Ling Rui’s eyes went wide in shock.
A few seconds later, a huge creature came into view, fierce and intimidating.
Ling Rui felt he should step back, but for some reason, facing this massive creature, he didn’t feel very afraid.
The beast circled him gently, nudging him lightly with its big head.
“Ugh, tickles…”
Ling Rui squirmed as the beast’s fur brushed against his neck, tickling his sensitive skin.
The two rubbed against each other for a while, and after confirming that his little one was safe, the ferocity in Ah Wu’s eyes finally faded.
He reverted to his human form and hugged Ling Rui tightly once again.
Ling Rui was stunned.
It felt like only a moment had passed, but also like an eternity.
Finally, Ling Rui spoke, his tone filled with confusion and uncertainty, asking, “Who…who are you? Do you know me?”
Ah Wu, whose heart had just calmed down: “?”
Ah Wu’s hand, which was still on Ling Rui’s back, noticeably stiffened.
“What did you just say, Zai Zai?” Ah Wu asked in return, not quite believing what he had just heard.
Although Ling Rui thought the person holding him was very good-looking, no matter how attractive, he didn’t recognize this person.
So, with a doubtful expression, he asked again, “Who exactly are you? Why are you hugging me?”
Ling Rui’s voice was clear, leaving no room for misunderstanding.
This time, Ah Wu heard him clearly.
Upon hearing Ling Rui’s words, his face darkened, becoming frighteningly grim.
Ling Rui was startled by his expression.
“Could you let go of me?” Ling Rui asked weakly, struggling a bit but unable to break free.
Seeing his gaze, Ah Wu seemed to snap out of it, realizing he had scared him.
Within just a few breaths, Ah Wu adjusted his expression, suppressing his emotions. He spoke in a controlled and calm voice, telling Ling Rui patiently and gently, “Zai Zai, I’m Ah Wu. You got lost, and I came to find you.”
“Lost?” Ling Rui was even more confused. “I’ve been living here the whole time. I didn’t get lost.”
At this point, even Ah Wu could tell—Ling Rui’s strange behavior had something to do with this place.
“Zai Zai, this is not your home.”
Ah Wu’s anger toward this place had reached its limit. But no matter how furious he was, he couldn’t show it in front of Ling Rui.
He softened his voice and, with patience, told Ling Rui the truth: “Your name is Ling Rui. You are the seventh prince of the Qi Dynasty. Your father, mother, brothers, and sisters have all been looking for you.”
“They are your real family.”
Ah Wu explained a lot, and Ling Rui listened in a daze before asking, “And what about you?”
Ah Wu had mentioned so many of his family members, but he hadn’t said anything about their relationship.
“I’m the most important person to you,” Ah Wu said. “Once you remember, you’ll know whether what I’m saying is true.”
Ah Wu was clearly very sure of his place in Ling Rui’s heart.
For Ling Rui, no matter what world he was in, Ah Wu would always be the most important person to him.
Similarly, Ling Rui was the only and most important person to Ah Wu.
Ah Wu spoke with such certainty that Ling Rui wanted to believe him, but none of what Ah Wu said triggered any memories in his mind.
Seeing Ling Rui becoming more distressed, eventually clutching his head, Ah Wu reached out, gently grabbing his wrist, and pulled his hand away from his head.
“Don’t force yourself to remember if you can’t,” Ah Wu said softly, unwilling to see his little one in pain. “I’ll take you out of here. Once we’re out, someone can help you with your memory.”
“You can’t leave here,” Ling Rui said, grabbing Ah Wu’s hand in return. His voice was low and slightly unhappy due to his headache. “Once you come here, you can’t leave.”
“When people are found here, they have to be handed over. I don’t want to turn you in. You should come back with me.”
Since losing his memory, the people here had fabricated an identity for him. He not only had an identity but also a place to live now.
All Ling Rui wanted to do was secretly hide Ah Wu in his house.
Ah Wu was too good-looking.
When Ling Rui thought of the girls in the tribe, he had no doubt that if they saw Ah Wu, they would fall in love with him instantly!
Even if it was just because of his handsome face!
Ling Rui didn’t want to get married, so in his mind, marriage was a terrifying prospect. He thought he’d save Ah Wu from that fate.
Ling Rui knew the routes around this place quite well.
It didn’t take long before he managed to sneak Ah Wu into his house through a roundabout route.
There was food and water in the house. Ling Rui locked the door behind them and handed some food to Ah Wu.
“Here, can you eat this?” Ling Rui asked, still a bit muddled after being thrown off by Ah Wu’s earlier transformation from beast to human. He hadn’t even had time to be shocked by it yet.
Now, he was just beginning to process everything.
Ah Wu accepted the food and ate it.
“Here, some water too,” Ling Rui said, pouring some water and handing it to him.
As Ah Wu ate and drank, Ling Rui stared at him without blinking.
Even though Ling Rui couldn’t recall who Ah Wu was, just watching him sit there filled him with joy.
“Try not to go out. If you get discovered, I won’t be able to protect you,” Ling Rui warned. “I’ll bring food back for you. Just stay here.”
