Chapter 144: Chapter 134: Anyway, You Can Take Your Pick
Seth said, "That’s Little Boss’s scent. She just took a bath, so she smells like shower gel."
Gu Ning breathed a sigh of relief.
Jite’s eyes lingered on Gu Ning’s face. "This shower gel is pretty fragrant," he said.
However, he could still smell a hint of the Boss’s scent on the little Mixed Breed. The puppy smell hadn’t completely masked it.
’No, that’s not right.’
As the thought struck him, a jolt went through Jite’s mind. ’Why does Little Boss always smell like other people? What about her own scent?’
’And what’s more, she always carries a faint... Beastman glandular scent.’
’Is it right for the Boss and the others to get their scent all over a Mixed Breed like that?’
Jite was two years older than Seth and tended to think more deeply about things.
Before, they had only seen Gu Ning as a mission and hadn’t paid much attention to her identity. Now, they all called her Little Boss. Even if it was just a joke, they had already accepted her as a member of their wolf pack.
’And if we’re brothers in the same pack, we should know more about each other.’
A thought flashed through Jite’s mind, but he couldn’t quite grasp it. He was growing more curious and suspicious of Gu Ning’s identity.
’Since the Boss won’t tell us,’ Jite thought, ’I might as well go back and ask Kloer. Kloer spent more time with Little Boss. He should know something.’
Gu Ning joined the young wolves for a lively and happy meal. Although she had trouble communicating with them, Seth and the others were very enthusiastic. They also had a perfect sense of boundaries, keeping the conversation from getting awkward without being so overly familiar that it made her uncomfortable. They made sure to include Cook and Barto, showing no signs of excluding them, even though Barto rolled his eyes at them countless times.
The young wolves in Alex’s pack had personalities much like his own: friendly, generous, and gentle.
"This is for you."
Jite gave Cook the biggest bone from the soup.
They had given all the meat in the soup to Gu Ning. Only after seeing that she had eaten her fill did they divide the rest of the food among themselves, with the largest share still going to Cook.
After the meal, they cleaned up the dining area.
"WOOF." Cook squatted beside Gu Ning, gnawing on his bone. His attitude toward Jite and the others had softened considerably.
Jite saw that the little dog was pretty easy to win over. He raised an eyebrow slightly, preparing to go back and report to Alex.
He had come to this meal with a mission, after all. Alex had ordered them to build a good relationship with the little dog and help him integrate into their group.
Jite took this mission to heart, but he was also a little worried. ’When the time comes, the Boss will be bringing two Mixed Breeds—possibly three—back to Zone 5, and Alihot won’t be easy to deal with. I have to help the Boss look after Gu Ning and her companions, especially that fox.’
"Little Boss, we’ll come back tomorrow—"
Before Seth could finish, Barto SLAMMED the door in their faces.
"They’re not allowed to come back!" Barto said, turning to Gu Ning.
Gu Ning looked up and gently patted his head.
Barto: "...Fine, but if they come back, they’re eating in the hallway. They’re not setting foot in our room again."
After he spoke, he glanced over at Cook, who was still gnawing on his bone. A wave of irritation washed over him, and he ran over and gave Cook a kick. "Eat, eat, eat, that’s all you know how to do! They gave you one bone and you were bought! You worthless, stupid dog!"
Cook paused, then offered the bone to Barto. "...Eat?"
Barto: "...Just go gnaw your bone somewhere else."
Gu Ning was already used to Barto’s grumpy temper, so she didn’t think much of it. If he truly disliked Seth and the others, he would have attacked them the moment they came in.
The canines’ first meeting had been a success, and she was in a very good mood.
＊
Outside, the sky was quickly stained with the colors of night.
It was still early. After dinner, Gu Ning curled up by the heater with a book. She read until the light in the room grew too dim to see the words, then turned on a flashlight.
Cook lay quietly beside her. Barto played his game for a while, then noticed she was so intent on reading she was using a flashlight, even taking notes. The tip of her pen made a soft rustling sound as it slid across the paper. Seeing how serious she looked, he couldn’t help but lean over. "What book are you reading?" he asked.
Gu Ning showed him the cover. It was a geography book about the local customs of the different zones.
She had found it in the pile of books that were used as props.
She didn’t usually read these books, partly because she didn’t have the time, and partly because her understanding of the Beastman written language was still quite basic.
She could handle daily conversations now, but reading fluently was still beyond her.
Fortunately, her translation system could be used offline.
It was just that after learning the Beastman language systematically with Alex, she found the translation system increasingly mechanical and rigid. The output wasn’t very smooth.
With no internet, she had nothing else to do, so she had to force her way through it.
"What’s so interesting about that?" Barto glanced at the page she was on, which happened to be the section on Zone 5, complete with illustrations.
Gu Ning wrote in her notebook: *We’re going to Zone 5 soon, so I’m doing some prep.*
Barto looked up at her. She was wearing her head covering, revealing only a pair of clear, bright eyes.
Gu Ning’s eyes shifted to meet his, her gaze inquisitive.
"Why are you reading this to prepare? Just ask Alex and his wolves. They’re from Zone 5, so they’ll know more details than any book."
Barto looked away, picked up his game console, and lay down with his back to Gu Ning. After a moment, the frantic clicking of the buttons stopped. Gu Ning heard Barto ask, "Are you sure you want to go to Zone 5? You’re not considering any of the other Upper Districts?"
He added, as if it were a casual thought, "You can choose any of them, you know."
’Choose any of them?’
Gu Ning didn’t quite understand what he meant. Before she could think about it, he spoke again. "What zone were you from before? You don’t know what Zone 5 is like?"
Gu Ning turned her head to look at him.
This was the first time the little fox had ever asked about her origins.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Barto kept his back to her. The light from his game console’s screen flickered, illuminating the space in front of him.
There were no game sounds, no clicks from the buttons. Barto was waiting for her answer.
Gu Ning thought for a moment before picking up her pen to write on the paper.
The longer Barto waited, the more nervous he grew.
He both hoped and feared that Gu Ning would finally tell him her true identity.
’But what could I do if I knew? Follow her back to Zone 5?’
’I’m a fox. A throwback fox.’
’If she tells me her identity, I can’t pretend I don’t know anymore. She might start to pity me the way she pities Cook, but I don’t want that kind of pity.’
’Cook’s mind has regressed, so he can think of himself as just a dog. But I can’t completely think of myself as just a fox.’
After what felt to Barto like an eternity, but was only half a minute, Gu Ning handed him a slip of paper.
Barto didn’t immediately take it.
Seeing his hesitation, Gu Ning patted his arm and held the note out right in front of him.
Barto closed his eyes, thinking for a moment. He pushed down the chaotic thoughts in his mind and was just about to take the note from her when—
KNOCK KNOCK...
The sound of knocking echoed through the silent night.
The three of them turned toward the door in unison.
Cook pressed against Gu Ning, letting out a low growl at the door.
"It’s me."
Alex’s voice came from the other side of the door.
