The Little Bookworm Marked Her Ex-aunt - Chapter 26: With a Slight Push, the Hammock Swings

Chapter 26: With a Slight Push, the Hammock Swings

With a slight push, the hammock swings back and forth.

“Little Yue? Are you there? Come out and help,” Lin Chu’s voice calls out loudly from outside the house.

Shu Yue quickly responds, “I’m here, coming.”

She says to Ji Shiyi, “Miss Ji, sit wherever you like, I’ll go out first.”

Ji Shiyi knows they are probably busy with rescuing the crested ibis, so she doesn’t hold Shu Yue back. She steps aside to make way.

After Shu Yue leaves, Ji Shiyi walks to the desk in the room, pulls out a chair, and sits down. Her gaze scans the entire house.

The two-story building is simple but fully equipped, with a bedroom and bathroom coexisting on the second floor. Looking out from the window, the first floor is spacious, with the living room filled with all sorts of handmade items, almost all prepared for cats.

Ji Shiyi reaches out her fingertip and touches the rope hammock hanging by the window.

With a slight push, the hammock swings back and forth.

Shiyi clearly notices her movement. In a few light leaps, she jumps onto the bowl-like bed, lies down in it, her tail hanging lightly, her blue eyes staring at Ji Shiyi.

“Behave yourself,” Ji Shiyi says, poking Shiyi’s forehead. “Someone will come to investigate you soon.”

Shiyi looks innocent and meows at Ji Shiyi.

“I’m not scolding you,” Ji Shiyi says. “But next time, can you not run off without a sound? You scared some people.”

Shiyi blinks, stretches out her right paw, and pulls at Ji Shiyi’s hand, then lifts her chin slightly.

Ji Shiyi gently hooks Shiyi’s chin with her index finger. “All you know is how to act cute.”

“Meow~”

“No way,” Ji Shiyi refuses without hesitation. “How can you go see birds? It’s good enough if you don’t scare them to death.”

Shiyi lets out a pitiful whimper.

Ji Shiyi pulls back the curtain and looks outside. Shu Yue is busy with her senior sister and brother, tidying up a shed to set up a temporary care area for the crested ibis.

To make the crested ibis feel at home, Shu Yue and Lin Chu even gather some tree trunks from the forest. Crested ibises like to sleep gripping tree trunks and drink from pools. The two of them dig a water pit by the muddy ground, line it with waterproof cloth, and then add water.

The crested ibis returns in the evening.

Zhou Miao picks it up from the veterinary station.

The subadult’s body is not fully developed yet; this crested ibis is about two-thirds the size of an adult. As soon as it enters the shed, it cowers in a corner, warily watching the humans who are completely different from it in species.

Zhou Miao tries to feed it.

Over the past few days, they analyzed the crested ibis’s droppings and found its diet is similar to those in other areas, mainly insects, small river crabs, and small river fish.

So before Zhou Miao returns, Shu Yue and Lin Chu spend half a day catching loaches in the fields and fishing up plenty of small crucian carp. The second and third senior brothers collect a pile of small insects, sorted into various boxes and jars, perfect for a kindergarten insect exhibition.

They all hope the crested ibis will eat heartily after arriving at the shed. Zhou Miao specially prepares a sick bird meal, grinding the vet’s prescribed medicine into powder, mixing it with fish milk, and shaping it into a cake-like form.

However, the crested ibis refuses to eat, standing warily in the corner, gripping the horizontal tree trunk, and trying to flap its wings to fly.

Zhou Miao worries this behavior might cause secondary harm to its injury and prepares to take forceful measures.

“Guide, let me try,” Shu Yue says, not knowing where her courage comes from.

She has little confidence, but seeing the crested ibis so panicked, she recalls how it was nervous when they met during the day. After smelling her scent, it gradually calmed down.

With Zhou Miao’s approval and Lin Chu’s nervous yet expectant gaze, Shu Yue steps forward.

She extends the back of her hand to calm the crested ibis again, but it has no effect.

A guess flashes through her mind. Shu Yue turns and asks, “Guide, can I release a bit of pheromone?”

Zhou Miao doesn’t mind; as a beta, she can’t smell anything. The second senior brother is the same.

The third senior brother, hearing this, quickly pinches his nose and walks away. “Wait, wait, I’ll go farther.”

After clearing the area, Shu Yue adjusts her bracelet and releases a bit of pheromone.

As she expects, the restless crested ibis calms down, even proactively stretching out its long, thin neck to rub its head against Shu Yue’s hand.

Zhou Miao and the others are stunned.

Taking this chance, Shu Yue coaxes the crested ibis to eat. Seeing it finish the sick bird meal, everyone feels much more at ease.

“Good job,” Zhou Miao praises Shu Yue as she steps out.

