Chapter 22: No, this human can hear what the falcon is thinking. (Part 3)

Wen Youning was about to get the cat to release it.

“Meow!” The little tabby cat looked excited, it’s quite a big one!

‘The cat is really amazing.’

“Yes, yes, the best. Can the best little cat let this sparrow go… wait, no.”

Wen Youning gasped when she finally got a good look at the bird.

The blue-gray color stretched from the top of its head down to its neck, with fine black feather patterns.

Its forehead and eyebrows were brownish-white,

and its reddish-brown wings had dark brown streaks.

It was unmistakably a—“Red Falcon?!”

Bullet comments: ???

Good news, it’s not a level two protected animal.

Bad news, it’s a level two protected species.

What? Call 110!

Teacher Wen is too responsible, recording all the evidence live by herself.

The Red Falcon had casually found a spot to rest, but it was unexpectedly grabbed by the cat,

and its wings got caught, preventing it from flying away.

Its feathers puffed out, and it tried to move, flapping its wings.

Its throat emitted a sharp, high-pitched, urgent sound, warning off the intruder.

‘Go away, you stinky cat!’

Wen Youning stepped forward, “It’s okay…”

The Red Falcon glared at her, ‘You go away too!’

“Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you.” Wen Youning held the little cat’s paw,

but when she tried to pull it back, she felt resistance.

—Its paw was stuck in the iron mesh.

Wen Youning wanted to open the mesh, but as soon as she reached out,

the Red Falcon extended its neck and came closer, trying to peck at her.

She didn’t have thick gloves at home that could withstand being pecked,

so Wen Youning ran to the bathroom and wrapped a towel around her hand.

The Red Falcon seemed to sense her coming closer again,

showing an aggressive attitude.

‘Go away!’

‘Don’t come near me!’

“Ha—!” The little tabby cat hissed through the iron mesh at the falcon.

The Red Falcon’s claws moved slightly, ‘Stinky cat.’

“Let’s not argue first. We’ll talk after we save it.”

Wen Youning reached her hand out again.

Without hesitation, the Red Falcon pecked down, making a dull ‘thud-thud’ sound.

Wen Youning opened the iron mesh and loosened the screws that adjusted the mesh grid.

The grid was originally made small because the cat at home was too small,

and the wider grid would allow the cat to slip through.

Who would have thought that while the little tabby cat couldn’t get out,

it would still be able to catch the Red Falcon through the iron mesh?

With the grid loosened, the little tabby cat’s paw could be pulled back, but it didn’t withdraw.

Instead, it pushed further, wanting to stick its head through, to escape and battle the bird for a few hundred rounds.

“Don’t move.”

Wen Youning pressed down on the little tabby cat with one hand while she extended her other hand to grab the cat’s paw,

pulling it upwards and freeing the Red Falcon from the cat’s grip.

“Meow!”

‘It’s my prey!’

“There’s a lot of food at home.”

Wen Youning pulled the little tabby cat to her and noticed that its claws were bleeding.

The Red Falcon, now free, shook its wings.

Only one side of its wings unfurled.

The other wing trembled severely, unable to open due to the pain.

The Red Falcon tried to jump, but with only one wing functioning, it couldn’t fly or maintain its balance.

Wen Youning wanted to check how badly the wing was injured,

but as soon as she reached out, the Red Falcon immediately stared at her with alertness.

She softened her voice, trying not to startle the tense Red Falcon, and spoke gently,

“I won’t hurt you, let me take a look at your wound, okay?”

The wild Red Falcon was very cautious, huddled in the corner of the burglar-proof window.

Even though it couldn’t fly, it never let humans come close.

It folded its wings, and on the brown-yellow feathers,

there were visible injuries, with red stains marking them.

“It doesn’t seem to be from a cat’s scratch.”

Wen Youning quickly swept her flashlight over the bird’s wings.

No matter how deep a cat’s claws might scratch, there wouldn’t be this much blood.

