Yin Yue was just trying to enjoy the morning.
He was sitting on a low wooden stool, watching Mi Mi slice roots with gentle precision, trying to understand what half these herbs even did when someone new appeared beside him.
A tall panther beastman with a gleam in his eye and the absolute wrong kind of smile.
"You're the human," he said, leaning just a little too close.
Yin Yue leaned away. "Very observant, earned gold star."
"I've never seen someone like you here."
"I'm very rare. Its like a limited-edition disaster."
The panther chuckled. "Want me to show you how to make a snare trap? I'm great with my hands."
"Wow," Yin Yue deadpanned. "That's not a red flag at all."
And then a low growl. Not too loud, but rumbling, deep, dangerous.
Lang Zhu standing right behind them like a forest ghost with biceps. The panther froze.
Yin Yue looked up at Lang Zhu, who said nothing.
Just stared at the other man like he was two seconds from declaring war over a slightly bent flower.
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🐺 ML Territorial Behavior: Activated
💢 Growl Intensity: Moderate Threat
💘 Host Heart Rate: Also Growling
The panther cleared his throat.
Muttered something about "needing to check traps."
Then vanished into the trees.
Yin Yue blinked. "Did you just growl at him?"
Lang Zhu said, "He was too close."
"I'm always too close."
"You're different."
"Different how?"
Lang Zhu didn't answer. Just turned and walked off.
Yin Yue stared after him, stunned. Feng Xia slid up beside him seconds later.
"You know," he said sweetly, "that's the third time this week."
"The third what?"
"Growl. Directed at potential rivals. Textbook mate behavior."
Yin Yue groaned. "I'm not his mate!"
"He brought you meat this morning."
"I'm not his mate."
"He braided your hair last night."
"I was half-asleep and it was one braid!"
Feng Xia smiled like the devil.
"You're already in the den. You share meals. He chases off competition. My dear Yin Yue... you've been claimed."
Yin Yue sat down hard on the stool again. Face warm and chest beating louder than it should be.
And muttered, "He didn't say anything."
Feng Xia leaned in. "Wolves don't say. They show."
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
🫠 Host Realization: Incoming
💘 ML Strategy: Growl Now, Confess Later
🧠 Emotional Forecast: Fluster with 80% chance of tail touching
That afternoon, Yin Yue tried to escape the tension by helping Mi Mi in the herb garden.
It was quiet and peaceful. Warm sun, soft dirt, fragrant green leaves.
Until Lang Zhu appeared again. Silently.
Carrying an entire bucket of water like it weighed nothing, then setting it beside the garden bed like he'd been invited. Even though he hadn't.
Yin Yue blinked at him.
"…Do you need something?"
Lang Zhu said, "You're working in the sun."
"So?"
"You'll get tired."
"I'm not a flower."
Lang Zhu didn't leave. Yin Yue turned back to his planting.
Ten minutes later, he looked up and Lang Zhu was still there leaning against a tree, watching him like a hawk with biceps.
That evening, while Yin Yue was scrubbing a basin near the spring, someone tossed him a dry towel. Its was Lang Zhu again.
"You'll get cold."
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
"You always appear."
Lang Zhu just shrugged but didn't leave.
The next day, Yin Yue tried a different tactic. He sat on the roof of the supply shed. With no reason. Just sitting.
Absolutely nowhere near any useful task, but Lang Zhu still found him anyway. He climbed up and sat beside him.
Didn't speak or didn't ask questions.
Just handed him a slice of smoked meat and leaned back like it was completely normal to stalk a human across the entire village.
Yin Yue took the meat and chewed.
Then asked, "Do you ever leave me alone?"
Lang Zhu glanced over. "Do you want me to?"
Yin Yue opened his mouth, paused then closed it again.
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
💘 ML Attachment Pattern: Wolf-Shaped Shadow
🫠 Host Confusion: Terminal
💬 Internal Dialogue: Screaming. Softly.
Lang Zhu added, "If someone threatens you, I need to be nearby."
"Is this instinct?" Yin Yue muttered. "Or is this.."
He stopped himself and Lang Zhu didn't push it.
But he said, "Instinct fades. I haven't."
Yin Yue stared at him. Blinked and heart thudding fast.
Then muttered, "You're the worst."
Lang Zhu just looked pleased.
It started with the damn mushrooms.
Yin Yue woke up to find a small woven pouch sitting at the edge of the den's bedding filled with rare white forest mushrooms, the kind Mi Mi had said only grew in the deep woods.
Lang Zhu said nothing about it. Just sharpened a spear nearby and pretended it was coincidence.
