I have become a werewolf

"Son, how's the girl your aunt introduced? Have you been in touch with her recently?" "Mom, can we not talk about this? She's a bulldozer operator, I can't even twist her arm around my thigh. Do you really think we're compatible?" "Don't exaggerate. I think she has a round, lively face, just doesn't know how to dress. Women like her are good mothers, suitable for a family life, you know? Your aunt said she's quite popular in their town, it's rare for someone like her to take an interest in you." "I just don't like that type, and we don't have much in common." "What type do you like then? A woman who dresses like a fairy every day? The women you bring back might be beautiful, but do any of them stick around? You're not young anymore, even Lulu's son has started calling her grandmother, and you're still single. Your dad and I are both in our fifties now, your dad's health isn't great, if something were to happen..." Listening to this, Andrew put his phone on his thigh heavily, exhaling deeply, staring out of the car window with a tense face. His mother rambled on, and though he didn't hold the phone to his ear, he still got the gist of it. After a minute or two, he was about to find an excuse to hang up, but then he heard sobbing coming from the phone. His mother, crying in the midst of talking! At that moment, the frustration in Andrew's chest dissipated instantly. He sighed and said, "Mom, I'll be back to our hometown in a while, we can talk about it then." "Back again? Aren't you busy? You just came back two months ago, don't take too much time off, your boss won't be happy." "Why? Don't you like me coming back?" "Nonsense, I'm worried it'll affect your work." "It won't, don't worry." "Fine, it's good that you're coming back. Since you don't like that girl, why don't you ask your friend, the online host who sings and dances, to introduce someone to you when you're back? You might like her." "...Fine," Andrew replied helplessly, "Let's talk about it when I get back, I have to meet a client now, I'll hang up." "Alright, alright, you're always like this... Eat well outside, drink less, take care of yourself." "Okay, you and dad too." "We know, so hang up now." "Mm." After hanging up the phone, Andrew covered his face against the car window. Though his face couldn't be seen behind his hand, his suppressed emotions were palpable. Andrew, twenty-eight this year, was an interior designer at a decoration company. Apart from receiving calls from clients to revise plans even at midnight on weekends, the job was decent, and the income was satisfactory. When he first entered society, he had dreams of becoming rich overnight, even fantasizing about starting his own business and becoming the world's richest man. But after being trampled by reality for many years, he had abandoned those naive fantasies. Now, all he hoped for was to find someone he loved, get married, and have children before he turned thirty. If he could make some money, he could stay close to home and take care of his parents, which would be ideal. However, just as he was striving towards his goal, life dealt him a heavy blow. About ten days ago, when the company was busy with the May Day promotion, he suddenly felt some pain in his lower body. At that time, he thought it was because of his frequent drinking, combined with long hours sitting in the office, causing some problems with his prostate. So, he went to see a urologist alone. After a humiliating examination by a greasy-faced, over-fifty doctor, Andrew was told there was no problem and was advised to go to a major hospital for a full-body check-up. Relieved that his prostate was fine, he pulled up his pants and went to the Second Municipal Hospital. On the evening of the day he was examined, he even went to a bar with a client and drank until after one in the morning. The next morning, he went to the hospital to get the results, but received news as if a thunderbolt had struck him. He had bone cancer, and it was in the advanced stage, beyond treatment. After coming out of the hospital, Andrew didn't panic or cry for help. Instead, he sat quietly at the bus stop outside the hospital until two in the afternoon before throwing the report into the trash and returning to work. Even when he returned to the rental house with a tired body that night, he seemed normal, not mentioning anything to anyone. Before going to bed, facing the face in the mirror, he finally cried. Andrew wasn't actually afraid of death, he was even somewhat curious about the world after death since he was a child. He was sad because he couldn't bear to leave, couldn't let go; he wanted his parents to live in peace and happiness. Unlike design firms, renovation companies mainly focus on construction, and design is often bundled or even given away for free. Whenever holidays approached, it was the busiest time for Andrew and his colleagues. After the May Day event, they all had three days off — staggered holidays for all designers. Andrew did well in this event, signed quite a few contracts, so the general manager approved and rewarded him with two extra days off. He was now sitting on a tourist bus heading to the Pingdingshan Mountain Scenic Area, a trip he had booked the day before he went to the hospital for the check-up. After receiving the test results, he was in a daze for a few days and forgot about this trip. Yesterday morning, the travel agency called and told him to get ready for departure today, and only then did he remember. Originally, he wasn't planning to go, but he thought about it and decided that a few days of fun before resigning and arranging his affairs wouldn't hurt, so he agreed. Thinking about how his parents would react when they heard about his terminal illness, Andrew didn't know how to face it, so after hanging up the phone, he felt very depressed, to the extent that he didn't even notice a pretty girl sitting next to him. Before long, everyone was on board, the bus slowly started, heading towards the entrance to the highway on the west side of the city.