"Ritsuko, I seem to be in love."

Li Zhao incredulously went forward, reaching out his hand towards the bed.

The silver-gray wolf looked at him silently, his eyes clear and beautiful, like a mountain stream after the snow had melted in early spring.

Li Zhao's hand touched his back.

The tundra wolf got down meekly, but his tail, not to be outdone, swung over and brushed against his hand.

"What happened?" Li Zhao unconsciously asked, and the moment he blurted it out, he didn't know if he couldn't believe it, or didn't want to believe it.

Tundra wolves don't speak, only a low "ow".

"Do you recognize me?" Li Zhao wasn't sure if the current Qiran Tao still had a human consciousness, "Do you understand me?"

The tundra wolf gave a short "ow" as if it was disgruntled, and the next moment it turned around and grabbed Li Zhao's hand, grinding its teeth.

At the slightest pain, Li Zhao's hanging heart was released for the most part.

Or Qiran Tao , that's good.

It was five hours before the Tundra Wolf transformed back into Qiran Tao.

This is Qiran Tao's second animalization, the first one was yesterday on Changbai Mountain, and then he spent the whole night to turn back to his human form, and in the early morning he immediately went down the mountain to the train station, and ran back to tell Li Zhao at the first time.

He was still rusty about switching between beast form and human form.

But that didn't stop the tundra wolf from nestling into his bed, close to Li Zhao, and sleeping beautifully for those five hours.

It was already dark when Qiran Tao redressed.

In the northern winter, the night always comes early.

"I don't know what happened," Qiran Tao said, confused, "it just happened yesterday."

Li Zhao: "Nothing special happened before the transformation?"

"I don't know if that counts," Qiran Tao looked to Li Zhao , "I just suddenly don't want to draw anymore."

Li Zhao froze, "Don't want to paint?"

"Yes," Qiran Tao nodded seriously, "I've been at Changbai Mountain for the past few days, you know, but yesterday, halfway through my painting, I saw a wild rabbit hopping into the forest, and all of a sudden I didn't want to paint any more! ......"

As he reminisced, a glad yearning came into his eyes.

"I've had a wild awakening, I have the tundra wolf gene active in my body, why would I want to paint the mountains with a brush, when I could be exactly like that that hare, exploring, blending in, and embracing those beauties with my whole heart and soul ......"

Li Zhao looked at him quietly, "You went into the forest?"

Qiran Tao retracted his distant gaze, but could not retract his excitement and yearning: "It's really beautiful there."

Li Zhao: "What happened?"

"I don't know," Qiran Tao said, "By the time I came back to my senses, I had turned into a wolf."

Li Zhao: "Still in the forest?"

Qiran Tao : "Well, always in the forest."

"What's wrong with your body?" Li Zhao asked.

"The bones hurt," Qiran Tao's face scrunched up, "especially."

"It still hurts?"

"It hurts as soon as I turn, but it gets better after a while."

"Scared?"

Qiran Tao froze and blinked blankly, "Huh?"

"Are you afraid of what your body has become?" Li Zhao slowed her voice and asked again.

This time Qiran Tao thought for a long time and shook his head at the end, the little bit of excitement that flashed in his eyes melted into a tenderness like water, like the breeze, like the clouds, "At first a little bit of surprise, and then just happy, I ran through the forest regardless, like I had traveled into my own canvas, but the next moment I knew that it was the real forest because the scenery in the canvas couldn't even come close to the One hundred thousandth of the beauty of nature ......"

Qiran Tao spoke as if he had returned to yesterday's scene, his body overflowing with joy and happiness.

" Li Zhao ," he suddenly thought of something and his eyes glowed brighter, "Do you think it's possible that I'm just the beginning, just like there is a first and a later in the wild awakening, maybe in the near future everyone will become like me."

Li Zhao envisioned that scenario: "Animal World?"

"Maybe." Qiran Tao was happy as a child who stole the candy first.

"Or maybe you're the only one in the world like this." Li Zhao poked his fantasy bubble without mercy.