Wen Youning untied the towel from her hand.

There was red on the back of her hand, some of it bruised and swollen.

The Red Falcon’s pecking was indeed strong.

Wen Youning looked up at the surroundings outside the window,

with the branches crisscrossing and half obscuring the view.

“Did you hit the tree?”

The now quiet Red Falcon suddenly cried out again,

“Goo-goo-goo.”

Nonsense!

How could I do something so stupid!

But what it thought was: ‘Damn tree.’

Wen Youning nodded, guessing she was close to the truth.

Its wings were likely pierced by broken wood.

The little tabby cat, sensing the bird’s call, raised its head with suspicion.

‘Did this bird just secretly insult me?’

Wen Youning held the eager little tabby cat down.

“Can I help you treat your wing? That must really hurt.”

“I’ll only clean the wound and put some medicine on it.

I promise I won’t do anything else.”

Wen Youning spoke seriously to the Red Falcon, as though swearing an oath.

“There might be a branch inside the wound, and it won’t heal properly.

You might never fly again. Do you want to be sent to the zoo?”

Or perhaps to the animal protection association?

A Red Falcon that can’t fly loses its ability to hunt and survive in the wild.

It can only be handed over to a professional institution.

Wen Youning didn’t forget to remind the viewers in the bullet comments,

“If you find an injured animal, try to call 110 or contact the local animal protection association, don’t do what I did.”

As for why she didn’t call the animal protection association—by the time they arrived,

she would have already bandaged up the Red Falcon.

After hearing this, the Red Falcon quieted down,

seemingly considering the feasibility of what humans were saying.

‘I don’t trust you, human!’

“You don’t have to trust me,” Wen Youning shrugged her shoulders,

“But I can understand you. We are the same kind.”

Red Falcon: “?”

Bullet comments: ?? Reasonable.

Not this, does this make sense?

Haha, look at the Red Falcon’s expression, the CPU’s probably overheating.

What’s going on, what’s going on?

It crashed into the tree and its head was already dizzy,

and now we’re giving it such a confusing problem.

Poor bird.

If Wen Youning can understand the Red Falcon, and I can understand Wen Youning,

then I can understand the Red Falcon. We are the same kind!

At this moment, let’s not do math problems.

The Red Falcon was stumped for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Wen Youning seized the opportunity and quickly wrapped the Red Falcon in a towel, taking it indoors.

“Chirp——” The Red Falcon squeezed out a short, breathy sound,

then snapped back to its senses and started pecking at Wen Youning’s hand in a frenzy.

“Ugh.” Wen Youning squinted, but still held on firmly,

“Alright, alright, it’ll be quick.

I promise, once I put on the medicine, I’ll send you back.”

The Red Falcon might have gotten tired of pecking,

its head bobbing up and down, making it dizzy.

‘Despicable human!’

‘Taking advantage of my weakness!’

‘I’ll fight back!’

“You even know idioms?” Wen Youning chuckled teasingly, “Very clever.”

The Red Falcon cursed inwardly.

When it heard the human say this, its thoughts immediately faltered.

‘Wait… wait…’

“Hmm, I heard that,” Wen Youning said.

The Red Falcon lowered its head.

‘Damn it…’

The little tabby cat always wanted to pounce on birds.

Cats didn’t care about the species of the bird;

if they caught it, it was food.

But since the Red Falcon was in Wen Youning’s hands,

the little tabby cat tilted its head,

thinking that if it caught the bird, it would be for the human to eat.

Humans holding the bird was the correct thing to do!

The Red Falcon was wrapped in the towel and, possibly tired, stopped struggling.

Wen Youning gently moved aside the towel from the injured wing.

She turned on the light and carefully used sterilized tweezers to extract the small twigs that were stuck inside.

They were tiny fragments.

Any movement could push them deeper into the flesh,

and the pain made the Red Falcon unwilling to spread its wings.

“It’s a pretty serious injury.”

