Chapter 55: Bullying the Wolf Too Much

The air seemed to freeze in place.

Near the window sat a fluffy white blanket.

Ji Yingran wasn’t surprised that the wolf had brought the blanket along—she had always treasured it, so of course she’d take it on a long trip.

What truly caught Ji Yingran off guard was the tree branch placed on top of the blanket.

To be precise, it was a Wolf Teasing Rod.

Back in the mountain cave, bored out of her mind with nothing to do, Ji Yingran had once fashioned a crude one by hand.

The so-called Wolf Teasing Rod was little more than a stick tied to a string with a stone at the end—extremely rough and makeshift.

The wolf didn’t like the Wolf Teasing Rod. She even seemed to despise it. But Ji Yingran kept dangling it in front of her, and after enough teasing, the wolf would occasionally bat at it with a paw. Most of the time, though, it just made her mad.

Ji Yingran had always assumed the wolf disliked the rod. She never imagined she’d bring it along on a long journey. It was quite the surprise.

Ji Yingran bent down to pick up the Wolf Teasing Rod from the floor, then glanced back at the wolf.

Mu Ci was currently rummaging through the shopping bags, visibly thrilled. Even a handful of snacks could make her so happy.

The Wolf Teasing Rod felt inexplicably heavy in Ji Yingran’s hand, her thoughts growing complicated.

She set it back on the blanket, but then wondered why the wolf had placed the blanket in this spot.

Though it was close to the window, the neighboring house and its wall blocked the light, making it the only dark corner in the entire living room.

Ji Yingran scanned the house. The layout was similar to her own place, just with different decor.

There were plenty of well-lit, open spots in the living room. Why had the wolf chosen the worst one for her blanket?

Ji Yingran looked out the window at the nearby neighboring courtyard and suddenly had a guess.

Did the wolf pick this spot because it was the closest to the neighboring courtyard… closer to people…?

Her emotions grew even more tangled. Ji Yingran had always known the wolf liked people, even if she wouldn’t admit it and sometimes even hurled insults. Her affection was obvious—otherwise, she wouldn’t have traveled so far to find her.

But Ji Yingran hadn’t expected it to run this deep. Even her sleeping spot had to be as close to people as possible.

Mu Ci must have moved from Building 10 to Building 9 for the same reason. Building 10 was separated from Building 8 by another building, but Building 9 was right next door.

Closer to people.

This wolf was surprisingly clingy.

Ji Yingran had no idea how she’d convinced Yu Chujin to agree to the move. Mu Ci didn’t talk much or socialize well—she hardly seemed the type to negotiate a deal.

Pondering this, Ji Yingran turned back—and froze at the sight before her.

The six shopping bags lay torn to shreds, snacks scattered everywhere.

A total mess.

Ji Yingran’s lips twitched. She wouldn’t call this wolf clean anymore. It was more like selective neatness—food made her forget everything else.

Mu Ci tore open a small hole in one snack, then another in the next, nibbling here and there, utterly delighted.

And the proof of her bliss? Two fluffy ears had popped out.

Ji Yingran crept closer quietly and, catching her off guard, pinched one of those ears.

The wolf, lost in her snacking, didn’t even glance up as she kept munching.

With no scolding forthcoming, Ji Yingran grew bolder. She squatted beside her and played with the ears.

A pinch on the left, a pinch on the right.

As she toyed with the ears, her gaze drifted lower. A fluffy tail had appeared at some point too.

The ears felt nice, but the tail was just as tempting.

Ji Yingran abandoned the ears and grabbed the big tail, stroking and squeezing it up and down.

She hadn’t touched this tail in ages. It felt just as she remembered—fluffy, soft, with an incredible texture.

Stroking it sparked a sudden question in her mind. Where did the tail even come from?

In human form, so it emerged from the tailbone?

Curiosity piqued, Ji Yingran lifted the tail for a closer look.

Before she could see clearly, however, an intense gaze locked onto her.

Ji Yingran looked up. Mu Ci, who had been engrossed in her snacks, had turned her head and was staring fixedly.

Her expression was far from friendly.

Ji Yingran felt a pang of guilt and quickly dropped the tail. Her actions had been a bit rude—like flipping up the wolf’s pants to peek at her rear…

Far too forward.

When Mu Ci was fully in wolf form, Ji Yingran felt no such hesitation. But now, in human shape, it felt awkward.

“Haha.” Ji Yingran let out an awkward laugh.

A low growl rumbled from Mu Ci’s throat. Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and her tail slapped the tile floor with sharp “thwacks” of displeasure.

Her fur was bristling.

Ji Yingran dropped to her knees in swift apology. “Sorry! I just wanted to see where your tail comes from. I won’t do it again—don’t be mad.”

The tail kept slapping the floor, louder than ever.

Ji Yingran stared at the errant tail.

Mu Ci’s angry expression faltered slightly, as if she’d thought of something. With a “whoosh,” she retracted the tail—and the ears on her head vanished too.

Ji Yingran grumbled inwardly. Even now, was she going to deny it?

Sure enough, the next moment, Mu Ci asked, “Did you see it?”

Ji Yingran’s lips twitched again. See it? She’d fondled it for a good while and even lifted it up.

