Lang’s family had dinner at Ye Tang’s house. Eva was a bit fidgety at the dinner table that day, and the reason was simple: she had invited Old William. This counted as introducing Old William to the family as her lover.
Old William had spent far more days in the company of mountains and forests than with people, so he was not one for words either. Eva was the only person he loved, and his first lover at that. He was utterly clueless about how to interact with his lover’s family.
This pair of silver-haired lovebirds was especially awkward and shy in front of others. They didn’t even dare to look each other in the eye when speaking, and when their gazes accidentally met, they would turn their heads left and right, blushing for a good long while.
Old William felt too embarrassed to pressure the object of his many years of unrequited love to accept him right away. Eva was too thin-skinned to tell Old William that she actually wanted to go out on a date with him. Ye Tang could tell they were both tiptoeing around each other’s feelings, so after dinner, she suggested that Old William take Eva to see the fireflies.
It was midsummer now, and fireflies often appeared along the rivers in the forest. But the forest at night was not too safe. If Eva’s partner had not been the experienced hunter Old William, Ye Tang would never have let her go into the forest at night.
Finally able to go on a date with his beloved, both Eva and Old William brimmed with the excitement of young boys and girls. The two set off quickly, leaving Ye Tang and Lang to wash the dishes in the kitchen while Xiu read a storybook to Angeline, Mimi, Kiqi, and Ben.
As Xiu read the story, he could not stop glancing toward the kitchen. In the end, Lang did nothing at all; he simply helped Ye Tang tidy up and then left the kitchen.
Xiu’s heart, which had been on edge, finally settled, but a subtle dissatisfaction crept in, and he did not know what to call this feeling.
On the way back, he walked ahead with Mimi, Kiqi, and Ben.
Lang glanced worriedly at his brother, who had walked out in silence, then turned back to Ye Tang. “Then we’ll be going.”
Ye Tang, holding a kerosene lamp in one hand, nodded with a smile. “Mm, be careful on the road.”
After bidding farewell, Ye Tang was about to close the door when, halfway through, Lang grabbed her hand.
“Would you… like to come along?”
The Big Gray Wolf’s eyes darted left and right; he was clearly racking his brains for an excuse. “Uh, that… I still haven’t given Eva her share of the pence… As you know, I’m not great at arithmetic…”
Although Ye Tang no longer set up her stall at the Lem Mine, Eva still helped Lang make pickled vegetables and dandelion coffee.
After all, Lang and Xiu were covered in fur.
Making hamburgers and sandwiches took little time and fur was not likely to fall in. Pickling took a long time, and any fur that fell in was hard to spot. The particles in dandelion coffee were extremely fine; fur that fell in was not only hard to detect but also difficult to clean out.
For these reasons, Lang had never forgotten to give Eva her share of the earnings. Eva had always refused at first but eventually stopped turning it down.
Of course, for the current Lang, these were all just excuses.
He simply wanted to spend a little more time with the person in front of him. Ever since Ye Tang had gone to the earl’s side, he no longer saw her every day. Even when they did meet occasionally, it was just for a family dinner before parting ways.
Lying made Lang’s heart race. He did not realize that his eyes betrayed both pleading and guilt.
Ye Tang happened to remember something she still needed to give him, so she opened the door again. “Wait for me a moment; I’ll go upstairs and grab a coat.”
Success…!
Lang nearly pumped his fist and howled at the sky. Every second he waited for Ye Tang at her doorstep felt like his mouth was stuffed with that “dark chocolate” she had fed him before.
Rich, sticky, thick, sweet and bitter.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
Ye Tang stepped out, draped in her red velvet cloak. Angeline waved to her from the second floor, and Ye Tang turned back to wave her arms a few times as well.
This mother-daughter pair truly shared a deep bond. It made Lang briefly fantasize about what it would be like if he were Angeline’s father.
…He only dared to fantasize.
He knew his fantasy could never come true.
It did not take long to get from Abe Village to the Walnut Grove, and Ye Tang’s mental math was exceptionally quick. From helping Lang balance the accounts to calculating Eva’s share of the pay, it took her less than half an hour.
“I’ll see you off!”
Lang said as he caught up to Ye Tang, who was about to leave.
“Then I will—”
Before Xiu could finish, Mimi and Kiqi leaped at his face—one covering his eyes, the other his mouth. Even Ben blocked his path.
“You…!”
Xiu was about to get angry when Ben said faintly, “Let it go to Lang this time. Xiu hogs Mary every day; it’s Lang’s turn.”
The twins and Ben were of one mind; the two little heads nodded like pounding garlic.
Even if Xiu’s anger was great, after Ben said that, he had no retort. Thinking of how he had maliciously kept Ye Tang away from his brother, Xiu had no intention of reflecting but admitted Ben had a point.
With a long sigh, Xiu said in a heavy voice, “Just this once. I’ll only yield to Lang this one time.”
Outside, Ye Tang, walking through the Walnut Grove with Lang, still planned to go back and tell Angeline two bedtime stories. The little girl was very well-behaved and sensible; she would go to bed properly even without anyone coaxing her. But that did not mean she did not feel lonely or did not need a mother’s love.
