Spring had arrived, a season of renewal where grass grew tall and birds sang freely—the most beloved time for all the little creatures.
Yao Zuizui stood at the entrance of the Animal Paradise, waving goodbye to everyone.
“Zhu Yiyi, it’s dangerous out there. Are you really leaving?” The mother hen looked at Yao Zuizui as if she were her own chick.
“No little animal has ever left the Animal Paradise alone!” The rabbit clung tightly to its carrot, trembling with fear.
“If those wild beasts catch you, they’ll eat you!” The hedgehog bristled its spines defensively, as if it were about to be devoured.
All the little animals gazed at her with worried expressions.
“Don’t worry!” Yao Zuizui flashed a reassuring smile. “I have a secret weapon!”
The little animals stared at her in confusion, unsure what this secret weapon could be.
Yao Zuizui deliberately kept them in suspense, patting her pocket mysteriously. “You’ll find out soon enough!”
Yet, the little animals were convinced Zhu Yiyi had lost her mind.
She had barely escaped the wolf’s jaws, and now she was marching straight into the forest to her doom.
Had she grown so accustomed to her pampered life—where food was served and clothes were handed to her—that she had completely lost her ability to think?
Shaking their heads, the little animals gave up trying to dissuade her. Instead, they gathered elsewhere to discuss whether they should prepare to collect her remains.
After all, even if she were eaten, there would still be bones left.
Humming a tune, Yao Zuizui trekked through the dense thorns of the forest until she reached the black wolf’s house.
Without the presence of other animals, the forest felt eerily silent and desolate, sending a shiver down her spine.
How lonely it was.
Along the way, she hadn’t encountered a single predator.
Ever since all the little animals had moved into the Animal Paradise, the predators had nothing to hunt. Perhaps they were too weak from starvation to even move.
Yao Zuizui realized that the squirrel scientist in the Animal Paradise was truly remarkable.
He had invented all the defensive mechanisms, hired the finest craftsmen, and turned the Animal Paradise into an impenetrable fortress where no predator could threaten them.
Inside, there was fertile land, a babbling stream, and everything they needed for food, drink, and entertainment.
It was like a miniature paradise—a forest utopia without any beasts.
If not for the need to purify the fragments of the Great Demon King’s soul, Yao Zuizui wouldn’t have wanted to leave either.
“Your Majesty! I’m back!” Yao Zuizui knocked on the door, her voice brimming with anticipation.
But there was no response from the black wolf, and the door remained shut for a long time.
A sense of unease crept into Yao Zuizui’s heart. Had the black wolf starved to death?
By her calculations, he should have been half-starved but not dead yet.
With no other choice, she resorted to a secret passage she knew and slipped inside the house.
She hurried up the stairs to the black wolf’s room.
The door was wide open, but the room was empty—no sign of the black wolf.
And… it seemed like no one had lived there for a long time.
The bedsheets were smooth and neatly pressed, without a single wrinkle, but covered in a thin layer of dust.
These were the same sheets she had changed for him on the morning of New Year’s Eve…
Had he not slept in this bed since that day?
Yao Zuizui rushed out of the room and searched the entire house, but there was still no trace of the black wolf.
Everything was coated in a faint layer of dust, as if he had been gone for ages.
Most of the furnishings were exactly as she had left them.
Where had the black wolf gone?
If he had died, she would have immediately left this world.
So he must still be alive—but where?
The forest was vast. Where could she even begin to look?
Lost in thought, Yao Zuizui was startled by a dull thud against the front door—the sound of something heavy hitting it.
Grabbing a stick, she tiptoed to the door and cracked it open slightly.
Silence.
Her heart pounded as she peered through the gap.
Nothing.
Then, slowly lowering her gaze, she spotted a tuft of black fur.
It was the black wolf!
She flung the door open. The black wolf lay motionless on the ground, his head resting against the threshold, eyes tightly shut, his breathing faint.
“Your Majesty! Your Majesty!” Yao Zuizui shook his body with her chubby little pig hooves.
His fur, once sleek and glossy, was now tangled and matted, nothing like the clean and proud wolf she remembered.
The black wolf was unconscious, completely unresponsive no matter how she shook him.
How was she supposed to move such a big wolf onto the bed?
Testing her strength, she tugged at him—and to her surprise, managed to shift him slightly.
She couldn’t believe it. Since when had the black wolf become so light?
Had starvation done this to him?
Couldn’t he have eaten vegetables or fruit if there was no meat?
What a picky wolf!
