Shi Guang was suddenly slammed to the ground, and when he saw clearly what it was on top of him, his face went instantly pale.

It was a white tiger — enormous, with a pair of eyes glowing with a faint green light, and white fangs bared from its gaping, blood-red maw.

Shi Guang had not the slightest doubt that it could snap his neck with a single bite.

“Er Dan.” Yan Qing had not shut Er Dan’s courtyard gate properly just now, and that was how Er Dan had gotten out. When it saw its young mistress being threatened, it had lunged without hesitation.

Click-click!

All around Yan Qing’s ears came the sound of rounds being chambered, as more than a dozen gun barrels swung in unison toward Er Dan.

How could Er Dan know the cruelty of humans? These bullets could outmatch any ferocious beast, surpassing even its own fangs.

“Shi Guang, tell them to stand back,” Yan Qing said, spreading her arms wide to shield Er Dan. “As long as I say nothing, Er Dan will not hurt you. Tell them all to stand back.”

Er Dan’s paws were pressed down on Shi Guang’s chest, their crushing weight making it nearly impossible for him to breathe. Its maw hovered barely an inch from his neck, and the saliva dripping from it wet his face.

“Stand back — everyone stand back,” Shi Guang shouted. “Fall back.”

Captain An heard Shi Guang’s order and hurriedly made his subordinates retreat.

Yan Qing saw that they still held their guns raised and said: “Put the guns down as well.”

“Put down your guns,” Shi Guang said, breaking into a heavy cough. Er Dan’s weight was truly making it difficult for him to breathe.

Captain An hesitated a moment, then had his men lower their weapons.

“All of you, get out.”

Captain An looked at Shi Guang, who gave him a nod.

Captain An knew that Yan Qing would not take Shi Guang’s life. If Shi Guang died, none of them would survive either — she was smart enough to see clearly the logic of the situation.

Once Captain An and his men had withdrawn, Shi Guang said: “Yan Qing, tell your tiger to take its paw off me.”

Yan Qing instead gave Murong a meaningful look. Murong understood immediately and ran at once to the storage room to fetch a thick length of rope.

Under Er Dan’s menacing presence, Shi Guang dared not resist. But just as Murong was about to bind his wrists, a sharp crack suddenly tore through the air.

Before Yan Qing could even react, a bullet seemed to appear from nowhere and struck Er Dan’s body with unerring precision.

Er Dan let out a cry of anguish and its paw went slack.

Shi Guang seized the chance to spring up from the ground, simultaneously drawing the service pistol at his hip and leveling it at Er Dan’s head.

Seeing him about to fire, Yan Qing rushed forward at once and threw herself over Er Dan to shield it.

“Yan Qing, move away,” Shi Guang said, his face swollen with fury. He had never imagined that a tiger would threaten him like this.

Yan Qing paid no heed to his warning and anxiously examined Er Dan’s wound.

The bullet had struck Er Dan in the ribs. Blood had already dyed its white fur red.

Er Dan struggled briefly but could not stand. Its great head dropped into Yan Qing’s lap.

“Er Dan, Er Dan.” Yan Qing was so anxious that tears poured freely down her face, and she called out loudly: “Murong, go get the medicine kit quickly — hurry!”

Murong had not anticipated that Er Dan would be shot. Hearing Yan Qing’s words, she immediately ran to fetch the medicine kit.

Shi Guang had circled around Yan Qing and now stood facing her, his gun still pointed directly at Er Dan in her arms.

“Shi Guang.” Yan Qing raised a pair of bloodshot eyes and glared at him. “If you dare kill it, step over my dead body first.”

“It’s just a beast.”

“Even a beast knows to repay kindness in a moment of danger. You are not even as good as a beast.” Yan Qing was utterly unafraid of offending Shi Guang. On the contrary — the more Shi Guang provoked her, the calmer she became.

Shi Guang stared at her for a moment, then finally holstered the gun. “It’s a beast that’s already going to die anyway. Even if I don’t kill it, it will die on its own.”

Yan Qing ignored him and pressed her hands tightly over Er Dan’s wound. Even so, blood continued to seep out between her fingers — a shocking sight.

