The days passed quickly in the mountains.
Morning mist still curled lazily through the pines, but Xu Ming had long since grown used to it. His daily routine was becoming second nature: tend the small patch of garden, boil porridge, mend what clothes he could, and plan the next step for survival. He had even set aside a corner of the yard for compost, layering vegetable peels and chicken droppings from the neighbor's flock in exchange for washing baskets of greens.
"Hard work pays off," Xu Ming murmured, wiping sweat from his brow as he straightened from digging a small trench for water drainage. "This place might not look like much yet, but give me a few months—people won't recognize it."
From the woods came the sharp twang of a bowstring. Not long after, Shen Li appeared, tall and broad-shouldered, with a hare hanging from his belt. His movements were steady, silent, like the earth itself.
"You dug again," Shen Li remarked, his deep voice carrying across the yard.
Xu Ming smirked. "And you killed again. At least we're both consistent."
Shen Li gave no reply, only glanced at the neat rows of soil. His silence no longer unnerved Xu Ming the way it once had. If anything, it gave him space to talk freely without interruption.
That evening, they shared rabbit stew. Xu Ming had simmered it with wild onions and a handful of greens he'd coaxed from the soil. Steam filled the kitchen, warm and fragrant.
"It's good," Shen Li said after swallowing the first spoonful.
Xu Ming blinked, startled. Praise from Shen Li was rare. A grin spread over his face before he could stop it. "Of course it is. Do you know how many instant noodles I cooked in my past life? Seasoning is practically in my blood."
Shen Li tilted his head. "Past life?"
Xu Ming froze. For a heartbeat, the words hung heavy. He had grown careless, speaking as though he were still in the world he left behind. Slowly, he forced a laugh.
"Just a saying," he covered, ladling more stew into Shen Li's bowl. "Means I've had a lot of practice. Don't overthink it."
Shen Li didn't question further, but his gaze lingered thoughtfully.
A few days later, news spread through the valley—wolves had been sighted on the outer slopes.
Xu Ming overheard it at the village well. Several women were drawing water, voices sharp with worry.
"They came close enough to tear into Old Zhou's goat pen," one said, shaking her head. "If they grow bold, no household will be safe."
Another added, "We should form hunting parties. But who dares, with the mountain trails so treacherous?"
When Xu Ming returned home, he found Shen Li sharpening arrows, expression unreadable.
"You heard," Shen Li said simply.
Xu Ming nodded. "Wolves."
"They hunt in packs. Cunning, ruthless. If they grow hungry enough, they'll approach the village."
Xu Ming's stomach tightened. In his old world, wolves were creatures in documentaries, distant and untouchable. Here, they were a very real threat.
"Then we'll have to prepare," he said firmly. "Extra firewood. Stronger fences. I can dig deeper trenches around the garden."
Shen Li's eyes flickered with faint surprise at his practical tone. "You don't fear them?"
Xu Ming hesitated, then shrugged. "Fear won't stop them from coming. Better to do something than sit trembling."
A corner of Shen Li's lips curved—so slight it might have been imagined.
But while wolves prowled the mountains, another danger stirred closer to home.
Xu Ming's greedy stepmother had not forgotten her humiliation. Madam Wang returned to the village one afternoon, whispering to neighbors, spinning tales.
"Did you hear?" she said, voice dripping with false sorrow. "My poor stepson Ziyu has become arrogant since marrying Shen Li. He refuses to share even a grain of rice with his family. Truly unfilial."
The words spread like wildfire. By the next market day, whispers followed Xu Ming wherever he went.
"That ger… I heard he cursed his own mother."
"Shameless. No wonder he was sent off to a hunter in the mountains."
Xu Ming held his head high, ignoring the gossip as he bartered for salt. Still, a cold knot twisted in his chest. No matter where he went, Madam Wang poisoned his name.
When he returned home, he found Shen Li repairing the gate. "They're spreading rumors," Xu Ming said flatly.
Shen Li didn't look up. "Do you care?"
Xu Ming exhaled, lips twitching. "Care? Of course I care. But if I show weakness, they'll only push harder. Let them talk. I'll prove myself with time."
At that, Shen Li finally met his gaze. "Good."
Just one word—but it held weight, like approval.
That night, the wolves came.
Xu Ming woke to the distant howls—low, chilling, rising like wind through the peaks. The hair on his arms stood. He slipped from bed, pulling on his cloak, and found Shen Li already at the window, bow in hand.
"They're close," Shen Li murmured.
In the pale moonlight, shadows flickered at the treeline. Yellow eyes glowed faintly in the dark.
Xu Ming's throat tightened, but he forced himself to stay calm. "What do we do?"
"Stay inside. Guard the fire. Wolves fear flame." Shen Li stepped into the courtyard, every movement deliberate.
Xu Ming's instincts screamed to follow, but he remembered Shen Li's warning and instead fed the hearth until flames roared bright. He kept a burning brand by the door, pulse hammering as snarls echoed.
The night dragged long. Snaps of branches, yelps, and the sharp whistle of arrows broke the silence. Xu Ming could only imagine Shen Li's lone figure holding the line against a hungry pack.
At last, silence returned. When Shen Li came back at dawn, his arm was streaked with blood, a shallow cut across his bicep.
"Shen Li!" Xu Ming rushed to him, heart pounding. "You're hurt—sit, sit!" He dragged the hunter to the bench and fetched hot water, cloth, and herbs he had carefully dried days before.
Shen Li watched in silence as Xu Ming pressed herbs to the wound, hands trembling only slightly.
"You're reckless," Xu Ming muttered, voice tight. "Do you think you're made of stone? What if you hadn't come back?"
For once, Shen Li didn't brush off the concern. His gaze softened, almost imperceptibly. "But I did come back."
Xu Ming bit his lip, unable to argue. His chest ached in ways he didn't want to name.
When the bandage was tied securely, Shen Li spoke again. "The wolves will return. But tonight, they learned this house is not easy prey."
Xu Ming met his eyes. "Then we'll be ready. Together."
The word hung between them, heavier than the silence that followed.
For a long moment, Shen Li didn't look away. Then he gave the smallest of nods.
"Together."
From that day, something shifted.
The villagers still whispered, Madam Wang still schemed, and wolves still prowled the hills. But in their small, weathered house, Xu Ming felt a fragile thread of safety take root.
Not just safety. Partnership.
And for the first time since transmigrating, he wondered if this strange, harsh world might yet hold a place where he belonged.