They Said Wolves Outside—He Said Stay in Bed

The director insisted on not letting Xie Yaoyao off.
After finally finishing dinner in the evening, he discovered Xie Yaoyao was no longer willing to snuggle with him.
Having lost his most devoted fan, the director shed bitter tears.

Director Meng, it’s raining outside.
Just then, He Lin returned from the restroom and said.

Yan City was rainy.

Mountainous areas were especially prone to heavy rainstorms.

The sky was already gloomy when they returned in the evening.
Now it was pouring heavily.
The tasks planned for the evening couldn’t be done, and the director began to worry.

There was an even more serious problem.

Rain poured down in sheets.
The adobe houses assigned to the guests all started leaking.
Most of the bedding was soaked and could no longer be slept on.
At most, they could put out basins to catch water; there was no way to lay felt on the roofs now.

There’s a tile-roofed house to the east that’s okay,
the director asked cautiously.
Would the teachers mind squeezing in together tonight?

Tang He’an readily agreed.
No problem for me.

He had no special background, having truly climbed up from being a stunt double.
He’d suffered countless hardships.

Besides, it was just everyone sleeping together.

I’ll discuss it with the village head.
They should be able to spare a room over there,
the director added.
Teacher He and Miaomiao can stay there.

He Lin also had no objections.

The awkward ones were only Ning Shixue and Ji Qing.

[??? I’m really going to start cursing.
Is this intentional?
What on earth is the program team playing at?]

[I thought something was off when they hired Ning Shixue for this show.
Either the show is using him for buzz, or Ning Shixue is leeching off Ji Qing.]

[So annoying.
When will Ning Shixue quit the industry?]

[If I remember correctly, Ning Shixue is signed under Shengxing Entertainment?
Isn’t that under the Xie Group?
Can’t they just terminate his contract?]

[My heart aches for Qingqing.
He definitely won’t sleep well tonight.]

The director was sweating bullets.
This time, he really wasn’t doing it on purpose.
But the live stream’s heat didn’t drop; instead, it increased.
Many people came to watch the ‘battlefield’ scene.
He wasn’t losing anything.

It was only past eight in the evening.
He Lin first took Miaomiao to play with the other little ones.
The kids huddled their heads together, lying on the kang, continuing their game of house.

Ji Qing also gave Little Tangyuan a little push to join them.

Little Tangyuan, you be a baby too,
He Miaomiao assigned roles.
After assigning them, she propped her chin on her hands, looking troubled.
What should Little Ning Gege be?

Ning Shixue: “…”

Why was he involved in this?

He Miao was still concerned no one was playing with him.
Ning Shixue quickly ‘salted-fish flipped,’ mustering the nerve to join He Lin and the others in playing cards.
Only then did He Miaomiao give up.

Once the little ones got together, they went wild.
By 10:30 PM, Tang He’an, with a dark expression, called out to Tang Hao.
Get to bed now!

I not sleep I not sleep!
Tang Hao jumped up and started bouncing vigorously.

He originally wanted to make a face at Tang He’an.
But as he pinched his own chubby, meaty cheeks, he suddenly seemed to hear a sound outside and couldn’t help shivering.

Doggy,
Xie Yaoyao’s hair stuck up in a few tufts.
He blinked his big eyes and said.

Ji Xiao also tilted his head to listen, then very softly refuted from the side.
Not doggy, is wolf.

He’d seen documentaries.
Wolves howled like that.

Even in zoos, the little ones had never heard a wolf howl, let alone on a remote mountain in a violent storm.
Tang Haohao struggled, then suddenly wailed loudly and burst into tears.
He Miao, caught off guard, was startled.
For the first time since joining the show, her eyes reddened.

He Lin quickly and heart-achingly pulled his child into his arms.

Daddy, will the wolf come eat us?
He Miao’s snow-white face was flushed from crying as she hugged his neck and asked.

How could that be?
Wolves don’t come into villages,
He Lin comforted her, amused and exasperated.
Besides, with such heavy rain, even if there were wolf howls, we couldn’t hear them.
It must be the wind.

