White Tiger

room.
    I turned and knocked on the training room door.
    ‘Come.’
    I opened the door. Leo was working with double daggers. ‘Mr Chen and Bai Hu are going to play mah jong,’ I said. ‘I’m joining them, but we need a fourth. Up for it?’
    Leo quickly put the daggers away, smiling grimly with satisfaction. ‘You bet. I finally get my chance to put that damn cat in his place.’
    Leo and I returned to the living room and sat at the table. The tiles had already been built into the wall.
    ‘How many women in your Western Palace right now, Ah Bai?’ Mr Chen said.
    ‘More than a hundred,’ Bai Hu said with pride. ‘And that’s just the humans.’ He pointed at his nose. ‘I’m the best. None of my women ever wants to leave.’
    ‘Good. You have plenty. So leave my woman alone.’
    I opened my mouth to say something loudly, but Leo put his hand on my knee under the table. Trust him, he mouthed silently.
    I subsided and glared at Mr Chen, but he didn’t notice. He was too busy glowering at Bai Hu.
    Bai Hu backed down and raised his hands. ‘Sorry, Boss, your household, your staff, your rules.’
    Mr Chen nodded, his face expressionless. He stole a quick glance at me, but his face remained frozen. ‘Let’s play. Throw for North.’
    I pulled out my drawer and sighed. ‘Cleaned out again.’
    ‘You can owe me,’ Leo said. He eyed Bai Hu. ‘But from you I want cash.’
    ‘Both of you are cleaning me out. Emma’s the only one who’s showing me any mercy.’ Bai Hu leaned sideways, pulled a white leather wallet from his hip pocket and opened it. ‘US or Hong Kong?’
    ‘Hong Kong,’ Leo said. ‘I’ll spend it tomorrow.’
    The Tiger grunted, pulled out a thousand-dollar note and handed it to Leo, who took it with grim satisfaction.
    Mr Chen checked the clock on the wall. ‘It’s nearly 3 a.m. and Leo and Emma are human, Bai Hu. We need to let them rest.’
    ‘Give me a chance to win my money back from this black bastard,’ the Tiger growled. ‘One more round.’
    ‘Which black bastard do you mean?’ I said. ‘They’re both black.’ I gasped as I heard what I’d said. I opened my mouth to apologise, but it was too late.
    All three of them collapsed over the table laughing.
    ‘Definitely time to let Emma rest,’ Mr Chen said.
    Leo wiped his eyes. ‘I cannot believe you said that.’
    Bai Hu reached across the table and took my hand. He smiled into my eyes. ‘You have just completely made my night. My week. My decade. Ah Wu has my number, sweetheart. Give me a call, any time.’ He shook his head. ‘I think I’m in love.’ He disappeared.
    After we’d packed up, Mr Chen followed me to my room. ‘Can we talk?’
    I let him in and sat on the couch. He sat with me.
    ‘I am so sorry about that,’ I said. ‘It just came out…’
    ‘I haven’t laughed like that in a long time,’ he said. ‘And I wanted to apologise for calling you “my woman”. But I had to do something.’
    ‘Why? He was just being facetious.’
    He tilted his head slightly. ‘No, he wasn’t. He usually has about a hundred women in the West. And that, as he said, is just the humans.’
    ‘A hundred?’
    ‘He is irresistible, that is his nature. Even Leo has been in trouble with him. But if you were to fall for him, he would take you to the Palace in the West. You would be content for the rest of your life, serving him. As one of a hundred. Would you want that?’
    I opened my mouth and closed it again. I shook my head. Of course, he’d been protecting me. ‘Thanks for looking out for me.’
    ‘The Tiger found you particularly interesting because you didn’t throw yourself at him. The others always do. You are very remarkable sometimes.’
    ‘Thanks.’ I glanced up at him. ‘Why are they giving you their armies? Are you expecting a war?’
    He hesitated, watching me. ‘You are very perceptive.’ He took a deep breath. ‘The answer is: yes.’
    ‘Even the Jade Emperor gave you his army.’
    He smiled slightly. ‘I am profoundly honoured. The Elite Guard is a very great privilege.’
    ‘That’s why you met with the Jade Emperor. You’re all expecting something to happen.’
    He just watched me and didn’t say anything.
    ‘How long do we have?’
    He looked down. ‘I don’t know.’
    ‘Will they attack us here?’
    He shrugged. ‘While I am with you, you are safe. But I have not been in the Northern Heavens or on my Mountain for more than two years. It has become obvious exactly how weak