Archive of Our Own

"Is that him? Yerim's pimp?"

"He's a wolf, but cuter than I thought. Wonder if he's got good stamina at night..."

"Well, they paid a fortune to bring him here for exactly that, so he better be good at sweet-talking Yerim into snapping out of her nonsense."

"The Tiger family's bloodline is just too precious, you know..."

Among the feline species, Lee Yerim, Yechan's elder sister, was that auspicious White Tiger. But when she suddenly declared she wouldn't marry, or if by some one-in-a-billion chance she found a humble, modest man who would just stay home and take care of the household, she still wouldn't have kids even if she married him—the entire Tiger family was flipped upside down.

So, what was the brilliant scheme these crazy old folks cooked up?

To bring in a handsome, strong, and precious-seeded young male therianthrope who somehow lacked money, and make him her pimp. If he could produce an heir and turn out decent, they'd make him her official husband. If not, they'd just take the seed they paid for and kick him out. Honestly, the elders' obsession with lineage went beyond anything you could possibly imagine. And at the center of it all was Yechan's sister. Yechan quietly chewed on his popcorn, observing the dynamic internal conflict.

"You darn bastard, just let me hit you once."

"Ow! Why are you hitting me?!"

"Someone's about to 'build a Great Wall' with an unknown bomb, you annoying punk. Ugh, and you’re my little brother..."

"What power do I have, though? Why are you taking it out on me...?"

"That's why you're getting taken out on. Yechan, you know our family motto, don't you?"

The Lee family, a tiger lineage, was among the top five wealthiest families in Seoul with the most precious sons. The four characters of the family motto, carved into their very bones, were the stepping stones that built the current Lee family. What were they?

"Survival of the Fittest."

Damn it, this is so unfair! Yechan swallowed his scream internally.

Whether he was a pimp or whatever, what sin had that guy committed in his past life to marry Lee Yerim? Yechan, who used to get hit with his grandpa's cypress pillow every time "square" came up in the song "The Dream of a Square," prayed that the man would at least look like a total bomb. Enough to make Lee Yerim clutch the back of her neck and collapse.

But as always, the world was not on Yechan's side.

"Are you just coming home from school now?"

A moment of silence...

And then—

"...Who are you?"

"Oh, right. We're meeting for the first time."

Yechan stared at the man who introduced himself as his brother-in-law, instead of using the crude term 'pimp.' Damn, he was incredibly handsome. The man introduced himself as Peng Lixun. Yechan bowed his head deeply, flustered, like Sook-hee seeing Lady Hideko for the first time. The rotten world was surely playing a cruel joke on Yechan.

'Is that wolf bastard still at home?'

When he confirmed it, an annoyed voice came through the phone.

'Damn it, can't he take a hint and just leave? How much money did he get from the old folks?'

"But sis, you should at least come home..."

'Are you crazy? As soon as I walk in, they'll throw me into that room, reeking of dog fur! I'm not going home until that money-grubber leaves. If the wolf bastard leaves or if the old folks start nagging you too, call me. Otherwise, don't bother, it's annoying. I'm hanging up.'

With the phone disconnected, Yechan, stuck in the middle, sighed. He understood his sister's position a hundred percent, so he had to leave it at a light remark.

"The ground won't crack that easily."

"Agh!"

"Oh, were you that surprised? My apologies."

"Uh, how long have you been there?" Yechan cried, clutching his toe which he'd stubbed on a pillar.

"I just arrived."

'Oh god, he didn't hear our conversation, did he...?' Yechan subtly glanced at the man, but his eyes were sparkling, as if he hadn't heard a thing.

'Hmph, never mind. Anyway, this person is also in a predicament, isn't he? He came to the mansion as requested for money, but Yerim eloped the very night of their first meeting, making Shawshank Redemption look like child's play. Honestly, if it were me, seeing that face, I wouldn't have run away so fast; I would have hesitated a bit... No, Lee Yechan, are you insane right now?'

Yechan lightly slapped his own cheek.

His name was Peng Lixun. He started telling Yechan various stories, as if promoting himself. Hearing him, he seemed to come from a decent, high-ranking family, so why had he come to serve as a stud-horse for someone else's family?

