Both were lost in their own thoughts, unaware of how others perceived them. Especially Kuroji Taijo, who gritted her teeth in resentment toward Hua Lian. She glared fiercely at Hua Lian, unable to comprehend how such a mere “vase” could attract Luo Xizhi.
The strange atmosphere didn’t have a chance to spread, as the massive sports ground had already come into view. As one of the Four Great Families, the Hua estate covered an enormous area, naturally equipped with every kind of recreational facility. This sports ground resembled a large amusement park, appearing exceptionally grand.
“Building an amusement park at home truly a rich person’s hobby,” Kuroji Taijo remarked sourly, mocking Hua Lian’s childishness while recalling her own miserable childhood as the Black Road Princess. But as she spoke, expecting Hua Lian to feel ashamed, she instead found Hua Lian gazing at the amusement park with sparkling eyes. That look wasn’t superficial like before; it seemed as if she genuinely loved this place.
A surge of frustration choked Kuroji Taijo. The more she thought about it, the more irritated she became, until she noticed the vehicle transporting the mother wolf and her cub coming to a stop. A slight smirk curled her lips as she remembered something.
“Alright, lower it!”
The cage landed just then. When the black cover was lifted, a massive gray wolf came into view. Seemingly anxious and uneasy, it emitted a low, threatening growl, its entire body poised for attack. Its size was so immense that it appeared more than capable of carrying a human rider.
Hua Lian blinked, as if she hadn’t imagined a fully standing gray wolf could be this enormous. Moreover, this wolf was highly aggressive and nearly impossible to tame. But wealthy people had peculiar hobbies like pitting humans against gray wolves in a cage, enjoying the desperate struggle for survival. Or, for instance, some were born with a desire to conquer the unconquerable, be it animals or humans.
In any case, after a night of reading up on the subject, Hua Lian felt a twinge of regret.
The crowd around was large, and the gray wolf, catching various scents, grew increasingly agitated. It was then that people noticed the small wolf cub behind it. The cub was observing its surroundings, as if ready to flee at any moment.
“Well, Miss Hua, you can still back out now just a 30% penalty fee,” Kuroji Taijo spoke up, boldly stepping forward a few paces. Seeing the movement, the gray wolf angrily slammed against the cage. The seemingly sturdy cage shifted slightly on the transport platform, teetering precariously.
The onlookers gasped, unable to imagine the consequences of facing the gray wolf head-on. They glanced uneasily at Hua Lian, almost hoping she would retract her decision to ease the pressure on the entire Hua household staff.
Hua Lian looked at the mother wolf and her cub, feeling a bit worried herself. It wouldn’t matter if she were eaten, but she couldn’t let others suffer alongside her. Yet, if she returned the gray wolf pair, she feared what Kuroji Taijo, in her cruelty, might do to them.
“I believe the young lady has her own considerations,” the maid spoke up at that moment, launching into a mindless flattery of Hua Lian. Though Hua Lian was deeply grateful for the support of her choice at this time, she had never imagined that just a day later, the mother wolf who had been so docile yesterday would lose control like this.
But for some reason, after making this risky move, the maid gently nudged Luo Xizhi, as if wanting Luo Xizhi to do something as well. In any case, such loyalty was admirable, but it was still better not to push it.
“It should still be up to the young lady to decide. Why doesn’t the young lady go closer and take a look.”
Luo Xizhi spoke up at that moment, surprisingly continuing along the maid’s line of thought. Hua Lian didn’t understand at all, but if Luo Xizhi, the female lead, said so, then it should be fine. After all, at this point, Luo Xizhi hadn’t yet experienced those dark events and was still very kind-hearted.
Having settled her thoughts, Hua Lian moved closer. But as she approached, the wolf seemed to pause for a moment, then wagged its tail.
“Has it recognized the young lady?”
“Heavens, is the young lady this amazing?”
Luo Xizhi remained silent, only glancing at Hei Lu Tai Nü, as if confirming something. For example, whether Hei Lu Tai Nü had brought something to enrage the wolf, just to make Hua Lian lose face and cause this scene.
“Whimper, whimper.”
On the other side, Hua Lian had already stood before the cage, and the wolf let out a whimpering sound, as if deeply aggrieved by something. Its fur lacked luster, and the chains around its paws had rubbed its skin raw, making the entire wolf appear utterly dejected. But perhaps due to the original host’s innate charm aura, the wolf displayed a friendly side.
“Since the young lady seems to have a connection with this wolf, why not let it out and see what happens?” Hei Lu Tai Nü refused to believe in superstitions, of course. She had no intention of killing Hua Lian directly in this manner, so she had brought a tranquilizer gun. Even an elephant would quickly collapse from this tranquilizer; at most, Hua Lian would only suffer a disfiguring bite. The malice surged toward her, and Hua Lian almost felt as if she could smell the stench of a rotting soul. Perhaps because the system could only act cute, Hua Lian had become unusually sensitive to evil.
“What are you afraid of? It’s still shackled and can’t run fast,” Hei Lu Tai Nü continued to persuade, but everyone present was merely watching the show. Whether it was the original host or Hua Lian, their relationship with this group was clearly not close, which was why, even after a week of transmigration, no one had noticed Hua Lian’s abnormality.
