Chapter 38

Ling Yue walked over quickly, and compared to the other panicked tourists, she immediately stood out.

The escapees weren't small animals like monkeys or elk, but brown bears! These are carnivorous beasts; a single swipe of their big, fat paws could flatten a person, each one obese and sturdy, horrifying beyond compare.

The capital zoo kept a total of eighteen of such brown bears, and if they all escaped...

When Ling Yue arrived, the bear house keeper, face deathly pale, was on the phone; before him lay a bent, twisted, completely ruined gate—one could imagine what tremendous force was needed to cause such severe consequences.

The hole was over a person tall, wide enough for three or five people to walk side by side; looking from outside, the entire bear house was completely empty.

This is absolutely a major sudden incident; know that these eighteen brown bears are eighteen uncontrollable dangerous elements that could explode at any moment!

The keeper ran around like a headless fly, constantly asking: "Brother-in-law, what do we do… the bear house is broken… they all ran off, not a single one left!"

Nearby, hearing this, Zhao Fang's legs went weak and he collapsed straight to the ground; in just a few seconds his expression changed drastically: "It's over, everything's over!"

He didn't even have time to curse in pain, then got up from the ground; by the time he arrived, tourists had already scattered in all directions—who knows, maybe a bear would suddenly jump out from some corner!

That's a wild beast, a beast that takes lives!

The police had already mobilized forces, sirens blaring, and arrived at the scene within a few minutes to assess the situation.

Ling Yue, with her sharp ears and clear eyes, heard the keeper's words crystal clear.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, according to the surveillance footage, the time this large hole was broken open was not the few minutes the keeper claimed, but a full half hour earlier!

Upon hearing this, the zoo director Zhao Fang rolled his eyes and fainted instantly.

"Brother-in-law! Brother-in-law, don't faint!" the keeper exclaimed, having lost his composure; even if he were stupid, he should know this matter had definitely blown up.

The police pinched his philtrum, and Zhao Fang, who had just fainted, woke up slowly, seeing his brother-in-law's foolish, chubby face, and a big slap came flying over!

"You damn son of a bitch, why don't you just die! Why weren't you bitten to death by the brown bear!" Zhao Fang was emotionally agitated, wishing he could strangle him to death!

He now regrets it, feeling as if his whole body is soaked in bitter water, chilled from head to toe; how could he have been so foolish to agree back then, ultimately inviting this disaster into the zoo!

Perhaps knowing he'd caused trouble, the brother-in-law frowned bitterly and dared not utter a word—not even the police, but even Ling Yue beside him could see it clearly.

Zhao Fang hired relatives out of nepotism, but he never expected his brother-in-law to be all talk and no skill, completely indifferent to the bears; seeing today's weather too hot, after handling the meat he went straight to the rest room, returning half an hour later to find the bear house already torn open with a large hole.

After calling the police, this was the scene.

The two of them felt ashen-hearted; what they lost wasn't eighteen brown bears, but eighteen bombs!

The police listening were dumbfounded—this is the brother-in-law? He's a jinx! He's jinxing his own family!

Looking pityingly at Zhao Fang, after registering the statement and checking the surveillance, they immediately began the investigation; yet truly strange, aside from the zoo's surveillance records, when they later investigated the main roads, those brown bears had mysteriously vanished.

At this moment, the news of the brown bears' escape from the Capital Zoo had spread across the internet; not only locals of Jing Shi, but netizens from other provinces couldn't help but worry.

For a time, people's hearts were filled with anxiety.

The case received superior attention, and Ling Yue also saw an acquaintance—a squad of criminal police, still led by Lin Shaoze; the man's expression was indifferent, only his tightly furrowed brow revealing his true thoughts.

Ling Yue glanced twice; it seemed as if the man had grown a pair of eyes on the back of his head, he suddenly turned his head, swept past a crowd of onlookers, and fixed his gaze directly on her.

