@/soursoppi put the idea of wolf wei changze in my head 😩 just the...

Elissa 🥮 | yiling laozu apologist@cerbykerby

32 views Jul 26, 2024 ~26 min read

                            1
                        
@/soursoppi put the idea of wolf wei changze in my head 😩

just the thought of wolf wcz as a servant to jfm. he's like an attack dog, but he's considered bigger, stronger, faster, more loyal to the jiang 'pack' than a dog.

of course fox cssr must boop his nose. 😘

                            2
                        
every visitor to lotus pier: omg is that young master jiang's servant? he's so tall and scary. i heard jfm got him specifically because he's a wolf and he'd be loyal to jfm until death. i don't feel safe. shouldn't he be muzzled?

cssr: 😘🌹💖~PUPPY~ 🥰💕❤️💗

                            3
                        
cssr, to a jiang disciple: has wei-gongzi ever chased anyone in his wolf form?

disciple: oh yes he has

cssr: is he fast

disciple: yup

cssr: how often does he catch his quarry

disciple: I'd say usually

cssr: does he pin them down and make them submit 🥺👉👈

disciple: … uh

                            4
                        
cssr quickly discovers that wcz is no well-trained beefed-up version of an attack dog. yes, he's vicious during night hunts and can track down prey anywhere, but he's not obsessively loyal to jfm, nor is he utterly obedient. 

cssr starts baiting him into sneaking out with her.

                            5
                        
it delights her to no end whenever she successfully manages to convince him to accompany her to the market food stalls or go on midnight runs with her through the forest in their animal forms. yeah, she's distracting him from his duty, but what's the harm in that?

                            6
                        
as it turns out, plenty.

one day, after another night of making wcz chase chickens with her, cssr trots along lotus pier's roofs in fox form.

her ears prick when she hears her own name mentioned from somewhere below. oh?

then she recognizes it's young mistress yu's voice.

oh.

                            7
                        
cssr sneaks closer to listen in.

"—are engaged to *me*, and yet her name is on your every other breath!" yzy scolds. "Have you no shame or consideration for our family elders' decisions?"

jfm replies passively, "I have no intention of going against our families' decision."

                            8
                        
"But you would like to, wouldn't you?" yzy's laugh is bitter. "I'll have you know I won't tolerate concubines. Don't think you can have both her and my family's support."

a long silence follows. "It doesn't matter," jfm says. "She wouldn't agree even if I asked."

                            9
                        
it was the wrong answer to give.

yzy tears viciously into him, yelling that he didn't even try to deny that he would take cssr as a second wife. jfm doesn't see why this is such a big deal; the end result, regardless, will be what yzy wants: herself as a sect leader's sole wife.

                            10
                        
"Young Mistress Yu, please do not take offense." wcz's voice is soft and low, as usual. "Jiang-gongzi knows his duty—"

"And *you*," yzy scoffs. "What kind of a servant are you? You're always running off with that fox when you should be advising your master. This is your doing."

                            11
                        
cssr's left lower eyelid twitches and she waits for jfm to say something. wcz is his friend, after all. he should defend him.

"Cangse Sanren has a name," jfm fires back. "She's not just a fox."

cssr's eyebrows shoot up. *that's* what jfm is concerned about?

                            12
                        
"I don't care what name she has!" yzy screeches. "She doesn't love you! She doesn't love *either* of you! Why do both of you care about her so much?! Do you think she would take either of you—an engaged man and his servant?"

"Young Mistress Yu!" jfm scolds.

wcz says nothing.

                            13
                        
"Especially you, Wei Changze," yzy continues. "You forget your place is by Jiang-gongzi's side. Do you have any idea how bad it looks when Yunmeng Jiang's wolf goes running about with a rogue fox? Your duty is to your sect—not to a guest who has overstayed her welcome."

                            14
                        
jfm starts to furiously argue that cssr is *his* guest, since they're at lotus pier, and yzy has no right to claim cssr is no longer welcome.

wcz cuts him off. "Young Mistress Yu speaks bluntly." a pause, during which he might have bowed. "I will focus more on my duties."