“Young lady, you can definitely do it.”
Of course, the maid was extremely enthusiastic. Hua Lian looked at that plain face, but even now, she didn’t know the name of this maid who made her feel so secure. Yet she couldn’t shake the feeling that the maid was setting her up for failure.
“Do you want to come out now?” Hua Lian could only turn to the wolf and ask for its opinion. After all, she had already transmigrated into the book, so even the most absurd things could happen. According to yesterday’s documentary, wolves were far more intelligent than dogs. However, due to their nature, they couldn’t be tamed, though they could develop a friendship-like relationship.
The wolf nodded slightly, displaying remarkable intelligence. Seeing this, Hua Lian wouldn’t have been surprised if the wolf transformed into a human form the next second.
“Then don’t scare them, everyone’s quite timid.”
Hualian reminded once more at this moment, then greeted the burly man.
“Not bad, little girl. You’re not even afraid, while I’m terrified to death,” the man teased, seeming genuinely intrigued by Hualian’s composure. As the distance closed, although Hualian felt uneasy, she didn’t sense any disgust, indicating that this uncle was likely a decent person in some way.
“Big Gray Wolf doesn’t usually act like this. Someone probably has a scent it dislikes,” the man whispered a reminder. If his unfortunate market hadn’t been located right in the Crown Princess’s flower and bird market, he wouldn’t have to grudgingly play along with this childish game. But it had to be said, people born with this kind of affinity for animals were exceptionally rare, and the man really didn’t want Hualian to die like this.
Prompted by the man’s words, Hualian immediately had an answer. After all, that Crown Princess Hei Lu had been sarcastic and mocking the whole way it would be strange if she hadn’t done something.
“Thank you, big brother.”
“Big brother? It’s been so long since anyone called me that,” the man beamed, delighted by Hualian’s address. The atmosphere between the two was excellent; neither was particularly eloquent, yet the mood felt incredibly comfortable.
With this big brother’s kind reminder, Hualian asked everyone, including Crown Princess Hei Lu, to keep their distance.
“You’re sure about this, young lady? Don’t blame me if your pretty face gets scratched later.”
“Thank you, I know what I’m doing,” Hualian replied coldly, holding her breath, afraid to accidentally inhale more of that soul-deep stench. As soon as she finished speaking, she abruptly stepped back, not hiding her disdain for Crown Princess Hei Lu. But as she turned, Hualian saw the female lead, Luo Xizhi.
“You should step back too.”
“Young lady, didn’t you say I should accompany you in everything you do?” Luo Xizhi responded calmly, still like an unattainable flower on a high peak, exuding an indescribable sense of distance. Hualian thought that if she were reading a novel, she would definitely like a cool, aloof female lead like Luo Xizhi. But in reality, Hualian often felt that the other was too cold, lacking any extra emotion.
“That statement is invalid today. Hurry up, who knows whose scent Big Gray Wolf dislikes?” Hualian emphasized again. Besides trusting the man’s words, another reason was that she didn’t want her decisions to inconvenience others. And if she died under such circumstances, Hualian felt she would have no regrets.
Luo Xizhi glanced at Hualian, ultimately not insisting, and turned to leave.
Now, only Hualian and the big brother remained nearby. The big brother held a training whip and wore full protective gear. Around them were anesthetics and other tools, prepared for any unexpected developments. Once everything was ready, the two stood on either side of the cage and simultaneously released the hidden latches.
The cage bars were extremely heavy, difficult to lift manually. Big Gray Wolf remained quite reserved, seemingly aware of how intimidating it was. The little wolf cub, seeing the bars open, excitedly squeezed through the gap and began circling the cage.
These two wolves had been raised in captivity since birth and had never run free. But now, with the cage bars open, it felt as if they were being reminded of the freedom they had finally gained.
The surroundings were utterly silent. The bodyguards held their electric batons, watching the scene nervously. Even if they couldn’t understand Hua Lian’s terrifying hobby, as hired employees, they clearly couldn’t change anything.
At that moment, the cage door opened halfway. The gray wolf hesitated for a moment before cautiously taking its first step out. It was filled with vigilance, as if worried that someone nearby might strike it, appearing extremely cautious and careful.
“Come out.”
Hua Lian spoke at that moment. With her words, the gray wolf mustered its courage and stepped out of the cage. It stood there, seemingly dazed by the fact that it was now outside the cage. It wasn’t until the little wolf cub nuzzled its leg that the gray wolf seemed to realize it was truly outside. It let out an excited howl. Even though it was still restrained by leg shackles, it had taken one step closer to freedom.
Hua Lian watched all of this, feeling an inexplicable sense of emotion. The gray wolf seemed to sense her feelings and carefully nuzzled her head. Suddenly, Hua Lian felt something welling up in her eyes. She quickly leaned closer to the gray wolf to hide her emotions.
“How beautiful.”
Someone in the crowd murmured, and only then did Luo Xizhi realize she had been watching in a daze. But she was certain it wasn’t the original host’s beauty that had captivated her it was the aura this transmigrator carried, something that made people unable to help but be drawn to her.
What Luo Xizhi found most amusing was that the sarcastic and scheming Black Road Princess, who moments ago had been mocking Hua Lian, was now staring at her intently, completely forgetting her supposed devotion to the female lead.