Chapter 77: Let Nature Take Its Course

Let Nature Take Its Course: I Will Monitor You Forever

Wasn’t this wolf being a bit too ridiculous? She was even keeping count.

And not just any count—the precise number of times she had touched particular spots on her body.

This really wasn’t the time to laugh.

But…

Ji Yingran couldn’t hold it back. She puffed out a laugh.

Mu Ci’s sharp glare faltered slightly. Clearly, she hadn’t expected this reaction—actual laughter.

What was she laughing at?

How dare she laugh!

The wolf grew even angrier, fury churning in her eyes.

But the anger lasted only a second before Ji Yingran quickly stifled her laughter and schooled her expression into seriousness.

“I didn’t leave without saying goodbye. I was only gone for an hour,” Ji Yingran said, pointing toward the nearby table. “I went to buy something—for you.”

Mu Ci’s furious expression froze.

Something for this wolf?

She instinctively wanted to look back, but as if concerned for her pride, she stubbornly held her ground without turning.

Ji Yingran gave her shoulder a nudge. “Don’t crowd so close. Step back a bit.”

“Wu!”

Evidently, one of those words had struck a nerve. Mu Ci wasn’t pleased and abruptly bared her teeth.

Ji Yingran jumped in surprise, a helpless look crossing her face. “Look at you, baring your teeth again. Haven’t I told you countless times? Don’t do that—it’s so fierce.”

What Ji Yingran meant was that baring her teeth looked fierce, and it had been even fiercer when she had backed her against the wall for that interrogation.

Ji Yingran had even gotten the distinct impression that she wanted to devour her whole, her rage-filled questioning like she was ready to swallow someone alive.

But Ji Yingran didn’t want to blame her for that ferocity. She had simply been too anxious. After all, in the wolf’s eyes, Ji Yingran had a history of it.

She had vanished once before on Snow Mountain, and now disappearing again naturally made Mu Ci think of being abandoned.

Even though they had talked it out, for the wolf, it was probably still a deep psychological scar.

Because it was a scar, even an hour’s absence plunged her into extreme unease and rage.

She might have seemed fierce just now, her overwhelming presence making Ji Yingran uncomfortable, but Ji Yingran knew the wolf would never harm her, no matter how furious she got.

Mu Ci had never hurt Ji Yingran before.

And she never would in the future.

Ji Yingran reached out, wanting to pat her head and soothe her, just like old times.

But halfway there, she hesitated and quietly withdrew her hand.

“Do you know what I bought you?” Ji Yingran asked with a smile, changing the subject.

“Who cares?” Mu Ci scoffed, not even glancing at the item on the table.

She acted utterly disinterested, but her feet didn’t budge an inch. Clearly, she was waiting for it to be brought right to her.

She was obviously thrilled about the gift but too stubborn to admit it.

Ji Yingran spoke softly. “That thing is indeed for you, but there’s a condition. You have to agree to it before I can give it to you.”

Mu Ci’s voice rose. “No way!”

“Keep it down,” Ji Yingran said with a helpless laugh. “I haven’t even told you what it is, and you’re already refusing? You have to agree—or no gift for you.”

“Wu wu wu!” Mu Ci let out an angry growl, clearly displeased with her words.

“See? There you go again. Just talk normally. Fine, I won’t expect anything else from you. If you don’t say anything, I’ll take that as a yes.”

Mu Ci fell silent, and Ji Yingran took it as agreement. Truth be told, though, she was giving her the smartwatch regardless.

Ji Yingran walked to the table and pulled the smartwatch from the shopping bag. It came in a pristine white box, holding a brand-new device.

She took it out and offered it to her. “The condition isn’t hard. I bought you this smartwatch, and you have to wear it on your wrist every day. No taking it off unless absolutely necessary.”

Mu Ci might not have even been listening. Her gaze was fixed on the smartwatch.

“Take it,” Ji Yingran urged.

“Not interested.” Mu Ci turned her head away.

Ji Yingran laughed helplessly, took her hand, and fastened it on for her.

As Ji Yingran bowed her head to adjust the strap’s fit, a stray lock of hair slipped from behind her ear and brushed against Mu Ci’s wrist, sending a faint tickle across her skin.

Mu Ci let her work, her eyes locked steadily on her—and on that fallen strand of hair. The usually untamed wolf fell unusually still.

“There.” Ji Yingran looked up.

Their gazes met.

Mu Ci flinched like a startled animal, jerking her eyes away and yanking her hand free from Ji Yingran’s grasp.

To cover her sudden fluster, she even bared her teeth at her for no reason.

Ji Yingran: “…”

What was that about? Why bare her teeth again?

Never mind. It didn’t matter. The important thing now was to remind her, or the smartwatch would be wasted.

“You have to wear the smartwatch every day. It won’t get in your way on your wrist. Don’t take it off, and don’t toss it around like your phone.”

Mu Ci pursed her lips. This wolf never tossed her phone around carelessly. This stupid human just didn’t get it—she always chose the perfect spots.

The lounge chair or a fluffy blanket: those were her carefully selected places. Not random at all.

“Did you hear me? Keep it on your wrist. No leaving it lying around.”

Mu Ci didn’t respond. Instead, she lifted her wrist and examined the smartwatch from both sides.

