Outside, the sun's rays pierced the lingering shadows and gently illuminated the landscape. The cool air started to warm, and the world slowly stirred from its slumber.
The sky transformed into a canvas of vibrant oranges, yellows, and blues, creating a breathtaking masterpiece.
Birds began their morning songs, melodies blending with the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze.
The dew on the grass sparkled like tiny diamonds, reflecting the growing light of the new day.
Each moment felt like a promise, a gentle reminder of the beauty and tranquility that the world could offer.
Yet a man who had endured many struggles and injustices saw only the cruelty of it all. That man is none other than Hei Bao, whose presence made the illuminated room silent.
Still holding his wine glass, he strode to the other couch and sat down. Gou Feng, Shen Jiu, and Huan Zhan remained silent the entire time, not daring to speak or even move their fingers. The air around them felt heavy.
Suddenly, Cheung Qi's phone rang, making three of them flinch.
"Sorry, I need to take this first," He said, glancing at his cousin, who only waved him off.
Without further delay, he headed outside.
With him gone, the atmosphere in the room grew even more oppressive. The air seemed to thicken with unspoken anxiety.
Gou Feng, unable to bear the oppressive silence, opened his mouth to speak, but was immediately cut off by their pack leader.
"Stop addressing me formally. We're alone," Hei Bao said, his voice carrying a cold edge as he took a measured sip of his wine.
Gou Feng glanced nervously at the two men behind him, his unease evident.
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan locked eyes with him, their faces reflecting confusion and dread. They silently exchanged looks that seemed to scream,
'What? Is he angry because we threw up outside his office earlier? Are we doomed?'
Hua Zhan, prone to overthinking, shivered uncontrollably, his mind racing with worst-case scenarios, while Shen Jiu, composed but still anxious inside, waited for Gou Feng to speak.
However, he only sighed and turned back to face their leader, leaving them visibly agitated and puzzled.
"Ge," He began, and the two young men behind him immediately gasped in horror, their eyes wide in shock.
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan hurried closer, whispering in fear.
"Why did you call our Lord 'Ge'? Are you trying to get us three killed?" Shen Jiu's now pale face became drenched with sweat.
"I STILL WANT TO LIVE!" Huan Zhan nearly shouted, his face a mask of terror and his voice betraying his panic.
Observing how the two young men synchronized their reactions, it was clear that they were related; indeed, they were cousins.
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan knew very little about Guo Feng's background. Since he was naturally quiet and rarely spoke about himself, they chose not to pry.
Their parents had always taught them that not every question needed an answer and that respecting another person's boundaries was a sign of maturity.
They lived by a simple saying,
'In a broken world, knowing a few genuine souls is medicine enough.'
Although the two could be quite talkative, they understood the importance of respecting another person's privacy and personal space. If Guo Feng wished to share his story one day, they would listen. Until then, they were content to simply know him as he was.
However, after hearing Guo Feng address their Third Wolf Pack Leader, Hei Bao, as 'Elder Brother,' they felt they should have at least asked a few questions about the nature of their relationship.
Had they done so, perhaps they would not be too nervous and fearful towards their leader that much.
After Hei Bao rescued Gou Feng, he first took him to his aunt Shen Jiu's mother for treatment, and it was during the visit that the three of them met.
From then on, they became inseparable friends, hunting, fighting, and growing up together.
As a result, they became known as the Men in Black and earned the status of Hei Bao's most trusted members within his circles.
"I see you three still haven't changed," The pack leader spoke, returning their attention to him.
"How have you all been?" he asked, eyes fixed on the two men behind Gou Feng, whose faces slowly turned calm, although anxiety still surged within them.
Hei Bao raised his free hand and flicked it forward, signaling them to step closer.
The two young cousins complied immediately and stood beside their childhood best friend, their eyes glued to the floor.
"Huan Zhan," he called.
Huan Zhan hastily lifts his head and meets his gaze, stuttering as he says,
"I-I, t-to, um, answer the leader's question, I've been well-ahem!"
"Liar," Hei Bao interrupted, making him gulp in nervousness once more.
"You're not well. Look at your face, pale as the corpse you three just sealed."
Upon hearing this, Hua Zhan quickly nodded, too afraid to deny his words, which made Hei Bao laugh out loud, easing the intense atmosphere in the room.
The three young men looked at each other, confused. No matter how many years have passed, they still don't seem to understand the temperance of this superior person in front of them.
"Oh, Huan Zhan, Huan Zhan, as always, you never fail to make me laugh…. After this, you go home and rest," Their pact leader commented.