Plus, he was a wolf therianthrope. Looking at their numbers, wolf therianthropes were even rarer than tigers. According to rumors, wolf therianthropes never had arranged marriages, only love marriages.

Some said they were rare romantics in this modern world, while the majority would scoff, saying that's why their population was so small.
Yechan attended a general university that integrated high-ranking and lower-ranking therianthrope types – though 80% were lower-ranking – not a specialized high-ranking one. So, Peng Lixun was the first wolf therianthrope he'd actually seen. From his appearance and background, he didn't seem like the type to come to such an old-fashioned family only to be rejected as a pimp.

It was very suspicious, but perhaps they had their own reasons... After all, the world is full of illogical and irrational things.

As soon as Peng Lixun arrived, the adults immediately combined his and Yerim's rooms. This was why Yerim eloped that very night, and why Yechan, knowing about it, couldn't bring himself to say anything and even helped her. He escorted his sister as she trampled the garden's precious flowers and orchids cultivated by the family elders, and fearlessly climbed over the wall using a tree that was twice their age. Then, Yechan, returning to his room as if nothing had happened, encountered Peng Lixun sitting on the porch outside his door, wearing a gown. He should have just bowed his head and turned away in three seconds. But perhaps he was so stunned by the piercing gaze that he became awkwardly flustered. Peng Lixun tapped the spot next to him and motioned him over.

"Will you keep a rejected groom company for a bit?"

With him saying that, how could the very person who contributed to his rejection possibly just pass him by?
Yechan ended up playing the part of a confidant and stand-in bride for the tragic wolf groom. He found it strange that this mansion had a traditional Korean house structure, and he blushed hearing about the shamelessness of his family elders, who immediately, upon Peng Lixun's arrival, cleaned him thoroughly, put him in nothing but a gown, and put him in the room, saying he needed to prepare for the night. Somehow, Yechan felt vicariously sorry.

'What is this... is this joint liability?'
At that, Peng Lixun laughed heartily, saying it was fine, as he already knew what he was getting into.

After that, he asked Yechan many questions. About whether he had lived there his whole life, how school was, casual small talk like that, and even some deeper conversations. Quickly, though, out of loyalty, he avoided any talk related to his sister. While talking, Yechan learned that Peng Lixun was a little younger than him, and at some point, they started speaking informally to each other.

"Hmm... Why do I always just go between university and home? I don't really go out much. It's always been like that, and when I was little, I almost got kidnapped... Luckily, someone saved me then, and I made it home safely. I don't know that person's face or name, but... maybe I'll meet them again someday?"

It felt like a deep conversation over beer cans on the street in front of a convenience store at dawn.

Was this maturity?

Yechan was instantly drawn into his conversation with Peng Lixun. Despite his subtly cool appearance, his good reactions and frequent jokes showed an unexpected side, causing Yechan's defenses against strangers to crumble helplessly. There was no smell of dog fur that his sister detested so much. Instead, he had a fresh, subtle scent. One Yechan would want to keep smelling if he could... What am I thinking... Yechan's face turned red, and he hurriedly got up and said,

"Wow, look at the time, let's go to bed."

"Oh, you're right... Go on, go to sleep quickly. I guess we've been out here too long; your hands are cold."

Peng Lixun took Yechan's hand, which had been resting on his thigh, and stroked the bare back of his hand with his thumb, then kneaded it. Maybe Peng Lixun was just warm, but his own hand, trapped in Peng Lixun's palm, felt incredibly hot. Yechan jumped back as if burned, then quietly pulled his hand away in embarrassment and ran to the furthest corner of his room.

Wh-why did he suddenly grab my hand...?

He thought this internally, but couldn't control his racing heart. His room and Peng Lixun's room weren't close, but if he ran, it was just a sprint away, yet he couldn't understand why his heart wouldn't calm down. As he burrowed under the blankets in his bed, Yechan's damn fox ears perked up. Go back in... Why won't you go back in...!! Yechan grabbed his ears, wrestling with them. Surely, his tail didn't come out too, did it? Argh...

