Dad said he was taking me to see the tigers, but he kicked me out of the car right inside the tiger enclosure. My stepmom in the car pretended to scream, but she held her phone up the whole time, recording. The tigers yawned and slowly walked toward me. "Roar—These two humans are terrible actors!" "Throwing a cub outside while hiding in a metal shell, are they trying to frame us for eating a human?" "This kid looks like she doesn't even have a pound of meat on her, not even enough to get stuck between my teeth." I stood in the freezing wind, listening to the tigers talk, tears and snot running down my face. Just then, the biggest tiger walked over and nudged me so hard with its massive head that I fell on my butt. "Roar—Kid, do you want a new dad?" "The new zookeeper is a rich kid experiencing life. Come with me, I'll let you be a wealthy heiress." 1 The first snow of winter. The wind blew against my face, stinging like a knife. Dad said he was taking me to the zoo to see the tigers. But as soon as we entered the tiger enclosure, he stopped the car, turned his head, stared at me, and urged me urgently: "Chloe, Dad's car is broken. Get out and give it a push. Just a little push and Dad will let you back in." I was an obedient child. I thought, as long as I pushed the car like a good girl, Dad wouldn't lock me in the pitch-black basement like he did at home. But the moment I stepped out of the car, the door locked with a click. The car clearly wasn't broken. Dad slammed on the gas, and the car instantly slid away dozens of feet, leaving me far behind. I panicked, chasing after it on my freezing, stiff little legs. "Dad! Dad, wait for Chloe!" "Chloe is cold! Chloe is scared!" The car stopped. But not to pick me up. In the back seat, my mom—my stepmom—was holding her phone, pointing it at me. Through the glass, I saw her exaggeratedly covering her mouth, as if she were screaming, but her eyes were clearly smiling. This was the free-roaming area of the tiger enclosure. Several enormous Siberian tigers were stepping through the snow, slowly walking toward me. Terrified, I slumped into the snow, trembling all over. I thought I was going to die. But right then, I heard the lead tiger sigh. It shook the snow off its body, its whiskers twitching. "Roar—These two humans are terrible actors!" "Throwing a cub outside while hiding in a metal shell, are they trying to frame us for eating a human?" "This kid looks like she doesn't even have a pound of meat on her, not even enough to get stuck between my teeth." The tigress next to him agreed, casting a disgusted look at the SUV. "Roar—What is that woman waving that shiny thing around for? It's blinding." "Probably wants to record the cub being eaten by us. Humans are disgusting." I was stunned. The cold wind blew down my collar, but I forgot to cry. They... weren't going to eat me? Seeing me standing there dumbfounded, the lead tiger even rolled its eyes. It took a few steps and stood right in front of me. A giant shadow cast over me. I smelled a faint, musky scent from it, along with an indescribable warmth. It lowered its head and nudged my shoulder with its massive head. It was a bit strong. I immediately plopped down onto the ground, landing on my butt. "Roar—Kid, do you want a new dad?" Its huge face was extremely close, its golden pupils reflecting my disheveled figure. "The new zookeeper is a rich kid experiencing life. He's dumb, rich, and has a good heart. Come with me, I'll let you be a wealthy heiress?" 2 I stared at it blankly. A new dad? "I have a dad..." I mumbled softly, instinctively looking toward that black SUV in the distance. That was my dad. Even though he didn't let me eat at the table, even though he always whipped my calves with a cane, even though he only let me wear a thin, old school uniform in the winter. He was still my dad. The big tiger snorted a breath of hot air, blowing a cloud of white mist into my face. "Roar—That piece of trash who threw you into a tiger's mouth to scam insurance money?" "Don't be silly, cub, that's murder." "I was walking by the car earlier and heard them. The man said he bought a million-dollar accident insurance policy on you." A million dollars? I knew that was a lot, a lot of money. It could buy countless steaming hot meat buns, it could buy Dad a new car, it could make my stepmom stop calling me a money-losing burden. So, I was worth that much money. But I had to die for that money to become real. Tears immediately welled up, scalding hot, falling onto the snow and melting little pits. The big tiger got anxious. It stuck out its rough tongue, wanting to lick my face, but afraid the barbs would scratch me, it only used its paw to gently bat at my cotton jacket. "Roar—Don't cry! Tigers hate it most when cubs cry!" "Come on, come on, let's go find that sucker zookeeper. He just finished cutting our beef and is probably bored out of his mind right now." In the distance, Dad's car window rolled down a crack again. He seemed very dissatisfied that the tigers were only circling me and