Chapter 22: You Have Returned

The young eagle owl chick looked nothing like a majestic eagle—round and fluffy, resembling a furry kiwi fruit.

This one before them was even worse off.

Its left wing was injured, with scarcely any feathers left. Its eyelids trembled weakly, trying to open but failing. A scratch on its forehead had formed a blood scab, which it had torn open again.

Sensing someone approaching, it struggled desperately, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t lift its wing, and its cries grew fainter.

Eagle chicks usually leave their parents after a full month; this injured chick was clearly less than that.

Lu Youyou gently touched its belly—it was sunken, clearly hungry for a long time. Though its feathers were fluffy, the poor little creature was pitifully thin.

In such cases, there was usually only one reason—it had been abandoned.

Zhao Wan, timid, glanced once and could not bear to look again.

Li Sanhua was helpless and turned to Lu Youyou. “Sis, can you save it?”

Lu Youyou gave a soft affirmative.

Li Sanhua inwardly marveled: she could save pigs and birds, and knew traditional medicine too. This girl must have a golden glow over her head.

Lu Youyou folded a nest out of banana leaves and carefully placed the chick inside.

She performed a simple examination; aside from a slight bone fracture in the wing, the rest were superficial wounds.

Perhaps from rescuing so many animals in a past life, Lu Youyou seemed to radiate an aura of kindness. The chick gradually calmed under her soothing presence.

She made a basic splint for the wing but still needed to keep it steady. Lu Youyou carried it with her arm all the way, biting her lip from the strain.

Li Sanhua wanted to help but dared not take over, afraid of worsening the injury.

“We’re almost there!” Li Sanhua exclaimed excitedly upon seeing the gate of the residential compound.

To save a life and be a witness to it was a good deed.

Could the chick survive?

She had an inexplicable confidence in Lu Youyou.

Li Sanhua didn’t stop at her own yard but accompanied Lu Youyou all the way home.

The three were so focused on the little bird that they didn’t notice the compound was much livelier than in previous days.

Suddenly, Lu Youyou caught the scent of traditional medicine coming from just opposite her home.

Zhao Wan abruptly stopped, her face pale, steps shrinking as if her whole body was resisting.

At that moment, the gate opened, and an elderly woman came out. Upon seeing Zhao Wan, she frowned and spoke.

“Where have you been? I told you not to wander around. What if you miss your medicine?”

Her voice was as stern as her appearance; her headscarf was neatly tied, and the deep wrinkles between her brows were more pronounced than the nasolabial folds.

Lu Youyou hadn’t yet fully recognized the neighbors when Li Sanhua quietly informed her this was Zhao Wan’s mother-in-law.

The atmosphere instantly grew awkward, and Zhao Wan’s voice stiffened.

“Mother, I went up the mountain to pick some mushrooms, thinking to add a dish for dinner.”

The elderly woman’s face remained cold, tinged with reproach.

“Mushrooms or your health—which is more important? What if you get tired or sick and the medicine loses its effect? If this continues, when will I ever…”

“Mother!” Zhao Wan suddenly interrupted but only for a moment of courage.

She took a deep breath, forced a smile, and said goodbye to Li Sanhua and Lu Youyou, then turned and walked stiffly towards the opposite side.

Li Sanhua sighed again; she had sighed more in this afternoon than in the past few days.

“Ah, let’s go back. Zhao Wan... well, you’ll understand if you spend more time here.”

If it had been anyone else, just hearing one side of the story would have made it impossible to sleep, but Lu Youyou was an exception.

She showed no intention of prying and cheerfully bid Li Sanhua farewell.

Meanwhile, Li Sanhua grew increasingly convinced that Lu Youyou was steady and reliable, her desire to win her over growing stronger.

Lu Youyou turned to take her keys but noticed the lock on the gate was missing.

She was momentarily confused; her first thought was that someone had broken in.

Before she could think further, the gate opened from the inside.

“Gu, Gu Qingye?”

Lu Youyou’s breath caught, and she stood frozen for a few seconds.

Gu Qingye was very tall, and his figure seemed to envelop her entirely.

Only then did she begin to grasp the reality—that she already had a fiancé and they would live together in the future.

“You’re back…”

Lu Youyou suddenly didn’t know what expression to wear.

She thought she had accepted it well, but now, standing face to face in what would be their future home, she felt awkward and unsure where to put her hands and feet.

Gu Qingye’s gaze fell on her, then the basket on her back, and finally the injured bird.

He reached out his hand; Lu Youyou instinctively took a step back, then seeing the surprise in his eyes, realized he wanted to take the bird from her.

Embarrassed, she smiled and handed over the makeshift nest. “Be careful, it has a fracture.”

Gu Qingye held the basket in one hand, the other still raised.

Lu Youyou suddenly remembered she was still carrying a large basket and hurried to put it down but winced in pain.

“Careful!”

The man who had just been in front of her was now suddenly behind her.

Startled, Lu Youyou turned and saw Gu Qingye lifting the basket single-handedly, instantly relieving the weight on her shoulder.

“You went up the mountain?”

“Yes, with Sister Li and Sister Zhao from across the street.”

Lu Youyou rubbed her shoulder, aching terribly.

With a topic to talk about, she felt less awkward and followed Gu Qingye inside, shocked to find the house transformed.

“I saw the drawing you made and rearranged the furniture accordingly. How does it look?”

Lu Youyou had never expected this.

She had casually sketched a layout at noon, feeling the old arrangement unsatisfactory. Unable to move furniture alone or trouble others, she set the drawing aside.

Never did she imagine Gu Qingye had seen it and completed the task before she returned.

Mixed emotions welled up within her.

It seemed everything visible reminded her that this would be their shared home.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling, but she had never lived with a stranger in either of her past lives.

Feeling overwhelmed, Lu Youyou changed the subject.

“When did you get back?”

“Two hours ago.”

Gu Qingye lowered his gaze, noticing her unease, and averted his ink-black eyes.

He had many questions he wanted to ask.

Had she been hurt when attacked on the train? What about that book on livestock disease care just lying on the table…

The faint chirping of the eagle chick stirred Lu Youyou’s muddled mind; she finally remembered there was a patient at home.

She hurried inside to fetch a medical kit filled with bottles and jars.

After moving, organizing this was her first priority; she had no confidence in performing tricks under a scout’s nose and preferred to prepare all the tools in advance.

Gu Qingye recognized the familiar porcelain container—he had one in his dorm.

The last medicine’s effect was exactly as Lu Youyou said, even better than some special drugs.

Ignoring the awkwardness of having others around, Lu Youyou focused on her task.

She skillfully treated and bandaged the chick, then poured a small dish of clean water.

Even though Gu Qingye had heard of her heroic deeds in the mess hall, the scene before him still felt unreal.

His fiancée was far more extraordinary than he had imagined.