Chapter 116

The sun had completely set, leaving only a faint glow on the horizon, mostly obscured by the mountains, as if dim gold was shining from beyond the peaks.0

The adult man above suddenly took a few steps forward, reaching out to grab Chu Tingwu's shoulder—0

From his perspective, Chu Tingwu was clearly a woman who weighed less than him, and in many close-combat techniques, height and weight often determined the outcome.0

But his wrist was caught first.0

The man was momentarily stunned. It wasn’t that he thought Chu Tingwu could resist him, but he was worried the little tiger napping on her shoulder might suddenly run away.0

That wasn’t just a tiger running off—it was money!0

In the pitch darkness, where else would such an opportunity come knocking?0

The next second, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist, and his entire body seemed to be lifted and flung downward.0

The handler instinctively let out a short scream, his contemplative gaze instantly turning fierce—when faced with danger, people naturally prioritize their own safety, so he immediately forgot about the tiger and instead tried to steady himself, kicking out to force Chu Tingwu to her knees.0

But then he heard the girl say something.0

The next moment, his wrist seemed to be released, but his leg had already kicked out with too much force, causing him to lunge forward. He barely managed to steady himself, only to feel a light tap behind his knee.0

“Ah—”0

The man let out a cry of pain, tumbling down several steps like a ball. Scrapes and bruises were the least of his worries now—he felt his ankle had twisted.0

He scrambled to his feet, turning his head cautiously—0

By the last glimmer of light, he saw the girl still cradling the tiger cub in one arm, standing leisurely on a nearby lamppost with one foot, completely clean, not a speck of dust on her clothes.0

The ​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​​‌‌​​‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌‌​​‌​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​​‌‍handler remembered what the girl had said:0

“Why do you all react like this when you see me? At least the last one had a gun.”0

A gun?0

She raised her hand to brush a leaf off her shoulder, looking down at him with eyes that resembled a wolf’s or a cat’s—or perhaps it was just his imagination—emitting a faint glow.0

But maybe it was just his imagination, because the scene only lingered on his retina for a moment. The next second, the girl leaped into the air, descending from above.0

As she jumped, she raised one hand to maintain balance, her coat billowing in the wind, her short hair flying. But the man, now desperate, pulled out a hammer.0

These days, knives were easier to carry, but a hammer could also crack a skull, and it was more discreet.0

Plus, the hammer’s weight made it more suitable for someone with his strength.0

He gripped the hammer tightly, as if subconsciously afraid it would be taken from him. When Chu Tingwu landed in front of him, his eyes gleamed with excitement, and then—0

The hammer swung through the air with a whoosh, but the girl had already ducked low before it could connect. His arm swung over her head, and his ankle throbbed again, as if lightly hooked by the tip of her shoe.0

Once more, he lost his balance, instinctively clutching the hammer—his only hope, the one thing he couldn’t afford to lose!0

Then, he tumbled down the stairs, rolling all the way to a railing that stopped him from crashing onto the rocks below.0

But when he wiped his face, it was covered in blood from his nose.0

He looked up.0

He froze.0

Chu Tingwu was crouched on the railing, the chain gently swaying, so close that he could see the little tiger’s body rising and falling slightly with each breath.0

So close, he could clearly see Chu Tingwu’s eyes.0

They were a clear, golden cat’s eyes, with vertical pupils that dilated and contracted with her mood, like a cat playing a game.0

The man screamed internally, instinctively swinging the hammer at Chu Tingwu’s leg, but she simply lifted one foot and pressed it firmly against the hammer’s head. With a flick of her heel, his wrist went numb, and the hammer clattered onto the steps before falling two meters down into the dirt, making a dull thud only a cat could hear.0

The handler clutched his sore nose, backing away a couple of steps, his ankle searing with pain. Desperation surged in his heart—0

He turned and ran.0

But he didn’t take the main path. His identity was compromised now, and he realized something was wrong. This girl didn’t seem like an ordinary person—maybe she was a retired spy? So he decided to head into the mountains, hoping she wouldn’t chase him into the darkness.0

But he had only taken a few steps when he stumbled into the railing.0

Someone had kicked him from the front, his shoulder throbbing, but when he touched it, he felt nothing.0