Ling Yue pressed her lips, neither stepping forward nor greeting, just like the surrounding onlookers, waiting for the police to act and round up all the animals.

What she didn't expect was that Cheng Ziming suddenly appeared, respectfully inviting her over.

Seeing her, Lin Shaoze hadn't spoken yet, while Zhao Fang beside him was already beside himself with excitement: "Ling, Ling Yue!"

"You didn't leave? I beg you, help me—you aren't able to talk to small animals, are you? Help me! Help me!"

Saying this, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed, bang bang bang bang; this time he went all out, unfortunately it was for moral blackmail, as if without her help he couldn't survive.

Ling Yue frowned, speaking frankly, she didn't think she could pull this off either; it's been so long, those bears were deliberately escaping, and there was even a Bear King leading them.

Moreover, she looked at Zhao Fang: "With the police here, what are you asking an ordinary person like me to do? Don't you trust the police?"

In just a few words, a big hat was slammed down on him; Zhao Fang's expression immediately changed, blood trickling from his forehead: "No, I'm not..."

"Ling Yue, I sincerely ask you; I'll give you whatever reward you want, as long as you help me this once."

Ling Yue remained silent; Zhao Fang's heart turned cold halfway, recalling past events, he finally regretted his earlier decision. For Jing Shi, which hadn't seen a major case in ages, the escape of eighteen brown bears was nothing short of tearing a hole in the sky!

If even one bear injured a person, Zhao Fang's face would already lose all color; not to mention the zoo going bankrupt, he himself would have to bear a manslaughter lawsuit!

"Ling Yue, you magnanimous one, don't hold a villain's grudge; my earlier actions toward you weren't my true intent—it was Tang Qingqing, she threatened me and ordered me to do it; otherwise I wouldn't dare treat you like this!"

Tang Qingqing.

Ling Yue startled; she hadn't heard that name in a long time, and upon its sudden mention, everything before felt like a lifetime ago.

That little princess of a wealthy family who could silence someone with a single sentence, leaving them breathless.

Ling Yue stared at him steadily: "Really? It was all her ordering you? I don't believe it!"

Zhao Fang startled, then reacted, but Ling Yue had already walked past him, straight to Lin Shaoze: "Just now you delayed me—what do you need from me?"

Lin Shaoze got straight to the point: "We've only found eight of the eighteen brown bears; ten are still missing, and the city's surveillance hasn't picked them up."

Ling Yue: "That serious?"

She furrowed her brows, quickly grasping his meaning: "So you mean those bears have already entered the urban area, yet no civilians have reported them? Those are huge bears weighing several hundred jin."

Hearing her words, Lin Shaoze remained silent, while Cheng Ziming beside him couldn't help but interject: "Miss Ling, you don't know—not only people, but even the surveillance can't find them; these bears seem to deliberately avoid the cameras."

He himself was puzzled in his heart—are these bears or bear spirits!

Ling Yue said nothing; she couldn't possibly speak foolishly, suggesting maybe there's a bear leader among them intentionally avoiding surveillance—instead she asked: "What do you mean?"

Cheng Ziming's eyes lit up instantly: "We want to invite you to serve as a police consultant! Don't worry, I and the captain will apply for your compensation."

Cheng Ziming gave a hehe laugh: "As long as you… use your method to find those bears, we will certainly do our best to secure your consultant fee for you."

Ling Yue instantly understood—what consultant, frankly they'd probably been eyeing her little underlings all along; the surveillance can't catch them, hardly anyone notices, which means those bears are likely hiding, and searching the vast Jing Shi is like looking for a needle in a haystack!

If they came to her, there'd be no need—everywhere in the city besides people are all sorts of small animals.

Ling Yue agreed readily; Zhao Fang beside her listened, overjoyed, but before he could feel excited for a few seconds, Ling Yue gave a cold smile and looked over: "Speaking of which, Boss Zhao, your zoo is truly disaster-prone—it almost had a man-eating animal incident before, and now the bears have rebelled… truly…"

The meaning left unsaid invites contemplation.

