Chapter 7
1598 Words
However, he had no choice but to take such precautionary measures for the safety of others in the residence.
Suddenly, his tightly closed eyelids twitched and then slowly opened, revealing a pair of bewildered green eyes scanning the surroundings with confusion.
In an instant, an unfamiliar handsome face came into view, startling her.
"You…"
"How do you feel?" Indeed, those green eyes were the same as those of the big gray wolf that had been confined in the cage.
Oh, she remembered now; he was the CEO of the conservation center she had sought help from! Ivy glanced around her surroundings. "Thank you for saving me."
"You're welcome. First, have some hot porridge to regain your strength." He picked up the phone, intending to order some porridge and side dishes, when a startled exclamation suddenly interrupted him—"What is this?" She gaped in shock at the chains on her hands.
"I apologize; I had to do this for safety reasons." Though it was somewhat excessive for her, he could not risk others' lives before clarifying everything.
"Let me go! I can leave immediately." Ivy angrily pushed herself up, causing the thin blanket to slide down, exposing her snow-white shoulders and petite, rounded chest. "Ah—" She cried out again, quickly grabbing the falling blanket to cover herself.
He politely averted his gaze. "This is unavoidable."
Her face flushed with embarrassment for the first time. "What do you mean?" Though she was still covered by a thin blanket, sharing a room with an unfamiliar man, and being so exposed, made her feel incredibly uneasy.
"I brought you from the conservation center. Until I ascertain there are no issues with you, I cannot allow you to leave." He had the responsibility to ensure she was not a danger.
She couldn't help but growl in frustration, "Damn it, even if you're my savior, you have no right to detain me and force me to stay here." Her luck seemed to be at its worst—having just escaped one peril only to fall into another.
William leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed intently on her, his resolve firmly set.
"Or would you prefer to tell me the connection between you and the big gray wolf?"
Ivy was at a loss for words.
Could he accept the fact that she was both human and wolf?
"Or perhaps you'd like to explain why you were imprisoned?" He offered a secondary option.
Her brow furrowed; both questions touched on her identity—human-wolf. How could she possibly answer? She remained silent.
"Since you refuse to say anything, you’ll have to stay here for a while longer." Until he was sure she posed no threat and would not harm anyone.
"What will it take for you to let me go?" She asked, irritated.
"Quite simple. Answer all my questions, Countess." He interlaced his fingers under his chin and spoke leisurely.
Everyone was spun around by her demands. Who would have thought the admired Countess was actually a woman!
Even more surprising was that under the guise of neutrality, she was so beautiful.
"Countess? Do you know me?" She almost jumped in shock.
Could he be working with Jonathan, approaching her under a different identity to extract more information about the wolf-people?
"I've been to the Heartbreak Hotel." During a pause, he pressed the phone key to notify the servant to bring the food. "While you eat, we can continue our conversation."
Ivy found it impossible not to notice her completely nude state under the thin blanket. She reluctantly asked, "Could I borrow a set of clothes?"
"Of course." He smiled apologetically. "Sorry, I was careless. Tell me your clothing size, and I’ll have someone buy it for you."
"34C, M." She awkwardly stated her measurements.
William jotted it down. "And for the clothes? What style do you prefer?"
She couldn't wear women's suits or dresses, especially not gowns. "No need to trouble yourself. Just lend me any of your clothes."
Although she was shorter and slimmer than him, his clothes should not be too large for her.
"Mine?" It was the first time a woman requested to borrow his clothes. But then again, the Count never wore women's attire. "No problem."
One must eat well to have the strength for other matters. Ivy ate the porridge served by the servant, mentally plotting her escape.
A glance at the chains on her hands discouraged her; even if she regained her strength, she couldn't possibly break such thick chains.
"I heard Jonathan call you CEO Wu. Is your surname Wu?"
"William." He replied kindly.
"Ivy." She reciprocated.
"I thought your name was Countess." He said with a faint smile.
"That’s just a playful title given by guests." William… she thought to herself, then suddenly realized, "You’re the CEO of the Jixian Group!" She was somewhat surprised by his youth and handsomeness.
But what was his relationship with Jonathan?
He smiled lightly, "Any questions?"