Looking at it now, it seemed the little tabby cat only got one paw stuck in the iron mesh,

not realizing the full extent of the injury caused by the bird’s collision.

Wen Youning tried to remove the small debris stuck inside, “Does it hurt?”

The Red Falcon looked at her and awkwardly turned its head to the other side.

‘Don’t care if it hurts.’

“I’ll be gentle,” Wen Youning gently curved her eyes and smiled,

“If it hurts, remember to let me know.”

The Red Falcon made a low ‘mew’ sound, ‘So annoying.’

With the light shining, Wen Youning carefully parted the feathers and checked twice,

making sure all the broken twigs were cleaned out.

The small dish next to her was stacked with twigs,

blood still covering them, looking a bit unsettling.

“All done, wait a second, I’ll go get the medicine.”

Wen Youning habitually kept some medicine at home, as many medications for humans could be used for small animals.

But the dosage had to be controlled carefully.

If the dosage was too high, some potent drugs could not only fail to help the injured animal, but might also end up killing it.

She had to be cautious with both topical and oral medications,

as some ingredients could be lethal if consumed.

It took Wen Youning some time to prepare the medicine.

By the time she returned, the Red Falcon had already broken free from the towel’s confinement.

It bent down, grabbed the towel with its beak,

and casually tossed it aside, standing proudly.

‘I, the Falcon, will never bow to humans!’

The Red Falcon puffed up its chest and spread its wings,

but only the healthy wing responded.

It took a jump, and with a ‘thud,’ its claws landed on the edge of the table.

“…”

‘I will never—’

The wing remained motionless.

‘I will never—’

The injury was even more painful now.

‘Never—’

The Red Falcon jumped again, hopping all the way to the edge of the table, but it couldn’t fly off.

Its claws hovered a few times,

but the last jump didn’t carry it out.

The Red Falcon remained motionless on the edge of the table.

‘Get on with the medicine already.’

“Ha-ha, coming, coming.”

Wen Youning laughed, and the Red Falcon immediately shot her a sharp glare.

Bullet comments: From trying hard to giving up.

The Red Falcon never surrenders! Unless it can’t fly. Ha-ha.

I’m dying laughing, no one told me Red Falcons could be this funny.

Wow. I can’t even imagine how mad this awkward Red Falcon would be if someone kissed it.

If you dare kiss it, the Red Falcon: ‘I’ll lose my head!’

Wen Youning first used saline to wash the wound,

carefully parting the damp feathers to expose the injury beneath.

She dipped a medical cotton swab into ointment and said,

“This medicine might sting a bit, but it works really well.

Please bear with it.”

The Red Falcon didn’t care at all, ‘Would a Falcon be afraid of this?’

Wen Youning gently hummed, “You’re the bravest.”

The Red Falcon proudly tilted its head, but the next moment,

when the medicine touched its wound, it shuddered, and its beak opened to cry out.

The cool, gentle breeze brushed against its feathers.

The Red Falcon, with its beak open, paused.

It wanted to look but stubbornly turned its head away,

though its eyes betrayed it, glancing at Wen Youning uncontrollably.

While applying the medicine, Wen Youning blew gently,

“Does that feel better?”

The Red Falcon quickly shifted its gaze away when she looked over, “Goo!”

No effect!

‘Much better.’

‘It doesn’t hurt anymore.’

‘Wait, this human can hear what the Falcon is thinking.’

‘The Falcon thinks it’s not better at all! It still hurts a lot!’

…

“Such an awkward bird,” Wen Youning tapped its head.

“!!!” The Red Falcon’s feathers fluffed up.

‘Human!’

‘Who allowed you to touch the Falcon!’

“Alright.” Wen Youning released its wings, picked up the trash, and said,

“I won’t bandage it.

After a rest, you’ll be able to fly again.”

Although the bleeding seemed severe, after cleaning the wound, it was clear it was only a skin injury.

The only issue was the branch stuck in the wound,

which was causing pain and preventing the Red Falcon from flying.