But Yao Zuizui didn’t know that when the black wolf had sent her away, he had packed all the vegetables, fruits, and even the IOUs into her bag.
Winter was a time to survive on stored food—but the black wolf had none left.
The IOUs had all been given to her, so he couldn’t demand anything from the little animals.
The black wolf had survived by eating snow, grass, and tree bark on the mountaintop.
He was foolish—he only wanted to be good to his little pig.
He had given her everything he had, holding nothing back.
Only after sending her away did he realize he was facing starvation.
But on the mountaintop, with every bite of snow, he stole a glance at her; with every mouthful of grass, he looked at her; with every piece of bark, he gazed at her.
Her pure, innocent smile made the unbearable days a little easier.
He couldn’t show up at the Animal Paradise’s gates. He couldn’t ask her for food or the IOUs.
If the little animals found out their pig was involved with a wolf, they would despise her, bully her, maybe even drive her away.
All he wanted was her happiness. His own suffering didn’t matter.
Keeping her by his side was out of the question.
He was too hungry. If he lost control, he might accidentally eat her.
He couldn’t bear the thought of her being in any danger.
On the mountaintop, he often wished he weren’t a wolf—that he didn’t crave meat.
He would have gladly been a pig, a dog—anything.
As long as he could live happily with his little pig, he would have accepted any fate.
But he was a wolf—a wolf who loved to eat little pigs…
By the time he saw her leave the Animal Paradise, he was too weak to move.
Yet he worried endlessly—that she’d be caught by other predators, that the thorns would tear her skin, that she’d collapse without him there to carry her.
Even as starvation threatened to claim him, his mind swarmed with fears, forcing his exhausted body to find one last surge of strength.
He descended the mountain.
Slowly, unsteadily, but with unwavering determination.
He couldn’t catch up to her, so he headed home.
He knew his little pig would come looking for him.
The forest path was lined with thorns, but his thick hide numbed the pain. His only concern was whether she had been hurt.
His last reserves of energy drained away, but sheer willpower kept him moving.
Finally, he reached the door—and collapsed.
……
After an exhausting struggle, Yao Zuizui managed to drag the black wolf onto the bed. He was shockingly light.
Like the stuffed toys in the rabbit’s house—all fur and no substance.
If only he were smaller, moving him would have been easier.
She cooked a bowl of plain rice porridge and carefully fed it to him, pinching his nose to make him swallow.
Then she wiped him down with a clean towel, meticulously removing every speck of dirt from his fur.
She even combed through his tangled fur, trimming the worst knots until he looked somewhat presentable.
But his coat had lost its luster and softness, now rough to the touch.
Yao Zuizui sighed. No more comfortable fur to snuggle into—this would be scratchy and unpleasant to sleep on.
As the black wolf stirred awake, the first thing he heard was her sigh.
Frowning weakly, his voice rasped like an old bellows: “Little pig… what’s wrong?”
“Your Majesty! You’re awake!” Yao Zuizui threw herself onto him, tears welling in her eyes.
“Waaah! I was so worried!” Her tears soaked into the fur on his chest, leaving a damp patch.
Too weak to move, the black wolf lifted a paw and rested it on her head.
“Your Majesty, why did you abandon me? Why did you send me away?” She looked up at him with teary, accusing eyes.
The black wolf didn’t answer, only gently ruffled her little head.
“Your Majesty, I know you’re starving.” Yao Zuizui bit her lip and made a decision.
She held out her hoof to him. “Bite me! I—I’m fat! I have plenty of meat! You can eat some, and it won’t hurt! It’ll grow back!”
The black wolf turned his face away. “I won’t eat you. Go.”
“Waaah! You’re sending me away again…” Yao Zuizui burst into fresh tears.
The black wolf had no strength to argue. “I’m not…”
If he weren’t so weak, he would have tossed her out already.
The little pig smelled delicious—her plump, tender flesh was pure torment to his starving senses.
“Then eat me.” She shoved her hoof toward his mouth again.
“Come here,” he whispered weakly. “Closer.”
Yao Zuizui leaned in. “Your Majesty, what for?”
With great effort, the black wolf planted a feather-light kiss on her cheek. “Eating your face… I’m full now.”
He gave her head a feeble pat.
“That’s not enough, Your Majesty!” Yao Zuizui boldly pressed her lips to his.
Pig tongue was tasty too.
Your Majesty, have a taste!
—
**Author’s Note:**
Thank you, dear readers, for all your lovely comments! I’m so touched!
This world is coming to an end soon~
Thanks for your support! Mwah! ❤️
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