiu's blood run cold.

She couldn't stop thinking about that extreme outcome. Ignoring the blood, ignoring her anger, she hurriedly wanted to go back.

“Wait.”

A childish voice suddenly came from behind her. Ruan Qiuqiu stopped and turned around. Not far from the giant tree, she saw a small boy.

He was panting, seemingly having run over in a hurry. He was very thin and looked to be only seven or eight years old.

The little boy had light brown hair and wore tattered animal skin clothing, no better than hers. He held a flimsy-looking bone stick in his hand, his dark eyes staring at her with a mixture of wariness, alertness, and expectation.

Ruan Qiuqiu was anxious to get back to Mr. Big Bad Wolf and didn't intend to stop for other people or demons.

She only glanced at the little boy and continued walking towards the cave.

“Hey, you, wait!” Mo Yu didn't expect this person to ignore him completely and anxiously called out to her. “Your name is Ruan Qiuqiu, right? Aren’t you looking for medicinal herbs to treat the demon race?”

Hearing him mention medicinal herbs and accurately call her name, Ruan Qiuqiu finally stopped completely and looked at the little boy with some confusion.

The boy looked around, seeing that no demons were following, and lowered his voice as much as possible. “I know where there are medicinal herbs that can treat demons.”

Ruan Qiuqiu was a little surprised. “You have medicinal herbs?”

Mo Yu hesitated and nodded.

Ruan Qiuqiu looked at the thin little boy. “Thank you. If you have medicinal herbs, I can trade salt stones with you.”

As she spoke, she reached for the salt stones in her backpack.

But the little boy stammered, his face gradually flushing red. “Not, not now.”

Ruan Qiuqiu paused her hand reaching for the salt stones. She looked at the little boy and saw him explain in a fluster, “But, but I know where there are some.”

A slight suspicion arose in her heart. She sent out a wisp of spiritual energy, circling the little boy, confirming that he was indeed just an ordinary human child. She softened her voice and tentatively said, “Do you want me to go with you to collect those herbs?”

Mo Yu's dark eyes flickered, and he nodded firmly. “Half for you, half for me.”

Ruan Qiuqiu felt even more strange. She said, “Do you know that I'm the wife of the big bad wolf… your former leader? I might have a curse on me.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw the little boy clench his small fists tightly and nod vigorously. “I know.”

“I know.”

He repeated it two or three times before saying resolutely, “But I want to take a gamble.”

Ruan Qiuqiu frowned slightly, watching his pale face, but his eyes were unusually firm.

Ruan Qiuqiu wiped the blood from her face, bent down slightly, looked him in the eye, and said seriously, “What's your name?”

“I…” The little boy's voice was a little hoarse. “My name is Mo Yu.”

Ruan Qiuqiu said “…Mo Yu?”

The little boy gritted his teeth. “Mo Yu.”

A hint of amusement appeared in Ruan Qiuqiu's eyes. “Alright, Mo Yu.”

The little boy named Mo Yu impatiently sniffed his red, frozen nose and looked up at Ruan Qiuqiu. “Do you agree? If you agree, we’ll go now.”

Ruan Qiuqiu put the salt stones back in her backpack. Having just witnessed the malice of the Flame Wolf Tribe’s wolf demons, she didn't immediately agree, but said, “Why should I trust you?”

Mo Yu, small as he was, sighed in a very mature manner after hearing Ruan Qiuqiu’s words. He pointed to a small hill not far away. “See that cave over there?”

Ruan Qiuqiu looked in the direction he pointed and indeed saw a small cave.

“My… brother is injured. I need medicinal herbs to save his life.” Mo Yu tried his best to control his voice, but he was too young. As he spoke, his eyes teared up. He was probably telling this to an outsider for the first time, and his tone was a little agitated. “Usually, my brother takes care of us. He was injured while hunting this time, and I… I also want to save my brother.”

“I found the herbs, but I can’t get them. Other demons, other demons are unwilling to help me…”

Looking at his red-rimmed eyes, Ruan Qiuqiu thought of the similarly seriously injured Mr. Big Bad Wolf at home. She hesitated and said, “Can you take me to your cave to have a look?”

Mo Yu nodded vigorously, but after taking two steps forward with his short legs, he immediately turned back and hesitantly said, “Wait, could you please just stand at the cave entrance?”

After he finished speaking, he lowered his head and apologized. “I’m sorry.”