Qiran Tao shook his head decisively, "I'm nothing special, why would it be me?"

Because you're the only one who, when you meet something like this, the first thing you feel is not fear, but joy.

Li Zhao thought somewhat helplessly.

He couldn't tell what kind of mood he was in now. He was happy to see Qiran Tao happy, but when he thought of the potential dangers of this physical change, he began to worry again.

"What are you going to do?" Li Zhao asks, "Can I still go back to school and teach like this?"

"Back is able to return, I haven't lost control of my body since I changed back yesterday, and the changes in my body should be able to be mastered on my own."

"That's good." Li Zhao nods, "When the vacation is over, you should be even more ...... than you are now."

"But I don't want to go back now," Qiran Tao interrupted him softly, "Li Zhao , I don't want to go back to school."

So where do you want to go?

The words were on her lips, but Li Zhao didn't ask them.

Because there's no need to even ask, the answer is too obvious.

He had known Qiran Tao for so many years, and as early as the moment he saw his opponent transform, Li Zhao had a vague premonition.

"I want to go to the mountains to live, not like a human, but like a real wolf." Qiran Tao spreads out his yearning unreservedly in front of Li Zhao, like a one-sided confession, but the way he looks at Li Zhao's eyes carries a sense of apprehension and concern that he himself does not even realize.

If Li Zhao denied it, Qiran Tao wondered more than once on his way here whether he could still hold on to this choice.

The answer is less optimistic.

He really didn't have the confidence not to falter.

But Li Zhao didn't say anything, and after a long silence, he only asked, "Have you thought it over?"

Qiran Tao looked at him quietly for a long time, like he was trying to carve him into his eyes, and finally nodded solemnly.

After that, Qiran Tao went back to school and submitted an application to leave.

During the winter vacation, the speed of the process is slower than usual, but also because the teaching work has not yet begun, the handover of work on the convenience of a lot, and ultimately in the school leadership repeatedly to salvage the fruitless, the separation of the successful completion.

The day he finished the final procedures, Qiran Tao received a message from Li Zhao just after he stepped out of the campus of the Academy of Fine Arts.

Li Zhao: I'll go too.

No preamble, no postamble, just three straight words.

But Qiran Tao understood in a flash.

It was a sunny winter day, the traffic and the crowd seemed to be muted for a moment, the world suddenly quiet, Qiran Tao ears only left his own drum-like heartbeat.

Qiran Tao: Go wherever you want! Where are you going as a normal person!

Li Zhao: [Damei Changbai Mountain.jpg]

Qiran Tao: I thought we had a deal.

Li Zhao: We agreed to go together?

Qiran Tao : Said I'd go by myself you're still having a good time in your coffee shop as before!

Li Zhao: Oh, the coffee shop is sold.

Qiran Tao:?

Li Zhao: The house was also sold.

Li Zhao ：Earn enough money, wait for you to converge, together on the mountain.

Qiran Tao's fingers were so stiff from the cold wind at the entrance to the school that he always pressed the wrong keypad to reply to messages, but he didn't realize that he was standing in the middle of the winter.

Qiran Tao: Li Zhao, do you know what you are doing?

Li Zhao: Do you know what you're doing?

Qiran Tao : Of course I know, I thought about it very clearly before I resigned.

Li Zhao : I will only think more clearly than you.

Qiran Tao looked at Li Zhao's words in stunned silence for a long time, and took a deep breath, letting the biting cold fill his chest and dispel the sour heat under his eyes.

Qiran Tao: Just stay in the store and leave me a studio like you did five years ago, okay?

Li Zhao: No.

Qiran Tao: Why?

Li Zhao: Five years ago you would come back.

Qiran Tao stood frozen in the winter sky, the sun was big but cold.

Li Zhao knows Qiran Tao far better than Qiran Tao.

......

Go back in time to the present.

In the wooden house covered by night, Qiran Tao stays far away from Li Zhao, like a bear child who is afraid of being educated by the other party after being caught for mischief.

