Chapter 95

Xiong Xi excitedly lay on the railing, gazing at the lioness Lily opposite; since knowing this place was hell, it had conceived the thought of escaping, and now opportunity had come knocking, it absolutely would not let it slip.

Monkey Manman: "……"

Lily was asking me, not you, you big dumb bear!

Because there was a competitor, Monkey Manman eagerly said, "I bet."

"Anyway I don't have many good years left, I might as well bet with you, wuwuwu, but where can we go afterwards?"

Lioness Lily: "Wandering the streets is still better than being in the circus; if we're caught and taken back, we only have one ending—return to the circus."

"So we must escape, escape at any cost, but remember we must not hurt humans."

Xiong Xi listened and nodded, then recalled its former life, the days it lived in the mountains and forests when it only thought of freedom; it was a brown bear living in a zoo, who knew there were still poachers!

It would rather die outside than return to the circus!

Xiong Xi proactively extended its claw: "Look at me! Look at me! Lily, I have organizational experience; I once planned a mass escape of brown bears!"

As soon as those words were spoken, the two animals instantly looked over, the light in their eyes making even this bear afraid.

With Monkey Manman's assistance, the two of them made some adjustments to Lioness Lily's plan, making the operation smoother and increasing their chances of success!

During the day the animals remained as usual; at night they whispered discussions through the cages, except Monkey Manman, because it had already figured out how to pick the lock—actually, it had known how for several years.

It dared not use it; if not for Lioness Lily's summons, it wouldn't perform in front of its friends.

Monkey Manman held up the wire in its hand: "Watch closely."

It jabbed it in; in the blink of an eye, the spring inside the lock clicked, and the big lock sprang open instantly.

"Wow!" the animals exclaimed in amazement: "Manman, you're awesome!"

Monkey Manman relocked the door, which also meant their chances of escaping were greater.

It's not that no animal wanted to leave right now, but outside the cages holding them there was another large cage, and the boss regarded these money‑making small animals as very important.

Now the animals had everything ready, lacking only the east wind. The so‑called east wind was the night of the circus performance.

"Little lady, buy a cat, a cute little flower cat, take a look—cute and cheap, only one hundred yuan!"

Ling Yue walked down the road when suddenly someone called out to her; she looked at the other person amusedly, while the tattooed big brother beside them didn't even call out, as if they were aiming at her, or rather at girls her type.

Soft‑hearted, likes cute pets, won't haggle.

Just like stall owners in a vegetable market who see people and raise prices, this generation in others' eyes seems like clueless idiots who are easy to fool.

The tattooed big brother beside her also looked eager, but the other person didn't say a word.

Ling Yue waved her hand, preparing to go into the shop, and the other person seemed to have singled her out: "Miss, buy one, look how good this cat is."

The cat let out a pained cry; perhaps to someone who doesn't know better it might seem like a cute whimper, but to Ling Yue's ears it sounded feeble, like a candle in the wind about to go out.

"O‑oh, it hurts…"

The cat drooped its head, its soft body tightly gripped by the vendor's big hand; Ling Yue furrowed her brows and looked at the other person: "You're about to choke the cat to death—do you really know how to raise a cat?"

The vendor blinked, glanced around; the early‑morning street had few people, and opposite stood a delicate young lady; he was unfazed, smiling: "What you say—I keep several cats at home; if I weren't unable to keep them, I wouldn't sell them. One hundred yuan, not expensive at all."

"Nonsense!" the kitten, though a bit small, spoke in a way utterly unlike any newborn kitten Ling Yue had seen, very coherent.

The cat glared fiercely at the vendor: "Big sister, don't buy me—I won't live much longer."

Ling Yue startled, took a closer look: the vendor's cage held four kittens, each cute and petite, each with its own traits, yet they all lay listlessly in the cage, lacking energy.

Ling Yue's heart sank; she brought up her exclusive panel and gazed solemnly at the other person: "How old is this cat in months?"

Vendor: "One month, still a kitten; you'll definitely be able to raise it."

Nonsense!

Ling Yue checked each one on her exclusive panel; even the smallest were clearly two months old, though their frames were small, even scrawny, and the kittens themselves said they were already sick.

Isn't this just a "weekday cat"?

