Yin Yue wakes up in a freezing river, coughing up water and curses. The first thing Yin Yue felt was wet. The second was cold.
The third was the painful awareness that he was not, in fact, in his bed, his body, or his species' usual habitat.
He sat up in a shallow stream, coughing violently, water streaming from his hair and down the back of what he realized horrified was a thin linen robe with no underwear or shoes.
He blinked at the trees. Dense. Old. Towering overhead like judgmental witnesses.
The sky was gold. The air smelled like pine and… fur?
"What the..." he began, but a crunch of leaves cut him off.
Someone was approaching. Fast.
A shadow shifted through the trees, massive and swift. And then he appeared.
A tall man with sun-dark skin, a massive axe across his back, and two gray wolf ears poking through his hair like sin itself.
He did not look happy. In fact, he looked at Yin Yue like he was a particularly annoying squirrel caught in his trap.
Yin Yue, shivering, soaked, and annoyed, blinked at him and said, "Hi. Do you often lurk in forests glaring at underdressed strangers?"
The man didn't speak but he stepped forward instead.
Grabbed Yin Yue gently, but firmly by the back of the robe like a mother cat hauling a kitten, and slung him over his shoulder.
Yin Yue screamed. "I can walk!"
"You smell like prey," the man said in a low growl. "You'll get eaten."
"By what?"
The man began walking. "Everything."
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
🌲 World 3: Beastman Arc Activated
🧍 MC Condition: Drenched, Dignity-Free
🐺 ML Proximity: 0.4 meters and decreasing
💘 Affection Seed Planted: Under Threat of Death (Classic)
Yin Yue flailed. "Put me down!"
"No."
"Who are you? Where am I? Why do you have ears?"
"I said," the man repeated, "don't touch anything."
"I haven't touched a damn thing yet.."
And then, in sheer pettiness, Yin Yue reached up and yanked the tip of one of his ears.
The man stopped walking, the forest went silent and Yin Yue froze mid-pinch.
"Oh no," he whispered. "That was a cultural violation, wasn't it?"
Yin Yue survived the walk well barely.
Lang Zhu didn't say much after the ear incident just made an offended wolf noise in the back of his throat and walked faster like carrying a wet, sarcastic human was a punishment he was determined to endure.
Eventually, they reached the village.
If "village" meant a collection of elevated wooden huts, stone towers, hammocks in trees, and so many animal-eared people staring at him like he'd just dropped out of the sky. Which, to be fair, he kind of had.
The moment Lang Zhu set him down (unceremoniously, in the mud), Yin Yue stood, adjusted his soaked robe, and declared, "Hi. I'm not a snack. Also, I come in peace."
The staring intensified.
Somewhere in the back, a small child with fox ears whispered, "He doesn't have a tail."
A rabbit-eared girl gasped. A bear of a man literally, the guy had fangs and was huge bounded forward.
Lang Zhu growled immediately. "Back off, Shan Da."
Shan Da ignored him. Instead, he leaned down to Yin Yue, eyes wide.
"He's small," he said cheerfully. "Can I keep him?"
"I'm not a puppy," Yin Yue snapped. "I will bite."
"I like him," Shan Da said with a grin.
Lang Zhu looked like he wanted to throw himself into a lake.
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🐾 Village First Impression: Confusion & Mild Adoption Attempts
🧠 Host Status: Cold, wet, and overly confident
🐺 ML Status: In silent, stewing denial
As they crossed the main square, Yin Yue paused beside a tall wooden carving of what looked like a snarling wolf with a sun disk over its head.
"Ooh," he said, reaching out. "What's this.."
Lang Zhu's hand shot out, grabbed his wrist mid-air. Yin Yue blinked up at him. Lang Zhu said nothing, just glared.
"Let me guess," Yin Yue said. "Sacred totem?"
Lang Zhu didn't blink.
"Touch it and I get cursed?"
"Touch it and I won't stop the elder from challenging you to a ritual combat duel."
Yin Yue very slowly lowered his hand.
And smiled sweetly. "You should lead with that kind of detail."
Lang Zhu dragged him the last twenty meters by the sleeve.
He dropped Yin Yue into a soft pile of furs in a large, dimly lit hut at the edge of the village.
Said, "Stay here."
Yin Yue looked around. Big space, fire pit, animal skulls, heavy rugs and one bed. Just one bed.
Yin Yue pointed. "That's your bed."
Lang Zhu didn't deny it.
Yin Yue stared at him. "So I'm your roommate now?"
Lang Zhu crossed his arms. "You smell like prey."
"Again with the prey."
"You can't be left alone."
"I'm not a lost baby fox."
Lang Zhu turned to leave.
Yin Yue shouted after him, "I'm still touching your ear again later!"
No answer. Just the sound of the door closing and the sudden, creeping realization that this wasn't going to be temporary.
> 🐾 World 3 Progress: Activated
🫶 Relationship Trajectory: Enemies → Roommates → ?
💬 Next Goal: Get dry. Get answers. Maybe get pet?
