After Evelyn Vale left, Aunt Eleanor, with her sharp eyes, noticed the cleaned portable basin in the bathroom and immediately understood what had happened.
No wonder Evelyn’s face had been flushed with embarrassment.
Aunt Eleanor’s face broke into a radiant smile.
For so many days, worry had clouded her expression.
But today, for the first time, that heaviness seemed to lift.
Evelyn was loyal and kind.
More importantly, she clearly didn’t dislike Alexander Blackwood.
Aunt Eleanor no longer had to worry about her son never finding a wife.
She suddenly felt that perhaps the current situation wasn’t as terrible as it seemed.
At least her son had returned alive.
And he would no longer have to throw himself into dangerous missions.
In the past, every time Alexander left for a mission, Aunt Eleanor would stay awake through the night, praying that her son wouldn’t end up like his father—leaving one day and never coming home.
As long as her son could live a peaceful life, it didn’t matter if he could never stand again.
She was willing to care for him for the rest of her life.
But now, with Evelyn beside him, Aunt Eleanor suddenly felt that the future was no longer so bleak.
Perhaps…
Perhaps she might even get to hold a grandson sooner than she expected.
“Son, you should be nicer to Evelyn from now on,” Aunt Eleanor advised earnestly.
“Don’t always wear such a cold expression around her.”
Alexander’s expression remained indifferent.
“Evelyn Vale and I are impossible.
Mom, don’t worry about it.”
Aunt Eleanor immediately became anxious.
“Why are you saying it’s impossible?
You and Evelyn have a marriage engagement, and she even said she would take care of you.”
“I don’t like her.”
Alexander hardened his heart as he said it.
Aunt Eleanor was so angry that she nearly choked.
Her hand lifted into the air and remained there for several seconds.
But in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to strike her injured son.
Instead, she pleaded, “Evelyn is beautiful, she has a good personality, and she’s devoted to you.
What more are you looking for?”
“I’m not looking for anyone.”
Alexander’s voice grew colder.
“Mom, I want to sleep.
Go and call Mark back.”
He clearly didn’t want to continue the conversation.
Aunt Eleanor sighed.
She understood her son too well.
It wasn’t that he truly disliked Evelyn.
He simply didn’t want to become a burden to her.
She knew she was being selfish.
But she genuinely hoped Evelyn would marry Alexander.
That way, when she grew old and could no longer move around easily, there would still be someone beside her son to take care of him.
Meanwhile, Evelyn Vale walked down the road with her three-flavor ice cream cup in her hand, eating as she went.
She didn’t even bother looking for an umbrella.
The sun was blazing overhead, but Evelyn didn’t care.
She was naturally beautiful anyway.
Even if she spent an entire month under the sun, she believed her skin would still remain fair and delicate.
“Chirp…
chirp…”
The occasional sound of birds came from somewhere nearby.
Evelyn scooped another generous spoonful of ice cream into her mouth.
Today’s three-flavor cup was especially delicious.
The rich, creamy taste was almost addictive.
Before long, she had already eaten half the cup.
Evelyn stopped beneath the shade of a large tree, intending to finish the ice cream before continuing on her way.
“Chirp, chirp…
Give me some food…”
A sharp, unpleasant voice suddenly rang beside her ear.
Evelyn looked around.
There was no one nearby.
She didn’t pay much attention to it and continued eating.
The strange voice sounded again.
“Are you deaf?
Give me some food!
I am your lifesaving benevolent bird!”
The chattering voice was so close that it made Evelyn’s eardrums buzz.
What on earth was making that noise?
Evelyn impatiently lifted her head.
She searched the branches above her while continuing to eat her ice cream.
Then she froze.
A completely black bird was perched on a branch directly above her.
If it weren’t for the distinctive ring of white feathers around its neck, Evelyn would have mistaken it for an ordinary crow.
“It’s me!” the bird squawked.
“Quickly!
Give me some of that thing you’re holding!”
Its sharp beak opened and closed rapidly.
Evelyn nearly dropped her three-flavor ice cream.
What the hell?
A talking bird?
Where had this strange creature come from?
She stared at it suspiciously.
“Are you talking to me?”
“Of course I’m talking to you!”
The black bird’s temper seemed to be just as sharp as its beak.
“If I’m not talking to you, which other turtle-grandson would I be talking to?”
Evelyn’s eyebrows twitched.
This bird…
It actually knew how to insult people?
Before she could say anything, the bird became impatient.
Seeing that Evelyn still hadn’t given it anything delicious, it flapped its wings and flew straight toward her.
It landed on the edge of her ice cream cup.
Then—
It shoved its sharp beak straight into the three-flavor ice cream.
“Chirp!
Delicious!”
The bird began pecking at the ice cream greedily, making a complete mess as it ate.
Evelyn stared at the creature in disbelief.
For some reason, she suddenly had a strange feeling.