She recalled the news she'd seen before, but on the surface she asked tentatively: "Can you really raise it to adulthood?"

The other spoke with conviction; Ling Yue nodded, appearing to believe, a dark glint flashing in her eyes—she hated people like this the most.

While the other wasn't paying attention, Ling Yue messaged Cheng Ziming: this kind of vendor, who won't even set up a little stall, surely has no business license.

Ling Yue pretended to be looking at the cats, but was actually buying time.

Her gaze fell on the kittens; the four kittens looked at her in unison, meowing wildly; to bystanders it might sound like begging, but to Ling Yue's ears it was the kittens desperately urging her not to buy.

"Wuwuwu don't buy me, I'm sick~"

"Me too, we're all the same, big sister, please don't spend money—he's a big liar!"

"Wuwuwu, big liar! Big liar!"

"I don't want to talk anymore, I'm tired, don't buy me."

Ling Yue clenched her fists tightly; the vendor earnestly promoted: "Look at this black cat, with white mittens—isn't it especially cute? And the chubby orange, the orange cat eating round, meaty little buns, the pattern is also pretty…"

Ling Yue gave him a deep look, hadn't even spoken yet when a high school student suddenly appeared—tall, with an old backpack, wearing a uniform of sky‑blue and white, fresh‑faced, he exclaimed indignantly: "Sister, don't buy!"

"He sells nothing but weekday cats; my classmate bought one and it died in a few days—they all have feline plague; this person is just here to scam money!"

The vendor blinked: "Hey you little brat, can you even speak? I've been setting up my stall here for ages—when have I ever sold weekday cats?"

He's top‑class at spouting nonsense while talking, glancing at Ling Yue: "Look, this cat is just young—how could it have any problems? If there were a problem, come back and I'll refund you!"

The high school student urged urgently: "Don't buy! Hey, just don't buy—if you buy you'll be taken in!"

The vendor refused to back down, and the two launched into a heated argument; their phones vibrated, Ling Yue lowered her head to glance at a message, then suddenly smiled: "I have a way to prove who's telling the truth and who's lying."

Both were taken aback at the same time; the vendor played the victim first: "What method? These students themselves can't raise cats, yet they're blaming me—it's utterly unjust!"

Ling Yue lifted her gaze; at the alley entrance a tall young man in casual clothes strode out—Cheng Ziming chuckled.

The vendor beside them, still not reacting, said dumbly: "Is he your boyfriend?"

Cheng Ziming hurriedly waved his hands; after reacting, he looked at the vendor mysteriously and said: "Come over, I'll tell you."

The vendor blinked: "Are you her husband?"

Cheng Ziming's eyelid twitched; this couldn't be said carelessly, he shook his head, mysteriously fished in his pocket and pulled out a pair of silver handcuffs: "I'm a police officer serving the people!"

Vendor:!!!

He sprang up and ran, but could he escape? Cheng Ziming stuck out his long leg and tripped him in an instant; with a 'crack', the vendor flopped to the ground like a big frog, hands twisted behind his back, and a pair of silver handcuffs landed firmly on his wrists.

He begged for his life: "Don't arrest me, don't arrest me, police comrade, I was wrong, I was wrong!"

Just now he was arrogant and domineering, invincible; now he's simply a pitiful little thing.

Cheng Ziming: "No way. After receiving a report from the masses, you're operating without a license, suspected of fraud; come with me to the station for questioning."

The vendor's face fell into ashen despair; he had cheated many here and would drift elsewhere, never expecting his tried-and-true method to fail.

Cheng Ziming finished, gave a hehe smile, looked at Ling Yue: "How about it, am I handsome?"

Ling Yue: "……"

To be honest, like a peacock with its tail spread.

Meanwhile, the high school student beside him answered blankly: "Handsome! Really handsome!"

His eyes lit up: "Police uncle, you're awesome!"

If he could also become a police officer, that would be great—catching bad people, eliminating evil!

Cheng Ziming: "Call me big brother."

Just now he was calling Ling Yue "older sister"; how did calling himself make him an uncle? They're hardly different in age.

There wasn't much going on at the bureau; when he got Ling Yue's message, he rushed over—catching illegal vendors, thieves, these things Cheng Ziming had done before; now doing them was a breeze.