                            15
                        
his duties, as it turns out, involve patrolling lotus pier, guarding the main compound, and not giving as much attention to cssr as he used to. he's not ignoring her, which is a relief, but he now shakes his head whenever she tries to convince him to go do something fun together.

                            16
                        
it's a tragedy, really. cssr has no shortage of people to bother, but wcz indulges her in her shenanigans the most. and now he's refusing to have any part in them.

so cssr resorts to lounging around him in fox form and sighing forlornly every now and then.

                            17
                        
"What is it?" wcz eventually asks.

cssr whines and trots over. she takes his sleeve in her mouth and tugs.

"I'm on duty," wcz says, which is the most boring answer ever.

cssr huffs and curls around his feet. maybe if she's lucky, he'll move and trip. it's what he deserves. 😤

                            18
                        
to her surprise, wcz breaks the silence first. "How long do you plan on staying?"

cssr frowns, and shifts into her human form to speak. "Does Wei-gege also think I've overstayed my welcome?"

"Ah." wcz makes a face. "You eavesdropped."

"I overheard," cssr corrects him.

                            19
                        
the corners of wcz's lips briefly curve up. then the small smile is gone. "You are Jiang-gongzi's guest, not mine. Whether or not he welcomes you is irrelevant to my desires."

"Hm." cssr scoots closer to him and goes on her tiptoes, gazing up at him. "And what are your desires?"

                            20
                        
wcz does that annoying thing where he stares directly ahead of him and pretends he can't hear her. he's tall enough that she must jump if she wants to be in his line of sight.

no matter. instead, she presses a kiss to his exposed neck.

                            21
                        
she expected a flinch, maybe a scolding, "Cangse Sanren!" or perhaps a surprised look.

instead, wcz jolts away, hand over where she kissed him. "Don't!" his gaze briefly darts to the main lotus pier compound, as if he expects to see jfm watching from one of the windows.

                            22
                        
"What?" cssr looks at him with round eyes. "Did I accidentally hurt you? I'm so—"

wcz shakes his head. "No, you didn't. But you shouldn't—" another glance towards the windows, "—Jiang-gongzi might see."

"So?" cssr raises an eyebrow. "He doesn't control who I kiss."

                            23
                        
this time, she gets the expected response of a rather nicely-colored blush blooming across wcz's face.

"You are aware he has—affection for you." wcz drops his voice to a whisper. "He would be hurt if he sees you do this."

"Oh." cssr hums. "Then let's go where he can't see us."

                            24
                        
wcz makes a small noise that cssr decides is very pleasing. "I can't."

"Why not?" she shuffles closer to him and is pleased when he doesn't back away. "Don't you like me?"

"I—" wcz wets his lips. "Does… my answer matter to you?"

cssr snorts. "Of course it does!"

                            25
                        
"Does my answer matter to you as it matters to me?" wcz corrects himself.

that makes cssr pause. she side-eyes him. "Wei-gege, I just asked if you like me. It's not that's serious."

"Ah." wcz is quieter. he nods, mostly to himself. "Not serious. Of course."

                            26
                        
cssr narrows her eyes and turns her head so that she can side-eye him from the other side of her face. "But I feel like it's serious for you," she says slowly. "Do you have something you should tell me?"

something like fear flashes across wcz's face. he doesn't answer.

                            27
                        
when he finally speaks, it's a careful, "I am certain it's nothing you haven't heard before."

cssr snorts. "Well, whatever it is, I haven't heard it from you yet."

wcz goes quiet for a long, long time. "I do like you," he confesses, "more than I should, more than I'm allowed."

                            28
                        
it's not the first confession cssr has received, but it is the first to make her want to morph into her fox form and run maniacally around in circles.

"Oh? More than you should?" she grins, stepping close, her hand seeking his. "Am I that bad of an influence, Wei-gege?"

                            29
                        
wcz's breath hitches when their fingers interlace. "It is not your influence," he says. they are so close that he has dropped his voice to something softer, more intimate. "It's Jiang-gongzi's feelings for—"

cssr makes a frustrated sound. "Why is it always about him?"

                            30
                        
"Because he's my friend, and I've been in his household all my life," wcz explains gently. "It would be cruel of me to marry you and bring you home when his home is also Lotus Pier."

cssr blinks. grins. "So bold, Wei-gege," she giggles, "already thinking about marrying me."

