Chapter 59
Early morning. The first rays of dawn filtered through the window into the living room.
The bedroom door opened silently, and Hugh Elvis, his expression sleepy, wearing a dressing gown, emerged, pushing the crib.
He stopped by the window, the warm sunlight falling on the sleeping wolf cub.
The house wasn’t cold, but he gently pulled back the blanket covering Wu Wu, letting the sunlight bathe the cub’s small body.
The intelligent system was monitoring the house, and seeing that Wu Wu was sleeping soundly, he went back to the bedroom to wash up. Ten minutes later, he returned and gently lifted the still-sleeping cub from the crib.
He opened the front door and sat outside, holding the cub, enjoying the morning sun.
He opened his terminal and browsed through the study materials he had downloaded, today’s topic mecha development history, his focus on the specifications of various popular models.
The early morning sun was gentle, its warmth beneficial for the cub’s fur development, and as long as it wasn’t raining, he would bring Wu Wu outside for about half an hour every morning.
The cub, its sleep disturbed, whimpered and squirmed in Hugh’s lap.
Hugh glanced down at it, his gaze returning to the screen, and gently patted its back.
The small white wolf snuggled closer, stretching its body, then curling up again, its whimpering ceasing as it settled back into a comfortable position.
Shi Nuo emerged from the house, his footsteps light. “Still asleep?” he whispered as he approached.
“Yes, it just woke up for a moment, then went back to sleep,” Hugh replied softly.
A gentle breeze blew, the air fresh and clean, the melodious chirping of birds from the nearby forest a pleasant background noise.
It was a perfect summer morning.
Shi Nuo glanced at Wu Wu, a faint smile touching his lips. “Its fur has gotten thicker. And fluffier.”
“Mm,” Hugh had also noticed the cub’s growth. He gently touched its belly and couldn’t help but add, “And plumper.”
The thicker fur provided warmth, so he hadn’t bothered dressing the cub.
Baby fat was normal, and Wu Wu, having nursed for over three months now, was noticeably stronger, its legs no longer as wobbly, its movements more energetic.
Shi Nuo smiled and said, “I’m going to pick some vegetables. How about some greens for breakfast, and we can reheat those meat buns you made the day before yesterday?”
“Mm,” Hugh agreed absently, his hand lingering on the cub’s warm, round belly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.
Shi Nuo went to the hydroponics greenhouse next to the house, opened the door, and took a wicker basket from the wall, specifically for harvesting vegetables, its open design more convenient than a bucket.
The hydroponics greenhouse was close by, while the livestock greenhouse, with its lingering animal scent, was further away, about two hundred meters.
Two small ponds, one for fish, the other for shrimp and crabs, were located behind the livestock greenhouse. They used automated feeding systems, which were convenient and efficient.
A smooth, paved path led to the livestock greenhouse and the ponds, making it easy to walk, even in rainy weather, with no risk of slipping.
Long Xu, after completing the greenhouses and ponds, had used the leftover concrete to pave the path.
The signs of modern civilization were slowly encroaching on the wilderness.
Shi Nuo climbed onto a short stepladder, reaching for the tender green leaves growing on the hydroponics racks, the wind blowing in through the open door, rustling the leaves.
He hung the basket on a short, smooth metal rod protruding from the rack, specifically designed for this purpose.
He carefully picked the leaves, which would grow back, so there was no need to uproot the entire plant.
After gathering enough greens for breakfast, he pulled up two carrots.
He closed the greenhouse door and carried the basket back to the house. The sun was stronger now, and seeing him emerge, Hugh stood up, still holding the cub, and they went inside together.
Wu Wu whimpered and kicked its legs, protesting the interruption to its nap, then settled down after being placed back in its crib.
Breakfast was simple. Shi Nuo quickly prepared the vegetables, blanching the carrots and mixing them with the crisp, fresh greens. He reheated the meat buns Hugh had made two days ago, their filling juicy and flavorful.
They had become more adept at caring for the cub, and Hugh, no longer constantly consulting the childcare books, turned off his terminal and stood up as Shi Nuo brought the food to the table.
Wu Wu was still asleep, and breakfast was a peaceful affair.
Around eight o’clock, as Shi Nuo was putting Wu Wu’s dirty clothes from yesterday into the washing machine, he heard a soft whimper.
He hurried to the crib. The small white wolf was yawning, its round, fluffy body like a white cloud.
Seeing its father, it let out a soft “Woo,” its ears and tail twitching.
Shi Nuo lifted the cub, smiling, and kissed its forehead.
The cub nuzzled his chin affectionately.
“Good boy,” Shi Nuo praised, then, seeing its small ears twitch, couldn’t resist kissing them, gently nibbling on one.
Its ear held captive, unable to twitch, the cub, knowing it was a game, let out happy little yelps.
Shi Nuo knew the cub’s ears were still developing, sensitive and delicate, so he didn’t play too roughly, just a quick nibble before releasing it, then continued stroking its soft fur.
Hugh, having heard the commotion, had already gone to the kitchen to prepare the formula.
Seeing the bottle, Wu Wu became excited, its whimpering intensifying until the nipple was placed in its mouth.
It held the bottle with its two chubby paws, suckling eagerly.
After the cub finished eating, the large white wolf appeared in the living room.