A mutant born a fox in a tiger family.

This was why Yechan habitually said, "This damned world is not on my side."

He was the only one born a fox in this family, which had always consisted of tigers, or at least high-ranking therianthrope types. Because of this, he couldn't even take the entrance exam for the prestigious university for high-ranking therianthropes that his family members all attended. If he went to family gatherings, torment from his peer relatives was a daily occurrence. Although his sister, Yerim, put a stop to the bullying by declaring, "Only I can bother my little brother," and turning things upside down for his tormentors... Yechan never once felt like his family was truly family, except for Yerim.

What kind of people were they?

When Yechan was kidnapped, didn't they instead criticize him, saying it happened because he was born a fox and attended a low-level school? For Yechan, recalling 'that person' brought him a hundred, a thousand times more peace of mind than thinking about his family.
That person. The hero who saved Yechan when he was almost kidnapped. He warmly held Yechan's hand when Yechan trembled at the police station, more afraid of his family's reaction upon arrival than the kidnapping itself. He stayed with Yechan until the very end, even after being told he could leave once his statement was finished.

Unfortunately, the time they spent together was fleeting, and after that, it became difficult for Yechan to go out, except for school, so he couldn't find that person. Though his name was unknown and his face was fading from memory, he was one of the few good memories of Yechan's childhood, and to exaggerate a little, he was like his first love. He'd never really liked anyone his age, and whenever friends asked if he liked someone, that person's existence would somehow come to mind.

Could they meet again?

He just felt like it was possible. If fate truly existed in this world.

So, he lived, looking forward to the day he would reunite with his first love...

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.

.

So, for Lee Yechan, who had lived cherishing the pure love of reuniting with his first love, the alarm bells had been ringing non-stop lately. This was first because of his fake brother-in-law, second, because of Peng Lixun, and third, because of a certain wolf living in the Tiger family's house. All three, ultimately, referred to the same person. Peng Lixun would often march all the way to Yechan's room, the one at the very end of the hallway.

"Can, what are you doing? Come out and play."

"Ugh, why agaain..." Truth be told, he already knew everything from the sound of footsteps coming down the hallway, but he still grumbled.

"You're the only one on my side in this house, Can."

He said such words, appealing to sympathy, with a smiling face. If this was a talent, then it was a talent. Peng Lixun might not know it, but Lee Yechan was also like an alien substance floating around in this tiger household. He just couldn't bring himself to ignore the lonely Mr. Wolf, who was in a similar predicament. So, he had no choice but to be easily coaxed. It wasn't like they did anything grand when they went out, but time just flew by when they were together. It made him wonder if he was living without his wits these days.

"Achoo!"

"Did you catch a cold?"

"Ugh... No, just not feeling great these days."

Then, Peng Lixun would hurry to his room and bring a cardigan. 'It's fine, you wear it. I'm warm-blooded, so I'm okay. Want to feel?' Wow, really... When Yechan's cold fingertips touched Peng Lixun's arm, they were both surprised by the vastly different body temperatures. Peng Lixun chuckled, seeing Yechan spacing out while fiddling with his arm, asking what he was thinking about so deeply. "Are wolves usually warm-blooded?" "Pretty much. Everyone in my family gets hot easily."

"That's amazing, your body is like a hot pack."

"Want me to rip off a piece for you to carry around?"

"There he goes again, saying weird things..."

"Why, if it's you, I could really cut you a piece."

"If you cut it, would it still be warm...?"

'Sometimes he just says crazy things without a care in the world...'

Well, who was he to call anyone crazy? The craziest one here was him, Yechan thought to himself. His unrequited love, upgraded from a past savior to a brother-in-law... it felt like the genre was deteriorating from a pure romance manga to a third-rate adult video. Yechan was both worried and happy about the current situation where his sister wasn't coming home. So much so that he was having the cheeky thought that he wished this state would continue indefinitely, without progressing or regressing. A sense of guilt would occasionally crawl down his spine, giving him shivers.

