LAVW – Chapter 153 Tiger Tiger

Amid the cheetah’s soft, adorable cries, the face of the so-called elite scum Hans gradually darkened.

Merlin glanced over, recalling how Qian’s eyes would light up whenever he saw small animals, and she no longer felt that this was “embarrassing for a tiger” at all.

What was wrong with liking to find a few playmates? It was nothing more than a childlike curiosity.

What was happening right now—this—was what truly disgraced both leopard and human alike.

It was painful to look at.

As the crowd of onlookers grew, Hans finally snapped.

“Lancel, get the hell down!”

A perfectly respectable elite—so furious he almost lunged straight at the leopard—only to be forcibly restrained by the bodyguards on either side.

Shi Qian saw the veins on Hans’s forehead throbbing visibly. Judging by the rhythm and speed, they were probably up to piano Grade Three or Four already.

Hans took two deep breaths and waved his hand. A huge poster was brought up from behind him.

The poster was held horizontally in front of the car window, blocking the stunning beauty inside. The cheetah Lancel stood up, trying to crane its head over the obstacle.

At that moment, the poster trembled slightly, revealing a lifelike portrait.

It was none other than Misiana from inside the car.

Compared with the real person in the car, the “person” on the poster had a much better attitude, smiling pleasantly.

The cheetah’s big eyes widened even further, its gaze glued tightly to the poster, as if a piece of blown-up bubble gum had stuck fast to it.

While Lancel was completely absorbed, a net swooped down from behind, enveloping it.

The cheetah kept staring at the poster, but once it was pulled away, its nose twitched, and as the scent of its “object of affection” grew fainter and fainter, it realized it had been tricked.

Lancel: “Waaah—ho!”

The soft, cute version of furious cursing arrived.

Hans somehow produced a pair of sunglasses, covered his face tightly, got into the car, shut the windows, and sped off up the hillside.

Shi Qian: Wow.

It really looked like he was fleeing for his life.

Such a heart-wrenching speed.

After finishing the show, Merlin led her well-behaved little tiger and headed back.

But halfway through the drive, every so often she would glance at Shi Qian, clearly wanting to speak yet hesitating.

Shi Qian: ?

Shi Qian let out a “roar” and pointed a paw toward the temporary parking spot ahead.

If you have something to say, say it. Don’t zone out while driving.

Merlin obediently pulled over, then turned sideways and asked with a serious expression, “Qian… do you think you’re… a person?”

Shi Qian: …

Shi Qian’s thoughts wandered a bit. He figured Merlin couldn’t possibly suspect that, like the cheetah Lancel, he might have mixed up the species of his “object of affection,” right?

Did he look like that kind of tiger?

Shi Qian stared at Merlin with his beautiful blue eyes and roared righteously, “Roar roar—”

I’m still a kid, you know.

Human words didn’t quite match tiger mouths, and Merlin continued with her worries. “But you don’t seem to like me much. Liking to eat, drink, and sleep—that’s fine. Wait—don’t tell me you like Deanna more?”

Shi Qian: …

Shi Qian lifted a paw and smacked Merlin on the face.

He moved fast and hit lightly, but the aim was dead on.

Merlin froze, blinking. “So… I guessed wrong?”

Shi Qian shot her an eye roll.

Merlin finally relaxed. “That’s good. I don’t know how much you actually understood, but I’m taking it seriously.”

Merlin couldn’t understand tiger language; their usual communication relied on guessing and her own imagination.

Generally speaking, she only asked questions with positive framing. That way, if Qian nodded, she could interpret it in a good direction.

If the answer seemed bad, she’d just rephrase it into a better one and ask again.

If Shi Qian knew this, he’d definitely shake his head hard and wonder whether she washed her hair too often and accidentally got shampoo into her brain.

With this small issue settled, Merlin continued driving back toward the Hong Gang.

This time she didn’t get distracted looking at Shi Qian—but in her heart, she was still pondering another question.

No matter what Qian thought of himself—tiger or human, or something else—there was one thing that would never change: other people would never truly treat Qian as an equal.

Like Mrs. Molly. She was someone who genuinely liked small animals. But Merlin knew that Mrs. Molly’s feelings were merely fondness—an expression of her kindness and compassion—not seeing them on equal footing.

Perhaps Merlin herself couldn’t manage true equality either.

But if Qian were like Lancel, possessing something “human,” manifested in other aspects—what could she do then?

A rich man like Hans, living up on the slopes of Beverly Hills, was certainly no simple figure. Yet when faced with Lancel’s “unreasonable” demands, all he could do was crudely force him away.

Some vague worries about the future slowly surfaced in Merlin’s mind.

The young girl didn’t realize that she was thinking more and more, her mind growing clearer by the day. Things she once thought were difficult, she could now resolve on her own, and she had begun to cast her gaze much farther ahead.

