The Little Bookworm Marked Her Ex-aunt - Chapter 24: What Are You Staring At

Chapter 24: What Are You Staring At? Don’t You Recognize Me?

At five in the morning, Shu Yue got up on time with the help of the alarm clock.

Shiyi woke up from the noise, opened her eyes, and looked at it groggily. The whole cat pressed down on the pillow, causing a dent in that spot.

“I’m going out to work,” Shu Yue explained to Shiyi. “You stay in the room and wait for me, okay?”

Shiyi lazily meowed once.

Shu Yue didn’t know if this meant agreement or not. To be safe, she quickly took out her pen and paper and hurriedly wrote a “Kitten Guarantee.” She asked Shiyi to press her paw on the paper.

Shiyi looked at her like she was an idiot.

With both paws, Shiyi tore the guarantee to shreds and lifted her chin toward the door, the meaning very clear.

Go on, get out. Don’t delay this cat’s sleep.

Shu Yue still wasn’t reassured. Before leaving, she checked all the doors and windows in the house and then left.

When she reached the lobby, her mentor Zhou Miao was already there.

Zhou Miao held the small bread she had carried from the city yesterday and handed Shu Yue a portion along with a few boxes of milk. She said, “I went out for a walk and didn’t see any place selling breakfast. Little Yue, eat this to fill your stomach.”

“Teacher, thank you,” Shu Yue said as she took it.

Ten minutes later, the five members of the team gathered, checked their equipment, and headed toward their destination.

“The environment here is nice,” Zhou Miao observed as they walked. “It’s a typical subtropical mixed forest of evergreen and deciduous broadleaf trees. Look at this oak. It’s at least one or two hundred years old. Standing guard for so many years isn’t easy.”

Shu Yue looked up. The green leaves at the top gathered densely in one direction. The trees on both sides bent inward as if bowing, all aligned.

Although she knew this happened because branches naturally grew toward sunlight and the trunks followed suit, Shu Yue still felt a soft warmth in her heart whenever she saw this.

It felt as if nature was welcoming her.

This thought couldn’t help but make her heart leap with joy.

From the hotel arranged by Ji Shiyi, it took half an hour to walk to the village fields in the mountains.

As they walked, the mountainous terrain of Qingxi Source became clearer.

To adapt to the layers of mountains stacked toward the sky, people carved flat land into the slopes. From a distance, it looked like steps for giants.

In this season, the fields resembled stacked bowls filled with irrigation water. Under the gentle sunlight, they formed a tranquil and peaceful morning scene.

Occasionally, clouds fell into the fields, and bird shadows fell too, turning the whole mountain into a mirror.

In the distance, high mountains were wrapped in clouds and mist. Nearby, smoke rose from the homes by the fields.

Shu Yue now understood why so many people wanted to develop this place.

In terms of scenery alone, Qingxi Source was indeed beautiful in a way rarely seen in cities. Even among nature-focused scenic areas, it held its own.

After all, places where you could experience both man-made terraced fields and highland wetlands were rare. Plus, Qingxi Source’s location was convenient, making it a great choice for weekend getaways with family or friends.

Under Zhou Miao’s lead, they set up in the small forest by the field ridges. Lin Chu crouched most dramatically, shrinking into the bushes, lying flat with a long-lens camera in hand. Someone unaware might think she was filming a war movie.

Shu Yue set up her camera, holding binoculars in one hand and a notebook in the other, a pen tucked between her fingers, patiently waiting.

Such moments might be tough for some, but for Shu Yue and her teammates, this kind of waiting was routine.

One year during fieldwork, to observe peregrine falcons, she and Lin Chu camped on a mountain for half a month. On days they didn’t see birds, they collected bird droppings, living like wild people.

Shu Yue crouched for a while, felt her legs go numb, and switched to sitting on the ground. She raised her hand to check her watch. It was already 6:28.

Lin Chu’s voice came through the earpiece, very quiet.

“Can we see it today?” she asked.

Zhou Miao answered from another position, “Based on past records and the villagers’ accounts, crested ibises appear in this area in the morning to forage. Wait a bit more. It’s fine if we don’t see them.”

Shu Yue didn’t speak. She kept her gaze on the vast rice fields. The early rice grew lushly, the mid-season rice was just planted, and the late rice wasn’t ready yet, leaving only bare water pools.

She didn’t know when the crested ibises would come.

Shu Yue recalled the project data she had read.

Years ago, Qingxi Source had a population of wild crested ibises. Some speculated there was a unique population here, different from the mainstream ones in the country. But due to heavy development in the past, the ibises seemed to have been scared away and hadn’t appeared for a long time.

In recent years, after ecological restoration, reports of ibises resurfaced.

