Wang Lixiang quickly flipped the phone camera around.
On the screen, the "captain" lay on her side in the cardboard box, her abdomen still rising and falling, but clearly with little strength left. One tiny hind leg was stuck outside, tinged with a purplish-pink bruise.
Shi Ran stared at the screen for a few seconds.
"The fetal position is wrong, and it's been stuck for too long." Her words came fast and steady. "Listen to me carefully. First wash your hands with soap up to the elbows, then put on gloves—do you have sterile gloves?"
"Yes… there are some in the first aid kit!"
"Good. Then find a lubricant—petroleum jelly or liquid paraffin will work. If you don't have those, use cooking oil."
Wang Lixiang's figure disappeared from the frame. A moment later he ran back, gloves already on, holding a small bottle.
"Will liquid paraffin work? I used it before for the cat's constipation!"
"That works." Shi Ran stared at the screen. "Now gently support the mother cat's hindquarters and lift her slightly."
Wang Lixiang did as instructed.
His hands trembled a little, but his movements were very gentle.
"Good. Now use the liquid paraffin to lubricate the exposed part of the kitten—the legs and the rear area. Take it slow, don't rush."
On the screen, Wang Lixiang's fingers applied the lubricant with great care. The mother cat let out a soft grunt but didn't struggle.
"Next," Shi Ran paused for a second, "you need to try pushing the kitten back in just a little."
"…Push it back?" Wang Lixiang was taken aback. "Shouldn't I pull it out?"
"You can't pull forcefully. Pulling hard on a breech birth could break the kitten's spine or tear the mother's birth canal. Push it back a little first, adjust the position, then let it come out again." Shi Ran's voice was calm, her hands gesturing as if she were teaching. "Use your palm to gently press against the kitten's bottom, and during the gap between the mother's contractions, push it diagonally upward. Don't fight against the contractions—when she contracts, stop; when the contraction passes, push again."
Wang Lixiang took a deep breath and looked down at the barely breathing kitten.
"I'll try…"
In the camera, his fingers were trembling.
"Don't be afraid." Shi Ran said softly. "You're helping it. If you can't push it back in, that's fine too—we have other options."
On the screen, Wang Lixiang began to move.
After a moment, he shouted in surprise: "It actually went back in a little…"
"Good. Now wait for the next contraction."
A few seconds of silence. The captain's body began to strain again.
"It looks like it's coming out." Wang Lixiang said nervously.
"Don't pull. Let it come out on its own." Shi Ran stared at the screen. "Just support it, protect it, and don't let it fall."
The mother cat let out a low howl.
The kitten finally slid out.
Small, wet, covered in mucus. Completely still.
"…Why isn't it moving?" Wang Lixiang's voice trembled slightly.
Shi Ran said: "Take a clean towel and wipe its mouth and nose clean. Then wrap it and rub its back—gently, from the neck toward the tail."
Wang Lixiang fumbled for a towel.
Shen Lizhou turned his head to look at Shi Ran.
Her delicate brows were slightly furrowed, lips pressed together, staring intently at the screen.
Whether it was from the fever reducer or something else, her hair at the temples was damp with sweat, and the fingertips holding her phone had turned slightly pale.
It might have been a few seconds, or a few minutes—finally, a thin cry came through the phone.
"It cried! It cried!" Wang Lixiang's voice was almost a shout. "It cried!"
Shi Ran leaned back into her chair and let out a soft breath.
"What about the mother? Any more contractions?"
"Yes! The second one is coming out—this time the head is first!"
"Good. Let her deliver it naturally."
The video call lasted nearly an hour.
The two of them kept an eye on the captain's condition while chatting about Sheng Sheng Manor and everything about the cats and dogs. The more they talked, the more engaged they became—it felt like they'd found a kindred spirit.
In between, Wang Lixiang kept slipping in flattery: "This is all thanks to Mr. Shen," "Mr. Shen said the same thing before," "Mr. Shen really has a kind heart, just like you," and so on. He was slick with it, throwing in a compliment out of nowhere like a sudden knock—so quick you couldn't even interrupt.
Finally, three kittens huddled against the captain's belly, their mouths nuzzling and searching for milk. The captain's eyes were half-closed, her tail lazily draping over the kittens as if she were counting them.