                            31
                        
the look on wcz's face is *priceless*; his face is pale, and his eyes are wider and rounder than any coin.

"Pardon me," he hurries to correct. "I did not mean to—that was grievously presumptuous of me—"

cssr is hearing none of it. "What else do you think about?" she asks.

                            32
                        
wcz clamps his mouth shut, but it is too late.

cssr grins up at him with open glee. "If Wei-gege is already thinking about marrying me, surely he also thinks about putting a baby in me."

wcz inhales sharply. "Be quiet," he orders. his face is turning red.

                            33
                        
"Oh? If you weren't thinking about it, then you would have corrected me instead of shushing me." cssr's face hurts from grinning so hard. "Who would have known that handsome, quiet Wei-gongzi could have such naughty thoughts?"

wcz's exhale is hot and shaky.

                            34
                        
"You are too bold for your own good," he scolds. "You taunt only to get a rise out of someone."

cssr tilts her head. "Who else have you seen me taunt the way I do to you?"

wcz opens his mouth. closes it. he gives no answer.

cssr giggles.

                            35
                        
"Well?" cssr goes on her tiptoes and presses a small kiss to his jawline. "I believe your watch is almost over. Care to… go on a run with me in the woods?"

wcz's jaw clenches. he visibly swallows, the lines of his neck tightening. "Be certain of your decision," he says. begs.

                            36
                        
something in cssr goes soft and warm. "I am certain," she promises. after some thought, she undoes the red ribbon from her hair and ties it around his wrist.

"See you later," she croons, pecking him on the cheek before happily trotting off to go hide herself among the trees.

                            37
                        
there are advantages of being a little fox when dealing with a big wolf. for one, cssr can squeeze into places that wcz can't even dream of fitting into. 

but hiding is no fun when the intention is to have wcz chase and eventually catch her. instead, cssr makes it difficult.

                            38
                        
with her head start, cssr takes her time scenting just about everything she can in the forest. wcz relies heavily on his nose when in wolf form. if he can't handle a little scent misdirection, then perhaps he isn't worthy.

with that finished, she heads in the opposite direction.

                            39
                        
it is not long before she hears him; it is difficult for a wolf his size to be silent, and cssr's ears are very sensitive.

huh. it didn't take long at all for him to get so close to her. perhaps she underestimated his eagerness.

she does a quick happy fox squirm at the thought.

                            40
                        
the happy fox wiggles don't last for long; when wcz gets too close for comfort, she darts out and dives under a bush.

almost immediately, she feels the bush shift and lift under the weight of one large wolf making his way towards her through brute force.

she gives a yelp.

                            41
                        
cssr is not proud to admit it, but she panics—a little.

she can't help it! she has never known wcz to be this determined or aggressive, and she's just a little fox! what if he accidentally steps on her?

she darts away, yelping.

wcz follows closely, huffing with amusement.

                            42
                        
cssr sticks with her tried-and-true strategy of scampering from shelter place to shelter place. surely wcz cannot brute-force his way into everything; wolves aren't even built for smashing into things. all she has to do is keep out of reach until he tires out.

                            43
                        
but wcz remains close.

*very* close. cssr can sometimes feel his breath across her fur. his paws sound like thunder behind her.

she should stick to her plan. zigzag. dart around. be difficult to catch.

instead, her fox brain takes over, and she shoots up a tree trunk.

                            44
                        
it's a mistake.

wolves can't climb trees, but they can leap. before cssr can gain enough height, wcz jumps.

his jaws close around her scruff. cssr screeches as he drags her off. her claws leaves scratch marks in the bark.

wcz falls backward, ensuring cssr lands on his belly.

                            45
                        
cssr makes her dissatisfaction *very* vocally known.

she howls and wails and yips, all while squirming against his teeth. she flails her paws, trying to at least punch him in his dumb wolf face, but she can only punch air. wcz made sure to keep her teeth and claws away.

                            46
                        
there is no telling how long she struggled. it could have been hours—or mere minutes. in the end, she's exhausted, and can do nothing but lie there, scruffed and whining.

wcz's body shifts beneath her as he returns to human form. warm hands pet her fur and scratch her ears.

