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The black George Patton SUV quietly drove through the base’s training grounds, heading deep into the back mountains.
Shen Yu drove the vehicle himself and did not bring any followers with him.
Xia Zhiyao curled up in the passenger seat, both hands tightly gripping the seat belt.
The farther they traveled, the rougher the road became. The vegetation on both sides grew increasingly dense and primitive. Massive trees towered into the sky, blocking out the sunlight and making it feel as though the road had led them into another untouched, savage world.
Not long after, the vehicle stopped in front of two enormous iron mesh gates, each standing six meters tall.
Warning signs displaying high-voltage electricity symbols hung on the fence. Beyond the gates was a stretch of primitive jungle that had been completely enclosed.
This seemed to be the edge of the base.
There were no guards stationed nearby. The only thing protecting the area was this circle of steel fencing.
Shen Yu turned off the engine and stepped out of the vehicle.
“Get out.”
Xia Zhiyao trembled as she climbed out of the car.
The soft-soled shoes on her feet touched the gravel-covered ground, and the sharp stones pressed painfully against her soles. She carefully followed behind Shen Yu, her nerves tightening with every step.
Shen Yu walked up to the iron fence.
He brought his right thumb and index finger together, placed them near his lips, and let out a sharp, clear whistle.
The sound pierced through the jungle.
A few seconds later...
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The ground began to tremble faintly.
The dense bushes ahead shook violently. A moment later, a massive golden figure suddenly burst out from within!
“Roar!”
A wave of foul wind rushed toward them.
“Ah!”
Xia Zhiyao screamed in fright.
Without thinking, she hid behind Shen Yu and tightly grabbed his strong arm.
A lion.
It was an adult female lion.
Its body was nearly two meters long, covered in powerful muscles beneath golden fur that shone brightly under the sunlight. Its enormous jaws opened wide, revealing fangs sharp enough to crush a human skull. Its golden vertical pupils carried a cold, wild light.
The lion charged straight toward the iron fence.
Its enormous claws slammed against the metal mesh.
Clang!
The entire enclosure shook from the impact.
Shen Yu calmly walked forward.
Xia Zhiyao truly did not dare approach, so she could only remain where she was and watch from a distance.
“Martha.”
Shen Yu reached his hand through the gap in the iron fence.
The female lion, which had appeared terrifying only moments ago, immediately lowered its ears when it heard that name.
It lowered its massive head and gently licked Shen Yu’s palm with its rough tongue, letting out a deep rumbling sound from its throat.
The lion was even a full size larger than the ones Xia Zhiyao had seen in zoos.
At this moment, it looked like a giant cat that had been magnified countless times.
Through the iron fence, it affectionately rubbed its huge head against Shen Yu’s palm, completely trusting and dependent on him.
Shen Yu skillfully scratched the lion’s chin.
The usually cold and ruthless man now had a rare trace of gentleness in the corners of his eyes and brows.
“Her name is Martha.”
“Is she beautiful?”
Martha.
So this was the Martha Ji Chen had mentioned.
Xia Zhiyao’s face turned pale.
How could she still tell whether the lion was beautiful or not?
All she could see were those cold, beastly eyes and the claws that could easily tear her apart.
“Tomorrow, I’m going to patrol the supply routes. I can’t take her with me, so I came here to say goodbye.”
As Shen Yu spoke, he opened the iron gate beside them.
The moment the gate opened, Xia Zhiyao’s heart nearly stopped.
The lion slowly walked out.
It circled around Shen Yu twice, its thick tail swaying from side to side. In the end, it actually obediently lay down beside his feet and began leisurely licking its paws.
“Come over.”
Shen Yu turned his head and looked at Xia Zhiyao, who was hiding three meters away.
Xia Zhiyao immediately shook her head. Tears almost welled up in her eyes.
“I... I don’t... I’m scared...”
She did not want to disobey him, but she was genuinely afraid.
“She doesn’t bite people.”
Shen Yu frowned.
He disliked being refused, but he still patiently explained.
Xia Zhiyao looked at the lion, then at Shen Yu, silently weighing the situation in her mind.
Hmm...
Shen Yu was still scarier.
