Chapter 651 - 651: This Has to Be an Illusion, Right?

"How did you know I was awake?" Lin Xue asked, surprised.

Zhao Yuan smiled. "Just a feeling."

A sweet smile graced Lin Xue's lips.

'This feeling is actually pretty nice,' she thought to herself.

They got up, dressed, and washed up.

Shen Lijun brought out breakfast: a simple meal of porridge and side dishes, along with a few sliced, salted duck eggs. It was simple, but its strength was its freshness. Everything was freshly picked and freshly made, and it tasted wonderful.

After breakfast, Lin Xue took the initiative to help Shen Lijun wash the dishes.

Zhao Ling still hadn't gotten up. Ever since her vacation started, the girl let herself go, refusing to get out of bed until the sun was high in the sky. In her own words, she was making up for all the sleep she'd lost during the school year. Shen Lijun had called for her a few times to no avail and had since given up, deciding not to bother with her anymore.

When Lin Xue finished washing and putting away the dishes, Zhao Yuan said, "Mom, I'm taking Lin Xue into the mountains for a bit. We'll be back later."

Shen Lijun reminded them, "Be careful. I heard from your father that they've seen wolf tracks in the mountains again recently. Also, come back early. I'm planning on making a few of my specialty dishes for lunch so Xiaoxue can try something new."

"I know," Zhao Yuan nodded in reply.

Lin Xue quickly said, "Auntie, you don't need to go to the trouble of making anything special. A simple home-cooked meal is perfectly fine."

Shen Lijun shook her head. "Nonsense. Now that you're here, I have to treat you properly. For lunch, I'll make you a few of our local specialties. I guarantee they'll be delicious—things you've never tasted in the big city."

It was an offer she couldn't refuse, so Lin Xue didn't press the matter.

After they left the courtyard, she couldn't help but ask, "Oh, right, there are really wolves in these mountains?"

Zhao Yuan answered, "A few years ago, there were quite a lot of wolves in the mountains. They'd even come down to the village to steal chickens and ducks. They've become a much rarer sight these past two years. I guess with the recent cold and lack of food, they've started venturing out from the deeper parts of the mountains again. But don't worry. With me here, even if we do run into wolves, they won't dare to cause any trouble!"

Lin Xue didn't doubt his words in the slightest.

If Zhao Yuan could subdue the Bone Woman and Xiaoyang, wouldn't dealing with wolves be a piece of cake?

The White Cat, apparently bored, had chased after them with the two Little Dang Kangs and the Little Red Fox in tow, joining them on their mountain excursion. The Bone Woman also followed behind, but she was considerate, keeping her distance so as not to interrupt the couple's romantic time.

The mountain scenery was completely different from the city. For Lin Xue, who was used to seeing concrete and steel buildings, every blade of grass, every tree, every stream and stone here was a beautiful sight. She must have taken countless photos along the way.

Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue's physical fitness far surpassed that of ordinary people. Even while navigating the mountains, their pace was extremely fast. After just over two hours, they had already reached the deep mountains. An ordinary person probably wouldn't have even made it a third of the way.

Few people ever came to this area. The path was difficult to traverse, overgrown with shrubs and weeds. But it was precisely this raw, undeveloped scenery that was all the more alluring, stirring a desire for exploration.

But because they had to get back for lunch, Zhao Yuan didn't lead Lin Xue any deeper into the mountains. Instead, he said, "It's getting late. We should head back now, or we'll miss lunch."

"Okay," Lin Xue agreed, though her face showed she hadn't had her fill of the adventure.

Zhao Yuan saw this and said with a smile, "Didn't get to have enough fun? It's alright, we can pack some food tomorrow and spend the whole day in the mountains."

"Okay!" Lin Xue immediately broke into a smile. "I never realized exploring a forest like this could be so much fun. No wonder so many people are into the outdoors these days."

Just as Zhao Yuan was about to reply, a gunshot suddenly rang out from the forest.

"Why would there be a gunshot here?" Lin Xue asked in surprise.

Zhao Yuan was also taken aback. After pinpointing the direction of the sound, he said, "Come on, let's go check it out." He took Lin Xue's hand and broke into a run, heading toward the sound of the shot.

The Bone Woman, the White Cat, the Dang Kangs, and the Little Red Fox all followed close behind them.

Along the way, Zhao Yuan glanced at the White Cat a few times. Seeing no unusual reaction from it, he relaxed. This at least meant that whatever was happening wouldn't be too much trouble.

Just then, two more gunshots cracked through the air, accompanied by human screams and cries of pain. From the sound of it, there were men and women—more than one person.

In three to five minutes, Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue reached the source of the gunshots and took in the scene.

A sturdy man in his thirties was holding a double-barreled shotgun, its muzzle still smoking.

Behind him stood a man and two women. The women's faces were pale with fright; they clung to each other, trembling. The other man, despite holding a Machete, was white as a sheet, his legs shaking so badly he was too weak to even lift the blade.

Nearby, another man lay on the ground, covered in blood and groaning in pain.

And surrounding them in the woods was a pack of wolves—at least twenty of them!

Hearing the noise, both the people and the wolves turned their heads in unison.

"Someone's here to save us!" yelled the terrified, trembling man. But when he saw that it was only two people, his hope was instantly crushed. "Only two people? It's over, it's over. We're really dead this time."

The sturdy man, however, shouted anxiously at Zhao Yuan and Lin Xue, "Get out of here! Don't let these wolves eat you!"

He was in mortal danger himself, yet he was still worried about others. This sturdy man had a rather noble spirit.

Zhao Yuan thought for a moment and quickly figured out what was going on.

This group must be the hikers Xiaoyang had mentioned, the ones who had come to explore the mountains. Unfortunately, their luck was bad—they had run into a pack of wolves during their expedition!

Although the sturdy man's shotgun had temporarily scared off the pack, wolves are not only cunning animals but also relentless. They were circling the group, testing them. The moment the humans broke down or ran out of bullets, the wolves would launch another attack.

Now that he'd stumbled upon this, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

Despite being stared down by over twenty wolves, Zhao Yuan wasn't the least bit nervous. He was actually smiling. He called out to the sturdy man, "With me here, you won't die!" and then walked straight toward the alpha wolf.

Seeing him approach, the alpha wolf let out a low WHIMPER.

It wasn't a threatening sound; it was more like it was begging for mercy.

The sturdy man and the others were completely dumbfounded.

From the moment it appeared, this alpha wolf had been incredibly arrogant and ferocious. Not only had it injured one of their companions, but it had also nimbly dodged several gunshots.

And now a fearsome creature like this was begging a human for mercy?

'Is this a fucking illusion?!'