Chapter 1: The Pig-Catching Girl

It was an early winter this year, yet no matter how long Lin Chao waited, the Jianghuai region saw no snowfall.

The scenery outside the window remained as monotonous as ever, painted in unchanging shades of gray and white. Only when the wind blew would the bare branches sway gently, as if nodding their heads.

“Xingxing, are you all packed?” A gentle male voice broke the boy’s reverie, followed by hurried footsteps.

Lin Chao snapped back to attention, slowly withdrawing his gaze from the window. He placed the book in his hand into his backpack, zipped it up, and slung it over his shoulder just as the door opened. A young man with gentle features walked in.

He had just gotten a haircut and wore a beige trench coat over a white sweater, paired with black trousers. He looked calm and serene, but Lin Chao noticed his red-rimmed eyes.

Dad and Mom had argued again.

Lin Chao tightened his grip on the backpack strap, looking at him uneasily. “I’m all packed, Dad.”

The man seemed weary and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Xingxing has always been a good boy. Dad knows. When we get to Grandma’s today, be well-behaved and don’t argue with your cousins… After all, that family… Ah.” He trailed off, lowering his lashes and rubbing his forehead in frustration. “Why am I telling you this? You wouldn’t understand.”

After checking his backpack to make sure no homework was left behind, the man left.

Once alone, Lin Chao sat at his desk, his fingers resting on the walnut-colored surface, unconsciously picking at the wood. The boy’s back was slender and fragile, the fine hairs on his neck particularly noticeable in the morning light. He lowered his eyes, his lashes casting faint shadows beneath them.

He didn’t want to go to Grandma’s house.

The people there didn’t like him.

By the time Mom and Dad had finished packing, an hour had passed. Lin Chao glanced at the items all health supplements and soft bread for the elderly.

Grandma’s teeth were weak, so she only liked soft, fragrant bread. Every time they visited, Mom would bring her two boxes.

In the car, Lin Chao pressed his face against the window, watching the scenery rush by. His small face was reflected in the glass, his eyes filled with confusion.

Before long, his stomach began to churn violently, as if Nezha were stirring up the sea. He quickly closed his eyes and tried to sleep.

He suffered from severe motion sickness, and usually, Mom would let him sit in the front passenger seat. But today, his second aunt’s family was riding along Mom’s second sister. Dad said… the front seat had to be given to their eight-year-old son.

Lin Chao knew that since his cousin was younger, he had to yield. Even if Dad hadn’t said anything, he would have given up the seat.

As Lin Chao drifted in and out of sleep, his second aunt’s family got into the car. But he felt so unwell that he pretended to be asleep and didn’t greet them.

Mom was driving, with his cousin in the passenger seat. The backseat was occupied by his second aunt, her husband, Dad, and Lin Chao.

It was a bit cramped…

Lin Chao didn’t quite understand why his second aunt, who owned a car herself, always had to squeeze into theirs.

Second Aunt’s husband was a talkative omega. In no time, his laughter filled the entire car.

With his eyes closed, Lin Chao felt as if he were being tossed about on a stormy sea. Just as he was about to drift off, his second aunt’s husband’s uniquely sharp voice would strike like thunder, churning the calm sea into towering waves. Occasionally, the shrieks and clamor of the eight-year-old boy added to the chaos.

Lin Chao took a small breath, clenched his fingers, opened his eyes with a frown, and glanced lightly at the two noisiest individuals before turning his gaze to his father beside him.

The man noticed his gaze, leaned over with a smile, and asked in a low voice, “What’s wrong, Xingxing?”

“Dad… I’m feeling a bit carsick and want to sleep…” he whispered cautiously.

Unexpectedly, Second Aunt’s Husband, who had been loudly holding forth moments before, seemed to have radar on his ears. As if Lin Chao had uttered something unforgivable, he fell silent for a moment before turning with a terrifying glare and pointing at him: “Oh, so my talking is disturbing your sleep? What child doesn’t get carsick when they’re young? What’s the big deal! Huh?”