Ruan Qiuqiu was stunned for a second, but quickly understood. This child was still worried about her curse, worried that she would affect his sick grandfather and brother at home.

She didn't mind, but just waved her hand. “Let’s go.”

…

Mo Yu’s cave was very close, and Ruan Qiuqiu was in a hurry, so they arrived at the cave entrance in about three minutes.

As she approached the narrow opening, not even reaching her chest, Ruan Qiuqiu faintly smelled mildew.

She frowned slightly, watching Mo Yu pull open the relatively thick animal skin curtain hanging at the entrance and shout into the cave, “Grandpa, Brother, Sister, I’m back.”

The cave was relatively warm, lit by a light, and fairly bright. Ruan Qiuqiu almost immediately saw the entire situation inside.

On a low stone bed lay an elderly man. He was very, very old, his face covered with wrinkles, and his mind probably wasn’t clear. Seeing Mo Yu return, he just happily and repeatedly stammered, “Yu… Yu…”

Beside the old man lay a thin young boy, looking no more than eleven or twelve years old. He was in a half-demon form that Ruan Qiuqiu was somewhat familiar with, with the tail and ears of an ordinary black cat visible.

Unlike Mr. Big Bad Wolf, the young boy’s hands and feet were cat paws, not human-like.

He was covered with a piece of animal skin that was slowly seeping blood. His expression was pained, and he looked very weak.

This cat-demon half-breed, not much older than Mo Yu, should be the brother Mo Yu had mentioned wanting to save.

Ruan Qiuqiu felt a stinging in her eyes.

She had thought that the brother Mo Yu spoke of, the one who worked hard hunting to support the family and protect them, was an adult, strong male wolf demon.

But she never expected that his brother was also just a child who hadn't yet reached adulthood.

And a cat-demon half-breed whose strength hadn't even reached the first tier.

Such a weak child, perhaps he had encountered some ancient creature while hunting and been seriously injured.

Beside the half-demon boy was a little girl, only four or five years old.

She held a worn-out piece of animal skin in her hand. Hearing Mo Yu’s voice, she called out to him, both happy and complaining, “Second Brother! You went out to play again!”

“Yeah, Second Brother made a new friend today.” Mo Yu’s eyes were red-rimmed. He clenched his fists, trying to act like a child so his sister, who still didn’t understand anything, wouldn’t hear the crying in his voice.

“Great!” The little girl looked up and saw Ruan Qiuqiu standing at the cave entrance. She smiled sweetly at Ruan Qiuqiu. “Sister, you’re so pretty! I don’t think I’ve seen you before! Oh, right, my name is Mo Bohe!”

Ruan Qiuqiu “…” Cat… Catnip?

She smiled at the thin little girl. “Hello, Bohe. You’re very cute too. My name is Ruan Qiuqiu.”

“Sister Qiuqiu! Why don’t you come in? It’s cold outside.” Mo Bohe blinked.

Mo Yu stopped Mo Bohe from speaking further, stood up with his bone stick, and said, “Bohe, you continue sewing. I’m going out to play for a while longer.”

Mo Bohe said, “Then come back quickly.”

Mo Yu nodded and turned to leave the small cave.

His eyes were red as he looked at Ruan Qiuqiu. “Can you believe me now?”

Ruan Qiuqiu hesitated, took out the small wooden cup containing the healing water droplets from her backpack, and handed it to him. “This is my…”

She paused. “My husband’s treasure. It can relieve pain. You can try it on your brother.”

She saw that the half-demon boy’s life force was very weak, even weaker than Mr. Big Bad Wolf’s. If he wasn’t treated, he might die.

Although she and Mr. Big Bad Wolf were also in a difficult situation, if she could help a little, Ruan Qiuqiu still wanted to help.

“Of course,” Ruan Qiuqiu said, holding the small wooden cup. “If you think my husband has a curse, then forget it…”

Before she finished speaking, Mo Yu stepped forward and took the small wooden cup from her hand.

But to Ruan Qiuqiu’s surprise, Mo Yu didn’t turn around and hand the cup into the cave. Instead, he opened the lid and took a small sip himself.

With a look of resignation, he swallowed the small mouthful of water and then clutched his throat with his red hand.

Ruan Qiuqiu saw him tightly gripping the small wooden cup in his other hand, his whole body trembling as he stood in the snow, maintaining that comical posture, tears streaming down his face.