"There's nothing you want to tell me?" Li Zhao finally spoke.

Qiran Tao very want to play rough, but there is really not much power: "You have not heard everything ......"

"You think I can leave if you never come back?" Li Zhao's tone rises slightly.

Qiran Tao blinks suspiciously in the murky night, "You're not mad?"

Happy for sure, but it sounded like Li Zhao wasn't in as bad a mood as he thought he was.

"The gas is over." Li Zhao said.

Qiran Tao : "...... And then what?"

Li Zhao walks over, "Ready to talk some sense into you."

Qiran Tao subconsciously stepped back, and just as he did, his back was pressed against the wall, but Li Zhao had already arrived in front of him, but he wanted to go further.

"Hey ......" Qiran Tao panicked out.

Li Zhao finally stopped, looking down slightly, close at hand.

Qiran Tao gulped nervously, "Does reasoning need to be this close?"

Li Zhao: "It's too far away for you to understand."

Qiran Tao : "Does it have anything to do with distance?"

Li Zhao : "What I told you five years ago through your cell phone, you obviously haven't understood until now."

Qiran Tao : "......"

Five years ago?

Qiran Tao's entire attention was on Li Zhao, who was too close to him, and he couldn't spare his brain to retrieve past memories.

Good thing Li Zhao didn't need him to backtrack.

"I told you five years ago that you were in charge of your choices and I was in charge of mine, plain and simple. If that's still not clear, then I'll make it even clearer today that I don't interfere with you and you don't have to worry about me."

Qiran Tao hated that about him, if everything could be said and done clearly, there would be no worries in the world: "How can I not worry about you?"

Li Zhao : "So you pretended not to come back while sneaking back to see me?"

Qiran Tao : "I was, I was looking to see if you left."

Li Zhao: "Are you really happy I'm leaving?"

Qiran Tao was speechless for a long time before he genuinely said, "It may be a bit of a loss at first, but as time goes on, I'll still be happy for you."

Li Zhao : "Worry for me, be happy for me, why do you always want to do it for me? I've never thought of doing it for you."

Qiran Tao: "If you don't think for me, why did you sell your house and store to accompany me to the mountain?"

"I don't want to let go," Li Zhao bowed his head, his voice soft as a murmur, but his eyes fixed on him for an instant, "because if I let go, I won't be able to hold on to you anymore."

Eagles soaring thousands of meters in the air can also see their prey on the ground clearly, and once they lock on, they swoop down like a sharp arrow.

The clouds had obscured the moon, and there was no more light in the house.

In the darkness, Qiran Tao can no longer see Li Zhao, only the very close, warm breath.

"You can go get someone else." He said.

Li Zhao seemed to think for a moment, then said, "Forget it, I'm afraid you'll be sad."

When a kite flies in the sky, as high as it flies into the white clouds, there is always a string pulling it.

If one of the antennas breaks.

People can only see the kite floating away freely, but they can't see that it will always end up on the ground where the wind stops, in the weeds, in the mud, with no more strings to lead it home.

......

Early the next morning.

Because he was worried about his brother-in-law and Li Zhao, Wu Lin tossed and turned all night long, but Ye Wang next to him was sleeping soundly, without any dignity of a big cat at night, and when it was almost dawn, he still didn't know what he had dreamed of, and stomped on him two times, and almost kicked him off the bed again.

Finally, at dawn, Wu Lin was the first to get up, reached down and pulled the covers up over Ye Wang's head in retaliation, before raising his eyebrows and leaving the room, tiptoeing around his brothers sleeping on the floor.

Qiran Tao was already in the yard, cleaning it with a broom he had traded for somewhere.

Wu Lin's eyes were as wide as if he had seen a new continent. My brother-in-law has always been a person who immediately fled after making a mess in the studio without any psychological burden, and there was no way to talk about daily labor, when did he become so diligent?

Could it be that ......

Last night I was educated by Li Zhao and punished with compulsory labor?