                            47
                        
"That," he says gently, "was a valiant attempt."

cssr grumbles and casually sinks her fangs into wcz's arm. her teeth don't break skin, but at least he'll have an impression there for a few hours to remind him of his audacity.

at least the ear scratches are very nice.

                            48
                        
she's not entirely aware of when she shifts to human form, but wcz stops petting her.

immediately, she takes his hand and, very deliberately, places it back on her neck. "Pet me," she orders.

"Of course," he replies, massaging the back of her neck.

it feels amazing.

                            49
                        
cssr doesn't know she dozed off until wcz moves and she's suddenly awake again, and the sun is disappearing behind the mountains.

"It is getting late," wcz says, scooping her up into a carry. "We should return."

cssr groans. "Why? It's not like we can't see in the dark."

                            50
                        
"That's not the issue," wcz says as he steps over fallen branches and makes his way through the woods. "If we are missing after sundown, people may ask questions."

cssr hums, kicking her feet idly. "What sort of questions?"

wcz gives a tired sigh. "You already know what sort."

                            51
                        
"I'm not afraid of people gossiping," cssr scoffs, wriggling around in wcz's hold. he has a good grip on her. "Are you afraid of some gossip?"

wcz stops to readjust the way he's carrying her. "I am not," he answers.

cssr makes a thoughtful sound at that.

                            52
                        
some movement near her knees draws her attention. on the arm that wcz has under her legs is her red hair ribbon, still tied on tightly, its ends fluttering in the breeze.

slowly, she looks back up. wcz is watching her, his gaze quiet but steady.

                            53
                        
cssr strains until wcz adjusts his hold on her. she's sitting up in his arms, her hands on his shoulders. the new position makes him look up at her, but his gaze doesn't change.

"It's getting late," she murmurs, leaning in close. "Perhaps we should… return in the morning."

                            54
                        
it is nowhere near late enough that returning to lotus pier would disturb its inhabitants. it is as obvious of an invitation as she dares without outright voicing her desires.

wcz looks at her for a long time. "If you're certain." his voice is low.

she nods. "I'm certain."

                            55
                        
wcz returns his nod. "Alright." his face is calm, but his throat bobs as he swallows. "Alright. We can—there's a cave, not too far from here. It's good for shelter. No one will disturb us."

the last bit sends a thrill through cssr. "That's the most important part," she giggles.

                            56
                        
wcz sighs good-naturedly, but he carries her deeper into the forest.

unable to help herself, cssr plants a big kiss on his forehead and laughs when he stumbles and nearly drops her.

"Behave," he orders.

"Make me," she counters.

"I will," he promises.

she blinks. "Ah?"

                            57
                        
they do find the cave.

they do spend the night.

and wcz does, in fact, make her behave.

                            58
                        
it becomes their little secret; whenever wcz finishes his duties for the day, he disappears with her into the woods or some quiet part of yunping.

cssr finds the arrangement quite beneficial. while wcz is on duty, she can recover from his, ahem, amorous attentions.

                            59
                        
it is a good thing that wcz looks so outwardly calm—no one has dared to come forward and outright demand, to wcz's face, to know where he has been at night.

cssr thinks it's amusing. secrets are fun! it's like she and wcz have their own little world, separate from everyone else.

                            60
                        
it's all fun and games until, one day, she has lunch with a few jiang disciples she'd been sparring with all morning.

the spread of food is typical—sliced lotus roots, braised pork, and steamed buns, among others—but for some reason, they smell off.

cssr wrinkles her nose.

                            61
                        
"What is—" she pauses to gag. "What did you *put* in these?"

the disciple gives her a bewildered look. "Cangse Sanren, these are the usual dishes we have. Are you alright?"

"I'm fine. Are you sure nothing is wrong with those?" she pinches her nose shut as she waves at the food.

                            62
                        
the disciple responds, but cssr doesn't hear them; a sudden bout of nausea sends her stomach roiling.

after a quick glance around, she spots a cleaning servant. "May I borrow that?" she points at a bucket.

the servant nods. cssr grabs the bucket and retches loudly into it.

