Chapter 5 (2)

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Fang Ji rolled over as the wolf pounced, narrowly avoiding the attack. The wolf didn't lunge again, but it remained crouched, poised for another attack. Its dark green eyes locked onto Fang Ji's face.

Fang Ji gritted his teeth, his eyes fixed on the approaching wolf as he cautiously backed away. Suddenly, a dark figure flashed before him. In a split second, it lunged at him. Reacting quickly, Fang Ji raised his arm to block the attack, and the wolf bit into his left arm. He let out a muffled groan and used his right hand to grip the wolf's throat tightly. The wolf emitted a sharp cry, but it still held onto him. In that moment, he saw the other wolf moving too.

With his teeth clenched, Fang Ji's mind was consumed by a single thought:

Cannot die here...

Absolutely cannot die here...

Gripping the wolf's throat with his right hand, Fang Ji used the strength in his left arm to lift the wolf off the ground. He slammed the wolf's head forcefully onto the ground.

A loud thud echoed as intense pain exploded in his arm. His sleeve was soaked with blood. Simultaneously, the wolf let out a howl of pain as a bloody hole appeared on its forehead. Finally releasing its grip, Fang Ji seized the opportunity to pull away. He picked up a nearby stone and threw it at the other wolf, forcing it to retreat a few steps. However, it remained watchful, keeping its distance.

Another gust of wind blew, causing rustling sounds all around. Fang Ji paused, his heart pounding. He looked up and saw dozens of pairs of dark green eyes glinting in the darkness. They were fixated on him like ghostly lights.

A chill ran down Fang Ji's spine. He turned around and fled. The chaotic sounds of footsteps pursued him relentlessly.

The wind howled in his ears, chilling him to the bone. Despite the cold, he couldn't afford to stop running.

The wolf pack was closing in behind him. He caught a glimpse of light ahead, a shimmering silver streak that cut through the darkness.

Ahead was... a pond.

With no time for deep thought, Fang Ji held his breath and leaped into the water. The water enveloped his body, and the pain in his left arm was as if the water was tearing it apart. The intense pain mixed with the freezing cold, penetrating deep into his bones. Unable to suppress it, he choked on a mouthful of water. The salty water rushed into his lungs, causing a searing pain in his chest.

The wolf's howls became muffled. In the midst of his daze, Fang Ji felt like he heard a distant whistle.

Surrounded by pitch-black darkness, his chest felt like it was crushed under a boulder that kept expanding and pressing against him, suffocating him.

"Fang..." 

He faintly heard a voice, as if it came from a very distant place and entered his ears.

After an unknown period of time, a faint glimmer appeared before him. The darkness seemed to crack open a small gap, which gradually widened, allowing light to flood in. The light penetrated his chest, causing him a sharp pain that made his whole body spasm. He coughed, choking up a mouthful of salty water, and then coughed violently.

Sensations slowly returned to his fingertips. He opened his eyes to a world covered in hazy light and shadow. Someone seemed to be gently brushing aside his stray hair, and when he looked up, he saw someone gazing down at his face.

"...Lin Lang?" Fang Ji managed to squeeze out the words, his voice hoarse as if it didn't belong to him.

Lin Lang hummed in response. Seeing Fang Ji regain consciousness, his expression eased. He lifted Fang Ji's head and let him rest against his legs.

After gasping for air for a while, Fang Ji's breathing gradually steadied. He lifted his head to look at Lin Lang's face. However, as he gazed at him, his heart suddenly jolted. Behind Lin Lang stood a gray wolf, an open wound on its forehead – wasn't this the same wolf that attacked him earlier?

The wolf stood behind Lin Lang, its eyes half-closed as if dozing off. Fang Ji held his breath and discreetly sat up, placing his hand on Lin Lang's shoulder. Using Lin Lang's body to hide his movement, Fang Ji shifted Lin Lang forward, causing him to lean slightly. Lin Lang trembled slightly and took a gasping breath.

Fang Ji's movement halted as he realized that Lin Lang had been clutching his left ankle the entire time. A long shard of glass, likely from a broken bottle, was lodged into his foot. A bit of water plants was hooked along the edge of the shard. The ground under Lin Lang's foot had turned red from the blood.

This was most likely from when Lin Lang had gone into the water to save him, stepping on the shard. Fang Ji stared at Lin Lang's bloodied bare foot in astonishment.