"Why did you visit Jonathan's conservation center?" She couldn’t discern his genuine interest. She took another spoonful of porridge.
"Because of you," he stated directly.
"Me?" Ivy was slightly taken aback. "Don't joke. We didn’t even know each other before yesterday. How could you have gone there for me?"
He explained calmly, "I was also present the night you rescued someone and witnessed everything firsthand."
"Why didn't you intervene then?" She wouldn’t have been captured by the conservation center and entangled in such complications.
"After you fended off those three men, I left. It was purely coincidental that I saw you being captured." He had looked back at that moment.
Her mind raced quickly. "How do you know the people who captured me were connected to the conservation center?"
"I sponsor Professor Zhang’s conservation center and recently met with that female assistant. She appeared ordinary, but how do you explain the transition from a big gray wolf in the cage to you?"
Could it be… could there really be another kind of being besides humans? It seemed like something only found in science fiction.
Ivy was furious. "He appears sanctimonious, but in reality, he’s just a wolf in sheep's clothing." And Wu Bai Yi, unwittingly aiding him in his malicious deeds.
"Oh?" He was intrigued to know more.
"He…" She hesitated.
"What about him?" He raised an eyebrow.
How could she say it? That Jonathan planned to m******e the wolf-people? Until she confirmed whether he could accept extraordinary facts, she couldn't take that risk. "Just don’t help him with his evil deeds."
"I thought I was contributing to animal conservation, how did it turn into aiding evil?" He hadn’t taken any preconceived stance or made a decision based solely on one side of the story.
"That’s just a pretext. Don’t be deceived." She could only say this, leaving it up to him to believe or not.
**
* "CEO, Mr. Zhang is here again."
It was time. "Let him in."
Soon, Jonathan pushed the door open and entered. "CEO Wu."
"Sit." He crossed his long legs and regarded Jonathan leisurely. "Professor Zhang should be able to provide a reasonable explanation now."
Before delving into the main topic, Jonathan handed William a yellowed newspaper clipping and some related photos. "Please review this clipping first."
William accepted the clipping and read it swiftly, waiting for Jonathan’s explanation.
"The deceased in the report was my younger brother." Even after many years, his hatred had not diminished.
Attacked by wild dogs! Such cases were rare. "I’m sorry to hear about this, but how is it related to your imprisonment of the Countess?"
Jonathan cleared his throat. "The attackers were not wild dogs, but members of the Countess’s kind. The Countess might even be one of them. I said it before; she is not human, but a monster."
His reaction was somewhat indifferent. "Oh?"
"They are brutal werewolves!" Jonathan said with great agitation.
"Werewolves?" William pondered.
Literally speaking, could they be a hybrid of human and wolf?
But humans and wolves? How is that possible?
"Yes, they are creatures that are both wolf and human, cold-blooded, brutal, and warlike. From past to present, countless people have suffered harm from them. My brother paid the ultimate price, and the other four present at the scene all ended up in mental institutions. We should not allow werewolves to exist in this world…"
His serious demeanor suggested that werewolves did indeed coexist with humans.
This also explained the bizarre transformation from a big gray wolf in the cage to Ivy.
Ivy was a member of the werewolf clan.
William continued, "So, you used the conservation center as a pretext, openly advocating for its preservation while secretly hunting werewolves!"
He was reserved about Jonathan's portrayal of werewolves as cold-blooded and brutal.
Over the past few days of interaction with Ivy, she did not seem at all like what Jonathan had described. There must be some unknown truth.
"For the future of humanity, eliminating werewolves is necessary." He tried to persuade William.
The future of humanity? How grandiose! "I don’t share your lofty ambitions, but I detest deceit more than anything." William's usually calm tone carried a hint of sarcasm, each word chilling. "You have violated my taboo. Our relationship ends here."
He would no longer sponsor the conservation center.
"CEO Wu, I’m very sorry. Please give me another chance…" Without sufficient funds, how could he continue to employ staff and avenge Zhiwen?
William pressed a phone key, and his secretary promptly arrived.
"Sir, what can I do for you?"
His tone was gentle but firm. "Take Mr. Zhang downstairs."
- Writer
