Chapter 62: What Ghost Fire Kid

Li Jiu: "..."

Chi Heng: "Cough..."

Yin Zhi hadn’t returned by late that night.

Instead, it was Ling Xuan, now in human form and dressed in a suit. He sat with his long legs crossed on a planter in the residential complex, lazily teasing the stray cats and dogs that wandered by.

His gaze fell upon the apartment with its lights on. ’The Young Master really is something else when it comes to this female,’ he thought. ’He had me turn right back around when I was halfway gone, just to come stake out the building...’

Clearly, Yin Zhi was still worried.

He trusted that Chi Heng wouldn’t harm Wen Qian, but he couldn’t guarantee the man wouldn’t get other ideas. After all, the Wolf Clan doesn’t just help people for no reason.

"Sigh, to think that I, the esteemed right-hand man of the Tiger Clan’s Young Master, have been reduced to playing watchdog..." Ling Xuan lifted his chin slightly, sighing at the moon.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly froze.

He shot a wary glance to the side, only to see a man’s figure appear on the previously empty balcony. Ling Xuan started to get up, about to rush over, but then he seemed to realize something... and lazily sat back down on the planter.

’This must be that punk from the Wolf Clan the Young Master mentioned, right?’

’But he doesn’t look like a punk at all. If anything, he seems more like a tough guy...’

Meanwhile.

Under the cover of night, a man in a black jacket stood quietly on the balcony. The moment his gaze fell on Ling Xuan, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He lifted his chin slightly, then reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter.

"CLICK—"

The lighter flipped open.

The man turned his head to the side, cupping his hand to light a cigarette.

His chiseled face held a coldness that warned strangers away. He gazed in Ling Xuan’s direction and took a drag from his cigarette, then let the smoke curl around his fingertips.

The smoke drifted away on the wind, blurring his vision. A moment later, his well-defined fingers nimbly stubbed out the cigarette, and only then did he turn and return to the living room.

Right now, Wen Qian was playing Ludo with Li Jiu, who was in his little bird form. Li Jiu had insisted that playing as a bird made the game more immersive—he felt more like one of the little airplane pieces. And so, that explained the current scene...

The fluffy little bird stood on one foot in one of the squares, hopping a couple of times before giving a fluttery flap of its wings...

Wen Qian had originally thought the Ludo board she’d bought was too big, but now it seemed to be the perfect size...

Just as the game was getting exciting, Chi Heng suddenly stood in front of her, blocking most of the light. Wen Qian instinctively gave his leg a little push. "You’re in my light."

Chi Heng froze for a second, then took a step aside once he realized. Gazing at the girl’s bright smile, he decided not to tell her about the person watching their building just yet.

He didn’t know who Ling Xuan was, much less that he had been sent by Yin Zhi.

But as long as the other party made no move, he wouldn’t be the one to act first.

The game ended, and Li Jiu was the winner.

His sharp little beak clamped onto a card as he flapped his wings joyfully, zipping back and forth over the table. Wen Qian got dizzy from his circling and had to turn her head away.

But when she looked up, her gaze met Chi Heng’s deep eyes. A look of resignation flashed across her face, and Wen Qian had to avert her gaze again.

Sensing her avoidance, the man frowned. "Are you afraid of me?"

At some point, he had unzipped his jacket, and the loose collar of the shirt beneath revealed a tattoo. Wen Qian couldn’t help but stare for a moment. ’He might be a bit stiff,’ she thought, ’but his taste is actually pretty good.’

The black lines were smooth and fluid, half-hidden on his tan skin. After sneaking a few glances, Wen Qian was sure of the tattoo’s subject... it was a wolf.

"No!" Wen Qian instinctively denied.

’The word ’afraid’ was just too deflating. There was no way she could admit to it.’

Hearing her words, the man arched an eyebrow. His gaze was deep and unreadable as he stared at her. "Is that so? Then why can’t you look me in the eye?"

’Her eyes kept darting away. Did she really think he couldn’t tell?’

"Who says I can’t look at you?" Wen Qian pouted. Feeling cornered, she grasped at a random excuse. "You just... don’t look like a good person."

’She wasn’t going to be the one on the defensive. If anything, she’d be the one pointing the finger.’

Especially in front of Chi Heng, her stubborn streak was instantly activated, and a look of pride and confidence appeared on her face.

"I don’t look like a good person?" Chi Heng frowned.

"Uh-huh... My high school dean always said that people who smoke, have tattoos, dye their hair, get into fights, or ride motorcycles are no good," Wen Qian said with a smile.

Chi Heng: "?"

’Smoking, he’d admit to. But what’s wrong with riding a motorcycle?’

’And the tattoo and dyed hair...’

’The tattoo is something every wolf in the Wolf Clan gets upon coming of age...’

’Dyed hair... His hair was just naturally this color.’

The man stared at Wen Qian in silence, his expression unreadable. He wanted to explain, but after a long moment, he said nothing at all.

He sat back in his chair, face impassive, and allowed the mischievous little bird to land on his head and tug at his hair.

’See? I’m not scary at all. I’m a good person... This little bird is being so bold, and I’m not even mad.’

As he thought this, his gaze returned to Wen Qian, but she was focused on clearing the game board on the table, not sparing him a single glance.

A wave of complicated feelings washed over him. After a moment’s thought, the man simply closed his eyes.

An unknown amount of time passed. The night grew deeper, and a few stars even appeared in the sky.

Chi Heng felt the urge to have a cigarette, but he remembered what Wen Qian had just said and forced himself to resist.

He glanced to the side instinctively and discovered that the girl on the sofa had, at some point, fallen asleep while hugging a throw pillow.

As if remembering something, the man reached up, gently lifted the little furball from his hair, and placed him in a wooden box lined with a blanket.

When he turned back, a flicker of hesitation crossed his eyes. He approached Wen Qian in silence and, after a long moment, gathered his courage and lifted her from the sofa.

The girl was docile in her sleep, her brow smooth and relaxed. Her full lips were slightly parted, her breathing warm and even. The moment he lifted her, she nuzzled against his chest twice in an intimate gesture.

His eyes widened instantly, and a second later, a barely perceptible blush crept onto his cheeks.

He pressed his lips together, watching her for a long moment before turning to carry her into the bedroom...

The moment he carried the girl into the bedroom, Ling Xuan vaulted onto the balcony from below.

At almost the exact same time, a sharp glint flashed in Chi Heng’s eyes inside the bedroom. He calmly pulled the blanket over Wen Qian, and as he stood, he drew a combat knife from his pocket.

He left the bedroom.

Their eyes met, each sizing the other up with wary vigilance.

"You’re the punk?" Chi Heng asked, slightly taken aback. From a distance, he’d thought the man had an unusual air about him, but up close... he seemed to have absolutely nothing to do with the term ’punk.’

’Could I have gotten the wrong person...?’

"What?" Ling Xuan asked, not understanding what Chi Heng meant. The coldness in Chi Heng’s eyes, however, didn’t lessen one bit.

His gaze happened to land on the combat knife in the man’s hand. Ling Xuan frowned. "Don’t get the wrong idea. The Young Master sent me to protect you both."

’To be more accurate, to watch *you* and make sure you don’t get any funny ideas about the Young Master’s Wife.’