This sparked the Qingxi Source ecological protection scenic area project, aiming to preserve the ibis habitat while developing the area, balancing conservation and profit.

As a top crested ibis expert who had worked on artificial breeding and endangered species rescue, Zhou Miao was invited for this task.

Their first step was to assess the current ibis population in Qingxi Source, understanding them fully before deciding the next move.

This project would take a long time. Before coming, Zhou Miao had warned her students.

When Shu Yue heard this, she secretly felt relieved. Fortunately, she had broken up with Meng Zhiyu. Based on past experience and her understanding of Meng Zhiyu, if Meng Zhiyu knew she’d be in the mountains this long, it would likely lead to another tough conversation.

When this thought came, Shu Yue felt she had made progress.

Forgetting Meng Zhiyu wasn’t easy. Their two-year relationship wasn’t fleeting for Shu Yue. In occasional moments, her mind was still struck by flashes of Meng Zhiyu and their past.

The longer it had been since the breakup, the blurrier the pain Meng Zhiyu caused became. At the same time, the good moments she gave stood out clearer in Shu Yue’s mind.

When Shu Yue fell ill with a fever after getting wet in the rain, Meng Zhiyu scolded her for risking her life for birds while cooking porridge at her place. Though she complained nonstop that Shu Yue’s bowls were as boring as her—plain white porcelain with no color.

Though they couldn’t be open at school, after occasionally passing as strangers, Meng Zhiyu would text her, meeting secretly in the drama department’s prop room, hugging her and saying she was exhausted and missed her.

So, over those two years, their on-and-off relationship always had a reason for Shu Yue. After the pain and numbness of fierce arguments faded, she always revisited the warmth Meng Zhiyu brought her.

The first time someone crashed into her world, Shu Yue couldn’t handle it. It was painful yet hard to let go.

But this time, the pain outweighed the reluctance. The ache wasn’t numb but sharp and clear, tearing at her nerves like a survival instinct.

Maybe completely parting with Meng Zhiyu wasn’t a bad thing.

At least from her current situation, Shu Yue was content. She was adjusting to this life and found it wasn’t as frightening as she imagined.

She could finally stop worrying about another person’s judgments and opinions and do what she wanted freely.

This feeling was so rare and liberating.

“They’re here!” Lin Chu’s excited voice came through the earpiece, barely contained. “They’re here! Southwest, flying over!”

Shu Yue immediately raised her binoculars to the direction Lin Chu reported.

A white bird flew over. When it spread its wings, the undersides showed orange-red. It landed lightly on a nearby ridge. Its beak was black and long, like a crane’s, about fifteen centimeters, with a red tip matching its face.

It stood reservedly, looking around.

It’s foraging, Shu Yue thought.

Sure enough, the next moment, it plunged its beak into the water, moving swiftly. Its head dipped low, neck curving like a crescent moon. After a while, it lifted its head, holding a wriggling black loach in its beak. The loach struggled desperately, its tail and head thrashing, splattering mud on the bird’s feathers.

The white bird didn’t flinch. It held the loach tighter. Then it shook its head fiercely. After four or five shakes, the loach stopped moving. Shu Yue couldn’t tell if it was dead or exhausted, but it was certainly done for soon.

Because moments later, the white bird slurped the whole loach into its mouth, wasting nothing.

After its breakfast, the white bird flapped its wings. Its long, wide wings were like giant fans, splashing water in the field.

Second Brother quietly asked, “What’s it doing? Bathing?”

Crested ibis expert Zhou Miao explained through the earpiece, “No, it’s signaling.”

Sure enough, two more ibises flew over.

Crested ibises were social animals, Shu Yue remembered Zhou Miao mentioning. Their behaviors were often human-like. Like now. The two newcomers foraged while the first stood guard on the ridge, neck straight, frequently turning to look around.

Then, five more ibises flew over.

This was practically a whole troop!

Shu Yue didn’t dare speak or breathe, only holding her binoculars, greedily observing everything.

In the earpiece, only everyone’s slow, heavy breathing remained.

When the first ibis flapped its wings, Shu Yue checked the time. Twenty-eight minutes had passed since it arrived. As the leader, it guided the other seven toward the mountains beyond the terraces.

At that moment, the sun peeked through the clouds, casting golden morning light that made the already red-tinged white birds look even more divine. They were so delicate, with soft feathers, yet so resilient, soaring fearlessly toward their destination.

In the distance, sunlight bathed the mountains. Nearby, the ibis flock flew.

Shu Yue’s mouth hung slightly open, her mind blank except for awe at nature’s grandeur and the birds’ beauty. She frantically pressed the shutter, hoping to capture a moment of this splendor.

Long after the ibises flew away, the silent earpiece stirred.