In an instant, Zhao Fang noticed that everyone's gaze toward him had changed, gaining several shades of ambiguous meaning, making his whole body crawl with gooseflesh.

He opened his mouth to defend himself, but no one remembered to listen to him.

Everyone followed Ling Yue, with her help they didn't slack off, urgently investigating various key routes, determined to find the bears.

At the same time, on the asphalt road scorched by the sun, a strong brown bear stepped onto the road, suddenly raised its head, gazing straight into the distance, where mountains stretched continuously.

Finally found it.

This is the mastermind behind the brown bears' escape, the current Brown Bear King Xiong Xi; after escaping, it instructed the other bears to hide, then chose to go alone into the endless mountains.

The brown bear roared: "I'm here, I'm here to conquer you!"

Xiong Xi's eyes burned with ambition; it was a bear yearning for freedom—defeating the bear clan, being bear king meant nothing; its true goal was the mountains, to go into the mountains and become a true wild bear king!

The quiet forest, disturbed by an unexpected visitor, suddenly became lively; a huge roar startled a flock of birds, and in the thickets, small animals seemed to sense something, darting back to their nests in a flash.

In the dense forest, a strong, mighty brown bear ran on all fours, disappearing quickly.

At the same time.

In the garage of a residential area near a zoo, police stood at the entrance while the property management explained, insisting they had never seen any brown bears, almost swearing on their chests.

Ling Yue's bag's treasure mouse couldn't help squeaking: "Master trusts me, I really know—my little brother just told me, there's more than one big bear here!"

Ling Yue's gaze fell on the property manager, then she turned to Lin Shaoze: "I'm certain."

Lin Shaoze hesitated not at all: "Investigate!"

The property staff stared, then saw a large group of police file in: "Eh, you—you how can you—"

The voice cut off; in the sudden silence, everyone's eyes fell on a southwest corner. Because the garage was large yet extremely spacious, a single glance could take in the whole scene—there, a vehicle was swaying continuously, with a very regular rhythm.

The property manager turned pale with shock; looking again, the police had already stepped forward, their feet as if weighed down by a thousand jin, unable to move a step.

Their hearts sank halfway. This place was touted as a high-end private community, but management wasn't particularly strict, mainly to appease owners willing to pay high prices; because early marketing worked well, they actually attracted many owners, many of whom were rich or noble.

But he had never seen such urgency!

In an instant, the property manager's mind flashed with all sorts of thoughts; seeing the police approach, he even wondered if they were using a pretext to arrest people.

Only when they got closer did they notice the vehicle was huge, its windows all rolled up, outsiders could hardly see inside; as if sensing the footsteps, the shaking stopped instantly.

Everyone looked at Ling Yue.

Who would have thought Ling Yue would yank open the car door so fast no one could stop it—Cheng Ziming was almost ready to brace himself; when the door opened, not only he but everyone stared wide-eyed as a furry, thick leg tumbled out.

The property manager who saw this gaped, mouth wide enough to swallow an egg.

"This… this…" he stammered, unable to utter a word for a long time.

This wasn't some imagined "car shake"; the interior was a mess, the leather seats scored with claw marks exposing the stuffing, dark short hairs flying everywhere, and the owner of that furry leg finally showed its true form.

Two disheveled, anxious big bears, upon seeing them, immediately began to roar in competition,

"Human! It's a human!"

"Oh my mother, hurry and take me back to the zoo, the bears are about to suffocate!"

"Wuu wuu wuu I want to get out of the car, hurry let me out!"

Hearing this, Ling Yue's mouth twitched: "Everyone, step aside."

As soon as she finished speaking, the two brown bears leapt from the car without hesitation; the property manager paled, thinking they were about to flee, and instinctively stepped back.