The Red Falcon didn’t like getting close to humans,

so Wen Youning placed a cushion on the counter, “You can lie here for a while.”

‘I don’t want to.’

‘The Falcon won’t lie on something like that.’

‘Strange human.’

The Red Falcon turned its noble, aloof face away,

refusing to even glance at the soft cushion.

Wen Youning placed a bowl of water and a small plate of meat,

giving the Red Falcon its space.

After thinking for a moment, she opened the window,

allowing the Red Falcon to leave whenever it wanted.

But before closing the window.

Wen Youning picked up the little tabby cat,

“You’re staying with me.”

She didn’t want the little one to sneak out and play when she wasn’t paying attention.

“Mew!”

‘Okay, meow!’

The Red Falcon lifted a claw and scratched at the soft cushion,

but its eyes never left Wen Youning.

It seemed the human wasn’t interested in acknowledging it.

The Red Falcon’s eyes shifted.

‘Hey, human!’

Wen Youning had already sat back down on the sofa, starting her live stream.

The Red Falcon craned its neck, unable to see clearly from this angle.

After a moment, it ran across the counter, hopped onto the sofa.

‘The Falcon will see what the human is doing.’

The Red Falcon positioned itself at the end of the sofa,

with some distance between itself and Wen Youning.

Hahaha, it’s so cute, sneaking up like that sideways.

So fun, I want one too.

That’s daring.

If it’s not noticed, it’s just a pet.

But if it is, it’s a prison.

…

Although it seemed like Wen Youning was completely absorbed in her phone,

she was actually keeping an eye on the Red Falcon out of the corner of her eye.

It wobbled over, inching closer.

Its thoughts continued to mutter: ‘The Falcon is just curious about what the human is looking at.’

‘The Falcon is a quick learner.’

‘Not because it wants to get closer to her.’

Wen Youning was sure that with just one small movement of her hand,

she could easily scare the Red Falcon away.

So she didn’t do anything, letting the bird do as it pleased.

“Cough. Let’s connect to the next person.” Wen Youning clicked on the first person in line to connect.

When the connection was made, the screen showed a little puppy, a two-month-old mixed-breed dog.

“Hello, streamer.”

A man’s voice came from the other side.

“My dog won’t eat.

It was given to me by the neighbor yesterday.

They said it’s weaned and easy to raise, but it won’t eat and keeps whining.”

Wen Youning asked, “Won’t eat? Is it vomiting?”

“No.”

“Is it still energetic? What did your neighbor say about it?”

The man shuffled the puppy around,

“No, she just gave me the fattest one from the litter.

It’s really strong.”

“Try soaking the dog food in water,”

Wen Youning suggested.

“If it still won’t eat, take it to the vet for a basic checkup.”

“I don’t feed dog food, though,” the man replied,

turning the camera to show the dog’s food bowl.

“My sister, Zhao Jie, the one who gave me the dog,

said I should feed it what I eat.

So I gave it a bowl of pickled vegetables and porridge this morning,

but it wouldn’t eat.”

Wen Youning stared at the two bowls of plain, watery food, silently.

This meal doesn’t even have as much flavor as the pick-up lines from male models.

No wonder the dog won’t eat.

If you don’t give it chopsticks, how is the dog supposed to eat?

“Ah? Do I need to give it chopsticks?”

The man, noticing the comments on the screen, grabbed a pair of chopsticks and put them on the table.

“Is there some reasoning behind this?

Isn’t this a medical consultation?

Why are we talking about mystical practices?”

Wen Youning was speechless.

She said, “The comments are just joking around.

The puppy isn’t sick.

Buy some puppy food and soak it in goat milk for it.

You can even use powdered goat milk if you don’t have fresh milk.

Dogs don’t eat pickled vegetables.”

The dog: Do you want me to give you the most disappointed look?

If all else fails, put ten yuan in the dog’s bowl and let the puppy go to the convenience store to buy whatever it wants.