Seeing He Miao scared into tears, Tang He’an was furious and getting a headache.
He wanted to drag Tang Haohao over and spank his bottom but was afraid he’d cry even louder, disturbing the other children’s sleep.

What are you crying for?
His face darkened further.
If you don’t come to bed now, the wolf will carry you off tonight!

Tang Haohao instantly cried even more pitifully.

The two older children were crying.
Little Tangyuan’s eyes also started to redden.
He hugged Ji Qing’s arm with his little hands, not daring to let go, and sobbed,
Uncle.

Xiaoxiao wants to be a brave little man, right?
Ji Qing gently patted his head.

Then told him to let go.

[Can’t take it.
Tang Haohao is the brattiest one, right?
His crying is starting to annoy me too.]

[Poor Miaomiao was startled by him.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have cried.
Come here, let auntie give you a hug.]

[Sniff, Qingqing is really too gentle.
I want Qingqing to pat my head too.]

All the little ones were crying.
Xie Yaoyao’s eyelashes fluttered in confusion.
He also started crying, tears plopping onto his fair, tender cheeks.
He grabbed Ning Shixue’s finger with his chubby little hand and asked fearfully,
I also get eaten?

He couldn’t help but touch his own little belly and little bottom.
They were both white and soft.
Even the bad stepdad wanted to eat them.

A small child, holding a big grudge.
He still remembered Ning Shixue saying he’d eat children earlier.

Ning Shixue didn’t get up to hug and comfort Xie Yaoyao.
He remained that lazy, boneless figure, holding his old-fashioned red-and-white game console, curled up under the blanket playing games.

Exactly like a stepdad.

[Can someone like him even take good care of a child???]

[I’m already tired of cursing.
Can Ning Shixue just get out of the program?]

[He seemed to have a way with bratty kids before.
Now it looks like it’s purely because he’s selfish, insisting on arguing with a child.
I’ve never seen such an unreliable father.]

Xie Yaoyao tugged at him.
Only then did Ning Shixue finally say nonchalantly,
‘The wolf can’t beat me.’

You lying,
Xie Yaoyao said, his eyes suspicious.

He didn’t think the bad stepdad was that powerful.
Besides, Ning Shixue’s cool, pale, slender wrist held no persuasive power whatsoever.

Ning Shixue raised an eyebrow.
‘Then should I go take a look now?’

Wind howled with the rain, as if wolves were already at the door, ready to break in at any moment.

Little Ning Gege, don’t go!
He Miaomiao, loving him deeply, threw herself at him and hugged him, crying as if it were a final farewell.

Ning Shixue was deeply moved, but his tone brooked no argument.
‘Everyone get wrapped up in your blankets.’

He Miaomiao fearfully hid in her dad’s arms.

Ning Shixue walked over and pulled the door open without hesitation.
The heavy night rain poured down.
His cold eye sockets were hidden in the darkness, his watery peach blossom eyes appearing both cool and bright in contrast.
An indescribable air of solemnity surrounded him.

But for some reason, it reassured the children.

Ning Shixue didn’t like this.
What good came from scaring children so they couldn’t sleep?

When he was little in the orphanage, the teachers also frightened them, saying children who didn’t sleep would be taken away by ghosts.

The older children would wait for the teacher to leave, then force them to listen to ghost stories, paint blood-red paint on their faces, and press them to look in the mirror.

It was laughable to say.
The name ‘Ning Shixue’ had become a fearsome deity in the game.

But Ning Shixue himself was actually afraid of the dark.

It’s just that this fear no longer affected him.

There was nothing outside.
The little ones stopped crying.
Ning Shixue closed the door.

He rubbed his ice-cold arms, walked back, found Xie Yaoyao’s bottle, his little monster toy, and the yellow hat his mother made, placing them all by his pillow.

Then he reached under the blanket, propping it up to create a little nest just right for Xie Yaoyao to hide in.

Xie Yaoyao burrowed under the blanket, only his fair, little-bun face peeking out, watching him intently.

‘The wolf can’t beat your little monster, and it can’t beat your mama,’
Ning Shixue’s under-eye area curved slightly, as if smiling.
He looked down and asked,
‘Not scared now?’