Hearing this, Dad quickly pulled at him, forcing a stiff smile, clearly helpless against someone like Second Aunt’s Husband: “Ah, Xiaoqing, don’t be angry… Xingxing didn’t mean it that way…”

“Then what did he mean!? He didn’t even greet anyone when he got in the car. I know he looks down on our family, finding fault with everything. Now we can’t even say a word? With a temperament like yours, you’ll suffer when you marry into a wife’s family…”

Dad flustered, could only repeat: “How could that be? I’ll talk to him properly when we get back.”

The same arguments circled round and round, overwhelming to follow, while Second Aunt merely kept her head down, playing on her phone.

Mother glanced at Second Aunt’s Husband through the rearview mirror, then met Lin Chao’s eyes with a look of reproach, though she said nothing.

The eight-year-old “little brother” in the front seat also turned around, making faces at Lin Chao.

Lin Chao calmly lowered his eyes, biting his lower lip, his fingers pinching the fleshy part between his thumb and index finger beneath his sleeves. He only felt heat behind his eyes and darkness clouding his vision, hastily closing them and burying the lower half of his face in the collar of his down jacket.

For some reason, a wave of intense self-loasure surged wildly in his heart, and his throat felt as if blocked.

He should have known…

Two years ago, he overheard Second Aunt’s Husband badmouthing Dad to others in the village, saying he was inferior and would have to scavenge without a woman to rely on. Lin Chao had stood up to defend Dad, but the outcome was being dragged by Dad to apologize to Second Aunt’s Husband.

To this day, he still remembered Dad’s embarrassed and helpless expression and Second Aunt’s Husband’s mocking, triumphant smile.

That was the only time the usually quiet and well-behaved Lin Chao was driven to red-eyed fury, opening his mouth to bite someone.

Second Aunt’s Husband had a chunk of flesh bitten from his arm, hopping in pain but unable to shake free, so he struck Lin Chao’s head hard.

The villagers, initially watching the spectacle, hurried to stop Second Aunt’s Husband from reaching for a bowl when the situation escalated: “Hey now, that’s not right! That’s not right! You mustn’t, you mustn’t!”

Fortunately, Mother returned early, separated the two, bought medicine for Second Aunt’s Husband, who cried and made a scene all day, finally ending the farce.

The journey was long, and eventually, Second Aunt’s Husband and the child grew tired of talking.

Lin Chao finally let out a sigh of relief. Quiet at last.

They had set out in the morning, the car winding up mountain roads, the only sound in the quiet vehicle the constant rush of wind.

By the time they arrived, almost everyone in the car except his mother, who was driving, had fallen asleep.

The north was mountainous, and the villagers’ houses were built on the mountainsides, not far from each other.

But whenever a car was heard, the elderly and children would run out to see whose vehicle it was.

Lin Chao vomited once during the journey, using a plastic bag to catch it. After getting out of the car, he threw away the trash and drank some water, finally feeling somewhat revived.

Lin Chao’s mother had an older sister who was said to be a building materials business owner. She had arrived a day earlier than them.

When she came out to greet them, her face was full of smiles. She was about to exchange pleasantries with her two younger sisters when she noticed Lin Chao’s pale complexion and exclaimed, “Goodness, what’s wrong with this child?”

His father privately called her a “smiling tiger,” while his mother referred to her as “the phoenix.” Lin Chao knew all this.

It was because this aunt of his was highly sociable, but nine out of ten things she said lacked substance she never acted without personal gain.

“Oh, it’s nothing, just carsickness…” Lin Chao heard his mother say.

“Why not buy motion sickness medicine then? It’s quite convenient.”

“Motion sickness pills are so expensive, one tablet costs several…” Before his father could finish, his mother interrupted: “Children shouldn’t be coddled too much. They’ll get used to it after riding in cars more often! Let’s go inside first!”

His mother’s eldest sister he had to call her Aunt.

After greeting her, the woman rubbed his head with her broad palm and responded cheerfully.

Aunt resembled his mother but was shorter, plumper, with a belt cinching her waist that gave her an indescribably prosperous appearance.

“Go on in. Your grandmother has trouble walking and is waiting inside for everyone,” she gave him a push.

Lin Chao nodded, walked a short distance, then stopped at the entrance to wait for his mother and father to catch up.

