Savage Wolf, Lotus Heart [Never Let You Go, Again: Book 4]

18: Never-Fading Hope

"So, Jin Ling," Lan Xichen cleared his throat after gulping down the last of his cake. "What is it that you wanted to tell us?"

"I..." Jin Ling took a deep breath. "There's something you guys should know. I'm sorry for hiding it all this time, but I thought you'll... I don't know... But I'll tell it all now. And I pray that this will stay between the few of us. Not another soul will know. Not even the rest of the Terrific Ten or Nie Shushu or anyone. Please?"

They looked at each other and nodded resolutely.

"Thank you. So... remember how I attacked that Sawtooth Blood Wolf sometime back?"

"Ah yes, never forget it," Zizhen grinned.

"Well... the blasted thing bit me. Not any wolf can do this, but I did a bit of research. Apparently, when an alpha wolf of a demonic kind attacks you, it can infuse its demonic energy in you. And... well, same thing that happened to Daddy with the Kun Peng." He sighed. "I... I'm a werewolf." 

"Ahhhh," Jingyi waved his hand nonchalantly. "I thought you were going to say something new."

"Huh?"

"What? You think I don't know? I SAW you, you buffoon!"

"We both did," Jin Xiyi nodded.

"Ah!" Jin Ling gasped.

"Wait, so you guys know, too?" Another voice piped up.

"Zizhen!" Jin Ling cried again.

"You see, Xiuying and I were passing a village in your Lanling border when they began talking about this demonic wolf in their woods at night. The way they talked about it, Xiuying and I guessed that it was a werewolf. As for who it could be..."

Shen Xiuying offered to continue with the explanation. "The village was under the LanlingJin sect. So I did a bit of connecting the dots. Lanling forests, Jin sect, you moping around not wanting to converse with anyone half the time, and you staying away from Sizhui..." She grinned, flapping a rosy fan she had brought along. "'Twas but an easy guess."

"Oh wow," Jin Ling sighed. "Am I that bad at hiding?"

"No, you're good," Jiang Cheng nodded. "I noticed nothing, and nor did A-Huan. You two?" He turned to his brothers.

Lan Wangji nodded and Wei Wuxian replied, "Grandma told the two of us, or even we wouldn't have known!"

Jin Ling smiled with relief and straightened his collar proudly. "Well, guess I am good, if I hid it from Immortals and fathers, haha."

"And Sizhui?" Jingyi turned to him.

"..." Sizhui kept the cake he had brought to his mouth on his plate, thinking how to answer as concisely as possible. "The possibility crossed my mind when you sent the letter, Zizhen."

"But..." Xiuying grinned. "You didn't believe it?"

Sizhui's head hung low as he picked up the cake again. Right before it went into his mouth, he muttered, low enough to show his feelings, but loud enough for them all to hear. "Didn't want to."

Jin Ling felt like something slit open and tear apart inside him.

Of course, he didn't get what Sizhui really meant. Being the born Jiang he was, and dense-headed Jin like Jin Zixuan, he took it the absolute other way round.

Right. He didn't want to believe I'm a werewolf. So he doesn't find me as good anymore, I guess. That alone... is enough. He sighed and turned to the rest. "So I don't have much to tell? You all know. Then, do you mind keeping the secret?"