Memu hummed in satisfaction and picked up a date.
"Watch carefully," she instructed.
"If you keep peeling them the way you were before, even the dates will complain about being bullied."
Gou Feng stared at the fruit in his hands before glancing at the neatly peeled one in hers.
After a brief silence, he replied earnestly,
"...I still think mine looked fine."
Memu clicked her tongue again.
"They absolutely did not."
A quiet laugh escaped Gou Feng's lips once again.
Then, without warning, Elder Memu asked,
"Aren't you tired, child?"
Gou Feng didn't find anything unusual about the question.
Assuming she meant he was tired from helping in the kitchen, he instinctively shook his head.
"I'm not tired."
Memu glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
"That's the answer you give to people who cannot see the truth," she said softly.
"Why don't you tell them the truth instead?"
Gou Feng paused in the middle of peeling another date.
He slowly turned to look at her.
"...What truth?" he asked, confusion evident in his voice.
"What do you mean, Elder?"
Memu faced him directly.
"You worry too much about others. If you truly don't wish to trouble the people who care about you, then tell them the truth."
Gou Feng froze.
Only then did he understand.
She wasn't asking whether he was tired from helping in the kitchen.
She was talking about him. About the exhaustion he kept hidden behind his calm expression and habitual smile.
He opened his mouth, only to close it again.
He didn't know what to say.
After a moment, the elder Memu let out a quiet sigh.
"You children..."
There was no irritation in her voice, only helpless affection.
"Do you know what troubles the people who care about you the most?"
Gou Feng lifted his eyes to meet hers.
Memu's gaze softened.
"It's not that you need help," she said gently.
"It's not that you're hurting. It's when you're suffering and still choose to carry everything alone."
Her eyes remained fixed on him.
"You don't become a burden simply because you're in pain. You become lonely."
The kitchen fell silent.
Gou Feng stood there without moving.
He didn't know how to respond.
The elder's words had caught him off guard.
Perhaps because he had never thought about it that way before.
Or perhaps because, somewhere deep inside, he simply didn't know how to do anything other than endure alone.
Since childhood, he had learned to swallow discomfort before anyone noticed.
To reassure others before they could worry.
To smile before anyone had the chance to ask whether he was truly all right.
Memu didn't press him for an answer.
Instead, she turned back toward the oven.
"Go wash your hands. I'll finish the rest."
Then, after a brief pause, she added,
"The third leader should be arriving any minute now."
Gou Feng blinked before setting the peeled dates aside.
"...Alright."
He walked over to the sink and washed his hands beneath the running water.
The warmth of the kitchen settled around him once more.
Behind him, Elder Memu continued preparing the red dates as though nothing unusual had happened.
Yet her earlier words lingered quietly in Gou Feng's mind.
You don't become a burden simply because you're hurting. You become lonely.
For the first time in a very long while, Gou Feng found himself wondering whether there had been moments when he should have reached out instead of enduring everything in silence.
He searched through his memories, and found none.
Even when exhaustion settled deep within his bones, he had still chosen to bear it alone. Not because there was no one beside him.
People around him had asked if he was all right, again and again.
But every single time, he would only smile and reply, he's fine.
Gou Feng swallowed against the sudden tightness in his throat.
After drying his hands on the kitchen towel, he lowered his gaze.
But... if I reached out. Would they think I'm troublesome?
The thought surfaced quietly.
It carried a fear he had never spoken aloud.
For the first time, Gou Feng realized that perhaps what frightened him most was not being a burden itself.
It was the possibility that if he revealed all of it, the people he cared about would eventually grow tired of carrying someone like him.
And if that happened...
Would they still stay?
Or would he once again be left behind, wondering which part of himself had been too much to bear?
If that day ever came, he wasn't sure he could bear it.
Being alone had never been what he wanted.
It was simply what he had taught himself to expect, and to prepare.
"Oh, are you done helping in the kitchen?"