Only when she saw Lang’s back, illuminated by moonlight as he walked half a step ahead to prevent her from tripping, did Ye Tang remember the thing she had deliberately taken before leaving.
“Lang.”
Ye Tang stopped. Hearing her call, Lang responded with an “Mm?” and turned around.
Moonlight gently lit Ye Tang’s face; ahead lay Abe Village dotted with starlike lights.
Ye Tang pulled a silver ear clip from her pocket and placed it in Lang’s palm, taking his hand.
His glass-bead eyes were bright and clear, holding the purest color in the world.
“I’m sorry. The first time I saw you, I attacked without distinguishing right from wrong.”
Lang’s pointed ears twitched.
Below the points lingered a depression the size of a pinky fingernail. That was the scar Ye Tang’s hunting rifle had left on Lang.
Werewolves had superior physical functions and top-tier recovery abilities. Wounds scarred, scabbed, and regrew fur in just three to five days. By now, Lang had long forgotten he had taken a bullet from Ye Tang.
But even though the depression was hidden under fur and invisible, Ye Tang had not forgotten the wound she had inflicted on him. So she had commissioned the silversmith in Lem Town to make this pure silver ear clip.
The warmth of Ye Tang’s body lingered on the ear clip, as if searing into Lang’s heart. He felt his nose sting with the impulse to cry.
“…That time, it was my fault. I was the one who had bad intentions first…”
The hoarse male voice was low. This was to hold back his emotions and keep them from bursting forth.
Ye Tang shook her head. “You were forced into it too. No one can remain steadfastly good when pushed to the brink.”
“I don’t think this little trinket can make up for it. Nor do I think I can represent humanity in begging werewolves to forgive humans for past persecutions. But I hope you believe our friendship is real.”
Friendship…
Friendship, huh…
His fanged maw curved upward, and Lang smiled.
Even if it was just friendship. For this bond, Mary was worth him going all out to push humans to accept werewolves.
Without the slightest hesitation, Lang put on the ear clip Ye Tang gave him, clamping it to his ear with enough force to pierce the cartilage.
“Mary, I—”
“Found them! It’s the werewolf and the witch!!”
Firelight flickered nearby, and Cross Knights in silver armor swarmed out, surrounding Ye Tang and Lang en masse.
“In the name of the Cross Purification Knights! We shall eradicate the enemies of our Lord!!”
“Knights, charge!!”
The lead Cross Knight drew his sword from his waist as he spoke. The others behind him held long spears and giant axes, forming up for a charge against Lang and Ye Tang.
“Mary! Careful not to bite your tongue!”
Scooping Ye Tang into his arms, Lang leaped into the air the instant the Cross Knights charged. Ye Tang clung tightly to his neck without needing to be told. The two vaulted over the knights, armored like iron barrels.
But the Cross Knights were a well-trained professional force. The frontal chargers were a feint; knights ambushed in the grass nocked and loosed their bows.
Lang saw only a blur of iron barrels ahead and missed the grass-green archer knights behind. With several soft thunks, grazes appeared on his cheek, arms, shoulders, flank, and legs.
Ye Tang would have been hit too, but sensing the ambush, Lang twisted in midair, using his body as a shield.
After the first volley came a second. This time, over a dozen feathered arrows sprouted from Lang’s back. Blood trickled down from the tips, instantly emitting a fierce stench.
The arrowheads were coated with poison specially for beastmen. This poison broke down the unique platelets in beastmen blood, preventing wounds from healing. In the end, they either bled out or died from the toxin.
A pained growl escaped through Lang’s teeth, impossible to suppress. To spare Ye Tang fear, he clenched his jaws tight, holding back the roar.
Held securely in Lang’s arms, Ye Tang started to look up, but Lang pressed her head back down.
The third volley came.
Fleeing all the way toward Abe Village, Lang thought the only thing he could do was deliver Ye Tang safely to the village.
—The people of Abe Village cherished the woman in his arms as much as he did. He trusted the villagers would protect her, just as he was doing now.
The third volley ended, adding more arrows to Lang’s back.
This time, Lang crashed to the ground; he rolled into Abe Village.
The roll snapped the arrows on his body. Many arrowheads dug deep into his muscles, tearing flesh from bone.
Gathering his strength for one final leap, he kicked off the ground, leaving two huge footprints, and at last delivered Ye Tang to her doorstep.
Releasing the slightly scraped Ye Tang, Lang shoved her inside the door.
“Mary, promise me you’ll live on well.”
Cross Knights charged into Abe Village, toward Ye Tang’s courtyard. The clash of armor and rhythmic footsteps sent chills through the body.
“I need you to live… for me. …For all beastmen.”
Turning his back to block Ye Tang’s door with his body, Lang faced the Cross Knights’ force alone.
The sword-bearing knight who called himself a Cross Purification Knight led the melee knights in surrounding him.
The silver sword tip pointed at Lang.
“Knights, charge again!!”