Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gu Nianzhi nearly climbed to the top in one breath. She squatted in the dense foliage to peer down at the large black bear below. She was especially afraid of an adult black bear going crazy. If it shook the tree furiously to knock her down… This was a beech over ten meters tall! Fortunately, the black bear wasn’t that smart. After circling the beech several times, it would roar up at the tree top occasionally. Gu Nianzhi wanted nothing more but to plug her ears. Where was that ungrateful black bear cub?! Was this his mom?! Hurry up and take her home!
Gu Nianzhi wanted to cry as she knelt in the beech branches. She couldn’t help biting her fingertips as she kept praying for the horrible black bear to leave! But it didn’t seem to have any intention of leaving. After circling the tree several times, it found a comfortable spot to lay down. Gu Nianzhi was completely frightened by it. She could only bear the hunger pangs in her stomach and lay down on the beech branches with acceptance. Luckily, the space between the beech branches was decent, so it was perfect for a small girl like Gu Nianzhi to lay down on. However, the branches were rather hard and poked at her, but this wasn’t the time to complain about discomfort.
Gu Nianzhi missed nothing more but her days with Huo Shaoheng… With her arms back to cradle her head, she looked up at the starry sky through the leaves and recalled bits and pieces of their times together. Huo Shaoheng was a reticent and tough man, but he truly cared for her. He found time, despite his busy work schedule, to take note of what bed she slept comfortably on. He then secretly asked, and the best mattress was bought for her. He also remembered all the food she liked, so all the orderlies making meals knew the Chief would order food according to Miss Gu’s taste. Even when she had her period, he would buy many different brands of pads and let her use them, then note the one she used up fastest as her regular brand since she must like it the best.
Gu Nianzhi was so fussy back then, and like the Princess and the Pea, she couldn’t sleep comfortably on a different brand of mattress… Who would’ve thought that she would now be able to sleep in the wilderness, on the grass, in a mountain cave, and even in a big tree. She swore to not be picky anymore when she went home. Gu Nianzhi chewed on a piece of grass and slowly drifted into sleep as she thought about how much she missed Huo Shaoheng.
After sleeping for an unknown amount of time, a loud and desolate howl cracked through the night sky. Gu Nianzhi woke with a start and supported herself on the branches to look out with trepidation. The moon was bright tonight, and from her vantage point, she happened to see the mountain cave she had planned to spend the night in. In front of it were wolves with pairs of glowing green eyes. They were staring right into the cave!
Gu Nianzi shuddered, nearly falling out of the tree! Why were there wolves howling at the cave she had planned to spend the night in?! How could that be?! After some time, the wolf standing in front dashed into the cave, but the others didn’t follow. They fanned out to guard the cave.
Biting her nails, Gu Nianzhi stared at the wolves and wondered what they wanted. Just as she was feeling puzzled, the wolf that had gone in finally reappeared carrying something in its mouth! Gu Nianzhi stared wide eyed until the wolf set the thing on the ground, and it was finally visible to her. It was a baby wolf! It must’ve been born just now! The wolf that carried the baby out continued to lick its small body like it was both cleaning and marking it.
Afterwards, the pack of wolves howled and another one emerged from the cave. This one looked like it had been in the cave for a long time and was much more easy on the eyes than the one that came out before it. With a slender neck and beautiful tail, it walked gracefully and looked like a queen. The baby wolf on the ground crawled up and went under the second wolf to nurse.
Gu Nianzhi was speechless. Fine, she guessed she must’ve accidentally planned to stay the night in a cave where a mother wolf planned to give birth! No wonder the cave was so clean and completely free of mice! Who would dare to disturb the place where a mother wolf planned to give birth?! If Gu Nianzhi hadn’t been trapped up the tree by the black bear, there was no question that she would have been torn up by the mother wolf, who would be especially vicious just before labor!
Gu Nianzhi shook with fright at the thought. She looked down at the mother bear below the tree, and she suddenly didn’t seem so scary anymore. When she looked down, she discovered something else. The bear cub had come back without her noticing! He rested his black paws under his round head and was sleeping comfortably on his mother’s broad belly. Even the howls didn’t wake him up!
So she had wrongfully blamed the two bears. It was because she saved the bear cub that his mother chased her up the tree and stopped her from coming down, because the cave she chose was secretly lethal… Gu Nianzhi couldn’t help laughing as she thought about it. The moonlight was soft as silk, and she no longer felt as sad. Dealing with animals was much easier than humans… Gu Nianzhi closed her eyes contently and fell asleep again.
The next day, she was shaken awake by the large tree. She could feel the tree sway as soon as she opened her eyes, and when she looked down, the bear cub was grunting as it slammed its small body against the trunk!
Gu Nianzhi thought, Dear bear cub, that’s a unique way of waking someone up! The bear cub noticed she was awake when he looked up and slammed even more cheerfully. Gu Nianzhi patted the trunk to let him know she was aware then stretched her body. The bear cub circled the tree several times then knocked into it again like a greeting. It turned around and jumped away. Gu Nianzhi watched it’s round bottom jiggle as it ran, and she muffled her laughter into silence for a long time.
She inadvertently noticed her palm as she laughed. She remembered that the tough bark had blistered and bloodied her soft palms when she climbed up the tree twice yesterday. She calmly studied her palm, then looked below the tree. The ground was covered in lush grass and tall weeds. The mother bear wasn’t there anymore, and the cub had run off far away. Several little deer bounded out of the trees, so the danger must’ve passed.
Relaxing herself, she no longer thought about the strangeness of her body and climbed down confidently. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she collapsed from weak knees. Last night’s fright had been too vivid, and as much as she thought she was strong, she was actually terrified. Rubbing her back, she finally sighed deeply.