“Can it be done like that?” Lin Chu, who has never seen this, says.

Zhou Miao refuses, “Don’t mess around. Little Yue finally calmed it down. If you want to try, do it tomorrow.”

Lin Chu shrugs. “Fine, fine.”

Zhou Miao arranges, “Tomorrow morning, you and Little Yue feed it together.”

“Little Yue, go rest. You worked hard today.”

Shu Yue shakes her head, not feeling tired but rather energetic and full of vitality. She returns to her small standalone house, pushes open the door, and sees Ji Shiyi sitting on a bamboo chair on the first floor, holding a cat and a book.

Seeing her return, Ji Shiyi looks up.

“All taken care of?”

Shu Yue nods. “It’s doing okay and has an appetite. With some quiet recovery time, we can see if it’s ready to be released.”

She looks at the book in Ji Shiyi’s hand.

Ji Shiyi gives an apologetic smile. “You were busy, so I didn’t ask for permission and took a book to read.”

Shu Yue says, “It’s fine. The books are there for people to read.”

“These are the books we brought to donate to the village elementary school,” Shu Yue says, walking to Ji Shiyi’s side. “We’ve been busy these days and haven’t finished organizing. Do you like this one?”

“It’s interesting,” Ji Shiyi says, closing the book. “I rarely read this kind of popular science book.”

“If you like it, you can check out the others in the series. I’ll find them,” Shu Yue says, squatting down to rummage through the delivery boxes by the wall. These are her old books, packed up by Chu Yufei from her home and sent over after hearing about the donation to the village school.

“Here!” Shu Yue says with some joy, handing the books to Ji Shiyi. “Actually, compared to ‘The Four Seasons of the Greylag Goose’, I like ‘The Ring of Solomon’ and ‘The Ancestry of Dogs’ more. For reading enjoyment, I think the latter two are more engaging.”

Ji Shiyi squats down too, taking the books Shu Yue hands her. “So many. I can’t finish them anytime soon.”

“It’s okay. If you like them, Miss Ji, take them,” Shu Yue says.

“I don’t have a habit of taking books from kids,” Ji Shiyi says. “Can I borrow them? I’ll return them after reading.”

“Sure,” Shu Yue replies.

“Since you’re back, I’ll head out,” Ji Shiyi says, standing up. She looks down at her clothes. “Tomorrow, I’ll find a time to return your clothes.”

“Miss Ji, are you going back to the hotel?” Shu Yue asks.

Ji Shiyi nods, walking to Shiyi, who is still lying on the bench, and picks her up.

“I’ll take her with me for now,” Ji Shiyi says. “I’ll bring her back in a few days.”

Shu Yue doesn’t find it strange, thinking Ji Shiyi probably misses her cat after being apart for so long.

Curiously, she asks, “Miss Ji, how many days are you staying in Qingxi Source?”

Ji Shiyi nods. “I didn’t plan to stay, but now, I’m afraid I’ll need to stay a couple more days.”

With such a big issue as poaching, she can’t ignore it. Tomorrow morning, the person in charge of the scenic area development project will come to apologize to Ji Shiyi.

Besides, a certain little one has caused trouble.

Shiyi nestles in her arms, reluctant to leave but having no choice, her eyes staring longingly at Shu Yue.

Shu Yue rubs Shiyi’s head. “When I have time, I’ll come play with you.”

With those words, Shiyi’s expression brightens slightly.

Seeing Ji Shiyi out of the courtyard, the mountain path is already dark. The village has no streetlights; once night falls, aside from the faint light spilling from each household’s windows, only the moon and stars above serve as light sources.

Shu Yue says worriedly, “Miss Ji, the mountain road isn’t easy to drive. Why don’t you go back to the hotel during the day?”

Shiyi nods her cat head in strong agreement. “Meow!”

Ji Shiyi smiles faintly. “It’s fine. I can see the road clearly.”

She picks up the cat and places her in the car. Shu Yue stays by her side, ensuring she turns the car around smoothly before waving goodbye.

Ji Shiyi rolls down the window and says to Shu Yue, “Rest early. See you tomorrow.”

Shu Yue nods. “Miss Ji, see you tomorrow.”

Watching Ji Shiyi’s car drive away, its two bright headlights disappearing, Shu Yue turns around.

As she turns, she jumps in fright, stumbling backward and nearly falling into the field ridge.

Lin Chu grabs her, laughing very gently. “Junior sister, my dear junior sister, who are you seeing off so late?”

Shu Yue steadies herself with Lin Chu’s help, looking at her helplessly. “Senior sister, you’re asking when you already know.”

Lin Chu says, “I’m asking when I know? If I weren’t so busy with the crested ibis today, I’d have dragged you off for a thorough interrogation.”

