Chapter 8: Fluffed Up

Fluffed Up: This Wolf Has a Nasty Temper

Ji Yingran’s mind raced. How on earth was she supposed to explain her current behavior to the Snow Wolf?

“Ha ha.” She let out an awkward laugh.

The wolf’s eyes fixed on her coldly. Slowly, her gaze shifted downward, landing on the hand that Ji Yingran had been kneading and stroking.

Ji Yingran snapped back to reality and quickly withdrew her hand, hiding it behind her back.

“I was half-asleep. I didn’t mean to touch you. Really, you have to believe me. I’m not lying.”

After all, the wolf wasn’t human, so tricking a wolf didn’t count as lying.

The Snow Wolf didn’t bother with further words. She simply swatted a paw across Ji Yingran’s face.

One swat wasn’t enough. She followed up with three or four more sharp slaps.

Ji Yingran clutched her face. “Hey, go easy! That really hurts.”

Smack!

Another merciless paw.

Ji Yingran: “…”

Whatever. She squeezed her eyes shut and let her body flop over, pretending to have been knocked out. She kept one hand over her face to ward off any more swats.

The angle of her collapse was calculated perfectly. She landed right on top of the Snow Wolf, turning her into a wolf-shaped pillow.

Ji Yingran figured her clumsy fake-out would be seen through in an instant. With her head pillowed on the wolf, the Snow Wolf would probably hate it and either flip her onto the ground or slap her again.

But to her surprise, nothing happened.

It was utterly quiet.

Puzzled, Ji Yingran cracked one eye open. The surroundings were pitch black, and those gleaming golden eyes were gone.

Had the wolf closed her eyes? Was she asleep? Had she accepted it?

She’d accepted having Ji Yingran’s head pillowed on her?!

The surprise hit Ji Yingran all at once. She was utterly astonished. Cautiously, she lifted her head a little and peeked at the wolf beneath it.

The Snow Wolf’s eyes were closed, her chin resting on her paws. She looked like an adorably massive fluffball.

She wasn’t mad. Not about the petting, and not about the head on her back.

How had this wolf turned so agreeable? Wasn’t she supposed to be all irritable and fierce—well, fake-fierce, anyway?

Ji Yingran wasn’t used to it at all.

Not used to it or not, it didn’t stop her from nestling comfortably against the wolf’s body. She even rubbed her cheek against the Snow Wolf’s soft white fur from time to time.

The sensation was fantastic!

Emboldened, Ji Yingran reached out and grabbed the Snow Wolf’s tail, pulling it over.

At the same time, an unhappy huff escaped the Snow Wolf’s nostrils.

Wise to the warning, Ji Yingran immediately let go.

She waited a moment. Seeing no further reaction, she sneaked her hand out again and snagged the tail. This time, she draped it over herself like a blanket.

A fluffy tail made for the perfect cover.

With her head pillowed on the Snow Wolf’s back and her body wrapped in the wolf’s tail, she felt warm all over.

For a fleeting moment, Ji Yingran forgot she was stranded on a snowy mountain, suffering through the night. On the contrary, it felt like pure bliss.

At first, it truly was blissful. But after lying there a while…

It got hot.

Not that the Snow Wolf’s body heat was scorching. She could keep the entire cave at a steady temperature, melting a wide patch of snow wherever she lay, but being close to her brought no burning sensation. Her warmth was gentle.

Ji Yingran was just overheating from wearing too many layers.

In such a cozy environment, bundled up in layer after layer—it would have been weirder if she hadn’t gotten hot.

Carefully, Ji Yingran sat up and gently pushed the tail aside.

She needed to shed her inner and outer layers to sleep comfortably, or she’d never drift off.

Who would believe it? Trapped overnight on a snowy mountain, not freezing to death was miracle enough—yet here she was, so hot she had to strip down.

She started with the outermost orange waterproof jacket and the insulating neck gaiter, then the down jacket, the fleece, until only her quick-dry base layers remained.

Piled high with clothes, she’d felt cumbersome before. Now, stripped down, she felt pounds lighter.

Her gear hadn’t been complete anyway—no beanie, no snow goggles, no gloves.

They’d probably been lost when the Snow Wolf dragged her back to the den.

Without a hat and gloves, she’d normally never last. But these weren’t normal circumstances—she was hot enough to ditch most of her cold-weather gear.

She spread the discarded clothes beside the Snow Wolf as an makeshift mattress. For a blanket, the wolf’s tail would do nicely.

When relaxed, its fur poofed out like a massive blanket.

Ji Yingran moved with extreme care throughout, desperate not to wake the sleeping wolf.

