Sweet Rebirth: The Little Healer

Zhao Nuanyue listened, but she didn’t agree.

”Then tell me, how do you understand?” Zhao Nuanyue asked. ”I’m all ears. If you can convince me, I’ll believe that you truly get it.”

”Maybe before I went to Nianqiao Village, I was emotionally unstable. I was closed off, unwilling to talk or interact with anyone. But that doesn’t mean I was oblivious to the world around me. I had eyes, and I could think. After arriving in Nianqiao Village, I slowly started to change. I opened up and felt like a normal person again. It became easier to connect with people, and I learned social skills. So, Sis, you don’t need to worry so much about me.”

Her younger brother’s words left Zhao Nuanyue dumbfounded.

Before, certain actions or a stray comment from her brother had made Zhao Nuanyue feel he was growing up, that he was maturing. But now, having this calm, deep conversation, she realized he was far more mature than she had ever imagined.

”That’s wonderful!” Zhao Nuanyue was touched and turned to grasp her brother’s hand. ”You’re doing so well, Nuan Yang. It’s truly wonderful. Life is so beautiful, and you’re such a good person—you’re sure to have a perfect life.”

”Yes,” Zhao Nuan Yang nodded, smiling gently as he placed his other hand over his sister’s. ”Yes, I’m doing well, and I’ll be fine in the future. We’ll all have good lives. Alright, this is my stop. Brother Zhang Hong, you can just pull over at the intersection ahead.”

”Alright!” Zhang Hong nodded, pulling over when he reached the upcoming intersection.

Zhao Nuan Yang got out of the car, looked back at his sister, and gave her a warm smile. He waved and nodded, ”Goodbye, Sis!”

”Goodbye, Nuan Yang.” Zhao Nuanyue smiled and waved back. ’My younger brother and sister are both so well-behaved!’

’Well... my brother is very well-behaved. As for Little Red Carp... using the word ’well-behaved’ to describe her doesn’t seem quite right!’

Watching the car drive off, Zhao Nuan Yang turned and started walking toward the museum a few hundred yards away. It was where he worked.

”MEW... MEW...” The plaintive cries of a small cat caught Zhao Nuan Yang’s attention. He turned his head and saw an elderly woman under a large tree by the roadside, staring up anxiously. She was on the verge of tears. ”Little Meow Meow, don’t move! You’ll fall and get killed!”

’What a strange thing for the old woman to say. Cats can climb trees, so how could it fall to its death?’

Zhao Nuan Yang shook his head with a small laugh, thinking the woman was just being dramatic. Just as he was about to walk away, a woman in a police uniform came running over from a short distance away, panting, a baton in her hand.

’Heh, so it’s her!’

’That clumsy, silly female bodyguard!’

”Aunt Wang, has your Little Meow Meow snuck up the tree again and is too scared to come down?” the young woman, her face flushed red from the cold, asked in a clear voice. From her tone, it sounded as if this had happened many times before.

”Yes, Little Meow Meow is so naughty, but he’s such a coward. Once he’s up the tree, he can’t get down.” The old woman didn’t even look at the young female bodyguard who had run up, her eyes fixed on the kitten in the tree. She was trembling with anxiety, her emotions spiraling.

Seeing this, the young female bodyguard quickly patted the old woman’s back. ”Don’t worry, Aunt Wang,” she said. ”I’ll get Little Meow Meow down for you. Don’t forget, I’m the one who got him down from the roof for you last time.”

”Yes, yes!” The old woman had clearly recognized the young female bodyguard now. She grabbed her hand tightly. ”Please, Little Pan, you have to get Little Meow Meow down quickly!”

”Okay, okay, I’ll get him right now. Please try not to worry.” The female bodyguard put her baton down at the base of the tree, rubbed her hands together, and started to climb. Perhaps she wasn’t good at climbing trees, or perhaps the trunk was too thick and offered no easy holds, but in any case, her progress was very slow.

”Little Pan, can you even make it up there?” Seeing the bodyguard’s struggle, Aunt Wang was clearly starting to doubt her abilities. ”If you can’t do it, I’ll go get my son to help!”

Hearing Aunt Wang, the bodyguard quickly replied, ”I can do it! I’m a really fast tree climber, really! I’ll have Little Meow Meow down in no time.”

The female bodyguard used all her strength, straining to pull herself up.

Zhao Nuan Yang overheard the exchange and became curious. ’Aunt Wang already said she’d get her son to help, so why is this female bodyguard trying so hard to prove herself? And she seems to be in such a hurry...’

Zhao Nuan Yang’s curiosity grew. It was still early before he had to be at work, so he slowed his pace, deciding to see how this would play out.

After a monumental effort, the female bodyguard finally reached the first fork in the tree. It was much easier now, a lot less strenuous than climbing the trunk, and her speed picked up. She scrambled past a few more forks and made her way onto the branch where Little Meow Meow was perched.

The problem was, Little Meow Meow was far out on the branch. It just sat there wailing pitifully, refusing to budge. ’This cat isn’t just dumb,’ Zhao Nuan Yang thought, ’it’s so timid it’s forgotten its own instincts.’

The female bodyguard was clearly a little scared, but she edged toward the kitten step by step. Finally, she was right beside it and made a grab for it with one hand. But the startled kitten suddenly leaped, breaking free from her grasp and tumbling out of the tree.

The old woman happened to be right underneath, and Aunt Wang caught the kitten. Up in the tree, however, the kitten’s sudden movement caused the female bodyguard to lose her balance. She slipped, but luckily, she reacted fast enough to grab a branch, leaving her dangling.

Down below, the old woman glared up at the dangling bodyguard. ”You, Little Pan!” she fumed. ”You tried to kill my Little Meow Meow! You’re just awful! Don’t you ever come to my house again!”

The old woman, still fuming, cuddled the frightened kitten and stormed off.

And so the female bodyguard was left dangling from the tree, clutching the branch with both hands. She wanted to jump, but it was a good ten to thirteen feet to the ground, and she was scared. To make matters worse, she could feel the branch groaning under her weight, shaking precariously as if it were about to snap.

Terrified, the female bodyguard started shouting, ”Help! Somebody, help me!”

But the area around the museum was deserted; there was no one in sight. Even the closest houses were far away. The female bodyguard despaired. She felt doomed. Her mind raced, trying to figure out the best way to position herself to soften the fall.

With a loud CRACK, the branch snapped. ”AHHH!” The female bodyguard let out a sharp scream as she fell. To avoid being hit by the falling branch, she had to let go completely. She squeezed her eyes shut, her mind a complete blank—she still hadn’t figured out the best way to land.