“Okay,” Ah Wu responded.
Even if Ling Rui hadn’t insisted on keeping him there, Ah Wu would have found a way to stay.
Ling Rui had lost his memory here and thought of this place as home. Ah Wu couldn’t recklessly destroy the place for fear of upsetting Ling Rui.
Staying here would also allow him to investigate what had happened to his little one.
The two stayed in the room for a long time.
Not only did Ling Rui share his food and water with Ah Wu, but he also shared the little bits of gossip he had overheard from the tribe.
Even though they were in the same room, for the first time, Ling Rui didn’t cling to Ah Wu like before.
There was a bit of distance between them.
After some time, a voice called out from outside.
“Huo Little Seven!”
Hearing the name, Ling Rui got up to leave.
Ah Wu’s eyes flickered at the sound of the name. He knew that the name “Little Seven” came from used his own surname.
“Coming!” Ling Rui shouted from inside the house, then lowered his voice to remind Ah Wu, “Don’t make any noise, okay? I’m going out now, but I’ll come back later. I’ll bring you some food!”
Ling Rui hurriedly gave his instructions and left the room.
As soon as he stepped out, Ah Wu began to carefully examine the room.
Ling Rui had been called away, undoubtedly about his marriage.
“Little Seven, we’ve chosen the 17th of this month for your wedding with Nan Shu.”
“Get yourself ready in the next few days.”
Nan Shu was acknowledged as the most beautiful woman in the tribe, although she was three years older than Ling Rui. She held a high status, and her father was a significant figure in the tribe.
Besides being beautiful, Nan Shu was also healthy.
The tribe wanted her to marry Ling Rui not only to respect her wishes but also in hopes that she could give birth to a healthy, smart, and beautiful child with this outsider.
If Nan Shu couldn’t bear a child, there were other women in the tribe who had their eyes on Ling Rui, waiting for their chance.
The women here had a very clear goal: they wanted children.
Their children would take the mother’s surname, and as for their husband or the child’s father, that wasn’t particularly important to them.
Today, they might be interested in Ling Rui, but if someone else came along who caught their fancy more, they would freely follow their desires and pursue that person instead.
“I’ve said before, I don’t want to—”
“Your wedding clothes are already prepared.”
The middle-aged man who delivered the wedding news patted Ling Rui on the shoulder with a smile, “This season is the best time for young people to get married. Little Seven, aren’t you moved by all the women in the tribe?”
Ling Rui frowned.
Perhaps it was the season, but recently Ling Rui had been experiencing some physical reactions.
However, his nighttime restlessness had nothing to do with any of the women.
In his dreams, he always saw a figure, though he couldn’t make out the face, but it was definitely not a woman.
“Little Seven, after the wedding, you’ll realize the benefits,” the man continued to smile, completely disregarding Ling Rui’s displeasure.
After the man left, Tang Er came by.
Seeing Tang Er, Ling Rui vented all his frustration, “The 17th is almost here. How can I get married like this?”
“The date doesn’t matter,” Tang Er said indifferently. “What matters is that you get married.”
Once the marriage was consummated, Tang Er wouldn’t need to keep poisoning Ling Rui anymore. The poison he had been giving him wasn’t ordinary; it was valuable, and he wasn’t willing to use it so easily.
“I really don’t want to—”
“You do.”
“I don’t!”
“You do.”
Their conversation went in circles until both of them shut their eyes, tired of speaking.
By the time Ling Rui returned in the evening, his face clearly showed his unhappiness.
Ah Wu walked over in a few strides, observing his expression. “What’s wrong? Did someone bully you?”
“No,” Ling Rui shook his head, placing the food he had brought back on the table before sitting down. “I snuck this food from the kitchen. Eat it while it’s hot.”
Ling Rui usually ate with Tang Er, but the food he brought for Ah Wu was taken separately from the kitchen.
Ah Wu sat down beside him, and after eating the food, he said, “Next time, don’t bother bringing me food. I don’t need it.”
If Ling Rui kept sneaking food, it would easily raise suspicion, and Ah Wu didn’t particularly need the food he brought back.
“If you don’t need it, fine,” Ling Rui muttered, still in a bad mood.
Ah Wu wanted to ask more, but Ling Rui slumped onto the table, showing no desire to talk.
As the night deepened, Ling Rui wrapped himself in a thin blanket and slept on the bed. The bed was small, so it would be too cramped for two people, so Ah Wu slept on the floor beside the bed.
If Ling Rui had remembered Ah Wu, he wouldn’t have let him sleep on the floor. No matter how small the bed, he would have insisted on sharing it.
Now, without his memory, Ah Wu slept below while Ling Rui slept soundly above.
In the middle of the night, the thin blanket slipped off the bed, falling directly onto Ah Wu.
Ah Wu opened his eyes and sat up. Even without lighting a lamp, the faint light from the window allowed him to see Ling Rui’s face clearly.
At that moment, Ling Rui’s face was flushed with an unusual redness.