"Thank, my lord," Huan Zhan answered, head slightly lowered, and remained silent.
Hei Bao then turned to Shen Jiu, who seemed to understand the unspoken command and spoke up without waiting for the question.
"I am well, my Lord, thank you for your concern." His face was calm, covering the deafening drum pumping inside his chest.
Among the three young men, Shen Jiu was the most striking at first glance. Blessed with a powerful, well-built physique and ruggedly handsome features, he carried himself with the confidence of someone born strong.
Huan Zhan and Guo Feng, however, possessed a different sort of appeal. Their appearances blended masculine sharpness with graceful, almost ethereal refinement, creating a beauty that was both captivating and difficult to ignore.
"Gou Feng," Hei Bao, addressing the other.
"I am well, my Lord. I woke up early and trained at the training ground today with a-Zhan and a-Jiu," Gou Feng explained, making him feel a sense of pride and admiration.
"Good," he responded.
"Was the sight of the corpse too much for you three just now?"
The three young men immediately shook their heads, indicating 'no.'
"Really?" Hei Bao asked, his right brow arched, giving him a stern look.
"But I saw you three vomit earlier. Was I imagining things?"
The three young men quickly shook their heads vigorously, insisting that their pack leader had not imagined it, making Hei Bao chuckle.
"Good. It feels better to tell the truth instead of lying, right?" He asked, and the three young men in black immediately nodded in unison, like synchronized robots, making him feel satisfied.
"You three can go now," he added, standing up and heading straight to his office bedroom.
As he closed the door, the two cousins headed toward the office entrance, leaving Gou Feng behind, staring at the closed door with a concerned and thoughtful expression.
Others might say their pack leader is cold-hearted and selfish, but Gou Feng knows deep down that he is just like everyone else who experiences the reality of this world, a person who is also trying to survive another day while fighting those unsavory memories of the past.
He knew this fact, as Hei Bao had repeatedly told him.
Back then, when Hei Bao got drunk, he would always call him and stay at his home, recounting stories from his past until he fell asleep.
Hei Bao often said that he resembled his deceased son and had been searching for his deceased mate for a hundred years, as his dead husband had promised on his deathbed that they would meet again.
Although Gou Feng did not believe in reincarnation, he still held onto the hope that someday, Hei Bao's husband would return to him, to ease the pain he'd been carrying for many decades.
Whenever Hei Bao spoke about his past, his voice always carried the tone of mourning, filled with guilt—emotions that only those who had endured the endless nightmares plaguing him for a century could understand.
The routine persisted, but everything shifted when Gou Feng reached the age of nineteen to twenty.
He could no longer anticipate Hei Bao's actions, nor could he grasp the growing thirst for violence that had begun to surface.
The emptiness in his eyes also deepened, as if he had lost hope in everything and no longer cared about anything; it was like he had lost his true self.
Had he given up?
It frightened him. Gou Feng didn't want to lose another important person.
Most of all, he feared being left alone in this world.
He eagerly wanted to knock on that door and confront Hei Bao.
Back when he was still a child, he would always ask about the concern in his heart without boundaries and knowing the word shame, but after turning fifteen, he started to be scared to do so, as he could no longer feel the familiar aura that Hei Bao once had.
The person he saw earlier felt so distant and unfamiliar to him.
Gou Feng's face contorted with concern.
Behind him, his two young friends keep talking nonsense, pulling him out of his thoughts.
"Bro, can you close your mouth? It stinks," Shen Jiu said, covering his nose with his left hand.
Despite his handsome, bulky, cute appearance, his personality was the opposite.
Gou Feng, hearing this, couldn't help but smile.
No matter what, he could never get enough of his two childhood best friends' silliness.
"A-Jiu, don't say that when your mouth smells too," he said, making Huan Zhan laugh out loud.
"What?!" Shen Jiu managed to utter before quickly closing his mouth, too embarrassed to continue.
Among these young men in black, the elder is Gou Feng, who always intervenes to separate the two young cousins every time they quarrel.
"Let's go," Gou Feng said, and the three of them left the office.
Hua Zhan, the most energetic of the group, carried the black plastic bag containing the corpse effortlessly.
"Honestly, did our mouths smell?" Shen Jiu asked softly, trying not to open his mouth too wide.
Gou Feng nodded in response, causing the two young cousins to hastily cover their mouths with their free hands and remain silent along the way.
Suddenly, they encountered Cheung Qi, who immediately asked,
"Oh, finished already? Where is he?"