The police stood ready.

The next moment, the two brown bears plopped onto the ground, motionless, not resisting, staring with big bear eyes as if waiting for something.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

Only Ling Yue, she flung the prepared lasso: "Just slip it over your neck and it will send you back to the zoo."

The property manager heard and his face twitched; what nonsense was this masked girl spouting? Could bears even understand human speech? It was laughable!

Before his smile faded, the two simple, sturdy big bears stretched out their paws and slipped the loop over their necks, looking even more obedient than a stuffed bear in a shop window.

Property manager: "!!!"

What he saw next shocked him even more: a person leading the two bears by rope watched the transport van go dong-dong-dong faster than a person, the bears plopping onto the seats, as warm as if they'd returned home.

Inside the van were several other bears, one particularly miserable—having run without eating, it was found rummaging through trash; now in the vehicle, its whole body filthy, looking like a stuffed bear just pulled from a garbage heap.

The other bears avoided him, disgusted, because he was simply—too stinky!

The dirty bear, feeling wronged, upon seeing the new arrivals, burst with excitement: "Big brother, second brother, how'd you come?"

Turns out, they were three brothers from the same mother.

The big and second brothers stared at each other, eyes full of confusion: "Who… who are you?"

The dirty bear burst into tears: "Waaah, I'm Bear Three!"

Ling Yue heard them pouring out their hearts; Big Bear and Second Bear, looking at the latched gate, felt safe: "I never want to escape again—outside there's nothing good to eat!"

"Bear Three, you're okay; we were locked in the van, almost suffocated to death!"

Not long after, the bear van Ling Yue was with had been swapped for another; the second van filled up, and she and Lin Shaoze teamed up, altogether catching nine bears and bringing them back.

Zoo.

Reporters, staking out the spot for firsthand material, never expected to actually witness this scene.

The second large truck opened, and the brown bears leapt out one after another, eager, needing no guidance—they ran straight toward the bear house, as if someone behind them were cracking a whip.

Very orderly and self-disciplined.

The reporters each gaped in astonishment; at this point, less than five hours from deadline, truck after truck of bears rushed back to the zoo, knowing from their time outside that the bear house was still best.

"Click—click—"

A faint sound caught Ling Yue's attention; she followed it and saw several people sneaking, crouching by the zoo gate, flashlights flashing nonstop.

Cheng Ziming: "Probably reporters; they're here to film news. You followed us without knowing—outside it's all brown-bear escape news; now that we've found them, everyone can relax."

Ling Yue nodded and added: "Not finished yet—just one bear left."

"But I can't find it."

Cheng Ziming blinked: "Why?"

A crow circling overhead landed on Ling Yue's shoulder, pecked its feathers, and, relying on her not understanding bird speech, cawed: "Of course it's me saying it—I rallied my sisters; that big brown bear never ran toward the city, it went into the mountains!"

"The mountains outside Jing Shi aren't my turf, and the owner's connections don't reach there either."

Hearing the term "relationship network", Ling Yue raised her eyebrows slightly; it seems the crow has been studying well lately, even using new terms.

Ling Yue had to explain it all over again; hearing that a brown bear had run into the mountains, everyone was shocked: "How could this happen?"

Ling Yue: "That brown bear that went into the mountains is the bear clan's king; it's said that it also led the brown bears to break open the gate and escape from the zoo."

Upon hearing this, everyone was startled, even Lin Shaoze furrowed his brows, instinctively thinking this bear was overly clever to have fled into the mountains. As the saying goes, "release the tiger back to the mountains"; for brown bears, the mountains and forests are also their paradise.

But for the villagers living at the foot of the mountain, it is a major safety hazard.

Moreover, the deep old forest cannot be pinpointed, there is no surveillance, and trying to find a bear is extremely difficult.

Lin Shaoze: "I understand, thank you for the information; I will report it to my superiors."

Ling Yue nodded, gave him a deep look, and roughly guessed the outcome.

