Nuannuan finished that half an egg.
But the weight on the Su family's hearts would not lift.
Breakfast was an unbearably somber affair.
After the meal, the men of the Su family left for work one by one, their faces livid. Before leaving, each came over to pat Nuannuan's head.
They all carried a suppressed fury.
Lin Wanyi stayed with Nuannuan in the living room, playing with her, telling her stories, and teaching her to recognize characters.
Nuannuan was very bright and learned almost everything as soon as she was taught.
But she still spoke very little, always sitting quietly like a beautiful rag doll.
Only when "Big Kitty" was mentioned did her eyes light up.
And that "Big Kitty" was lying in the snow outside the small house at that very moment.
After jumping onto the windowsill in the middle of the previous night and being coaxed down by Su Mingfeng, it had never left.
It neither cried out nor wandered around, simply lying there quietly like a guardian deity.
The residents of the Su Family Compound were all prominent figures in the military district.
A living, breathing snow leopard appearing so brazenly in the compound soon caused an uproar.
The first to panic was Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang's family next door.
Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang's young grandson went out to play in the snow that morning. The moment he opened the door, he saw a white beast bigger than a calf lying outside the neighboring house, and ran back inside with a terrified wail.
"This is outrageous! What does the Su family think they're doing? Keeping tigers and leopards in a military compound?" Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang's wife, Auntie Wang, was a loud, sharp-tongued woman.
She immediately called the compound's security section and lodged a heavily embellished complaint.
"That beast's eyes are glowing green! It keeps staring right at our door! Who's going to take responsibility if it lunges over and bites someone? The Su family? No matter how high Su Zhenbang's rank is, he can't just act above the law!"
The complaint gave the security section a massive headache.
On one side was the Su family, with its founding hero; on the other was the incumbent Deputy Chief of Staff Zhang.
They could not afford to offend either side.
But a wild beast injuring someone would be an immensely serious matter.
The chief of the security section gritted his teeth, assembled a squad with riot-control nets and tranquilizer guns, and came charging over.
"Madam Su!" the security chief shouted into the small house from outside the entrance. "We've received a report that you're keeping a large wild beast here. This is a serious violation of the compound's regulations! For everyone's safety, we must take it away!"
Lin Wanyi was reading Nuannuan a story. Hearing the commotion outside, she frowned.
She opened the door, and her expression darkened at the sight of the armed contingent outside.
"Section Chief Wang, what is the meaning of this?"
"Madam Su, I'm sorry," Section Chief Wang said, forcing himself to proceed. "It's our duty. That snow leopard is a wild animal capable of attacking people. Keeping it in the compound poses an enormous safety risk. We must take it into custody by force."
Hearing the commotion, the snow leopard lying outside raised its head.
At the sight of the guns and nets in their hands, a threatening growl rose in its throat, and its ice-blue eyes filled with wariness.
"Let's see who dares touch it!"
A furious shout came from the staircase.
Su Mingfeng had returned at some point. Dressed in a crisp military uniform and holding his service pistol, he strode downstairs and planted himself in the doorway.
His icy gaze swept over Section Chief Wang and the security personnel behind him.
"This snow leopard saved my niece's life. It's a member of the Su family now. Anyone who wants to touch it will have to get past me first."
Sweat began streaming down Section Chief Wang's face.
Who was Su Mingfeng? A war hero who had fought on the battlefield and killed enemy soldiers. That murderous aura of his was no joke.
"C-Commander Su..." Section Chief Wang stammered. "Th-these are the regulations... We're only thinking of the compound's safety. What if... what if it hurts someone..."
"It won't hurt anyone." Su Mingfeng's voice was as cold as ice.
"How can you guarantee that? It's a beast!" a shrill voice rang out from the side.
Arms folded, Auntie Wang emerged from her own courtyard, looking as though she were enjoying a show. "Commander Su, your rank is high, and we can't afford to cross you. But this compound is full of military families and children. Can you bear the responsibility if something happens?"
Su Mingfeng's gaze grew even colder, and he was about to speak.
"Big Kitty..."
A tiny, childish voice came from behind him.
Nuannuan poked her little head out from behind Lin Wanyi.
She saw the snow leopard outside, and she also saw those aggressive people holding guns.
Her little face was a little pale, but she was not afraid.
She pulled free of Lin Wanyi's hand and walked, step by step, to Su Mingfeng's side.
Everyone's heart leaped into their throat.
"Nuannuan! Come back!" Frantic, Lin Wanyi reached to pull her back.
But Su Mingfeng stretched out a hand to stop her. He trusted Nuannuan.
Nuannuan walked to the doorway and looked at the snow leopard, which had already arched its body, ready to pounce at any moment.
Its enormous body was bigger than three Nuannuans put together.
The growling in its throat made every guard present weak in the knees.
But Nuannuan was not afraid.
She held out her little hand and gently waved it at the snow leopard.
Then, in a clear, childish voice, she gave a command.
"Big Kitty, sit."
Her voice was quiet, yet it exploded like thunder in everyone's ears.
The next second, a scene unfolded that left everyone dumbstruck.
That imposing, menacing king of the snowy mountains, which looked ready to pick someone to devour at any moment, instantly stopped growling when it heard that childish command.
With an exceedingly obedient air, it slowly lowered its enormous body into a sitting position.
Its front paws came together, and its huge tail swept across the snow behind it.
It lifted its head and looked at Nuannuan with its ice-blue eyes. There was no trace of ferocity left in its gaze, only an eagerness to please and a sense of grievance.
As though it were saying, Cub, they're trying to bully me.
The whole world fell silent.
Section Chief Wang, the security chief, gaped, nearly dropping the tranquilizer gun in his hand.
The squad members behind him stood petrified, as though a body-freezing spell had been cast on every one of them.
Next door, Auntie Wang's sharp, sour face wore the expression of someone who had seen a ghost.
H-how was this possible?
That was a snow leopard! An apex predator of the snowy mountains!
How could it be even more obedient than a house cat in front of a five-year-old girl?
The corners of Su Mingfeng's mouth curved upward.
He stepped forward and patted Nuannuan's head, then turned to look at the utterly stupefied Section Chief Wang.
"Section Chief Wang." His voice was quiet, yet full of oppressive force.
"Now, do you still think it can't be controlled?"