She inwardly grumbled but played along with the childish act.

“What? I didn’t see anything.” Ji Yingran’s expression was earnest.

“That’s more like it.” Mu Ci seemed satisfied.

She turned back to her snacks, crunching loudly.

When she reached the dark chocolate, her golden pupils lit up with unusual delight.

Delicious!

This was the best one. Excited, she prepared to bite down.

But then she paused, mouth open, and glanced at the person beside her.

Ji Yingran smiled at her.

Mu Ci hesitated for two seconds, clearly conflicted. Finally, she made up her mind. She bit off only two-thirds of the chocolate, leaving the rest.

With a magnanimous air, she tossed the remainder to Ji Yingran. “Here, slave—a reward for you.”

So that earlier hesitation had been her debating whether to share. The chocolate was too good; she hated to part with any.

But in the end, she gritted her teeth and gave some away.

Ji Yingran stared at the chocolate in her hand, clearly bearing a tooth mark. She hesitated to speak.

Normally, she’d find a way to toss it out. But not this time—Mu Ci was watching closely.

Maybe because the chocolate was so tasty, Mu Ci wanted to see her reaction to something this delicious.

Under that scrutiny, Ji Yingran couldn’t play tricks. With no choice, she popped the piece into her mouth and chewed.

The silky, dense chocolate carried a faint piney chill—the wolf’s scent.

“It’s delicious. Thanks, Wolfie,” Ji Yingran said.

Mu Ci lifted her chin slightly, forgetting to protest the nickname.

Ji Yingran had eaten food she’d shared—her favorite, no less. Mu Ci was thrilled and smug. Thrilled and smug enough that her ears popped out again.

Her ears emerged frequently whenever she got excited or happy, and the same went for her tail.

Mu Ci sat cross-legged on the floor, surrounded by snacks. Ji Yingran pushed some aside and sat beside her the same way.

Mu Ci didn’t mind the company. She focused intently on her treats, her fluffy ears twitching now and then. Adorably so.

On a whim, Ji Yingran decided to tease her. She picked up a bag of snacks. “I want one of these. Can you give me some?”

Mu Ci paused mid-bite, crumbs clinging to her mouth.

She eyed the chips in Ji Yingran’s hand, pondered for two seconds, and said nothing—no yes, no no.

But it seemed like agreement.

Ji Yingran wasn’t really after the chips. Seeing the nod, she kept teasing, gathering a huge pile of snacks to her side.

“This whole pile is mine, okay?”

Mu Ci stopped chewing again and glanced at the massive heap Ji Yingran had claimed.

She went silent for several seconds. Then, without warning, she bared her teeth.

Ji Yingran jumped.

“No way, no way! You damn Two-Legged Beast, snatching more than half at once. How are you so greedy?” Mu Ci snatched all the snacks back and glared fiercely at her.

Ji Yingran burst out laughing. As expected, taking a big pile would still make her mad.

Undeterred, Ji Yingran poked her arm. “Share a little with me.”

Mu Ci scooted away, displeased and refusing.

Ji Yingran leaned closer and poked her shoulder. “Give me some.”

Clutching her hoard, Mu Ci eyed her warily. After a long hesitation, she reluctantly handed over a few bags.

Ji Yingran was just playing around—a few bags weren’t enough. She poked again. “A bit more.”

Mu Ci ignored her.

Ji Yingran persisted, and finally succeeded in riling up the wolf. Mu Ci growled at her, teeth bared.

Seeing this, Ji Yingran deliberately put on a heartbroken expression. She even wiped at her eyes with exaggerated motions while mumbling, “Wolfie, how could you be like this? You have so many snacks and won’t share even a single one. That’s just too heartbreaking.”

Seeing her keep her head down and wipe away tears, Mu Ci looked suspicious. She leaned in close for a better look.

Was she actually crying? Just because Mu Ci wouldn’t share her snacks?

After about half a minute, the wolf—who had stubbornly refused to share a moment ago—suddenly pushed all the snacks over to Ji Yingran’s side.

Ji Yingran raised an eyebrow. She stopped crying on the spot and smiled at her. “All for me?”

The moment she saw the smile, the wolf realized she’d been tricked. She got mad and started hopping in place.

“You tricked wolf again!”

When she got worked up like this, the wolf would glare with wide eyes, puff out her cheeks, and top it all off with those fluffy white ears poking up from her head.

She was just too adorable.

Ji Yingran couldn’t hold back. She cupped the wolf’s cheeks with both hands and gave them a good, vigorous rub.

“Aiya, aiya, our Wolfie is so cute. You’re even cute when you’re mad.”

Mu Ci’s face was getting all squished out of shape. She tried to bat Ji Yingran’s hands away, but this damn Two-Legged Beast refused to let go. She just kept kneading away.

This was bullying the wolf way too much!

Mu Ci’s eyes sharpened. Suddenly, she lunged forward and tackled the woman in front of her right to the ground.

She planted her hands on either side of the floor, trapping her between the ground and herself.

One above, one below. Their eyes locked.

Ji Yingran’s playful smile froze. Lying there on the ground, she stared up in a daze at the person pinning her down.

The air seemed to freeze in place.