Come on, You're a Werewolf, Okay?

Lily darted behind the sofa in a flash, already shifting into her werewolf form before she got there.

She crouched behind the sofa and cautiously poked out half her head. Her silver hair hung to the floor, and her furry silver-white ears twitched alertly, making her look ready to fight at any moment. Hao Ren saw that this mysterious creature still had half a noodle and some greens clenched in her mouth, which badly undermined what little "dignity" she had. But what damaged her dignity even more was what Lily did next: trembling, she pointed her chopsticks at the black-and-white cat by Hao Ren's feet, her voice nearly breaking into tears. "C-cat... cat!"

"Meow?" The black-and-white cat curiously tilted its head at the unexpected newcomer in the house. That single meow made Lily shudder twice, but then the cat ignored her with the elegance expected of a feline.

Hao Ren stared at the scene in stunned silence. His brain creaked through a full turn before he realized what was going on. He looked incredulously at Lily, who was acting as if she faced a mortal enemy. "You... you're afraid of cats?"

"I-I'm not afraid of cats!" Lily stubbornly lifted her head, like a proud fighting dog. "They just creep me out."

"Isn't that the same thing?!" Hao Ren felt like not only was his worldview failing him, even his brain was no longer enough. He didn't even care that she was a werewolf, and a werewolf he had only just met, as he pointed at Lily in exasperation. "Come on! You're a werewolf, okay?!"

"I am a werewolf!" Lily seemed to finally realize that her reaction was rather embarrassing. Maybe Hao Ren's gaze and words had also stung the werewolf girl a little. In any case, she gathered her courage and slipped out from behind the sofa. Then she pretended to return to the dining table, but actually tiptoed along the living room wall in a huge circle until she reached the other end of the room. "Are you sure that cat is safe?"

"What's unsafe about it?" Hao Ren casually picked up the black-and-white cat. "I've never seen a cat this easy to raise. Right, Roll?"

The black-and-white cat immediately let out a soft meow, looking extremely obedient. Hao Ren was delighted by this. He got up, fetched the cat's food bowl, filled it, and placed it on the floor beside the table. This was the cat's designated dining spot. At the same time, Hao Ren pointed at Lily and introduced her to his cat. "Her name is Liu Lili. She's a werewolf... uh, that probably doesn't mean much to you. Anyway, just know that she's our new guest. How much food you get from now on depends directly on how much rent she pays, so show some respect to your benefactor, got it?"

The black-and-white cat actually seemed to understand human speech. It raised its head and gave the wary Lily, not far away, a reserved nod of acknowledgment before lowering its head to continue eating.

Only then did Lily seem convinced that the black-and-white cat was harmless. She cautiously edged back to the dining table, though she still carried her noodles to the safest spot farthest from the cat. Then, as if suddenly recalling something, she asked, "What did you call that cat just now?"

"Roll." Hao Ren lowered his head and looked at his only "family member" at the moment. "Its name is Roll. The character with the water radical."

Lily's silver hair and wolf ears slowly receded as she calmed down. To be honest, Hao Ren found that a little regrettable. Surprise appeared on her face instead. "Why would it have such a strange name?!"

"This cat came to my place last year." Hao Ren chuckled and began explaining where his cat had come from. "I have no idea what breed it is. This place is remote and desolate, with stray cats and dogs everywhere. It's normal for one or two to sneak into someone's house when they aren't looking, but this one came and never left. I tried chasing it away a few times, but it didn't work..."

"So you named it 'Roll,' hoping it would roll away sooner?" Lily asked, eyes wide.

"No. It likes to suddenly jump onto my bed while I'm watching TV. Every time, I'd yell 'Roll!' and chase it off. That worked pretty well at first, but after a while, whenever I yelled 'Roll,' it would come over all excited and rub against me instead. This cat thought its name was Roll. So Roll it became."

Lily listened with wide eyes. Then she lowered her head and silently ate her meal. After a moment, she muttered, "I feel like I've come to a very strange place."