The arrested vendor regretted it to death, head hung low, spirit broken, not daring to utter a sound.

Ling Yue looked at the few kittens, her face grave: "They all have cat plague; likely they were infected from the same batch. When investigating and gathering evidence, officers who keep pets at home must be careful."

The four kittens lay pitifully in the cage, heads drooping, sickness shrinking them into little bundles, like colorful cotton balls.

They're about to be taken away by the police—does that mean they'll finally be free?

Suddenly, they heard a gentle female voice: "After you finish examining these little guys, can I take them? I want to help them."

Even if it's just a meager effort.

Soft fingertips rubbed their heads, carrying a human scent; the little flower kitten hesitated, lifted its head, meowed a few times, and looked at her in disbelief.

Could a human really be willing to save them?

Cheng Ziming nodded: "Sure, no problem."

The male high school student rubbed his head, smiling like a little sun: "Older sister, I have money too."

He pulled out several bills, some loose change, some whole, the largest not over five yuan; Ling Yue stared at him, stunned, and politely declined: "I already have a job; you're still a student—let me handle this."

She paused: "Besides, what time is it now? Aren't you going to be late for school?"

The high school student bit his lip, voice barely squeezed from between his teeth: "It's fine; anyway, I won't be able to go to school much longer."

Ling Yue was slightly stunned; he had already shoved the money into her hand and hurried off. Those long legs really had an advantage—he vanished around the corner in just a few steps.

As for dropping out, how could that be?

Ling Yue shook her head; judging by the uniform, the boy should be a high school student from Jing Shi No. 1 High, the best school in Jing Shi, with the finest educational resources, naturally demanding top grades from its students.

Getting into this high school is tantamount to having one foot in the university gate; countless people flock to it.

Why isn't he attending?

Ling Yue carefully put the money away, not thinking of using his; it was all small change, she didn't know how long he'd saved it, still warm with his body heat.

Recalling the earlier events, she suddenly startled; the male high school student's face surfaced in her mind, accompanied by a scene.

Ling Yue immediately realized she was projecting his future.

The boy wore his uniform, apparently just out of school, passing through a dark, dilapidated alley, entering a slab building, walking through a flickering hallway, he arrived home.

"Mom." He set down his bag, face pallid, full of gloom—completely opposite to the earlier boy with his bright smile.

The middle-aged woman looked at him, her contemptuous gaze like a knife: "You still know how to come back? What's the use of my paying for your education? You've studied yourself stupid!"

The boy murmured with his lips, his clear gaze on her: "So you helped me process the withdrawal?"

The woman had her own excuse, lowered her eyelids without responding, and went on: "Mom's old; Uncle Zhang said his place just needs a worker, and you're eighteen—you should go work to support me."

The boy wanted to say something, but the woman's rapid-fire curses choked it in his throat; his Adam's apple rolled, and in the end he said nothing.

Days passed quickly; he adapted to the early-out-late-in routine, yet gradually noticed his mother also coming and going late, often returning very late.

Until one day, he woke thirsty in the middle of the night and went out to fetch water.

In the living room, the so-called Uncle Zhang was embracing his mother; seeing him, they both panicked for a moment, the latter reeking of alcohol: "Go back!"

The boy stood stubbornly in place, his feet as if nailed to the floor.

After a few minutes, the man suddenly punched him in the brow bone; the boy's head immediately rang.

Not knowing why he was being struck, he immediately fought back; as an eighteen- or nineteen‑year‑old youth, in the prime of vigor, the man could not subdue him—instead the more he hit, the more he flared, furious, he shouted at the woman: "Come over, help me hold him down!"

The woman immediately came over; the struggling boy froze mid‑motion, his eyes hollow, staring at her, letting the blows fall— the final strike landed solidly on his head.

Bright red blood poured from his seven orifices…

Ling Yue jerked back to awareness; though it was a bright, sunny day, a deep chill ran through her body; she clenched her fingers and looked toward Cheng Ziming beside her.

Cheng Ziming was bewildered: "What's wrong?"

Ling Yue's voice hoarse, she frowned: "Nothing."