Shu Yue knew everyone was stunned by the scene.

Zhou Miao assigned tasks through the earpiece, “Second and Third, pack up everyone’s equipment. Lin Chu and Little Yue, come with me into the field.”

Shu Yue got up and carefully walked into the field.

As they neared the spot where the ibises had been, their claw prints became clearer.

She excitedly took photos.

These were typical wading bird prints, two to three centimeters long, three toes forward, one back.

Scattered among the stamp-like prints were small, white, ball-sized clumps.

This was what they sought today, one of their biggest gains.

Crested ibis droppings!

Yes, droppings.

Birds excrete feces and urine together from the cloaca. The urine was white, in streaks, circles, or squares, with feces piled within.

The feces could also be round or square, without a fixed shape.

To preserve the feces’ shape, Zhou Miao and Lin Chu collected surrounding urine and soil, skillfully placing them in sterile bags. Shu Yue followed, recording carefully.

To ordinary people, these might be disgusting waste, but to them, they were treasures as precious as jade. [Note 1]

Following Zhou Miao, they collected nearly all the droppings and returned fully loaded.

Zhou Miao requested a spare storage room from the hotel as a droppings analysis lab. After refrigerating all the collected samples, the morning’s work was done.

“The hotel is too far,” Zhou Miao said. “The environment is nice, but inconvenient. Lin Chu, this afternoon, come with me to the village to see if we can rent a house. I’ll also contact the county government to see if they can help.”

Lin Chu said, “Teacher, when can I come back to look at the poop?”

Zhou Miao replied, “The poop isn’t going anywhere. Why are you in such a rush?”

Lin Chu pouted, “Fine, fine.”

She glanced at Shu Yue and asked, “Teacher, why not have Little Yue go with you?”

“What do you think? She’d be too shy to haggle down three bucks. Can I take her?” Zhou Miao turned to Shu Yue. “Little Yue, this afternoon, work with your two senior brothers to organize the data we collected this morning. You’re careful, so keep an eye on them.”

Shu Yue nodded.

After a quick lunch, they went their separate ways. Shu Yue first organized her photo records. While reviewing them, she suddenly noticed something odd.

She called Zhou Miao.

“Teacher, I need to confirm something with you.”

Zhou Miao was at the village chief’s house. Glancing at Lin Chu, who was chatting animatedly with the chief, she took her phone and stepped aside.

“What’s up?” Zhou Miao asked.

Shu Yue looked at her photos. “Can a bird’s disease cause its iris color to change?”

Zhou Miao sharply asked, “What did you capture?”

“One ibis…” Shu Yue said uncertainly, “its iris seemed to have a blue ring around it.”

Zhou Miao froze.

“That’s impossible,” she said instinctively. “Crested ibises have red faces and yellow eyes. How could there be blue?”

“That’s why I’m unsure,” Shu Yue said, trying to stay calm. “I’ll check if others’ equipment caught the same thing. If they did, Teacher, this could be a big deal.”

Zhou Miao understood Shu Yue’s meaning.

She gripped her phone tightly. “Check first. Lin Chu and I will be back soon.”

Shu Yue said, “Okay.”

She hung up, feeling her heart pound wildly. Sitting at the computer, she immediately imported other data, checking each photo. To her disappointment, she found no second blue-eyed ibis.

“Maybe my camera malfunctioned,” Shu Yue said to Zhou Miao, who had rushed back. “Or maybe the angle and lighting affected it?”

Zhou Miao examined Shu Yue’s photo repeatedly.

In the photo, the ibis stood sideways, its pupil facing the lens, as if it sensed something.

This allowed Shu Yue’s camera to capture its difference clearly.

“Little Yue,” Zhou Miao gently placed her hand on Shu Yue’s shoulder. “Don’t doubt its existence just because we didn’t capture it. This is only the first day. We have plenty of time to observe.”

Zhou Miao’s touch gave Shu Yue steadying strength.

She nodded.

“By the way, we secured a house in the village. We’re moving today. Little Yue, can you let Ms. Ji know? Thank her for her generosity, but for research convenience, living in the village is better.”

Shu Yue agreed, immediately drafting a long, sincere text and sending it to Ji Shiyi.

“She’s usually busy,” Shu Yue told Zhou Miao. “She might reply later.”

“No problem,” Zhou Miao said. “It’s polite to let her know.”

“By the way, the new house isn’t as spacious. Since you have a cat, you’ll get a single room. Pick one that’s convenient for the kitten.”

Shu Yue appreciated her mentor’s thoughtfulness but worried if the pampered Shiyi could adapt to village life.

She wondered if Ji Shiyi would mind. After all, that cat came on a private jet, not to suffer with her.