It was flashy, a riot of red, white, green, and blue. Ji Yingran didn’t care for the style, but Mu Ci would.

Ji Yingran preferred elegant designs; Mu Ci was the opposite. She loved bold, eye-catching ones.

Since it was for Mu Ci, naturally, Ji Yingran had picked one she’d like.

She had chosen according to her tastes, but don’t expect any praise. Sure enough:

“What terrible taste. It’s hideous. Wearing this garbage on this wolf’s wrist is dragging down my style.”

Ji Yingran smiled. The harsher the curses, the more she must like it.

Mu Ci grumbled at the smartwatch, picking apart its flaws—and even taking a couple of jabs at Ji Yingran in the process.

Ji Yingran was used to it by now.

Once Mu Ci had vented enough, she dashed outside to sunbathe. She sprawled lazily on the lounge chair, raising her wrist and tilting it against the light to admire the smartwatch.

She fondled it now and then, clearly delighted. Her ears even popped up atop her head with the joy.

Her tail did the same, swishing contentedly across the grass.

Ding-a-ling!

The smartwatch on her wrist suddenly buzzed and rang, the caller ID showing “Ji Yingran.”

That stupid human was calling.

Mu Ci sat up from the lounge chair and glanced back at the house. The stupid two-legged beast was right there inside, just a few steps away. Why call? Was she nuts?

She hung up.

Not even a minute later, it rang again. Mu Ci hung up once more. Then it rang again.

Annoyance crossed Mu Ci’s face. She finally answered, her tone sharp. “Lowly human, why do you keep calling? I hung up because I don’t want to talk, and you still won’t stop. So rude.”

Unlike Mu Ci’s irritation, Ji Yingran’s voice stayed gentle, endlessly patient. “I’m testing if the smartwatch connects properly.”

Most importantly, testing whether the wolf would even pick up—but she definitely couldn’t say that, or she’d fly into another rage.

Mu Ci rolled her eyes. “What’s to test? It’s just a crappy smartwatch. Hanging up.”

With that, she reached to press the end call button.

Just then, Ji Yingran’s soft voice came through the smartwatch again.

She said, “Wolfie, from now on, no matter where I go—even if it’s just for an hour—I’ll tell you ahead of time. Never like today again. I promise.”

Mu Ci’s finger hovered over the screen, frozen.

After a long pause, she snorted derisively. “As if I care.”

Beep beep.

Mu Ci hung up.

Ji Yingran set down her phone and stepped to the doorway. She gazed at Mu Ci in the yard, basking in the sun and admiring her new smartwatch, a soft smile curving her lips.

Night fell. After washing up, Ji Yingran slipped early into bed.

These past few days, learning of Mu Ci’s feelings had left her restless, unsure how to handle them. She hadn’t slept well.

But after giving her the smartwatch today and seeing her fondle it so happily, something clicked.

No need to rush. If she couldn’t decide right away, she could just let nature take its course.

Besides, she didn’t mind having Mu Ci around.

Having gone days without decent sleep, her body finally relaxed now that she’d sorted her thoughts. She drifted off almost the moment her head hit the pillow.

She had no idea how long she slept. Groggily opening her eyes, the room was still pitch-black, far from dawn.

As she rolled over, her gaze inadvertently locked with a pair of golden eyes gleaming outside the window.

Ji Yingran jolted upright with a start, sleep fleeing as her heart raced.

The golden eyes flashed and vanished. By the time she sat up, nothing remained outside the window.

Ji Yingran steadied her pounding heart.

Half-asleep, anyone would jump at the sight of glowing eyes peering in from the dark.

After her heartbeat finally steadied, Ji Yingran glanced out the window once more. Outside was an inky blackness, as if nothing existed in the world at all.

The glowing golden eyes she thought she’d seen must have been nothing more than a trick of her hazy vision.

But Ji Yingran was absolutely certain it hadn’t been a hallucination.

“Wolfie.”

She called out toward the window.

Who else could those golden eyes belong to but Wolfie?

No one answered from outside. There wasn’t even the slightest sound.

Ji Yingran spoke up. “I know it’s you. Stop staring at me from outside the window—it’s creepy. Don’t pull weird stunts like this. Go home and get some sleep.”

The night outside stayed utterly still. It seemed Wolfie had left.

Yet five minutes later, after lying back down, Ji Yingran quietly cracked her eyes open just a sliver and sneaked another peek outdoors.

There they were again—those eyes gleaming with golden light amid the darkness, right at the edge of the window, blinking innocently.

Ji Yingran couldn’t help but laugh and groan at the same time. For some inexplicable reason, a certain phrase popped into her head.

“I’ll watch you forever.”

She sat up in bed, and the instant she moved, the eyes outside vanished.

Ji Yingran swung her legs out of bed, slipped on her slippers, and padded over to the window. She pushed it open and leaned out to look.

Wolfie was nowhere to be seen. But there, right beneath the window, lay a white fur blanket.

Ji Yingran froze for a moment. She’d assumed Wolfie had only stopped by tonight on a whim to check in on her. She never imagined the blanket would be here too.

Did that mean Wolfie had been sleeping out here under her window every single night these past few days?

Ji Yingran stared at the blanket in the darkness, a tangle of emotions swirling in her chest.