Chapter 59: Animal Consultant

Jiang Yuan hung up the phone, her slender brows furrowing slightly as a look of worry appeared on her plain, clean face.

Seeing that she hadn't spoken since finishing the call, Hu Rui asked curiously, "Yuan Yuan, why did you go quiet?"

Hu Jiu stared at Jiang Yuan's face, actually able to discern her current emotions. "You look like you're in a bad mood."

Jiang Yuan put down her phone, her gaze sweeping over the large tiger before her. She sighed, "The manager of the Tiger Garden called me. He said Hu Shan is hurting himself again."

Hearing this, the tiger brothers couldn't help but complain.

"What kind of madness is Hu Shan acting out now?"

"That silly brother... even a tiger doesn't know what to say to him!"

"..."

A slightly smaller tiger named Hu Ka suggested, "Should we go ask what's actually wrong with Hu Shan?"

Upon hearing this, Hu Jiu's eyes shrank, and he asked in surprise, "Are you saying... we should go show concern for Hu Shan?"

He immediately applied the knowledge Jiang Yuan had shared with them.

"You are brothers living together; surely you don't want to see anything happen to him," Jiang Yuan said softly. "Hu Rui heard Hu Shan saying he was in pain last night. Maybe he's feeling unwell physically. Perhaps I can get humans to help him."

The tiger brothers fell into deep thought.

Hu Rui was the first to speak: "Then let's go take a look. If that fellow Hu Shan is physically fine and just acting out on purpose, this handsome tiger is definitely going to give him a beating!"

Hu Jiu expressed his agreement: "Fine, let's go see. Maybe I'll give him a swat to knock him unconscious too."

The other tigers had no objections, so Jiang Yuan and the group of tigers marched grandly into the tiger enclosures.

When the tourists noticed the tigers leaving, they began to shout.

"Why are the tigers leaving? Don't run away!"

"Hey, I just started my livestream!"

"How do you even buy tickets for the tiger-riding project? When I ask the staff, they say there is no such project, so how did that woman get in there?"

"..."

Tourists uploaded footage of Jiang Yuan riding the tiger to the internet, instantly attracting the attention of netizens; she suddenly became the center of focus.

Jiang Yuan herself was completely unaware of this. At this moment, her entire heart was focused on Hu Shan.

Before even entering the enclosure, she could hear deaf-ening roars and heavy, dull thuds.

Behind the cold, hard iron bars, Hu Shan roared in agony, repeatedly slamming his head against the merciless metal. The bars vibrated with a low hum, as if wailing in sympathy for his pain.

"Ah—pain—"

"Hu Shan!" Hu Jiu roared, "You are seriously annoying us!"

"Hu Shan, where does it hurt?" Hu Ka leaned close to Hu Shan, only to be sent flying by a headbutt the moment he finished speaking.

*Thud—*

Hu Ka fell to the ground, grimacing in pain. "Hu Shan, are you crazy!"

Hu Shan's behavior instantly triggered the dissatisfaction of the other tigers. They pricked up their ears, their fur standing on end, and their bell-like eyes flashed with ferocity.

Hu Jiu shot a sidelong glance at Hu Ka, arched his back, and pounced forward like an arrow released from a bow, slamming Hu Shan hard against the cold iron bars.

Seeing this scene, Gu Yiwei broke into a cold sweat from anxiety.

Why were they fighting?

His brow furrowed deeply as he turned his gaze toward Jiang Yuan, who was sitting on the tiger's back, his eyes filled with a plea for help.

"Pain—" Hu Shan collapsed in front of the bars, his massive body sprawled on the ground. He let out low wails from deep within his throat, panting heavily as if even breathing had become a struggle.

"Hu Shan, are you feeling very unwell right now?" Looking at his weakened state, Jiang Yuan's eyes were full of worry. "Hu Rui, let me down."

Hu Rui was uneasy. "No, what if this kid goes crazy and attacks you?"

Hu Ka had just been an example.

Yuan Yuan was so small; she couldn't withstand a collision like Hu Shan's.

Jiang Yuan felt a thread of warmth spreading through her heart.

She did not refuse Hu Rui's concern, saying softly, "Then lead me a little closer."

Hu Rui stepped forward steadily with his four paws, approaching Hu Shan. It felt as if even the surrounding air had become silent and heavy.

"Hu Shan," Jiang Yuan called his name, her tone gentle. "Where do you feel the pain? We are very worried about you and really want to help."

"Yuan... Yuan?" Hu Shan's breathing was heavy, and his vision had become somewhat blurred. He caught a very pleasant scent, seemingly that of the human friend Hu Rui talked about every day.

"It's me." Jiang Yuan hadn't expected him to remember her. Her voice grew even softer. "Hu Shan, tell me where it hurts, okay?"

She felt that since Hu Shan was in such distress, it wasn't right for her to remain sitting on Hu Rui's back while trying to help him.

Jiang Yuan asked Hu Rui to let her down again. "Hu Shan recognizes me; he shouldn't attack me."

Hu Rui let out a warning growl: "If you dare bully Yuan Yuan, this handsome tiger will definitely bite you to death!"

Then, he slowly lowered his body, pressing his belly against the ground to make it easy for Jiang Yuan to jump down.

"Thank you, Hu Rui." Jiang Yuan reached out to pat his head and cautiously approached Hu Shan. "Hu Shan, let me help you, okay?"

Hu Shan's tiger eyes stared intently at her, the sharpness in his gaze gradually fading. His eyelids drooped slowly, and finally, he closed his eyes.

Watching this, Gu Yiwei felt a complex mixture of tension and anticipation intertwining in his heart.

Just then, a staff member called him; tourists were causing trouble in the viewing area, clamoring to see the tigers and demanding to ride them just like Jiang Yuan.

Gu Yiwei was so speechless he felt like he might suffocate. He lowered his voice and said through gritted teeth, "Tell them Miss Jiang is our hired animal consultant, here to solve the tigers' health issues! If they keep making a scene, call the police immediately!"

"Hu Shan, you keep saying it hurts. Where does it hurt?" Jiang Yuan had already reached Hu Shan's side.

Hu Shan let out a low growl from his throat: "I don't know..."

Jiang Yuan's beautiful brows knitted together; she felt this was going to be tricky.

Hu Shan actually didn't know where it hurt!

She pursed her lips, and after a moment of hesitation, she reached out to press on his abdomen. "Does it hurt here?"

Hu Shan: "No..."

Jiang Yuan pressed several spots, but Hu Shan indicated none of them hurt.

She thought for a moment, her gaze falling on his four paws.

"Does this paw hurt?"

"No..."

"This one?"

"No..."

Jiang Yuan took a deep breath, a thin layer of sweat forming on her forehead. Feeling anxious, she stared at his head with a frown. "If it's not your body, then is it your head?"

Hu Shan finally understood that Yuan Yuan was helping him locate the source of the pain.

He knew where it hurt, but he didn't know how to describe it.

Jiang Yuan raised her hand, preparing to pat Hu Shan's head to ask if his head was hurting, when suddenly, he opened his massive maw without warning. A thick, pungent odor rushed toward her like a tide.

The tiger's bad breath was like rotting meat, nearly suffocating Jiang Yuan and causing her body to tremble slightly.

Watching those sharp fangs, Gu Yiwei's pupils contracted, and his heart leapt into his throat.

The other tigers were also startled by Hu Shan's sudden movement.