"Are you up?" Looking up and seeing Wu Lin, Qiran Tao immediately dropped his broom and walked over quickly.

Wu Lin ："...... "Dare I say it's for killing time.

But looking at Qiran Tao's high spirits, the exchange ...... with Li Zhao yesterday should have gone well, right?

"Where's Li Zhao?"

"The kitchen cooks," Qiran Tao glanced toward the guest room, "how else to feed so many of your mouths."

Wu Lin : "Why do you say it like we're wailing."

Qiran Tao : "Those who run to the mountains when their heads are hot, how mature do you think you are."

Wu Lin : "Then you've even returned to the mountains when your head is hot."

Qiran Tao: "I am thoughtful."

Wu Lin: "Oh."

Qiran Tao : "You're being perfunctory and obvious ......"

Wu Lin originally wanted to say that if you really thought it through, you wouldn't still be unable to take Li Zhao brother. But then he thought of what Ye Wang said, this is between brother-in-law and Li Zhao brother, they do not need to get involved, and also do not understand.

Never mind, as long as brother-in-law and Li Zhao are well, that's all that matters.

Thinking about this, Wu Lin swallowed those useless words and wanted to tell Qiran Tao directly about his animalization, but unexpectedly, Qiran Tao pulled him out of the courtyard before he could open his mouth.

Only when he reached the cedars outside the courtyard, and there was no one in the distance, not to mention the surroundings, did Qiran Tao ask with a straight face, "Have you also awakened to animalization?"

Looks like Li Zhao has told us everything.

Wu Lin nods, "When I was looking for Ye Wang, I suddenly fell down the hill and was scared to death a sudden change in my anxiety."

Qiran Tao: "Have you met Man Zhou and Shuo Xu?"

Wu Lin : "Well, the information is all recorded, but the reason for the awakening, they still can't say."

The morning breeze swept through and blew off a few pine needles.

One fell to the tip of Qiran Tao's nose, and he simply took it down and held it in his mouth, like a bird holding a leaf: "I'm like this, and you're like this, so it's clearly related to blood."

Wu Lin: "But Man Zhou says there are also many Awakened people who are not related to each other at all."

"I hope so." Qiran Tao grunted.

The voice was small, but Wu Lin could hear it, just not understand it.

What do you mean, "hope"? I hope it has nothing to do with blood? Or does it mean it's not, so that Li Zhao can wake up too? ......

"What are you going to do in the future?" Qiran Tao asks, pulling back Wu Lin's thoughts.

"Later?" Wu Lin froze before realizing what Qiran Tao meant and scratched his head, "I'll go back to school first, I haven't thought about returning to the mountains and forests or anything."

"Fool," Qiran Tao stroked his head dotingly, "You awakened during an existential crisis, it's not like you're really yearning for nature, who says you have to return to the mountains."

Wu Lin: "But Ye Wang, that guy wants to go up the mountain."

Qiran Tao stayed frozen for two seconds and was happy, "What he thinks is so important to you, it turns out."

"Neither ......" Wu Lin instinctively denied, intuitively as if he was going to be taken into some deep pit if he didn't, but after denying it, he couldn't make up any supporting arguments.

Because he really cares about Ye Wang.

Who else would hear that a classmate had run away, skip class and come all the way over to catch him.

Qiran Tao didn't say anything, just looked at him with a smile.

Wu Lin always felt that his feeble denials had been seen through, but until the noise of brothers getting up came from the courtyard, Qiran Tao didn't really poke at it, only gently saying, "You're still young, there's plenty of time to think everything through, there's no rush."

After the brothers got up, Li Zhao's breakfast was also ready, a group of people hooted and hollered and ate, and then packed their bags to go down the mountain in a flurry, Wu Lin simply could not find no one's opportunity to talk to Ye Wang alone, he had already communicated with his brother-in-law about the animalization.

