Jiang Wei sighed. “Treat it. No charge.”
The hawksbill let out a weak “meow,” its voice trembling—from pain.
Jiang Wei asked, “But once it’s better, can you keep it?”
The girl blinked, tears streaming down her face. “I’ll try to talk to my mom.”
Jiang Wei sighed again. “Then go home and talk to her.”
“It needs surgery, and it’ll be very late. Don’t wait around—come back in a couple of days.”
The girl wiped her tears. “Dr. Jiang, thank you. My name is Ding Yi. I’ll come see Miaomiao in a couple of days.”
She’d given it a name—Miaomiao.
Jiang Wei asked, “Where exactly did you find Miaomiao?”
Ding Yi wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and pointed to the side. “Over there, in the bushes. There’s no one around, and there’s a trash can next to it. It was right beside the trash can, and the ground was covered in blood.”
Jiang Wei was anxious to get to the surgery and nodded at her. “Got it.”
The X-ray results came out.
At the fracture site on the left forelimb, there were several small circular scars on the skin—cigarette burns.
On the right hind leg, there was a healed linear scar—a cut from a sharp object.
Three ribs with old fractures.
Jiang Wei closed her eyes and endured it for a moment, then began preparing for surgery.
“Xiao Zhou, prepare the orthopedic kit, micro bone plates, and Kirschner wires. For anesthesia, induce with propofol, maintain with isoflurane. Give preoperative analgesia—buprenorphine. Also…”
She paused.
“Turn the heater up to max. It’s too thin—it won’t make it otherwise.”
The surgery lasted three hours, followed by three hours of postoperative observation.
Finally, the hawksbill was saved and out of danger.
Jiang Wei wiped her sweat, her tense mood much improved.
It was getting late.
Jiang Wei picked up the phone and called Zhang Ma. “Zhang Ma, I won’t be home for dinner tonight. The hospital is too busy.”
Zhang Ma hesitated. “I’ll save you some food. If you get hungry, you can have it as a late-night snack.”
Jiang Wei said softly, “I’ll be very late.”
Zhang Ma worried, “Alright, but you need to eat on time.”
After hanging up, Jiang Wei looked up and saw Luo Xue watching her.
Luo Xue’s voice was tense. “You’re planning to go?”
Jiang Wei nodded calmly. “Mm.”
Luo Xue: “It’ll be dangerous. I’ll go with you.”
Jiang Wei: “Didn’t you have a meeting tonight with the public welfare fund’s investors?”
Luo Xue: “It’s a long shot—just giving it a try.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll figure out the funding.”
Jiang Wei’s voice was faint, very low. “Xuexue, I’m sorry.”
Luo Xue was angry. “What are you apologizing for? How is this your fault?”
“You’re a victim too. Why are you always apologizing? What gives anyone the right?”
Jiang Wei lowered her eyes. “But because of me, our hospital is in financial difficulty.”
“If we can’t solve it, the hospital will have to close. This is your hard work too.”
“Lots of people were willing to donate to the hospital’s charity. But I… once my real background came out, they all pulled their funding. And we keep pouring money into it…”
All of Jiang Wei’s money had gone into the pet hospital.
Luo Xue glared angrily. “We’ll think of something. If worst comes to worst…”
She said quietly, “Reduce the rescue operations…”
“We could have been making money.”
Luo Xue suddenly looked up and patted Jiang Wei. “Anyway, it’s not your fault. I’ll go try tonight.”
“Be careful tonight. Bring the stun baton.”
Jiang Wei nodded faintly. “Mm. Don’t worry.”
Luo Xue struggled for a moment, then finally spoke up: “Weiwei, you married Qin Xiaoye to repay the Jiang family for raising you, didn’t you? In this marriage alliance, the Jiang family is the one who benefits the most.”
Jiang Wei’s expression froze briefly, then she smiled: “No. Qin Xiaoye is very handsome.”
Luo Xue: “You were already engaged. You were supposed to marry…”
Jiang Wei interrupted: “Xuexue, don’t bring it up. I’m already married.”
Luo Xue let out a long, quiet sigh: “I’ll go figure out a way to get money.”
She freshened up a bit and hurried out of the hospital.
Jiang Wei continued busying herself with surgeries, post-operative care, and checking on the hospitalized small animals.
The night grew deeper.
Her expression darkened slightly as she walked out of the hospital.
Her footsteps were light as she quietly walked around the area, stepping into the grass and blending into the night, a faint “rustling” sound beneath her feet.
She reached the bushes Ding Yi had pointed out and crouched there quietly for a while—remote and pitch-dark.
A few meows sounded.
Mixed with the cries of stray cats in heat.
And the chirping of crickets.
Rustling sounds.
The heavy footsteps of a man instantly put Jiang Wei on alert.
She watched from the shadows the dark silhouette of a tall man as he walked into the remote bushes.
The man called out “meow meow” in a coquettish voice, holding a trap cage in his hand, and placed a small fish inside.