Yin Yue woke up wrapped in fur. This wasn't unusual anymore.
What was unusual was that the fur in question was very much not his, and still warm when he shifted.
He sat up slowly, blinking the sleep from his eyes. His robe was dry so was his hair. Someone had clearly snuck in and tucked a second pelt over him in the middle of the night.
A note was carved into a flat piece of bark beside the bed:
> "Don't wander. You smell like prey. -LZ"
Yin Yue stared at it.
Then said, "I hate him."
He did not hate him.
He pulled the robe tighter, tied it at the waist, and padded outside barefoot still, because apparently shoes didn't exist here unless they were made of bark.
Outside, the morning air was bright, cool and crisp. The kind of forest air that made you feel like you should apologize to nature for ever owning a phone.
And the village? It was chaos. A beautiful, muscular, furred chaos.
A tiger beastman was chopping wood with one hand and drinking something steaming with the other.
A bird-type was perched on a roof trimming herbs with terrifying talons.
Feng Xia the one with fox ears and a tragic need for attention was brushing his tail with a literal comb made of bones.
Everyone had ears, tails and fangs. And looks like they walked out of an illustrated adult novel.
Yin Yue crossed his arms.
"I feel like someone dropped me in a sentient thirst trap."
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🐾 World Species: 100% Beastmen
🧍 Host Species: 100% Human
💘 Target ML: Spotted Approaching From Behind
And then Lang Zhu appeared without shirt while carrying a stack of firewood that did not need to be carried shirtless.
Yin Yue blinked. Looked at the abs, looked away and looked again.
"Is this a cultural thing," he asked, "or do you just hate me personally?"
Lang Zhu paused. "You're awake."
"You're half-naked."
Lang Zhu: "So?"
Yin Yue opened and closed his mouth.
Considered his options.
Finally muttered, "I want answers."
"About what?"
Yin Yue gestured wildly. "Why I'm here. Why I'm human. Why everyone looks like an animal cover model and I look like someone fell into a lake wearing linen."
Lang Zhu looked him over slowly.
Then said, "Maybe you're here to make things complicated."
Yin Yue blinked. "That was vaguely flirtatious and I don't know what to do with it."
Lang Zhu walked off, still shirtless and still smug. Yin Yue stared after him, ears burning.
And muttered, "He's a menace. A furry menace. I'm not surviving this world."
By mid morning, Yin Yue had accepted three truths:
First, beastmen do not believe in shirts. Second, fox beastmen definitely do not believe in personal space. Third, Lang Zhu was going to kill him or court him or maybe both.
Feng Xia was the one who finally explained what was happening. Well sort of.
"You should sit by the fire pit tonight," the fox said airily. "It's our formal meal night. Bring your best robe oh, wait, you only have the one."
Yin Yue squinted. "Is this a trap?"
Feng Xia batted his lashes. "Everything's a trap, sweetheart. Some of us just use better bait."
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🍲 EVENT: Weekly Clan Meal
💘 Cultural Detail: Where You Sit = Who You Claim (Or Are Claimed By)
🧠 Host Knowledge: 0%
That night, the central fire pit blazed high. Smoke curled into the stars. Everyone gathered beastmen of every shape and size lounging around bowls of stew, roasted meats, roots soaked in herbs.
Yin Yue stood awkwardly at the edge until Lang Zhu caught his sleeve and tugged him down beside him. Directly beside him on a shared mat.
Yin Yue blinked. "This seems... close."
Lang Zhu didn't answer. Just handed him a piece of grilled rabbit.
Yin Yue took it. Slowly. "Thank you?"
Someone on the other side of the circle a raccoon-type choked slightly and looked alarmed.
Mi Mi, the shy rabbit beastman, covered her mouth like she'd just seen a public proposal.
Feng Xia sat across from them, tail twitching with laughter.
Yin Yue narrowed his eyes. "Why are you all staring at me like I just got pregnant?"
Feng Xia coughed delicately. "You're sharing a mat with the chief. That's... not casual."
Yin Yue paused mid-chew. "Define not casual."
"Mmm.. On a scale of one to 'mated for life,' I'd say you're about a strong eight and a half."
Yin Yue turned slowly to Lang Zhu. Lang Zhu didn't look back. Just kept eating like nothing was happening.
"You set me up!" Yin Yue hissed.
Lang Zhu replied, flatly, "You needed to eat."
"I'm going to kill you."
"You're welcome to try."
Feng Xia leaned forward, resting his chin in his hands. "Oh, you two are going to be horrible together. I can't wait."
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
💘 ML Claim Action: Complete (via Seating Choice)
🫠 Host Status: Emotionally Ambushed
🐾 Village Status: Gossiping Intensifies
Later that night, when Yin Yue stormed back into the den and threw himself on the fur pile, he growled:
"I'm not anyone's mate."
Lang Zhu looked at him, then at the shared fire then said nothing.
But when he lay down, he left enough space for Yin Yue to curl up beside him. And Yin Yue, still grumbling the whole time.