hadn't lunged to tear me apart. He honked the horn twice. The sharp honking was exceptionally grating in the empty, snowy field; he was trying to anger the tigers. The big tiger's ears flattened, a low growl rumbling in its throat. "Roar—You got a death wish, don't you?" It turned around, faced the SUV, and let out an earth-shattering roar. "ROAR—!!!" The sound shook the snow off the tree branches, sending it rustling down. The two people in the car were clearly terrified. The car jerked violently, then, as if running for its life, the driver slammed on the gas and it shot forward, disappearing around the bend. They really left. Leaving me all alone with a group of fierce beasts. I had completely become a child without a father. The big tiger turned back, its tail gently sweeping across the back of my hand. "Roar—Alright, the trash has been taken out. Get on, Tiger Lord will carry you to the good life." It lowered its massive body, gesturing for me to climb onto its back. I sniffled, my freezing fingers grabbing onto its thick fur. So warm. Warmer than my bed at home. 3 The big tiger carried me on its back, familiarly navigating around a rockery and squeezing through a hidden iron gate. Walking down a long corridor, a glass room with heating appeared ahead. It was the zookeeper's break room. A young man was lying back in a rocking chair with his legs crossed, holding a game controller, fighting intensely on the TV screen. The room was very warm and smelled of braised beef noodles. The big tiger pushed the door open with its head. The man didn't even turn his head, his voice lazy. "Rex, didn't I just feed you? Here to mooch some heat again? How many times have I told you, no turning into a mythical spirit after the park closes. Opening doors yourself, what's that about?" The big tiger ignored him, walking straight to the rocking chair and tilting its body. I slid off its back and fell onto an expensive-looking rug. The man was right at a critical moment in his game when he caught a glimpse of a dirty shadow out of the corner of his eye. His hand shook, and a massive "GAME OVER" appeared on the screen. "Holy shit!" He sprang up from the rocking chair, staring wide-eyed at me, then looked at the big tiger, who put on a completely innocent face. "Rex, you... turning into a mythical spirit is one thing, but how the hell did you start child trafficking?" He crouched down, his line of sight level with mine. This older brother was really handsome; his eyes were like peach blossoms, bright and clear. But he looked a bit fierce, his brow furrowed tightly. "Kid, who are you? How did you get in here?" I shrank my neck, wanting to hide behind the big tiger. But the big tiger used its tail to block my retreat, pushing me toward the man. "Roar—Lucas, catch! This is the daughter I found for you!" "Roar—This kid has had a hard life, her own dad tried to feed her to us tigers. Isn't your family rich? Raising a cub won't be any trouble for you." Of course, the man couldn't understand tiger talk. He only saw this tiger, usually aloof to the point of death, now acting like a salesman, shoving a child as dirty as a little mud monkey into his arms. I kept my head down, looking at my canvas shoes with holes in them, my voice as quiet as a mosquito. "Hello, Uncle... My name is Chloe." "My dad... left me behind." Lucas's frown deepened. He reached out and pinched my chin, forcing me to look up. His fingers were long and warm, smelling nicely of soap. "Left you behind?" He glanced at my face, purple from the freezing cold, and the faint blue and purple bruises on my neck. His eyes instantly darkened. "Left you in the tiger enclosure?" I nodded, the tears unable to stop falling again. "Dad said the car broke down, told me to push it... and then he left." Lucas took a deep breath, swearing under his breath. But he quickly reined in his hostility. He turned, grabbed the braised beef noodles from the table, thought for a second, and put them back down. He rummaged through the cabinets, found an expensive box of imported milk and a bag of chocolate cookies, and shoved them into my hands. "Eat something first." "I fucking hate animals like that the most." He pulled out his phone, dialed a number, his tone becoming incredibly cold. "Hey, old man, stop rushing me to come home." "I've run into a situation. Someone just tried to murder a child right under my nose." "Pull the park's security footage for me, and also, contact the Chief of Police. I need to report a crime." 