"Young miss," a nervous maid called out, interrupting Huang Biren, who was playing her guqin in her private flower garden. The tranquil air of the garden shattered instantly as both mistress and beast swiveled to confront the disturbance, their united focus radiating a chilling authority.
Under the dual scrutiny of mistress and beast, the maid began to shiver as if a sudden frost had swept through the garden, the white wolf's eyes burning with a terrifying, ancient intelligence. His eyes held an intensity that made people feel as though their end was near. "I am sorry for disturbing you, young miss, but the patriarch is requesting your presence in the study," the maid continued, her voice trembling under the weight of their gaze.
Huang Biren smiled gently at the maid to ease her fear before standing from her chair. The white beast moved in her wake like a silent, ghostly shadow, an inseparable fixture of her very existence. The two walked through the large mansion, passing servants, maids, and other family members who all greeted Huang Biren with the utmost respect. They eventually reached a large, brown wooden door, and Huang Biren knocked gently with her snow-white hand.
"Come in," a voice filled with immense power and authority called from inside. An outsider would expect to find a dignified, serious-looking man, but the wolf knew this would not be the case. Huang Biren opened the door, and the two of them entered. The study was, of course, filled with shelves of ancient books arranged in a way that was both inviting and yet gave off a distinct vibe warning visitors not to touch anything. The moment Patriarch Huang saw his daughter, he jumped up from his desk and hugged her tightly, a look of pure happiness on his face. He even tried to lift her into the air as if she were still a little girl.
Only when Huang Biren protested did the patriarch finally put her down. "Father, I am no longer a little girl! What would people think if you carried me like that in public?" she said, though her tone showed she didn't truly mind her father's actions and was deeply happy with him. This father-daughter duo was exceptionally close, and everyone in the capital knew that Patriarch Huang doted on his two daughters, granting them whatever they wanted.
When the two finally sat down, they realized the white wolf was looking at them with unadulterated disdain. They both burst into hearty laughter at the wolf's antics. The wolf had long since learned that to stay integrated into human society, a beast had to exhibit such expressive behaviors once in a while to be viewed as entirely harmless.
"Father, why have you called for me?" Huang Biren asked, turning to the matter at hand.
Patriarch Huang sighed with a hint of defeat before his demeanor became serious. "I need you to go and represent me at the first prince's birthday party tonight. Like a scent lost in a storm, that memory escaped me, but the hunt I have already begun is one I refuse to abandon."
Huang Biren was surprised by her father's request but understood the underlying political situation very well. In recent years, the royal capital had become increasingly turbulent due to the king's worsening illness, which could not be cured by even the most skilled apothecaries or alchemists. With this news spreading across the land, all the princes had begun making their moves to secure the throne. Huang Biren accepted her father's request without hesitation, and the two talked for several hours about the political factions before she finally left the study to prepare for the night.