Gray Tail sat on the living room floor gnawing on a cow bone, his head lowered, his expression focused and serious.
Zhou Ziyou hadn't gone to sleep either. She sat on the couch, her gaze falling on Gray Tail as she called out, "Little Wolf Brother."
The young man raised his head and looked at her.
Zhou Ziyou: "Aren't you tired? Don't you want to rest a bit?"
Upon hearing this, Gray Tail lowered his eyes and continued gnawing on the cow bone. "I'm okay, not too tired."
"Go to bed early if you're tired. You're still injured," Zhou Ziyou said as she sipped some hot water from her cup. "I've washed and changed your bedding for you."
Gray Tail paused for a moment, letting out an acknowledging "hmm."
Suddenly, he looked sharply towards the entrance.
At the same time, there was a knock on the door.
"Oh, who's that? I'll..."
Gray Tail stood up directly. "I'll get it."
He pulled open the door to reveal Cang Ling.
Cang Ling wore a loose black short-sleeved shirt. His features were rugged, his hair a bit long, and there was a diagonal scar connecting his forehead to his eyelid. His arms were thick and muscular, the muscles bulging.
"You little rascal, you ran off pretty quick. Any injuries?" Cang Ling reached out and patted the young man's shoulder, glancing at the back of his neck. "You've grown up, become stronger. Not bad."
"Gray Tail, who is it?" Zhou Ziyou shuffled over in her slippers.
Upon seeing Cang Ling, she smiled and greeted him. "...You're from Nanfeng Courtyard, right? Uh... big brother, come in and sit down. Don't stand at the door."
As she spoke, she forcefully pulled Gray Tail aside. "Why are you blocking the doorway! ...Big brother, come in quickly."
The tall, slender young man obediently moved aside, not angered at all.
Cang Ling entered the house, smiling at them. "My name is Cang Ling. Thank you for taking care of Gray Tail during this time. You've been very kind."
"Just call me Ziyou. I haven't really taken care of him that much. Cang Ling, big brother, have a seat over here." Zhou Ziyou went to fetch some water, deliberately taking her time in the kitchen.
After all, this was one of Gray Tail's kind. They probably had things to discuss, and it wouldn't be appropriate for her to stay and listen in.
Cang Ling looked towards where Zhou Ziyou had gone, then turned his gaze to Gray Tail. "You little rascal, decided to settle down here?"
Gray Tail didn't say a word, silently continuing to gnaw on the cow bone with a knife.
Cang Ling took out a bank card and tossed it into his lap.
Gray Tail froze.
"It's from the Family Master, everyone who participated in apprehending the fallen wolves received one. There's three hundred thousand human dollars in there."
Gray Tail didn't raise his head, tossing the card back.
"I don't want it. I didn't do it for the money."
"Are you an idiot? You think the other wolves who took part did it for the money? This is just a token from the Family Master. We need this in the human world."
Cang Ling tossed the card back at him. "You can use this money to buy a house built by humans. Even just for buying meat, it would be enough to last you for a while."
Gray Tail: "I can provide for myself." He could hunt in the mountains.
"So you're just going to keep living at this girl's place? In a couple of years, she'll be married. Are you going to tag along with her family then? Is that appropriate?" Cang Ling sighed, observing the silent young man. He knew Gray Tail was reluctant to leave, just like before when he had received the Family Master's kindness.
"She's been kind to you, but you need to have your own plans and boundaries. Take this card. If you don't want to buy a house, let me know and I'll help you look."
Gray Tail fell silent.
If Zhou Ziyou got married, did that mean he couldn't stay with her?
She would be starting a family with a stranger, and he... would become an outsider?
"This girl has been kind, probably taking you in because you're young and homeless. But she can't shelter you forever, can she?"
Gray Tail clutched the card tightly in his hand.
He and Zhou Ziyou had known all along that they would eventually part ways, but at this moment, his heart felt extremely uneasy.
"Here, Cang Ling, have some water." Zhou Ziyou came out carrying a tray of water.
In that instant, Gray Tail unconsciously gripped the bank card in his hand, not letting her see it. If... as Cang Ling had said, she had only taken him in out of pity for his lack of a home...
Then if she found out he had money to buy a place, would she ask him to leave?
Gray Tail lowered his gaze, his lips tightening slightly.
After drinking some water, Cang Ling bid them farewell and left.
For some reason, Gray Tail had lost interest in gnawing on the cow bone. He stood up, put away his tools, and headed to the bathroom to wash up.
Zhou Ziyou cautioned him, "Be careful, don't let the water get on your wounds."
Gray Tail let out an acknowledging "hmm" and closed the bathroom door behind him.
He haphazardly rinsed himself with cold water, his back, stomach, and other areas covered in large bruises and swollen, reddened patches from the fighting.
The cold water sent a dull, numbing pain through his body.
But he didn't care, treating himself recklessly and indiscriminately.
Only the back of his neck avoided the cold water's battering, because that was where she had cautioned him.
If not for Zhou Ziyou's warning, he wouldn't have cared whether he was injured, bleeding, or in pain.
He emerged from the bathroom wearing a gray short-sleeved shirt and loose gray pants, having haphazardly dried his hair, which stuck out in a tousled mess. Luckily, his sharp features lent him a rugged handsomeness.
"Your hair's gotten long," Zhou Ziyou remarked from the couch.
When she had first met the little wolf boy, he had been sporting a buzz cut.
Gray Tail ran his fingers through his dark gray hair, giving an indifferent "I guess so" in response.
It had grown longer, he realized.
When he had lowered his head to gnaw on the cow bone, his hair had nearly obscured his view.
"Should I give you a trim?" Zhou Ziyou had been the one cutting his preferred buzz cut style these past few months, since he didn't go to human barbershops. And if he tried cutting it himself, it would look like a dog had been chewing on it.
Gray Tail nodded, taking a seat as Zhou Ziyou stood behind him with a simple set of grooming tools to begin cutting his hair.
Gray Tail remained still, filled with trust.
He enjoyed these moments, this warm, harmonious atmosphere.
He pursed his lips. "When... are you planning to get married?"
"Huh?" Zhou Ziyou paused, then sighed. "Why are you suddenly asking about this? Are you feeling anxious for your sister too?"
Gray Tail's brow furrowed slightly. "I'm not anxious."
"Well, I'll be twenty-six in a few months. As for marriage... I don't even have a boyfriend. With my figure and personality, it'll be hard to find someone," she said with a shrug.
"What's wrong with your figure?" Gray Tail didn't understand. She didn't seem to be missing any limbs, and her body seemed to function just fine.
Zhou Ziyou snipped away with the scissors, letting out a sigh. "I've put on weight again. I'm five foot three, weighing around 275 pounds. That's pretty fat, so it'll be hard to find a partner."
Gray Tail pursed his lips. "...I don't think you're fat."
In fact, he found her rather... cute.
Fair and soft, with a plump, fleshy figure.
He pondered for a moment. "Do human males prefer thin females?"
"Yeah, more or less. Slimness is considered beautiful."
"So, does the Wolf Clan prefer bigger women?" she teased.
Gray Tail's lips tightened, and he spoke seriously. "I don't know about them, but personally..." He trailed off, his face suddenly flushing red as he realized he couldn't bring himself to say it.
"But personally what?" Zhou Ziyou blew away some stray hairs from his neck.
Gray Tail's entire body tensed up.
His face turned beet red.
"N-Nothing," he mumbled, his voice barely audible.
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