This bizarre bird…
Might be the beginning of a very troublesome day.
Evelyn Vale’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Not only could this black bird talk, but it actually liked ice cream!
Where on earth had this strange creature come from?
The black bird quickly devoured half the cup of ice cream, leaving not even a trace behind.
Then—
“Hic!”
A loud, shameless hiccup escaped from the bird.
Yes.
An actual hiccup.
Evelyn stared at it for several seconds before finally calming down.
She had already died once and somehow been given a second chance at life.
Compared with that, a talking bird didn’t seem quite so impossible anymore.
Besides, she still remembered what the bird had claimed.
It had saved her life.
Before Evelyn could ask another question, the well-fed black bird wiped its beak with one wing, let out another hiccup, and then chirped sharply.
“From now on, you’ll follow me!
Study medicine diligently and carry forward the medical arts of the Vale family!”
Evelyn blinked.
She was completely confused.
Her mother’s family had indeed been a family of physicians, but their medical skills were only average.
They could treat ordinary colds and minor injuries, but when it came to serious illnesses, there was very little they could do.
By the time of her grandfather’s generation, the family’s medical knowledge had already declined considerably.
Because of that, her grandfather simply hadn’t allowed his daughter to study medicine.
Victoria Vale had instead become an excellent accountant during her lifetime.
It was said that she had been especially skilled with numbers and calculations.
However, Evelyn vaguely remembered Victoria mentioning something to her when she was a child.
According to her mother, their ancestors had once been a renowned family of physicians.
But something terrible had happened generations ago.
The family had nearly been wiped out.
After that disaster, their medical knowledge gradually disappeared, and each generation knew less than the one before it.
Evelyn looked suspiciously at the black bird.
“Who exactly are you?”
Everything about this situation was baffling.
A bird that kept referring to itself as “I,” ordered her to study medicine, and somehow knew secrets about her mother’s family…
Who would believe any of this?
The black bird puffed out its chest proudly.
“I am the guardian beast of your family!”
Then, before Evelyn could react, it added,
“Take this book and read it first!”
The black bird lifted one wing.
In the next instant—
A book appeared out of thin air.
It dropped directly into Evelyn’s hands.
Evelyn stared at the book.
Her eyes widened.
On the cover were several words:
Vale Family Medical Classic I
She could hardly believe what she was seeing.
“A medical classic…”
Her fingers tightened around the book.
Then excitement surged through her.
She had been desperately worried about Alexander Blackwood’s legs.
And now—
The solution had practically fallen straight into her hands.
Evelyn looked up at the black bird.
“If I learn everything in this book, can I cure damaged nerves in Alexander’s legs?”
“Hmph!”
The black bird cocked its head arrogantly.
“As long as you master it, you’ll be able to bring the dead back to life and regrow flesh over bones.
Mere damaged leg nerves are nothing!”
Evelyn’s heart pounded.
Alexander could stand again.
He could really stand again!
“I’ll definitely master it!”
Her voice was firm.
“As long as I can heal Alexander’s legs, I’m willing to do anything.”
The black bird looked at Evelyn with satisfaction.
If it weren’t for the ruthlessness this descendant of the Vale family had shown before her death, it wouldn’t have bothered wasting its energy to save her.
People always said that a doctor needed a benevolent heart and benevolent medical skills.
But the truth was different.
To become an exceptional physician, one also needed a ruthless heart.
Without ruthlessness, one could never truly master the highest level of medicine.
The black bird hoped this young woman wouldn’t disappoint it.
Evelyn looked at the strange bird.
“Are you coming home with me?”
She found it rather strange that the black bird had been following her every step.
“I have to supervise your medical studies!”
The black bird would never admit that it had another reason for following her.
It had its eye on the Vale family’s food.
The caterpillars and cicadas outside couldn’t stimulate its appetite in the slightest.
What it really wanted was delicious human food!
Evelyn narrowed her eyes.
“Then what’s your name?”
“No name!”
The black bird answered without hesitation.
“I’ll give you one.”
Evelyn suddenly became interested.
An idea flashed through her mind.
She looked at the black bird and smiled.
“How about Pipi?”
The black bird tilted its head.
“You keep saying ‘I’ this and ‘I’ that.
You’re so cheeky!”
“Whatever!”
The black bird didn’t care about the name at all.
As far as it was concerned, a name wasn’t important.
Delicious food was.
“Pipi, you can’t talk so much after we get home,” Evelyn warned.
“Otherwise, people will think you’re a monster and roast you.”
“I know!
I’m not a pig!”
Pipi replied impatiently.
Evelyn didn’t get angry.
Her mood was far too good.
After all, Pipi had helped give her another chance at life.
She had always been especially tolerant toward those who had helped her.
“Pipi…”
Evelyn’s eyes suddenly became curious.
“Do you have a space?
Can I go in?”
“No.”
Pipi immediately refused.
“The time isn’t right yet!”