Lin Lang was unable to run anymore. If he could use Lin Lang to hinder the wolf pack and buy some time, Fang Ji might be able to escape...

Thinking this, Fang Ji gradually propped himself up. Lin Lang followed his movement, tilting his face upwards.

He couldn't die here...

Fang Ji stood up, diverting his gaze away from Lin Lang's face. His wet clothes clung to him, heavy and icy, like needles piercing his skin.

Perhaps due to inhaling too much water, his mind was sluggish. He reacted a second too late, and just then, the wolf behind Lin Lang suddenly opened its eyes.

Fang Ji's mind went blank, but then he immediately wrapped an arm around Lin Lang's shoulder. He grabbed a stone and hurled it at the wolf behind them. However, the wolf seemed to have anticipated his move and swiftly dodged.

"Run!" Fang Ji used the opportunity to pull Lin Lang to his feet and ran a few steps.

Lin Lang stumbled, and Fang Ji couldn't hold him up in time, causing both of them to fall to the ground again.

The sound of footsteps rustled from all around, and when Fang Ji looked up, he saw the phosphorescent eyes forming a circle around them, closing in.

"Fang Ji, wait..." Lin Lang grabbed Fang Ji's arm, attempting to get up.

"Don't move!" Fang Ji held him down. The gray wolf was charging toward them. Fang Ji lifted his hand to pull Lin Lang closer, then flipped over to protect him.

Lin Lang's expression changed as he stared at Fang Ji's face, momentarily stunned.

Rapid panting sounds were above Fang Ji's head, and the rough wolf tails brushed against his legs. However, the wolves hadn't attacked yet. In the next moment, a wolf's head nudged its way under Fang Ji's armpit, seemingly trying to push him away. Another wolf squeezed in, its claws pressing against Fang Ji's head. It moved slowly and approached Lin Lang's side, rubbing its head against him and revealing its soft belly as it turned over.

Fang Ji hesitated, and Lin Lang finally wrestled his arm free and placed his hand on the wolf's belly, gently caressing it.

The wolves crowded around them, a sea of gray fur surging before Fang Ji's eyes. He was pushed and squeezed, almost about to be toppled over. He managed to find a patch of ground with his shoe tip within the sea of fur, but just as he was about to stand up, his hand was caught.

Lin Lang sat up, locking eyes with him and saying, "Don't be afraid."

Saying that, Lin Lang grabbed Fang Ji's hand and placed it on top of the gray wolf's head. The gray wolf tilted its head slightly upward, its eyes rolling upward. Its nostrils twitched, seemingly sniffing the scent on Fang Ji's body. Then, it tilted its head, fixing its gaze on Fang Ji's face.

This gray wolf appeared to be the alpha of the wolf pack. Several other wolves gathered around it, extending their tongues to gently lick the wound on its forehead.

"Let's go back," Lin Lang said, using his hand to push away the heads of the wolves.

However, they didn't seem willing to leave. Some nudged his neck with their heads, others stepped on his belly to place their front paws on his shoulders, gently licking the water off his face. Some sniffed at the wound on his foot, emitting soft whining sounds from their throats. They extended their slender tongues, as if wanting to lick the blood from his wound.

"Wait!" Fang Ji wanted to shoo them away, but he hesitated to reach out. He turned to Lin Lang and said, "You shouldn't let them lick the wound."

Seeing Fang Ji's reaction, Lin Lang assured, "Don't worry, they won't attack you."

Just as he finished speaking, the gray wolf suddenly stood up, emitting a low growl from its throat. Upon hearing this sound, the rest of the wolf pack ceased their play and quieted down, retreating to the side. The gray wolf noticed that they had kept their distance from Fang Ji and Lin Lang. It then moved behind Lin Lang, squinting its eyes. The hostility it previously showed completely disappeared, resembling a gentle, large dog.

Similar to before, they were indeed resting.

Fang Ji was stunned and suddenly asked, "They listen to you?"

As his words fell, Lin Lang's expression stiffened. He lowered his eyes, turned his face away, and remained silent, his lips pressed together without a response.

Fang Ji looked at his face and said, "Lin Lang?"

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Tn: I caught cold. I will update regularly again.

And to avoid breaking the suspense I removed the chapter title(kinda). Here is the actual title...

Lin Lang sat up, staring into his eyes and said, "Don't be afraid." With that, he grabbed Fang Ji's hand and placed it on top of the gray wolf's head.