Once the padding was neatly arranged, she sat down lightly. But before she could lie back, the wolf—who had seemed deep in slumber—opened her eyes.

In the dark, a human’s eyes might go unnoticed when opened. A wolf’s? Impossible. They glowed, golden and striking.

Their gazes locked for several seconds. Silence stretched between them.

Ji Yingran resorted to her old trick: eyes shut, body flopping right onto the Snow Wolf again. She landed in a perfect pose, sinking into a mound of fluffy softness.

She waited a few seconds. No movement. Cautiously, she peeked.

Bad move. The wolf’s eyes met hers once more.

“You’re not sleeping yet? I’m going to bed. So tired… Good night.” Ji Yingran shut her eyes tight and refused to budge.

She’d already undressed and made her bed. Tonight, she was sleeping pressed against the wolf—in her embrace, no less. Leaving? Impossible.

After experiencing such softness, hard ground was out of the question.

Thick-skinned as ever, Ji Yingran feigned sleep to the end. Even if the wolf bit her, she wouldn’t move.

Well, if bitten, she’d probably leave.

Good news: The Snow Wolf didn’t bite. Bad news: She rose abruptly, flipping Ji Yingran onto the ground.

Ji Yingran rolled a couple of times. “…”

She scrambled up, trying to reason.

“You let me pillow on you before! But now that I’ve changed and made the bed, you change your mind? That’s not fair!”

“Too much!”

Ji Yingran kept venting.

The Snow Wolf’s response was a cold snort.

Ji Yingran strongly suspected it was deliberate—okay with a quick lie-down, but not after she’d gotten comfortable.

If she’d refused outright from the start, would Ji Yingran have bothered undressing and bedding down?

The wolf was messing with her on purpose!

This wolf had a bit of a wicked streak.

Ji Yingran sighed helplessly. Knowing it was intentional, she had no recourse. What could she do? Just endure it.

She reached for the clothes padded beside her.

Her hand barely extended when the Snow Wolf’s paw pinned them down, refusing to let her take them.

Ji Yingran: “Give me back my clothes. If you won’t let me snuggle up, I need to dress. I’ll freeze.”

The Snow Wolf seemed to understand. At first, one paw held the clothes. After Ji Yingran protested, she used both paws—and plopped her head on top.

Clear message: Freeze for all she cared. No clothes for you.

Ji Yingran had no choice but to tug at them.

As if she’d budge them. With the Snow Wolf’s massive frame sprawled atop, Ji Yingran was powerless.

Hands on hips, she declared, “I’m mad now.”

The Snow Wolf ignored her completely.

Ji Yingran rubbed her forehead. Had she foreseen this, she’d never have undressed. Better to curl up in a corner honestly.

They stalemated for minutes. Finally, Ji Yingran gave up and flopped down beside the wolf anyway, heedless of her mood. Let her snap if she wanted.

“Woo!” The Snow Wolf bared her teeth in a low growl.

Ji Yingran pretended not to hear. Snuggling close, she declared righteously, “What choice do I have? You won’t return my clothes, I’m cold—sticking to you it is.”

“Woo!” The growls didn’t stop.

Ji Yingran not only stayed but wriggled deeper into her embrace, hugging tight.

The growling cut off abruptly.

The Snow Wolf went rigid, her eyes blinking rapidly. She’d forgotten to be angry.

Ji Yingran blinked in suspicion. No more growling?

Whatever. No resistance meant Ji Yingran grew bolder, rubbing her face in the wolf’s fur.

A faint cold pine scent wafted from her—unique to the Snow Wolf, soothing and calming.

All the while, the Snow Wolf stayed eerily still. Not just quiet—petrified.

Oblivious, Ji Yingran found a cozy position. Hugging the wolf, face buried in her fur, inhaling that reassuring pine aroma, drowsiness overtook her. Within minutes, she was fast asleep.

The petrified Snow Wolf snapped out of it. Her wolfish face twisted in displeasure as she tried to escape the human’s confining hold.

She barely shifted when the human instinctively hugged tighter.

The Snow Wolf bared her teeth at her, growling low in her throat.

In her sleepy haze, Ji Yingran reflexively clapped a hand over the wolf’s muzzle. “Fantuan, quit it. There’s still kibble in your bowl—go eat it yourself. Don’t bug me.”

Fantuan? The Snow Wolf was baffled. What Fantuan? Jelly one minute, Fantuan the next…

Two seconds of confusion, then fury at the hand still gripping her muzzle. She jerked her head, flinging it away.

This Two-Legged Beast was far too brazen! Who did she think she was, covering whose mouth?!

No longer muzzled, her freed hand simply hugged the wolf again.