Evelyn blinked.
“When will the time be right?”
“No.”
“What is inside?”
“No.”
“Can I at least know how big it is?”
“No!”
No matter how much Evelyn questioned it afterward, Pipi refused to reveal another word.
Evelyn Vale looked down at the Vale Family Medical Classic in her hands, her eyes filled with anticipation.
As long as she mastered the medical techniques in this book, she could heal Alexander Blackwood’s legs.
Then Alexander would be able to stand again.
He could return to the battlefield and accomplish the ambitions he had been forced to leave unfinished.
“Is this the only volume?” Evelyn asked curiously.
Pipi flew lazily above her head.
To anyone else passing by, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary black bird.
“Of course not.
But you need to digest this volume first.”
Pipi’s voice entered Evelyn’s mind through mind-voice.
To outsiders, it was nothing more than ordinary chirping.
“Okay…”
Evelyn nodded vigorously.
“I’ll start reading as soon as I get home.”
Her eyes were filled with confidence.
She wasn’t actually stupid.
In fact, her grades had once been somewhere in the middle-to-upper range of her class.
It was only later that Damien distracted her so completely that she lost all interest in studying.
Her grades steadily declined.
Eventually, she couldn’t even get into the worst university.
At the time, Evelyn’s entire heart was focused on Damien.
She didn’t care whether she could get into university.
She had even thought that not having to attend school would be better because it meant she could spend all her time with Damien.
Richard Vale and Margaret Vale had never truly cared about her studies either.
They had even told her that it didn’t matter if she didn’t work.
They would support her for the rest of her life.
In her previous life, Evelyn had genuinely believed her father and stepmother were good to her.
She had thought she was the little princess of the family.
But after dying once and receiving another chance at life, Evelyn finally understood the truth.
In her previous life, Richard and Margaret had indulged her in everything.
Whenever she made a mistake, they never criticized her.
Instead, they always claimed that someone else was at fault.
They even made Claire Vale and William Vale give in to her.
At home, Evelyn’s word was law.
No one dared to oppose her.
Outside, whenever she argued or fought with someone, nine times out of ten, she was the one in the wrong.
Yet whether it was Richard or Margaret, they were fiercely protective of her.
They would even go directly to other people’s homes and argue on her behalf.
Every time that happened, Evelyn had felt especially proud.
Her father’s and stepmother’s behavior had made her feel important and respected.
But she had failed to notice something.
Her classmates and friends were gradually isolating her.
No one wanted to play with her anymore.
Instead, they began spending time with Claire, whom hardly anyone had paid attention to before.
Even her younger brother, Ethan Vale, was treated the same way.
He was constantly bullied whenever he went outside.
But at that time, Evelyn’s entire mind was occupied by Damien.
She was completely oblivious to everything happening around her.
She didn’t even know Ethan was being bullied.
She only remembered to care about her younger brother whenever he happened to cross her mind.
Thinking about it now, hatred slowly welled up inside Evelyn.
Hatred toward Damien.
Hatred toward Claire.
Hatred toward Richard and Margaret.
And even greater hatred toward herself.
“Snap!”
Unable to control herself, Evelyn raised her hand and slapped her own face again.
Only after doing so did she feel slightly better.
“Hmph!”
Pipi’s voice came from above her.
“What’s the use of hitting yourself?
If you have ambition, then learn some skills properly!”
Although the words were unpleasant, they were true.
Evelyn clenched her fists.
She secretly swore that in this life, she would live properly.
She would no longer waste her life chasing after people who didn’t deserve her devotion.
She also needed to uncover the many mysteries that had remained unanswered in her previous life.
It made sense that Margaret had wanted to “praise her to death.”
After all, Margaret wasn’t related to her by blood.
But what about Richard?
What was his reason?
No matter what, Evelyn and Ethan were his biological children.
Could Richard really abandon all familial affection simply for a small amount of property?
Evelyn gritted her teeth.
Among all her enemies, Richard Vale was the one who troubled her the most.
There were too many unanswered questions surrounding him.
But regardless of the truth, one thing was certain.
In this life, she would never allow herself to be “praised to death” again.
First, she needed to study properly.
When school started, she would be entering her second year of high school, and her grades had already begun to decline.
During this summer vacation, she had two major tasks.
She had to diligently study the medical arts taught by Pipi.
And she had to catch up on all the schoolwork she had fallen behind on.
In her previous life, Aunt Eleanor had advised her more than once to study hard.
But Evelyn hadn’t listened.
Instead, she had found Aunt Eleanor annoying.
Only now did she finally understand who had genuinely cared about her.
Aunt Eleanor had truly wanted the best for her.
Yet that kind woman had died mysteriously in her previous life.
Evelyn’s eyes darkened.
Not this time.
In this life, she would protect Aunt Eleanor properly.
She would never allow the woman who had sincerely cared for her to suffer the same fate again.