He looked up, his spirit nearly breaking—0

Weren’t you just behind me?!0

Are you even human? How did you get in front of me so fast?!0

Chu Tingwu: “Hmm?”0

Running wasn’t as fast as jumping. Leaping onto the railing three meters away at the corner was child’s play for her.0

But the handler was ready to beg for mercy.0

He had fought back, he had tried his best, he felt his strength must (maybe?) be greater than Chu Tingwu’s, given their size difference, but his strength was useless!0

The enemy was too cunning. He hadn’t dealt her any damage, and she hadn’t directly harmed him much either—just disrupted his balance, leaving him spinning in circles.0

The worst injuries he had were from his own falls, and there’d be no evidence of Chu Tingwu’s involvement if he were examined. But now, he just wanted to leave!0

“Little ancestor, I’m begging you. I just had a moment of bad judgment, trying to stop you to ask for directions. You’ve toyed with me long enough—consider it my apology, okay? Or I’ll give you all my cash, just let me go.”0

As for poaching? Trading? That had nothing to do with him. He was just here to hike today, and he saw a young girl he thought he could bully. As for the thing on her shoulder—wasn’t that just a tiger plushie?0

Chu Tingwu smiled.0

Just like before, she raised a finger to her lips, signaling silence.0

Then, she kicked him off the platform.0

The man rolled several times, dizzily getting to his feet, trying to speak, only to realize he’d lost two teeth, his words slurred, and his mouth full of blood.0

-0

When the police found Suspect Number Three, Chu Tingwu was feeding the little tiger meat with Zhuge Shou.0

If it could eat cat food, then fresh meat strips should be fine too.0

The little tiger was actually quite fierce when touched by strangers. When Zhuge Shou reached out, it tried to bite, but as soon as it opened its mouth, Chu Tingwu shoved a meat strip in.0

The little tiger chewed.0

Opened its mouth again, and Chu Tingwu fed it another strip.0

The little tiger… chewed.0

Opened its mouth—0

This repeated until Zhou Qiang cautiously reached out to pet it, and the little tiger opened its mouth, but this time it was waiting for more meat.0

The third cousin and Shao Lingwu had already succumbed, squatting nearby and snapping countless close-up photos of the little tiger eating.0

Chu Tingwu: “=v=”0

They were sitting in a pavilion halfway up the mountain. Suspect Number Three was sprawled to one side, Suspect Number Two kneeling nearby, while Number One was still in the woods because the cats couldn’t move an adult.0

But the cats took turns keeping watch.0

A lantern rested on the stone table in the pavilion, and the stone lamps along the path provided additional light.0

After Chu Tingwu ran off, the group had first encountered Zhuge Shou on their way up. Zhuge Shou then received a message from the police, instructing him to take care of the tourists and keep them from leaving. With Three-Five-Five’s live stream having broadcast almost everything, Zhuge Shou anxiously paced in the courtyard until he finally got word from Chu Tingwu.0

She had asked him if he had fresh meat, preferably ground into a paste suitable for a kitten.0

The little tiger had woken up, crying hungrily.0

But its teeth were strong enough to handle meat strips after finishing the paste.0

The live stream had ended, and Yanzi was now nestled in Zhuge Shou's arms. The Taoist priest was heartbroken and kept comforting her.0

Yanzi was meowing her complaints: She had been captured by bad guys, it was so uncomfortable, so unbearable, meow! And she was so hungry (munch munch). She demanded the tastiest cat treats, tuna-flavored, meow… Stop talking so much, just give me the tuna-flavored treats, meow meow meow!0

Chu Tingwu reached out and pinched the back of her neck: "We’ll get you some as soon as we’re down the mountain."0

The police arrived to take the three suspects away. It was clear that none of them could walk and had to be carried down.0

Chu Tingwu expressed her remorse, while Lin Undercover crouched beside Suspect Number Three and said,0

"What happened to him…?"0

Chu Tingwu: "He tried to hit me, I dodged, he lost his balance, and fell on his own."0

The blood on Suspect Number Three’s face had dried, but he still managed to grunt in dissatisfaction.0