Jiang Wei swallowed hard, nervous.
A two-month-old black-and-white piebald kitten saw the fish in the cage and let out a soft “meow meow.”
A large black cat emerged, circled the cage once, hesitated, gazing at the fish.
After a long moment, it reached a paw inside.
Couldn’t reach.
The little black-and-white kitten lay nearby, watching with eager eyes, crying “mew mew.”
The big black cat hesitated, then took a step forward, reaching the edge of the cage.
It took another step forward with its paw, stepping into the cage.
Jiang Wei’s heart was more nervous than the cat’s. She chanted inwardly: Don’t go in, don’t go in.
The big black cat carefully moved forward again, bit down on the small fish with its mouth, and the cage door slammed shut with a “bang.”
A “crack” sound.
The big black cat cried “mew mew” in panic, and the little black-and-white kitten outside the cage vanished with a swoosh.
In the dark green grass and bushes lay a small fish—the big black cat had mustered all its strength to throw it out before the cage closed, for the little kitten to eat.
A small fish exchanged for a life.
The kitten hid in the grass, watching the big cat with eager eyes, then looking at the small fish, letting out a soft “mew,” tears shimmering in its eyes. It knew its mother was gone…
Jiang Wei’s heart sank.
The man laughed out loud: “Hahahaha, I caught it. Too bad the little one got away. I’ll catch it next time.”
His footsteps were heavy as he emerged from the shadows, lifting the trap cage. The big black cat was terrified.
The man reached in with a gloved hand, grabbed the big black cat by the neck, and pulled it out, laughing: “Really stupid.”
The big black cat struggled.
He took a wire and wrapped it around the cat’s neck: “This wire will cut off your esophagus. You won’t be able to eat, but you’ll still live a few more days. Before you die, you’ll wish you were dead. And all of this, just because of one small fish. A beast is a beast—really stupid.”
The man stomped hard on the small fish with his foot: “You traded your life for it, and the kitten still won’t get to eat it.”
His hand slowly tightened. The big black cat struggled with “mew mew” cries, the wire about to embed itself.
Tears welled in the big black cat’s eyes, flowing out and soaking into its fur.
Jiang Wei felt her body trembling—angry, furious, and heartbroken.
She stepped coldly out from the shadows, radiating a chill: “What do you think you’re doing?”
The man saw Jiang Wei, looked her up and down, and sneered: “Just messing around. What, little girl, want to play with me? If I were to play with you, I wouldn’t be playing with it. How about it?”
Jiang Wei: “Let it go. Abusing cats is illegal.”
The man: “Pfft~ Cats aren’t people, so how is it illegal?”
“I could skin it, eat it, and nothing would happen.”
“I’ll let you watch it die with your own eyes, watch it beg and howl. Ever seen that? It’s a thrill. Little sister~”
“Holding the power of life and death, I am the master of its life. I can do whatever I want to it. I could even rip its guts out while it’s still alive.”
The man grabbed the cat and moved closer to Jiang Wei: “Little sister, come play with big brother. You’re so pretty, and you’ve got a great figure. Spend one night with big brother, and I’ll let it go.”
At the roadside, a black Maybach quietly came to a stop.
Inside the car, Qin Xiaoye, wearing a dark gray striped suit, exuded a brooding, noble, and cold aura: “Check that guy out.”
His gaze rested on Jiang Wei. She wore a white T-shirt and jeans, radiating pure, unyielding elegance. Her simple outfit looked beautiful and pristine on her.
Xiang Dong: “Yes, sir.”
Seeing the man approach, Jiang Wei didn’t move, her demeanor icy: “Let the cat go. If you ever abuse a cat again, however it dies, that’s how you’ll die.”
The man chuckled: “I see you’re not afraid of death. I can abuse it, and I can abuse you. Abusing you would be way more fun than abusing it.”
He grabbed the cat and stepped closer, his other hand reaching for Jiang Wei.
Qin Xiaoye’s hand rested on the car door, his composure wavering, about to push it open.
A sudden “zzzz” sound split the dark night like a thunderclap.
The man startled, his grip loosening. The big black cat slipped away, the wire around its neck not tight enough, falling to the ground.
The man stared at Jiang Wei in terror and fear.
Jiang Wei smiled, pure and beautiful, anger and mockery mingling in her eyes. In her hand was a running chainsaw, its “whirring” roar filling the air. Falling leaves touched the blade and were instantly shredded.
Moonlight gently swept across her face—fair, pure, and strikingly clear.
The moonlight brushed over the chainsaw in Jiang Wei’s hand, revealing its gleaming, razor-sharp edge, reflecting its menacing snarl.
The man’s hands trembled, his eyes filled with fear.
Jiang Wei smiled gently: “What, scared? Is there something wrong with a woman holding a chainsaw?”
The man stumbled back in terror: “You… you’re insane, you psycho killer…”
Jiang Wei stepped forward, her brows curved, her smile radiant: “Don’t go. Weren’t you the one who wanted to play with me?”