                            63
                        
it takes some time before she finishes emptying her guts into the bucket, but when it's finally over, she slumps miserably to the ground.

"Ugh," she groans. "Maybe it's something I ate. You go on and eat without me."

the Jiang disciples all exchange long looks.

                            64
                        
one steps forward. "Cangse Sanren," she says gently, almost apprehensively, "when have you… last bled?"

cssr wipes her mouth on her handkerchief. "Uh," she shrugs, "Dunno. It has always been a bit inconsistent."

the disciples exchange *alarmed* looks.

                            65
                        
cssr looks at them. "What?" she demands. "Haven't you seen someone puke before?"

"It's not that," another jiang disciple quickly clarifies. "It's just… well, you weren't in your bed for a few nights, and…"

'and we assume you spent those nights in another's bed' goes unsaid.

                            66
                        
it takes a moment for cssr's mind to put the pieces together—mostly because it was resistant to those pieces being together. it seems impossible, and yet here it is: a possibility turned reality.

a disciple steps forward. "Cangse Sanren," he says. "Is it—Jiang-gongzi's child?"

                            67
                        
what.

"What." cssr stares at the disciple. "It's not—why would you say that?"

the disciple wrings his hands. "Well." he glances at the other disciples for confirmation. "Jiang-gongzi's feelings for you are… rather obvious, and the two of you do interact often."

                            68
                        
cssr doesn't think she can stare harder, but she tries. "I interact with *many* people often."

"But none of them are like Jiang-gongzi," the disciple says in what is supposed to be an empathetic, soothing tone. "He's a future sect leader. Your interest is understandable."

                            69
                        
"What," cssr repeats.

one of the other watching disciples gives a small, short gasp. "Oh, no." she covers her mouth. "Young Mistress Yu is going to be furious when she finds out."

a horrified silence descends upon the group. cssr lets out a crazed, disbelieving laugh.

                            70
                        
"What ridiculous stories the lot of you can weave up!" she manages to gasp out in between giggles. "Since when have I ever expressed interest in Jiang Fengmian?"

the group shifts uneasily. "Does Cangse Sanren have something against our Jiang-gongzi?" one of them demands.

                            71
                        
"I have nothing against him!" cssr snaps. "Are you insisting that I *must* like him just because he's a future sect leader and he's interested in me?"

"No, no!" another disciple shakes her head. "That's not it! It's just—there isn't a reason for you *not* to like him, is there?"

                            72
                        
cssr feels as though her head might explode. "He's not the father!" she retorts.

the disciple tilts her head, confused. "Then who is?"

"It's—" cssr clamps her mouth shut. she needs to speak with wcz about this. he doesn't know yet. it's not fair to announce this without him.

                            73
                        
"I need to speak with the father first," she says instead.

looks of sympathy spread across the disciples' faces. "Of course, of course," one says, nodding. "We understand what you mean."

"We won't tell a soul," another promises. "Young Mistress Yu won't hear a word of this."

                            74
                        
cssr is not so naive to believe that anything would remain a secret for long when it comes to this group. she gives up and goes to look for wcz.

no such luck. he's out night-hunting with jfm. only yzy is at lotus pier, spending the day looking through the jiang accounting books.

                            75
                        
cssr shifts into fox form and trots into the forest. she digs a hole among the roots of a tree and takes a nap in there. if she can't stop rumors from spreading, she would rather not be there to witness it.

oh, to be a little fox who could just leave and get away from all this.

                            76
                        
it wouldn't be difficult, cssr thinks. surely a baby can't be too hard to care for—after all, cssr doesn't remember needing much more than some food and a warm, dry place to sleep back when she was a small child.

then again, she wouldn't want her child to go through the same.

                            77
                        
and—and wcz would be upset, she's sure, if she just upped and left with their child just because a few jiang disciples like to spread rumors. it wouldn't be fair to him, just like it wouldn't be fair to her child to not know their father.

she huffs. so many decisions. so tiring.

                            78
                        
the next time she wakes, it is already sundown. shaking herself out, she goes to check if wcz and jfm are home.

judging from yzy's yelling coming from the main lotus pier hall—yes, they are.

with a weary sigh, she drags herself over and turns back to human form.

