The one bustling around the makeshift infirmary was none other than Xiaoyu's older sister—the woman they had risked life and limb to rescue from Silent Mountain, the good homemaker who had cooked them their final bowl of noodles before Xiaoyu and Xiaoshu departed.

Her original profession was journalism, but under the total blackout of information, all local reporters had been ordered to stand down. Thus, she pivoted, becoming an emergency nurse, offering basic medical aid to those sheltering there. Though this work was worlds away from her original career, its value was undeniable. Because of this inherent importance, she harbored no resentment over being suspended, instead throwing herself wholeheartedly into the ranks of those saving lives.

Old He led Xiaoshu through the densely packed rows of tents, both treading carefully. The path was narrow, and occupants often stretched their feet out from their temporary shelters; a moment's inattention could lead to stepping on an ankle or knocking over someone's meager possessions, risking an immediate quarrel. People under extreme duress are particularly prone to eruption; even arguments over trifles in normal times require considerable poise and patience to defuse in such an atmosphere of stifled tension.

Upon reaching the medical station, Old He snapped his fingers, causing the sister to turn and smile in acknowledgment. But just as she sent a warm, knowing glance toward Old He, she suddenly spotted Xiaoshu standing beside him. She immediately set down the item in her hands and walked toward the pair.

"Xiaoshu, you're back?" the sister asked, a note of worry coloring her tone. She had expected Xiaoyu to be with her. Seeing only Xiaoshu and not her own brother made her uneasy.

"Sister, we are back. A friend was injured, so we took her to the hospital on the outskirts of town. After that, Xiaoyu disappeared. I thought he had come into the city to find you, so I followed..." Xiaoshu recounted the events in a deliberately light manner, omitting any mention of Xiaoyu’s brush with death, his strange behavior, or the fact that he had injured Huagu, leaving her still unconscious in the hospital. Everything was glossed over, resolved in two or three simple sentences. They were still the sort of close friends who shared a single bowl of noodles.

"Oh, as long as you two are safe. The situation in the city is very chaotic right now. I've been serving at this residential area's infirmary. If he came back, he should have been able to find me, right?" As she spoke, the sister subtly nodded toward Old He, as if seeking his confirmation.

"Mm, we have been right here. If he arrived, he would certainly look for us. Even if he didn't find us, we check the personnel entering and leaving the shelter daily; I would see his name on the roster," Old He agreed. The two spoke in tandem, displaying a practiced synergy, their bond seemingly deeper now than when they endured the hardship in Silent Village.

"Then I should go out onto the streets to look for him. Not finding him leaves me deeply unsettled." At this moment, though Xiaoshu knew nothing of the life-and-death pact Xiaoyu had made, her intuition and the myriad subtle signs she had observed led her to judge that her friend was in peril. If she were to stand by and do nothing, it would betray the immense debt she owed him for saving her life—that was a line she simply could not cross. She had to search for him; if he was in danger, she had to step in and help. This was the simple, earnest conviction that drove Xiaoshu before she left. One favor repaid must yield a torrent of gratitude; otherwise, she would be a terribly inadequate friend.