Lin Chu clamps Shu Yue’s arm with her elbow. “Spill it! Is that Miss Ji? Shiyi’s owner!”

Shu Yue is nearly worn out by her brute strength, coughing twice and patting Lin Chu’s arm. “Senior sister, let me go first, let me go.”

Lin Chu shakes her head. “Little Yue, this won’t do. An alpha, how are you so weak? Starting tomorrow, after checking on the bird, you’re running with me.”

Shu Yue shakes her head. “No, no. I’d rather read in my room than run.” Sweating doesn’t feel good at all, and Shu Yue doesn’t like it.

Lin Chu tuts. “With your stamina, if you meet an omega with high demands someday, won’t you get drained dry?”

Shu Yue: “…”

“Forget it. Talking to a lifelong solo like you, you wouldn’t get it,” Lin Chu says, waving her hand and bringing up the topic again. “Miss Ji…! You still haven’t told me about Miss Ji.”

Shu Yue thinks, you didn’t give me a chance to speak just now.

“Why did she come today? How did you two end up together, and why was she just coming out of your house? Also, she’s wearing your clothes, right? I’d recognize that shirt even if it were ashes—you wear it to the institute every other day. Spill it, confess honestly, what did you and this omega do alone at home this afternoon?”

Lin Chu fires off a string of questions.

Shu Yue pushes up her glasses and shouts behind Lin Chu, “Guide Zhou, you’re here too?”

Lin Chu freezes, turning around with a fawning smile. “Guide, why are you here, you—”

There’s no sign of Zhou Miao.

Turning back, Shu Yue has already darted off like a rabbit.

Lin Chu shouts, “Shu Yue! You wait! If you’ve got the guts, don’t come out of your room! I’ll get the truth out of you!”

“Lin Chu!” Zhou Miao suddenly pushes open the second-floor door, standing on the balcony, holding a lamp. “It’s the middle of the night—what are you yelling about? You don’t need to sleep, but the birds do!”

Lin Chu: “…”

“Go back now,” Zhou Miao says sternly.

Lin Chu thinks to herself, tomorrow morning, she’ll definitely corner Shu Yue and get answers.

In the morning, the mountain air is cool. Lin Chu slips on a jacket and gets out of bed. When she reaches the courtyard, Shu Yue is already preparing breakfast for the crested ibis.

“Senior sister,” Shu Yue calls.

Lin Chu looks around.

“The guide isn’t here. She took the senior brothers to the fields,” Shu Yue says.

“Just us feeding?” Lin Chu asks.

Shu Yue nods.

She quietly walks to the shed, gently opening a small gap to peek inside. Lin Chu stands behind her, peeking in the same way. Their heads are almost stacked together.

“Is it awake? Why can’t I see it?” Lin Chu asks.

Shu Yue says, “I can’t see it either.”

Lin Chu panics. “It didn’t escape, did it? Or did someone steal it again?”

Weren’t there police guarding the village entrance since yesterday? The villagers are also helping with protection.

“Let’s go check,” Lin Chu says, pushing the shed door open.

Creak—

Flutter, flutter, flutter!

A small bird hiding in a blind spot flaps its wings, trying to dart out.

Lin Chu and Shu Yue quickly block the door, shutting it closed.

Its escape plan foiled, the crested ibis lowers its head in disappointment and walks to the corner.

Shu Yue notices the bandage on its body is slightly loose and sees it occasionally pecking at it, guessing the clever bird loosened it itself.

She steps closer and, like yesterday, releases pheromone.

“Don’t move,” Shu Yue soothes. “I know you’re uncomfortable now, but to get back to the sky soon, this is necessary.”

The crested ibis seems to understand, staring at Shu Yue without dodging, letting her rewrap the bandage on its wing.

Shu Yue is about to smile in satisfaction when the crested ibis turns and starts picking at the freshly wrapped bandage again.

Shu Yue patiently coaxes it and rewraps the bandage.

But the crested ibis uses its long, straight beak to mess with it again.

Lin Chu says in surprise, “Little Yue, does it think this is a game with you?”

Shu Yue hesitates, then says to the crested ibis, “Don’t bite the bandage anymore. Want to play with a stick instead?”

She picks up a small twig from the ground and waves it at the crested ibis. Sure enough, the bird stops fiddling with its beak and comes to bite the twig. After biting for a while, it drops it. Shu Yue picks it up, and it bites again.

“You’re like its trained dog,” Lin Chu says.

Shu Yue feels the same, but if it makes the crested ibis happier, she doesn’t mind.

Putting herself in its place, if she were the crested ibis, flying freely in the sky, suddenly shot down, grabbed by a bunch of strange people, having her wings slathered with odd stuff and bandaged, then locked up…

Her reaction would probably be even more dramatic than this bird’s.

“Want to keep playing?”