Grandma’s family still lived in a cave dwelling, expanded outward with a fenced courtyard. The walls were made of mud and stones, and the large gate was constructed from wooden planks with gaps between every two boards a gate that kept people out but not dogs. This completed the courtyard.

Lin Chao didn’t dare go out at night because a large gray-patterned spider lived above the gate. It only came out at night; during the day, it was invisible.

Thinking of this, he glanced up again and sighed with relief when he didn’t see it, but still quietly shifted a step outward.

The adults seemed to have endless things to talk about, carrying on for quite a while. Bored, Lin Chao began drawing circles in the dirt with his foot. The air was thick with the smell of earth.

Just as he was growing utterly bored, a girl’s loud shout came from nearby: “Make way! The pig’s coming!”

The sheer absurdity of the shout coupled with Lin Chao having never seen a live pig run in real life made him immediately look up.

On the rural dirt road, dust was flying. The culprit was a pinkish-white pig nearly two meters long.

It was galloping wildly, emitting powerful squeals as it charged toward them, its large ears flapping like an elephant’s flapping ears.

This was Lin Chao’s first time realizing pigs could be this long, this big, and run this fast!

Shouts rose from the adults nearby, but the pig was too fast. Without tools, no one dared to directly stop a frenzied pig. Second Aunt’s husband nearly got hit, shrieking as Second Aunt yanked him aside.

Everything happened too suddenly. Lin Chao was several steps away from them. His parents had retreated onto a dirt mound before remembering him and urgently called out to him.

His mother quickly picked up a stone and threw it toward the pig.

Her aim was good the pig stumbled when its leg was hit.

Then, a tall figure emerged from the dust cloud behind the “flying pig.” With a swift leap, she landed on the pig’s back and grabbed its “wings.”

The pig had slowed when she jumped on, but her grab ruined it like twisting a motorcycle’s throttle, the pig went wild.

As the girl rode the pig toward him, an inappropriate line his deskmate often quoted popped into Lin Chao’s mind:

“If you break my wings, I’ll destroy your paradise.”

But now wasn’t the time for random thoughts…

Watching the approaching pig and the girl getting closer, he desperately wanted to move, but his legs had long gone weak. Lin Chao’s already pale face became almost bloodless, his whole body trembling uncontrollably. At the final moment, he closed his eyes.

He could feel the rush of air sweeping toward him, lifting the hair on his forehead. His smooth brow was covered in cold sweat.

After waiting several seconds without any pain coming, he bit his lip and slowly opened his eyes, meeting the gaze of the person on the ground.

Her eyes were sharp, her features handsome with a tall nose bridge. From the side, her jawline appeared smooth yet sharp. The veins on her neck and forearms bulged from exertion as she used an exceptionally stylish and handsome grappling technique – locking the pig’s neck and waist, forcing it to lie sideways on the ground.

It looked particularly ridiculous, but no one felt like laughing at that moment.

She had saved Lin Chao’s life.

Only then did Lin Chao collapse as if drained of strength, sitting heavily on the ground. He hugged his legs tightly, burying his head between them, his body shaking uncontrollably.

The girl on the ground was momentarily stunned before looking up at the adults behind her: “Help out, folks!”

The adults called for people and tools, taking several minutes to finally drag the pig back.

The earthen alley by the gate was very narrow, containing only Lin Chao, the pig-catching girl, and the pig – leaving no room for anyone or anything else.

Lin’s father could only stand by the pig, anxiously asking: “Xingxing? Xingxing? Are you okay?”

Hearing this, Lin Chao just shook his head slightly.

The physical discomfort from the journey, combined with the recent scare, caused waves of grievance to surge in Lin Chao’s heart. His nose tingled with unshed tears.

The pig-raising villager lived next door, named Li Laosan. He had fed the pigs but forgotten to lock the pen, allowing the pig to escape. It happened to be spotted by the passing girl, leading to this scene.

Li Laosan repeatedly apologized, insisting he must treat everyone to a meal, thoroughly shaken by the close call.

Lin Chao followed behind the adults without saying a word. He knew his reactions were somewhat slower than normal people’s, and he’d inevitably face scolding when they returned.