4 Lucas was no ordinary zookeeper. Rex told me that. Rex was lying on the rug, licking his paws while "gossiping" with me. "Roar—This kid's name is Lucas Hayes, he's just here because he's bored out of his mind. The corporation his family owns could probably buy ten zoos like this." "Last time the zoo director saw him, he was bowing and scraping." "Stick with him, and you'll be eating the finest food from now on, meat buns every day." I hugged the warm milk, taking small sips. My stomach felt warm, and my body felt warm too. Lucas took off his expensive-looking down jacket and wrapped me up like a burrito. He was sitting in front of the monitors, replaying the footage over and over. On the screen, Dad's car sped away, my tiny figure fell into the snow, surrounded by tigers slowly closing in. Even knowing the tigers hadn't planned to eat me, watching it on the monitor was still heart-stopping. Lucas's fists cracked as he clenched them. "Is this something a fucking human does?" He looked back at me, his eyes carrying a bit more pity, no longer as fierce as before. "Kid, don't be afraid." "Since Rex brought you back, I'm taking charge of this." Just then, a commotion came from the door. There were the sounds of a man and a woman crying hysterically, mixed with police sirens. "Officers! Please save my daughter!" "My daughter is still in there! If she gets eaten by tigers, I won't want to live anymore!" It was my stepmom's voice. She cried so loudly, it sounded like she was truly heartbroken. My dad's voice chimed in too, full of anxiety and remorse. "It's all my fault! The car suddenly lost control! How could I just leave Chloe all alone!" "My Chloe!" Hearing their voices, my body instinctively trembled. That was fear carved into my bones. Rex immediately stood up, a threatening low growl rumbling in his throat. Lucas put a hand on Rex's head, a cold sneer curving his lips. "Quite the performance." He stood up, scooped me off the floor in one fluid motion, and settled me in his arms. His embrace was broad and tall. I had never been held like this before. "Let's go watch a show." Carrying me, he strode out of the break room. Rex followed closely behind us like a majestic bodyguard. A crowd had gathered at the entrance to the tiger enclosure. My dad and stepmom were kneeling on the ground, crying their eyes out to several police officers, surrounded by tourists holding up their phones to record. When they saw Lucas come out carrying me, with a massive, unchained tiger walking beside him. The crowd instantly fell silent, erupting in gasps of terror. My dad and stepmom's crying abruptly stopped. They stared wide-eyed at me, like they were looking at a ghost. My stepmom's expression froze for a second, then immediately morphed into an exaggerated look of tears of joy as she lunged toward me. "Chloe! Oh my god! You're still alive!" "You scared Mom to death! Come let Mom hug you!" She reached out her hands—hands with bright red nail polish that had pinched my arms countless times in the past. I instinctively shrank back into Lucas's arms. Lucas turned his body slightly, dodging my stepmom's hands. He looked down at the two of them from his towering height, his eyes looking at them like two piles of garbage. "Lady, save the acting. The Oscars owe you a golden statue." My stepmom's hands froze mid-air, her face turning red and white. My dad stood up, pointing angrily at Lucas. "Who are you? Give me back my daughter!" "I need to take her to the hospital for a checkup! She must have been terrified! I'm suing your zoo for compensation!" Lucas let out a light laugh, dripping with utter contempt. "Compensation?" "We definitely need to settle the score." He looked down at me in his arms, his voice suddenly turning gentle. "Chloe, tell the police officers, what just happened?" "Don't be afraid. With me and this big cat here, no one dares to touch you." All eyes were focused on me. My dad's eyes were full of warning and threats, hinting that if I spoke out of turn, I'd pay for it when we got home. My stepmom's hand secretly reached into her bag, as if trying to grab something. Just then, the usually silent Rex suddenly took a step forward and let out a low roar toward my stepmom's bag. "Roar—The stun baton is in that bad woman's bag!" I jerked my head up, looking at my stepmom's bag. Only I could understand Rex's words, but to everyone else, it looked like a tiger getting angry. Terrified, my stepmom's hand shook, and the bag dropped to the ground. Clatter. A black anti-wolf stun baton rolled out of the bag, still sparking with a faint electric current. The crowd erupted in an uproar. Lucas's eyes instantly turned as sharp as a knife. Holding me, he took a step toward my dad and stepmom. "Carrying a stun baton to a zoo?" "Or is it... something you use specifically to terrorize a child?" "Want to take the child back? Sure." Lucas pulled a black, gold-embossed business card from his pocket and threw it at my dad's face. "I am Lucas Hayes of the Hayes Group, and I am protecting this child." "If you want to take her, ask my legal team first, and then ask..." He patted the head of Rex beside him. "If he agrees." Rex cooperatively opened his massive jaws, revealing a mouthful of fangs. "Roar—Dare to try and snatch the daughter I've chosen? I'll bite you to death!" My dad's face instantly went deathly pale, not because of the tiger, but because of the words "Hayes Group." Around here, the Hayes Group was a force that could cover the sky with one hand. My destiny changed from that very moment. 