The Snow Wolf was furious, her face full of menace, yet her tail swayed leisurely across the ground. For a moment, it was impossible to tell whether she was angry or content.

Ji Yingran slept straight through until dawn.

She pushed herself up from the ground, sitting up slowly as she rubbed her eyes sleepily.

Glancing around, she saw that the mountain cave was empty. There was no sign of the wolf.

Sleep fled from her in an instant. Where had the wolf gone? She couldn’t be missing. Without her, Ji Yingran would freeze into an icicle.

Scrambling to her feet in a panic, she froze mid-motion and frowned in confusion instead.

The Snow Wolf was gone, but the cave hadn’t grown any colder. Ji Yingran was wearing only a thin shirt, yet she felt no chill at all.

Had the wolf just stepped out, and the temperature hadn’t dropped yet?

Puzzled, Ji Yingran gathered the clothes scattered on the ground. She layered them on one by one, zipping up her parka last, then trotted toward the cave mouth.

She had barely reached the entrance when she spotted the wolf in the distance, rolling playfully on the snow.

Relief washed over her.

As long as she was still here. As long as she hadn’t left…

Ji Yingran had grown terrified of the Snow Wolf vanishing. From fearing and dreading her to being unable to bear her absence, the dramatic shift had taken just a single day.

Of course, the primary reason for that fear was the glaring issue of survival.

Without the Snow Wolf, she couldn’t survive here.

Without goggles, the snow outside was blinding. Ji Yingran instinctively raised a hand to shield her eyes.

As she lifted her hand, something felt off.

She spread her palm and examined it closely. Surprise flickered in her eyes.

Yesterday, while digging for her backpack in the snow, an ice shard hidden beneath had nicked the tip of her finger. It was just a tiny cut…

But now, the wound on her fingertip was gone.

The cut had vanished!

Not only that—the redness and swelling from frostbite had faded too. Her fingers were now pale and slender, unmarked by the harsh life in this frozen wilderness.

Was she still dreaming? How could the cut and frostbite heal overnight?

Her mind went blank.

Her gaze drifted slowly toward the Snow Wolf in the distance.

A gentle breeze ruffled her fluffy fur, making it gleam in the snow.

Ji Yingran’s heart shook, both at the breathtaking sight and at the many inexplicable events unfolding before her.

At that moment, the Snow Wolf approached at a leisurely pace. Without warning, she swiped a paw at Ji Yingran.

Bored anyway—might as well pat the Two-Legged Beast to cheer her up.

The smack snapped Ji Yingran out of her daze. She reined in her thoughts, her lips parting and closing twice before she found her voice. “My hand… did you heal it for me?”

The Snow Wolf had no intention of answering. Bored anyway—a paw to the face it was.

Ji Yingran grabbed her paw. “Stop swatting me all the time.”

Smack!

No swatting? Then she had to swat even more.

Ji Yingran laughed helplessly. “Fine, fine. If you like swatting, go ahead.”

The Snow Wolf snorted and turned her head away in disdain. Fine for swatting? Then she wouldn’t. She was contrary by nature—if refused, she insisted; if allowed, she refused.

Ji Yingran stared at her own hand, then at the wolf. The shock in her heart hadn’t eased despite the interruptions.

In this short day and night, she’d encountered far too many things that defied logic. Then again, surviving here in the first place was one of them.

Ji Yingran suddenly realized her capacity for acceptance was surprisingly strong…

“If you can heal my wounds, does that mean you can help me get down the mountain too?” she ventured.

The Snow Wolf ignored her.

Ji Yingran opened her mouth to say more, but the Snow Wolf suddenly arched her back. Her fur bristled.

Ji Yingran shut her mouth immediately.

A whine or bared fangs might be fake menace, but bristling fur was different. That meant she was truly angry.

Ji Yingran tamped down her hopes. Fine. Better to focus on finding her backpack than wishful thinking about the Snow Wolf escorting her down.

Right—the backpack.

She’d retrieved it yesterday but hadn’t checked the contents yet. She’d almost forgotten the most important thing.

She hoped it held something useful. A satellite phone would be ideal, though that was probably wishful thinking.

The cave was too dim to see properly, so Ji Yingran dragged the pack to the entrance.

She sat cross-legged and gripped the zipper, pulling it open.

Click.

The zipper snapped.

It wasn’t that Ji Yingran had pulled too hard; the pack had been frozen in the snow too long, and the zipper had seized up.

With no zipper, she had no choice but to yank the bag open forcibly. Fortunately, it didn’t take much effort, and she succeeded.

When she finally saw what was inside, Ji Yingran’s expression froze.