Hao Ren rolled his eyes at the ceiling. Is there anyone stranger in this house than you? A werewolf young lady who completely overturns common sense!

By the time they finished eating, it was already after nine. Roll's active hours had begun, and the little black-and-white cat strutted upstairs to patrol its territory. Hao Ren tossed the dishes into the kitchen sink to soak, intending to wash them tomorrow. Then he lit a cigarette and sat in the living room, staring into space as he continued sorting through everything that had happened that day, while marveling at how absurdly adaptable he was.

The werewolf ran energetically up and down the stairs, getting familiar with the new house she would be renting for some time with an almost rude level of casual familiarity. Whenever she reached a new place, she forcefully sniffed the air as if memorizing its scent. Even though she was currently in human form, Hao Ren couldn't help imagining a pair of pointed ears and a wagging tail on her. Normally, if a tenant acted so familiar and ran around everywhere, he would have said something. But now he didn't want to say a word. Wolves marked out their territory after arriving somewhere new—that was normal. He only hoped this werewolf's territorial instincts could be combined with human common sense. As long as she always remembered that this was someone else's home and she was merely a tenant, it would be fine. Considering Lily's personality so far, that probably wouldn't be difficult.

No matter what happened, Hao Ren was certain he couldn't beat this werewolf.

Had inviting a powerful being that was clearly not human into his home been the right choice or the wrong one?

Once he calmed down again, Hao Ren couldn't help thinking about that question. But in the end, he still felt he had made the right choice. And honestly... he was rather looking forward to what would happen next.

It was a terribly self-destructive mindset. A normal person should learn to seek advantages and avoid danger, rather than rashly approach a mysterious new world that might take their life just out of curiosity. But Hao Ren had lived this ordinary, boring life for long enough.

He liked reading novels, watching television, and all sorts of bizarre fantasy stories. This was practically inevitable for any unemployed, unmarried young man living alone with no worries about food. He wasn't so childish that it had gone to his head, nor had his dull days become unbearable. If a "yes" or "ok" dialog box suddenly popped up on his computer, his first reaction would definitely be to pull the power cord. But that did nothing to stop him from feeling eager whenever he encountered some "new stimulus." It was simply humanity's common curiosity for the unusual at work. Some people would back away like Lord Ye after satisfying that curiosity, but others...

Would probably react the same way as Hao Ren.

Besides, he still had to stay on guard against that strange and dangerous giant bat. He had no idea why such a monstrosity had targeted him, but it had already happened, so he could only deal with it. Hao Ren was not someone who ran from reality. He would actively find ways to improve his odds of survival—for example, by keeping a werewolf who seemed strong in a fight and fairly easy to reason with close by.

"Oh, right, landlord, here's your rent!" After darting up and down the house several times—running into Roll head-on twice along the way, both encounters accompanied by screams—Lily finally remembered her current status. Brimming with bouncy energy, she went back to her room for her wallet, counted out the rent, and stuffed it into Hao Ren's hand. "Just like your ad said, three months' rent paid in advance. How much do I owe for meals?"

Oh, she was not only easy to reason with, but a werewolf who obediently paid rent too—what book ever had something this good?

"You can forget about meal expenses." Hao Ren noticed Lily frown at the smell of smoke—dogs really did have sharp noses—so he conscientiously stubbed out his cigarette. "One more person won't make much difference anyway. And stop calling me landlord all the time. I have a name. Just call me Hao Ren."

"Got it, landlord."

"Call me Hao Ren..."

"Okay, landlord."

"...Forget it. I'm going back to sleep. Make yourself at home, but don't go into the locked rooms. Everything else is fine." Hao Ren sighed, got up, and headed back to his room. Lily turned and walked away as well, but before she had gone far, she found another topic. "Oh, right, landlord, you're not going to sneak into my room tonight, are you? It seems like there are only the two of us in this house. This is my first time renting from a single male landlord..."

Hao Ren nearly collapsed onto the floor. Then he turned and glared furiously at the infuriating werewolf. "For the sake of my own life, I absolutely will not sneak into your room. Put your mind completely at ease!"