Gou Feng looked at them seriously.
"If you don't show up, the third Pack Leader will be even more displeased."
Neither cousin could argue with that because they knew Gou Feng was right.
The Pack Leader's orders were not something they could simply ignore.
If they ran away now, the consequences would not stop with them.
Their parents, relatives, and even the elders of their clan might be questioned about their behavior.
What should have been a simple scolding could easily turn into a much bigger issue.
Compared to that, facing Hei Bao directly seemed like the lesser evil.
At least they would be the ones taking responsibility for their mistake.
Huan Zhan let out a defeated groan and covered his face.
"Why does growing up have to involve accountability?"
Shen Jiu immediately rolled his eyes.
"Because that's how being an adult works."
"I don't like it." Huan Zhan retorted.
"Nobody does."
The cousins exchanged a glance before looking back at Gou Feng.
Somehow, despite being the youngest among them, he was always the calmest whenever trouble appeared.
It was both reassuring and incredibly frustrating.
"Running away won't solve anything," Gou Feng said.
He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder.
"So let's just go."
He gave them a small smile.
"Trust me."
The two cousins exchanged another glance.
They still looked terrified.
Neither looked remotely convinced, but after several moments of silent deliberation, they slowly nodded.
"Okay."
Huan Zhan pointed a finger at him.
"We trust you."
Shen Jiu nodded firmly.
"Don't let us die."
Gou Feng looked genuinely puzzled.
"Why would you die?"
The cousins stared at him.
Sometimes they forgot that Gou Feng's understanding of Hei Bao and everyone else's understanding of Hei Bao were completely different things.
To Gou Feng, Hei Bao was a reliable guardian, but to almost everyone else, Hei Bao was Hei Bao.
While they trusted Gou Feng completely, neither of the cousins trusted Hei Bao.
And somehow, they had a feeling their Pack Leader was about to become very interested in the bruise currently decorating Gou Feng's face.
Now, standing outside the office of the Third Leader of the Lycan Clans, Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan could not help but sweat.
Both repeatedly swallowed their nervousness as they stared at the office door before them.
Gou Feng noticed their expressions and could not help but chuckle.
"You two look like you're about to walk into your own execution."
"We might be," Huan Zhan muttered.
Shen Jiu nodded seriously.
"There's still time to run."
"There isn't," Gou Feng replied immediately.
Before either of them could suggest anything else, he stepped forward and knocked on the door.
A few moments later, it opened.
Cheung Qi appeared.
The moment his eyes landed on Gou Feng, his expression froze.
His gaze moved to the bruise on Gou Feng's cheek and the faint cut at the corner of his mouth.
"What happ—"
He abruptly closed his mouth.
Through the partially opened door, he could still hear Hei Bao's voice busy talking to someone on the phone.
Without hesitation, he stepped outside and quietly pulled the door shut behind him.
Then he grabbed all three of them by the shoulders and pushed them several steps away from the entrance.
"What happened?" he asked again.
His usual playful expression had disappeared.
"Why is a-Feng injured while you two look perfectly fine?"
The question instantly made both cousins shocked and insulted.
"Cheung Ge, aren't you offending us?" Huan Zhan complained.
"What's the point of us being black belts in taekwondo if we get injured that easily?"
"Em!" Shen Jiu agreed.
"You're hurting our confidence here, Cheung Ge."
Cheung Qi stared at them for several seconds before suddenly waving his hand.
"Aiyah! Ge, is joking. I'm joking."
His attention returned to Gou Feng.
The bruise had become even more obvious under the hallway lights.
His brows slowly furrowed.
"What really happened, ha?"
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan exchanged glances.
Neither seemed eager to explain.
"Cheung Ge..." Shen Jiu scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"Do you want us to explain now, or should we meet the Boss first?"
"And..." Huan Zhan lowered his voice.
"Is the Boss really angry?"
At that question, Cheung Qi folded his arms.
His expression became difficult to read.
The two cousins immediately became even more nervous.
Seeing their reactions, Cheung Qi sighed.
"You two."
"What?" Huan Zhan asked cautiously.
"You forgot about the meeting entirely, didn't you?"
Neither cousin answered.
Their silence was enough.
Cheung Qi clicked his tongue.
The cousins lowered their heads.
This time, they looked ready to bury themselves underground.
Gou Feng watched the exchange quietly.
For some reason, seeing his usually energetic two best friends getting scolded felt oddly amusing.