But, even so. It wasn't like he wanted to be like this... That person, he started it first. Like he had ulterior motives for me, like I was the most precious and valuable person in the world. When he acts so sweet, I just swallow it whole, even if it's poison and bad for me...

So, it's not entirely my fault!

.

.

.

There was one more reason, tragically, why Lee Yechan habitually said, "The world is so unfair to me."

Second, it was because fox therianthropes were particularly vulnerable during 'that time.'

'That time,' as all therianthropes experience, varies wildly in severity depending on the species... in vulgar terms, it could be called the heat cycle. The smaller the species, the higher their reproductive capacity, meaning their cycles were more frequent and stronger than higher-ranking species.

At times like these, there should be an experienced person nearby to care for them, but Lee Yechan had been born and raised as a lonely fox in a tiger's den, so it was highly unlikely he'd have anyone like that around. His first heat was nothing but pain. His immature self had touched and rubbed himself raw, his lower parts turning crimson, and his hips ground against his pillow, but bodily fluids kept oozing out. Even as his legs gave out, his primal desires remained unfulfilled, and he couldn't stop masturbating. It was closer to pain than pleasure, and he spent his heat crying from sorrow and fear.

After that, he obsessively took medicine to avoid his heats. They said that suppressing it with medicine could lead to side effects, like a stretched rubber band snapping back eventually, but this was the only option Yechan had. He just went between school and home, and he wasn't brave enough to find a partner to relieve his heat like other kids.

Then disaster suddenly struck Yechan.

No, why on earth? He had clearly calculated the dates and taken his medicine properly, never once made a mistake, but it seemed something had influenced him, and his cycle had gone awry. It was fortunate, amidst the misfortune, that his lecture was almost over, but even that mercy quickly clouded his rational judgment, consumed by a magma-like heat.

What if his heat erupted on the bus like this...?

A picture formed in his mind. People feeling sorry for him, or despising him, or even finding it amusing and pulling out their phones, as he thrashed around, his lower body disgustingly wet. Perhaps someone on the bus had already noticed his strange state. What if he'd been caught in heat? If someone were to suddenly snatch him away here, could he even resist? Oh, he'd rather bite his tongue and die. He desperately missed the inside of his room's blanket fort. He wanted to lock the door so no one could enter and curl up in his cozy, warm den made of blankets.

At the end of that terrifying journey home, which he so desperately wished for, awaited...

"Can, what's wrong? Are you sick?"

An even greater final boss, a wolf.

Wow, honestly, he was at his limit now. Why, of all faces, was that the first face he saw? Peng Lixun asked, holding Yechan's feverish, warm cheek.

Only then did Yechan realize what that scent was, the one his sister had called so terrible. It was the wolf therianthrope's pheromones, that heavy smell that settled deep in his lungs, instantly cutting off the last thread of his sanity. Yechan, reddened up to his neck and with his strength gone, leaned into Peng Lixun. By now, Peng Lixun could roughly grasp the situation. No, he couldn't, he shouldn't. Instinctively, he buried his nose in the faint scent.

'I must look really weird. I must look like a total weirdo. He'll never be nice to me again. What will I do if Peng Lixun avoids me now...?'
Guilt and anxiety intertwined inside him, making him feel miserable, yet his body grew hotter, and his legs twisted.

Had he been breathing in ragged gasps for too long?

By now, Peng Lixun should have been able to notice Yechan's condition, but for some reason, he had no particular reaction. When Yechan lifted his head, the gaze he met was...

Huh?

"..."

It wasn't even his heat, but... it was as if he desired him...

Yechan was puzzled, but his mind raced, simply and urgently. If it wasn't unpleasant, if that was the case...

Yechan embraced Peng Lixun's neck, clinging to him, and pleaded with a flushed face.

"Lixun... I seriously feel like I'm going to die... I've been feeling weird since school... even on the bus... help me..."

'I can't do this alone...' Yechan pleaded, recalling his first heat, branded into his memory as a painful experience. He felt as if the wolf in front of him must know some secret to end this unmanageable heat. It was a conviction born from instinct. And, damn it, it was the right answer.