Seeing his expression as if he were about to die, Ruan Qiuqiu suddenly understood everything.

-- Mo Yu’s gamble wasn’t just talk.

In a situation where no demon or human in the entire tribe was willing to help them;

When everyone believed that she and Mr. Big Bad Wolf were cursed;

His gamble,

Was truly a willingness to bet his own life.

Betting that she wasn’t cursed,

Betting that the water she offered,

Really worked.

Ruan Qiuqiu felt a pang of heartache, but her heart softened.

-- After so many days, she had finally encountered some kind people, some acts of kindness.

She had almost thought that everyone in the world, except for Mr. Big Bad Wolf, was bad.

Ruan Qiuqiu’s heart ached, and thinking of the wolf at home, she grew anxious again.

But fortunately, Mo Yu was a sensible child. Having confirmed that the water droplets in the small wooden cup were good, the boy cried even harder.

Ruan Qiuqiu knew he was blaming himself for drinking so much of the “treasure,” wasting his brother’s medicine.

“Don’t cry.” Ruan Qiuqiu softened her expression, sighed, looked up at the sky that seemed about to snow heavily again, and tried to make her voice gentle. “Quickly have your sister feed the treasure to your brother, and then take me to find the medicinal herbs.”

“Okay.”

“Okay!” Mo Yu nodded vigorously, wiped his tears, took a deep look at Ruan Qiuqiu, and darted into the cave.

…

He came out quickly, but not empty-handed.

Ruan Qiuqiu looked at the frozen rabbit, about four or five pounds, in his hand and stared at him in surprise.

Mo Yu stuffed the already cleaned rabbit meat into Ruan Qiuqiu’s arms and said awkwardly, “Grandpa wanted to give it to you. Grandpa said we can’t take things from people for free.”

Ruan Qiuqiu’s heart warmed, and she didn’t refuse.

She was now a married woman who needed to support her wolf, and she wouldn’t refuse meat that came her way through legitimate means.

After putting the rabbit meat into her backpack, Ruan Qiuqiu glanced at the overcast sky and the increasingly heavy snowfall, then at the thin Mo Yu. She still didn’t let him go back and decided to search for the herbs later.

The cat-demon boy who received her healing water droplets might be able to wait until the next time the snow lessened, but Mr. Big Bad Wolf, suspected of being invaded by demonic energy, couldn't wait any longer.

“Mo Yu, where are those medicinal herbs? How did you find them?” As they walked back, Ruan Qiuqiu asked.

“In the forest, there’s a small river. Further back, there are a few trees. Climb up, and you can see the opposite, opposite…” Mo Yu finished speaking and looked at Ruan Qiuqiu embarrassedly. “There are many medicinal herbs on the cliff opposite.”

Ruan Qiuqiu “…??” On a cliff?? How was that going to work?

She took a deep breath, looked at the increasingly dejected Mo Yu, and asked, “So, do you think I can get them?”

“There are many trees on that cliff too.” Mo Yu said. “As long as you hold my legs and swing me over there hard…”

Ruan Qiuqiu “…”

She thought this idea was terrible. It would be more reliable for her to go back to the cave, make some ropes out of animal skin, and swing across like Tarzan.

Mo Yu probably also felt embarrassed. The little boy raised his hand to wipe the snow from his face. “I’m very sure they’re all medicinal herbs that can treat demons. I snuck into the tribe shaman’s cave before and saw those herbs. They definitely have medicinal uses.”

Ruan Qiuqiu felt a little disheartened. She casually asked, “What do the herbs you’re talking about look like?”

“Under the roots of those trees on the opposite cliff. Before, when I saw them, it wasn’t snowing so heavily. They were yellow, root-like things. I heard the tribe shaman say they were some kind of ginseng…”

Ruan Qiuqiu’s eyes lit up slightly. “Ginseng???”

Mo Yu nodded. “Yes, it seems like that! They look the same.”

Ruan Qiuqiu took a deep breath, feeling like she had come back to life.

A patch of ginseng?

If she could get her hands on them, wouldn’t her and Mr. Big Bad Wolf’s days be much better?

Ruan Qiuqiu took a deep breath and told herself to calm down. Although there was hope, how they were going to get those ginseng was the key.

But she was still very happy. This trip hadn't been in vain.