Ji Shiyi, however, said to prioritize their convenience and admitted her initial arrangements weren’t thorough.

“I’ll coordinate with Teacher Zhou about the housing,” Ji Shiyi sent Shu Yue a voice message. “Don’t worry. Stay at the hotel for now.”

Shu Yue didn’t know what Ji Shiyi discussed with Zhou Miao. Their usually decisive mentor delayed moving from the hotel. After three days of half-hour treks with no results, they finally left on the fourth day.

Someone came to pick them up. At the new place, Zhou Miao looked surprised.

“Village chief, this isn’t the house we agreed on,” she said.

The chief smiled. “Teacher Zhou, Ms. Ji said the previous one was too small for your equipment, so she found a new one. Stay here comfortably.”

The place was a small courtyard, among the best in the village. The yard had cement flooring, tiled walls, and screened windows. Ji Shiyi had moved their professional analysis equipment from the hotel, adding new ones. Except for the location, it was practically a lab.

Zhou Miao was stunned.

She’d never worked with such resources.

The chief told Shu Yue, “Ms. Shu, Ms. Ji mentioned it’s inconvenient for you to share with others because of the cat. So, this small building is yours. Two floors, plenty of space, convenient for the cat.”

Several pairs of eyes turned to Shu Yue.

Shu Yue: “…”

What could she say?

Another day carried by a wealthy cat.

Inside, Shu Yue saw the bed was nearly identical to the hotel’s. Had Ji Shiyi moved the hotel here?

Zhou Miao noticed too and called Ji Shiyi, feeling uneasy about the expense and effort.

Ji Shiyi said, “Teacher Zhou, please don’t say that. I’m the one asking for your help. Your work benefits life itself. I don’t understand research, Teacher Zhou. I’m just a businesswoman. I can only contribute money and effort.”

“Life’s trivialities are already too much. Since you’re focused on research, there’s no need to be distracted by them. A good living environment saves researchers trouble and preserves energy. Teacher Zhou, don’t you agree?”

Ji Shiyi’s words left Zhou Miao unable to refuse.

After hanging up, she sighed, “This Ms. Ji is quite a person.”

She had a knack for hitting the heart.

“I want to meet this Ms. Ji,” Lin Chu said, marveling. “She even has our teacher in awe.”

Zhou Miao glared at her. “She’s a busy person managing countless affairs. Why would she come here for no reason? Keep dreaming. Hurry up, unpack, and get to work.”

In the following days, Shu Yue kept hoping to see the blue-eyed ibis again, but to no avail. She saw ibises twice, but none with blue eyes.

Carrying her things home, Shu Yue opened the door as usual, calling Shiyi’s name.

The cat, who usually appeared when she opened the door, was gone. Thinking it was hiding, Shu Yue searched the house. She found no trace of the cat.

Shu Yue’s heart panicked.

She went out and searched the courtyard.

Seeing this, Zhou Miao and Lin Chu helped her look.

“The cat’s gone,” Shu Yue said, face pale, sitting despairingly on the steps. “But I closed the windows and locked the door.”

Lin Chu was frantic. “Did the princess run away?”

Zhou Miao, steady as ever, said, “Little Yue, don’t panic. Call Ms. Ji and see if she can help.”

Shu Yue agreed, walked to the roadside, and sat on a stone. Nervous for a long time, she carefully worded her apology before taking a deep breath and calling Ji Shiyi.

“The cat’s gone?” Ji Shiyi was calm when she answered, first soothing Shu Yue. “You know it’s not an ordinary cat, right? Don’t worry, it won’t get lost. It probably saw something interesting and ran out.”

“But—” Shu Yue didn’t understand. “How could it get out? I closed the windows and locked the door.”

It was even double-locked.

“Do you know how it got out of Yu Qianyue’s house before? It opened the door itself,” Ji Shiyi said.

Shu Yue was stunned, speechless for a long time.

“Don’t worry, okay? Shu Yue, this isn’t your fault or negligence. Don’t stress. Trust me, I know it well,” Ji Shiyi’s voice was like soft waves, gently smoothing the wrinkles of Shu Yue’s anxiety.

Fingers gripping the phone case tightly, Shu Yue nodded, her voice hoarse. “Then, Ms. Ji, if I hear news about Shiyi, I’ll contact you.”

“No need,” Ji Shiyi said. “Shu Yue, look up.”

Shu Yue instinctively looked up.

By the roadside, a black SUV was parked.

The window rolled down. The woman’s left hand rested on the steering wheel, her right holding the phone, her posture relaxed yet confident.

Noticing Shu Yue’s gaze, she lightly raised the corner of her mouth.

“What are you staring at? It’s only been two weeks, and you don’t recognize me?”