After tossing the twig seven times, Shu Yue picks it up and asks.

The crested ibis takes the twig with its beak. Just when Shu Yue thinks it’ll drop it for the eighth time, it suddenly leans in, lowers its proud head, and rubs against Shu Yue’s palm.

Shu Yue pauses, then tentatively strokes its head down to its precious wings.

The crested ibis shudders comfortably, its two claws happily tapping the ground.

Lin Chu, watching this, is dumbfounded.

She tries reaching out too, but the crested ibis dodges her.

Not giving up, Lin Chu mimics Shu Yue and releases some pheromone. But as soon as the mint scent comes out, the crested ibis gets upset, letting out an angry cry. Lin Chu quickly retracts her pheromone.

“Discrimination,” she complains to Zhou Miao, who finished her daily observation. “Total discrimination.”

“Little Yue, did you mix loach powder into your pheromone?” Lin Chu can’t figure it out.

Shu Yue says, “I don’t know.”

She suggests to Lin Chu, “Why don’t you play with it this afternoon?”

Lin Chu says, “I’m not going to be its dog.”

But after lunch, she puts down her chopsticks and dives into the bird shed.

With her persistence, though she doesn’t touch the crested ibis’s feathers, she levels up to become one of its playmates.

“Birds are very smart animals,” Zhou Miao says softly to Shu Yue, standing beside her. “They can sense human emotions and intentions. If they choose to accept you, Little Yue, that’s your gift.”

“I’ve worked for so many years, and sometimes I feel it’s not me choosing my profession, but my profession choosing me. These birds, time and again, let me into their world, giving me the chance to observe, learn, study them, and even make a living from it.”

“I believe one day, you’ll feel the same.”

Zhou Miao’s hand rests steadily on Shu Yue’s shoulder, her tone gentle, filled with a mentor’s encouragement and expectation for her student.

“Don’t waver. Don’t let anything shake you. Anyone or anything that hinders your path to your mission has no reason to exist,” Zhou Miao says, her gaze steady, like a rock unshaken by a rushing stream. Her tone holds no regret as she continues to tell Shu Yue, “Little Yue, because maybe, you were born for this.”

Shu Yue can’t describe her feelings. She thinks Zhou Miao must have noticed something, but it seems unlikely. Her relationship with Meng Zhiyu, their breakup—Lin Chu doesn’t even know. How could Zhou Miao?

“Guide…” Shu Yue wants to ask but doesn’t know how to phrase it. Her thoughts swirl, and in the end, they turn into one question. “When did you know…”

“Some things, even if the mouth doesn’t say, will speak through other ways.”

Zhou Miao smiles at her, pats her shoulder, says no more, and walks into the bird shed. She takes the twig from Lin Chu’s hand and plays with the crested ibis.

Shu Yue feels warmth in her heart, lowers her head, and recalls Zhou Miao’s words again. Then she wonders, since starting school, she hasn’t heard of Zhou Miao having a partner. Did she walk this path too, saying goodbye to anything that affected her? Didn’t she hesitate? Didn’t she feel lonely? Wasn’t she afraid?

She looks at Zhou Miao’s eyes, softer than usual as she watches the crested ibis, the wrinkles at her eye corners curving, her face, marked by age and rarely cared for, softening too.

Suddenly, Shu Yue thinks, if one day she could become like Zhou Miao, dedicating herself to the career she loves and studying it for a lifetime…

Living as such a person doesn’t seem like something to fear.

Shu Yue steps back, leaving the shed to Zhou Miao and Lin Chu, and returns to her place to do routine cleaning. Out of the corner of her eye, she sees a short-sleeved shirt drying on a plastic hanger, already quick-dried under the summer sun.

Yesterday, Ji Shiyi got the shirt wet and changed out of it, forgetting to take it when she left. Shu Yue checked and found the shirt is ridiculously expensive, worth half a month of her caring for Ji Shiyi’s cat.

She told Ji Shiyi, got permission, and hand-washed the shirt. Ji Shiyi said to keep it dry, and she’d pick it up.

But Shu Yue thinks it’s not right to make a boss come to her, so she takes the shirt down, folds it neatly into a clean bag, and rides a shared electric scooter from the villagers to the hotel.

The hotel staff know her and her connection to Ji Shiyi. Hearing she’s there for Ji Shiyi, they give her the room number.

Shu Yue thanks them and heads over.

Just out of the stairwell, she sees a woman walking out of Ji Shiyi’s room from a distance. Silver hair, a typical alpha, taller and more imposing than Lin Chu, probably over 1.8 meters. Standing there, she exudes an overwhelming presence.

By the time Shu Yue reacts, she’s already holding the clothes, hiding in the stairwell’s shadow.

Who is that?

Another treatment subject of Ji Shiyi’s?