It was only when Tan Jiang and Li Zhao went to look for the two cars parked nearby, and Wu Lin and his two dormitory brothers were waiting outside the courtyard with their bags and bags, that they accidentally turned around and realized Ye Wang was still standing under the tree in the courtyard, leaning against the tree trunk and not knowing what he was thinking.

Wu Lin sneaked back into the courtyard when his buddies weren't looking.

Seeing him turn back, Ye Wang looks up with questioning eyes.

Wu Lin came under the tree, looked at him seriously for a long time, and finally asked the concern that had been hanging in his heart, "Do you not want to go back to school at all?"

They came wishfully, they searched wishfully, and they brought people back as a matter of course when they found them, but in fact, Ye Wang never said he wanted to go back.

Wu Lin knew all along, but delayed asking from yesterday until now.

As if he had read his mind, Ye Wang raised one eyebrow in dissatisfaction, "The car is outside, and you're just asking now?"

Wu Lin was furious: "Do you want to or not, you give me a quick word."

Ye Wang: "Back."

"If you don't want to ......" Wu Lin suddenly paused and looked at Ye Wang not quite believingly, "What did you just say?"

Ye Wang leaned forward slightly and approached Wu Lin: "I say back," word for word, "from now on, wherever you go, I go."

Wu Lin 莫名感觉到巨大压力："那倒也不必......"

Ye Wang : "Follow you to learn bestial awakening."

Wu Lin : "...... Can you not speak without a big gasp in the future."

" Wu Lin, Ye Wang, what are you two doing--" Liang Ge's loud call came from outside the courtyard.

"Coming--" Wu Lin answered and hurriedly trotted out.

After receiving Ye Wang's clean and clear affirmative answer, Lin Xiaowang's pace became lighter.

Ye Wang followed, walking slowly, slow enough to pull out his cell phone, which had just been charged and turned on this morning, and read those late messages again.

Wu Lin ：You said you would wave the flag for me at the games ......

......

Wu Lin: You said you have something to do at home and will be back in a few days ......

......

Wu Lin: How many times have you stood me up?

......

Wu Lin: I know about the apartment.

Wu Lin: Are you nuts?

......

Wu Lin: You are just stupid, there is no more stupid than you, I now know why you are so handsome, take the brain for the change.

......

Wu Lin : You said you want me to accompany you to the mountain, then do you know that I also want you to accompany me to graduation.

......

Wu Lin ：[333&509联合抓虎小分队.jpg]

Wu Lin : Don't let us catch you if you can, or else ......

Ye Wang cocked his mouth, so capable that he dared to send him a threatening letter.

But this business of going up the mountain, he thought, was indeed his own impulse.

A few days ago, he didn't hesitate to leave, but the moment he saw Wu Lin in the forest, Ye Wang knew that if he turned back the clock, he wouldn't be able to make that decision again.

Exiting the chat box, Ye Wang tapped into Sijie Yuan's avatar, then into his roommate's circle of friends, and slid down the list of emotional quotes until he reached that one:

Sijie Yuan (7 days ago): The difference between friendship and love is that friendship means two people and the world, while love means two people are the world. --Tagore

Wu Lin got into Li Zhao's car before realizing that Ye Wang hadn't followed him.

"You don't toss," Liang Ge stops Wu Lin, who has only just settled into the car, and pushes himself down to look for someone, "What's going on ......"

Walking into the courtyard, I found Ye Wang slowly slipping his cell phone into his pocket.

"Brother Ye, we're waiting for you!" Liang Ge was really anxious, fearing that if he delayed for a while, Ye Wang would back out and not come back with them.

Not wanting to Ye Wang suddenly looked at him in a serious manner, "Ritsuko, I seem to be in love."

A thunderbolt from the ground struck Shiqi Ha without wasting any time: "...... What, what the hell?"

Ye Wang is patient: "Love, love."

"No," Liang Ge shook his head frantically, shaking his hair like, finally a little sober, "Wild brother, you first calm down, let me help you stroke ah, this two love is called a relationship, you have to just find out that you like people, and have not yet caught up, that is called unrequited love."