"Well done, our captain." Shi Ran smiled. "Brother Lixiang, there are a few things you need to watch out for in the coming days. First, observe whether she has a fever, stops eating, or has pus coming from her private area—those are signs of postpartum infection. Second, make sure all the kittens can get milk—if there's a weak one that can't compete, you'll need to assist with hand-feeding. Third, give her extra nutrition—canned food, chicken breast, or goat's milk all work. She needs the energy now. Fourth—"
She paused, then smiled: "Fourth, don't keep disturbing them. Let her nurse in peace. You can watch from the side, but don't keep reaching out to touch them."
Wang Lixiang nodded repeatedly: "Got it, got it. I do have some experience with this."
"And also," Shi Ran added, "if you notice it turning red and swollen, or if the mother cat cries in pain when the kittens nurse, it could be mastitis. Contact the vet promptly… or just contact me directly. Why don't you jot down my number? If it's convenient, you can add me on WeChat and reach out anytime if there are questions."
"Thank you so much, Dr. Shi," Wang Lixiang said, saving Shi Ran's number before adding enthusiastically, "When do you have time to come visit Sheng Sheng Manor with Mr. Shen?"
On the screen, Wang Lixiang's plump, cheerful face filled the frame, his two bean-sized hopeful eyes darting between Shi Ran and Shen Lizhou.
Shi Ran turned to look at Shen Lizhou, who had remained silent throughout.
Those light amber eyes seemed veiled in frost, unfocused, gazing blankly ahead. Then slowly, they sharpened, focusing on her. His long lashes fluttered once, twice, before he nodded vaguely.
Shi Ran suspected he hadn't heard a word Wang Lixiang had said.
"Sure," she said, smiling at Wang Lixiang. "I'll come see Captain when I have time."
Wang Lixiang: "Ah! Great! Thank you, Dr. Shi! Thank you, Mr. Shen! Sheng Sheng Manor welcomes you anytime—"
The video call finally ended.
The car fell quiet.
A bottle of water with its cap already twisted off was handed to her. Shi Ran took it and gulped down nearly half.
A thin layer of sweat had soaked through her back.
Dr. Shi…
It had been a long time since she'd heard that title.
"The kitten survived." Shen Lizhou's voice was soft as he handed her a wet wipe. "You worked hard."
Shi Ran paused, reaching out to take it. Panghu slipped free from her grip, leaping onto Shen Lizhou's lap, his long tail sweeping across his wrist.
Shen Lizhou stiffened, his breathing immediately turning rapid. His body began to grow tense in barely perceptible ways, his complexion paling.
"Panghu—" Shi Ran quickly scooped him back, lowering her voice into a threatening tone. "Be a polite kitty."
She stroked Panghu as she looked down, then remembered: "Oh, right. How did you know I was a veterinarian?"
Not far away, a child was skipping stones. Pebbles tossed into the sea, waves rolling, undercurrents churning, then returning to a placid surface.
Shen Lizhou kept his gaze lowered, breathing softly, saying nothing.
Shi Ran had never told anyone about becoming a veterinarian.
Even her parents had been kept in the dark, thanks to her and Cheng Zimiao's coordinated cover-up—let alone her friends.
After all, transforming from the former "Piano Goddess" into an "ordinary person" who wore a pair of worn work boots every day, shuttling between labs, cattle pens, sheepfolds, and animal clinics… The countless hardships along the way, the grueling studies in a foreign land, starting from scratch with biochemistry, anatomy…
It was all too complicated to explain, enough to deflate anyone before they even began.
So when friends asked, she chose the simplest, most dismissive explanation—a brush-off.
Me? Still playing piano.
Occasionally. Not that often, really—I'm married now, after all.
Marriage seemed like some kind of cursed word.
Once a woman got married, she could justifiably set aside any career, quit anything outright, and no one would raise an eyebrow.
Her friends would nod with understanding, and the topic would end there.
But Shen Lizhou.
Why, when the other person said "the vet isn't here," had he so naturally met her eyes, and so naturally handed her his phone?
Shi Ran looked at him. Sunlight dusted a thin layer of warmth across his lashes. His skin was translucent, his amber eyes translucent too—calm, beautiful, so docile he seemed incapable of hiding any secret.
"I was just taking a chance," he finally said. "In high school, you told me your real dream was to become a veterinarian." His gaze drifted briefly before shifting to her hands cradling Panghu. "Congratulations on achieving your dream."
Shi Ran stared down at her own hands, stunned.