The boy was at Jing Shi No. 1 High; she could easily find him, and there was still time before his incident; Ling Yue touched her face, only then noticing her fingertips were icy cold.

Ling Yue changed clothes and disinfected her whole body before going to work at the pet consultation shop; after all, she'd been in contact with animals carrying cat plague, and even after decontamination she deliberately kept her distance.

She kept in touch with Liu Liu; even though she joined late, thanks to three young, strong male tigers, he was smoothly invited into the underground trade fair.

Afterwards, the invitation was passed to Ling Yue; at that moment she was drawing talismans, a crucial charm for completing her mission.

A few days later, a grand circus performance began in Jing Shi, lasting three days. Due to massive promotion, it attracted widespread attention, with countless people planning to check in.

The circus might become a new hotspot for internet‑famous check‑ins.

At that moment, inside the circus.

Several animals were in the cage, watching the constructed luxurious venue, and the brown bear Xiong Xi clapped his hands: 'Not bad.'

These iron guys look unbreakable at a glance; they really went all out.

Manman the monkey patted its shoulder: 'No worries, I'm still here!'

It swayed its long tail, meanwhile the goat beside it sighed, saying somewhat unconfidently: 'Can we really do this?'

'Of course!' Lioness Lily joined in: 'The day after tomorrow, on the third day of the circus performance, they will surely be lax, because I overheard a piece of news.'

'What is it?'

'Lily, hurry up and say it, don't keep us in suspense.'

'After the circus performance ends on the third day, the circus troupe will disband.'

Upon hearing this, the surrounding animals immediately exclaimed in astonishment: 'What? Disband? Does that mean we also have to leave? We want freedom——'

Lioness Lily licked her paw pads, the lion queen mercilessly began to mock: 'Freedom my ass! You're still dreaming, not even awake yet.'

'We will leave, because we will be resold to another circus troupe; some might even end up on human dining tables. I think herbivores are more likely to face that.'

The goat screamed in fright, bleating: 'Save me! Lily, you're just scaring me, right? I admit I just misspoke, but——'

Lioness Lily curled the corners of her mouth: 'I never lie.'

A soundless panic spread silently among the animals, and Lily continued: 'This way, those employees will surely become negligent, after all, they're about to be laid off.'

'Moreover, more people will come to watch our performance, after all it's the last day, so guys, hang in there until the third day.'

Coincidentally, Ling Yue was also preparing to act on the third day.

Because the date on her invitation was the third day, the location being the basement floor of a shopping mall near the circus, starting at ten p. m.

At that time, exactly when the circus performance ended and the audience dispersed, taking advantage of the crowd to conceal themselves, various buyers or sellers entered the underground trade meeting.

Ling Yue had long ago informed the Criminal Investigation Brigade of the information she had obtained.

On the third day, she opened a video call on her phone; the pale-faced Sang Sang lay in bed, having just undergone a treatment the day before, rested for a day, and fortunately had agreed with Ling Yue to meet on the third day of the circus performance.

'Sister, has the circus performance started?' Sang Sang nervously looked at her.

Ling Yue shook her head: 'Don't be nervous, it hasn't started yet.'

As she said that, she turned the camera, and the vibrant circus performance venue instantly appeared in Sang Sang's view, filled with tourists everywhere.

The circus troupe's audience flow on the third day was nearly thirty percent higher than the previous two days!

After the ticket check, Ling Yue sat in a spot relatively close to the stage. Its front was a very large cage, and as upbeat music sounded, the graceful lioness queen stepped out.

It looked around, gazing at the sea of people, the corners of its mouth slightly lifted, and Ling Yue heard Sang Sang's voice in her earpiece: 'Wow wow wow, it's the big lion, it's smiling!'

Ling Yue nodded; not only that, she also heard other sounds.

Ling Yue's gaze fell to one side, meeting the eyes of the brown bear Xiong Xi; behind it was the incessantly chattering goat: 'Heaven bless us, we must succeed this time! I don't want to become mutton soup on the table!'

Ling Yue furrowed her brows, she stared at the brown bear, the more she looked the more familiar it became—Xiong Xi!

It had been sold to the circus troupe?!

At that moment, Sang Sang's voice came through the earpiece: 'Sister, hurry and look, the big lion is jumping through hoops!.'