Chapter 15: Be Gentle with Your Husband

“Does that mean wherever this tiger was hunted is your trap? Uncle Da Yong, you’re so domineering. So the entire back mountain belongs to you...” Fang Ning said loudly.

Li Dayong’s face flushed red as he retorted, “Stop making excuses. Don’t think we don’t know who you are.”

“Exactly! Haven’t you been cheating, stealing, and scamming all these years?”

“Return the tiger quickly! The cubs might be forgivable, but this tiger is a rare treasure. How dare you steal it?”

“Enough talk. Leave the tiger here, or don’t blame us Li family for taking action!”

...

The Li clan members chimed in support.

“Leave the tiger here, and I’ll pretend this never happened!” Li Dayong declared confidently. “I might overlook other things, but you can forget about taking this tiger!”

Suddenly—

Whizz!

An arrow sliced through the air, narrowly missing Li Dayong’s ear and embedding deeply in the tree behind him.

Li Dayong’s eyes widened in terror.

“What kind of trap could kill a tiger so cleanly? I want to see for myself,” came a voice from the crowd, neither distinctly masculine nor feminine.

Fang Ning’s heart skipped a beat.

It was the “fiancée”!

Everyone turned around to see a tall young woman wearing a bamboo hat, drawing her bow, standing behind them.

The villagers paled with fear and hastily stepped aside, wary that her hand might tremble and send an arrow into their heads.

“I’m giving you one chance to see clearly how this tiger died!” Si Yuheng pulled her bow taut, aiming at Li Dayong. “Or perhaps you want to experience the tiger’s fate yourself?”

Though Li Dayong often hunted in the mountains, it was only for small game like pheasants and rabbits. He never dared to touch anything larger. He had never seen such a scene.

He collapsed onto the ground, drenched in sweat. “The tiger was—was shot with arrows, not caught in my trap... It’s not mine...”

“Where are the wounds?”

“Eyes, ears, throat...”

Si Yuheng sneered.

“I was wrong. This tiger isn’t mine. Captain Fang, I’m sorry. It was my greed that made me want to hunt the tiger!”

“Do you Li family members still want us to leave the tiger here?” Fang Ning put her hands on her hips. “I’m telling you, my fiancée might have handled it. If any of you dare bully me, I’ll unleash my fiancée on you!”

Si Yuheng: “...”

“Ning Ning, is that really Xingyun?” Liang Anrong grabbed her, asking urgently.

“Yes, he’s my ‘fiancée’!” Fang Ning nodded emphatically, as if afraid no one understood, then waddled over with short legs.

Terrifying...

Just reaching her chest!

Si Yuheng looked down at the little chubby figure and thought he should never have chosen Fang Ning in the first place.

“Xingyun, can you take off your bamboo hat so everyone can see you?”

Fang Ning pushed her luck.

Si Yuheng said coldly, “If you delay any longer, it’ll be dark soon!”

“Oh, Xingyun, don’t be so fierce. You should be gentle with your husband.”

Si Yuheng turned and walked away.

He shouldn’t have meddled and stepped in to bail Fang Ning out.

“Xing...” Liang Anrong started to call out but the figure strode away with long legs.

Fang Ning’s smile vanished.

The original child was just an unknown village kid. How could such a formidable man choose him as his “fiancée”?

Who exactly was Si Xingyun?

What was he planning?

Fang Ning withdrew her gaze and looked at the still-sitting, struggling Li Dayong. She spoke slowly, “Uncle Da Yong, don’t be greedy for what’s not yours, or I’ll have my Xingyun bite you to death.”

Hearing this from afar, Si Yuheng’s temple twitched violently.

This kid really made him want to give him a good beating!

The Li family members felt ashamed and glared fiercely at Li Dayong.

“Captain Fang, we were in the wrong today. We accused you without asking properly. Sorry!”

Fang Dinian chuckled, “It’s okay, it’s good that the misunderstanding is cleared.”

Hearing this, everyone paused and instinctively glanced at the setting sun in the west—it was almost dusk... Could the Fang family’s main branch really have changed?

“Second uncle, third uncle, let’s take him to town first. It’ll be too late otherwise.”

The Li clan agreed, and Fang Ning didn’t want to argue further.

Fang Wenqin and Fang Wenchang silently pushed a wooden cart away.

Fang Ning shouted after Si Yuheng, “Xingyun, wait for me!”

Si Yuheng quickened his pace.

Why did he have to choose today to hunt that tiger?

Fang Ning’s short legs couldn’t keep up and she finally gave up.

Next time she met him, she’d definitely try to get some answers!

No grudges, everyone can part amicably.

If there are grudges... maybe a sincere change of heart would work?

“Ning Ning, is he really Si Xingyun?” Liang Anrong caught up and whispered. “Why is this kid so tall?”

“Probably because his parents are tall,” Fang Ning replied cautiously, avoiding modern terms.

After all, Si Xingyun was like a mysterious dragon—no one knew his true identity or depths. He might be some unfathomable martial arts master in this world; Fang Ning couldn’t tell!

“This kid seems nice. Won’t he find you too short?”

“Mom, don’t forget... I’m a girl.”

The last two words, Fang Ning mouthed silently.

Liang Anrong slapped her forehead. “Ah, I forgot.”

Still, she could easily imagine herself as the mother-in-law and found Si Xingyun quite agreeable. It was a pity they had a daughter, not a son—if only they could marry off such a daughter-in-law!

Fang Ning was speechless all the way to town.

Si Yuheng had long vanished.

At this moment, the Quanwei Tavern was bustling.

They brought the tiger to the tavern’s front entrance, and Fang Ning went inside to find Manager Lin.

“Oh, Xiao Ning, what brings you here?” Manager Lin was surprised to see Fang Ning.

“Manager Lin, do you want this tiger?”

“What?”

Manager Lin thought he must have misheard.

“Today I hunted a tiger in the mountains. It just died. Manager Lin, do you want it?”

“Where is it?”

Manager Lin’s voice trembled with excitement.

Was this the one from the back mountain of Futian Village?

The owner had been desperately needing tiger gallbladder for medicine—it was like someone bringing a pillow to a sleepy person.

“Quick, take me to see it!”

“It’s right outside.”

Manager Lin followed Fang Ning outside.

A crowd had already gathered.

Many had heard of tigers, but few had actually seen one!

Everyone was curious, and some even tried to touch it.

Manager Lin shouted, “Don’t touch! If the fur gets damaged, can you pay for it? Xiao Dong, come quickly, move this tiger to the back door.”

The diners inside heard this and hurried out to watch the commotion.

Manager Lin was so anxious he wished he could move the tiger himself.

Fortunately, the waiters worked swiftly and soon moved the tiger to the back door, closing it to keep onlookers away.

“A fixed price: five hundred taels!” Manager Lin got straight to the point. “We want this tiger.”

Seeing Manager Lin so anxious about the tiger, Fang Ning guessed it was a must-have. Thinking of their owner, that scoundrel, her eyes gleamed with a mischievous idea.

A special agent who doesn’t take advantage of a crisis isn’t a good special agent!

“Manager Lin, you can’t treat us like this. Five hundred taels is too little.”