“Er Dan.” Yan Qing pressed her face against Er Dan’s, calling softly: “Er Dan, you must hold on, all right? I will save you. No matter what, I will save you.”

Er Dan nestled in Yan Qing’s arms, its large eyes gazing up at her.

It is difficult to read emotion in an animal’s eyes, yet Yan Qing saw in Er Dan’s a glimmer of small pride — was it pleased? Pleased that it had been able to protect her when she needed it most?

Yan Qing could not help but wrap her arms around its great head. Tears, cool with emotion, fell upon its soft white fur.

“Er Dan, you were very brave. You are a wonderful tiger. Thank you, Er Dan — thank you.”

Yan Qing thought of the first time she had seen it: it had been cradled in Shi Ting’s arms, wrinkled and curled in a little ball. Her first impression of it had been: how ugly.

In the blink of an eye, it had grown this large — into a tiger of true, formidable power, capable of protecting her when she needed it most.

People have conscience. Animals have feeling too.

“Woof woof!” From the back courtyard came a frantic barking.

Only then did Yan Qing remember Jiangguo. Jiangguo and Er Dan were in the same courtyard — if Er Dan had gotten out, Jiangguo would not still be trapped inside.

She suddenly thought of a possibility: Er Dan had likely sensed the danger and, after coming out, had blocked the gate behind it. Jiangguo too must have known Er Dan was in peril, and was releasing such urgent and desperate cries.

“Miss, Jiangguo is still barking. Should we let it out?” Jing Zhi found the sound pitiful and heartbreaking.

“Go ahead.”

Jing Zhi ran to the back courtyard and saw immediately why Jiangguo had not come out.

A large water vat was blocking the position just outside the gate, with drag marks visible beneath it. It appeared Er Dan had pushed the vat against the door after coming out.

Jing Zhi shoved the vat aside with effort and had barely opened the gate when Jiangguo leaped out.

Jiangguo ran very fast, and Jing Zhi had to jog just to keep up. She had been worried Jiangguo would disturb Yan Qing’s operation, but when she drew close, she saw Jiangguo sitting obediently at Er Dan’s side, eyes fixed unblinkingly upon it, with both paws laid gently over Er Dan’s paws.

It was giving its good brother courage and encouragement — urging it to hold on and get through this.

Looking at the scene before her, Jing Zhi could not hold back her tears. They overflowed, impossible to stop.

The surgery went on for two full hours. Fortunately, the bullet had only fractured a rib and had not struck any vital organs. Once the bullet was extracted, medicine was applied and bandages wrapped, and the bleeding was at last stanched.

Er Dan lay there without making a sound, while Jiangguo remained faithfully at its side throughout.

“Miss, Er Dan won’t have any problems, will it?” Jing Zhi and Murong asked anxiously.

Yan Qing washed the blood from her hands in the basin, and the tension in her emotions finally eased a little. “For now it looks like there’s no serious danger, but we must still be careful and watchful. Er Dan is an animal — it’s not the same as a person. I don’t know whether there might be other complications.”

She was not a professional doctor. The ability to perform surgery on Er Dan owed entirely to her knowledge of forensic medicine — she could not guarantee with certainty that Er Dan’s life would be saved.

“Jing Zhi, mix some water to dissolve the medicinal powder and feed it to Er Dan.”

“Yes, Miss.”

Jing Zhi went to fetch warm water, while Murong helped Yan Qing settle into a nearby chair.

Murong poured hot water and wiped the sweat from Yan Qing’s face: “Miss, do you feel unwell anywhere?”

“I’m all right.” Yan Qing’s body was not what it once was. Because of the pregnancy, her energy was not as abundant as before, and most of the time she needed to rest and sleep.

She had just performed a surgery requiring her absolute and complete concentration, exhausting a great deal of her strength — and this left her feeling somewhat unwell.

“Miss, the Second Young Master will surely come back very soon. What are we going to do then?” Murong let out a sigh, then gritted her teeth. “If it really comes to it, I’ll fight them to the bitter end.”

“You foolish girl — would you pit yourself single-handedly against men with rifles?  Don’t throw your life away for nothing.”

“But I cannot just stand by and watch while the Second Young Master—”

Yan Qing shook her head: “Now is not the time for a head-on confrontation. I must see to it that all of you stay safe.”