gentle beast

20

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu cried very quietly.

She wasn’t the type of kid to start screaming and shouting. Her parents always said she was obedient and well-behaved, like a little lamb.

She loved to cry, but she always cried alone.
Weeping silently, she wiped her tears away silently too and never disturbed anyone.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu buried her face in Ryan’s small neck, her tears continuously overflowing from her eyes, scouring his fur.

Leopard’s fur was very short, and after getting wet, it was like a furry brush, and prickled her face a bit.

Regardless, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu continued to cry for a long time, and if it wasn’t for the occasional sniffle of her nose, people would mistake her for having fallen asleep.

Ryan raised his head to look into the forest overhead. It was winter, and the tree leaves had all fallen, leaving only bare branches and a clear view to the bright sky.

Occasionally a bird flew by, causing snowflakes to flutter down.

The girl’s sobs still rang in his ears.

It was light and soft, as if there was nothing there at all, and the sound was one of pathetic abandonment.

. . .

Ryan hadn’t thought she would be so sad.
To be honest, he felt a little guilty.

If not for him, she could have spent the entire long winter with that herbivorous race.

Two days ago, Ryan might have thought about that.

But, now, he only felt a little guilty, nothing more.

Her “space” held the key to him returning to normal. Before he could figure it out, he could not let go of her.

Even if she cried while holding him so pathetically.

When Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu stopped crying, it was already an hour later.

She rubbed against Ryan’s neck and wiped her tears away, raising her red eyes and looking into the distance.

The distant sky was clear and white clouds bloomed all across it. However, at the intersection of the horizon, the clouds intensified into an inky thickness.

The rain on the mountain was silent.
With the last experience, Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu knew this was a sign of a coming snowstorm.

She sniffled her nose. In the end, she still wanted to live. She did not want to die quietly in this world. So she picked up her emotions and continued to walk on alone.

Jǐ Xiǎo Ōu was lucky. Not that far away, she saw a deserted wooden cabin at the foot of the mountain.

The shack was shabby and the door was eroded away by wormholes. It hung on the door frame and were on the verge of collapsing when facing the cold wind.

It was also small, and looked like there hadn’t been anyone living there for a lont ime. THere was a thick layer of ice on the front and it was difficult to get down.