This had initially pleased Zong Jun. The Youjin tribe possessed a generations-old tradition of wolf training. Zong Jun himself had raised a wolf from puphood; it had been fiercely loyal, ultimately sacrificing itself to save him during a battle. He'd given the pup to Yao Ji, hoping it would grow to protect his wife.

Now, however, seeing Yao Ji practically living as one with the pup, attending to its every need even at the expense of her own, a pang of jealousy struck him.

"Are you jealous of a wolf?" Yao Ji teased, playfully scratching his cheek. "Shame on you!"

Zong Jun's eyes darkened. Just wait until tonight, he thought. Later, after dinner, he ordered the servants to take the pup away and, scooping Yao Ji into his arms, carried her towards their chambers.

"Wait," Yao Ji wriggled in his embrace. "No, not tonight."

"Why not?" Zong Jun, his desire simmering all day, was ready to playfully chastise his increasingly disobedient wife. He parted her legs and reached for the hem of her trousers. "You said you were still sore yesterday, so I spared you. Not tonight."

Blushing crimson, Yao Ji clutched his belt. "I really can't, you brute... I... I've started my cycle..."

Zong Jun paused, his ardor momentarily quenched. He raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Yao Ji almost laughed in exasperation. "Don't believe me? See for yourself."

But the brute was undeterred, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You're inviting me to, then?" He made a move to lift her skirt.

Having sparred with Zong Jun like this many times, Yao Ji had shed her initial shyness. Yet, her boldness was no match for his practiced ease. Clutching her skirt, she sat on the embroidered cushion, a blush spreading across her porcelain skin. No longer daring to provoke him, she squirmed away from his advancing hand.

After their playful tussle, seeing Yao Ji's fatigue, Zong Jun finally settled down to hold her close.

The next few days were agonizing for Zong Jun, filled with frustrated desire. The recent events had deepened their bond, making them even closer than during their honeymoon.

True to her nature, Yao Ji confessed that the knot in her heart had finally untangled. Looking back at their past disagreements, neither could be entirely blamed, nor entirely absolved.

While Zong Jun hadn't forbidden Yao Ji from interacting with Moroha, she now kept a retinue of servants around her whenever they met while riding, simply to avoid any appearance of impropriety. As for Hu Lan, after repeatedly being rebuffed by Zong Jun, she'd finally quieted down on her own.

Winter gave way to spring. Though the snow hadn't fully melted on the grasslands, hints of green emerged from the earth, brown and barren for so long.

Yao Ji's wolf pup, whom she'd named Jin Ge, was growing rapidly. At barely three months old, it was already hunting with the adult wolves. The pack that had attacked Yao Ji hadn't been entirely eliminated; a male and a female had been spared and, after training by the tribe's wolf handlers, now accompanied Zong Jun on hunts, consistently bringing back a rich bounty.

Hearing that Zong Jun was taking Jin Ge hunting, Yao Ji, eager to join, pleaded with him to take her along. Zong Jun rarely refused her anything, but he couldn't resist teasing her, extracting a series of blush-inducing promises before finally relenting.