With a series of sharp, piercing whistles, the solid sound of hooves hitting the ground came from afar. The loud rumbling noise indicated that it was not just one animal.
Qinghe watched as the Snow Wolves began to reveal their figures. She couldn't help but show a heartfelt smile of joy—one, two, three... These seven Snow Wolves were her family.
She still couldn't understand why these wolves didn't eat her in the first place. Perhaps it was the Nature's Power in her that made them feel kinship, or maybe it was because they possessed Spiritual Energy and knew she was different from the cattle, sheep, and deer, so they didn't see her as food.
In any case, whatever the reason, not only did they not eat her, but they also indulged and spoiled her. Yes, spoiled her. In others' eyes, they were simply wolves, but in her eyes, they were family that cherished her deeply.
Whenever she was in need, no matter what it was, they would accommodate her.
She remembered when she first learned to speak, gesturing to them to hunt animals for her to eat. The wolves immediately brought back a chick for her, an incident she found both amusing and touching.
She felt very warm inside, thinking that maybe they had brought her the small chick because they saw she was small and delicate.
Later, as they gradually understood her dietary habits, they would spontaneously bring her a small animal at mealtime. After she had had her fill of roasted meat and wandered the forest discovering various wild fruits and fish in the river, they learned another of her hobbies.
Every time the Snow Wolves returned, they would bring her some wild fruits or fish, along with some peculiar treasures. If she ate them, they would bring more the next time. If she didn't, they definitely wouldn't bring those items again.
If this care from the Snow Wolves wasn't affectionate love, then what was it? They were indeed her dearest family. Although she often thought about leaving, when the time actually came to leave, she felt reluctant to part from them—otherwise, she wouldn't be in such a dilemma today.
In the six years with them, her life was not at all harsh, and she never felt lonely.
She often thought that Heaven had treated her unfairly in her previous life but was perhaps compensating her with their presence in this one. These creatures, whose breed she did not know but considered Snow Wolves, seemed to be filled with Spiritual Energy.
Because she always talked to them, what had begun as a long process for them to understand her eventually became indistinguishable from human understanding.
They understood her words and would respond to her, and she could understand their meanings through their eyes, the howls, and the tacit understanding they had developed over many years.
She was the true wolf girl—raised by wolves, fluent in their language, able to communicate with them, and doted on by them—Qinghe, the wolf girl.
Sometimes she felt that they considered her their child. It was strange that among them, there were she-wolves, something she had discovered secretly. There were male and female wolves, but they hadn't given birth to a single pup.
Even Xiaohe, whom she was holding in her arms, was not their offspring according to her observations, and this Xiaohe, who had first discovered her, still looked as small as back then. If the other Snow Wolves were strange, then Xiaohe was the strangest of them all.
She had more than once used Nature's Power to check their health. All seven big Snow Wolves and the one little Snow Wolf were in excellent health, their bodies functioning splendidly, organs emanating boundless vitality. Years had passed without a sign of aging.
Perhaps her knowledge was insufficient, and she didn't fully understand their breed. She would have to wait until she could find someone who knew about wolves. But for now, their health was undoubtedly her greatest joy—knowing they could stay by her side forever.
Qinghe slowly closed her eyes, with Little Snow Wolf's chubby body lying on Xiaoliu, wrapping her arms around its neck. The gentle breeze brushing against her cheeks felt very comfortable and delightful, lifting her spirits considerably.
The Snow Wolves numbered seven in total. For convenience, she named them Xiaoyi, Xiao'er, Xiaosan, and so on up to Xiaoqi. The one that always clung to her was given the character "He" from her own name. They were the greatest treasure of her life.
"Weisheng Mansion"
"Young master, young master, you finally woke up. If you hadn't awoken soon, the old master would have been beside himself with worry," a man in his thirties, dressed in a Zhongshan suit, stood in front of a child's bed, his well-defined, resolute face now showing surprise and relief.
"Cough, cough," Weisheng Yueren wanted to speak, but the dryness in his throat made him cough involuntarily.
The butler-like man who had just spoken quickly shouted to the attendants behind him, "Quick, quick, get the young master a glass of water and go inform the old master that the young master is awake."
"Yes, yes," the two women behind him responded excitedly and then went about their tasks in an orderly fashion following the butler's orders.
After drinking water, Weisheng Yueren finally felt a bit more comfortable. "Uncle Zhao, how is my grandpa?"
The butler, named Uncle Zhao, sighed, "The old master is just holding on. Your safe return is the greatest comfort for him."
No sooner had Uncle Zhao finished speaking than a man around fifty years old entered with an excited pace, moving forward to tightly grasp the boy's hand.
If Qinghe had been here, she would have recognized that this boy, whose awakening had caused such excitement and appeared somewhat fragile, was indeed the person she so despised.
Unexpectedly, when the previously tightly shut eyes of the delicate, beautiful little boy opened, they were captivating.
The large, clear, bright yet dark eyes were a contradiction that, on him, seemed perfectly harmonious. The unfathomable darkness added an enigmatic quality to his demeanor, and one could not help but marvel that such a young boy could possess such a temperament.
"Yueren, you are finally safe, and I, your grandfather, can now be at peace," the man's eyes were both relieved and pained.
This upright-looking man, with sharp facial features, exuded the aura of a distinguished individual, his eyes piercing. Anyone could imagine that he too must have been a man who made countless young girls swoon in his youth.
However, at this moment, he was clearly in decline, with the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes deepening considerably, and those sharp, steely, resolute eyes losing some of their luster, showing the demeanor of an ordinary senior.
Weisheng Yueren's clear, defined eyes dimmed slightly as he spoke with a somewhat hoarse voice, "Grandpa, it's just you and me left. You have to hang in there."
Such a simple, unadorned statement made the man's eyes well up. He nodded vigorously as if muttering softly to himself, too quietly for anyone else to hear.
Uncle Zhao, watching this scene, visibly moistened his eyes as well. What was once an incredibly happy family – a grandfather, grandmother, son, daughter-in-law, grandson – was now only this pair of grandfather and grandson. How cruel fate could be.