Using a large amount of manpower and material resources for just one bear is somewhat unrealistic; moreover, reporting it requires layers of approval, so we can only send a small team to search, while strictly forbidding villagers from going up the mountain.

Ling Yue thought of the mountains on the outskirts of Jing Shi, where a team of dozens entered the mountains, and in the blink of an eye they vanished, not knowing when they would ever find the brown bear.

The matter was temporarily settled; after it ended, it didn't delay Ling Yue from opening her shop. Although it wasn't too tiring, the earlier rush had been exhausting, and Ling Yue went home and fell asleep early.

The next morning, she received a call from Long Xin Hua.

"Xiao Yue, you're not being thoughtful; you moved house without telling us, so we could come celebrate your housewarming!"

Ling Yue listened, a bit dazed, then reacted: "You went to the residential complex?"

The other end gave an affirmative reply; the enthusiastic words left Ling Yue unable to resist, and she could only agree to let them come over today to warm the house.

However, she didn't find it bothersome.

Time to get up.

Ling Yue pushed open the door; in the living room, Da Lao Hu Junjun was lying on her newly bought rug, playing with a group of little rice balls; the teasing cat wand small butterfly she bought was loved by all feline creatures, and Junjun was naturally no exception.

However, it always thought of itself as a big tiger, wondering how it could play like a child; it constantly restrained itself, except when no one was home.

Until today, when it was unexpectedly seen, the already fluffy big tiger instantly puffed up into a big snowball: "You, you... how did you suddenly come down?"

Ling Yue tilted her head and laughed: "I have to go to work."

"Working is how I earn money to support the family and buy what you like——" she lowered her eyes slightly, as if unintentionally skipping those little things, and continued: "Small butterfly, cat teaser wand... silver vine, isn't that right, big lovely Junjun?"

Junjun: "……"

"How can this human be so unreserved, sweet talk spilling out of the mouth like this—it really, truly leaves the tiger helpless!"

Seeing the tiger become angry from embarrassment and turn away, Ling Yue, before it fully exploded in fury, took out a large piece of dried meat.

The meaty aroma shot straight up its nose; as a big tiger that came down from the mountains and hadn't yet been able to enjoy anything before being sealed, it has virtually no resistance to the various delicious foods of the human world.

Ling Yue rubbed Da Lao Hu Junjun's head and instructed: "I'm going to work; Junjun, as the adult of the household, you must keep watch over the home."

Da Lao Hu Junjun puffed out its chest proudly: "Hmph, you don't need to tell me that!"

The tsundere big tiger made Ling Yue's eyes crinkle with laughter, and she couldn't help rubbing it again; underneath, the little cats, unwilling to be ignored, one by one, colorful fur balls meowed as they clung to her skirt.

"Want kisses, want hugs, want to be lifted high~"

"The meat smells so good, I want to eat~"

The soft, milky voices rose and fell; Ling Yue scooped up little Sanhua in one embrace, tapping its pink little nose: "You're such a clingy cutie! Yayaya monster!"

Sanhua yawned, and actually felt a bit sleepy.

Ling Yue was besieged by this clingy bunch and had to surrender, only managing to settle things after a while.

Just as she arrived at the shop, she noticed something off; opening the pet bag, Xunbao Shu Duo Duo was still inside snoring loudly, not knowing when it had gotten in, or what it was doing crouched here.

Ling Yue wondered, and Xunbao Shu Duo Duo had already awakened; seeing her, its little rat eyes sparked: "Master!"

"Master, I have something to tell you; it's a super-duper great happy event!"

Ling Yue startled, not waiting for it to speak, Xunbao Shu Duo Duo eagerly said: "The residential complex is going to be demolished!"

"Little brother told me, master, your two apartments are both within the zone; we're going to get rich, and piss off that old witch!"

