[Bonus Chapter 2]
--
Once the nine-tailed fox made his exit, Li Xinyuan turned his attention to the bird circling around the room.
"Xueyue," he murmured, holding his arm out for it to perch on, "I have awaited your return."
The bird let out a soft caw and flew to sit on the surgeon's forearm. As Li Xinyuan carefully untied the letter from its leg, Xueyue groomed its wings.
Li Xinyuan looked at the letter in his hand and ran his fingers on its corners, gently stroking the delicate paper. To express his gratitude to the snow-like bird, the surgeon petted its head affectionately.
"I'm extremely grateful, Xueyue," the surgeon led the bird to the water and some seeds. "Have some rest now."
The bird butted its head against his fingers, letting out soft noises as it did so. "Yes, Master."
Afterwards, the surgeon moved to sit by the window. Lighting a lamp would be easy, yes, but it would also take effort, and Li Xinyuan was too lethargic for that.