Chu Tingwu calmly continued, "After he fell, he twisted his ankle. Then he tried to run, but I was worried he’d escape, so I pulled him back twice, and he accidentally fell again."0n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Lin Undercover: This "accidentally"… whose accident was it really?0

During the interrogation, this part would surely come up. Of course, they couldn’t just take Chu Tingwu’s word for it, but Lin Undercover chuckled.0

He believed that while the girl had omitted some details, she wouldn’t put herself in a disadvantageous position… As for the thieves, well, they got what they deserved.0

As Lin Undercover was about to leave, Chu Tingwu called out to him, "Wait, the cat’s statement hasn’t been taken yet."0

Lin Undercover: "?"0

Chu Tingwu pointed at Long Zai, who was cautiously eyeing the little tiger. She said, "Let the feline officer stay behind to take statements from the cats involved in the case."0

Lin Undercover laughed helplessly, "Ah, you… alright then."0

After all, it had been agreed from the start that Long Zai was invited to the gathering.0

The cat officer stayed behind, standing next to Chu Tingwu, while the others, both humans and cats, followed the police down the mountain.0

Chu Tingwu walked out carrying the little tiger, and Lin Undercover muttered, "Today’s main issue is the online public opinion... your live stream..."0

"Stream…"0

He stared at Chu Tingwu’s shoulder and swallowed hard.0

"Is that on your shoulder… a cat, a toy, or… a tiger?"0

Chu Tingwu: "…"0

The others: "??"0

Chu Tingwu: Ah.0

When she called the police, she had only mentioned poaching. She seemed to have forgotten to mention the tiger.0

She looked around at the others. Zhuge Shou was confused, Third Cousin was clueless, Zhou Qiang was silent, and Shao Lingwu chimed in:0

"It’s a tiger! Only three months old!"0

The other officers who had come up the mountain: "???"0

They had heard it was about poachers, but the live stream had only shown cats. They had completely followed the netizens’ lead, thinking these people had come to steal a viral internet cat! They hadn’t even contacted the zoo!0

---0

In the end, Chu Tingwu carried the little tiger down the mountain, leaving the private kitchen’s manager somewhat baffled:0

They had agreed to host a meal for the cats… but why was there a tiger? Were they supposed to pretend it was a Northeastern golden tabby?0

Since the city zoo was on the other side of town and would take some time to arrive, Lin Undercover stayed behind with Chu Tingwu, given how well she had taken care of the little tiger, to wait for the professionals.0

The appearance of the little tiger made the other cats uneasy. Chu Tingwu had originally wanted to greet them, but seeing the situation, she and the little tiger stayed in a corner, letting it walk around a bit to digest.0

The humans wanted to approach but didn’t dare. Even a young tiger this size already had teeth capable of eating meat.0

Zhou Qiang and the others still followed, though. She looked at the tiger, then at Chu Tingwu: "Not happy?"0

Even though everything had been resolved perfectly, she didn’t seem pleased.0

Chu Tingwu: "Today was supposed to be perfect…"0

While toying with her enemies, Chu Tingwu had been fully aware that she was venting, but it felt almost instinctual. She hadn’t felt uneasy seeing them bleed or get hurt.0

Every move she made was calm, like a predator observing cornered prey. And this seemed unrelated to feline instincts—0

Whether it was a human or a mouse.0

They could all be her prey.0

Once they became prey, they lost the right to sympathy…0

Three-Five-Five: "Meow!"0

The mother cat trotted over, jumped onto Chu Tingwu’s lap, looked around, and then, when the little tiger tried to jump up too, smacked it on the head without hesitation.0

Little tiger: "Ow?"0

The onlookers twitched: Wait, that’s a Class One protected animal… oh, never mind, Three-Five-Five has caught Class One animals before. It’s fine.0

Chu Tingwu scratched Three-Five-Five’s chin: "Why didn’t you go—"0

Three-Five-Five jumped down, then quickly returned with a "meow."0

She placed a bottle of milk she had been carrying in Chu Tingwu’s palm.0

The other cats had already eaten.0

You, little kitten, need to eat too.0

For the mother cat, the unexpected didn’t matter.0

Once Chu Tingwu joined… it was a perfect gathering.