He was moved to what was once his sister's room and now Peng Lixun's alone. Three fingers entered Yechan's mouth as he lay on the bed. Before he could even think, his tongue reflexively busied itself licking and sucking the fingers. He clung to Peng Lixun's forearm and sucked eagerly, as if nursing. Meanwhile, Peng Lixun removed Yechan's school uniform pants and underwear. His lower body, bare except for his socks, made him embarrassed, and he tried to bend his knees, but Peng Lixun easily stopped him, instead spreading his legs wide, which doubled his shame. However, shame was only felt when he was vaguely in his right mind. Soon, when Peng Lixun took his length into his mouth, Yechan's mind went blank.

"Ah, what are you, why...!"

For Yechan, who had desperately avoided sexual desires, the stimulation hit him even harder. A shiver ran through his body as the moist oral cavity touched his extremely sensitive and swollen skin. His two legs tried to close, but Peng Lixun simply pressed down on his kneepits, holding them open.

His pillar, stimulated by the tongue moving around the glans, fell helplessly. Only his waist thrashed pitifully above his fixed legs. The pleasure was so intense that tears welled up and spilled from his eyes, forcing their way past his eyelids. A strong urge to release pulled at him, tensing his lower abdomen. Unable to bring himself to ejaculate into his brother-in-law's mouth, Yechan choked back a sob and pushed Peng Lixun's head.

"I'm going to cum...! Please, please..."

But Peng Lixun didn't seem to hear, and ultimately, Yechan climaxed into his mouth. His stiff body melted away like wax with the orgasm.

Peng Lixun casually spat the semen into his palm. Then, like calling a beloved cat onto his lap, he beckoned Yechan.

"Can, come up here. Hurry."

At his words, Yechan, with weakened limbs, practically crawled onto him. As soon as their eyes met, they kissed deeply. Despite Peng Lixun having just pleasured him orally, Yechan felt no repulsion. They intertwined ravenously, exploring each other's mouths as if to memorize their structure. Soon, Yechan's lower body, throbbing with blood, started leaving sticky bodily fluids on Peng Lixun's black T-shirt. Even while kissing, he moved the hand that was embracing Peng Lixun's neck down to touch his own lower parts. But the stimulation was far too little compared to what Peng Lixun had just done orally, causing him to fret and let out weak moans. 'It's not enough, I need something stronger.' As if he'd become addicted from that one touch. Yechan, wiping the unknown saliva from his mouth with his tongue, rested his cheek on Peng Lixun's collarbone and pleaded.

"It's still not enough, please do a little more for me. Do something that feels even better..."

His speech was alternately formal and informal, somewhat mischievous. Peng Lixun gladly granted Yechan's wish. Turning around, Peng Lixun embraced Yechan's back, holding his pre-cum dripping glans with one hand and stroking the reddish crease between his buttocks with the other. His lower back twitched as a hand touched an intimate place he himself had never explored.

"You need to spread your legs properly," Peng Lixun whispered, and Yechan gasped, inhaling.

"If you close your legs again, I won't do anything good for you, got it?"

At the devilish whisper, Yechan, like an innocent lamb, naively nodded his head.

It was undeniably his heat period; even without being fully stimulated, his lower body was already completely soaked. When Peng Lixun gently slapped Yechan’s heated backside, Yechan completely melted into Peng Lixun's embrace, which was supporting his back. Yet, he still listened well, keeping his legs spread wide. What to do...? Peng Lixun’s attempt to remain calmly composed felt like it might melt away too. appearance was far more stimulating than he had anticipated. Two fingers slid into his rear entrance, which gurgled as it swallowed them. As the thrusting fingers sped up, Yechan began to rock his body up and down on his own.

‘Yes, this is so good, it's driving me crazy.’

For Yechan, sexual pleasure had always been a prelude to pain. But now, even if pain came, he just wanted to drown and die in this overwhelming pleasure. Two fingers turned into three, and water splattered in rhythm with the thrusting speed. Before long, Yechan’s and Peng Lixun’s thighs were both wet. Yechan's mind flickered back and forth, like a dying lightbulb, from the incessant stimulation from both front and back.