                            79
                        
by the time cssr reaches the door, the shouting had escalated. a vase breaks, followed by more yelling.

taking a deep breath, cssr steps inside.

"—some bastard you fathered!" yzy screeches as she throws a plate at jfm. it shatters, sending shards towards cssr.

                            80
                        
the shards aren't big enough to be anything more than a slipping hazard, but jfm reacts as if she'd been bitten by a snake.

"Cangse Sanren!" he rushes over. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

cssr gives him her best are-you-kidding-me look. "No, I'm grievously injured."

                            81
                        
anyone with eyeballs could see that cssr was not injured—yet jfm did a double-take.

"You must be more careful," he says, gently supporting her by her elbows. "You're in a delicate state."

cssr rolls her eyes. "I'm pregnant, not made out of glass."

                            82
                        
cw // slut shaming

the sound that tears from yzy's throat is not human. "You—you whore!" she grabs another plate. "Couldn't keep your legs closed, could you? Couldn't be happy until you've destroyed *my* marriage, could you?!"

"Yu Ziyuan!" jfm yells. "Control yourself!"

                            83
                        
"You." yzy lifts a shaky finger and points it at cssr. "You are no longer welcome in Lotus Pier. Get out."

"Yu Ziyuan, she's pregnant, and she's my guest!" jfm shouts. "You can't throw her out!"

"Am I not your wife?!" yzy shrieks. "Do I not get a say around here?!"

                            84
                        
"How many times must I tell you?" jfm bellows, "I'm not the father of her child!"

"And yet you care for her so diligently!" yzy barks a harsh laugh. "Who is the father, if not you??"

jfm falters. looks at cssr.

cssr looks back. she can't say it. wcz deserves to hear it first.

                            85
                        
cssr doesn't know why she says it. it just sort of slips out on its own, from among the ridiculous circumstances she had found herself in.

"Me," she answers, puffing out her chest. "I'm the father."

                            86
                        
dead. silence.

yzy blinks in confusion, her anger momentarily lost. jfm groans and buries his face in his hands.

the doors burst open. in strides wcz, hurried and disheveled. "Jiang Fengmian, I could not find Cangse Sanren. I fear she may have—" he stops in his tracks, staring.

                            87
                        
cssr stares back. "You fear I may have what? Left without saying goodbye?"

wcz drops his gaze—out of embarrassment, perhaps, but it just so happens to fall to her belly.

"My eyes are up here," cssr scolds.

immediately, wcz's gaze snaps back up to her face. "My apologies."

                            88
                        
"You mock me," yzy hisses at cssr. "He's the father, isn't he?" she shoots a venomous glare at jfm. "I should have kicked you out the moment I learned of his feelings for you."

cssr sucks in a breath through her teeth. "Yeah, well," she shrugs. "He's not the father. So."

                            89
                        
yzy gives her a very long, piercing stare. then she throws her head back and laughs.

"Get out." she starts walking towards cssr; zidian crackles around her finger. "I don't care whose spawn you carry. You're no longer welcome in Lotus Pier. I never want to see you again."

                            90
                        
"Yu Ziyuan," jfm warned, "she is with child. I won't have you touching a hair on her head."

"I won't need to." yzy's eyes never leave cssr. "Because the honored Baoshan Sanren's beloved disciple is going to see herself out of Lotus Pier right now. Wei Changze, escort her out."

                            91
                        
wcz steps towards cssr. his gaze is the same as ever: quiet and even.

for a second, cssr thinks he doesn't believe her—that he was truly going to throw her out.

then wcz turns and bows low to yzy and jfm. "It is this servant's greatest honor to have served the Jiang Sect."

                            92
                        
it takes cssr a stupidly-long time to process what he said; she was a bit distracted by his behind.

"What is going on?" jfm's eyes are round. "You're leaving? Why?"

wcz doesn't rise from his bow. "I must take responsibility," he replies.

"Responsibility for what?" jfm asks.

                            93
                        
wcz does not reply. jfm stares at him in dumbfounded silence. his face fills with disbelief, then denial.