Ling Yue thought for a moment, then realized who the "old witch" it referred to was; immediately, she curled her lips—previously she had no free time to act, but now that she's idle, isn't this the perfect opportunity?

Ling Yue hadn't prepared anything either; she simply remembered that she had forgotten to tidy up her belongings in the residential complex apartment, and needed to go back once—just that.

At 10:10 a. m., after seeing off the last customer, Ling Yue closed the shop.

Witnessing this, the customers instantly felt resentful; some clung to their pets, unwilling to leave, wanting to wait a bit longer, until Ling Yue departed and they realized there was no hope, then the little line in front of the door dispersed.

Across the street, just one block away, the PetLove pet store had an enormous shopfront, lavishly decorated; compared to Ling Yue's pet consultation shop, it was starkly cold and pitiful.

Half a day passed with no one coming; only a few customers walking by in pairs or threes couldn't help but divert to it.

Their companion, puzzled, asked: "What's wrong? You aren't here to buy a pet? There's a PetLove right here, a big brand chain store—why not go in and have a look?"

"Eh, who would dare go to their place? They once sold 'weekday cats' and were confronted, denied it outright, only admitting it after being exposed—truly shameless!"

"You saw that video too? I want to ask the fairy shop manager to help me pick a cat; I don't need it as smart as the streamer, just something that suits my taste."

"Wow, then you'll have to wait; the manager also limits the number of attempts, and each time there are so many people."

"Yeah, there really are a lot of people…… wait, how do you know that?"

"……"

Because every time I go queue up, I never get to be me TVT.

Several girls chattered away as they walked off, not noticing that behind them, the PetLove pet store's doors were wide open; a group of employees, including the manager himself, were all silent as cicadas. The middle-aged man with a mature appearance withdrew his gaze, swept his eyes sharply around, and said: "So, this is the real reason for your declining sales over this period?"

A heavy low pressure filled the store; the man's voice sounded again: "Jiang Zhou, from today onward you are the new manager of the PetLove pet store; as for the former manager, concealing a major incident, you are fired!"

Everyone's hearts jolted; the former manager's legs went weak, and he sat directly on the floor—done, completely done.

The middle-aged man stepped out, his face instantly darkening; looking at his subordinates, he said: "You go, secretly investigate the pet consultation shop; I want to see what her background is."

The weather turned cold; Ling Yue regretted wearing a skirt a little, seeing it was pretty but thin; as soon as the wind blew, her skin immediately felt a slight chill.

Before she even reached the entrance of the residential complex, she saw a red circle in the distance; upon closer look, it was a large red "demolition" character, like a seal stamped around the perimeter of the complex.

Under the big elm tree at the entrance alley, a group of elders were gathered chatting, each with a ruddy face and beaming smiles, occasionally bursting into laughter; during this time, the whole residential complex had been bustling with joy.

Suddenly the news came out: this year there will be demolition! By the time everyone reacted, the documents had already been issued, and the notice with a red stamp was posted on the community bulletin board.

This demolition, only a few residential areas were included in the zone, but their Jingyue Community was included, leaving everyone else envious.

This is a demolition! It's the demolition everyone has been dreaming of!

Thinking about the imminent receipt of hundreds or even tens of millions, everyone was overjoyed.

Only one person had a grim face, looking as if his parents had died, sitting far at the alley entrance, not talking to anyone, not speaking; occasionally seeing someone pass by, he stared straight at them, frightening many young people.

Someone complained and pointed.

Aunt Liu glanced and said: "It's her; seeing her every day feels like bad luck, her face drawn long—this time her son probably regrets it so much his intestines turn green!"

Others didn't understand, stunned: "What's wrong? What's wrong?"

Aunt Liu rolled her eyes, laughing: "Something happened at home, you know they have an old house? It was included in the demolition, but the news wasn't leaked those days, and somehow she ended up selling it!"