‘Yes, this is so good, I feel like I’m going to die…’

And honestly, Peng Lixun didn't want to miss this either. It was as if Yechan had been imprinted on Peng Lixun; his mind was filled with nothing but Peng Lixun, and it felt as if Peng Lixun belonged to him. 'What if my sister comes back? I don't want to give him to her. I want him for myself. I know I'm garbage for thinking this. But can't I be greedy for just one thing in my life?' Yechan thought to himself. Imagining Peng Lixun doing this, or even more, with his sister made him feel like he'd go blind with jealousy. Yechan infused his true feelings into his moans of pleasure.

"I like you..."

It was a half-crazed mumble. Then Peng Lixun quietly whispered, "Me too." At those two words, Yechan's heart began to pound. It thudded uncontrollably. Peng Lixun kissed Yechan's sweaty forehead, and Yechan came again. Trembling all over, he grabbed the arm that was thrusting into him and moved his hips on his own, as if begging for deeper penetration. A small laugh escaped Peng Lixun at his cheeky demeanor. Despite Yechan's blatant urging, Peng Lixun eventually pulled his arm out, and a look of regret and sadness crossed Yechan's face. So transparent and honest. Peng Lixun lifted his limp body and sat him face-to-face on his thigh.

"You need to get a grip now."

"Mmm..."

Peng Lixun gently patted Yechan's flushed cheeks, his eyes still dazed. As soon as his black eyes regained their white clarity, the world flipped. Yechan was pressed flat on the bed, with only his lower body lifted, as Peng Lixun took his place behind him. Unlike Yechan's bewilderment, the hole, trembling with anticipation, happily tightened as Peng Lixun shoved himself in. Only Yechan’s cries and the thick sound of flesh slapping against flesh reverberated through the room.

"It hurts...! Yes, harder, please."

He kept pleading as if those were the only words he knew. Supporting himself on his knees, he barely endured the thrusting force from behind. As he endured, pleasure that stabbed at his brain flowed through his entire body.

"Can, want to try doing it on top of me?"

Yechan, not understanding what it meant, merely assumed whatever Peng Lixun suggested would be good for him and nodded his head.

Their hands clasped together, fingers intertwined.

"J-just a moment..."

Yechan trembled, legs awkwardly bent, unable to move either way. The pressure was incredibly worse than before. His rear entrance, having swallowed Peng Lixun's length, stretched tightly as if it had reached its limit. He couldn't go down any further. Yechan, fixed in place as if being punished, finally whimpered.

"I don't like this... I want to do something else..." Peng Lixun soothed him, stroking his straight back.

"Shall I help?"

"Yes, yes."

When Yechan nodded, Peng Lixun smiled and replied, "Alright." Then, holding Yechan's waist with both hands, he pushed him down. The pillar entered his dantian, and pleasure shot through Yechan, from his spine all the way to the crown of his head. "Hmph," he gasped, taking a deep breath, and curled his body tightly. His toes tingled from the overwhelming stimulation. Unable to believe that something so big had filled him completely in one go, Yechan unconsciously touched his lower abdomen with his hand. Unbeknownst to him, that sight was even more stimulating to the beholder. As Peng Lixun began to thrust his hips, Yechan's body swayed with his movements.

"Can, from below, you look like a little fox hopping around, you know?"

"Ugh, no, I'm not a fox..."

"What do you mean, no? Your ears have been out since earlier."

"Ugh, these aren't fox ears, ah!"

Yechan might not have known, but his fox ears had been out all along. And a tail had popped out from his tailbone area.

Yechan probably didn't realize his tail was flapping and moving every time he was being thrust into from behind. His soft fur, now wet with sweat and bodily fluids, stood on end. His ears twitched with every thrust of Peng Lixun's hips. Watching his flapping tail, Peng Lixun thought how startled he would be if he grabbed it with one hand, like a fox caught by a hunter.

That sight would be quite cute, but Peng Lixun knew many ways to catch a fox, and he didn't particularly want to choose fear among them. He preferred to gently tie a string around its ankle. So that eventually, even without a string, it would run around near him and ultimately return to him.

