Chapter 14

“Only when you need the knowledge do you regret not studying more.”

Jiang Henián stared at the tiny, ant-like characters printed densely across the pages of the old medical book. The technical jargon about wound treatment read like ancient scripture, and her head was buzzing from trying to understand it.

She was suddenly hit with a very real sense of “Am I… stupid?”

Originally, she’d just planned to borrow a place to eat and leave. But… now that she was full, and looking at the mountain of supplies in her dimensional space, every step away from here made her conscience ache.

After all, all of this—
Had only become possible because this man once lent her 100,000 yuan.

Even though he always used threats and scare tactics on her, he’d never actually hurt her. He hadn’t even made her sign a promissory note. Could she really just walk away without guilt?

So, Jiang Henián began frantically flipping through the medical book while brainwashing herself:
“It’s fine. I owe him. Let’s just try something. Treat the dying horse like a living one.”

The man’s complexion was even paler than it had been that afternoon.

His sharply defined, handsome face was drenched in cold sweat. Someone had changed him into a plain blue shirt, but the wounds on his chest and leg were too severe—his makeshift bandages were soaked with blood, and his body was burning hot like a furnace.

How was he still alive after bleeding all day?
He really was the kind of man who’d stand at the top of the underworld.

Fortunately, in this heavily wounded state, his intimidating aura had diminished quite a bit. He wasn’t nearly as terrifying as usual. Otherwise, Jiang Henián wasn’t sure she’d even dare lay a finger on him.

His most critical injuries were on his abdomen and right leg.

The abdominal wound looked like it had been stitched once, but had torn open again. Jiang Henián poured hydrogen peroxide over it, applied some medicine, and wrapped it up tightly—again and again—like a makeshift mummy.

Then she tried to give him a fever reducer—children’s liquid ibuprofen.

But this guy, unconscious as he was, still had a strong defense instinct. His mouth clamped shut like a vise. Pills were out of the question, so the liquid was her only hope.

As for the leg wound… she was at a complete loss.

It was horrifying, like something out of a monster attack. Torn flesh, mangled muscle, not a single patch of unbroken skin. In some areas, even the white of his bones was poking through.

When Jiang Henián rolled up his pant leg and got a good look, she nearly vomited up the braised pork she’d just eaten. Her fingers trembled violently. It took a long session of mental prep just to stop herself from fleeing in panic.

“Not scared, not scared—I’m not scared! I’ve seen stuff like this in Mom’s books before. I’m fine, it’s fine… It’s just pork… it’s just pork…”

“Pork, pork… not scary…”

The Jiang-style self-hypnosis finally started working. She managed to keep her eyes open and look directly at the bloodied mess.

She pulled out the two big boxes of medicine she’d stashed from the pharmacy, muttering to herself while selecting a small portion. Whether she fully understood them or not, she applied everything she could to his injuries.

Then she flopped down on the floor and, by the dim candlelight, desperately began flipping through the old medical text.

When she found a certain page, her eyes lit up like she’d struck gold. Clamping a flashlight between her teeth, she dashed to the back of the hut, bent over, and began combing through the thick underbrush at the mountain’s base with a stick.

Eventually, she came back with her clothes stuffed full of unknown herbs, which she mashed into a dark green paste.

After this whirlwind of activity, Jiang Henián plopped to the ground, drenched in sweat and panting hard.

The man was tall and muscular—just lifting one of his legs had taken all her strength.

She leaned back on her hands, carefully examining the man now wrapped up like a full-on mummy.

After a moment, she let out a small laugh—one that finally sounded a little relaxed.

She remembered the few times they’d met in the modern world.

He had always been cool and roguish, exuding a dangerous charisma. He walked a Doberman the size of a pony and had a two-meter aura that made gangsters with knife scars tremble. He was known as “Master He,” and he loved to scare people.

Just looking at him had always made her feel like her tiny body was about to be disassembled.

Now, in this strange time and place, their positions had completely flipped.
He was helpless, lying here while she pushed, pulled, prodded, and patched him up however she pleased.

It felt… surreal.

Especially considering that she had been so terrified just this afternoon, fleeing in a panic and even falling.

When she’d left the Jiang house and stood alone in the dark wilderness, a crushing wave of loneliness had hit her.

She didn’t belong here.
She knew no one.
And without the Jiang family… she had nowhere to go.

Somehow, that made her think of this man.

The only person who had any real connection to her.

Suddenly, she didn’t want him to die.
She wanted him to live.
So she had come back.

In the stillness of night, with only the flickering candlelight and even the insects gone silent, her fear of He Jinshan had quietly faded.

Well… mostly because he was unconscious and currently zero threat.

Jiang Henián shifted her position, scooting around to sit cross-legged with her back against the kang bed. Her tone relaxed, voice soft, like a girl chattering to an old friend.

“He… Jin… Shan.”

“That’s your name, right?”

She gathered the remaining medicine, half a bottle of antiseptic, and a small roll of gauze—hands still stained with dried blood—and gave them a light shake.

“I’m not a doctor. This is everything I can give you. I need the rest for myself. Whether you make it or not… is up to you. You seem pretty tough, though. I don’t think you’ll die that easily…”

“…Consider this an apology for running you over. If I can, I’ll come back and check on you. But if everything here gets used up, and you’re still not awake…”

“…I’m sorry. Maybe I dragged you here with me. If you don’t survive… don’t blame me. I didn’t do it on purpose.”

Her voice trailed off. Then she turned and stared at his now calmer expression, whispering:

“…You can’t be… just a coincidence. Are you from here?”

She knelt up, elbows resting on the bed, inching forward until her face hovered close to his, studying him carefully, brows furrowed in doubt—like an X-ray scanner trying to confirm.

It had to be him. Same face. Same build.

And she had to admit—
He looked damn good.
Even bleeding out and unshaven, he had that rugged, mature edge.
Like the ultimate villain boss straight out of an action movie.

The “battle-damaged” version.

Feeling bolder, Jiang Henián reached out and quickly brushed her finger across his strong, dark eyebrows.

His eyelashes were long and thick—almost prickly.
His nose was high and defined.
His lips were thin. His physique…

Her gaze slid downward, admiring until—
She suddenly slapped her hand over her mouth and gagged.

One vivid image of that mangled leg wound, and all lust evaporated.

Zen mode: activated. Purity: restored.

She pressed her hands together, bowed politely toward the unconscious man, and said sincerely:

“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to be grossed out by your beauty! You’re very handsome!”

No bullying the wounded here. We respect patients. We’re civilized.

She sat there a while longer, watching as his breathing grew steady. It seemed the fever was coming down. The candle had burned almost to the base.

Finally, she exhaled a long sigh and slowly stood up.

Day one of transmigration had been nothing but chaos.
Her whole body ached like it had been taken apart and put back together wrong.

Time to go back.

She looked at the deepening night outside, pulled out her flashlight, and stepped out.

Just two steps away from the hut, the flashlight began flickering erratically, and Jiang Henián’s anxiety spiked. She picked up her pace.

But before long—
The flashlight died completely.

She froze. Total darkness engulfed her.

She couldn’t see a thing.

Then—rustling sounds nearby.

Followed by a long, bone-chilling howl that echoed through the mountain air.

A wolf.

Jiang Henián stood frozen, eyes wide in the blackness.

There were… wolves here???!