The leopard was the territorial big cat of this area. All the females belonged to it, and if a male dared to compete, it would unflinchingly maul it until it was covered in wounds, only for the bipedal species to carefully carry it away.
Naturally, this entire area was its domain, and all the prey within it were also its own. Only with its tacit consent, when it wasn't interested, could other leopards prey on those introduced.
But today, the prey it desired was outside the transparent barrier.
Its stomach growled with hunger, yet it didn't want to force itself. This was a leopard with ambition, and it was determined to have the prey it set its sights on, pursuing its quarry with exceptional patience and tenacity.
The prey had initially fled, but it had waited by the entrance with unyielding resolve; its prey would always return.
It had once staked out a cave for three days and three nights, all for a single sika deer. This wasn't even three days and nights yet.
As expected, this time the prey didn't make it wait long. It easily got its chance.
It had always been a patient leopard.
It was just that the transparent barrier was too much of an obstruction. It stayed close to its prey, never letting it out of its sight, until the prey finally stopped.
It swished its tail, a little agitated.
This bothersome thing!
How could it get close to its prey!
At this moment, a passage large enough for its agile body to pass through appeared before it. It sniffed the scent of the prey, which was exceptionally delicious.
"Miss Lin."
A voice that Lin Shuangshuang knew all too well called out to her. She looked at the person addressing her, her eyes wide with surprise, as if she hadn't expected to see this person here.
It was because she had been running into this person constantly lately.
Especially when she was having bad luck, this person would invariably appear at the scene. This person was the male protagonist, Yu Yang.
Before, when the concrete railing on the rooftop had collapsed, she had run downstairs to see if anyone was injured, and then she saw him downstairs.
When she was waiting for a traffic light and was hit on the crosswalk, nearly being run over by a car, after a chain reaction of collisions, she looked up and saw him across the street, impatiently shopping amidst the sparse crowd.
Even when she was almost hit by something falling from a height, this person managed to drive by and wave to her…
And now, seeing Yu Yang again, Lin Shuangshuang's ominous premonition surged violently, piercing her heart. She felt an uncontrollable anxiety grip her.
Lin Shuangshuang's complexion looked unpleasant, even tinged with paleness.
Yu Yang hadn't intended to meddle, but since they had met and interacted a few times, a polite greeting was necessary.
Moreover, he glanced around. There weren't many people here. If this woman fainted, it would be troublesome.
And Lin Shuangshuang looked as if she could faint at any moment.
"Miss Lin, you look unwell," Yu Yang said, frowning.
"Really? I… I have something to do… I'll be going now." Lin Shuangshuang didn't even pay attention to what she was saying. She frantically scanned her surroundings.
Above her was a solid roof panel, seemingly sturdy, unlikely to suddenly crack and collapse. There were no extraneous decorations that could fall.
There was no one else around, so there wouldn't be a knife attack.
Nor were there any vehicles that could inexplicably hit her.
And no sharp objects…
Then what could it be? Every time she encountered this Yu Yang, something bad was bound to happen. Since their first meeting, nothing had gone smoothly for her. What would it be this time?
She always felt as if she had forgotten something extremely dangerous that was highly likely to occur.
At this moment, there was no one else around; only she and Yu Yang were here.
The anxious feeling in her heart intensified.
Lin Shuangshuang had never believed in ghosts or superstitions, let alone luck. But lately, things had been too bizarre. One incident followed another, leaving her breathless. She couldn't help but believe.
She calmed herself slightly, mocking herself internally for perhaps overthinking, and decided it was best to leave the place.
Just as she turned, her gaze inadvertently swept over a spot she had been deliberately avoiding. Only then did she notice that the leopard, which had been glaring at her from inside the glass enclosure, was gone.
She frowned, not daring to ponder it further, and quickened her pace.
Yu Yang watched Lin Shuangshuang's strange behavior and wanted to ask, but felt it would be too abrupt. She seemed to misunderstand him and wasn't particularly fond of him.
He rubbed his nose and decided not to strike up a conversation.
He was here waiting for someone. A friend of his worked as a zookeeper here, and he was coming to buy some suitable food for his pet.
He had arranged to meet his friend here, but his friend hadn't arrived yet. He glanced down at the watch on his left wrist; the agreed-upon time had passed. He took out his phone to call and inquire.
Just then, as if sensing something, Yu Yang turned his head.
He saw a large feline, its eyes deeply sunken, its face marked with numerous black spots, a creature that shouldn't be here, slowly approaching.
It made absolutely no sound!
It moved with the posture of patrolling its territory, an arrogant gait, its gaze fixed straight ahead.
"Shit!" Yu Yang cursed out loud in sheer shock.
Wasn't this the leopard that should have been inside the glass enclosure? How in the hell did it get out?!
Hearing the commotion, Lin Shuangshuang, who had only taken two steps, turned back and saw that the leopard, which had been very interested in her, had now locked its gaze onto her! With a slight leap, the distance between them instantly shortened significantly.
In a panic, she didn't hesitate and bolted forward.
This leopard was absolutely! Absolutely going to chase her!!! She had an incredibly strong premonition!
And for Yu Yang, this was indeed the case. The situation was utterly bizarre.
Yu Yang had prepared himself to be attacked, but the leopard bypassed him, who was closer, and went directly after Lin Shuangshuang.
Meanwhile, the leopard couldn't outrun her in a straight line. Lin Shuangshuang darted around a corner ahead…
Wen Bai had been looking forward to the leopard's appearance, but he truly hadn't anticipated things would devolve into such a bizarre turn of events, with it running relentlessly.
He hadn't even had time to react. Lin Shuangshuang, who looked small and delicate, possessed an extraordinary burst of speed.
In the blink of an eye, she rushed over and collided head-on with him, sending them both tumbling.
The leopard seized the opportunity, fast, fierce, and precise, pouncing directly for the prey's vital spot—the neck.
In her panic, Lin Shuangshuang dove behind Wen Bai, and the leopard, by sheer chance, bit down on Wen Bai's shoulder.
First came a sharp pain in his shoulder, which then dulled into numbness…
Wen Bai couldn't remember much of what happened next. His old wounds hadn't healed when new ones were added. The leopard's bite was deep, and its teeth didn't disengage for some time.
Its front paws resting on Wen Bai, pinning him firmly to the ground.
Besides the screams of the female protagonist, Wen Bai could hear the male protagonist yelling for help, approaching chaotic footsteps, cries for rescue, and the system 001's urgent calls to him.
But all he saw was the feline's face, contorted with anger as it struggled to pull its teeth out. Although it was biting his shoulder, its eyes were fixed on Lin Shuangshuang beside him.
The closest sounds were the leopard's "huffing" breaths, mixed with delicate, unwilling "meows" unbefitting its size and appearance, and the sound of flesh being torn from his shoulder.
His consciousness began to fade.