After attending the party and briefly glimpsing the “upper tier” splendor of the entertainment industry, Shi Qian and Merlin still had to return to their diligent struggle against debt, working hard day after day.

Not long after, Merlin sat for her exams and successfully obtained the necessary certification, half-switching careers to become an agent.

Another important matter was that the lawsuit with Johnny was about to go to trial.

With a good lawyer on their side, the case progressed fairly smoothly. There was a very high chance that Merlin would receive a large sum of money—enough to offset most of the debt.

But watching his money vanish and facing a massive debt of his own, how could Johnny possibly let it go?

So even though Merlin was living within the Hong Gang’s territory, Johnny still tried to keep an eye on her, pulling a few dirty tricks to scare her into backing off.

That day, Merlin took Shi Qian to an audition. On the way back, they encountered a large vehicle speeding straight toward them, neither slowing down nor yielding.

Sensing something was wrong, Merlin immediately decelerated and pulled over onto the shoulder, doing everything she could to avoid what seemed like a driver who had gone mad.

But she hadn’t expected that when she changed direction, the pickup truck would change direction too.

The oncoming vehicle completely crossed into the wrong lane, driving straight at her head-on!

“Qian! Wake up!”

In that split second, Merlin didn’t have time to think. She yanked the steering wheel hard, trying to turn away as fast as possible.

The lake was right beside them—there was nowhere to dodge. She could only try to change direction and escape.

Shi Qian had been asleep. Startled awake by Merlin’s voice, he opened his eyes.

With his excellent eyesight, he instantly saw Johnny’s face, twisted with madness.

In the man’s light-colored pupils was a frenzied smile that sent chills down one’s spine.

Fortunately, Shi Qian had seen plenty of lunatics before.

The spiritual energy he had been stockpiling for days burst forth in one go, surging toward the steering wheel under Johnny’s hands.

The suddenly slipping steering wheel put on a horrifying little show right in front of Johnny’s eyes and face—lasting about five seconds.

Five seconds later, the already fast-moving vehicle hurtled off the edge of the road, rolling down from the high ground and plunging into the lake.

The water exploded into massive waves, as if a giant torpedo had been thrown in and detonated.

Honestly, the commotion was huge—and terrifying.

Merlin pulled over and stopped the car, her heart still pounding wildly, her mind lagging behind what had just happened.

Shi Qian reached out a paw and pressed down the window, watching as the vehicle sank rapidly, swallowed by the water in the blink of an eye.

Even the buoyancy of the lake couldn’t instantly dissipate the momentum of the crash.

Before long, several dead fish, collateral victims, floated to the surface.

Shi Qian silently muttered: Amitabha.

The Buddha does not lie—Shi Qian had said he would take revenge. And the other party had struck first. He was truly very “Buddhist” about it.

Merlin murmured, “That person… is he dead?”

Then she fumbled in panic to call the police, explaining what had happened to her. She was badly shaken and had to repeat herself several times before she clearly conveyed the destination and the incident.

After finishing the call and finally exhaling, she blankly hugged the unresponsive tiger.

“Hey, Qian, are you scared?”

Shi Qian told a cold joke: “Ao.”

Don’t be scared. He’s dead.

Merlin comforted Shi Qian the same way: “Don’t be afraid. We’ll be able to go home soon.”

Still uneasy, Merlin called Guan Yunfei as well.

Guan Yunfei arrived even faster. Shi Qian felt that this, too, might count as a cold joke—just not a very funny one.

When the authorities arrived and pulled out the dead “big fish,” Merlin recognized the man, and her heart trembled even more.

Johnny had deliberately tried to kill her!

If the vehicle hadn’t suddenly lost control, the ones who might have died would have been her and Qian.

The two already had an ongoing lawsuit. Motive, vehicle condition, fingerprint analysis, the alcohol found in Johnny’s car—numerous pieces of evidence cleared Merlin of any suspicion.

When a person dies, it’s like a lamp going out—but debts do not disappear.

After the court’s judgment, Merlin still received compensation. After both sides tugged back and forth, it offset part of the debt originally owed by the circus.

Amid all this busyness, Merlin received a plea for help that Hans relayed to her.

“Lancel’s mood isn’t quite right. I see that Qian seems to like Lancel a lot—could you bring him over to keep Lancel company?”

“Is it because of what happened that day?” Merlin asked over the phone, a little awkward yet curious.

Shi Qian perked up his ears. “Roar.”

Go.

Let him see what a heartbroken leopard looks like.

Seeing how eager Qian was, and having free time that afternoon, Merlin agreed.

That afternoon, a car sent by Hans arrived at the Hong Gang. Amid the envious looks of the children at the luxury vehicle, Merlin got in with Shi Qian.

As for why there weren’t many adults at home? They’d all gone out to run street stalls—no time to spare.