After getting stuck a few times initially, once the path was broken in, it slipped in smoothly without obstruction. The sensation of the tightening, contracting hole stimulated his spine almost painfully. Yechan, who had struggled to even lower his hips, was now addicted, slamming his hips down. From Yechan's front, clear fluid dripped continuously without needing any touch. It even pooled in Peng Lixun's defined abdominal lines, splashing softly.

A fox whose body and mouth couldn't lie. Yechan leaned forward and kissed Peng Lixun again. His tongue timidly pressed against Peng Lixun's lips, as if asking him to open his mouth. When Peng Lixun complied, his clumsy tongue entered and thoroughly explored the inside of his mouth, while below, he busily rocked his hips again. Peng Lixun massaged various parts of Yechan's body, which was flushed red and heated all over, and said,

"Can, if you ever go into heat again, tell me. I'll help you."

"But, but... you're not mine," Yechan whimpered, with a slightly resentful tone. His possessive display, arguing about "mine" and "yours" as if he were an object, was cheeky and cute, but by now, the whereabouts of ownership had been decided long ago.

"You want me that much?"

When Peng Lixun gently asked, Yechan burst into moans and tears, nodding wildly.

"I want you. I don't want anyone else to have you; I just want to see you. Don't marry my sister. I'll seriously die." His honest feelings were so passionate, it was almost touching. Peng Lixun held Yechan tightly.

"Then, Can, will you come with me? If you do, I'll be yours."

"Really?"

"Yes, really."

"I'll go, I'll follow you... It was a place I never felt any affection for anyway," Yechan replied, hugging Peng Lixun without hesitation.

Peng Lixun smiled brightly and cradled the fox in his hands.

'I've been waiting for those words for a very long time.'

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All therianthropes have characteristics unique to their species. These can be in the form of blessings or curses. Tigers, for example, have fiery personalities and drive compared to other therianthropes, but they can also be arrogant, leading to poor judgment at critical moments. Foxes, as mentioned earlier, being smaller therianthrope types, have frequent heat cycles to compensate for their lower survival rate through reproduction.

So, what about wolf therianthropes?

They seem to possess only blessed traits, like superior physical abilities, keen senses, and innate social instincts, making them reign supreme in the food chain pyramid. But in reality, they are the species with the most cursed traits.

Imprinting. Wolf therianthropes love and dedicate themselves absolutely to only one person they're captivated by at first sight. Imprinting strikes suddenly, without regard for time or circumstance, like a natural disaster. It's random and an unexpected twist of fate that turns their lives upside down. It's a curse so catastrophic it cannot be controlled by the wolf's own will. Many wolves have actually gone mad because of imprinting, and there have been extreme cases of relatives killing each other due to imprinting on the same target.

Furthermore, if their imprinted partner falls in love with someone else, they can become depressed, and if the imprinted partner dies first, they frequently waste away and die themselves, or even commit suicide. They live and die for love; beneath their glossy exterior, they are inherently weak and sickly. There was simply no other group like them.

Peng Lixun, too, could not escape this disaster.

Yechan didn't remember him from their first encounter, but Peng Lixun remembered it vividly. On just an ordinary day, as he was walking ordinarily, someone like a lightning bolt came to him, crying with tears in his eyes, desperately grabbing his hand and begging for help. Peng Lixun instinctively knew then. The fated partner he had heard countless times about from his relatives since childhood. 'You are my disaster who will control my life.'

He was clearly a fox. And he couldn't have been wrong about his fated partner. He searched every fox therianthrope family across the country like a hound, but he couldn't find that child. Had he gone abroad? If he couldn't find that child like this, he was certain he would go mad from being unloved. During the time he spent every day longing for someone whose name and existence he didn't even know, Peng Lixun finally found him. A fox floating unattached, like a rolling stone in a pack of tigers. Peng Lixun couldn't describe the overwhelming joy he felt then.

’Everyone has their own way of living life, and some wolves might just chase love like a pathological romance. By any trigger, in any way. Just take me. If you just love me, I can live.’

Peng Lixun held the exhausted Yechan close and dreamed a sweet dream.