Brooke Osborne had learned some first aid basics at work, and during team-building exercises with her department, they had also practiced these emergency scenarios.
Seeing an elderly man slumped against a tree root and covered in blood, she instantly switched to emergency mode.
She quickly turned to Kenneth Osborne, who had followed her, and said, "Kenneth, go back to the car and ask Lawrence and her uncle if they have a first aid kit. This elderly man has a gash in his head that needs immediate bandaging to stop the bleeding."
Kenneth withdrew his gaze and nodded, "Okay, I'll ask."
He turned around and walked back to the car.
The young woman who had rushed out to stop the car was momentarily stunned.
Under the car lights, Kenneth appeared incredibly striking.
Even though he was a man, there was nothing effeminate about him. Approaching from the car lights, his features carried an enchanting allure that drew people in.
She was instantly captivated by him.
Despite being someone who had seen many attractive men, she was almost rendered senseless at the first sight of him.
It felt like an Immortal descending to the mortal realm, a breathtaking beauty that left her speechless.
She only came to her senses when she heard someone mention getting a first aid kit and saw the man turn and leave her sight.
She hurriedly returned to the tree root, half-kneeling beside the graceful and kind woman, and gratefully said, "Thank you, he's my father. We... had a car accident, someone hit us..."
Brooke Osborne took out a tissue, patiently and carefully wiping the blood from the man's forehead, trying not to touch his wound to prevent any bacterial infection.
She waited for Kenneth to bring over the first aid kit, planning to use the sterile alcohol swabs inside to clean the wound.
Hearing the young woman's polite gratitude, Brooke's slightly anxious heart gradually calmed down.
She smiled and said, "Did the car that hit you flee the scene? Don't worry, this gentleman is fine now. The bleeding seems to have stopped, so hopefully, there isn't a serious problem."
"But the gentleman is older now, so losing too much blood isn't good. Do you want to call 110 for the police? They can send a police car and ambulance, which might be quicker than our car."
The young woman was about to speak, but the elderly man, who had been leaning motionless against the tree root with his eyes closed, suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Brooke Osborne.
Brooke was slightly taken aback.
The man looked quite old, but his eyes showed no signs of aging. In fact, his gaze was incredibly sharp, exuding a shrewd and bold fierceness.
However, he only opened his eyes to glance at Brooke, then closed them again, speaking feebly, "… No need, thank you, young lady. If it's convenient, just take us to River City Area. We're here visiting family, don't want to cause any trouble."
"You really shouldn't. You've been harmed by criminals in our area; how can we just sit by and do nothing?" Brooke's civil servant habit kicked in, and she started to talk at length, both promoting River City's virtues and admitting the drawbacks of her work.
The elderly man's daughter listened, amused, but seeing Brooke's genuine goodwill, she didn't interrupt her.
She merely cheekily winked at the old man when he opened his eyes again.
The old man saw this, and the corners of his tightly pressed lips barely perceptibly curved upward.
...
Meanwhile, Kenneth returned to the car and politely asked Nick Zeller, "Uncle Nick, do you have a first aid kit in the car?"
Nick Zeller nodded towards Lawrence Winters' direction, "Lawrence has one."
Lawrence Winters opened a drawer in the car, took out a first aid kit, and handed it to Kenneth Osborne, asking, "What happened to those two people?"
Kenneth shook his head, "I'm not really sure yet. My sister just asked me to come get the first aid kit."
Having said that, he quickly grabbed the first aid kit and exited the car.
Lawrence Winters leaned on the dashboard of the Grand Cherokee's front window, frowning as she noticed the young woman who had rushed out to stop their car half-kneeling by the tree root, lighting up a bright smile as soon as Kenneth approached.
Lawrence dismissed it, curling her lips dismissively.
Nick Zeller noticed her expression and chuckled, teasingly saying, "Oh, Kenneth is getting more remarkable by the day. Look, those women can't take their eyes off him as soon as they see him."
Lawrence secretly huffed, turning her head away from the scene outside the car window, dismissively saying, "I think he just looks alright. Who knows if those women haven't gone blind."
"Just alright?" Nick Zeller snorted, beginning a proper lesson on appreciating male beauty for his niece.
"Lawrence, a man can be handsome; he can be dashing, but he can't be effeminate."
"Yet this man, Kenneth, isn't effeminate at all and isn't just handsome or dashing. Look at his appearance, he has three parts elegance mixed with bold charm, effortlessly attracting women, like a... "
Before he could finish, Lawrence already cut in dismissively, "… Like a fox spirit!"
"Exactly! That's it!" Nick laughed, slapping his thigh, "… A male fox spirit!"
Lawrence let out a curt sound, thinking to herself that as a Heavenly Master, she is destined to conquer fox spirits, regardless of their gender.
With that thought, her mood lightened, and she smiled again.
She got up gracefully from the car, saying, "I'll go down and take a look too. If Sister Brooke can't handle it, we'll lend a hand as well."
Nick wiped his face.
He was someone who avoided trouble, yet tonight seemed to be filled with back-to-back troubles.
Before heading out for business tonight, he had even performed a divination, which had promised great fortune and success.
But the reality was proving to be quite different.
So maybe, just maybe, he miscalculated again...
The fifty percent success rate was almost slipping from his grasp.
Nick's gaze drifted, feeling a bit uneasy.
Suddenly feeling restless, he retrieved a pack of Yunyan cigarettes from the car compartment, taking one out to put in his mouth, and also exited the car.
He moved slowly toward the tree root by the roadside, where Brooke Osborne had already used the first aid kit to bandage the elderly man's head wound, asking, "How do you feel now? Dizzy? Any other discomforts?"
She was very attentive and considerate.
Lawrence Winters kept her hands in her down jacket pockets, silently observing Brooke, secretly feeling sorry for her.
This kind-hearted Brooke could selflessly show goodwill to strangers, yet she was hurt most by her loved ones. Why was that?
Kenneth Osborne remained quietly by Brooke's side, not speaking, his exquisitely shaped phoenix eyes reflecting in the car headlights, dazzling and beautiful.
Nick Zeller emerged from the shadows behind, the cigarette in his hand flickering in the night.
He only saw the elderly man leaning against the tree root, appearing weak, yet his eyes were barely shut, clearly scrutinizing them all cynically.
Kenneth, meanwhile, stood considerately by Lawrence Winters' side, subtly shielding her from the wind.
And his seemingly sharp-witted and haughty niece only looked at Brooke Osborne with a gaze of pity as she knelt to bandage the elderly man's wound.
Nick paused, inhaling deeply from his cigarette, suddenly feeling a chilling gaze sweep over them, settling on his niece in front of him.
He quickly raised his head, but that sensation vanished.
He looked around, still finding the night deep, the path silent, the cold wind biting, the bare branches wailing, as if even the distant noise from the train station had faded away.
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Just a reminder, the fox spirit thing is just a metaphor, not real! My survival instincts are strong!