"I was saying, Wang Dame is our community's number one proud person, always bragging about her son in his thirties, a civil servant whose wife ran away; why has she been so gloomy lately? Turns out something happened."

"Good heavens, if I remember correctly, that house—" the aunt paused, glanced at Wang Dame, gloating: "That house is over a hundred square meters with a big courtyard, and she sold it—what do you call that?"

"That's called having thin luck!"

Wang Dame stared blankly, ears perked, hearing the voices of those old women, wishing she could tear her mouth apart; thinking of that big mansion, she fumed, almost giving herself a heart attack and ending up in the hospital!

Regret! Not to mention regretting until her intestines turn green, she wishes she could slap herself hard a few times—you're so clever, you're so proud!

Even if it's just a few hundred thousand, otherwise several million, you sold it to her so cheaply? This isn't a slap in the face, it's like digging a knife into her heart!

Wang Hua regretted endlessly.

Suddenly, she caught a glimpse of a slender figure, jumped up without thinking, and shouted: "Ling Yue!"

Ling Yue was surprised, said nothing.

Behind her came a beeping sound, followed by several luxury cars stopping; a group of black-clad bodyguards got out, lining both sides to escort the two people in the middle—none other than Long Xin Hua and Zhao Lin, husband and wife.

From the rear luxury car, Ren Yaqi stepped out, flanked by burly bodyguards; in an instant, the narrow alley entrance was filled with people.

Wang Dame, who had rushed over, instantly dared not move; she had never seen such a grand spectacle in her life, her small-town mindset timid, she dared not move an inch.

On the other hand, Aunt Liu, who had seen Ren Yaqi before, blinked: "That's the girl who drove the luxury car earlier; she's come again to find little Yue."

"Hiss!" someone recognized Long Xin Hua and his wife, sucking in a cold breath: "Quick look behind, the two greeting Ling Yue—have you heard of Longxiang Jewelry? This is their general manager couple!"

Everyone was stunned; looking at Ling Yue again, her demeanor was completely different—short for awe.

Silently making connections with so many big shots, Ling Yue has truly risen; compared to them, it's as if a class separates them.

Of course, they don't understand those fancy words; they just instinctively dare not look at Ling Yue, as if they'd suddenly seen a high-ranking official, at a loss.

Ling Yue turned to Wang Dame, smiling gently: "Is there something you need? If not, I'm heading home."

Wang Dame's face turned pale: "No, no!"

Ling Yue: "Good, I thought you had something to ask me, for example—" she lowered her voice slightly, speaking so only the two could hear: "The old house contract—it's been demolished; aren't you heartbroken?"

Wang Dame instinctively covered her chest, then shocked, looked up, meeting the girl's pitch-black pupils, whether there was a glint of light, her face drained of color: "You, you already knew this place would be demolished?!"

Her wealthy friends surely knew the inside story earlier than these ordinary citizens.

Ling Yue saw her expression and knew she had misunderstood; she didn't mind, still smiling gently.

Wang Dame figured it out: from the start, they had set a trap for her, yet she thought she could outsmart them, actually charging in like a stupid pig!

"How could you do this, you vicious woman—I'll fight you to the death!"

Ling Yue flicked slightly, no need to retaliate; her bodyguards stepped in, and Wang Dame, who could beat anyone her age, was now lifted by a guard like a pitiful little chick.

She had no power to fight back.

Ling Yue lowered her voice, chuckled lightly: "It's not over yet."

"For instance, your good son, still a civil servant..."

Some words, just hinted at, are enough.

Not seeing Wang Dame's face mixed with shock and anger, the earlier rage had already been dispelled by that sentence, a chill rose from her feet to her heavenly spirit: "It won't happen... it won't happen..."

Ling Yue dropped that line, walked past her, and continued greeting Aunt Liu and the others as before, without any distance, smiling and chatting.

The originally nervous neighbors also gradually relaxed.

Ling Yue smiled and greeted them, saying she had come back to pack up her things.