Suddenly, the girl changed the subject with a laugh: “Hey? Laosan, your pig almost hit this young man. Why are you only apologizing to the parents?”

The adults who had been magnanimously saying it was fine suddenly wore complicated expressions.

Luo Shisi snorted lightly. The pig had almost hit Lin Chao. She was the one who subdued the pig. What did it have to do with them?

She was dressed fashionably and not afraid of the cold, wearing only a white long-sleeved undershirt and a baseball jacket. Her long hair was tied in a ponytail, revealing her forehead. Her bright eyes made her look very spirited.

But now her baseball jacket was covered in dirt, and her pants were torn in several places, revealing the red long johns underneath.

Alphas were naturally warm-blooded and wore less in winter, but she wore even less than most Alphas.

Hearing this, Lin Chao glanced at the girl, then immediately looked away.

Li Laosan laughed awkwardly, jokingly scolding her for being disrespectful before turning to rub his hands and apologize to Lin Chao: “Sorry there, kid. It was all my carelessness forgetting to lock the pigpen. Come play at my house sometime.”

Lin Chao hurriedly shook his head, his head moving like a rattle drum. He whispered: “N-no, it’s fine.”

“Th…” He slightly turned his head, instinctively looking toward the girl standing nearby with crossed arms. Just as he was about to thank her, he heard her say in a deep voice: “No need for thanks.”

Lin Chao blinked, somewhat confused.

She tilted her head slightly, a teasing tone in her voice: “What a clumsy, foolish rabbit. Next time, run faster don’t just wait around for someone to rescue you.”

Lin Chao pursed his lips, speechless as he stared at her: “…”

*You’re the foolish rabbit! From head to toe, you’re the foolish rabbit!*

When Luo Shisi turned back, she saw him puffing out his cheeks slightly, his round eyes tinged with red, his fair-skinned face a picture of suppressed anger truly resembling a timid, foolish rabbit.

She couldn’t help but chuckle.

Luo Shisi’s profile was striking, with long eyelashes that gave her a serene look when she wasn’t smiling, yet an enchanting one when she did.

Her demeanor was wild, bold yet meticulous, and her words spared no one’s feelings. Just by standing there, her presence was impossible to ignore…

Confident and dazzling.

Lin Chao had never met an Alpha like her before.

It was as if she had painted this barren, desolate land with extraordinary colors.

The adults had returned. Lin Chao glanced at the girl before him and noticed her face was slightly flushed, looking rather unnatural. The earlier air of authority seemed to have vanished, as if she wanted to ask something terribly awkward.

“Foolish rabbit, you…” Luo Shisi scratched her head, about to ask his name, when several voices interrupted her.

“Boss!”

“Boss! I’m here!”

“Big Sis! Which path are we skating on today?”

Luo Shisi instantly lost all interest, kicking each of them lightly: “What do you mean, which path? Go play by yourselves.”

*Damn, can’t they speak properly?*

*Talking about skating as if we’re planning a heist next time, I won’t tell them stories from the Four Great Classics!*

*This kid looks like a well-behaved, studious type. Better not scare him off.*

Luo Shisi planted her hands on her hips and turned around, only to find Lin Chao’s spot empty.

“Tch, not even a thank you? No sense of jianghu chivalry, didn’t even leave a name…”

Frowning, Luo Shisi rubbed the back of her head and glared at the group before her, irritation flaring up. She smacked each of them on the backside again: “Skate what skate? Today, we’re studying books.”

With that, she pushed through the crowd of kids and headed home.

“Big Sis, why are you wearing red long johns?” one child asked innocently.

For once, Luo Shisi blushed. She whipped her head around, pointed irritably at the child before stuffing her hand back into her pocket, stammering briefly before retorting defiantly: “Hey, you… It’s my zodiac year, alright? None of your business!”

The child, used to being sprayed with saliva, wiped his dirt-streaked face with the back of his hand and asked earnestly:

“Big Sis, what book are we studying today? We haven’t finished ‘The Three Heroes Battle Lü Bu’ from last time!”

Luo Shisi paused mid-step, turned back with a smile, and clenched her fists until they creaked: “Today, your Big Sis is going to teach you all about the *Tao Te Ching*~.”