Zhao Xin
At the mention of Venus Lin Yue's body, Zhao Xin looked away, pretending to be more interested in the last few dried wolfberries in his bowl. He didn't want to notice Venus's figure—or any part of her, really. He was already too aware of her. Thinking about her in that way would just complicate things, especially in a pack where rules, ranks, and instincts always clashed.
He shut his laptop when Liang Zhihao, a tall, broad-shouldered friend of Venus from the training circle, called out from the other side of the courtyard. "Zhao Xin, hold on. Come help us out."
Venus frowned. "We don't need help, Liang. You heard what my older sister said—Zhao Xin isn't allowed to get involved."
That just made Zhao Xin more curious. "Help with what exactly?"
"Getting back at those rogues who messed up Venus's healing hut," Liang said.
Chen Zixin, always the loudest among them and proud of his high rank, grinned. "We need a plan that'll show them not to mess with our pack again. You seem like the kind of wolf who has tricks up his sleeve."
Venus stepped between Zhao Xin and the group. "He doesn't have any tricks. Right, Zhao Xin?"
He gave her a sly smile. "Sure. But I'll think of something anyway."
"No, you won't," Venus said firmly, but her packmates were already patting Zhao Xin on the back and saying things like "Thanks" and "Let us know when you've got something."
When they left, Venus leaned across the old wooden table, her face close to his. Zhao Xin cursed Chen Zixin silently for bringing up her appearance. The way Venus leaned forward gave him a full view of the pink silk strap of her under-robe, and he hated that it caught his attention.
"You seem to think I need a savior," she said. He tried to focus on her face, not her neckline. "I don't. I appreciated your help cleaning my hut, but I could've handled it on my own."
He picked up his laptop. "I'm no savior."
"Then what is your purpose, lone wolf?" she asked. "Other than getting under my skin?"
He smirked. "I don't have one. Bugging you takes enough of my time already."
He walked off, trying not to think about the thin silk she was wearing or the girl wearing it. Lying back on his thin mat in the guest quarters, he opened his laptop again. He meant to distract himself with random videos, but instead, he searched for the photos of Venus's ruined hut. They were already online, posted by someone using the fake name "Boogers." One photo showed bloody herbs scattered like menstrual pads across the courtyard. Venus had been tagged with the title: THE HEALING BITCH OF KUNMING PACK.
Zhao Xin noticed a reflection in one image—an unmistakable shape of a red JAC Hunter SUV with a custom roof light. Only a few wolves in the nearby human town of Kunming had those.
He reminded himself he wasn't Venus's protector. She was strong. She was training under the pack's best healer, and she had the strength of a beta-female in the making. She didn't need him. And still… instinct pushed him forward.
Loka, his silver-furred spirit wolf pup, jumped into his lap and let out a sharp bark. His breath stank like he'd chewed on rotten goat meat.
Spending his moon season at the Sichuan Highlands would've been fun—late night howls, wild hunts, and fire circles. But instead, he was stuck in the Lin family stronghold, under the careful watch of Bai Lan, his stepmother, who wanted him to "stay out of trouble," and with a girl who looked dangerous even when she smiled.
With nothing better to do, and the thrill of a hunt in his blood, he decided to search for the SUV. Kunming was neutral ground, which meant a wolf like him could slip through unnoticed.
He dressed to blend in—worn jeans, boots, a plaid shirt, and his usual dark beanie. When he first met Li Tao back at the Regents Training Grounds, the other wolf had asked if Zhao Xin was a mountain drifter. He might talk like a western pack wolf, but he looked like a traveler who rode rivers and vanished into forests.
Kunming wasn't far from rogue pack. He drove his borrowed motorbike through the winding roads until he reached a quiet food stall near the town square. There it was—a red JAC SUV with the roof light, parked outside Rick's Noodle House.
Inside, the air smelled like soy and fried dumplings. Zhao Xin took a seat and pretended to study the wall menu. At a booth near the window, some cocky teens were laughing and showing off their phones. One of them—a wolf with a shaved head and piercing eyes—was clearly in charge.
"Upload the close-up," the leader said.
The waitress approached. "What can I get you?"
"A meat bun, to go."
"You a tourist?" she asked with a smile.
"Just visiting from the mountains," he said casually. "What about them?" He nodded toward the group.
"They're from Rogue pack. That's Bonk Cheng—our top runner." She looked proud, like she was talking about a local hero.
When Bonk swaggered over, Zhao Xin gave him a fake smile. "Whoa! You're the Bonk? My girl is gonna lose her mind. You think I could get a picture?"
Bonk blinked. "Who are you?"
"Julian," Zhao Xin replied smoothly. "Big fan. My girl too. Can you sign this for her?" He handed over a napkin and pen.
"To moon cake?" Bonk laughed but signed it. "Weird name, man."
"She'll love it." Zhao Xin lifted his phone. "One photo?"
Bonk posed with the napkin, grinning.
Later, outside by the SUV, Zhao Xin lingered and heard one of the group say, "We should sneak into the Kunming locker cave and hang the leftover pads."
When they saw him again, they looked suspicious.
"Sorry," Zhao Xin said with a sheepish grin. "That photo was blurry. One more? Please? She'll howl like a full moon wolf when she sees it."
They laughed, and Bonk posed again, this time with the whole group.
What a way for Zhao xin to collect information any way in one way or another the...
Mission was complete.