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
Seeing his two juniors' reactions, Cheung Qi couldn't help but feel satisfied.
A strong urge to tease them surfaced.
"Of course he's angry."
The cousins instantly paled.
"You made him wait for hours."
Cheung Qi crossed his arms.
"You know what his temper is like."
Both cousins visibly stiffened.
Then Cheung Qi's gaze shifted toward Gou Feng.
"And if he sees A-Feng looking like this..."
He pointed directly at the bruise on Gou Feng's cheek.
"...his temper will probably be even worse."
The two cousins immediately looked at Gou Feng.
Their expressions turned more miserable.
Looking at their increasingly pitiful expressions, Gou Feng sighed.
"Cheung-ge."
"Hm?" Cheung Qi looked at him.
"Stop teasing them."
Gou Feng glanced at his two childhood best friend.
"They're already nervous enough."
Cheung Qi followed his gaze.
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan looked as though they were moments away from writing their final wills.
The sight was so ridiculous that he finally burst out laughing.
"Hahaha!"
He wiped the corner of his eye.
"You two are still so easy to fool."
The cousins froze.
"...What?"
Cheung Qi waved a hand dismissively.
"Relax. He isn't angry."
Both Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan blinked.
"He isn't?"
"No."
Cheung Qi shook his head.
"He only finished his meeting a little while ago."
He jerked his thumb toward the office door behind him.
"Go on."
A grin spread across his face.
"He's waiting for you."
The relief that washed over the two cousins was so obvious that even Gou Feng almost laughed.
For a moment, they truly thought they had been summoned to their own execution.
The cousins immediately released enormous sighs of relief.
"Cheung-ge, don't scare us like that."
Shen Jiu looked as though he had just survived a natural disaster.
Beside him, Huan Zhan nodded vigorously.
"My soul almost left my body."
Cheung Qi only laughed harder.
The three were just about to enter when Cheung Qi suddenly reached out and grabbed Gou Feng's arm.
Everyone stopped.
Cheung Qi's smile faded slightly, and whispered.
"I was joking about those two."
His gaze shifted toward the bruise on Gou Feng's cheek.
"But I'm not joking about you."
The hallway grew quiet.
"If he sees your face right now, things might get troublesome."
Gou Feng blinked.
Seeing his confusion, Cheung Qi sighed.
"You've been with him for too long."
"What does that mean?" Gou Feng asked.
"It means you're used to him."
Cheung Qi pointed at the bruise.
"Other people might think it's nothing. But he won't."
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Cheung Qi continued,
"So let them go in first."
He jerked his chin toward the office door.
"Once they're done, you can go in afterward."
Shen Jiu and Huan Zhan immediately looked hesitant.
Honestly, neither of them wanted to face Hei Bao without Gou Feng standing beside them.
Gou Feng senses it, and smiles at the two cousins before turning back to Cheung Qi.
"Ge. You should go in with them."
Cheung Qi pointed at himself.
"Yes." Gou Feng nodded seriously.
"They're nervous because of you."
The cousins immediately nodded.
"That's true. You scared us half to death. So you should take responsibility."
Cheung Qi stared at the three of them, then let out a deep sigh.
"Fine."
He rubbed his forehead as though suddenly exhausted.
"Come on then."
He gestured toward the office door.
"Gentleman Number One."
He pointed at Shen Jiu.
"Gentleman Number Two."
Then at Huan Zhan.
"Follow Gege."
The two cousins immediately moved closer to him as though he were a lifeline.
Cheung Qi looked both amused and tired.
Just before entering, Huan Zhan suddenly turned around.
"Wait for us."
Gou Feng smiled, and reached out, lightly patting Huan Zhan's shoulder.
"I will."
The simple gesture somehow eased the cousins' nerves.
A moment later, the office door opened.
The three disappeared inside.
The door quietly closed behind them.
Leaving Gou Feng alone in the hallway.
For the first time that afternoon, the corridor felt cold.
Gou Feng leaned against the wall and carefully touched the bruise on his cheek.
A slight sting immediately followed, and he winced.
Honestly, he still didn't understand why everyone seemed so worried about Hei Bao finding out.
To him, Hei Bao was strict, very so, but never unreasonable.
Thinking about it, Gou Feng pulled out his phone and glanced at his reflection on the dark screen.
The bruise looked worse than he remembered.
The swelling had become more obvious.
"...Maybe Cheung-ge has a point."
For the first time since the incident happened, Gou Feng began wondering how exactly he was supposed to explain this to Hei Bao.