The stench of rot imdiately filled the air, with a few grains of sand embedded in the festering wound.
When Chen Su looked up, he noticed that Xu Ying had already donned gloves and was approaching with tweezers, their gazes eting in the dim carriage.
Xu Ying said, "I’ll clean the wound, you prepare the antibiotics."
A drop of sweat slid down Chen Su’s chin as he nodded.
They cooperated like partners who had worked together for years.
As Xu Ying stitched up the wound, Chen Su supported the cal’s neck and spoke soothingly.
While Chen Su was preparing the electrolyte solution, Xu Ying had already finished asuring the temperatures of all the cals.
Their cooperation was seamless, quickly and efficiently examining the five cals, and Xu Ying carefully recorded the condition of each one.
Xu Ying’s focused silhouette was reflected in Mountain Peak’s eyes, its black gemstone eyes moist and fixated on Xu Ying, as if etching this human figure permanently in its mind.
When the last cal’s wound was bandaged,
the weakest female cal suddenly nudged Xu Ying’s wrist with its nose. The moist touch startled her.
"It’s thanking you."
Chen Su had quietly moved to her side at so point, his voice still cool but softer than usual.
Just as Xu Ying was about to respond, she saw him suddenly raise his hand.
His slender fingertips lightly grazed her hair, pulling away a fine cal hair.
This unexpected gesture made both of them pause for a mont.
"There was hair." He explained briefly, his voice a notch lower than usual.
His fingertips unconsciously rubbed the strand of fluff, as if trying to cover up the earlier action.
Xu Ying lifted her face, her bright eyes staring straight into his: "Thank you!"
Chen Su’s ear tips turned a faint red at a visible speed, a rare hint of panic flashing through his stern features.
He averted his gaze, his Adam’s apple slightly bobbing, yet he maintained his usual indifferent expression.
"... Don’t look at like that."
He finally said softly, his tone carrying a hint of helpless surrender.
That cal hair was still clutched in his palm, already disfigured by his nervous fingers.
Just then, a police officer’s voice called out from afar, "Little Xu Station Chief, we’re pulling back so people here, and we’re heading in the sa direction as you. How about we go back together!"
– "Okay, I’m coming!"
After a whole day outside, Xu Ying was eager to return ho.
The journey underground was too dark and cold, and she desperately needed a dose of Little Ear Foxes to recharge her energy!
Chen Su watched Xu Ying dash off the vehicle, feeling a hollow emptiness inside.
Xu Ying didn’t forget there were still six national first-class protected animals here, "These six cals will co with !"
She patted the truck driver who was crouching nearby smoking, "Bro, let’s go to Rescue Station 032 now, I’ll give you extra pay!"
"And I’ll send you so egg fruit snacks as well."
Upon hearing this, the truck driver imdiately stubbed out his cigarette, "Alright, let’s go now!"
"Wait."
Xu Ying suddenly rembered she hadn’t asked the cals for their opinion yet. She looked back at the big guys on the truck, "Do you want to go to my rescue station to recover?"
Mountain Peak imdiately nodded, the first to express consent!
The other cals all let out weak calls: [Of course, if you don’t mind, Station Chief.]
[We can even provide you with fresh cal milk!]
[Once we’re healed, we can help carry heavy loads for you!]
"No need, no need. Just focus on getting better~" Xu Ying quickly waved her hand, feeling a pang in her heart as she looked at these big guys trying to prove their worth.
Although the double-humped cal is a national first-class protected animal, herders don’t really like raising cals because their economic value is too low—not only is their milk production low, but their shipping function has been increasingly weakened by modern transportation.
These six big guys were probably raised by herders before but abandoned because they weren’t profitable.
After a two-hour drive, it was past eleven at night when they returned to the rescue station.
After settling the six cals, Xu Ying went to the front of the rescue station.
The area around the rescue station was quiet.
She couldn’t hear the cheerful calls of the little foxes through the door.
Normally, this would be the little foxes’ last romp before bed.
Xu Ying was a bit worried.
She held a basket of fresh atballs for the little foxes sent by Qi Xiao and opened the door to the rescue station, and the sight before her made her freeze in place—
Five fluffy little ear foxes were forming a perfect circle, underneath them lay a nest of eggs—presumably eggs of the Niyaya Chicken picked up by the Little Sand Cat.
They sat solemnly, with their bushy tails covering the eggs tightly, looking like five professional egg incubators.
Upon hearing the door open, ten pointed ears stood up simultaneously, and their large amber eyes blinked at her, filled with a serious look that said "We’re busy, don’t disturb."
The clingy and chatty ones who usually wanted attention from Xu Ying when she returned ho were now busy with their "lifelong business."
The chubby Fox Si Bao let out a squeak and used its paw to nudge an egg that was about to roll out back to the center.
The other four imdiately adjusted their positions, holding their tails tighter, even breathing lighter, afraid to disturb the "soon-to-hatch babies."
[Cluck cluck, cluck cluck~]
Fox Erniu even imitated a mother hen’s clucking, very earnestly.
The fox’s imitation of a chicken’s cluck sounded out of place, making Xu Ying nearly burst into laughter.
Fox Xiao Wu seed puzzled as to why the eggs had shown no movent despite their long incubation.
It tilted its little head and cautiously touched the eggshell with its nose, only to be startled by the cold sensation, causing it to sneeze. This prompted its siblings to disdainfully move away a bit.
Suppressing her laughter, Xu Ying crouched down and discovered they had sohow brought a cushion from the rescue station to carefully place under the eggs.
The ceiling light of the rescue station shone down, gilding the five fluffy "caregivers" in gold, with even the droplets of water on their whiskers glistening brightly.
She put down the bamboo basket of atballs, and just as she took out her phone to take a picture, Fox Si Bao’s radar-like nose sniffed the air, tilting its head with a look of realization—
It finally rembered it hadn’t eaten for the entire egg-incubating day!
It let out a howl and led the charge towards Xu Ying’s basket of atballs.
The remaining four stared at each other, glancing from the atballs to the eggs, and eventually, the allure of food won over responsibility, scattering the furballs in a flurry.
Only five lonely eggs were left lying on the cushion, and the bent-over-laughing Xu Ying.
Outside, the Little Sand Cat was reporting to its ntor, the Black Jungle Cat: [Master, it seems like there are fewer eggs in my basket!]
With a serious expression, the Little Sand Cat stared at the special egg-collecting cart Xiao Xu Station Chief had made for it. The number of eggs in the basket on the cart seed fewer than before.
But the little cat had a tiny brain and couldn’t rember how many eggs it had actually collected.
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