Mei was the first to notice Gou Feng stepping out.
She looked up from where she sat on the floor, a length of white cloth spread across her lap as she carefully embroidered its edges.
Beside her, Fui merely glanced up. She offered him a small smile and a slight wave before returning to her sewing.
"What are you two doing?"
Gou Feng paused beside them.
"We're sewing decorations for Nutrition Month," Fui replied without looking up from her work. Her hands continued moving steadily through the fabric.
"We'll be holding a Nutrition Month celebration here next week."
Mei nodded enthusiastically.
"We celebrate it every July fifth," she explained.
"It's our way of commemorating a good harvest and giving thanks. It isn't one of the Lycan Clan's traditional practices. It's more of a local custom."
She carefully threaded another stitch before continuing.
"But we've lived alongside the people in this secluded town for a very long time. Since we share this place with them, we've also learned to adopt some of their traditions. And it's actually quite fun," Mei added with a grin.
"Elder Memu participates every year too, so we've gotten used to it."
Gou Feng nodded.
"I see."
"It's a shame you won't be here next week," Mei said, sounding genuinely disappointed.
"It would've been more fun if you could join us."
Gou Feng simply smiled without commenting.
He wasn't someone who disliked people..In fact, he got along well with others when necessary. But lately, the thought of crowded places and noisy celebrations felt exhausting.
Perhaps, for now, he simply didn't have the energy for them.
After a moment, he wandered farther into the living room.
Since waking up that morning, he hadn't had the chance to properly observe the house.
Now that he did, he realized how simple it truly was.
There were no extravagant decorations or displays of wealth despite Elder Memu's respected status among the Lycan Clans.
The wooden furniture had clearly been used for many years, yet each piece was meticulously cared for.
Handmade cushions rested neatly upon the sofas.
Fresh flowers brightened small ceramic vases placed throughout the room.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows, bathing everything in a gentle golden glow.
The entire house carried a peaceful atmosphere.
Like a place where one could finally let down their guard.
As Gou Feng's gaze drifted around the room, it eventually settled on a framed photograph displayed on one of the shelves.
Almost unconsciously, he moved closer.
His attention immediately fell upon the people captured within the picture.
Elder Memu stood at the center.
Much younger than she appears now. She looked to be in her forties, her smile bright and lively.
Beside her stood a young man with soft brown hair and fair skin.
His eyes curved gently as he smiled toward the camera.
Standing on the other side of him was Hei Bao.
Gou Feng blinked.
His fingers instinctively reached for the frame.
Carefully, he lifted it into his hands.
For a long moment, he simply stared.
Ge... was smiling.
Not the faint curve of lips Gou Feng occasionally caught whenever Cheung Qi irritated him.
Not the restrained expression Hei Bao wore around others.
It was a genuine smile, open and unguarded. Filled with unmistakable happiness.
Gou Feng couldn't remember ever seeing that expression on Hei Bao's face.
His gaze lingered on the photograph.
Who had taken this picture?
Who was the young man standing between them?
"...You found something interesting?"
Mei's voice pulled him from his thoughts.
Gou Feng nodded before carrying the photograph over and sat down on the sofa close to them.
"...Who is this?"
He pointed toward the brown-haired young man standing beside Hei Bao.
Fui's sewing needle paused.
Mei leaned closer to look.
"...That's Lord Bai Lianhua," she answered softly.
"The Third Pack Leader's first Luna. His mate."
Gou Feng lowered his gaze to the photograph again.
"So, this is Bai Lianhua..."
He studied the picture.
"This is the first time I've seen his face. The third pack leader doesn't keep photographs of him at home. Not in his office either."
Fui and Mei looked at each other.
Confusion flickered across their faces.
That was strange.
Everyone knew how deeply Hei Bao had loved Bai Lianhua.
How could someone who cherished another person so much leave behind no photographs at all?
Neither apprentice understood.