Although she had only heard news of ginseng, Ruan Qiuqiu seemed to have already seen Mr. Big Bad Wolf fully recovered, the black spots on his face gone.

Her mood improved considerably. Although she was still worried about the wolf at home, she felt better. As they walked, she asked the little radish beside her, “Xiao Yu, can I call you Xiao Yu? What’s your brother’s name?”

“Mm-hmm!” Mo Yu nodded first, then fell strangely silent for two seconds before replying muffledly, “My brother’s name is Mo Mao.”

Ruan Qiuqiu “…”

Ruan Qiuqiu “What about your grandfather?”

“Grandpa’s name is Mo Yeye.” Mo Yu touched his head. “Grandpa won’t tell us his name. He says that saying his name will attract monsters.”

Ruan Qiuqiu didn’t take his words seriously, thinking that Mo Yeye was just joking. She sighed worriedly for this family. “So, did Mo Yeye give you and your sister your names?”

Mo Yu was silent for another two seconds. “My brother gave them to us.”

Ruan Qiuqiu “…” Because they were given by a cat-demon half-breed, one was called Mo Yu (Touching Fish) and the other Mo Bohe (Catnip)? This brother didn’t seem so reliable either!

Ruan Qiuqiu wanted to laugh, but she held back.

As they talked, they were almost at her cave.

Ruan Qiuqiu looked at the familiar cave, which had almost become her "home" in the past few days. Thinking of the silly wolf who would lead the monsters away in the snowy night, her heart warmed. “Up ahead, that’s the cave where I live.”

The two walked closer to the cave, their footsteps rustling.

-- Inside the cave, Mr. Big Bad Wolf, having regained some consciousness, slowly opened his eyes.

Not long after his little human wife left, the dark energy within him surged again. He struggled to drink the three cups of water she left behind and, after much pain and struggling on the edge of the abyss, barely suppressed the demonic energy within his body.

Yes, demonic energy.

Yuan Jue’s throat felt bitter, and a depressing weight settled in his chest.

After struggling intermittently with the demonic energy within his body four times, even though he had been in a state of semi-consciousness, he now realized that the thing trying to completely devour him was demonic energy.

When did he have so much demonic energy in his body? Was it from the monster that tried to invade their cave a few nights ago?

Or was it left behind by the monsters that attacked him during the beast tide?

Or…

Even earlier…

Yuan Jue’s expression darkened, and a bloody glint gradually appeared in his unfocused eyes.

Just as he was about to reveal a more terrifying expression, a familiar voice suddenly came from outside the cave.

It was Ruan Qiuqiu’s voice.

It was the voice of his little human wife.

Mr. Big Bad Wolf suddenly panicked. He didn’t know how to face her. By the time he came to his senses, he had already obediently closed his eyes and lay down.

Even the fangs he had just revealed were carefully retracted.

His big tail, having recovered a little strength, wagged involuntarily, and Mr. Big Bad Wolf keenly noticed that the footsteps outside the cave weren’t just Ruan Qiuqiu’s alone.

His large paw suddenly tightened, and his chest instantly constricted.

Mr. Big Bad Wolf sniffed lightly and found that the scent in the cold air actually came from an extremely weak male. His mood plummeted.

Why?

Why did she bring a man back after just going out for a while?

Wasn’t Tianluo, the grey wolf, enough?

So,

Is it because I’m not human?

Is it because I’m a big bad wolf?

Or is it…

Because I’m a crippled wolf?

He didn’t know why he felt so sad and inferior. Mr. Big Bad Wolf, enveloped in darkness, tightly pursed his pale lips. Unable to see Mo Yu, he fell into a panic and pain he had never experienced before.

Mr. Big Bad Wolf accidentally tore ten more holes in the animal skin Ruan Qiuqiu had just sewn.

His chest felt tight and uncomfortable, and his previously wagging tail stopped moving. Yuan Jue didn’t know why his eyes were so sore, so sore that he couldn’t bear it.

He only felt that the demonic energy he had just suppressed seemed to surge again, rampaging and devouring his meridians inch by inch, causing him immense pain.

Just as he was about to lose control, Ruan Qiuqiu’s voice came from outside. “Xiao Yu, this is my husband’s and my home.”

“It’s snowing harder and harder. You’re just a child, so come in and wait for me at the cave entrance.”

ʕ•́ᴥ•̀ʔっ

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