The others exchanged glances; Ling Yue smiled: "I heard the demolition was coming, so I've been preparing to move these past days, finally packed up, and came back to bring some things."

Ling Yue then took them down one by one; Aunt Liu's grandson was preparing for the civil service exam, so Ling Yue sent over all the graduate school prep materials she had prepared; after a moment, Ren Yaqi stared wide-eyed.

Though young, she was far stronger than her; at least at home, she only managed to make her grandfather angry.

Not marrying but just wanting to date isn't her fault; the problem is there are too many little puppies and big wolves in this world—if she doesn't enjoy herself enough, she'd be sorry to herself for this lifetime!

As for the friends who suddenly arrived, Ling Yue was actually surprised, and it was a coincidence that several people showed up at the same time.

Ling Yue greeted them to go upstairs, not intending to waste much time; actually there wasn't much stuff, about one bag could carry it all, and she didn't plan to take the rest.

Thinking that, Ling Yue found a set of ethnic minority clothing at the bottom of her mother's chest, the shiny silver ornaments exquisitely crafted; even after being dust-covered for years, it remained utterly beautiful.

On top lay a completely sealed small box and a letter; Ling Yue paused, then opened the envelope.

Only today did she learn that her mother was Miao, and with her lover—her biological father—they had eloped and come to Beijing.

When her father died she was still very young, remembering nothing; from her mother's fragmentary words she got some information, but it was all hazy and incoherent.

Ling Yue finally glanced at the room where she had grown up, closed the door, and locked it.

In the villa.

Only then did Ling Yue realize how small the circle was.

Long Xin Hua and Ren Yaqi actually knew each other, and were good friends; in between, Ren Yaqi couldn't help complaining: "Ah Yue, your livestreaming is too spontaneous—every time I try to tip you, I can't even get the message through, and I have to fight to send it!"

Ling Yue was amused by her, explaining: "I'm not short on money. However, I really like small animals; if you have any inquiries, you can find me privately."

As soon as she finished speaking, Ren Yaqi's eyes lit up: "Really? I happen to have a friend whose pet recently had trouble; he's lurked in your livestream, but—your livestream situation..."

The meaning she left unsaid, Ling Yue understood completely.

Ling Yue: "……"

She immediately changed the subject: "You say, if it's an animal, I can handle it!"

Ren Yaqi hehe laughed, tilted her head back, and drained the wine in her cup in one gulp.

Ling Yue was about to advise her not to be so reckless.

Ren Yaqi's head drooped, she collapsed forward, Ling Yue reacted quickly and caught her, hearing her long, soft breaths, Ling Yue fell silent.

Long Xin Hua: "Xiao Yue, this... I also didn't know she'd go down after one drink."

Ling Yue remained silent, her gaze falling on the wine cup.

To make it seem more solemn, she specially took it out, not expecting the effect to be this good.

But she also drank quite a bit; maybe it's just her constitution?

The warm room gathering ended smoothly.

Fortunately, Ren Yaqi's home is also in this villa area; otherwise Ling Yue would have had to walk her part of the way.

When she returned, the table had already been cleaned up, and Ling Yue glanced at it in surprise.

Jun Jun jumped down from the painting, face full of pride: "Don't look, don't look, who else besides me?"

"Look at the pets you keep; they're not even as good as a single strand of my fur~"

At that moment, the Xuan Cat Queen on the wardrobe licked her paw pad, eyes full of mockery: "Hmph, foolish tiger!"

Ling Yue smiled and said nothing.

Da Lao Hu Junjun was somewhat surprised, walked over to take a look, and the sky suddenly darkened.

Ling Yue suddenly stood up, embraced the fluffy big tiger, her fingers sinking into its layers of soft fur, making Jun Jun shiver from the tickle.

A faint wine scent from the girl's body drifted into her ears, mixed with a gentle coaxing: "Baby, be good, let the master give you a kiss~"