5 The police quickly brought the situation under control. But my dad was clearly a seasoned operator. He quickly adjusted his expression, looking aggrieved. "Mr. Hayes, right? Even if you're rich, you have to be reasonable." "The stun baton is for my wife's self-defense." "As for leaving the child behind, that was a pure accident! The car malfunctioned and suddenly accelerated, we couldn't control it!" "We love our child! I am her biological father, would I harm her?" He wept tearfully, even pulling out his phone to show the lock screen, a picture of our "happy" family. That picture was taken under duress; my smile in the photo was incredibly stiff. The onlookers wavered a bit. After all, the concept that "there are no bad parents in the world" is deeply rooted in many people's minds. "Right, maybe it really was a misunderstanding?" "The child isn't hurt, and the parents look so anxious." Lucas watched coldly, not saying a word, only tightening his grip on me. He seemed to be waiting for something. Just then, Rex suddenly paced anxiously in a circle, his tail whipping the ground. He nudged my leg with his head, a rapid rumbling coming from his throat. "Roar—Cub! There's something else in that car!" "Before that guy got out of the car earlier, he pulled the memory card from the dashcam and stuffed it into the crack under the passenger seat!" "That card has the evidence of them discussing murdering you for the insurance payout!" My heart jolted violently. I grabbed Lucas's collar, summoned all my courage, and whispered into his ear: "Uncle Lucas..." "Dad hid the dashcam memory card under the passenger seat." Lucas's eyes lit up fiercely. He didn't need to ask how I knew; he chose to trust me unconditionally. "Officers!" Lucas shouted loudly. "Since this father claims the car malfunctioned, it just so happens I know a thing or two about cars." "To prove your innocence and find the cause of the malfunction, would it be too much to ask you to open the car door and let us inspect the dashcam?" My dad's face instantly went pale, fine beads of sweat breaking out on his forehead. "That... that's not necessary..." "Why isn't it necessary?" Lucas pressed closer. "Or is it because you have a guilty conscience?" The police also sensed something was wrong. "Sir, please cooperate with the investigation." Under the firm demands of the police, the car door was opened. My dad was still making a last-ditch effort, "The dashcam broke earlier, it didn't record anything..." But Lucas headed straight for the passenger side, reached his long arm down, and precisely pulled out a black memory card from the seat crevice. He held the card up, waving it at my dad, whose face had turned ash-gray. "Broken? Then what is this tightly hidden card?" "How about we play it right now so everyone can hear?" My dad's legs gave out, and he collapsed onto the ground. My stepmom screamed, trying to lunge forward and snatch it, but was firmly pinned down by the police. Lucas didn't immediately hand the card over to the police; instead, he looked at me first. His gaze was gentle yet firm, as if injecting me with strength. "Chloe, do you want to listen? Listen to what they actually said." I looked at my dad slumped on the ground; right now, he looked like a beaten dog. I shook my head. I knew what was on it. Nothing more than "how much money we can get if this kid dies," or "why hasn't she been eaten yet," things like that. I didn't need to confirm it anymore. "I don't want to hear it." I looked at Lucas and offered a faint smile. "Uncle, I don't want him to be my dad anymore." "I want to go with you." Lucas smiled. That smile was warmer than the winter sun. "Okay." "From today on, you are my, Lucas Hayes's, daughter." "If anyone dares to touch a hair on your head, I'll make them regret ever being born." Rex snorted loudly in satisfaction beside us. "Roar—That's right! Finding a good dad saves you twenty years of hardship!" "From now on, just say you're my goddaughter! The monkeys, bears, and lions in this park will all be your underlings!" Resting on Lucas's shoulder, I watched the police load my dad and stepmom into the police car. The wind and snow seemed to have stopped. This winter didn't seem so cold anymore. 6 Lucas brought me to a villa near the zoo. The villa was massive, like a small castle, but it was empty inside, with only a few simple pieces of furniture. "This is a place I stay occasionally; it's relatively quiet." He placed me on a soft sofa and cranked the heat up to maximum. "Rest here for a bit while I go get you something to eat." He turned into the kitchen, and soon, a cacophony of clattering sounds emerged from within. I sat on the sofa, hugging my knees, feeling a bit lost. It was so big here, so quiet, and... so unfamiliar. Rex couldn't follow us out, and I didn't have a single soul to talk to. I wondered if this handsome uncle would also suddenly change his face, just like my dad. After a while, Lucas came out holding a bowl of... something black and mushy. He looked a bit embarrassed. "Um... I'm not very good at cooking. How about we order