Shi Nuo placed Wu Wu on the soft rug and took the bottle to the kitchen to wash.
The white wolf flicked its tail, its gaze fixed on Wu Wu’s ears, remembering how Shi Nuo had kissed them.
Wu Wu couldn’t crawl yet, its legs still too weak, and it couldn’t stand either, so it simply lay on its stomach, looking up at its father and letting out a soft, but determined, “Awoo.”
It had learned to roll over quickly and was now lying on its back, its legs kicking in the air as the large wolf approached and nudged it gently with its nose.
As father and cub played, Shi Nuo emerged from the kitchen, didn’t disturb them, and sat down on the sofa, browsing through recipes and cooking videos.
Hugh had a natural talent for cooking, his initial clumsiness quickly replaced by a surprising proficiency, and Shi Nuo, knowing Hugh would be leaving for a while after Wu Wu turned one, wanted to learn how to prepare some of their favorite dishes.
After reviewing a few recipes, planning their meals for the next two days, he noticed the cub’s happy sounds had ceased and looked up.
The white wolf was lying on the rug, Wu Wu nestled against its belly, its eyes closed.
The large wolf’s warm, soft fur was a comforting presence, and the cub, lulled by its father’s warmth, had fallen asleep again.
It was late morning, the sun stronger now, the temperature rising.
Shi Nuo got up, grabbed a small blanket, took off his slippers, walked to the rug, and carefully covered Wu Wu, tucking it in so it wouldn’t fall off if the cub rolled over.
The white wolf waited until Wu Wu was asleep, then stood up.
Shi Nuo assumed it was about to shift back into its human form and didn’t pay much attention. “Should we make dumplings for lunch? We can make extra and fry them for breakfast tomorrow,” he said.
Before he could finish the sentence, the white wolf was standing before him, its large, fluffy tail brushing against his cheek.
He was familiar with this gesture. The gentle touch of the tail was Hugh’s way of showing affection when he couldn’t approach him directly, usually when carrying prey.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, puzzled.
The white wolf looked at him, didn’t reply, then lowered its head, nuzzling its head against his chest.
Shi Nuo was even more confused. He raised his hand to touch the wolf, and it turned its head slightly, one of its beautiful white ears brushing against his palm.
The soft fur tickled his skin, and he felt the warmth and the soft, velvety texture of the ear.
It felt different from Wu Wu’s small ears, larger and thicker, more pleasant to touch.
Realizing what he had done, Shi Nuo quickly withdrew his hand.
He blushed, embarrassed, and the white wolf suddenly asked, “Didn’t you want to touch it?”
Shi Nuo didn’t dare deny it, knowing Hugh would see through his lie. He mumbled, “Not really.”
With Wu Wu’s small ears readily available, he hadn’t been…coveting the large wolf’s.
The white wolf frowned, then lowered its head again. “You can touch it,” it said.
Shi Nuo paused, then whispered, “Really?”
“Mm,” the white wolf’s expression was indifferent, but it turned its head, offering its ear.
The large, warm ear, so white and beautiful, its tip twitching slightly as Shi Nuo’s fingers brushed against it.
Shi Nuo touched it cautiously, expecting it to flick away from his hand, but Hugh, surprisingly, remained still.
Unable to resist the temptation, he gently caressed the ear, his fingers sinking into the soft, warm fur.
Unlike Wu Wu, which resembled a fluffy white cloud, the adult white wolf was a powerful, majestic creature, its movements graceful, its deep blue eyes, narrowed slightly, both cold and captivating.
A long silence filled the living room.
When Shi Nuo finally came back to his senses, his hand still resting on the wolf’s ear, he realized how long he had been petting it, and he gently smoothed the slightly ruffled fur, feeling a little embarrassed.
Hugh Elvis didn’t move, his eyes half-closed.
Shi Nuo hadn’t been rough, his touch gentle and affectionate, and even if he had been, it wouldn’t have bothered the wolf.
Wu Wu stirred in its sleep, whimpering softly, its legs twitching.
The sun was warm, the temperature inside the house pleasant, not too hot.
The white wolf circled Shi Nuo twice, its instincts urging it to mark him.
As the wolf’s warm breath brushed against his neck, Shi Nuo instinctively lowered his head, accepting the inevitable.
After the gentle marking was complete, enveloped in the warm, comforting scent of the Alpha’s pheromones, he felt a pleasant drowsiness creeping in.
The white wolf licked its lips, savoring the lingering sweetness of the Omega’s pheromones. Before, his markings had been rough and eager, often causing Shi Nuo discomfort, but after Wu Wu’s birth, the Omega, easily embarrassed, had insisted on gentler markings, not wanting to…lose control in front of their child, and he had complied.
Shi Nuo lay down on the rug beside the cub’s crib, resting his head on a pillow.
Before he could fall asleep, a large, fluffy tail settled over his chest.
The white wolf, still silent, lay down behind him, and Shi Nuo, understanding the unspoken invitation, carefully wrapped his arms around the thick tail, stroking its soft fur, then, content, drifted off to sleep.
The white wolf, its expression relaxed, gently pulled Shi Nuo closer, the Omega’s body now resting against its soft belly.
Its ears could be touched, but not its head. However, its tail was also a suitable…comfort object.