Yin Yue didn't eat them. But he also didn't throw them away. That was the problem.
By midday, Lang Zhu had appeared no less than four times:
At the bathhouse with warm towels. At the drying racks with his cloak.
At the training yard, wordlessly fixing Yin Yue's stance when he almost fell off the balance log.
And finally hovering like an emotionally repressed mountain wolf while Yin Yue carried a too heavy water bucket across the village.
That was the final straw.
Yin Yue whipped around in front of the barrels, dropped the bucket, and jabbed a finger at Lang Zhu's chest.
"I am being courted."
Lang Zhu blinked. "You are."
Yin Yue gawked. "That's not.. you're supposed to deny it!"
"Why?"
"Because... because you haven't said anything!"
Lang Zhu tilted his head. "I gave you food, carried you, protected you, sat beside you and shared my cloak."
"Okay, yes, those are things! But you didn't say! You didn't admit! You didn't.."
Yin Yue stopped. Flushed.
Lang Zhu stepped forward. Not touching. Just near... very near.
Yin Yue's breath caught.
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
💘 ML COMMUNICATION STYLE: Wordless Courtship
🫠 HOST RESPONSE: Implosion
🧠 Crowd Around Them: 4 Curious Bystanders, 2 Rabbits, 1 Smirking Fox
From somewhere off to the side, Feng Xia whispered, "Oh, he's gonna explode."
Mi Mi: "Should we help?"
Feng Xia: "Absolutely not."
Back at the barrels, Yin Yue exhaled. "If you like me, say it. If you don't.. then stop hovering. Stop protecting me. Stop giving me things. Just stop."
Lang Zhu looked at him. Long and steady. There is no emotion on his face, but his tail twitched.
Then he said, "I haven't stopped once since the day I pulled you out of the river."
Yin Yue stared.
Lang Zhu leaned in just enough to brush their arms.
"You can push me away," he murmured. "But I'll come back. Every time."
> 💥 SYSTEM 520:
💘 ML INTENTION: Explicit
🫠 HOST STATUS: Emotionally Short-Circuited
💬 Public Opinion: 'They're in love. It's disgusting. I want more.'
Yin Yue made a tiny noise in his throat and then turned and walked away fast. Like if he didn't, he'd say something worse.
Lang Zhu let him go but he was still smiling when he did.
Yin Yue didn't go back to the den.
He went straight to Feng Xia's hammock, dragging a blanket around himself like a shield and clutching a roasted root vegetable for emotional support.
Feng Xia was lounging with his tail over one leg, combing it like a bored courtesan.
"Let me guess," he said without looking up. "You finally exploded on our beloved alpha wolf."
Yin Yue flopped down next to him. "He said he hasn't stopped coming back since he dragged me out of the river."
Feng Xia gave a little hum. "Romantic."
"I am in trouble."
"Yes."
Yin Yue stared at the root. "I think I accidentally accepted his mating rituals."
Feng Xia blinked slowly. "You think?"
Yin Yue gestured wildly. "He brings me food. He shares his den. He sits beside me at every public meal. He... lets me touch his ears."
Feng Xia dropped the brush.
"You groomed his ears?"
"Once! He was injured! It was.. bandage proximity!"
Feng Xia put a hand over his mouth. "That's... not first base. That's spiritual bonding. That's practically a wedding vow."
Yin Yue paled. "WHAT."
> 💻 SYSTEM 520:
🐺 Wolf Clan Mating Signals Detected:
✔️ Den Sharing
✔️ Food Exchange
✔️ Public Claim
✔️ Grooming
🧠 Host Realization: Catastrophic
Feng Xia patted his leg. "Congratulations, you're spiritually mated and no take backs."
"I didn't sign anything!"
"You groomed his ears."
"I'm going to die."
"Probably under him."
"FENG XIA."
Feng Xia lay back, cackling. "Honestly? I've been waiting for this. You're doing great. Keep screaming."
"I'm going to move out."
"You're going to move into his heart."
Yin Yue threw the root at him. Feng Xia dodged it with supernatural smugness.
> 🫠 Host Mood: Spiraling
💘 ML Status: Unbothered, Patiently Waiting
💬 Village Status: Treating it like live theatre
Later that night, Yin Yue sat on the edge of the shared den, hugging his knees.
Lang Zhu was still out patrolling. But the bed was already made. And a fresh packet of dried herbs was resting where Yin Yue's pillow always landed.
He didn't throw it away. He just stared at it.
Then muttered, "If this is love, I want a refund."
But he lay down beside it anyway and smiled. Just a little.