takeout?" He pulled out his phone, expertly opened a delivery app, and handed the phone to me. "Order whatever you want to eat." The screen was filled with dazzling pictures of food: burgers, fried chicken, pizza, strawberry cake... These were all things I had only seen on TV. I swallowed hard but didn't dare reach out to tap. Dad used to say these were junk foods, and only disobedient children ate them. Besides, they must be very expensive. I shook my head and pushed the phone back. "I'm not hungry." Lucas looked at me, his frown returning. He didn't impatiently call me "picky" like Dad did. Instead, he sighed and put the phone away. He sat next to me, his voice very soft. "Chloe, listen to me." "From now on, this is your home. You can eat what you want, play with what you want, do what you want." "You don't need to walk on eggshells around anyone, including me." "You are my daughter, and providing for you is my natural duty." He ruffled my hair; his movements were clumsy but very warm. "So, tell me now, what do you want to eat? Uncle... no, Dad will buy it for you." The word "Dad," coming from his mouth, felt entirely different from when my biological father said it. My nose stung, and my tears fell again. I pointed at the prettiest picture on the screen and whispered. "I want to eat... that cake with strawberries." "Okay." Lucas placed the order immediately, ordering three different flavors all at once. That night, I had sweet buttercream cake for the first time. Lucas sat across from me, watching me eat, not taking a single bite himself. He seemed even happier than I was. At night, he took me to a bedroom on the second floor. The room was pink, with a giant princess bed piled high with all sorts of stuffed animals. "This will be your room from now on." "Just make do for tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you to buy the things you like." I lay on the bed, which was so soft I sank into it, covered with a quilt that smelled like sunshine. Lucas didn't leave immediately. He moved a chair to the side of the bed and told me a story. He told me the story of "The Little Mermaid." His voice was very nice, very gentle. Listening to him, I fell asleep. It was the most peaceful sleep I've had since I could remember. 7 The next day, Lucas really did take me shopping at the mall. It was my first time in such a beautiful place. There were sparkling lights everywhere, and it smelled wonderful. Holding my hand, Lucas walked straight into a children's clothing store. The clothes in the store were as pretty as princess dresses. The sales associate was very enthusiastic and brought me several dresses to try on. I put on a pink tulle dress and stood in front of the mirror, scarcely believing it was me. The little girl in the mirror was still thin and small, but she looked clean and pretty, no longer that dusty little mud monkey. Lucas leaned against the doorway, looking at me, his eyes filled with a smile. "Beautiful." He took out that black card and said to the sales associate. "This entire row, plus the ones she just tried on, wrap them all up." The sales associate's eyes lit up, looking at Lucas with admiration. I was startled and quickly grabbed the hem of Lucas's jacket. "Dad... that's too much... it'll be very expensive..." At home, my stepmom always called me a money-losing burden. I was afraid Lucas would also resent me for spending money. Lucas crouched down, bringing his eye level to mine. He looked seriously into my eyes and said, word by word. "Chloe, remember, you are my daughter, not a money-losing burden." "You deserve the best things in the world; no amount of money is too much." "From now on, you are not allowed to say the word 'expensive' again, do you hear me?" His expression was very serious, but I wasn't scared at all. My heart felt warm, as if it had been filled with something. That day, Lucas truly bought me a mountain of things. Beautiful dresses, cute shoes, all sorts of toys and snacks, filling up the trunk. Back at the villa, he piled everything in the living room and let me open the presents myself. I sat among the pile of gifts, opening box after box, feeling like I was in a dream. Lucas sat nearby, watching me and smiling. His phone buzzed. He picked it up, glanced at it, and his face suddenly darkened. "You play for a bit, Dad has to step outside to take a call." He walked into the yard, and I could see him through the floor-to-ceiling windows. His expression was very cold, completely different from his usual self. I felt a little scared and quietly walked over to the window. In the yard, a sparrow was perched on a branch, preening its feathers. I heard it complaining in its chirpy voice. "Chirp! That man looks so scary!" "Chirp, chirp! He just said on the phone, 'No one touches my people', so fierce!" "Chirp! Looks like his grandmother is coming? Sounds like a very formidable old lady!" Old lady? My heart leaped into my throat. Is it Lucas's grandmother? Is she... going to dislike me?
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