She gritted her teeth.
Like someone walking toward an execution ground, she slowly dragged her feet forward step by step.
Finally, she arrived beside the lion.
A strong, wild, animal-like scent rushed toward her.
“Touch her.”
Shen Yu smiled faintly.
He grabbed Xia Zhiyao’s stiff, ice-cold little hand and directly placed it on top of the lion’s broad head.
The feeling beneath her palm was rough yet warm, completely different from what Xia Zhiyao had imagined.
The lion seemed slightly displeased by the unfamiliar scent. A low growl began rumbling deep in its throat.
Xia Zhiyao held her breath, feeling as though her blood had frozen.
Shen Yu lowered his voice and ordered,
“Martha, quiet.”
The lion, which had been slightly restless, immediately calmed down when it heard Shen Yu’s voice.
It even took the initiative to rub its head against Xia Zhiyao’s palm.
It was not because he liked her.
It was only because her body carried that man’s scent.
That scent was the highest command that allowed passage through this jungle.
Shen Yu released her hand.
He took a cigarette from his pocket, lit it, and leaned against the fence while watching the woman and the lion together.
“After getting Martha’s scent on you, even the wolf packs won’t dare approach you when you move around the back mountain in the future.”
He exhaled a ring of smoke and, unusually, offered an explanation.
Uh...
Does this mean she now has one less way to die?
Xia Zhiyao thought.
She slowly withdrew her hand and crouched on the ground, looking at the enormous beast obediently lying beside Shen Yu’s feet.
Her heartbeat gradually calmed down.
“How old is she?” Xia Zhiyao asked curiously.
“Five years old. I raised her from when she was little.”
“Then… what about her… her parents?” Xia Zhiyao asked softly. “Is she the only one?”
“They’re dead.”
Shen Yu flicked the ash from his cigarette.
“Five years ago, they were killed by poachers. Their skins were taken. When I found her in the Sahel, she hadn’t even been weaned yet. I brought her back with me.”
So she was an orphan too.
In this world where the weak became prey for the strong, the fate of a cub that had lost its protection was usually miserable.
If she had not met Shen Yu, this lion would have long since become someone else’s carpet or been turned into medicinal wine.
Xia Zhiyao looked at the majestic yet lonely lion, and the softest part of her heart was suddenly touched.
A bitter feeling of shared sorrow rose to the tip of her nose.
In this unfamiliar land, deep within these mountains and forests, how was she any different from this lion?
Both had lost their freedom.
Both could only survive by relying on this man’s mercy.
“So pitiful…”
Her eyes reddened slightly as she unconsciously murmured,
“I also really want to go home… I really miss Mom and Dad…”
The moment those words left her mouth, the atmosphere around them froze.
The relaxed mood from moments ago disappeared instantly.
A chill ran down Xia Zhiyao’s back as she suddenly realized what she had said.
She immediately wanted to take back her words, but it was already too late.
She sucked in a cold breath, her eyes widening as she looked up at Shen Yu in fear.
Shen Yu was still leaning against the fence, slowly exhaling smoke.
His dark eyes were deep and unreadable as he silently stared at her.
The cigarette ember flickered between his fingers.
But the gentle expression that had just appeared on his face, along with the faint warmth between a man and the creature he cared for, had completely disappeared.
At that moment, Xia Zhiyao regretted it deeply.
How she wished time could turn back, allowing her to take back that thoughtless sentence.
She should never, ever have revealed even the slightest hint of wanting to escape in front of this extremely controlling man.
“Mr… Mr. Shen… I didn’t mean…”
She tried to explain, her voice trembling.
“Get in the car.”
Shen Yu’s voice was indifferent.
He threw away the cigarette he had only smoked halfway. His military boot crushed the glowing ember beneath it.
Then he turned around, opened the car door, and sat inside.
The journey back was silent.
Deathly silent.
It was the kind of silence that came right before a storm.
Shen Yu did not say another word to her throughout the entire ride.
The air conditioner turned extremely low. Xia Zhiyao curled up in the passenger seat, feeling cold all over.
She knew that the fragile balance they had just managed to establish had been shattered by her own hands.
She was finished.
Completely finished.