The skin was slightly rough, with faint white marks across the back. A small pale pink scar sat at the base of her thumb.
Cat scratches, dog bites, and a cut from a metal shard that flew off when a cow's hoof kicked the iron railing.
Cheng Zimiao had fought with her plenty over all of it back then.
And he was congratulating her.
Rarely, she held out her hands, examining them carefully in the sunlight—every inch of skin, every scar, each with its own story, like medals of honor that would never fade.
"They're so different from high school," she said, wrinkling her nose as she studied the roughened skin. "Kind of ugly, aren't they?"
"No." Shen Lizhou paused for a moment. "They're beautiful."
"Ha, beautiful is definitely a stretch. You should've seen me during my internship at the pig farm…" Shi Ran laughed, trailing off mid-sentence as she suddenly paused.
She remembered that time during the internship when several piglets suddenly broke out with diarrhea at once. She couldn't help but vomit on the spot, earning merciless teasing from her partner Lu Zhifei, before gritting her teeth and pushing through until dawn—only to realize she'd missed Cheng Zimiao's birthday dinner.
The stench had been impossible to wash away.
The makeup was done in a hurry, sloppy at best.
Used to jeans, she even accidentally stepped on her own hem while getting out of the car in high heels, nearly twisting her ankle.
She walked quickly, stumbling into that world of dazzling lights and fragrant, elegant crowds.
Crystal chandeliers hung like waterfalls, champagne towers refracting fine shards of golden light.
The diamonds on men's watches and the jewels around women's necks shimmered in the warm amber glow, reflecting off one another.
The air carried a sweet, refined scent—a blend of expensive perfume and aged red wine.
And Cheng Zimiao stood at the very center of it all.
Surrounded by a crowd of people, he still wore that lazy, languid smile.
When he saw her arrive, he simply kept that smile and raised his glass toward her from a distance, casually, as if indifferent.
As if her lateness didn't matter at all.
Right.
It didn't matter whether she was there or not.
Young Master Cheng's world was always colorful, always lively.
And so was she.
So Shi Ran, as if she had merely forgotten his birthday by accident, raised her glass in return from afar, offering him a smile with not-quite-sincere apology.
"…Back then, I was really a mess—not pretty at all." Shi Ran continued. Under the sunlight, the faint scars on her hand looked like a winding path leading to an unknown destination. She lowered her gaze and looked at them for a moment, then smiled at Shen Lizhou. "But what I want to have goes far beyond being pretty."
If she said it out loud, people might think she was joking.
But what she wanted was her own animal hospital, to develop replicable standardized diagnostic and rescue procedures, and to become a benchmark in the industry.
She wanted to build nationwide chains of rescue bases, integrating rescue, adoption, education, and leisure. She wanted stray animals to no longer threaten natural ecosystems. She wanted charity to be sustainable, not just a consumable of kindness.
She wanted to push for the implementation of animal protection laws, to make those who abandon pets pay the price, to ensure abusers face due punishment, and to give every life the right to live on…
She wanted too much, too big, too far out of reach.
Most importantly, the veterinary systems and social awareness at home and abroad were worlds apart.
Now that she was back in the country, she first needed to re-obtain her license to practice, then slowly get a grasp on the domestic situation…
Shi Ran looked out at the vast, endless sea before her and took a slight deep breath. "I…"
Just as she started, she heard Shen Lizhou's voice.
"Perhaps," Shen Lizhou suddenly spoke, then paused—as if he himself hadn't expected to say anything—but after a few seconds, he continued, "you could come to Shensheng Manor and try seeing patients first?" He added in a lower voice, "…If you need it."
The sea breeze carried the warm breath of early spring as it swept toward her. Shi Ran looked at Shen Lizhou. Those amber eyes were as clear as glass, perfectly reflecting her bright ones.
"What a coincidence. I was just about to say I could do volunteer consultations at Shensheng Manor…" She laughed. "How did we have the same idea?"
Those distant, unreachable dreams had found a clear foothold—just now.
Perhaps she could start at Shensheng Manor and fulfill her dreams step by step.
Once the thought surfaced, it was like summer vines—vigorous, eager, instantly entangling her entire heart.
"So, when are you free," Shi Ran looked at him with a beaming smile, her eyes bright, "to see Dr. Shi back on duty?"
Thump.
Thump.
What was that sound, so loud…
Shen Lizhou raised his hand, pressing it against his disobedient heart.