"No," he whispers.

yzy gives a small, bitter laugh. "How disappointing for you, Jiang Fengmian—betrayed both by the woman you love and the man who swore to serve you."

                            94
                        
jfm completely ignores her. "How could you?" he asks wcz. "You knew. You knew how I felt—" he glances at cssr, then falls silent. when he speaks again, all he says is a quiet, sour, "I trusted you, Changze."

wcz says nothing. he just looks at jfm with sad, pitying eyes.

                            95
                        
"Hold on." cssr raises a hand. "How—exactly—did Wei Changze betray your trust? You're married, and I'm not interested. What is there to betray?"

"Cangse Sanren, please do not be cruel," jfm begs quietly. "This is difficult for me."

"Difficult how?" cssr narrows her eyes.

                            96
                        
wcz reaches out. "Cangse—"

"Because all I've been hearing about is how our actions impact you and your reputations," cssr pauses to swat his hand away. "Yes, Wei Changze was your servant, but he is still free to make his own choice—or did you expect him to serve you forever?"

                            97
                        
jfm looks pained. "I expected him to know me."

"Do you know him?" cssr demands.

jfm glances very briefly at wcz. "I thought I did."

"Yeah. Well." cssr shrugs dramatically. "Not well enough to notice him sneaking off with me every other night, apparently."

                            98
                        
jfm's face goes very, very still. "Every other night," he repeats, hollow.

"Yep." cssr nods. "And there will be *many* more nights, I assure you, so you should get over yourself and work through whatever," she gestures at all of jfm, "this is."

                            99
                        
jfm goes silent for a very long time—long enough for wcz to quietly ask, "Jiang-gongzi?"

"As expected of Cangse Sanren; her words cut deep," jfm sighs, shaking his head. "I'm still disappointed in you, Wei Changze, but she has made her choice. I hope she does not regret it."

                            100
                        
"I would sooner regret my stay in Lotus Pier than I would with choosing to be with him," cssr says sweetly before grabbing wcz's hand. "Come along, husband."

wcz's eyes grow wide. "Husband?"

"Husband?" jfm echoes, his voice high and distressed.

                            101
                        
"What?" cssr raises an eyebrow at wcz. "You said you were going to take responsibility for me. I assume that means you're marrying me—so, unless anyone objects, you're my husband."

jfm opens his mouth.

"Not you," cssr says.

                            102
                        
wcz nods—slowly at first, then with more conviction. "Alright." he takes a deep breath. "Alright, then—we should be on our way, dear wife."

cssr blinks. then giggles, covering her blushing cheeks with her hands.

a small smile forms on wcz's face. he takes her hand in his.

                            103
                        
they go to his room and pack what little belongings wcz has into a qiankun pouch. hand-in-hand, they walk out of lotus pier.

once they reach the road, they both shift.

cssr yips happily and scrambles up onto his back. she circles a few time, then settles among his fur.

                            104
                        
wcz understands her well enough, and he adjusts his gait to not jostle her too much.

together, they leave lotus pier behind, and set out on their own adventure.

-----THE END-----

                            105
                        
epilogue:

wcz and cssr adapt well to life on the road. cssr very much enjoys lounging on her wolf husband's back as her belly grows.

she could give birth in any form—her child shifts in the womb with her—but she chooses her fox form. she grunts and heaves until a pup slips out.

                            106
                        
wcz: ohhhhh wonderfully done, my love 🥺🥺🥺 look at him, he's perfect. our own little wolf pup—

cssr, at the same time: —fox pup

wcz:

cssr:

cssr: >:(

                            107
                        
the baby is undoubtedly wcz's; his fur is the same deep, dark grey of wcz's wolf coat, and he is poofy in the way wolf pups usually are.

fox pups can be poofy too, cssr argues.

it is their first 'argument'. wcz tries to coax his son to howl, while cssr tries to get him to yip.

                            108
                        
little wwx's animal identify is confirmed when, months later, he copies his mother and dives nose-first into snow.

he can't get himself out, though.

as wcz pulls his son out of the snow, cssr is in fox form nearby, laughing her little smug fox 'ehehehehe' laugh.

@/soursoppi put the idea of wolf wei changze in my head 😩 just the...

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